Newsletter, W4, T4, 2024

Dear Parents & Carers,

What a busy two weeks it has been, and things are only going to get busier as we get further into the term!

Firstly, a huge thank you and congratulations to everyone for the smooth and well-executed Off Site Evacuation Drill. The preparation and cooperation from students and staff ensured everything ran seamlessly.

Thank you also to the past students, parents, and staff who attended our Open Day last Friday. It was a wonderful day of community spirit and pride, with so many ex-students joining us to celebrate. We were proud to see St. Mary’s shine during the Centenary Parade on Saturday, led proudly by one of our School Captains Montana Zappia and Patrician House Captain Maya Brigante and supported our staff Sarah Sutton, Carly Sidrow, Jess Baldock, Tehan Kelleher, Lisa Zappia, Jayne Watson, and our Principal Andrea Welsh. Thank you to all the students and families who supported this memorable event. Your participation helped make it a true celebration of our St. Mary’s community!

A big shout-out to all who joined in on Crazy Sock Day! The funds raised will go towards supporting Socktober, making a positive impact on those in need. Last Friday, we also celebrated World Teachers Day. We are truly grateful for our dedicated teaching staff and their commitment to fostering a nurturing and inspiring learning environment here at St. Mary’s.

Congratulations to our students who celebrated their Confirmation recently. It was a meaningful step in their faith journey, and we are so proud of them.

Today, our Years 4-7 students participated in a Leadership Program run by Burn Bright, aiming to strengthen student leadership and voice. Additionally, School Leadership applications for 2025 School and House Captains are now open, providing our students with further opportunities to engage in school life.

A quick reminder: Monday 4th November is a student free day, although staff will be at school for professional development. We look forward to the Melbourne Cup Public Holiday on Tuesday, and classes will resume as normal on Wednesday. Our Year 7 & 8 students will also be visiting La Trobe University and SuniTAFE next Wednesday 6th November, an exciting chance for them to explore future pathways.

As we continue into this term, please keep an eye out for upcoming events during this busy season. Your ongoing support and involvement in our school community are greatly appreciated!

Maryanne Leslie

The SWPBS focus for Week 4 is to be organised.

Foundation

What are we learning in Foundation?

As we near the end of the 2024 school year, we are consolidating the important things we have learned, ready to use this knowledge as we begin Year 1. 

InitiaLit is continuing, with all sounds taught and only 6 more tricky words to learn. Students are beginning to read a variety of texts beyond the decodable stories used in InitiaLit, meaning they are practising the different reading skills we have been learning, like reading on or using the picture for support when we are unsure of a word, and reading with fluency.  

We have noticed that school uniform expectations are beginning to slip with our Foundation families. This is a friendly reminder that bracelets, nail polish (or fake nails), necklaces other than religious medallions and hair accessories that are not school colours should not be worn at school. School shoes should be fully black and white socks should be worn. Although we are nearing the end of the year, it is important we follow these expectations to show pride in our school. 

We would also like to remind parents of the importance of reading at home, we know that life gets busy, especially around the end of the year, but the practice of reading at home allows students to consolidate the skills learned at school. It is also a great time to chat with your child about what they are learning and see the fabulous reading skills they have learned this year! Please ensure diaries are signed to show the reading happening, as these are checked daily by your child's classroom teacher.

We look forward to all the exciting things coming up as the year draws to a close and we prepare our Foundation students for their learning journey next year!

Year 1/2

All the teachers are so proud of the 1/2 students for their participation in the Sleepover.  Students participated in some fun reading under the table in the morning before a fun filled day of activities followed by some sports activities in the afternoon. The next day the students ventured up to Mildura for a basketball session at the new Backcourt Mildura. All the students participated in the different activities with great enthusiasm.

During the next few weeks students are focusing on narrative writing and making their writing as descriptive and exciting as they can. Students will also be practicing their inferring skills in reading. 

Even as we get to the end of the year and students are beginning to feel the end of year exhaustion, it is important all students are still regularly reading at home. Please support and encourage your children to read at home. 

Year 3/4

Over the past few weeks in Reading, we have been busy working on our summarising skills; with both fiction and non-fictions texts. We are so proud of the progression of all of our students; they are beginning to confidently talk about what they read! We encourage parents to continue this at home; talking about the key events in the story and the actions of the main characters in fiction texts and finding the main idea in non-fiction texts. To further extend our love of reading, we visited the Robinvale Library, where we participated in different activities and discovered all of the exciting things it has to offer - we highly recommend a visit over the Summer! 

Year 4 students also attended the Burn Bright Leadership Program, ahead of their move into Year 5 next year. They eagerly participated in exercises that aimed to develop their leadership qualities, resilience and teamwork.

We are looking forward to all of the exciting learning and events that are coming up for the rest of the year!

Year 5/6

For the last few weeks, we have been reading and writing Discussions texts. A discussion text is a text that presents both sides of an issue or argument. The text's title often outlines the problem to be discussed as a question. For example: Should Calculators be used in Maths? We have seen various arguments for both sides, and our students are divided on this issue. 

This term in Religion, we are exploring the word ‘Transformation’. We have learnt how a decorated Australian soldier and doctor Weary Dunlop, transformed his attitude and beliefs from when he was a prisoner of war to helping Asian communities. Our Scripture focus has been the transformation of Saul. 

Students also attended the Burn Bright Leadership Program. They participated in group exercises focusing on developing positive friendships, identifying the qualities of a good leader, recognising their strengths, and overcoming difficulties to be more resilient. 

Yr 7/8 Homeroom

Superhero Leadership Program

On Friday, November 1st, students from Years 4-7 took part in our exciting Superhero Leadership Program. Designed to harness students' natural enthusiasm for leadership, this program supports the development of strong, resilient leaders who are passionate about making a difference within their school community. As they step into leadership roles, we encourage students to recognize themselves as role models for their peers.

Throughout the day, students engaged in interactive activities that brought key leadership messages to life. The program explored themes such as understanding the impact of leadership, fostering positive friendships, recognizing individual strengths, and building resilience. Students also learned the importance of cooperation, gained confidence, and practiced overcoming challenges together.

By the end of the program, students left feeling inspired and equipped to make a positive impact. We look forward to seeing them continue their journey as emerging leaders who contribute to a strong, supportive school community! All students were given a Leadership Application (photo)

English

Year 7: Students are engaging in a variety of Creative Writing activities and breaking down what needs to be in each paragraph of constructing an effective Narrative. 

Year 8: Analysing a variety of poems: The Road Not Taken, I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud and Mother & Son. Discussing the Themes, Poetic Techniques, Stanza’s, Rhyme Sequence and Meter. Additionally, students are constructing their own poem for their assignment due next Friday 8th November.

PE

Year 7: Traditional Sports. Students participated in European Handball. Focuses on Throwing, Catching and Teamwork.

 Year 8: Basketball. Skill focuses: dribbling and shooting.

SCHOOL CROSSING REMINDERS

When the flags are out, all people crossing Watkin Street should be using the crossing.

Please be aware of times on the crossing signs, do not park in the crossing area in these times.

8.00am - 9.00am and 3.00pm - 4.00pm

Watkin Street is a 40 km zone at all times.