Newsletter W6 T1 2025

Dear Parents & Carers,

I’d like to begin my report this week with a staffing update. This week we farewelled Annie King. We thank Annie for her hard work and, although it was only for a brief period, we enjoyed having her with us. I’m happy to inform you that Molly Heeps will be staying on for the remainder of the year, working in our Prep unit. I’m also very pleased to announce that Margaret McDonald will be joining our staff as an LSO.  Margaret will work in Year 5/6. We are thrilled to have Margaret join us and I know you’ll join me in warmly welcoming her into the St Mary’s community.

Last week we held our annual Swimming Carnival. As usual, it was a day full of fun and friendly competition. Thank you to Des Lowry and the rest of the staff for their efforts with organising the day. Special mention to Charlie Ford for keeping the crowds entertained as MC and to Jess Baldock & Jess Milevski for our delicious lunch. A particular thank you to all the participants and supporters on the day and their families who joined us, making it another successful St Mary’s community gathering. Congratulations to our age champions and Patrician House who were the overall winners of the Carnival. 

Since the last newsletter we have held a number of events. These have included the Primary & Secondary Division Swimming Carnivals in Mildura. Congratulations and well done to the students who represented the school at this next level of competition. We’re very proud of your achievement and hope you are too! Thanks to all involved in the organisation of the day.

This week saw our Student Leadership Team head off to Melbourne for the GRIP Leadership Conference. By all accounts it was a valuable experience and added to the growth and development of this team of very capable and dedicated students who are doing an outstanding job of leading the student body already. 

This week we celebrated Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday, signaling the beginning of the Lenten season in our church. On Shrove (Pancake) Tuesday we all enjoyed some delicious pancakes as a reminder that Lent was to begin the next day. A huge thank you to Amanda Molluso, Elise Costantino, Gab Costantino and Maria Camera who generously volunteered to cook pancakes for the whole school. They were delicious! The following day we held our Ash Wednesday Liturgy. This was a wonderful way to begin Lent and reflect on the significance of this period of time. The liturgy was beautifully led by our Class Captains and each class participated by sharing their Lenten Promises, which all focussed on becoming better people through prayer, self reflection and alms giving. Well done to Jess Baldock for planning and preparing of yet another deeply moving opportunity for us to share our Catholic identity and engage in our faith tradition. Thanks also to our newly formed choir who did a lovely job of leading the singing.

On a different matter, we have noticed many students are still keeping phones with them during school hours and wearing smart watches. Most of you will be aware that mobile phones are banned in Victorian schools, including St Mary’s. I’ve included a letter that has been sent home to all families in this newsletter as a reminder of our approach to phones and other ‘smart’ devices, including watches. Please take the time to read through this and speak to your children about it. Your support in this matter would be greatly appreciated.

If you ever needed confirmation that you have made the right decision sending your child to a Catholic school please read the research summary that we’ve included later in this newsletter. It is very positive and affirming for both us as a school and you as parents.

Finally, when you have a moment check out our new and updated school website www.smrobinvale.catholic.edu.au  It not only contains an abundance of information about our school it also has loads of great footage and photos to look at.

Kind regards, 

Andrea Welsh

The SWPBS focus for this week is to report incidents or concerns to the relevant teacher.

The SWPBS focus for next week  is to flush, wash, dry and goodbye when using the toilets at school.

Foundation

The Foundation students have been busy learning about words that sound the same and how to clap the parts of a word. Next week we will introduce our first letter ‘Mm’.

In Maths they are learning to break up a number to show the parts that make that whole number. 

Just to clarify our Physical Education days:

Room 1 (LC) - Tuesday and Friday

Room 2 (JP) - Monday and Friday

Could parents please remind their child if they have a lunch order, and if needed Dojo their teacher, as some of our students have nearly missed out on their lunch as they have forgotten to put their order in the basket. 

With the cooler mornings, please check that all jackets and jumpers are clearly labelled with your child's name. 

Thank you to the parents who cooked pancakes for Shrove Tuesday. Foundation students received their Ash Wednesday ashes on Thursday, thank you to the student leadership for applying the ashes. 

Please note that this week was the LAST of the Wednesday rest days so, as of next week, all Preps attend school full time.

Year 1/2

What a busy start to the year we have had! As we pass the middle of the first Term of the 2025 school year, the 1/2 teachers would like to offer a friendly reminder about school reading diaries. 

As per our guidelines, children are expected to read to/with/by parents or caregivers at least 4 times per week and the school diary is to be filled out and signed by a parent each evening. This is a great time to discuss with your child what they have been learning (in particular about reading) and allows them to practice the skills and strategies we are teaching them at school. Reading should take no longer than 10 minutes and does not have to be a whole book.

We are progressing quickly with the InitaLit program, please see Class Dojo for weekly updates about the learning that is occurring at each year level.

Year 3/4

The Year 3/4 students have been working diligently to prepare themselves for the upcoming NAPLAN  tests. All students have been practising with the help of online practice tests and past year's NAPLAN resources.

To all our Year 3 students, we wish them best of luck for the upcoming NAPLAN tests. 

Here are a few tips you may like to use to help your child prepare for NAPLAN and for school in general:

1. Talk about it with them
2. Encourage positive self-talk
3. Encourage them to get plenty of rest
4. Encourage them to eat healthy food
5. Advise them to limit screen time
6. Encourage and help them to do something fun each day, ideally outdoors

Please remember to return Camp notes by the 4th of March, and speak to your child’s teacher if there are any issues at all regarding this.

Just a gentle reminder that students are expected to engage in nightly reading, record their progress in their diaries and bring them regularly to school for the teacher to sign.

Year 5/6

In Year 5/6 we have been working hard in preparation for the upcoming NAPLAN tests which are taking place over the next two weeks. In their classes, students have been writing both narrative and persuasive texts on a variety of topics, as well as practicing a variety of reading strategies including summarising and inferring. In Maths, students are revising the four operations and working on applying their skills to problem solve.

We wish the Year 5 students all the best on the upcoming assessments.

Also this week, the students have acknowledged Shrove Tuesday with delicious pancakes and an Ashing Ceremony, received the Ashes on Ash Wednesday and took part in a Unit Level Mass on Thursday. This has been a great week to look forward to the Lenten Season and reflect on how we as individuals and a class can better ourselves. You will notice a Project Compassion donation box coming home for each family, as well as one in each classroom throughout Lent.

Finally, there will be no formal homework sent home for students over the next two weeks, however nightly reading is still encouraged. Please ensure students are recording this in their diaries and returning them to school.

GRIP Conference in Melbourne
This Wednesday, our Student Leadership Team travelled to Melbourne to attend the GRIP Conference, joining over 1,000 students from various schools. The theme, "A Leader Who Supports Others," was inspiring and showcased the importance of collaboration and support in leadership. A huge thank you goes to Mr Lowry for driving our bus and to Ash Roper for providing excellent support throughout the trip.

Curriculum Updates

Year 8:

Mathematics

• The class has completed their second topic on the Laws of Indices and have now moved on to studying Real Numbers. This new topic includes an exploration of rational and irrational numbers, fractions, and recurring decimals.

Spanish

• Students are reviewing verb forms for 'to live, to speak, to be'.

• We have also focused on reinforcing strong phonics and the pronunciation of different letters in the Spanish alphabet.

Year 7:

French

• Both classes have engaged actively with their second unit, discussing where they live, exploring the variety of nationalities that speak French, and learning about different languages.

• This week, they corresponded with our twin city, Villers-Bretoneux, by creating posters and writing letters in English.

• Looking ahead, there are plans to write letters in French towards the end of the year, once vocabulary and grammatical skills have further developed.

Culinary Corner:
Over the past couple of weeks, both Year 7 and Year 8 classes have enjoyed baking scones and cooking up some pancakes. Next week, Year 7 will take a break from cooking to focus on creating a display featuring all the great recipes we have been preparing.

NAPLAN Preparation:
As we approach NAPLAN next Wednesday, we hope all students have a restful break over the long weekend and are ready to put their best foot forward.

Enjoy the long weekend, and we look forward to an exciting week ahead!

Lifelong benefits of attending a Catholic School

We're pleased to share new research based on data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, which reveals that individuals who attended Catholic schools are likely to experience lifelong benefits in employment, general health, and overall life satisfaction.

The study highlights that Catholic schooling offers both personal and community advantages. On average, Catholic school alumni are more likely to be employed and earn higher wages compared to those who attended government schools, with wage differences ranging from 4% to 11%. Additionally, former Catholic school students are more inclined to work in public-serving industries and sectors, and they are more likely to donate to charity. The research also shows that Catholic school attendance positively influences personal health and life satisfaction scores.

Conducted by the Centre for International Research on Education Systems (CIRES) at Victoria University and commissioned by VCEA, the research adjusts for various individual and family characteristics to specifically isolate the impact of Catholic school attendance.

This evidence supports what you have likely known instinctively, that an education focused on developing the whole person leads to well-rounded individuals who are prepared to succeed, thrive, and navigate life with confidence, regardless of the path they choose.

A copy of the full report is available on the DOBCEL website, and you can also watch a video featuring lead researcher for the report, Mr. Andrew Wade, who has over 20 years’ experience in public policy analysis and research, most of which has focused on education and skill formation among Australians, and the interface with the labour market. 

LUNCH ORDERS

All lunch orders must be written on white paper bags, with your child's name, room number and order. The correct money is to be put in a recloseable bag.  Lunch order bags and reclosable bags are availalbe from the School office.

JUST A FARMER

Robinvale Community Arts Centre 

Wednesday 26^th March, 5.30pm

FREE entry, popcor and light dinner & supper

Booking via this link essential for catering purposes.