Term 1 Week 10 Newsletter 2024
Important Dates
Apr 02 | Easter Liturgy - 12.30pm (presented by Year 2) |
Apr 02 | Life Education Van - 6G, 1B and 3G |
Apr 02 | Rugby Union Gala Day (Years 5 & 6) |
Apr 03 | Life Education Van - 1G, 2G and 4B |
Apr 03 | CPS Swimming - Homebush |
Apr 04 | Life Education Van - 2B and 3B |
Apr 04 | Primary Cross Country - commencing at approx. 9.30am |
Apr 05 | Students are to wear their favourite footy colours |
Apr 05 | Life Education Van - KG, 6B and KB |
Apr 05 | Rugby League Gala Day (Years 5 & 6) |
Apr 08 | Whole School Assembly - 1.40pm |
Apr 09 | Infants Cross Country |
Apr 10 | Year 6 - Night of the Notables |
Apr 12 | 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: F A I T H
Faith is accepting the word of another and trusting that we know what the other is saying is the truth. It's like trusting in what you can't see but you still believe. This is not always easy, especially to have faith when we can't see God. The Virgin Mary is a great example of faith because she believed the Angel Gabriel when he told her she would give birth to Jesus.
From the Principal
Mr Luke Wilson
Principal
Dear Parents,
Welcome to Week 10.
Happy Easter to all of our families. A huge thank you to our Year 6 teachers (Holy Thursday) and students and our Year 3 teachers and their students (Stations of the Cross) for their work in presenting our Holy Week liturgies last week. Year 2 presented our Easter liturgy today.
Holy Thursday Liturgy - presented by Year 6
Stations of the Cross - presented by Year 3
Easter Liturgy - presented by Year 2
A huge THANK YOU to our P&F Committee and our whole school community
for coming together to raise an amazing $6,160 through our Easter Raffle.
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR PRIZE WINNERS.
I'd also like to give special thanks to Mrs Helen Tobin
who puts a huge amount of time and effort into preparing our major prizes.
Our Easter Raffle wouldn't be the same without her amazing contribution.
Thanks to everyone for your generous support!
Enrolments for Kindergarten 2025 are open - Parents wishing to enrol their child are asked to contact the school to receive a copy of St. Mary’s Enrolment Policy and current Enrolment Application Form. Forms can also be accessed via our school website. A copy of your Child’s Birth Certificate, Baptismal Certificate, Immunisation Record, and other supporting documentation will be required to process
your enrolment application. Enrolment interviews for all new families
will commence on Monday, 13th May.
Reminder: Siblings commencing Kindergarten next year.
We are asking for all sibling enrolment applications for Kinder 25 to be submitted by Friday, 12th April. This will allow us to confirm our available positions for new families in Kinder 2025.
Thanks for your support.
Sport
This is a big sporting week for our school: Rugby Union Gala Day (Years 5/6) was held today, CPS Swimming will be held tomorrow, Primary Cross Country on Thursday, and Rugby League Gala Day (Years 5/6) on Friday.
Polding Swimming - Best of luck to George Finlay, Emily Lindsay, and Georgie Meyers and our Junior Boys Relay team: Harry Finlay, Jake Butcher, Diesel Simpson, and Connah Maas who will be competing in the Polding swimming Carnival in Homebush tomorrow.
GOOD LUCK!
Primary Cross Country: Thursday, 4th April
The 9-year-olds and under and 10-year-olds will run 2 kilometres.
The 11-year-olds and 12-year-olds will run 3 kilometres.
All children will walk the course in the morning and run in age-group races throughout the day. The first four runners across the line will be selected for the School Cross Country Team.
Asthma Reminder: Classes have commenced running practice for our upcoming Cross Country.
For children's safety and as per school policy, we remind parents that asthmatic students must have a labelled puffer and spacer in the school sickbay and that their puffer should be accessible at all times.
| The following start times are approximate: | |
| 9.05am | Primary students walk the course |
| 9.45am | 9 years and under boys |
| 10.00am | 9 years and under girls |
| 10.15am | 10 years and under boys |
| 10.30am | 10 years and under girls |
| 11.00am | RECESS |
| 11.30am | 11 years and under boys |
| 11.45am | 11 years and under girls |
| 12.00pm | 12 years and under boys |
| 12.15pm | 12 years and under girls |
| 1.00pm | LUNCH |
Infants Cross Country: Tuesday, 9th April
All students in K-2 will be participating as part of our PDHPE program.
Students in Kinder and Year 1, will complete the 1 kilometre run (1 lap of our school course) with their Year 5/6 buddies. Year 2 will run independently.
Students will need to bring a drink bottle. Asthmatic students will need their puffers.
Parent volunteers are most welcome to come and assist/cheer!
| The following start times are approximate: | |
| 9.05am | Infant students walk the course. |
| 9.30am | Kinder boys (with their Year 6 buddies) |
| 9.45am | Kinder girls (with their Year 6 buddies) |
| 10.00am | Year 1 boys (with their Year 5 buddies) |
| 10.15am | Year 1 girls (with their Year 5 buddies) |
| 10.30am | Year 2 boys |
| 10.45am | Year 2 girls |
| 11.00am | RECESS |
Religious Education
Mr Tim Keady
RE Coordinator
Dear Parents,
Easter Liturgies - Thank you to Year 6 and Year 3 who both presented our Holy Week Liturgies last week at school. We also thank Year 2 and their teachers for all of their hard work in preparing our amazing Easter Liturgy that was held today. It was a great way to finish off this important time within our liturgical year.
THANK YOU... THANK YOU... THANK YOU.
Rise - RISE Youth Festival is for young people in Years 6 to 9 (anyone in Years 10-12 can be involved as a youth team member). The Diocesan Youth Ministers facilitate a festival full of fun, friendship, small group challenges, workshops, games, music and lots of opportunities to encounter Jesus. Register HERE.
Rego is open (even though it's not until July holidays) - St. Brigid’s Parish will subsidise the cost to bring the participant's contribution to $50. We'll also try to arrange transport or carpooling.
Meet4Mass - Each year, primary schools in Dubbo organise Meet4Mass. This is an opportunity for families and students to come together to celebrate the Eucharist at a Sunday morning Mass. This term, K-5 from each school will combine on Sunday, 7th April at 9am. We would love to see you there.
Confirmation - Confirmation will be held on the 1st/2nd June and 8th/9th June
Preparation Meetings will occur early in Term 2. Families will need to attend one meeting each week but can choose different time slots according to what works best. (three sessions in total)
Sessions are as follows:
Sunday after 9am Mass @ 10am 5th May/12th May/19th May
Tues after 5.45pm Mass @ 6.15pm 7th May/14th May/21st May
Wednesday 4.30pm 8th May/15th May/22nd May
Confirmation practice Tuesday 28th May @ 6.15pm
Confirmation will be held on 1st/2nd June with Bishop McKenna.
Parish priests will lead Masses on 8th/9th June.
Confirmation Masses on Saturday @ 5pm (changed due to the Winter timeslot), Sunday at 9am and 5pm
Gospel Focus: Alleluia (John 20:1-9) Believe.
ST. BRIGID'S PARISH - MASS TIMES:
St Brigid's: Saturday - 6pm, Sunday - 9am and Sunday - 6pm
St. Laurence's Church: Sunday - 7.30am
Wellbeing
Mrs Sue Nuttall
Wellbeing Leader
Welcome to Mr. Josh Brady and his friend Healthy Harold to St. Mary's Primary School. It is very fitting we are participating in the Life Education Van this week, during Wellbeing Week. All of our classes will be visiting the van to learn about Harold's Healthy Lifestyle and choices that he makes to stay safe and well.
The Primary Program Consisting of 12 curriculum-aligned modules will help students achieve the learning outcomes of the Australian Curriculum and the NSW Syllabus.
Life Ed has a wholistic approach in covering important curriculum subjects in an integrated way including:
- How nutrition and physical activity contribute to a healthy lifestyle.
- Online safety education includes strategies for recognising, reacting and reporting predatory or unsafe situations.
- Strategies to deal with bullying and cyberbullying.
- Resilience, self-awareness, self-management and social awareness.
- Respectful relationships and consent.
- Decisions, peer pressure, responsibility and consequences.
- Alcohol and other drug education (in age-appropriate contexts)
During Wellbeing week we are visiting Random Acts of Kindness, Simon Sinek explains this well in his Ted Talk @ The Power of Kindness | Simon Sinek
- Teachers will be welcoming students with a fist bump, high 5 and elbow knock at their classroom door.
- walk and talk with your class to catch up on their Easter break and touch base with each other, swap partners after each lap, ask “Are you OK?”
- Kids Meditations, mindful colouring mandalas.
- Read the Picture books provided, “If things aren’t going right, go left” and “Hey Warrior," “But we’re not Lions”, “Dear you love from your brain”, and “Hey Awesome”
- Breathing Exercises, Somatic body shake, Cross crawl, Zen swing, Waist twist and many more.
- Wednesday we will have extra Recess playtime for students.
- Thursday is Cross Country @ St. Mary's for Primary students.
- Friday will be wearing your team's Footy Colours to school - out-of-uniform day!
- We will continue to collect and recycle cans, bottles and drink containers this week. The competition-winning house will be decided on Friday.
The winning house will wear their house colours on Friday of Week 11!
Last day of school!
Awards
STUDENT OF THE WEEK:
Ruby Smith - KB |
| Charlie Butcher - KG For being super focused and striving to do his very best. |
Charlie Coyle - 1B |
| Louis O'Connor - 1G For his outstanding informative writing on caterpillars and butterflies and sharing this knowledge with the class. |
| Diesel Simpson - 4B For demonstrating a focused and productive work ethic across all learning areas. |
| Brock Eagleston - 5B For his fantastic attitude toward Maths. Well done. |
| Willow Scott - 6B For a dedicated and motivated approach to Notables. |
Addison Maas - 6G |
HOUSE AWARDS:
Congratulations to the following students for gaining 10 points for
their Sports House for exemplary behaviour:
| LA SALLE: | LENNON: | McAULEY: | MOORE: |
Chelsea Slade - KB | Aubrie Olsen - KB | Eknoor Gill - KG | Georgia Grattan - 1G |
| Ellie Fardell - KB | Clay Crawford - 1G | Toby Single - KB | Heidi O'Connor - 1G |
| Michael Gowans -1G | Charlie Bower - 1G | Harriet Williams - KB | Gracie Lee - 1G |
| Amelia Milsom - 1G | Layla Madgwick - 1G | Ruby Thorsteinsson - 1G | Indigo Coyle - 2B |
| Ibrahim Khalid -2B | Jensen Walkom - 1G | Louis O'Connor - 1G | Ned Parkes -2B |
| Lucy Cross - 5B | Liddy Wellman - 1G | Max Bourchier -2B | Donny Larkin - 2B |
| Jack Barber -5G | Cora Fox - 2B | Archer Halliger -2B | Slater Gray - 5G |
| Caleb Bond - 5G | Harrison Jenkins -2B | Zara Maas - 5G | |
| Evie Galvin - 5G | Jack Graham - 5B | ||
| Lucy Medway - 5G | Jackson O'Connor - 5G | ||
| Hannah O'Brien - 5G | |||
| Remy Sharkey - 5G | |||
| Frankie Wilson - 5G |
Community News
BIRTHDAYS:
Celebrating their birthday this week are:
Ned Parkes, Rio Wilson, Caleb Bond, Michael Gowans and Lilliana Timpano.
We hope you enjoy your birthday!
The new Active and Creative Kids voucher is now available, helping to make activities more affordable for eligible NSW families.
Parents, guardians and carers of eligible school-aged children will be able to use two $50 vouchers per calendar year.
About the new program
- Vouchers are available to those receiving Family Tax Benefit Part A, or Family Tax Benefit Part B, or both.
- Vouchers can be downloaded as a QR code and used toward either an eligible physical or creative activity.
- The $50 vouchers will be issued in school Term 1 and school Term 3.
- Vouchers must be redeemed before their expiry date.
For more information, visit Active and Creative Kids.
Attendance
The importance of regular school attendance - The effective monitoring and promotion of regular student attendance is a legal requirement for our school. More importantly, it is a fundamental issue to student well-being and has proven implications for student academic progress and achievement.
Based upon research, the NSW Education Standards Authority has determined that primary students with attendance rates below 90% are at risk of ongoing impacts on their learning. Research shows that poor school attendance is associated with:
* lower academic achievement, including literacy and numeracy
* early school leaving
* leaving school with fewer qualifications
* reduced opportunities for students to learn and access educational resources, further
limiting achievement
* further absenteeism in higher year levels
We will be monitoring student attendance throughout the year. You can expect to be contacted by your child’s teacher if a pattern of non-attendance, regular late arrivals or unexplained absences occurs.
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.
Canteen
Canteen Roster
WED Apr 03 | Jo Trimboli |
THURS Apr 04 | Emma Maas, Kim Large and Emily Simpson |
FRI Apr 05 | Kim Scott, Nikki Taylor and Sophie Richardson |
MON Apr 08 | Sheridan Wiatkowski |