Term 4 Week 7 Newsletter 2024
Important Dates
Nov 27 | SJC Year 7 2025 Orientation |
Dec 02 | Christmas Concert Rehearsal |
Dec 03 | Christmas Concert - 6.00 pm @ St. Johns College Hall |
Dec 06 | Kindergarten Farm Excursion (change of date) |
Dec 09 | End of Year Mass - 10.00 am @ St. Brigid's |
Dec 12 | Up Class Day - 10.00 am |
Dec 13 | Year 6 Picnic Day |
Dec 18 | LAST DAY OF TERM 4 |
2025: | |
Jan 31 | Teachers commence |
Feb 03 | Pupil Free Day |
Feb 04 | Kindergarten and Year 6 commence |
Feb 05 | Years 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 commence |
Feb 17 | 2025 Opening School Mass |
Apr 11 | Last Day of Term 1 |
Vision Statement:
St. Mary's Primary strives to be a welcoming Christ-centred learning community that promotes a quality holistic
education and trusting relationships in a caring and supportive environment.
Acknowledgment of Country: We acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land, the Wiradjuri people, who, long before us, lived, loved, educated and raised their children on this site. We pay our respects to elders past and present, and we recognise the young people who are our future. We acknowledge all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families in our community. We respect their deep physical and spiritual connections to the country through their stories traditions and living cultures.
Character Virtue: U N D E R S T A N D I N G
Understanding is a gift of the Holy Spirit given to us to help us gain a better insight or appreciation of our faith.
It also means we can see things from other people's points of view - like walking a day in their shoes.
An understanding person who listens well and respects others, sensing when someone is hurting or needs compassion.
From the Principal
Mr Luke Wilson
Principal
Dear Parents,
Welcome to Week 7.
Splash and Dash - Thank you to everyone for contributing to Friday’s Splash and Dash. It was a great day for our kids. It’s always a sign of a good day when there are too many volunteers to thank individually. It was a fantastic day for our school community. I thank our P & F Committee and our teachers for their contributions. Seeing parents, friends, and staff working together to make the day successful was wonderful.
Congratulations to KB for raising the most money and winning their place in the VIP tent for lunch.
We raised an incredible $24,976!
Parents must select their children’s prizes by Tuesday, 26th November. All parents who signed up for the School Fun Run website will have been notified via email that they can order their prizes through their online profile page. Parents can log in to update or edit their child’s class name and prize order during the prize order window.
1. You can choose to order incentive prizes. As in previous years, any incentive prizes won through collecting sponsorship will be donated to local charities and distributed to children in disadvantaged families in our local community this Christmas.
2. Donate prize money to the Daniel Morecombe Foundation.
3. Donate prize money to the Koala Foundation.
Splash and Dash
Medical students for 2025 -Paperwork for all students with asthma, allergies, etc., was sent home last. We hope that by doing this, we’ll give parents time to make doctor/specialist appointments so their doctors can sign off on the paperwork for next year as per CEDB Policy.
All 2025 paperwork must be submitted before this year's end.
2025 Notes going home this week: Please sign and return ASAP. Thank you.
Religious Education
Mr Tim Keady
RE Coordinator
Dear Parents,
Vinnies Hampers - Our annual Vinnies Hamper drive is underway again for 2024. Each year we ask students/ families in each class to purchase items that are donated to create Christmas Food Hampers for members of our local community who may find it difficult this Christmas. Please remember to send in your items before the end of Week 8.
Parent Survey - Please complete the school survey on your thoughts about how we celebrate Father's Day and Mother's Day at St. Mary’s. We appreciate your feedback to help us plan for 2025.
Results will be shared with the school community at the start of next year.
| RE Dates for the Calendar | |
Week 9 | Monday, 9th December - End of Year Mass @ 10.00 am - St. Brigid's |
SAVE THE DATE: Our 2025 Opening School Mass will be held on Monday, 17th February | |
Christmas Eve Mass Nativity Play | |
| Practice Dates Please allow up to one hour per practice. | Place & Time |
| Sunday, 1st December - set positions | St. Brigid's Church - 10 am |
| Sunday, 8th December | St. Brigid's Church - 10 am |
| Sunday, 15th December | St. Brigid's Church - 10 am |
| Sunday, 22nd December | St. Brigid's Church - 10 am |
| Tuesday, 24th December - FINAL PRACTICE | St. Brigid's Church - 10 am |
| Tuesday, 24th December - Christmas Eve Mass | Children arrive at 5.30 pm and meet in the Church Hall. |
Gospel Focus: King of Kings (John 18:33-37)
Honesty in small things leads to honesty in big things.
ST. BRIGID'S PARISH - MASS TIMES:
St Brigid's: Saturday - 6pm, Sunday - 9am and Sunday - 6pm
St. Laurence's Church: Sunday - 7.30am
Sport
Basketball NSW Primary School Challenge - Best of luck to our St. Mary's Basketball teams, who will compete in the Basketball NSW Primary School Challenge finals in Penrith this week. Thank you to our parents and Miss Herbert and Mr Fuller for providing this opportunity for the students involved.
Boys: Charlie Bell, Andrew Warman, Vin Grey, George Finlay, Thomas Galvin,
Max Muller, Angus McNamara and Eli Willocks.
Girls: Willow Scott, Claudia Cook, Stella Hubbard, Polly Hubbard, Evie Galvin,
Frankie Wilson, Indie Wilson and Zara Dickson.
Awards
STUDENT OF THE WEEK:
| Nestor Crasto - 2B For being a cheerful, kindhearted inclusive member of 2B. |
| Logan Nichols - 2G For her initiative and dedication to learning. |
| Ryder Gray - 3G For his commitment to improving and maintaining productive work habits in the classroom. |
| Grace Carney - 5G For her fantastic hybrid text. It was very entertaining and informative. Well done. |
Music
School Fees
Attendance
Automated Attendance Notification:
CEDB has set up Automated Attendance Notifications for our school.
Attendance Tracking: Teachers will record attendance as usual.
Automated Alerts: If your child is marked absent without a known reason, an SMS will be sent to your registered mobile number.
Immediate Action: You can take immediate action by contacting the school if the absence is unexpected or unaccounted for.
Ensure Your Contact Information is Up-to-Date: Verify and update your mobile number with the school office.
Communicate Absences: Notify the school in advance if your child will be absent.
Stay Alert: Look out for SMS notifications from the school.
PARTIAL ABSENCES:
Parents must attend the school office to use the Compass Kiosk to complete a PARENT DROP-OFF or PARENT PICK-UP if arriving late or leaving early.
FULL DAY ABSENCES:
A Note should be submitted via Compass for a FULL DAY absence from school.
Reminder: Parents to submit an attendance note within 7 days of absence. Thank you.
Community News
BIRTHDAYS:
Celebrating their birthday this week are:
Georgia Wiatkowski, Jack Coyle, Isaac Pratten, Emma Malouf,
Isabelle Brown, Mackenzie Giddings, Zara Dickson, Victor Higgins,
Arshaan Thind, Mrs Michelle Wilson and Miss Holly Davis.
We hope you enjoy your birthday!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
LOST PROPERTY BOX:
Lots of drink bottles including a YETI bottle, hats, football, and lunch containers.
School student travel information for parents and students
School Travel Passes
Applications are now open for 2025 School Student Transport Scheme (SSTS) travel.
Students in the Opal network applying for an Opal card (including a Term Bus Pass) for the first time will receive their School Opal card at their nominated postal address from mid-January 2025.
Students who require a School Opal card or travel pass but have not yet applied need to apply or update their details as soon as possible.
In the Opal network, students should travel with a Child/Youth Opal card until they receive their valid School Opal card. If outside Greater Sydney, parents should contact their local bus operator to discuss their travel needs.
Students living in rural and regional areas will receive their travel pass from their nominated transport operator. It may be issued via their school or be sent directly to them at home. Note: some rural and regional operators do not issue travel passes. Students/parents should confirm with their nominated operator if they do not receive a pass.
Terms of Use
Students using School Opal cards must tap on and tap off in line with the Opal terms of use.
This includes travel within the approved times between 6.30 am and 7.00 pm from Monday to Friday on school days only. Students must use their Child/Youth Opal card for any travel outside these times.
All students are required to comply with the Student code of conduct. The code of conduct aims to ensure the safety and well-being of school children and other passengers. It is important that parents ensure their child is aware of this, as failure to comply with the code of conduct can result in a suspension from travel.
School Uniform
Canteen
Canteen Roster
TUES Nov 26 | Jenny Higgens |
WED Nov 27 | Jo Trimboli |
THURS Nov 28 | Emma Maas, Kim Large and Emily Simpson |
FRI Nov 29 | Kim Scott, Nikki Taylor and Sophie Richardson |
MON Dec 02 | Sheridan Wiatkowski |
REMINDER:
MunchMonitor cut-off time for placing lunch orders - 9.45 am.
LATE LUNCH ORDERS:
9.45 am - 11.00 am - Parents are welcome to phone the school office to place a lunch order.
After 11.00 am - Students have an option of a Vegemite Sandwich, Cheese Sandwich
or Cheese and Vegemite Sandwich only.