Newsletter, week 6, term 2, no 2

Dear Parents & Carers,

Welcome to our week 6 newsletter. You may have noticed a slight change in the frequency of our newsletters being published. From now on our school newsletters will be made available to you in weeks 3, 6 & 9 each term. We’re hoping that by doing this we can present you with a thorough and informative bulletin that you will enjoy reading!

If you have visited our website lately you may have noticed an exciting new addition - SchoolTV. This is an invaluable resource specifically designed by experts in the field of children’s mental health and wellbeing. The link will take you to an extensive resource that houses all kinds of information on many wellbeing and parenting topics. We will share more about this in the coming weeks but for now please read the flyer included below for more information and check out the link on our website www.smrobinvale.catholic.edu.au

All parents and carers please be aware that we have recently received information from DOBCEL indicating a change in policy & procedures that means schools are no longer able to administer non-prescription medication (e.g. Panadol/aspirin) to students. From now on this applies to us here at St Mary’s but please be assured we will continue to care for your child to the best of our ability should they become unwell at school and communicate this with you. 

In staffing news, I’d like to announce the resignation of Travis Pike from his position as ICT Coordinator at the end of this term. Travis has been part of our team since April 2022 and will be moving on to a full-time role closer to home in Mildura. We extend our sincere thanks to Travis for his contributions to St Mary’s. His calm presence and steady work behind the scenes have been greatly appreciated as he helped update and maintain our ICT systems and infrastructure. At this stage, we do not plan to replace Travis but will take some time to re-evaluate how best to meet our ICT needs moving forward.

Over the last few weeks we have had the privilege of hosting two pre service teachers while they complete their placements here at St Mary’s. Anna Hawkes has been working with the secondary team and  Stacey Mcglinchey has been in the Year 5/6 area. We are very pleased to be able to assist them in their journey to becoming teachers. Both have made wonderful contributions to our school and to our students' learning for which we are very grateful. Stacey finishes his placement this week but plans to continue working with us on a voluntary basis and Anna will complete her placement next week. We wish them both the very best as they continue their studies. 

Last Friday we celebrated the Feast of Mary Help of Christians, the patron saint of our school. We celebrated with a whole school liturgy and of course the much anticipated, traditional cupcakes. Special thanks to Jess Baldock for organising the beautiful liturgy, to our LSOs for distributing the delicious cupcakes, and of course, a huge thank you to the parents who generously provided them. There were plenty to go around and they were delicious!

This week we are celebrating Catholic Education Week. This is the week each year when we take a moment to reflect on the positive contribution Catholic Schools make to our communities and the difference an education in a Catholic school can make to the life of a child. Catholic Education Week also signals that enrolements are now open for 2026. Please take a moment to check out our advertisement below which was published in this week’s Sentinel. If you, or anyone you know plans to enrol your child at St Mary’s next year please feel free to call in to the office for an enrolment pack, or organise time to come in and chat about what we can offer and have a look through the school. 

As part of Catholic Education Week we took our Student leadership Team and a group of amazing singers from our choir to Mildura to join with other SunraysiaCatholic schools to celebrate Mass. This is always a special event as hundreds of students and staff from our region gather to give thanks and show appreciation for the unique gift of being a part of a Catholic school community. Please take a moment to enjoy the photos below.

This week a group of our primary and secondary students travelled to St Arnaud for our Regional Cross Country competition. Several placed in the top 12 of their age group and may qualify to compete at state level. Special mention goes to Javon Costantino who placed 3rd in the 14 year old boy race. Congratulations to all who competed and thanks to Des Lowry and the parents who supported our students on the day.

As you may be aware over the last few years we have gradually been transitioning  our secondary uniform to separate it from our primary. As we move into winter please note that we are making the final change from tracksuit pants to navy blue trousers for our secondary cohort. These trousers are in stock in the uniform shop now. This year will be a transition year, with students in Year 7 & 8 being able to wear either tracksuit pants or trousers but as of 2026 the trousers will become compulsory winter uniform.

A friendly reminder that next Monday 2nd June is a Student free Day as teachers work in their collaborative teams to begin the process of moderation & reporting on the progress of each student in our school. We appreciate your support in enabling teachers to work together on this important process.

As I close this report please keep in your thoughts and prayers our students who are currently preparing to receive the sacrament of First Eucharist at our parish Masses on 21st June & 28th June.

Kind regards, 

Andrea Welsh

Sunraysia Schools Combined Mass

The SWPBS focus for next week 6 is to make positive contributions online.

The SWPBS focus for this week 7 is to share the space and play fairly.

Foundation

Thank you to our families who attended our Parent Information meeting on Monday afternoon. We used this time to share what our English program, or 'InitaLit', involves. Parents heard about the structure of the lessons, how picture story books are read and discussed and ways to support children when reading at home. 

Take-home readers were sent home on Wednesday. Parents are asked to bring their child's library bag to school each MONDAY, WEDNESDAY and FRIDAY. In the bag will hold their school reader and student diary. These readers will be changed on each of these days. Please don't forget to sign school diaries and to read through the Tricky Words, which have been placed in the reader's diary on page 27. 

If you have any questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact your child's teacher. We are here to help!

Here are some tips for reading at home…

Year 1/2

The 1/2 students have been busy with their learning the past few weeks. We have settled into the InitiaLit program well, and we have seen some significant growth in our student's reading and writing skills. 

In Maths, students have begun learning about Australian coins and the value of each. We have discussed dollars and cents, and how we can use addition to determine the coins needed to pay for something, and subtraction to calculate the required change.

We have noticed a few items from home making their way into school. A friendly reminder that items from home should stay at home, including but not limited to sporting equipment, toys, etc.

Year 3/4

Our Year 3/4 students were excited to attend the Dr Hubble Bubble Show at the Community Centre this week. It was a fun and engaging experience, and the students were fascinated by the science behind bubbles. They learnt so much and had a wonderful time!

In English, we are continuing to focus on summarising texts and are finishing up our creative comic strips, which the students have thoroughly enjoyed making. We will soon begin exploring comprehension questions (both literal and inferred) in reading, and verb groups in writing including action, thinking, and feeling verbs.

In Maths, we are learning about multiplication factors (2, 3, 4, 5, and 10). We have also introduced an online program called Times Table Rock Stars, which will help students strengthen and enhance their understanding of multiplication through fun and interactive practice.

It’s been a fantastic few weeks of learning, curiosity, and creativity!

Dr Hubble Bubble Show

Year 5/6

As always, it has been a busy few weeks in the 5/6 classrooms. Some highlights from our learning recently include researching and writing information reports on extreme weather events such as earthquakes and cyclones in English and Science, exploring the early colonies of Australia in Humanities and looking at how advertisements can influence our food choices in Health.

The students have also been working hard in Maths, where we have been covering multiplication strategies like the ‘grid method’ and the ‘formal algorithm’. Even though these strategies are useful for multiplying larger numbers, their success is helped by knowing the times tables. Where possible, please encourage your child to practice their recall of these facts up to 12 x 12. 

A quick reminder that Monday 2nd June is a student free day and there will be no homework sent home that week. As always though, please ensure your child completes some reading each night.

We'd like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank Mr Stacey Mcglinchey who has been working with us for the past three weeks as he completed his first placement in a school as part of his teaching degree. Stacey has been a wonderful addtion to our team. His passion for teaching is clearly evident and, although his placement officially ends this week,  we are excited that he has agreed to continue working with us on a volunteer basis. Thanks Stacey!

If you have any questions or queries, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s classroom teacher.

Year 7/8

It’s hard to believe we are already in Week 6, and we’re more than halfway through the term! The year has been filled with achievements, and we are proud of the progress our students have made so far. As we head into Moderation Day this Monday, our Secondary Team will come together to review and assess our students’ progress and achievements. Please note that Monday is a student free day, allowing staff to focus on this important task.

A huge congratulations to Ja'von Costantino, who represented St Mary’s at St Arnaud on Tuesday. Ja'von will now go on to compete in Melbourne, and we wish him the best of luck!

English

Year 7: Students have been reading and analysing examples of different culture traditions and stories from around the world and are busy preparing their presentations for their assignment.

Year 8: Students are learning about the lives of children during the Victorian Era, focussing on the treatment of the lower/middle class. Students are working on their speech for their Assessment Task and working through the success criteria.

Maths

Year 7: Students have started a new topic on Algebra. They are learning how to solve equations, work with variables, and understand algebraic expressions.

Year 8:  Studnts have finished Unit 4: Percentages, Decimals and Fractions. They reviewed all materials and completed an end of unit assessment. From here they jump to Unit 8, Measurement where they will focus on Length, Perimeter, Volume, Circumference and Areas of Circles.

Reminder: All Maths Mates and Math Pathway modules need to be completed. Students can take their devices home but must ensure they are fully charged and brought back to school each day.

Science

Students are continuing to investigate their Science Fair Projects, which will be showcased in Term 3. They are currently conducting research and planning their experiments, with the anticipation of presenting their findings later in the year.

PE

Year 7: Students are engaging in Modified Games, where they are developing teamwork, communication, and strategy skills through various adapted sports.

Year 8: Students are participating in Invasion Games and learning Gaelic Football as part of their international sports unit.

Humanities

Year 8: Students are exploring various aspects of history and geography through inquiry-based learning, working towards their assessment tasks for this term.

Languages

French  - Year 7: Students have been introduced to the concept of masculine and feminine definite and indefinite articles. They are applying these concepts in descriptions of the head and face as part of their language development.

Spanish - Year 8: Students have been learning the parts of the body, face, and head in Spanish. They are also reviewing masculine and feminine nouns in relation to these topics.

Food Technology

Both Year 7 & 8 students have successfully cooked BBQ Chicken Loaded Nachos in their food technology classes. Students learned new skills in working with raw chicken, safe handling practices, and contamination prevention. They also worked on cutting avocados, mashing, dicing, and grating vegetables and herbs.

Acknowledging Miss Anna Hawkes

We would like to take a moment to acknowledge Miss Anna Hawkes, who has been working with our Year 7 & 8 students while completing her final placement before completing her teaching degree. Anna's last day with us will be next Friday, 6th June. She has been an incredible asset to our team, and under the guidance of Mr. Davies, she has demonstrated dedication, passion, and professionalism in her teaching.

We are grateful for the hard work and positive impact she has made on our students, and we wish her all the very best in her future career. It has truly been a pleasure having you as part of our team, Anna!

Last week we took all our Year 7 & 8 students to Mildura for the Mildura Field Day. We are pleased to be able to offer these kinds of learning opportunities to our students and, as you can see by the photos below, a great day was had by all!

We are proud of the hard work and progress shown by all of our secondary students so far this term. We are looking forward to seeing continued growth and success across all subject areas.

Mildura Field Day