Newsletter Term 1, 8th February 2024
Principal Report
A very warm welcome back to the 2024 school year. I hope you were all able to enjoy some extra special time with family and friends over Christmas and the holiday break, and most of all spend some time doing things that bring you joy.
Having started my fourth year as Principal of this amazing community I remain so impressed by the sense of calmness that settles over the school, in classrooms and on the playgrounds, so very quickly at the commencement of the year. It is as though every person here, regardless of their role as a staff member, student or parent, seems to have this overriding sense of community and sense of purpose. It is quite special to St Mary's in my opinion. My heartfelt thanks to every staff member for their generosity of spirit and their care and concern for all. Class routines are already well established and the children are happy learners, which is what we strive for.
Of course we welcome with great enthusiasm these new staff to our team: Mr Josh Meyers, Acting Religious Education Coordinator and Year Two classroom teacher, Mrs Janine Parsons on Kindergarten Orange, Miss Erin Holmes on Years 4 & 6 Gold and Mrs Polly Paradice to the role of EAL/D (English as an Additional Language or Dialect). We also welcome Mr Will Warner to the role of Student Support Officer this week. He will be working specifically with our Year Two cohort.
This year, I am excited to inform you that we have expanded our capacity to cater for the needs of students who are learning English as their second language. Ms Alex Magennis will continue working with students who are funded as new arrivals (according to their VISA status) and Mrs Polly Paradice is leading an exciting project to build our support for students whose first language is not English through enhancing mainstream classroom practices. St Mary's strives to be an inclusive community where there is equity of access to learning for all of our students, hence my commitment to improving practices where we can.
We especially welcome our gorgeous new Kindergarten students who have settled in so beautifully already.
A few reminders that will assist us operationally and also help to keep our students safe:
- Please do not walk through the bus bay. As well as buses coming through we also have the staff carpark there. It is our priority to keep you as safe as we possibly can.
- Students are not permitted to leave the school gates in the afternoon unaccompanied, unless parents have provided written permission for them to do so. Please come to the school gates to collect your children.
- Please let classroom teachers know if there are any changes to how your children will be going home or what gate you would like to pick them up from.
- Please do not allow your children to play on the equipment after school as we are not insured for that.
- If you are collecting your children from the Church Gate exit, please wait on the grass for your children to allow them to see you better. Sometimes we find if parents are crowded onto the bitumen playground or the seats, then it's difficult to have a line of sight for parents to their children.
- Please check the uniform policy so that all of our students are proudly wearing our St Mary's uniform. Thank you for your attention to this.
Next Tuesday 13 February I look forward to welcoming you formally to school for 2024 with an Information Evening. We will begin the meeting in the school hall at 6pm for general information and then you will have time to move to your children's classrooms to meet the teachers and see your child's learning space. The evening will conclude at 7pm.
As I write, we are anticipating a wonderful day of sport and school spirit for the Swimming Carnival. The weather looks as though it will be very kind to us! We are so proud of the efforts of every student to support their School House while they swim their best. Thank you to all of our teachers and parent volunteers for making this very special day happen for the students.
Warmest wishes,
Gayle Stratton.
Religious Education
Welcome to the 2024 school year! It has been lovely to see all the children back so happy and ready to learn! I am thrilled to introduce myself as the Acting Religious Education Coordinator. I have been seconded to St Mary’s from St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School Oberon for this year.
I extend my heartfelt gratitude to each one of you who joined us at our opening liturgy and the badging ceremony for our school leaders this past Tuesday. Your presence added a special touch to the event, and it was truly heartwarming to see our community come together in such a meaningful way. Our next school event will be the badging of our SRC leaders in the Hall tomorrow at 12:30pm, all are welcome.
Ash Wednesday
Next Wednesday is Ash Wednesday and we embark on our Lenten journey, a period of 40 days that holds great significance in the Christian faith. This is a time for prayer, fasting, and acts of charity—a collective effort to strengthen our relationship with God and one another. For Catholics, Ash Wednesday is also a day of fasting and abstaining from meat.
Our primary students will combine with Catherine McAuley students next Wednesday 14 February to celebrate the Ash Wednesday Mass at St Joseph’s Church. The Mass commences at 12pm and families are most welcome to attend this event. K-2 students will have their own school-based liturgy.
Project Compassion
Ash Wednesday also marks the beginning of the annual Caritas Australia Project Compassion Appeal. Donations to Project Compassion allow Caritas Australia, the Catholic Agency for International Aid and Development, to work with local communities around the world to alleviate poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity.
Please give generously to Caritas Australia this Lenten season and help vulnerable people around the world, now and for all future generations.
With your support, Caritas Australia has been able to assist communities around the world through income generation, water and sanitation, food security, education and disaster risk reduction programs.
Project Compassion 2024 reminds us that the good we do today will extend and impact the lives of generations to come. Together, we can help vulnerable communities face their challenges today and build a better tomorrow.
Project Compassion boxes will be sent home for each family.
At the beginning of this new school year, we implore your mercy:
bless our students, staff & parents, that together we may grow in faith, hope, and love as we learn from you and each other how to follow your Son Jesus.
Expand the horizons of our minds, so that we may grow in wisdom, understanding, and knowledge; deepen our commitment to seek the truth of your ways; and enliven our faith to reach out to those in need.
Amen
Yours in faith
Joshua Meyers
Acting Religious Education Coordinator
Christian Leadership Awards
Hazel Morris
In Recognition of "Positive View of Life"
School News
Congratulations to Henley Morris in 3 Blue
Henley was awarded Young Citizen of the Year at the recent Australian Day Ceremony for his wonderful efforts in Raising almost $5000 for the Cancer Council through the Longest Day of Golf Challenge in December last year. We are so proud of you Henley!
Parents & Carers Please see below information
regarding the Staff Development Day on Wednesday 21st February 2024
(This is a Pupil Free Day )
St Mary's is a Nut & Egg free school
If a child must bring a phone or smart watch to school they must be handed in at the front office each morning and collected in the afternoon. If you need to get a message to your child during the day please call the office and the staff will do this for you.
Library News
Library days for each class are as follows:
MONDAY: Kindergarten Year One
TUESDAY: Year Four, Year Five, Year Six
WEDNESDAY: Year Two, Year Three
The students need a library bag for borrowing. Bags are available from the uniform shop. Our Kindergarten students will be given their bags before their first visit.
* * * * * * * * *
Scholastic Book Club Issue 1 2024
has gone home with students.
If you wish to place an order for your child you do so by using the LOOP online platform.
No cash orders taken.
Orders are due by 15th February 2024
Each book earns book rewards for our school.
Book Club rewards help obtain free books and/or additional learning resources for the classroom.
Regards
Mrs Frederickson
Curriculum News
Safer Internet Day
Safer Internet Day is a global initiative to raise awareness of online safety issues. It educates people about online safety risks, like online abuse, how to be safe online and where to go for help. This Safer Internet Day we're encouraging you to take three simple actions when approaching online safety: Connect. Reflect. Protect.
At St Mary's students from Year 3-6 are involved in the following informative virtual webinars this week:
Be an eSafe kid: Gaming with others
NEW for Safer Internet Day 2024: A live Virtual Classroom webinar to help Year 3 and 4 students identify ways to protect themselves when gaming online and what to do if things go wrong.
Level up: Creating a positive gaming culture
NEW for Safer Internet Day 2024: A live Virtual Classroom webinar to help Year 5 and 6 students learn how to protect themselves and contribute to a positive culture when gaming online.
There are also lots of great resourecs to help parents and carers about online safety issues and strategies with their children.
Rachel Cranney
Assistant Principal
Mathematics
Our students have enjoyed learning some new Maths games this week which will become part of their warm-ups and lessons as they begin their first Mathematics unit next week.
Over the next three newsletter publications, we will included a parent and carer guide to supporting your child in Mathematics. This week it is for Kindergarten (below) and the next two fortnightly publications will feature information for Year 1-2 and Years 3-6, respectively.
The term overview, which will be distributed at the upcoming parent information evening, will outline specific topics or content to be taught in Mathematics lessons in Term 1.
SPB4L
To begin the year, our Schoolwide Positve Behaviours for Learning (SPB4L) focus is the six universal rules listed above, beginning with using kind words and keeping our feet and hands to ourselves. Students are taught what these positive behaviours look and sound like, and how they can demonstrate them. We are always looking for and finding students who are fulfilling these expectations. These actions are reinforced in the classrooms with 'dojo' points and on the playground with house points. Each week, the students in the winning house receive an extra 10 minutes of playtime on Friday after lunch - and they enjoy wearing a plain t-shirt in their house colour! Students receive Level Awards for their individual achievement of positive behaviours in the classroom, beginning with Bronze Level.
Over the coming weeks, we will be focusing on our school expectations for uniform and school dismissal.
Sally Curran
Primary Coordinator
Sports News
SPORTS UNIFORM Term 1 2024
(any changes to the uniform days will be sent out in compass)
Kindergarten - Monday and Wednesday in Term One
Year One - Friday
Year Two - Friday
Year Three - Friday
Year Four - Friday
Year Five - Friday
Year Six - Friday
Weekly Sports House Points
This week's winning house is a tie between MACKILLOP & MCAULEY
Students may wear a plain T-shirt in their house Colours (no Logos) and have extra play after lunch on Friday
Bathurst Diocesan Community Sport
Dear Parents
Please keep up to date with sporting events and achievements across the Bathurst Diocese.
Search CEDB community sport or use the following link.
https://sites.google.com/bth.catholic.edu.au/cedbsportcommunity/home
St Mary’s Swimming Carnival 2024
On 7 February, our annual school swimming carnival took place at the Orange Aquatic Centre, marking a day filled with thrilling swimming competitions, vibrant school fellowship, and a strong sense of community. We were immensely impressed by the exemplary sportsmanship exhibited by every student, both in the water and beyond.
Throughout the day, students demonstrated their swimming prowess through competitive races and the ever-popular 25-meter events. Meanwhile, the younger students in Years 1 and 2 delighted in the fun-filled novelty activities, both in the pool and out.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the parents who lent their support on the day, as well as the invaluable assistance provided by the Year 10 students from James Sheahan Catholic High School. Special thanks also to Luke Nobes for his role as our starter, Matt Downey for transporting equipment, Mrs. Sarah Jeffery for providing a beautiful lunch, our wonderful teachers and support staff for supervising our students and their efficient running of the day, and Mrs Downey for all of her hard work behind the laptop! Without the collective efforts of everyone involved, this carnival wouldn't have been the resounding success that it was!
We will hold our Swimming presentation soon! Which house will be crowned the winner? Stay tuned….
Katie Frew
Canteen News
Student Wellbeing
Student Wellbeing
We welcome Mrs Sjaan Wilson at St Mary's Primary School to the role of Wellbeing Officer. Mrs Wilson will be released from class every Wednesday to fulfil her duties to promote and assist with student wellbeing.
Part of Mrs Wilson's role includes monitoring the VIBE survey which Year 5 and Year 6 students participate in weekly.
Dear Parents,
We are pleased to let you know that our school will be using the new CEDB VIBE Student Survey as part of our strategic focus to promote positive wellbeing for students in our school. In order to learn, children need to feel confident and positive about their abilities. They also need to be able to cope when they have setbacks and be able to express how they are feeling to others. As a school we need to be able to understand how children feel about themselves and their learning and to know when they may need extra help.
Why The VIBE?
The VIBE Student Survey provides school principals and school leaders with insight into student engagement, wellbeing and effective teaching practices at their school, from the perspective of students.
The VIBE Student survey can provide valid and reliable evidence of strengths and areas for improvement from students’ perspectives in critical aspects of school performance such as social and institutional engagement, emotional health and the quality of instruction. The surveys provide insights into students’ perceptions about learning climate, student-student and student-teacher relationships and their own academic success.
What about the questions?
The questions are short & simple and designed around the key pillars of the Australian Student Wellbeing Framework to support students in their learning, which are:
Support Partnerships Inclusion Student Voice Leadership
Some questions that will be asked will be about the following areas:
Connection & Belonging | Interest & Motivation | Advocacy at School |
School Attitudes | Positive Relationships | School Experiences |
Effort & Participation | Skills & Learning Challenges | General Health & Wellbeing |
Data collection and usage?
The survey is confidential with every question of the student wellbeing for learning survey being de-identified with the exception of one, ‘How are you feeling overall’. The school will be able to view the information collected from the students taking the survey and this will be stored and accessed through our partnered Qualtrics platform. The information will only be used by the school for the purposes of informing decision making within wellbeing for learning. Our school will have access to the information via the Qualtrics platform and will not be used for any other purpose and will not be shared with other parties. The information will be deleted from the data portal, at the school’s request.
This survey operates on an opt-out consent model. Students have the ability to opt out of the survey prior to being asked any questions around wellbeing for learning. Additionally, If you wish to opt out of the survey on behalf of your child, please let the school know by contacting the front office.
Rachel Cranney
Assistant Principal
School Wide Positive Behaviour for Learning (SPB4L)-SCHOOL UNIVERSALS
As learners at St Mary's we are expected to:
BE SAFE BE RESPECTFUL BE RESPONSIBLE
The aim of SPB4L at St Mary's, is to actively teach and model positive behavioral expectations through consistent, reasonable, and proactive strategies that will foster positive relationships with students, staff, and parents.
BE SAFE ❖ We will keep our hands and feet to ourselves ❖ We will follow the rules of the game
BE RESPECTFUL ❖ We will use kind words ❖ We will follow the teacher directions
BE RESPONSIBLE ❖ We will include others and play fairly ❖ We will engage in our learning
Community News
POETRY ON THE PAVERS SATURDAY 23rd February
from 8 am In front of Orange Regional Gallery
Schools and individual performers are welcome. Learn a bush poem and perform it in front of an appreciative audience. All participating school students will receive a free breakfast provided by Orange Rotary Club. This is a growing local community event and we look forward to seeing you there.
All enquiries (particularly for catering purposes)Deborah Smith 0488107123 deborahjohn1988@gmail.com
