Term 1 Week 2 Newsletter 2025

Important Dates

Character Virtue:  Commitment
What it looks like:  Commitment is doing what we promise - following through and being a person of our word.
What it means:  Commitment means you don't quit on things, even when they get hard.
Why it is important:  We want to be known as a trustworthy and reliable person not as 'all talk and no action'.

From the Principal

Dear Parents,

I’d like to take this opportunity in our first newsletter of the year to welcome our new families and students commencing at St. Mary’s this year. We hope our new Kindergarten students and families are settling into life at St. Mary's and enjoying their first few weeks of school. I’d also like to welcome those families who are new to St. Mary’s and are commencing on other grades. We welcome all of our new families to our St. Mary’s community and hope that you and your children enjoy your time with us.

Staffing - This year we are very excited to welcome back some returning staff for the commencement of the school year.  A special welcome to our new staff and returning staff who are filling different roles in 2025: 
- Hayley Faust (2G - Monday to Thursday).
- Emma McNamara (2G - Friday)
- Britt O’Connor (5B - Friday)
- Stephanie Toole (6G - Wednesday and Thursday).
- Brooke Winterton, Natalie Salloum, Maia Wake, Maddie Morgan and Emily Atlee will work as aides in our and integration support staff in our larger classes.

Opening School Mass - Our first mass for the year will take place at St. Brigid’s Church, on Monday, 17th February,  commencing at 10.00 am. The Student Representative Council (SRC) students from Years 1-5, the Ministers, Deputy Ministers and Year 6 students will receive their badges at this mass.

Parent Information Evening and Welcome Picnic

Our Parent Information Evening and Welcome BBQ will be held next Wednesday, 19th February. 

6.00 pm     Families gather for BYO Picnic or sausage sizzle

6.30 pm     Principal Address in School Hall

7.00 pm     Kinder, Year 1, Year 3 and Year 4 parents attend parent sessions

7.30 pm     Year 2, Year 5 and Year 6 parent sessions.

8.00 pm     Home

The parent information evenings aim to meet your child’s class teacher and gain relevant information pertinent to his/her class and the school. We hope that by combining the picnic and information evening two events, you can catch up with friends and learn some important information concerning your child’s learning. We also appreciate that families with children in several classes will have some time clashes. Teachers will be preparing a handout, so if you miss the teacher’s talk, you may collect it from them. Please note that this is an information session only, and time restrictions will mean that there will not be an opportunity for individual parent/teacher interviews. If you would like an interview, please contact the school office to arrange a suitable time for a later appointment.

Families are welcome to bring a picnic dinner or have a sausage sizzle at school. Drinks can be brought along and will also be available at the canteen.

Student Leaders 2025 - All Year 6 students are leaders within our school and belong to one of six ministries as part of the Student Leadership team. Congratulations to the following students who have been elected as the Minister and Deputy Minister of the various ministries for 2025:

SRC Elections  - Elections of students for our Student Representative Council in Years 1-5 for 2025 took place in class last week. Our elected students will be formally acknowledged at Monday's School Opening Mass.

Use of Children’s Photos - From time to time, St. Mary’s School will place photos of your child/children enrolled at the school in the newspaper, newsletter, school website, school Facebook page or associated publications to mark their successes in various aspects of school life. If you have objections to this practice, please contact the Principal to discuss the matter; otherwise, the school will presume it has your permission to publish the photos and names of your children.

School Photography Information for Parents and Carers - We recognise that parents and carers enjoy photographing and recording their child's progress at school and on school activities. We recognise that many of you like sharing these memories online and on social media. 
We ask for your cooperation and care concerning the use and distribution of photographs of other children at our school. Some families have very real legal and safety issues, which could put a child at risk if an image is made public online. More generally, it is respectful of the privacy of other school community members to ask permission before posting an image online. Even if your social media settings are private, it is easy for images to become public, particularly if they are tagged or shared by others.
The following best practice guidelines have been adopted by our school to keep our students and school community safe and to ensure respectful practices concerning the use of social media. When taking photographs or recordings at school or school events and your images include other identifiable persons, please follow these guidelines: 
Crop out other students or seek the student's permission or (for students under 16) his or her parent/carer before posting online. 
Do not tag or name the person without permission. 
If a parent or carer requests that you not circulate an image of their child to others, please comply with the request. 
Office of the Children’s eSafety Commissioner
http://esafety.gov.au  

Collection Notices - The Commonwealth Privacy Act requires schools to issue Collection Notices to parents each year so that the school may obtain and use information to assist in providing schooling for your child. However, be assured that the type of information your school requires and the use the school makes of it will be the same as it always has been.  In addition, the school is regulated by a Catholic Education Office Privacy Policy, which is available upon request from the Principal. (Refer to Notes)

Supervision of Students Before & After School - Please see a copy of the detailed information regarding the procedures to follow before and after school when dropping off/collecting students and bus travel. We strive to ensure the safety of our students, and it is essential that all families support us to do this by following procedures.

Mobile Phones - If a student brings a mobile phone to school, it must be left in the school office when he/she arrives and collected at the end of the day when they leave school. The phone must be labelled clearly with the student’s name. Students are not permitted to have a mobile phone during the school day. 

Notes for Change of Routine - Notes are required from parents/guardians with accompanying explanation:
For permission for children to leave the playground accompanied by parent/guardian.
For ANY change in the usual routine for a child returning home from school.
For your child to leave school before lessons finish accompanied by parent/guardian
For your child to attend an appointment with a parent/guardian during school hours.

Leaving School Grounds During School Hours - Children are not permitted to leave the school grounds during school hours. Should a student need to leave the school, a note must be presented to the teacher indicating parental permission, and parents/ guardians must sign out on the Kisok unit located in the front office. Parents/guardians are to collect their children from the Front Office Foyer or the child’s classroom.

Change of Address/Contact Details - If any families have changed their contact/address details, could you please contact the school ASAP to update your information?

Daily Timetable - Supervision commences at 8.25 am in the morning and concludes at 3.20pm in the afternoon (or when the last bus departs).

School Commences: 9.00 am
Recess: 11.00 am - 11.30 am
Lunch: 1.00 pm-1.30 pm
School Concludes: 3.00 pm
Office Hours: 8.00 am-3.30 pm Monday to Friday

Sport

Polding Summer Sports Trials - Last Friday, Evie Galvin, Thomas Galvin and Maggie McCarney travelled to Tamworth to trial for selection in the Polding Basketball team.
Congratulations to Evie Galvin who was selected in the Polding team.

School Swimming Carnival - Our School Swimming Carnival for Years 3-6 students will be held this Wednesday, 12th February.  Nomination forms were sent home via Compass during the holidays.
Please Note: Parents are more than welcome to attend as spectators, but we will not need them to help as teachers and support staff will cover all jobs.  School Swimming Carnival  details are as follows:

VENUE:  Dubbo Aquatic Leisure Centre (opposite Dubbo Railway Station).

DATE & TIME:  Wednesday, 12th February – All students are to be at the pool by 8.45 am, sign in on their class list at the front entrance, and proceed to their House area.

TRANSPORT:  Parents are asked to deliver their children to the pool by 8:45 a.m. and collect them in the afternoon from 2:30 to 3:00 p.m.  Buses DO NOT drop off or pick up children from the pool. The carnival will conclude at approximately 2:30 pm to 3:00 p.m.  Please collect your child by this time. Students will be supervised until their parents arrive.

CLOTHING:  Swimming costumes, towel, sunscreen, hat, drinks etc. Children are to wear normal sports uniforms, but students may wear a T-shirt in house colours:

Please make sure all clothing is clearly marked with your child’s name.
Cardboard posters are permitted, but NO paper decorations, crepe paper, hairspray, or coloured paint is allowed.

COST:  No cost for students but for spectators (non-swimming adults). Adults are asked to pay on the day at the pool entrance. All students in Years 3-6 are expected to attend this carnival as it is part of their PDHPE curriculum and all children will compete at their level of ability. Children will receive a point for their House for each event they participate in.

CANTEEN:  A canteen operates at the pool for snacks, drinks, and lunches. Students will have supervised visits to the canteen. Students may also bring their own lunch/morning tea.

SEATING/EXPECTATIONS:  All students will sit in the stand in their houses unless they are being marshalled. Parents are welcome to join their child/ren in the stands. Every endeavour will be made to keep children out of the sun but sunscreen is recommended to be applied throughout the day. The “baby pool” and “splash pad” are out of bounds all day to our students.

FINALS:  There will be no finals. Freestyle, open events and form strokes are all timed finals. The three fastest qualifiers from the Final times will be eligible to compete in the Western Region Carnival held in Wellington on Thursday, 27th February. The Junior and Senior relay teams are selected from the fastest 50m times in the appropriate age divisions. Following the Western Region Carnival children may be chosen to compete in the Bathurst Diocesan Swimming Carnival held in Dubbo on Tuesday, 11th March.
The ONE START Rule applies for all Swimming Carnivals. Competitors who break the start will be allowed to continue their race but will be disqualified at the end.

PARTICIPATION:  The aim of the day is on participation and enjoyment. Winning is great, but going home feeling you have done your personal best is just as important.

MEDICATION:  If a child has any medication it must be labelled and brought to the pool and given to your child’s class teacher.  All students MUST leave the pool at the completion of the carnival, as there will be no teachers on duty.  The carnival will take place regardless of the weather. Only lightning will delay us.

Notes

Week 1  and Week 2 Notes:
If you haven't already done so, please sign and return to your child's teacher (1 per child).

School Photographs

School Photography Date: 13/03/2025

ORDERING IS NOW OPEN...

Dear Parents,

School photography day is coming up soon. Group and portrait photographs can be purchased by following the link below. If you prefer to order using an envelope please visit your school office, collect an order envelope and hand your payment to our photographer on school photo day.

Two easy ways to purchase:

1. Visa, MasterCard or PayPal
2. Cash – complete the envelope supplied and return it to our photographer on photo day

Or visit: www.advancedlife.com.au
And enter online order code: WRP M52 MAB

School photography information:

• Online orders - do not require an envelope returned to your school
• Sibling Photos - Don’t forget to pre-order your sibling photos online up to 24 hours before photo day. We provide your school with a list of sibling orders right up to the day of photography, so no one misses out. If you miss the online order deadline, you can submit a completed sibling order envelope first thing in the morning of the day of photography, so your school is aware you want the photo taken and can bring your children together in time for it. Sibling photographs only apply to children enrolled at your school. Please note not all schools offer sibling photos
• Late fees - a late fee will be applied to each package purchased after photo day due to the additional cost of producing these packages separately
• Package delivery - School photographs will be returned approximately 6 weeks after the day of photography. Please note this delivery timeframe is dependent on proofing and additional photography days at your school.
• Previous Years’ photos - Past years’ photographs including sports, co-curricular and representative groups are also available to order under the “previous years or group photo” tabs at your school’s advancedorder site when you click on the “Order School Photos Here” button above. You can also order past packages, portrait images and gifts from your child’s unique, individual and secure advancedyou image archive site using the unique 9 digit image code found on packages you have ordered in the past

Religious Education

Welcome back to all of our returning families and a special welcome to all of the new families who have joined St Mary’s. I look forward to working with you as your Religious Education Coordinator again in 2025. The RE News section of the newsletter will keep you informed of Masses and Liturgies that are happening at our school. It will also include some relevant reflections or information on the seasons and feast days of the Church year, as well as information from St Brigid’s Parish and Parish Sacramental Team.

2025 Jubilee Year - Pope Francis has proclaimed that 2025 will be a Holy Year of Jubilee, a special year of grace and conversion, involving prayer, pilgrimage and sacramental repentance, ordinarily held every 25 years. The goal of a Jubilee year is to inspire and encourage holiness of life among the faithful and therefore to strengthen the Church’s witness to God’s loving mercy in and for the world.
The spiritual theme for the 2025 Holy Year of Jubilee is ‘Pilgrims of Hope’.
In choosing the motto ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ for the Jubilee, Pope Francis noted that ‘We must fan the flame of hope that has been given to us and help everyone to gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart and far-sighted vision. The forthcoming Jubilee can contribute greatly to restoring a climate of hope and trust as a prelude to the renewal and rebirth that we so greatly desire.

School Opening Mass - Our Opening School Mass will be next Monday, 17th February at 10.00 am at St. Brigid’s Church. During this celebration our Year 6 leaders will receive their leadership badges as well as our class SRC representatives for 2025. Full school uniform is to be worn, not sports uniform. Children will come to school as normal, then catch buses to the church from 9.15 am. 

2025 Sacramental Parent Information Sessions - Students in Years 2, 3 and 6 and any student who will be receiving a sacrament this year (including those who may have missed out in previous years) are asked to attend a Sacramental Parent Information session at the start of the year in preparation. This year they will be held on Sunday 23rd February 10.00 am, Tuesday 25th February 6.30 pm & Sunday 2nd March 10.00 am in St Brigid’s Church.  If you have any questions about sacraments throughout the year please contact me via the school office or alternatively contact Rosie Hosking, St Brigid’s Sacramantal Coordinator via email at sacraments.dubbo@cdob.org.au

ST. BRIGID'S PARISH - MASS TIMES:  
St Brigid's:  Saturday - 6pm, Sunday - 9am and Sunday - 6pm
St. Laurence's Church:  Sunday - 7.30am

Library

Scholastic Book Club...
Our school is participating in the Scholastic Book Club again this year. Today we have sent home a catalogue containing a different selection of books offered for all ages. Buying through the book club helps earn free books and teaching materials for our school, however, there is never any obligation.

To place an order you can pay by credit card using the Book Club LOOP platform for parents (see the information below). Your child’s order is submitted directly to school and the books will be delivered to class. If you are paying with cash please print your child’s name and class on the order form. Place the order form and payment in a clearly marked envelope and return to school.

 All orders must be returned by Monday, 17th February. 

Awards

STUDENT OF THE WEEK:

School Fees

Term 1 Fees will be generated and emailed to parents on Friday, 28th February and due for payment on Friday, 14th March.
If you have an existing Direct Debit with St. Mary's, please email to:  k.bywater@bth.catholic.edu.au so we can calculate your new installment for 2025.  If you wish to set up a new payment plan, please contact the school office.  Thank you.

Community News

BIRTHDAYS:
Celebrations for birthdays are:
Week 1:
Lexi O'Connor, Lucy Cross, Ada Weir, Thomas Mackander, Kala Squires,
Charli Peake, Mrs Maree McAneney and Mrs Louise Cowell.

Week 2:
Ayla Cross, Benji Kinsey, Matilda Walkom, Maddison Fuller and Ollie Parkes.
We hope you enjoy your birthday!

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School Uniform

Canteen

MunchMonitor - We encourage all families to use the MunchMonitor online program for lunch orders. 

Volunteers for the Canteen - A form will be sent home with students this week inviting all mums, dads, and grandparents to volunteer in our School Canteen. 
RSVP:  Friday, 28th February to allow updating this year's roster.   
Please Note:  It is necessary to fill out a new form even if you are on our current roster.  Thank you.