Newsletter, Week 2, Term 4, #1

Principal's Report

Dear Parents & Carers,

Welcome to term 4 and well done to everyone for making the transition back to school so successful. We have started off the term positively and intend to finish a fantastic term (and year) in the same way.

Even though we are only in the second week of the term there have already been a number of exciting events taking place. Last week, as a part of their Careers study, our secondary students participated in an excursion to LaTrobe University and SuniTafe Mildura. This was followed by the secondary Regional Athletics day in Bendigo. St Mary’s was represented here by Montana Zappia. Well done and congratulations Montana! This week students have participated in the primary Regional Athletics, also in Bendigo, and the T-20 Cricket competition in Ouyen. Well done to all the students who participated in these events and special mention to Liam Healy who came first in the primary Shot Put and has qualified to compete at state level. Amazing effort Liam! Thank you to Maryanne Leslie and Des Lowry for their organising these days and to all the staff and parents who supported them.

Our building project is now complete! It’s great to see that our students have adapted to using our original school entry and exit points without any problems and it's wonderful to see them enjoying the whole school again after over a year of restricted access. We are very excited about being able to use our new junior wing to its full potential next year. Over the coming weeks we will furnish the spaces and add some play equipment to finish it off. 

We plan to officially open our new buildings on Friday 10th November. This will be incorporated with an Open Day where families, friends and other interested community members will be welcome to come and look through our school, including both the new and not so new areas. We are very excited about being able to show off our wonderful school and all it has to offer so please keep an eye out in the coming weeks for more details about this.

As we are now entering and exiting the school from Watkin Street. I’d like to offer a friendly reminder to be mindful of the school crossing and the rules that apply to this. In particular please take note of the parking restrictions around the crossing and please adhere to the 40 km per hour speed limit near schools. It would be appreciated if parents could remind their children about using the crossing to cross the road safely and paying attention to the crossing supervisor’s instructions.

I’d like to bring to your attention something that is a bit concerning; recently we have noticed an increased number of students who are not attending school activities such as sports days, excursions and camps. Please remember that these events are an integral part of the curriculum and are counted as school days. As you all know, daily school attendance is a legal requirement therefore excursions, sports days and camps are not something that students should be permitted to opt out of. 

In addition to this, it takes a considerable amount of time, effort and organisation on the school’s part to offer these valuable learning experiences and it is very disappointing when students do not join in. It is particularly frustrating for us when permission forms are returned indicating attendance and the student withdraws at the last moment. This has a significant impact on the organisation of the event and often costs the school large amounts of money as events are prepaid and refunds are not usually provided. We understand that sometimes there are circumstances, or things that happen at the last minute, that prevent students from attending but, unless this is the case, it is our expectation that all students participate in all excursions, sports days and camps and we would very much appreciate your support in this matter. 

I'm very pleased to announce that we had a new staff member join us this week. Stella Le Roux has recently moved from South Africa to the Robinvale area with her family. Stella comes to us with many years experience teaching in secondary schools. She will be teaching Year 7 & 8 for the remainder of this term and into 2024 and I know you will join me in warmly welcoming Stella and her family into our school community.

Kind regards, 

Andrea Welsh

Religion

Sacrament of Confirmation

Confirmation is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. It is one of the three sacraments of Initiation. By the laying on of hands, and the anointing with the holy oil of Chrism, the sacrament of Confirmation enriches the Church with the gift of the Holy Spirit and seals Baptism. Together with the Eucharist, it brings the baptised fully into the Church.

We would like to wish all candidates celebrating the Sacrament of Confirmation on Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd October all the best as they continue on their faith journey.

Macy Aikman, Shakira Brigante, Linh Bui, Jenson Caia, Charlie Camera, Valen Costantino, Jenny Dong, William Follett, Gabriella Galioto, Azalea Garreffa, Spencer Giofrelle, Ashton Meadows, Bella Molluso, Phoenix Natale, Lahkaya Rogers, Aria Romeo, Caitlin Smith, Maata Vakauta, AJ Villegas and CJ Villegas.

Parents and Confirmation Candidates are reminded that they have 2 Practice Sessions coming up on Wednesday 11th & Wednesday 18th October:

Wednesday 11th 

3:30 - 4:30 is for the Saturday Confirmation group

4:30 - 5:30 is for the Sunday Confirmation group

Wednesday 18th (Please note that times are the opposite.)

3:30 - 4:30: Sunday Confirmation group

4:30 - 5:30: Saturday Confirmation group

SWPBS

This week our SWPBS focus is to be sunsmart and wear our school hats correctly. 

 The SWPBS focus for next week is to use areas appropriately and safely. 

Primary

Foundation

Wow we cannot believe we’re in Term 4 - this year is flying by! We hope you all had a safe and enjoyable holiday. So far this term we have already learnt the digraphs (wh, th, oo & ng) along with the new tricky words ‘what’, ‘when’ and ‘want’. All Foundation students are now bringing home 2 readers (an InitiaLit reader and a non-decodeable reader) alongside their picture storybook. Please continue to support your child’s reading at home each night and if you have any questions, please contact your child’s teacher at any time.

Grandparents & Special Friend’s Day is fast approaching (Friday November 3rd - Week 5) and we have been busily rehearsing our performance. Please check what your child’s costume/outfit is and it would be great if they can start bringing these into school to help with our organisation.

Our school nurse (Denise Pragt) has started her visit this week to assess our student’s hearing and vision. If any of these forms are still at home can these please be returned to the front office ASAP.

Over the next few weeks, all Foundation students will be designing two Christmas cards and selecting their favourite one as part of a Christmas card competition for Jade Benham. This final term is also going to be incredibly busy so please check ClassDojo regularly for important messages and information.

Year 1/2

Welcome back to school everyone for our last term of the year! We are sure it will go tremendously fast as we consolidate all our learning and look forward to special events. Our most exciting event will be the Sleepover at the end of next week. If you have not returned your consent form and money, could you please do so as soon as possible. We are getting very excited and have some great activities planned. Please contact your child's classroom teacher if you have any questions or concerns. Please ensure you have clearly stated any medical or social needs on you consent forms and discussed with your teacher additional support your child may require. Any medications coming to the Sleepover need to be marked very clearly with your childs name on the medicine and the prescribed dosage and time to administer. Please give them directly to Miss O’Loughlin on Thursday. 

As always, please continue with good reading habits each night and ensure that your child has brought their reader diaries each day. 

If we could also remind you to check in with Class Dojo, as we leave regular messages containing information about our students activities.

Year 3/4

WELCOME all back to Term 4 of the year. It was great to listen to the interesting experiences of students during the holidays. It's wonderful to see the smiling faces of students back in school. In Reading and Writing we are focussing on Persuasive Texts. For Humanities we are learning about Indigenous stories. We are exploring the concept of gift in our Religion lessons. In Maths yr 3 students are learning about time and yr 4 are focussing on fractions and decimals. Matter, Solids Liquids and Gases are the focus for Science.

A request to all parents to listen to their child read and sign the diaries regularly. 

Year 5/6

Welcome back everyone after a much deserved break. There are lots of exciting events and learning happening this term.

Well done to our 5/6 students who represented St Mary’s in Bendigo and Ouyen for our Regional Athletics and T20 Cricket competitions! All students competed well and had a great time!

Here are a few reminders heading into the final term of the year.

P.E days
5/6LC- Tuesday & Thursday

5/6JC- Tuesday & Friday

5/6CC- Tuesday & Friday

A friendly reminder that all students are encouraged to read four times a week. 

Performing Arts

All primary classes have been busy preparing their performance item for Grandparent’s Day. They can’t wait to share what they have been working on and look forward to seeing their Grandparents and Special Friends on Friday November 3rd. Costume notes should have come home this week. If you have any questions or need any help regarding costumes please let me know. ssutton@smrobinvale.catholic.edu.au 

Year 1/2 have also been learning about different ways to dance and move their body to express an idea. They have used streamers to represent fireworks and have performed movements in front of the class.

Year 3/4 are starting to learn about mime and movement, and the ways our bodies can move to tell a story. They have mimed various scenarios, watched part of the ballet Swan Lake and discussed how the story is told through movements, costumes, props and music. 

Year 5/6 are starting to look at the different types of acts we see at the circus. They have begun researching the history of the circus, skills needed to perform at the circus and will explore the art of being a clown.

Secondary

Year 7/8 Homeroom

It is with great excitement that we welcome you and our Year 7 and 8 students back to school for Term 4. We trust that you had a restful break and are ready to embark on another enriching learning journey with us.

As we step into this new term, we want to express our appreciation for your continued support and partnership in your child's education. 

In Term 4, we are committed to maintaining the high standards of education, fostering personal growth, and nurturing a positive and inclusive learning environment for our Year 7 and 8 students. We have exciting curriculum plans, extracurricular activities, and initiatives lined up to engage and inspire your child throughout the term.

We encourage open communication and collaboration between parents, teachers, and students. 

Let's make Term 4 a time of growth, achievement, and memorable experiences for our Year 7 and in particular the Year 8 students as they step out their final term at St Mary’s.

Careers

Last Wednesday the Year 7 & 8 students visited La Trobe University and also had a tour of SuniTAFE in areas of Nursing, Building and Construction, Automotive, Hospitality, Electrical and Plumbing. This was a very valuable experience for students to explore and experience what a University and what a TAFE centre is able to offer as pathways for the future.

 SWIMMING LESSON ENROLMENTS ARE NOW OPEN 

It’s that time of the year again! Swimming lessons will commence on at the Robinvale Recreation & Aquatic Centre on Monday, 6th of November.

TO ENROL - Please call the centre on (03) 50264544 or message our Facebook page of your child’s name, age/DOB and days attending.

Classes will be held on a Monday, Tuesday & Thursday afternoon. Our program covers the ages of 6 months, right through to adults.

Private lessons will be available upon request for 1 on 1 or small groups.

We look forward to seeing you all again!