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Newsletter Term 1 Week 7

Principal's Message

Dear Parents and Families,

I hope everyone had a great long weekend and a chance to relax . The extra day certainly makes a difference and gives us time to recharge the batteries for the next few weeks of term. Foundation swing into school life on a Wednesday this week, we have regional swimming happening today, a Year 1 level liturgy on Wednesday, and our first School Advisory Council (SAC) meeting this evening. A short week but plenty to keep us on our toes.

Our students enjoyed the practical and informative workshops facilitated by the St John Ambulance (First Aid in Schools incursion) last week and gained many important skills and tips to use if in an emergency situation. Equally so, our Year 6 leadership day was a real success. Highlights included the team building games and of course the pizza lunch!

NAPLAN March 13th- 22nd
Students in Years 3 and 5 will complete four assessments - Writing (narrative or persuasive), Reading, Conventions of Language and Mathematics. Each online session will run between 40-50 minutes depending on the topic and year level. NAPLAN is a point-in-time assessment that allows parents to see how their child is progressing in Literacy and Mathematics against the national standard and compared with their peers throughout Australia. At the classroom level, NAPLAN provides additional information to support teachers’ professional judgment about student progress.

The best way you can help your child prepare for NAPLAN is to reassure them that NAPLAN tests are just one part of their school program and to advise them to do the best they can on the day. Ensure your child has had proper rest and has a healthy snack and lunch as usual. Students who are funded under Special Needs may be exempted from completing the NAPLAN tests. Parents/Guardians who do not want their child to sit the test, please contact the school for an Exemption form.

Parent Teacher Interviews
Only a week to go…. On Wednesday 20th March and Tuesday 26th March, we will conduct the first of Parent Teacher interviews for the year. These meetings are an opportunity to share and celebrate your child’s learning so far and to focus on their next learning goals.

Our Year 5-6 students take the reins in their Student Led conferences, Year 2-Year 4 will run 3 Way Chats with parents and their children required to attend and Foundation - Year 1 will have Parent/Teacher interviews where the children are not required to attend.

Our school interviews website is open for you to log a time for your child’s Parent / Teacher Interviews. You can log on yourself and choose your preferred time or alternatively contact the office and we can do this for you. The allocated time is 10 mins per chat.
Parent / Teacher Interviews will be held at:
3.30pm – 7.00 pm on Wednesday 20th March
3.40pm – 6.00pm on Tuesday 26th March

The web address for booking is http://www.schoolinterviews.com.au and the login code is : 7b7x6

St Pats Races March 17th
This Sunday March 17th, 2024 is the annual St Patrick's Cup Family race meeting in Swan Hill and a major fundraiser for our school. It is a terrific family day and with free activities organised by Kelly Sports to keep the kids,it makes for a very relaxing outing. 100% of proceeds from the entrance to the races and raffle sales go towards the purchasing outdoor playground equipment to create a NEW Ninja Playground area. Please send raffle tickets back to school by Friday. Look forward to seeing many of you there.

Harmony Day Celebrations - March 22nd
Harmony Day celebrates Australia’s cultural diversity. It is about inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for all. With our vibrant student population at St Mary’s it is a wonderful day for us to celebrate the diversity and gifts that exist within our school. This special day is fast approaching and Mrs Patney and her team have all been working on providing some great events and activities to celebrate this special day.

The official colour for Harmony Day is orange and all children are encouraged to wear something orange on the day or to dress in their national costume.

Community Groups
At St Mary’s we have many opportunities for children to mix and get to know each other and other teachers. Community Groups is one of these. We run Community Groups once or twice a term with children being vertically grouped with family members and the same teacher for the year. This is a great way for children to meet other children and teachers and to build positive relationships with others. Our first Community Group session for the term will will run on Friday March 22nd and focus on completing a Harmony Day activity together.

Assembly and Students of the Week
It has been fantastic to see so many families attending our weekly celebration and it is the smiles of delight when children see their parents or special friends there to witness their involvement in assembly prayer or receive a Student of the Week award. Congratulations to all award recipients who are always so proud of their achievements. We look forward to 1G leading us at our assembly this Friday.

Kate

"We have much for which to be thankful"
St Mary MacKillop 1875

Key Dates

Tuesday March 12th
Regional Swimming
Wednesday March 13th
NAPLAN period commences
Year 1 Level Liturgy
Friday March 15th
Assembly 12.25pm - 1G
Wednesday March 20th
Parent Teacher Interviews
Friday March 22nd
Assembly 12.25pm - 1E
Harmony Day Celebrations
Monday March 25th & Tuesday March 26th
Craig Smith - Illustrator incursion
Tuesday March 26th
Year 5 & Year 6 Summer Sports
Year 4 Reconciliation Mass
Parent Teacher Interviews
Thursday March 28th
Holy Week Liturgy - 9.10am
End of Term 1 (1 hour earlier finish time)

Wellbeing with Mr Prockter

De-escalation strategies from Sue Larkey
Sue Larkey is a well known author, presenter and advocate for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. We all have witnessed our children having meltdowns or feeling so overwhelmed that they act out. The flyer below is a good one to have on the fridge!

Curriculum with Mrs Hall

NAPLAN is being held this term in Week 7 & 8 for all primary and secondary schools.

Our students in Years Three and Five will complete four assessments - Writing (narrative or persuasive), Reading, Conventions of Language, and Mathematics. Each online session will run between 40-50 minutes depending on the topic and year level.

The timetable is as follows:

RE with Mrs Davies

The Season of Lent
As we journey through the season of Lent we remember that Lent is a time when we try to get closer to God. At school the children were encouraged to think of things they could do to achieve this eg have conversations with God, do good deeds and give to Project Compassion. As adults we understand these acts to be FASTING, PRAYER and ALMS GIVING.

FASTING: Fasting is an ancient action linked to Lent and is considered a sacred act. The goal of fasting is connected to prayer. The pangs of hunger remind us of our hunger for God and prayer and fasting brings us to what Lent is about – a deeper conversion and relationship with God.

PRAYER: Fasting and almsgiving are merely actions we do out of tradition, if not connected to prayer. Prayer is our conversation with God. In these conversations we find the strength to fast, to develop a closer and more intimate relationship with God. This relationship makes us grateful for our many blessings and motivates us to give to those less fortunate.

ALMSGIVING: This is simply a response by us to God, a response that we have come to through prayer and fasting. It expresses our gratitude for all we have been given. We come to a realization that we all make up the Body of Christ and with this realization there is a responsibility. That responsibility is to all who are part of the Body of Christ. This means that our acts of charity and the promotion of justice are integral elements of the Christian way of life.

PE with Miss Clark

Regional Swimming
Tomorrow on Tuesday the 12th of March we will be cheering for 13 students who are competing at Regional Swimming at the Swan Hill Town Pool. It is such a great achievement for these students to be competing at this level and what a great experience for them to compete against the best swimmers from our region. Goodluck to all the swimmers competing in their individual and relay events!

Tennis Singles Tryouts
At the end of this week on Friday the 15th of March, three of our St Mary’s students are trying out for the Mallee Division Tennis Singles Championships played at the Swan Hill Lawn Tennis Club. The winner and runner up will qualify for the Regional Tennis Singles Championships on Monday the 25th of March in Swan Hill. Best of luck to the girls representing St Mary’s!

Year 5 and 6 Summer Sport Practice
The Year 5 and 6 students will be completing their fourth coaching session for the Summer Sports. There is one more coaching session before the competition on Tuesday the 26th of March. It is also great to see some students practicing their chosen sport at recess and lunch times to get in additional practice.

The Summer Sports is an opportunity for the Year 5/6 students to represent our school in their chosen sport. The sports will take place at the following venues with these supervising teachers;

Basketball- Swan Hill Stadium (Miss Clark, Mr Herlihy and Mrs Davies)
Cricket- Swan Hill Showgrounds (Mrs Patney and Mr Cruickshank)
Tennis- Swan Hill Lawn Tennis Club (Mrs Free and Mrs Jobling)
Softball- Ken Harrison Reserve (Mr Cleeland and Mrs Dacey)

@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

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.

Buses - Town & Country bus reminders
Just a reminder that casual travel on our town bus service is $3 per day/per family. We kindly ask that this is sent to the office on the day that travel in required.

We are unable to issue bus passes for Country Buses. These buses are State Government funded and are for registered travellers only to travel to and from their place of residence.

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