Newsletter Term 1 Week 5
Principal's Message
Dear Parents and Families,
Last week was certainly action packed with the students enjoying the Welcome Picnic, the Division swimming event and a casual dress day on Friday.
Yesterday, staff attended a workshop facilitated by sought after presenter Shaz Bailey. They deepened their understanding of learner agency with a specific focus on the How and Why of Inquiry and will it drive our learning and teaching programs. Shaz is here working with teams this week on developing their inquiry units that reflect this new learning.
Casual Dress Day
Everyone enjoyed the opportunity to wear casual clothes with the $543.00 raised, going to the local food hub, to support local families in need. This was a wonderful effort and a practical application of living out the gospel message.
Open Day 1 - Wednesday March 6th, 5pm
We are happiest when prospective families pay us a visit to see for themselves what makes us different. New and existing families are warmly invited to join us to learn about St Mary’s at our first Open Day on Wednesday 6th March with tours starting at 5pm. We will have further Open Days on weekends in April and May and the opportunity to see our school in action throughout the day during Term 2. Current families are our best form of advertising so please be sure to let family and friends know we have Open Days coming up. Please call the office on 50332541 or fill in a registration form at https://smswanhill.catholic.edu.au/book-a-tour/
St. Pat’s Family Fun Day Race Event
Save the date as this is seriously a fun filled family event! Sunday March 17th is the annual St Patrick's Cup Family race meeting in Swan Hill and a major fundraiser for our school. With free children's activities run by Hart Sports there is everything from face painting, foot races, kick the footy in the ute, the jumping castle and pony rides, not to mention the actual race. All this makes it a terrific family day out.
With the installation of a new Ninja Playground scheduled for installation later in the year, 100% of proceeds from the entrance to the races and raffle sales go towards the purchasing playground equipment for this area.
Entry tickets available to purchase via the following link;
https://swanhill.tickets.countryracing.com.au/Catalog/AssetRegister?assetRegisterId=6b6b7e05-58c1-ee11-9078-00224895c4cf&eventId=ef15e63e-00af-4991-9014-cdcf2dff946a
Homework
This week, homework has commenced, with all year levels across the school starting to send some home based tasks to be completed during the week. A detailed explanation of homework for each year level at St Mary’s has been sent to each family via PAM.
Parents & Friends - Shout out for new members!
We would love you to consider joining our Parents & Friends. Parents & Friends are a very important part of our school community. They provide an opportunity to take an active part in school activities. These activities are predominately social and fundraising, but there are also opportunities for information, making suggestions and contributing to the maintenance of the school. The money raised by Parents and Friends enables the school to purchase equipment that makes our school a better place for learning and play. Parents and Friends meet regularly, with dates advertised in the school newsletter. Our Parents & Friends generally have four major fundraisers each year. It would be fantastic if you would consider helping out with one or more of these events. For more information about our wonderful P & F please message contact our office on 50332541
Our Josephite Heritage
This year we will endeavor to honor our Josephite heritage and the immense contribution by the sisters in shaping our school, by including a reflection or quote from Mary MacKillop in our newsletter each week. Mary MacKillop’s words remind us all that we truly do have so much to be thankful for in our lives.
Have a lovely week,
Kate
"We have much for which to be thankful"
St Mary MacKillop 1875
Key Dates
Thursday February 29th
Year 5 Open Water Swimming
Friday March 1st
Assembly 12.25pm - 6M
Saturday March 2nd & Sunday March 3rd
Reconciliation Enrolment sessions
Monday March 4th & Tuesday March 5th
First Aid in Schools incursion
Wednesday March 6th
Open Day - Tours at 5pm
Friday March 8th
Assembly 12.25pm - 6N
Monday March 11th
Public Holiday
Wellbeing with Mr Prockter
Curriculum with Mrs Hall
STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
As a school we are very excited we have STEM as a specialist area this year. STEM education emphasizes critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills. Students learn to approach challenges systematically, identify solutions, and think creatively. STEM education often involves hands-on experiments, projects, and activities, which make learning more engaging and memorable. Hands-on experiences help students develop practical skills and deepen their understanding of complex concepts. Our STEM program this term has a technology focus across all year levels.
Foundation to Year 2 are currently experiencing 'unplugged' activities. These are designed to build their content knowledge and vocabulary before moving onto using the Beebots.
Year 3 and 4 students are engaging using Scratch. They are learning basic programming skills to create animations, games and eventually an interactive book.
Year 5 and 6 students are fostering critical thinking skills, with the Lego Spike Prime robotics kits. They will begin by building and programming a basic driving base to perform tasks such as controlling movements using different sensors and using modular tools. As well as an ongoing focus of working effectively and collaboratively as a team.
RE with Mrs Davies
Year 4 Families (of Baptised Catholics)
A reminder that the Reconciliation Enrolment Sessions are this weekend.
Please see details on the flyer below.
PE with Miss Clark
Division Swimming
It was a very sunny and warm day last Monday the 19th of February for the Division Swimming Championships at the Swan Hill town pool. St Mary’s had 24 students representing our school with all of them swimming their very best and doing the school proud. Thank you to any parents who were able to come down and support our students at this event. We have 13 students that came first in either individual events or relays. These students will progress to the Regional Swimming Championships again at Swan Hill town pool on Tuesday the 12th of March. We wish these students the best of luck at this next level of competition.
Sharon Denham visit
St Mary’s is super lucky to have Sharon Denham coach our Year 5 and 6 classes during their PE lessons in Basketball. Sharon has many years of experience both playing and coaching Basketball and students are very much looking forward to having her as am I. No matter the skill level of the students, Sharon will be able to grow each student into better Basketball players with her wealth of knowledge of the game. Her visits will start this week and continue for 4 weeks in total.
All Girls Cricket Blast
This is a brilliant opportunity for all girls from Years 1-6 who might be interested in playing in fun, fast “school-cup” type cricket games on Wednesday nights at Swan Hill Showgrounds.
- All-Girls Cricket Blast Junior Cricket – 4 week program
- Swan Hill Showgrounds Oval
- Starting Wednesday 28th of Feb – 5:00pm – 6:00pm
- $25 – Includes ‘Pop-Up Blast Pack’ for participants
- https://www.playhq.com/cricket-australia/register/8224a1
If you have any questions, please contact jdearaugo@cricketvictoria.com.au
@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
Book Fair
All students have seen the large rande of books on display and completed their 'Wish Lists'. If you would like to purchase any books, the order form needs to be returned to the office no late than Monday March 4th.
Camps, Sports & Excursions Fund (CSEF)
Applications for CSEF close on 28th June 2024
If you hold a valid means-tested concession card or are a temporary foster parent, you may be eligible for CSEF. The allowance is paid to the school to use towards expenses relating to camps, excursions or sporting activities for the benefit of your child. The annual CSEF amount per student is $150 for primary school students.
HOW TO APPLY:
New applicants should contact the school office to obtain a CSEF application form or download from the CSEF website www.vic.gov.au/camps-sports-and-excursions-fund
If you applied for the CSEF at your child’s school in 2023, you do not need to complete an application form in 2024 unless there has been a change in your family circumstances.
You only need to complete an application form if any of the following changes have occurred:
* New student enrolments; your child has started or changed schools in 2024 or you did not apply in 2023
* Changed family circumstances; such as a change of custody, change of name, concession card number, or new siblings commencing at the school in 2024.
If you are unsure please contact the school office on 50332541.
If you are eligible for CSEF you are also eligible for the Family Fee Assistance Scheme. The FFAS amount for 2024 is $860.00. This amount is credited against your school fee account once your CSEF application has been validated.
News from the Canteen
We are looking for volunteers to help in our school canteen during 2024. Volunteer hours at 11.30am - 1.30pm. If you have a Victorian WWCC and would like to assist, please contact the office on 50332541.
Ordering from the canteen:
Recess and lunch orders are placed online only via CDF Pay. The orders close at 9.30am each day, so it is recommended you place your order the night before. Our canteen is a very busy, so late orders will be offered limited options. Please contact the office if you need help with CDF Pay.
https://smswanhill.cdfpay.org.au
Canteen Roster: (Dates in yellow require a helper)
Birthday Wishes
Student of the Week
Welcome Picnic Highlights
