Newsletter, Week 4, Term 4, #2
Principal's Report
Dear Parents & Carers,
Welcome to this week’s newsletter!
I’ll begin this week’s report by letting you know that we are currently seeking nominations for one new parent representative to join our School Advisory Council (SAC) in 2024. The School Advisory Council meets once per term and is a forum for discussion and discernment, where parent/carer’s perspectives are shared to support the decisions made by the principal for the good of the school. If this sounds like something you are interested in please contact either myself or any other current member of the SAC.
As the end of the 2023 school year draws closer we are currently in the process of planning for next year. If you are aware of anyone who may be interested in enrolling in St Mary’s next year, in any year level, please contact the office to let us know. If, on the other hand, you are expecting to leave St Mary’s and we haven’t already been made aware, please let us know asap.
I mentioned in my last report that we are planning an Open Day on Friday November 10th. I’m pleased to confirm that our school will be open to visitors from 9am-11am on this day with guided school tours available at 9.30am and again at 10.30am. Everyone is welcome! We will be putting up posters, advertising the day on our Facebook page and in the Sentinel. Please feel free to share this information with anyone who you feel may like to come along and see our wonderful school in action.
Last week two special events took place. Our Year 7 & 8 students headed camp off to Warrnambool for Camp and our Year 1/2 took part in their annual Sleepover which included an excursion to the Mildura Show. By all accounts, both events were a huge success with lots of fun and happy memories made. A huge thank you to all the students who attended and represented our school so well. Thanks also to the parents and carers who put in the effort to support their children to attend and of course to the staff who planned the events and attended. It takes a huge commitment to provide school camps as well as a lot of time, energy and organisation but I think we would all agree that it is absolutely worth the effort!
Last weekend many of our students and other members of the Parish community celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation. Congratulations to these students, their families and sponsors on this very special step in their faith journey. A special thank you to the Parish Sacramental Team who do a wonderful job preparing the candidates for this occasion and make every effort to ensure the celebrations are both memorable and reverent.
I’d like to offer a friendly reminder to students and parents about not bringing sports equipment to school. We ask that sports equipment is not brought to school as it is often not safe and can also cause problems when it can’t be shared, is lost or damaged. The school has an exceptionally well stocked PE shed and sports equipment is readily available for student use so there should no need for additional items to come to school
Finally, this Friday October 27th, we will celebrate World Teachers Day to acknowledge all teachers for their contribution to the education, inspiration and support they provide to their students. We particularly want to acknowledge and thank all of the teaching staff here at St Mary’s for their ongoing commitment and the work they do every day to teach and support our students and the wider school community. I’m sure you’ll all agree that our teachers are amazing and deserve to be acknowledged for the wonderful work that they do!
Kind regards,
Andrea Welsh
Religion
R U OK? Day
On Thursday 14th September we celebrated R U OK? Day. Our SRC leaders sold yellow lolly bags and yellow jelly at recess and students asked to wear a touch of yellow to raise awareness for mental health and suicide prevention.
Confirmation
Congratulations to all students and their families who celebrated the sacrament of confirmation on the weekend at St Mary’s Church. This sacred event is a significant step in the candidate's faith journey, strengthening their faith and bringing them fully into the Church community.
SWPBS
This week focus is to engage in the learning and stay on task
Next week is to maintain appropriate noise levels.
Primary
Foundation
Thank you to our school nurse Denise Pragt for coming and working with us over the past two weeks. Please contact your child’s teacher if you have any questions/concerns regarding any follow up letters that were sent home. Just a friendly reminder that Grandparents & Special Friend’s Day is fast approaching (Friday November 3rd) and we are busily rehearsing our performance. Please check what your child’s costume/outfit is and start sending these into school to help with our organisation. Please remember to record your child’s reading at home in their school reading diary each night as these are checked weekly.
Year 1/2
What a successful 1/2 sleepover we had. Students had great fun decorating cupcakes, making cloud dough and doing science experiements on Thursday before lunch. After school the students got out some of their afternoon energy by playing games on the oval before getting their dance moves on at the disco. Along with doing a conga line and the macarena the students played Limbo, got temporary tattoos and took photos in the photo booth. The students had a chance to experience the newly built classrooms as they caught some z’s. On Friday students battled the heat to explore the Mildura Show, seeing baby pigs, chickens, ducks and baby goats. They also went on an adventure to the Jurassic period meeting different dinosaurs before showing off their dance moves with a T-Rex. The students mustered up all their energy to have a play on the playground and eat some lunch before getting on the bus and going home.
The students had a great time and challenged themselves during a new experience. I am sure parents picked up very tired children on Friday.
Just a reminder to encourage your child to bring in their reader and change it regularly.
Year 3/4
Congratulations for the students who received the sacrament of Confirmation over the weekend, we wish them all the best with their spiritual journey. We are focusing on the concept of Gift in our Religion lessons and the sacrament of Confirmation ties in nicely to this topic.
In Humanities we are looking at life for the Indigenous people before the arrival of the Europeans and what Australia may have looked like. We have been hearing about traditions and stories handed down by the ancestors. Understanding their connection to country and the Dreamtime. We will also learn how life changed for the Indigenous people after the Europeans arrived in Australia.
We are continuing our persuasive writing, using the correct structure and strong language to convince the reader.
The year three maths students are focused on learning fact families. They have been working hard to remember their 2’s, 3’s, 5’s and 10 times tables. The year four students are learning about fractions and decimals.
Last term the 3/4 students entered a poster competition with Lower Murray Water. Students from around Sunraysia entered and we would like to congratulate Mihle Linde for achieving second prize. Well Done!
Year 5/6
Thankyou to the students who have returned their homework on time and are taking care of their homework books.
Don’t forget to organise your costume for next Friday’s Grandparents Day performance. See the ‘Performing Arts’ section of the newsletter for more information. Please ask your class teacher if you need another note for what costume your child will need.
The 5-6 teachers have been impressed with the quality of narrative story writing the students have undertaken over the last few week. We have focused on interesting introductions and her are a few examples -
‘I can't wait to go back to Byron Bay. It's my favourite place ever, the clear blue waters. It's so icy when you first run in but it's so refreshing. The sand is soft like velvet and the warm air is like nothing I can describe…’ Yamila
‘As the boy squints and tries to see into the pitch black shed that has rusty demolished cars. The boy who desperately looks around, the smell of ashes catches his nostrils to make him sneeze, and dust that comes up into the air with each step he takes’. Deniro
Staff are in the process of organising the Year 6 Graduation. For the students that we have contacted, please remember to email an early school photo of your child so we can add this to the photo presentation.
Performing Arts
This week, all primary classes have been busy rehearsing their items on the stage for Grandparent’s Day. We have had lots of practise smiling on stage, dancing strongly and speaking confidently into a microphone. Students are starting to get excited and perhaps a little nervous too, which is very normal. We have talked about ways we can manage those feelings if they arise.
If you know that your child will be absent on Grandparent’s Day, please notify their class teacher as soon as possible. This will allow us to make sure their class item runs smoothly.
Don’t forget to start getting those costume items organised. If you have any issues please let your child’s teacher know or contact me via email ssutton@smrobinvale.catholic.edu.au If you need another costume note please ask your child’s class teacher. All students from years 1-6 will come to school wearing their costumes. They will need to bring their school uniform to change into.
We look forward to sharing our Showcase with our Grandparents and Special Friends next week, on Friday November 3rd.
Secondary
We are excited to share a quick report on the recent Warrnambool Coastal Camp that our Year 7 and 8 students embarked on last week. The camp was a resounding success, and we have much to celebrate.
First and foremost, Mother Nature was undoubtedly on our side throughout the camp. We were blessed with glorious weather that bathed our coastal adventure in warm sunshine and gentle breezes. It truly enhanced the overall experience for our young campers.
One of the many highlights of the trip was surfing at Warrnambool under the guise of Keith at Go Surf; many students who were hesitant to begin with were kicking goals by the end standing up proudly on their surfboard. Our students also had a fantastic time exploring Port Fairy's picturesque views including Stingray Bay and, of course, engaging in the thrilling pursuit of searching for rock crabs along the coast. The joy and excitement on their faces was undeniable during the Sound and Light Show at Flagstaff Hill, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles at the movies, scoring strikes at the local bowling alley and engaging with the local wildlife at Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve.
The Warrnambool Coastal Camp provided a unique opportunity for our students to bond with their peers, learn valuable life skills, learning how to surf, and immerse themselves in the natural beauty of our coastline. We hope that these memories will stay with them for years to come, reminding them of the importance of teamwork, exploration, and appreciation for the environment.
We would like to express our gratitude to the dedicated staff members who accompanied our students on the camp, ensuring their safety and enjoyment throughout. Without their hard work and commitment, this camp would not have been possible.
Once again, thank you for entrusting us with your children, and we look forward to more exciting adventures and learning opportunities in the future.
