Newsletter Term 1 Week 10

Principal's Message

Dear Parents and Families,

It's hard to believe the term break is just a few days away! This term has gone by so quickly, and our staff and students are to be congratulated on the way they have worked to make their classrooms such positive and vibrant learning communities.  

Throughout the term, the students have had many exciting activities, opportunities and experiences, including Backflips Against Bullying, First Aid in Schools, the Safe Bus Travel Program, Italian Day and many different sporting opportunities. Many of these learning experiences have been shared via Seesaw over the term, and this week, your child's Term 1 Personal Qualities sheet will be uploaded. As we head towards the holidays, it is also timely to acknowledge the amazing work of our staff this term. Their dedication and care for each student under their care are commendable, and I am grateful daily for their efforts to ensure our school is as safe and productive as possible.

All the best to Jotham Sijo, who moved to Bendigo last Friday, and Billie and Cody Gill, who are relocating to Queensland at the end of the term. We hope they have enjoyed their time at St Mary’s and wish them every success at their new schools.

Open Day 2 - Thursday 3rd April 11.30am and 5pm  
We love welcoming prospective families to experience firsthand what makes St Mary’s special! We warmly invite both new and existing families to join us for our next Open Day on Thursday, April 3rd, with guided tours at 11:30am and 5:00pm.

Our current families are our greatest ambassadors, so please spread the word to family and friends!

For more information or to book a tour, call our office at 5033 2541 or register online;

https://smswanhill.catholic.edu.au/book-a-tour/

Enrolments for 2026
Enrolments are now open for children who start the Foundation in 2026. Interviews for new and existing families will take place later in Term 2 and continue in Term 3. Parents of existing families who have a child to start in 2026, please ring the office so an enrolment form can be forwarded to you.

Holy Week Liturgy
Holy Week is one of the highlights on our religious calendar for the year, and this Thursday, we are looking forward to the Year 2 students leading our Holy Week Liturgy together with Fr. James. This will begin at the gym at 9:15 am. All are welcome.

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 a term with children 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

This week, our community groups will focus on Harmony Day, with all activities planned to highlight this special event on our national calendar.

School Uniform 
Surveys went out to parents in 2024 and the idea of making some opt-in additions to our current school uniform was approved. These will start to filter through over the next 12 months as Clarks starts to stock these updated items. A refreshed version of our school polo with the school's new logo will begin to appear in Clarks, as Phil has let existing polo stocks run down. There is no time limit regarding opting in for this new T-shirt. It will simply be a stocked item when you next need to buy school polos for your child. A sample of some opt-in items are on display in the school office.

P&F Easter Raffle
Last week your child brought home a flyer for the Easter raffle. Tickets are $1 and the prizes are hampers of delicious Easter goodies! Always a favourite with the kids (and big kids too!). Proceeds from this raffle and the St Pat’s Races go towards the new robotics equipment to use in STEM classes. Please return all tickets by Wednesday as the raffle will be drawn on Thursday.

A reminder that Friday is the end of Term 1, which means an early finish (first bell at 2.15 pm) and that the first day of the term is a pupil-free day.

I wish you all a blessed Easter and a safe holiday and look forward to seeing you all when we return on Wednesday, 23rd April.

Kate

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

Key Dates

Thursday April 3rd
Open Day
Holy Week Liturgy - 9.15am
Friday April 4th
End of Term 1
Casual Dress Day
Tuesday April 22nd
Pupil Free Day - Staff PD Day
Wednesday April 23rd
First day of Term 2 for students
Friday April 25th
Public Holiday - ANZAC Day

Wellbeing with Mr Doran

Why SEL Matters
"Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) is important because it helps students develop essential life skills such as self-awareness, emotional regulation, empathy, responsible decision-making, and healthy relationships. These skills improve academic performance, reduce behavioural issues, and foster a positive classroom environment. SEL also prepares students for future challenges by building resilience and social competence, which are crucial for success in both personal and professional life.

In a Catholic school setting, SEL aligns with Gospel values by encouraging love, compassion, and respect for others, helping students grow not only intellectually but also morally and spiritually."

Check out this video highlighting the importance of SEL;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72Eptyfncgc&t=7s

Curriculum with Mrs Hall

Home Reading and Holiday Reading
Reading regularly at home helps children improve their literacy skills such as reading fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and phonemic awareness. These foundational skills are crucial for academic success across all subjects. When children read at home, they have the opportunity to explore different genres, authors, and topics, which can foster a lifelong love for reading. Developing a positive attitude towards reading early on can lead to improved academic performance and personal enrichment.

PE with Miss Clark

Year 5 and 6 Division Summer Sports
What a great day we had for the Year 5/6 Summer Sports last week on Friday the 28th of March. St Mary’s had lots of success on the day. Well done to all students who competed and showed great effort and sportsmanship in each of the sports. A very big thank you to the MacKillop College students who coached our St Mary’s teams. Thank you also to the Year 5/6 teachers, staff members and parents who helped to support our children on the day. There were lots of pairs in Tennis from St Mary’s who came either Runners Up or Winners in their Division pool. Some of the day's results are listed below. 

Boys Div 1 Basketball Team 1- Winners
Girls Div 1 Basketball Team A- Winners
Girls Div 2 Basketball Team D- Runners Up
Girls Div 1 Cricket- Winners
Boys Div 2 Cricket- Runners Up
Boys Div 1 Softball- Runners Up

A special mention to both the boys and girls Division 1 teams for Basketball as they have qualified for Regionals later in the year!

@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

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

PAM (Parent Access Module) - How do I let the school know if my child is absent from school?
PAM is our preferred notification method for absences. Absences must be entered prior to 9.25am on the day your child will be absent. Absences can also be entered in advance.

On PAM, you can add an absence if:

• Your child is going to be absent for the day (All Day)
• Your child is going to be late to school (Arriving Late)
• Your child is going to be leaving early from school (Leaving Early)
• Your child will be leaving school and returning eg. for an appointment (Partial)
• Your child is going to be absent for more than one day (Multi-day max of 7 days)

To add an absence:

• Log in to your PAM account 
• Select “Parent Notified Absences” listed under “Students”. This can also be accessed by selecting the 3 line menu bar on the top right hand corner of the screen and selecting “Parent Notified Absence”.
• Select “Add Absence”
• Select the child who will be absent
• Select the reason for your child’s absence
• Select the appropriate absence period
• Select the absence date
• Notes can be added if required
• You can edit or delete current and future absences, by clicking on your child and amending it if required

ANZAC Day
We have ANZAC Day items available to purchase from the front office.
Prices range from 50 cents to $5.

News from the Canteen

Happy Birthday!

Student of the Week

What's happening in Italian?

Community News