Newsletter Term 3 Week 9

Principal's Message

Dear Parents and Families,

On Friday we received the very sad news of the passing of Gabrielle Boers. Gab was a teacher at St. Mary’s in 2024, teaching Year 5 classes, but she also worked in other year levels across the school. Gab bravely battled leukaemia over the past 12 months and sadly passed away on Friday surrounded by her family. At this incredibly sad time, we keep her husband Scott, their children Ella, Emett, Ayva and Harrison, and the extended family in our thoughts and prayers. The St. Mary’s staff have already gathered to remember and pray for Gab and her family, and we will continue to support each other over the coming weeks. Many classrooms have also participated in a short reflection in memory of Mrs Boers.

Congratulations
Congratulations to Brooke and Kane Bannam on their wonderful news with the arrival of their beautiful baby girl Alba Catherine Bannam last week. We are sure that she is being smothered in cuddles by her brothers and sister.

Good Luck
We wish Liv Scarce all the very best as she prepares for the arrival of her second baby, and we thank her sincerely for her dedication to 1T and the STEM role. We look forward to hearing your exciting baby news in the near future — but for now, it’s time to put your feet up and relax!

RE PD - Fr Rob Galea School Closure Day - Friday 12th September
On Friday, teaching staff took part in a Professional Development Day at the St Mary MacKillop College Gym, joining colleagues from MacKillop and Sea Lake. The day was led by Fr Rob Galea, who shared sessions of testimony, reflection, and inspirational input. His message focused on faith, resilience, and living with purpose, leaving staff with renewed energy and insight to bring into their work and daily lives.

Catholic Social Teachings
This week we have a number of classes heading off on their Social Justice Visits - Choir are performing at Neighbourhood House, 6N are visiting Alcheringa, 3Q are off to Logan Lodge 3Q and 5B are making the short trip to Shamrock Park. The feedback from the community has been very positive about our visits, with the students also getting a lot out of it.

Division Athletics
Today we had approximately 60 students head off to the Division Athletics at Ken Harrison. They represented our school with pride and achieved some outstanding results, with many students now qualified for the Regional Athletics on October 13th.

Personal Quality Sheets
This week you will receive a Personal Qualities Assessment via Seesaw for your child/ren from their classroom teacher. This assesses their social/behavioural skills, work habits and work skills.

Footy Colours Day - Friday, 19th September
It is Footy finals time and we will celebrate this together on Friday, 19th September. On this day, students are encouraged to come in their favourite team colours. We will have some AFL activities at school and there will be a special Canteen menu for this day.

Early finish on Friday
Please note that the finishing time for this Friday for our students is one hour earlier. Times are as follows:
2:15pm:Town bus travellers and children who walk or ride a bike
2:20: Country bus travellers
2:25: Children being picked up nad children going to OSHC

As Term 3 comes to a close, I would like to thank all our families for their support over the Term. I commend our staff on their dedication to the children in our care and hope they enjoy their well earned break. Have a safe holiday break with your friends and family and we look forward to seeing everyone in Term 4.

Jason

"Never See a Need Without Doing Something About It"
Mary MacKillop - Sisters of St Joseph Foundress

Key Dates

Monday September 15th
Division Athletics
Tuesday September 16th
Nudie Tuesdie
Friday September 19th
End of Term 3 - one hour earlier finish time
Footy Colours Day
Monday October 6th
Start of Term 4
Monday October 13th
Regional Athletics
Tuesday October 14th
Year 3 Swimming program commences
Monday October 13th - Thursday October 16th
Year 6 Camp

Wellbeing with Mr Doran

School Holidays: the importance of rest and relaxation
School holidays are a great opportunity for children to take a break from the intensity of the school routine and embrace the joys of lazy days, playtime, and exploration. However, while many parents make an effort to plan activities and outings to keep their kids ‘busy’ and entertained, they often forget the importance of rest and relaxation time during these breaks.

It’s essential for children to have sufficient downtime (at all times), but particularly during the school holidays to reset their nervous systems. Rest and relaxation allow the body and mind to recover and rejuvenate, which is crucial for maintaining overall health and wellbeing. From a neurological perspective, research has shown that downtime helps children to regulate their emotions, reduce stress levels, and improve memory and cognitive function.

By incorporating rest and relaxation into your holiday plans, parents can help their children to unwind and recharge, setting them up for success in both their academic and personal lives.

Here are some of the benefits of rest and relaxation during the school holidays

Reduced stress levels – a small amount of stress is a natural part of life, but too much of it can have a detrimental effect on a child’s physical and mental health. Taking time to rest and relax during the school holidays can help to reduce stress levels, decreasing the chance of children experiencing anxiety or other mental health issues.

Improved sleep quality – rest and relaxation are essential for getting a good night’s sleep. When children are overstimulated or engaging in too many stimulating activities, it can be difficult for them to wind down and fall asleep. By incorporating rest and relaxation into their routines, parents can help to improve their child’s sleep quality, allowing them to feel more refreshed and energised throughout the day.

Enhanced creativity and imagination – children’s brains are like sponges, constantly absorbing information and making connections. However, to foster creativity and imagination, kids need time to let their minds wander and explore. Rest and relaxation can provide the downtime children need to let their imaginations run wild and come up with new ideas.

While it’s essential to provide children with engaging and stimulating activities over the school holidays, it’s equally important to schedule in some downtime for rest and relaxation. By doing so, parents can help their children to regulate their emotions, reduce stress levels, improve sleep quality, foster creativity and imagination, and even perform better academically. Ultimately, rest and relaxation are essential for maintaining overall health and wellbeing, and should be a priority in every child’s holiday plan.

https://calmkidswellbeing.com.au/school-holidays-the-importance-of-rest-and-relaxation/

RE with Mrs Davies

Religious Education Staff Professional Development Day
On Friday 12th September, staff from our school joined with colleagues from MacKillop College and St Mary’s, Sea Lake for a Religious Education Professional Development Day with Fr Rob Galea. The focus of the day was on strengthening our Catholic identity as school communities and taking time to nurture and deepen our own personal faith.

Through prayer, reflection and discussion, staff were invited to explore what it means to teach and lead in a Catholic school today. The sessions encouraged us to consider how our shared Catholic identity shapes the way we live, work and interact with one another, and how we can continue to build authentic faith experiences for our students.

It was also a valuable opportunity to connect with staff from our neighbouring schools, share ideas and insights and strengthen the bonds of collaboration in our region. We came away from the day renewed in our commitment to our role as Catholic educators and inspired to bring the spirit of the Gospel more deeply into our work.

PE with Miss Clark

Division Athletics
The Division Athletics competition is held today, Monday the 15th of September at Ken Harrison. 65 of our St Mary’s students from years 3-6 will compete against students from nearby schools across Swan Hill. Students will participate in a range of field and track events. We wish all students the very best of luck and we are sure that you will make our school proud.

@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

Donations for Breakfast Club
We are kindly asking for donation of vegemite, jam and fresh fruit for Breaky Club. Donations can be left at the office.

Labelling your school items
Just a reminder to clearly label any items your child brings to school, in particular jumpers. We collect a huge amount of jumpers every week, some of them brand new and they can't be returned unless they are named.

Working with Children Check
A reminder to bring your Working with Children Check with you if you are coming on to the school grounds for volunteer purposes. If you would like to apply for a Working with Children's Check, please follow the link below;

https://service.vic.gov.au/find-services/work-and-volunteering/working-with-children-check

How to make your bus changes on PAM
We encourage you to make bus changes via your PAM account. This includes bus passes, not on bus, change of bus etc. 

• Log in to your PAM account.
• From the three line menu in the top right hand corner, select “Transport Passes”.
• Ensure the date is correct, displayed above the student schedule table.
• Click on the “Edit” button of the child you wish to add/remove from a bus. 
• “Select New Route” will allow you to add your child to a bus, add your child to a different bus or select “No transport needed” if your child is not to travel on the bus on that particular day.

 Scheduled Transport - this is for children who are on a regular bus schedule. It is the bus that your child would usually catch on that day.

Actual Transport - the bus that your child is catching on that particular day eg. if a change has been made.

 Bus changes via PAM must be made by 2.30pm. For last minute changes, contact the office on 50332541. You can action bus changes up to 7 days in advance. If your child requires a permanent schedule change, please contact the office. Need assistance? Please contact the office 50332541.

News from the Canteen

Happy Birthday!

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