Newsletter Term 2 - 16th May 2024

Catholic Schools Week

Last week we celebrated Catholic Schools Week with the theme for 2024 being “Experience the Spirit of Community,” thank you to all our families for joining us to celebrate ‘community’ at St Mary's, whether it was for breakfast or the Liturgy hosted by Year 1 or visiting open classrooms. It is a privilege to have families with us on site to celebrate the work that we do together as a community. I would like to make particular mention to our CaFE group and parents who organised  our Mother’s Day Breakfast in the hall last Friday. It was such a lovely tribute to all of the Mothers in our lives. It was extremely heartwarming to see so many of our beautiful families come together to celebrate.  Thank you!

Walk to School Safely day 9th May 2024

Last Thursday morning St Mary's held a 'Walk to School safely day.' We were blessed with beautiful weather and a wonderful show of support from our families. Thank you to all of the teachers, students, and their parents who took time from their busy schedules to walk with us from Robertson Park to St Mary's. It was a lovely way to start the morning. Thank you to Mrs Crum who initiated this event and visited Road Safety topics in Health lessons with our students.

St Mary's Biggest Morning Tea

I have been fortunate enough to be working with one of our Year 6 students, Logan, who approached Executive staff about hosting Australia's Biggest Morning Tea. Most of us have been impacted by cancer at some point in our lives, this is a worthy initiative  which our students and staff would like to support. The students have set a goal to raise between $500 -$1000. St Mary's Biggest Morning Tea will take place on Thursday 23rd May at 11.10am (recess time).

We are asking parents to help us by baking or buying cupcakes, slices or biscuits for the Year 6 students to sell to other students and staff for $1.

If you can help could you please send in baked or bought goods to school with your child or drop them to the front office on Thursday morning.

Police liaison visit

Next Monday we welcome our Police Liaison Officer, Senior Constable Jane Heffernan to St Mary’s. Jane is timetabled to visit each grade to talk about a number of age appropriate topics including online safety, internet, gaming safely and responsibly, harassment, bullying and physical aggression, stranger danger, road awareness and safety. 

Webinar Week Week 4 Term 2 - Staff Professional Learning

As part of our ongoing professional commitment to learning all teaching staff  participate in Webinar Week each term. This is a Catholic Education Diocese of Bathurst (CEDB) initiative which offers engaging and interactive online sessions differentiated for all levels of teaching expertise and experience. Areas of focus include High Impact Teaching Strategies, Respectful Relationships, Behaviour Management, Curriculum compliance, Diverse Learning, Information sharing on new draft syllabus, What can an English block look like and  Science K-10. This is great opportunity for teachers to upskill in areas of interest and network with teachers across schools in our diocese.

Farewell Mr Downey

St Mary's would like to thank Matt Downey, who has been our school groundsman for seven years. We always receive many compliments about how lovely our  grounds look and how well maintained St Mary's school is. Matt is such a community minded person, always offering to do any extra jobs around the school. Matt has been involved with gardening club, cooking school barbecues, being on hand to do countless handyman jobs and he genuinely enjoys helping others. Although we are sad to see Matt leave we wish him all the best in his new job at James Sheahan High School.

Mother’s Day Liturgy 

Last week as a part of Catholic Schools Week,  Year 1 led a lovely liturgy in honour of Mother’s Day. A heartfelt thank you goes out to Year 1 and their dedicated teachers who diligently prepared them for the occasion.

Alpha

Alpha is a series of interactive sessions that create a safe and honest space where people can explore life, faith and meaning. Come along to St Mary’s Church gathering space every Wednesday at 6pm. It is free and begins with dinner. 

Brother Yohan Visit 

This week, students met Brother Yohan, a De La Salle Brother from Sri Lanka who is visiting Australia for the next three weeks. Brother Yohan engaged the students with his life as a brother as well as what it is like living in Sri Lanka. 

First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion 

Starting in week 5, students in Year 3 who have been Baptised Catholic will celebrate the sacrament of First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion. Students will celebrate these sacraments over a number of weekends in June. For more information please contact the Sacramental Coordinator Liss Ryan at the Parish Office. 

First Holy Communion dates 

Saturday 1/6/24 5pm at St Mary’s Church

Sunday 2/6/24 8:30am at St Joseph’s Church

Sunday 2/6/24 10am at St Mary’s Church

Saturday 8/6/24 5pm at St Mary’s Church

Sunday 9/6/24 8:30am at St Joseph’s Church

Sunday 9/6/24 10am at St Mary’s Church

Saturday 15/6/24 5pm at St Mary’s Church

Sunday 16/6/24 8:30am at St Joseph’s Church

Sunday 16/6/24 10am at St Mary’s Church

Parish Grade Masses 

Parish Masses occur on Tuesdays at 9:30am. The following classes will attend Mass on the following days: 

Week 6- Year 5 (4/5)

Week 8- Year 4 (18/6)

Week 10- Year 3 (2/7)

Our Lady Help of Christians 

Our Lady Help of Christians, along with St. Mary of the Cross MacKillop, is recognised as the patron saint of Australia. The feast celebrates Mary's role as a helper to those in need through her intercession. In 1844, when Mary Help of Christians was officially adopted as the patron saint of Australia, there were few priests in the country. In the face of this challenge, Catholic families turned to Mary, seeking her support and reciting the Rosary to sustain their faith. Australia's Catholic community has maintained a steadfast devotion to Mary, making it the first nation to formally choose her under the title of Help of Christians.

School Feast Day Mass

On Friday, May 24th, we're marking our school’s feast day with a special Mass dedicated to Mary Help of Christians. Year 5 will be taking the lead in this significant event, with Fr. Duong officiating. The Mass begins promptly at 9:30 am at St. Mary’s Church and all are welcome to attend. The day will then follow with a number of activities that students will take part in to celebrate the special day.

PALS (Peer Assisted Leadership Squad)

PALS is a dynamic initiative designed to integrate our new St Mary’s Learning Framework, which prioritises collaboration while embedding our learning pillars of Relationships, Growth, Purpose, and Curiosity.

Each Friday this term, students in all grades meet in their PALS groups which is lead by a Year 6 student. Students have the opportunity to engage in meaningful peer interactions guided by a structured framework that promotes mutual support and understanding. By working together, students will not only enhance their academic abilities but also cultivate important social and emotional competencies that are vital for success in school and beyond.

We aim to create a supportive and inclusive learning environment where every student feels valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their unique strengths to the community. Through peer leadership, cooperative learning activities, and reflective practices, we aim to foster a culture of collaboration and continuous growth.

Parish Weekend Mass Times 

Saturday 18th May
Saturday of the 7th week of Easter
● 9.30am Mass at Cargo
● 4pm Confessions at St Mary’s
● 5pm Mass at St Mary’s
● 5pm Mass at Manildra

Sunday 19th May
Pentecost Sunday
● 8.00am Mass at Mullion Creek
● 8.30am Mass at St Joseph’s
● 10.00am Mass at Molong
● 10.00am Mass at St Mary’s
● 11.00am Youth group at St Mary’s
● 5.30pm Mass at Cudal

 SRC representatives Term 2 2024

2024 CaFE Grade Reps

Kinder: Alicia Holmes, Stacey Tracey (Kinder Orientation Night, Set up Kinder FB group)

Yr 1: Olivia Day-Gorham, Amy Hinchcliff (Kinder Welcome Morning Tea)

Yr 2: Renee Davis, Alicia Holmes (Mother’s Day gifts)

Yr 3: Mel Balchin, Olivia Day-Gorham (Mother's Day breakfast)

Yr 4: Jess McGrath and Katrina Holway (Father's Day gifts)

Yr 5: Kym Flitcroft, Kellie Pickering (Father's Day breakfast)

Yr 6: Kate Pulbrook, Sharon Collins (Easter Egg raffle and eggs. Organise Yr 6 2024 end of year event)

                                    Cowra Japanese Gardens Excursion Year 1

On Friday 3rd May the students in Year 1  visited the Japanese Gardens in Cowra. 

We had a cold, early start at 7:30 filled with excitement about the day to come.  We arrived to find a lovely sunny spot to eat our Crunch n Sip then we headed out to complete activities like calligraphy, origami, and Japanese games. After a quick Recess, we went on a treasure hunt around the beautiful gardens, spotting things like bonsai, maple leaves, and people wearing kimonos. A highlight of the day was feeding the koi fish which are definitely going to grow much bigger now! We had lunch, then finished our day with some Japanese culture in the form of paintings, dolls and sculptures as well as dressing up in traditional Japanese dress. We hopped back on the bus, tired and happy after a splendid day!!
Our guides told us that the children from St Mary’s were well mannered and asked very good questions. 
Well done St Mary's Year 1 students. A big thank you to Mrs Pell who organised this day for us. 

4 Gold has had a fabulous start to Term 2. 

We have enjoyed learning many new things across the curriculum and have also had some great extracurricular activities that we have participated in. 

In English, we have been learning about hybrid texts and have started to study authority and authorship. Our new book, Ned Kelly And The Green Sash has sparked some great discussions! We have been working hard on improving our vocabulary and sentence writing.

In History we are learning about First Contacts. The students have enjoyed learning about this time in our country’s rich history. We are working hard on a research project about the age of exploration and the many explorers who ventured to Australia.

In Religion, we have been discussing the Easter Season, the days after the Crucifixion. It has been lovely to hear the students' reflections on such an important time in our Liturgical Calendar.

In science we have been exploring our material world. So far we have investigated the use of different materials and how they are used for certain purposes and products in our everyday lives. 

We have had some fun in Drama and have created some fantastic art using Ned Kelly as our stimulus.

Well done 4 Gold on such a positive start to the term! 

The Golden Memories Museum Excursion Year 2

In History, the Year 2 students have been exploring technology, buildings, and artifacts from the past. As part of their learning, they traveled to the Golden Memories Museum. Located in Millthorpe, the trip was short but it transported them far back into the past!

The guides brought to life the amazing exhibits and how each piece told a story about the past. As a result, the students gained so much insight into how life has changed and this reinforced what they have been learning in their History lessons.

The students loved watching the clever blacksmith, playing the organ, speaking on the telephone, and washing the clothes, amongst other things. The interactive exhibits were certainly a highlight.

Year 2 enjoyed their excursion. Thank you to MrsHaydon for organising the excursion and to the staff members who accompanied them.

Peachey Shield / Richardson Cup Newsletter

On May 2nd, three teams from St. Mary’s took part in the Peachey Shield / Richardson Cup non-competitive gala day held at Brendon Sturgeon Oval in Orange. The boys played in three rugby league matches against Orange Public School, Bletchington Public School, Bowen Public School, and Catherine McAuley.

Throughout the day, our teams demonstrated considerable growth and played as a team. We congratulate all boys for their excellent behaviour and exemplary sportsmanship. We extend our gratitude to Mr. Benton for his assistance during the event, as well as to the parents for their support in transporting their children to and from the venue.

Katie Frew

Athletics Carnival Assembly 

Our Athletics Assembly took place on May 3rd in the school hall. We recognized the winners of each event and awarded ribbons to deserving students. Special recognition goes to the following students who were named age champions and runners-up.

Cross Country Success

We congratulate Patrick and Brianna on their success at the Diocesan Cross Country held at Coolah on Tuesday. Patrick finished 4th in the 12 years boys event and Brianna finished 1st place in the 12 years girls. We wish them success as they prepare for the Polding Cross Country at Eastern Creek in June.

#brightfuturesstarthere #crosscountry

Bathurst Diocesan Community Sport

Dear Parents,

Keep up to date with sporting events and achievements across the Bathurst Diocese. Search CEBD community sport or use the following link. 

https://sites.google.com/bth.catholic.edu.au/cedbsportcommunity/

St Marys is a Nut and Egg Free school 

Please do not put these in your child's lunch box as we have children at our school with severe reactions to these items.

 Children with Communication devices such as Phones and Watches must be handed to the school office in the Morning before class and collected at the end of the day.

Please support your child to meet this school requirement.

If you need to contact your child during school hours please call the school office.

St Mary's Uniform Shop

is run by  Parent Volunteers and is open from 9:00 am Friday Mornings. 

If you have put your order through Flexi schools it will be packed the following Friday and sent home with your child.