Translate

Newsletter Term 1 Week 8

Principal's Message

Dear Parents and Families,

Last Tuesday was the last for a little while for Denise Jordan, as she and her family await the birth of a beautiful baby in late April. We are all going to miss Denise’s professional and caring approach to her work and hope that while she loves being a Mum, she doesn’t stay away from St Mary’s too long! Lastly, In other news a warm welcome to Hunter and Florence Singh who started at St Mary’s this morning in Year 4 and Year 1 respectively.

There was a terrific atmosphere at the St Pats Race Club races yesterday with many staff and families coming along to enjoy a day out. The kids loved the many sporting activities organized by Kelly’s Sport and a highlight was the children's tug of war and the chance to win some money in the foot races! This was a fundraising event for the school and we will advertise the final figure after consultation with the Parents & Friends Committee. The luck of the Irish was extended beyond the horses with the following people winning the raffle:

1st prize: Stephanie Capone
2nd prize Rubi Kelly

All proceeds from the day will be added to the P & F efforts to rebuild the Ninja Playground.

Parent/Teacher Interviews: Wednesday 20th March & Tuesday 26th March
Our Parent Teacher Interviews commence on Wednesday. These meetings are an opportunity to share and celebrate your child’s learning so far and to focus on the goals ahead and we strongly encourage all families to book in and take up this opportunity. Our Year 5-6 children take the reins in conducting Student Led conferences, Year 2-4 levels run 3 Way Interviews where your child is asked to be present and involved in the interview. Foundation and Year 1 are running a more traditional parent-teacher style, no children required.

Our school interviews website is open for you to log a time for your child’s Parent / Teacher Interviews. You can log on and choose your preferred time or contact the office and we can do this for you. The allocated time is 10 minutes per chat.

Parent / Teacher Interviews will be held at:
3.30 pm – 7.00 pm on Wednesday 20th March
3.40 pm – 6.00 pm on Tuesday 26th March

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

Harmony Day - Friday 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.

We are celebrating Harmony Day this Friday, March 22nd - During Community Groups all students will have a chance to participate in some great events and activities to celebrate this special day.

Another firm favorite on Harmony Day is the chance to buy a gelati for $1 at lunchtime from the canteen.

The official color for Harmony Day is ORANGE and all children are encouraged to wear something orange on the day or to dress in their national costume.
It is the last Friday of the month so Harmony Day will also double as casual dress day- no gold coin required as all gelati sale money will be donated to the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal.

Office Request
Our office staff do a wonderful job and their ability to multitask while attending to their own roles is impressive. Recently there has been a large increase in parents ringing the front office, asking to have children and bags collected throughout the school day. While we are always happy to accommodate, it is worth noting that we try to limit daily announcements over the PA system to 9am, 11 am and 3pm to minimize interruptions to the student's learning. Thank you for your support with this.

Hope you all enjoy the week ahead and the chance to enjoy our beautiful Autumn weather,

Kate

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

Key Dates

Wednesday March 20th
Parent Teacher Interviews
Friday March 22nd
Assembly 12.25pm - 1E
Harmony Day Celebrations (Casual Dress Day)
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
Casual Dress Day
End of Term 1 (1 hour earlier finish time)
Monday April 15th
Start of Term 2

Wellbeing with Mr Prockter

Separation Anxiety
Separation anxiety is a common experience for many young children when starting school, and it can be a challenging time for both the child and the parent. To help ease the transition and deal with separation anxiety at school drop-off, there are a few strategies parents can employ. Firstly, establishing a consistent routine can be helpful in providing a sense of predictability and security for the child. This might involve developing a set routine for drop-off, such as a special goodbye ritual or a specific time frame for leaving. Additionally, parents can encourage their child's independence by gradually increasing the length of time they spend away from their child, starting with shorter periods and gradually building up over time.

Another helpful strategy is to validate and acknowledge the child's feelings of anxiety and fear. Parents can listen to their child's concerns and offer reassurance and support, reminding them that they will return at the end of the day and that they are loved and cared for.

Separation anxiety can be extremely common… and it can all be ok! Easier said than done though, there is no magic wand but there are always different ways to try and people to support you and your child.

Have an awesome week!

RE with Mrs Davies

A Lenten activity - Hot Cross Buns
Hot Cross Buns are traditionally served during Lent, particularly on Good Friday in some parts of the world. The cross on them reminds us of the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ. The spices used in them are reminders of the fragrant spices used during burial at the time.

So make some hot cross buns this Lent and take the time to reflect on the passion of our Lord with your family. One recipe is given below.

The icing cross on them reminds us of the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ and the spices remind us of his burial.

Ingredients
2 packages active dry yeast or 4 1/2 teaspoons
2 cups milk warmed
2 large eggs
1/3 cup butter softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
6 to 7 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup raisins
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
4 teaspoons milk

Instructions
In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the milk.
In a large bowl, mix the eggs, butter, sugar, salt, spices, yeast mixture and about 3 cups of the flour.
Stir in raisins.
Continue stirring in the flour until a soft, sticky dough forms.
Knead on a floured surface until the dough is smooth and elastic
Cover and let rise in a warm location until doubled, about an hour.
Punch down the dough.
Shape into 32 balls.
Place the balls about 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets.
Cover and let rise in a warm location until doubled, about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375°(F).
Cut a cross on top of each bun with a sharp knife.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and water.
Brush the tops of the buns with the egg wash.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Let the rolls cool for 30 minutes on wire racks.
Mix the powdered sugar and enough milk to reach desired consistency to make an icing.
Pipe an icing cross on top of each bun.

Children & Family Stations of the Cross
Friday March 22nd, 6pm - St Mary's Catholic Church Swan Hill
This Friday we will celebrate a special Stations of the Cross for Children, with games and activities and Fish n Chips for dinner.
We warmly invite all families and children of every age to join us and look forward to seeing you there.
RSVP's would be appreciated for catering purposes. Thank-you Fr James & Mary Kennedy.
(03) 5032 4144 or email: northeastmallee@ballarat.catholic.org.au

PE with Miss Clark

Regional Swimming
It certainly was a very hot afternoon down at the pool for Regional Swimming on Tuesday the 12th of March. There were 13 students who made it to this level and they all swam their very best and made our school proud.

The results for the day are below;

Heidi H: 4th in Freestyle
Lachlan L: 3rd in Freestyle 3rd and 2nd in Backstroke
Mia H- 3rd in Backstroke
Jai P- 3rd in Backstroke
Ivy P- 3rd in Breastroke
Zach R- 4th in Breaststroke
Raf F, George M, Harrison B, Lachlan L: 2nd in the Freestyle Relay
Aarav B, Jai P, Braith C, Vann N: 3rd in the Freestyle Relay
Ivy P, Mia H, Heidi H, Isabel F: 2nd in the Freestyle Relay

I absolutely love watching our students compete. It is such a great atmosphere seeing them all try their very best and all encourage each other. Congratulations once again to all students for making it to the regional level!

Summer Sports
The last practice session of Year 5/6 Summer Sports will be this Tuesday the 19th of March in preparation for the Division Summer Sports. Many thanks to the Year 5/6 teachers and the Mackillop College students for their work in getting the children ready for the day.

The Summer Sports will be held on Tuesday 26th of March and 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

Tennis Tryouts
On Friday the 15th of March we had 5 students participate in a singles tennis round robin tournament held at the Swan Hill Lawn Tennis Club. An amazing effort from Gemma N, April T, Ella S and James M who were all very competitive in their matches. A special congratulations to Jameson B who has qualified for the Regional Tennis Singles on Monday the 25th of March.

@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

Canteen Roster