Term 4 Week 9 Newsletter 2024
Important Dates
Dec 09 | End of Year Mass - 10.00 am |
Dec 12 | Up Class Day - 10.00 am |
Dec 13 | Year 6 Picnic Day |
Dec 16 | CANTEEN CLOSED |
Dec 17 | CANTEEN CLOSED |
Dec 18 | CANTEEN CLOSED |
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 |
| Mar 13 | School Photographs |
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: W O N D E R
Wonder or awe is a gift of the Holy Spirit and is an appreciation for something beautiful or impressive that helps us understand our true place in the world. It can help us stay humble and to think of God, who is the source of all the beauty and goodness in the world. It also makes us and those around us feel happy.
From the Principal
Mr Luke Wilson
Principal
Dear Parents,
Welcome to Week 9.
It's a big day today with our End-of-Year Mass and Citizenship Assembly and our Year 6 Farewell BBQ tonight.
Thank you to our teaching and support staff for your hard work, time, and energy organising another amazing Christmas Concert last Tuesday. Thank you to our parents and friends for supporting our students in such huge numbers.
Advent - Yesterday was the second Sunday of Advent. The next three weeks of Advent are a time for us to prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus. The Advent Wreath is an ancient Christian tradition. The wreath’s perfect circle symbolizes God's eternal love.
The four coloured candles, three purple and one pink, represent
HOPE, LOVE, JOY and PEACE.
Staffing - Classes for 2025 have been finalised, and students will be informed of their class placement on Thursday's Up-Class Day. Our Up-Class sessions will be held from 9.00 am to 9.40 am.
| KB | Mrs Lauren Finlay | KG | Mrs Michelle Wilson |
| 1B | Mrs Emily Sutcliffe / Mrs Jenny Fuller | 1G | Miss Karla Hodges |
| 2B | Mrs Katrina Alexander | 2G | Mrs Alex Bruce / TBC |
| 3B | Mrs Vicki Jones / Mrs Caja O'Brien | 3G | Mrs Justine Foley |
| 4B | Mrs Jacquie Clark | 4G | Mrs Lynne Fiander |
| 5B | Ms Louise Tomlins | 5G | Mrs Emma Watson |
| 6B | Miss Gabi Herbert | 6G | Mr Tim Keady / Mrs Stephanie Toole |
Support Teacher | Intervention Teachers Mrs Emily Sutcliffe and Miss Nell O'Brien | ||
| Librarian Mrs Margaret McKenzie | RFF Mrs Louise Cowell | ||
Annette Storer Shield - Congratulations to Lennon who received the Annette Storer Shield for 2024 at this afternoon’s final school assembly. Thank you to our students for contributing to our school in such a positive way. Your effort is very much appreciated.
School Citizenship Awards - Congratulations to the following students, who were awarded a Citizenship Award for Term 4 at our whole school assembly today.
| Harvey Tegart - KB | Chelsea Meyers - KG |
| Cora Cross - 1B | Ruby Thorsteinsson - 1G |
| Annelise O'Brien - 2B | Jamarni Fieldus - 2G |
| Heidi Taylor - 3B | Alice Sykes - 3G |
| Kahlee Slade - 4B | Harlie Trimboli - 4G |
| Livinia Smith - 5B | Zara Maas - 5G |
| Ruby Barrett - 6B | Milla Porter - 6G |
School Reports - The Semester 2 School Reports will go home to all families next Friday, 13th December. The Semester 2 Report is a report on your child’s progress for work assessed during Terms 3 & 4 using a variety of assessment strategies. The Report is an indication of your child’s achievements in Key Learning Areas as well as his/her work habits and social skills. Interviews are not compulsory at this time of year, but after reading the report, if you have any concerns, please take the opportunity to discuss them with the class teacher.
Medical students for 2025 -Paperwork for all students with asthma, allergies, etc., has been sent home. 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.
Religious Education
Mr Tim Keady
RE Coordinator
Dear Parents,
End of Year Mass - Thank you to everyone who attended our End of Year Mass this morning at St. Brigid's. A special thank you goes to Mrs Dann, Mrs Fiander and our amazing choir who once again lead the way with their wonderful singing.
Advent - Advent is a period of preparation and anticipation leading up to Christmas, marking the four Sundays before 25th December. Each week of Advent emphasizes themes such as hope, peace, joy, and love, helping us prepare our hearts and minds for the celebration of Christmas.
The word Advent comes from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming” or “arrival.” For Christians, Advent is an important part of celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas Day.
During this time, Christians engage in reflection, prayer, and spiritual preparation, often observing traditions like lighting an Advent candle.
Thank You - As the year draws to a close I would like to thank Fr Nam and Fr Greg for everything they have done for our school and Parish over the past 12 months. Thanks also goes to our amazing parish staff including Sacramental Coordinator Rosie Hosking who works tirelessly throughout the year.
Finally, I would like to wish you all a Safe, Holy and Blessed Christmas season.
I look forward to doing it all again with you in 2025.
| 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, 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: Luke 3:1-6
Prepare for the Lord.
ST. BRIGID'S PARISH - MASS TIMES:
St Brigid's: Saturday - 6pm, Sunday - 9am and Sunday - 6pm
St. Laurence's Church: Sunday - 7.30am
300 Nights Reading
Congratulations to the following students who have already achieved 300 nights of reading in 2024! This is an impressive feat and we cannot wait to celebrate more students in the coming weeks. Students can claim their 300-night prize until the last day of the term. | |
| KB | Liam Sutton, Brendan Bell, Hilary Johnston, Harvey Howarth, Florence Scott, Chelsea Slade and Quinn Gleeson. |
| KG | Olivia Dickinson, Theo Coyle, Thomas Bashford, Charli Peake, Quinn Wiatkowski, Charlie Knight and Halle Box. |
| 1B | Ryley Trimboli, Thea Casey, Lewy O'Connor, Indi Green, Willah Tobin and George Knight. |
| 1G | Amya Frankland, Matilda Waters, Jaxon Malouf, Michael Gowans, Ellie Brown, Ruby Thorsteinsson, Clay Crawford, Amelia Milsom and Mackenzie Giddings. |
| 2B | Benji McGhee, Kala Squires, Jack Hubbard and Robbie Bell. |
| 2G | Tasha Middleton, Brodie Laws, Annabel Williams and Quinn Box. |
| 3B | Logan Waters, Chloe Brown, Clare Arjona, Sophie O'Brien, Emmett Giddings and Hamish Meyers. |
| 3G | Hallie Herbert, Bridie Herbert, Harrison O'Brien, Eva McArthur, Bella Cowden, Aidan Good, Oliver Thorsteinsson and Louie Knight. |
| 4B | Stella Goodstat, Millie Morris, Avneet Thind and Kahlee Slade. |
| 4G | Grace Seton, Harlie Trimboli, Ada Weir, Emmie Williams, Archie Muller, Annabelle Mackintosh, Jake Butcher, Maddison Fuller, Asher Goodstat and Evie O'Connor. |
| 5B | Emma Malouf, Georgie Meyers, Livinia Smith and Zara Dickson. |
| 5G | Grace Butler, Evie Galvin and Hannah O'Brien. |
| 6B | Zander Rowe |
| 6G | Polly Hubbard, Brodie Walsh, Addison Maas and Brandon Seton. |
Awards
STUDENT OF THE WEEK:
| Andrew Warman - 6B For being a great teammate and friend. |
HOUSE AWARDS:
Congratulations to the following students for gaining 10 points for
their Sports House for exemplary behaviour:
| LA SALLE: | McAULEY: | MOORE: | LENNON: |
| Ellie Fardell - KB | Liam Sutton - KB | Quinn Wiatkowski - KG | Halle Box - KG |
| Harvey Woodbridge - KG | Hendrik Rawson - KB | Conor Carroll - KG | Charlie Butcher - KG |
| Hunter Dixon - 4B | Jimmy Job - KG | Esther Williams - 4B | Charlie Knight - KG |
| Jobe Pearson - 4B | Ava Richardson - KG | Naksh Bagrain - 4B | Maggie O'Neill - KG |
| Millie Morris - 4B | Avneet Thind - 4B | Harvey Walkom - KG | |
| Zoe Taylor - 4B | |||
| Melody Good - 4B |
Wellbeing
SRC, Ministers and Deputies Christmas Party... we enjoyed pizza and a slushie in order to say thank you to our hard-working SRC Reps and Year 6 Leadership team.
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:
Neve Cook, Vin Grey, Gus Dunn, Ruby Lawson, Ella Thornton, Grace Seton,
Eknoor Gill, Reggie Curtin, Digby Moore, Thomas Conte, Althea Higgins,
Ryder Gray and Mrs Lauren Finlay.
We hope you enjoy your birthday!
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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 Dec 10 | Michelle Brown |
WED Dec 11 | Alli Sykes, Amanda Cook and Cara Grey |
THURS Dec 12 | Ash Bower, Tara Taylor and Claire Curtin |
FRI Dec 13 | Jenna Cooper and Lisa Cowden |
MON Dec 16 | CANTEEN CLOSED |
TUES Dec 17 | CANTEEN CLOSED |
WED Dec 18 | CANTEEN CLOSED |
Please Note: | |
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.