Newsletter Term 4 Week 4
Principal's Message
Dear Parents and Families,
What a fabulous day we had on Friday with our Grandparents and Friends Day attracting a crowd of over 2,500 people. It was wonderful to see so many families sharing their children's learning in classrooms and we always enjoy chatting with the many grandparents and special friends who come along.
Each year the standard of the students performances seems to lift a notch and this year was no exception. The performances by each year level were just brilliant and I thank them for the way they committed to learning the dance whilst having lots of fun. My thanks also to all the staff who so willingly went out of their comfort zone to dress up and perform our Barbie number with such pizzazz! Check out the St Mary’s School Facebook or Instagram pages this week to see all the highlights of the day.
This week we warmly welcome Oliver Rogers to 5I wish him all the best as he settles into his new school. Finally, this week is the last Friday of the month which mean casual dress day with any gold coin donations collected in support of Catholic Mission - Mission Month.
Grandparents and Friends Event
A huge thank you to Miss Natasha who choreographed and co-ordinated the performances, Ebony for her organisation of all things practical behind the scenes, Joe Dorigo who was in charge of the sound system and music, Trudy and the team in the canteen, LeeAnn Clarke who took many beautiful photos throughout the day, and to all the staff and parents who pitched in and helped out, a sincere thank you for willingly supporting this event. We had lots of fabulous feedback about our beautiful classrooms and the learning that the children shared with their families and about our wonderful school grounds and facilities. Special thanks must go to Tim, Gene and John for having our grounds looking so immaculate.
Parents & Friends
The P & F did a mighty job raising $1890 from our raffle. All money raised is being put towards the reinstallment of our Ninja Playgrounds. With almost $16,000 raised from various P & F fundraising events this year, we are well on the way to seeing this materialise in the next 12 months.
Congratulations to the raffle winners:
1st Prize: $400 Swan Hill Gift Card went to Flynn O’Bree
2nd Prize: 3 month membership at the Swan Hill Aquatic & Recreation Centre went to Kali Ocampo
3rd Prize: $100 cash donated by Q & S Finacial Planning went to Oliver Sparks
4th Prize: $50 cash went to Kim Wilson
5th Prize: $50 cash went to Joey Prochilo
Junior Hub
The building is looking fabulous with those last few finishing touches happening throughout the week.
The official handover date is October 30th…only 7 days away! Once we have the keys there will be an opportunity for our school community to have take a tour through the Junior Hub before our Year 1& 2 classes move in and enjoy this wonderful new addition to our school facilities.
Book Fair
St. Mary’s Book Fair will be held this week, Monday 23rd October through to Friday 27th October with the school receiving 30% of the money raised in book stock for our library. We will have a range of books displayed in the library, which the children will view during their normal library class time. Parents are also welcome to come along at any time during these days. The children will make a “Wish List'' which will then be sent home with an order form. For those families who wish to purchase items, this can be completed and sent back to the office no later than Friday November 10th.
World Teachers Day Friday October 27th
World Teachers Day falls on the 27th October this year. The purpose of this day is to celebrate all teachers for their contribution to the education, inspiration and support they provide to our students.
It is timely on World Teachers' Day for families, students and the wider community to express appreciation for the commitment and dedication of the teaching profession in helping children learn and to say a special thank you to teachers who have really made a difference to the children they have taught. We will celebrate our amazing teachers at assembly this Friday, with a shout out on our socials and also with a morning tea!
Frozen Jr
I am always so impressed with the many interests and accomplishments of our students. Meet Hattie, Charli, Willow, Jobe, Cleo, Miyana and Reve! These very talented students from St Mary’s are starring in the Swan Hill Theatre production of Frozen Jr, directed by our very own Toni- Mia Scalora, who combines her teachings studies with an LSO position at the school.
Class Groupings 2024
Over the next few weeks our teachers are putting the final touches to class groupings for 2024. In doing this, academic, social and emotional considerations are taken into account to inform decisions. We are fortunate that St. Mary's teachers plan learning activities that often allow our children to mix across the year group where they are working alongside all the children within their age and class grouping. School is a place where children learn how to relate to other children. It is important that children learn to mix with lots of children. In doing this, they learn about themselves in relationships and identify qualities within others that they find positive and assuring for themselves.
We are also finalising staffing needs and will publish teachers and levels by the end of November.
I would ask any family who believes that they will not be here at St Mary’s in 2024 to let me know as we are working on class structures for next year. Thank you for your consideration.
Kate
"We have much for which to be thankful"
St Mary MacKillop 1875
Key Dates
Monday October 23rd
Book Fair commences
Wednesday October 25th
Year 2 Level Liturgy 10.30am
Year 1 Level Liturgy 11.30am
Friday October 27th
Casual Dress Day
Assembly 12.25pm - 5H
Regional Basketball
Wednesday November 1st
Armistice Day Presentation Year 5 & Year 6
State Athletics
Friday November 3rd
Assembly 12.25pm - Foundation Orange
Monday November 6th
Pupil Free Day
Tuesday November 7th
Public Holiday
Wellbeing with Mr Prockter
In accordance with Child Safe Standard 4 Family Engagement – Families and communities are informed and involved in promoting child safety and wellbeing.
Mindfulness Matters: Can Living in the Moment Improve Your Health?
At some point in your life, someone probably told you: “Enjoy every moment. Life is short.” Maybe you’ve smiled and rolled your eyes at this well-intentioned relative or co-worker. But the fact is, there’s something to it. Trying to enjoy each moment may actually be good for your health.
The idea is called mindfulness. This ancient practice is about being completely aware of what’s happening in the present—of all that’s going on inside and all that’s happening around you. It means not living your life on “autopilot.” Instead, you experience life as it unfolds moment to moment, good and bad, and without judgment or preconceived notions.
“Many of us go through our lives without really being present in the moment,” says Dr. Margaret Chesney of the University of California, San Francisco. She’s studying how mindfulness affects health. “What is valuable about mindfulness is that it is accessible and can be helpful to so many people.”
Studies suggest that mindfulness practices may help people manage stress, cope better with serious illness and reduce anxiety and depression. Many people who practice mindfulness report an increased ability to relax, a greater enthusiasm for life and improved self-esteem.
One NIH-supported study found a link between mindfulness meditation and measurable changes in the brain regions involved in memory, learning and emotion. Another NIH-funded researcher reported that mindfulness practices may reduce anxiety and hostility among urban youth and lead to reduced stress, fewer fights and better relationships.
A major benefit of mindfulness is that it encourages you to pay attention to your thoughts, your actions and your body. For example, studies have shown that mindfulness can help people achieve and maintain a healthy weight. “It is so common for people to watch TV and eat snack food out of the box without really attending to how much they are eating,” says Chesney. “With mindful eating, you eat when you’re hungry, focus on each bite, enjoy your food more and stop when you’re full.”
Finding time for mindfulness in our culture, however, can be a challenge. We tend to place great value on how much we can do at once and how fast. Still, being more mindful is within anyone’s reach.
You can practice mindfulness throughout the day, even while answering e-mails, sitting in traffic or waiting in line. All you have to do is become more aware—of your breath, of your feet on the ground, of your fingers typing, of the people and voices around you.
Chesney notes that as people start to learn how to be more mindful, it’s common and normal to realize how much your mind races and focuses on the past and future. You can just notice those thoughts and then return to the present moment. It is these little, regular steps that add up and start to create a more mindful, healthy life.
So, before you roll your eyes again, take a moment and consider mindfulness.
I hope you enjoyed this article! Have a great week.
Mr Prockter :)
PE with Miss Clark
Hot Shots Tennis Competition
This week on Thursday the 26th of October St Mary’s will have 8 Year 6 students represent our school in The ANZ Hot Shot tennis competition at the Swan Hill Lawn Tennis Club. The students will play singles and doubles matches in a modified style of tennis on smaller sized courts and racquets. They will play schools from Echuca, Irymple and Rochester.
Best of luck to Oliver S, Kel P, Cooper G, Reuben C, FInn H, Archie B, Jack B and Hugh A!
Regional Basketball
Also this week on Friday the 27th of October is the Regional Basketball championships which both our St Mary’s girls and boys teams have qualified for at the Swan Hill Basketball Stadium. These teams have both been training hard during lunch times and no doubt will make St Mary’s very proud on the day. The students will play three matches against schools from Mildura, Woodend, Kyneton and Bendigo and then finals.
Goodluck to the following teams;
Girls: Prue O, Lola P, Mayla C, Lily N, Daisy M, Evie K, Asha N and Charli W
Boys: Oliver S, Lucas O, Leo K, Rory M, Henry O, Archie O and Hamish L
@2 Murlong Before & After School Care
The Out of School Hours Care program, @ 2 Murlong, is operating out of the gym hub and provides before and after school care for school age children in the Swan Hill area. Please express your interest via the following link;
https://prodadmin.myxplor.com/enrollment/index/dHdBOThsSW9JeHUxYTEwaHNxZlMrdz0
News from the Office
Rapid Antigen Tests
We have excess supply of Rapid Antigen Tests available for families. You can collect test kits from the office between 8.30am and 4pm.
Hats & Jumpers
Just a reminder to clearly label all school items, in particular jumpers and hats.
News from the Canteen
How to order:
Ordering from our canteen for recess or lunch is online via CDF Pay
https://smswanhill.cdfpay.org.au/
Orders are to be placed by 9.30am. We recommend ordering the night before.
If you are able to help in the canteen during Term 4 on any of the dates in yellow, please contact the office on 50332541 or email office@smswanhill.catholic.edu.au
Birthday Wishes
What's happening in 1A?
Community News
