Dear Parents, Carers, Boys & Girls,

What a welcome relief it was to see the rain stop on Wednesday. While some of our grassed areas are still too wet to play on, the boys and girls were delighted to finally have some play time outdoors, and I think the teachers were pleased too! Our thoughts and prayers go out to the thousands of individuals, families and communities across NSW and southern Queensland affected by the unpredictable extreme weather and flooding. Let us all take time to pray for those facing hardship due to the loss of loved ones, their homes or businesses.

God of hope and mercy,

we lift up to you all victims of natural disasters

and those responding with assistance and aid.

Protect all who are in any form of danger;

provide practical help to those in need;

strengthen the weary, console the grieving,

heal the suffering;

and bless those engaged in disaster relief

efforts with safety and courage. Help all people

of good will respond with compassion

and generous hearts.

We ask this in your holy name.

Amen

Meet the Teacher
Earlier this week we held our ‘Meet the Teacher’ afternoons. It was so lovely to have so many parents attend these meetings in person. Our staff were grateful for the opportunity to introduce themselves and speak with you about your hopes for your child’s learning in 2022. Sharing information about your child really helps our teachers understand your child’s needs and assists them in progressing your child’s learning. We hope you found the meetings to be as positive as the teachers did. 

It is important to keep the lines of communication between home and school open, if you have any enquiries about your child's learning, please contact your child's class teacher. 

Archdiocesan Swimming
On Tuesday, fifteen of our students from Year 2 to 6 competed at the Archdiocesan Swimming Carnival in Queanbeyan. Congratulations to all of these students who represented our region, we are so proud of you! You were great ambassadors for our southern region and St Mary’s.

St Patrick’s Day
On Thursday, 17 March we will celebrate the Feast day of St Patrick and all students are able to come to school on this day wearing something green. Our Year 4 and Year 5 students are organising a cake stall and the funds raised will be donated to flood affected schools and families in the Ballina/Lismore area. Please send in some money for your child to purchase some delicious treats on this day. 

Special School Assembly and Family Picnic
Don’t forget to ‘save the date’ for our first whole school assembly, Monday 21 March at 12 noon. At this assembly our Year 6 students will be presented with their leadership badges and we will welcome our new Kindergarten students to the St Mary’s family. After the assembly we will be having a picnic lunch for the whole school community in the front garden. Families are asked to bring a picnic rug, food and drink for their family. Children whose parents are unable to make it will join their teachers for the picnic lunch. If the weather is not favourable, the picnic will be held in the PAC and under the COLA.

Morning Drop Off/Afternoon Pick Up
When dropping off your children of a morning please park in a designated parking area. Please do not use the school's driveway in Queen Street to quickly drop off your children, this is an unsafe practice. Cars stopped in this driveway are impeding buses moving out safely.

Just a reminder that we have returned to two pick up areas in the afternoon. Students can be picked up at the end of the oval near the Church car park and at the front of the school near the St Mary’s statue. You are more than welcome to come into the school grounds and wait. Please let your child know which area you will be picking them up from. A teacher is rostered to walk the groups of students down to these two areas. We ask that you please don’t come up to the COLA area where the bus children wait, as you would then need to sign in and out.

Sacrament of Reconciliation
Please continue to pray for the children in our Parish that will be receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation this year. Last weekend these children and their families attended a Commitment Mass at the Sacred Heart Church. Next Friday, 18 March, all of Year 3 will attend a faith formation day at Carroll College, exploring the theme of Reconciliation. Thank you to Mrs Afflick and Mr Harpley who continue to guide and support these students on this journey.

Parent Talk Newsletter
Parent Talk newsletter is distributed electronically twice a term by the Council of Catholic School Parents NSW/ACT (CCSP). The newsletter aims to provide parents and carers with relevant and timely information about developments in education, wellbeing, CCSP advocacy program and significant Catholic news and events.

Personalised Plans (PPs)
At St Mary’s our commitment is to respecting and honouring the diversity of each individual as a fundamental principle of learning and teaching. Each child is unique and learns in a variety of ways and at different rates. Our teachers provide an accessible and inclusive curriculum by planning for teaching, learning and assessment that meets the needs of all students, including those who require reasonable adjustments.

A key part of our education program is to establish a Personalised Plan for students with disability who require ongoing adjustments to learning. Throughout the year, teachers use evidence of learning and other relevant school data to inform decisions about reasonable adjustments. Personalised plans are reviewed annually and throughout the year as necessary, through collaborative planning meetings.

Consultation and collaboration between teachers, students, parents/carers and other professionals is a critical and ongoing part of this process. During such an exchange (face to face meeting, email or phone call), the student, their parent/carer, teacher and other professionals discuss the impact of the disability, how this affects access to the curriculum and what reasonable adjustments, if any, may be required. We work together as a team to plan the goals that the student will work towards achieving as well as the strategies that will be used to support them.

From the plan, teachers make adjustments to their classroom programs to address the identified student outcomes. Regular review of the Personalised Plans is important to determine if the goals or outcomes are being achieved and to alter the goals or strategies as needed. It is important to remember that this is only a plan and therefore it does not necessarily mean interventions or modifications are happening on a daily or weekly basis. 

On Tuesday 15 March, Mrs Christine Wanjura (Disability, Wellbeing and Inclusion Officer) and Mrs Margaret Pollard (School and Family Services Officer) from Catholic Education will be at St Mary’s to support and work with staff in planning strategies for meeting students' learning needs. 

If your child has a Personalised Plan, your child’s class teacher and members of the Learning Support Team will be available to meet with you in Week 9 regarding your child’s learning goals and to discuss the current Personalised Plan we have in place for your child. A note will go home in the coming weeks for you to book a time for this collaboration meeting. 

Personalised Learning Pathways (PLP)
A Personalised Learning Pathway is for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students and maps the pathway that our Aboriginal students follow to achieve learning goals. 

In the coming weeks a note will go home inviting you to attend a meeting in Week 9. In attendance at the meeting will be various stakeholders in your child's education and anyone you or your child nominates to attend who will assist in the collaborative planning for your child.

A PLP is a working document, designed in collaboration with teachers, parents and students, which informs the best way for the student to achieve their goals and aspirations. To develop PLPs, teachers start with assessment and use evidence of learning and other relevant school data about each student. In developing the PLP, specific goals will be set and clear strategies put in place to support your child in meeting the agreed learning and cultural goals.

The meeting will focus on the strengths and challenges of your child and how the school can best support them to achieve their goals. This process helps students grow in confidence, and gives parents the opportunity to work together with the school to help make their child's experience at school a success. We look forward to working with you.

Sick Children
Once again we would like to thank you for your continued support to keep children home when they are sick and for coming to collect them when necessary.

If your child tests positive to COVID, it is important that you let the office know straight away so that the parents of that class are informed. Names of students are never disclosed.

We look forward to seeing as many of you at the Special Assembly and Picnic on Monday 21 March at 12 noon.

God bless and take care,

Sue Heffernan
Assistant Principal  

Dear Parents and Carers,

Ash Wednesday
Last week we celebrated Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the season of Lent. Lent is a very important season in the church calendar. It is a time of solemn observance and preparation for the celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus at Easter. Lent is a traditional time for fasting or giving something up and invites us to make our minds and hearts ready for remembering Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.

Students in Stage 1 celebrated Ash Wednesday with a liturgy at school where they received blessed ashes on their foreheads. Students in Years 3-6 attended Mass and also received the blessed ashes. It is lovely to be able to join again with our parishioners to attend Mass, and we look forward to being able to do this more regularly throughout the year.

First Reconciliation Commitment Mass
Last Sunday, many of the students who will be making the Sacrament of First Reconciliation attended a Commitment Mass with their families. Parents prayed a special prayer together for their children as they undertake this special journey together.

We pray for the following students in Year 3 as they prepare for this special sacrament of First Reconciliation later in the month:

Ollie A, Abbie H, Sam H, Tessa H, Mackenzie H, Anthony M, Madelyn M, Gabby S, Sam W, Lily M, Matilda W.

Reconciliation Retreat Day
Next Friday 18 March, Year 3 students will travel to Carroll College along with students from St Bernard's, to participate in a Faith Formation Retreat. This retreat day will support the students in deepening their understanding of the Sacrament of First Reconciliation. Students will be engaged in a variety of tasks and activities led by the Year 9 Youth Ministry group. We are so thankful to be able to join together with our pathway schools for these enriching experiences.

A prayer for Ukraine

Loving God,
We pray for the people of Ukraine, for all those suffering or afraid,
that you will be close to them and protect them.
We pray for world leaders, for compassion,
strength and wisdom to guide their choices.
We pray for the world, that in this moment of crisis,
we may reach out in solidarity
to our brothers and sisters in need.
May we walk in your ways so that peace and justice
become a reality for the people of Ukraine and for all the world.
Amen.

Mrs Jess Afflick
Religious Education Coordinator

School Photos
School photos will take place Term 2, Wednesday 27 April. This will be the first day back of term for all students. We ask that students wear their summer uniform for the photos this year.

Envelopes for ordering and online payment information will be available in the next few weeks.

NAPLAN News
NAPLAN assesses literacy and numeracy – important skills that each child needs to succeed in school and life. The NAPLAN tests are designed to help us make sure students are on track with their literacy and numeracy development. 

This year students in Year 3, 5, 7 and 9 will participate in NAPLAN online. Year 3 complete Reading, Conventions of Language and Mathematics online. Year 3 complete writing with pen and paper. Year 5 complete Writing, Reading, Conventions of Language and Mathematics online. All students use headphones during the conventions of language test, the numeracy test and the Year 5 writing test so they can hear audio instructions. 

NAPLAN tests are in Term 2, and occur between the 10 May - 20 May.

Online Practice Tests
On Thursday 24 March, our school will participate in NAPLAN Practice Tests, which are designed to give students, teachers and systems an opportunity to practice administering and participating in the online testing environment. The practice tests consist of a Writing Test for Years 5, 7, & 9, and an Omnibus Test (a combination of reading, conventions of language and numeracy) for Years 3, 5, 7 & 9. 

NAPLAN tests skills in literacy and numeracy that are developed over time through the school curriculum and every day in the classroom. Teachers will ensure that students are familiar with the test format and will provide appropriate support and guidance. Excessive preparation is not useful and can lead to unnecessary anxiety. NAPLAN tests should be treated as just another routine event on the school calendar. The best way you can help your child prepare for NAPLAN is to reassure them that NAPLAN tests are just one part of their school program, and to urge them to simply do their best on the day.

If you have any questions about NAPLAN Online, please contact your child’s teacher.

For more information:

Justin Bateman
Coordinator

Religion
In Year 5 we have been working hard on our Leadership unit. Students have been reminded that, as they transition into their senior years at St Mary’s, they will have more responsibility to lead by example.

We have worked in class to create mind maps and charts depicting what students themselves look for in a strong leader. We have discussed the differences between leaders and legends as well as come up with characteristics of good leaders.

We have spent this week working on a project, researching prominent leaders who inspire us. Each student was asked to choose a leader they identify as having the characteristics that they themselves value in a leader - someone who represents an issue close to their heart. We are very excited to get the opportunity to share our research with Year 6!

Martin Luther King inspires me because he makes me want to treat everybody equally and not have racism in the world. He changed the rights for many people and made sure they had the same equal rights as white people.  Christian C

Dylan Alcott inspires me because he helps people around the world by raising money and he is very kind and generous. He hasn’t let having a disability get in the way for him. He tries to help people to like their disability, not hate it.  Jaxon E

Princess Diana inspires me because she was very kind and loving to other people. She gave a lot of her time and she started charities to help people with AIDS, people with disabilities and people living in poverty in Africa.  Grace R

Kurt Fearnley inspires me because he is in a wheelchair and I am standing so that means I can go out into the world and do anything!  Axel S

Steve Hart inspires me to be a better person and to look on the bright side of life, even when challenges are thrown your way. Cooper H

English
English and literacy has been without a doubt one of the busiest times in our Year 5 rooms. The students are fresh, focused and ready to learn every morning and are really starting to move through the gears with Soundwaves, Spelling, Literacy Rotations and Writing. Amazingly we have managed to sneak in our daily class novel reading of Wonder by RJ Palacio, structured work on language conventions and daily fruit breaks as well! 

Following the Seven Steps to Writing Success, we have focused on the importance of planning in a way that is both structured and meaningful to us. We have worked hard on creating a sizzling start to hook the reader, we have acted out dramatic situations and dynamic dialogue to “tighten the tension” as well. One of our main focuses has been to “show” and not “tell” the reader what is going on in our stories to keep the reader interested, engaged and wondering what’s next. Best of all we have taken the opportunity to create a short story combining all of our skills, edit with constructive feedback from peers and teachers and start to publish ready for print!

Art
We have embraced Lent in a number of ways over the last two weeks, including creating “stained glass” artworks depicting the cross. As we worked, we discussed the significance of the colour purple during lent, the sacrifice that the cross symbolises as well as making an artistic statement through the dichotomy between cold and warm colours.

PDHPE/Sport
Always a big favourite in Year 5, we never cease to be amazed at the enthusiasm, excitement and participation displayed by this amazing group of students. Students have been working on some serious basketball skills with Mr Bateman over the first five weeks. Last week they were introduced to a completely new game in European Handball and have absolutely thrived on the fast pace, teamwork and quick scoring nature of this sport. 

Our weekly visits to the Moruya Pool have been going swimmingly! We are so proud of the way ALL students have conducted themselves both on the way to the pool and when they are there. Students are learning, developing and honing an extremely important life skill and having a great time in the process. 

Southern Region Swimming Carnival
What a great day we had with the small but mighty St Mary’s swimming team at the Southern Region Swimming Carnival back in Week 4. Despite our small numbers, we had a very successful day of swimming with lots of skill and great sportsmanship on display. Not only were our students cheering for our team, they were also encouraging swimmers from other schools. This makes me a very proud teacher! St Marys was the overall winning school on the day and we also had 3 Southern Region Age Champions as well. We will announce the Southern Region age champions at the whole school assembly in week 8, where these students and the school age champions will be presented with their medals and trophies. 

Archdiocesan Swimming Carnival
In wet, cold and rainy conditions, 15 of our students travelled to Queanbeyan to swim at the Archdiocesan Swimming Carnival on Tuesday. I have been so pleased to receive reports of our wonderful little team continuing to be great sports and trying their very best. The following students formed part of the Southern Region team with students from Batemans Bay, Cooma, Bega, Bombala and Pambula. 

Congratulations to the Junior Boys Relay Team (Ky, Cooper, Leo and Spencer) on placing first at the carnival! There were also lots of 2nd’s and 3rd places for our team and many PB times beaten! What an achievement for everyone!

In tough competition, our team showed what skilled swimmers we have and excellent ambassadors for St Mary’s. I thank the parents for assisting with timekeeping and helping keep our team warm and dry in the dreary weather.  

We especially congratulate Ky N on being named Junior Boy Age Champion for the Archdiocesan Carnival. Such a wonderful acknowledgement for this quiet achiever who trains very hard. 

We have several students now heading off to Sydney for the NSWCPS Swimming Championships in 2 weeks time. We wish them all the very best from the St Marys Community and look forward to sharing their successes in the coming weeks.

NSWCPS MacKillop Championships

Football (Soccer) Trials
We have 6 students travelling to Canberra on Monday to trial for a position in the Archdiocesan Football (Soccer) team. We wish the very best of luck to the following students: Darcy F, Lincon S, Ashton G, Xavier H, Alex H, Archer Sch

Intensive Swimming Program
Swimming programs were postponed due to the poor weather conditions this week. Here’s hoping the sun comes out and we can get back into it next week. The lessons that were postponed will be made up at the end of the term. The students are very keen to get back into the pool again. 

St Mary’s Cross Country
The Cross Country Carnival is planned for Friday 25 March, pending the ground conditions at Gundary Oval. We will have confirmation and further details communicated in the coming weeks. 

Upcoming Dates and Individual Sports Trials

Individual Sports Trials
For individual sports trials, registrations must be completed online at https://csnsw.sport/ prior to the closing date. It is recommended that students trialling must be at a high level of skill and competency for that particular sport. 

For further information, please feel free to contact me at school or via email:megan.grant@cg.catholic.edu.au

Wishing you a wonderful week ahead.

Megan Grant
Sports Coordinator

Guitar Lessons

Dear Parents 

Guitar lessons will resume next week! Students who wish to learn guitar or continue their guitar lessons (we hope to have 2 teachers), are very welcome.

When: Tuesday (weekly) at first break
Where: Library