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Dear Parents and Carers,
This week has been the highlight of the 2022 school year. I am sure you would agree that our musical Peter Pan was phenomenal. Despite some serious setbacks over the past two years, our amazing staff and students came together to share their talents on stage.
I truly believe that it is the staff at St Mary’s that sets us apart from other schools. We have a close knit and fun loving team of teachers and support staff who continually go that extra mile for our students and families.
A whole school musical with an extended cast of more than 200 primary school age children involves a lot of commitment, hard work and energy. Congratulations and well done to all our students for their singing, their dancing and acting… it was fantastic! To all involved in the production, thank you for all your commitment, energy and unwavering determination to ensure that every student had the opportunity to shine and take part.
Congratulations to the entire Peter Pan cast and crew!
Musical Thank You Morning Tea
On Monday November 21 at 10am, we will be hosting a special Morning Tea to thank our wonderful parents for their help with Peter Pan. Many parents have volunteered their time helping the Production Team with making props, painting backdrops and creating costumes.
Without the help and support of parents, we would not have been able to produce such a quality musical. We hope that many of you can join us on Monday morning.
If you haven't already done so, please let the office know if you can attend.
Kinder Orientation
A reminder that we have our final Kindergarten Orientation on Wednesday November 23. Mrs Schofield and Mrs Stephen have planned another great session for the children to help them feel welcome and settled at St Mary’s. The children's Year 6 buddies for next year (current Year 5) will be involved this time. The relationships between Kindergarten and Year 6 students is something very special and we are currently revitalising the Buddy Program. If you hear of any parent who is still undecided about Kindergarten for next year, please encourage them to come in and see us so they can attend on Wednesday.
Transition Days for New students
In 2023, we have several new families joining us at St Mary’s. Where possible, we invite the students in to spend time with us. This gives the new children an orientation into daily life at St Mary’s and our students the opportunity to get to know them.
Classes and staffing for 2023
Based on enrolment numbers and the needs of our students, we have made the decision to implement the following class structure for 2023. Teachers have been allocated to classes with consideration given to their preference and professional growth, and whole school needs.
| Kindergarten | Mrs Genevieve Schofield |
| Year 1 | Mrs Jessie White |
| Year 2 Blue | Mrs Carla Durnan |
| Year 2 Maroon | Mrs Fran Devonald |
| Year 3 Blue | Mrs Alicia Hampson |
| Year 3 Maroon | Ms Allison Lock |
| Year 4 | Mr Justin Bateman and Mrs Sophie Kenny |
| Year 5 | Mrs Megan Grant |
| Year 5/6 | Mr James Campbell |
| Year 6 | Mr Matthew Harpley |
We have begun the process of placing students into classes. These decisions are based on the best interests of the students’ social and academic development. Each student will be asked to nominate a couple of learning partners (classroom friends) that they would like to be with next year. Every student will have at least one learning partner in their class.
I have asked teachers to highlight any potential conflicts of interests with the makeup of their classes e.g. cousins, close family friends. Wherever possible, we try to separate teachers from their own children and those of their closest friends. This is important for both the children's wellbeing and independence and for the teachers' professional independence. Of course we value our small "family like" environment at St Mary's where all children are known and cared for by our wonderful staff.
If you have any questions or concerns about classes for next year, please feel free to email me or pop in for a chat. We want to set all of our students up for success.
Pilgrimage
The Principals Professional Learning Program at Catholic Education has been set up to partly support school leaders with their spiritual and professional development. As part of this, I am privileged to be participating in a pilgrimage to Italy and Spain in late November.
Following visits to Lourdes, Montserrat, Assisi, Montecassino and Siena, I will be attending Christmas Eve Mass with Pope Francis at the Vatican, something I have always hoped to do.
I am also excited about visiting St Mary's Primary School on the Isle of Wight in the UK. Following the dreadful bushfires, the Head Teacher contacted me about organising a fundraiser for our school. Her small school community raised nearly $1000 for us and I am so pleased to have the opportunity to thank them in person.
Mrs Sue Heffernan will be Acting Principal for the last couple of weeks of this term.
These next few weeks will fly by quickly. Wishing you and your families a safe and happy Christmas and New Year.
Noeleen O'Neill
Principal
Dear Families,
What a wonderful, fun filled and busy couple of weeks we have had here at St Mary’s! We have come together to celebrate a number of whole school events, including Mission Day and of course our musical production of Peter Pan! It is always so heartwarming to watch our school community rally for these events and we are deeply grateful to you for the many ways in which you have contributed to supporting us - from baking and sending in goods to sell, to filling jars for the Tombola, helping in the kitchen, assisting with makeup and face painting, and of course the many amazing contributions to costumes and props for the musical, thank you.
Mission Day
Last Thursday we celebrated Mission Day, a day where we come together to pray and raise money for those who are less fortunate than us. In class, children learned about the mission of the Church and Jesus and how we can live out that mission locally. It was lovely to attend a Whole School Mass together to start the day and we thank you Father Eden for celebrating this Mass for us. Following Mass, families, parishioners and friends joined us back at school for our annual Mission Day Stalls. We had ice cream, cakes and a white elephant stall, and Year 6 ran a number of exciting activities including sock wrestling and donut eating contests. In just over an hour of fun we raised $1212.25 for Caritas Australia. 
Feast of Christ the King
This Sunday we will celebrate the Feast of Christ the King. Children and families are warmly invited to attend the parish Mass on Sunday at 10:00am. Children will process into the Church at the beginning of Mass and will also be involved in the readings and different parts of the Mass. We hope to see you there.
WIshing you all a blessed and happy weekend.
Mrs Jess Afflick
Religious Education Coordinator
Who can believe it is the last term of learning for our Year 2 students! We have learnt so much this year and are so ready to be Year 3 students!
In Religion we have been working on how we can be caretakers for Creation and how important our role is as Christians to look after our world and one another. We have learnt the reason behind having Mission Market Day and how we can help others when times are tough here in Australia or in other countries. We also created our own prayers and artworks for Remembrance Day.
In English, we have been reading, researching informative texts and writing our own Information Reports about animals of their choice. We are very proud of our writing and we are now writing interesting texts including paragraphs to share how animals live, eat and interact with others.
In Maths, we have been learning about fractions of a group, multiplication and division. We have been learning how to use multiplication to solve problems to work out the Surface Area of rectangles. 
In History we have been learning about the history of toys and other household objects. We have designed interview questions to ask our families about their favourite toys, and are developing their own toys of the future.
In Year 2 Koori Club, some students have written and published their own adventure stories as an Indigenous people. We have loved being our own authors, and students can borrow their books from our school library!
In Science, we have been exploring life cycles of plants and animals. We have been growing our own plants as part of learning about life cycles, and also watching the growing and changing of our classroom pet spiny leaf insects. In STEM we have designed cars for the future that aren’t harmful for the environment.
Mrs Durnan
Year 2 Teacher
Congratulations to Jaxon E who was successful in gaining entry into the 2023 Canberra Goulburn Archdiocesan Cricket Team. The cricket trials are being held this year with the MacKillop Cricket selections being held in Wagga on Wednesday, 30 November & Thursday, 1 December. Both Jaxon and Darcy F will represent St Mary’s and the Canberra Goulburn Archdiocese in Wagga all competing for a place in the MacKillop Boys cricket team. Congratulations boys on this achievement. Everyone at St Marys is very proud of you and wish you luck at the next level of competition.
Tennis Trials
We wish Declan T (Year 3) and Darcy F (Year 5) all the very best of luck as they compete in the Canberra Goulburn Tennis Trials at Belconnen in Canberra on Friday, 2 December. I look forward to sharing their results with you in the coming newsletters.
CG Sports Trials
As included in previous newsletters, some Canberra Goulburn Archdiocesan Sports Trials for the 2023 school year are underway this term. In an attempt to free up the calendar for swimming etc in early 2023, it was decided that trials for Cricket, Touch Football, Tennis and Basketball would take place at the later end of this year. All trial information is included below. Please note: Registrations for Touch Football, Tennis and Basketball are open for students currently in Years 4 and 5. Students wishing to trial must have a level of experience and play competitively with a high level of skill and ability.
TOUCH FOOTBALL
- Canberra Goulburn trials Wednesday, 7 December. Open to students from Years 3 to Year 5 in 2022
TENNIS AND BASKETBALL
- 2023 Canberra Goulburn Tennis and Basketball trials will be held on Friday, 2 December. Open to students from Year 2 to Year 5 for Tennis and Years 3 to 5 for Basketball in 2022.
Please be in touch if you require any further information regarding these trial events. - please be aware that these trials are being held this year for the 2023 sporting year and competition pathways. All other trial events will be as normal for the 2023 year.
I am in the process of planning sporting dates for the 2023 school year, including the St Mary’s Swimming Carnival and the pathways following on from this, which will all kick off very early next year. I will communicate dates with families as they become available and confirmed on our school calendar.
Wishing you a wonderful week ahead.
Megan Grant
Sports Coordinator
This award is an acknowledgement that students have been
outstanding and have gone above and beyond in the
classroom and on the playground!
| Kinder Blue | Quinn A | Ongoing dedication to improvement in all aspects of Literacy |
| 1 Blue | Ned S | Great effort with our persuasive writing task. Well done! |
| 1/2 Maroon | Neiva P | Outstanding Information Report on koalas. Neiva used clever techniques to engage the reader and a labelled diagram of a koala’s habitat |
| 2 Blue | Tommy D | Fantastic application of multiplication to working out the surface area of rectangles |
| 3 Blue | Declan T | Being actively involved in all our learning experiences. Declan is always enthusiastic and engaged |
| Liam M | Approaching each school day with enthusiasm and cheerfulness and a willingness to do his best work | |
| Sam W | Great work in Maths and interesting contributions to our discussions | |
| 4 Blue | Kye N | Fantastic engagement in Daily Review each day and writing a wonderful Haiku poem about ‘Sunrise!’ |
| 4 Maroon | Callum T | Ability to use a range of strategies when drawing meaning from a variety of texts |
| 5 Blue | Ryley B | Exceptional growth in spelling, demonstrating that persistence, care and attention to detail pays off |
| 5 Maroon | Koby P | Demonstrating consistent application and persistence in Maths Pathway |
| 6 Blue | Marguerite J |
Commitment to embracing her character of Mrs Darling in the production of Peter Pan and her kind and gentle manner in which she mentored the younger students. Congratulations Margeurite! |
| 6 Maroon | Morgan D | Her capable, reliable and mature attitude towards all school activities, especially the school production. Thank you for your efforts Morgan |
| Pastoral | Sienna B | Always being a good friend to others |
| Literacy | Mitchell W | Enthusiastic approach to his literacy group work |
| PDHPE | India-Arie H | A positive and fair team player during PE activities |
| Kinder Blue | Bradley S | Outstanding dance moves and concentration during our Peter Pan performance |
| 1 Blue | Milton W | Fantastic work in maths, collecting and graphing data about play equipment |
| 1/2 Maroon | Beau M | Dedication to persevere and improve responses in our English Mat time and Daily Reviews. Beau always gives 100%! |
| 2 Blue | Willa M | Prayerful participation in morning meditation and her thoughtful prayer intentions |
| 3 Blue | Madelyn M |
Being a responsible member of our class. Quietly going about her learning to get the job done! |
| Matilda W | Working hard each day and striving to do her best. Keep up the great effort Tilly! | |
| Mackenzie H | Commitment to all areas of her learning. Keep up the good work! | |
| 4 Blue | Nathan W | Outstanding contributions and focus during English Daily Review lessons |
| 4 Maroon | Elyse B | Persevering with challenging decimal and place value questions in maths |
| 5 Blue | Ella S | Amazing short stories, showing dedication and perseverance to the craft of writing |
| 5 Maroon | Darcy F | A great effort when identifying conjunctions and the difference between dependent and independent clauses |
| 6 Blue | Ava D | Outstanding organisation and leadership of the backstage crew during the production of the Peter Pan musical. Congratulations Ava! |
| 6 Maroon | Charlotte E | Her compassionate and gentle nature with the younger students, treating all members of our school community with respect |
| Pastoral | Tommy D | Fantastic extracurricular activities during the school day |
| PDHPE | Darcy F | Excellent role model to other students by demonstrating great sportsmanship during PE activities |
St Mary’s Presents ‘Peter Pan the Musical’
London, the Jolly Roger Pirate Ship, Mermaid Lagoon and Neverland Forest all came to life this week, as the students of St Mary’s took their families and friends on a magical journey that will be remembered for many years to come.
Over the past two years our classrooms and playgrounds have been filled with music, song and dance, as we have prepared to escape to Neverland. It was our great honour to share our love of musical theatre this week with our school community. 
A cast of 50 children worked for many hours to learn their lines, perfecting their acting skills, and ensuring they were embracing every element of their character's personality. As the production team, we had the absolute pleasure of watching these children grow in confidence and maturity over the past few months, building friendships that will last a lifetime. 
It was not only on stage under the lights that these children came alive, backstage they were having just as much fun, singing and dancing to every song, embracing everything that a production has to offer. 
The cast of Peter Pan would not have been able to tell the story without the outstanding students of St Mary’s. From the Kindergarten pirates to the charismatic, but oh so shallow mermaids, these students can do it all! The children performed the musical to local preschool children, our friends from St Bernard’s and of course our fabulous parent community over four dramatic shows. 
It was our great honour to share with you all the magic of Neverland. A beautiful reminder of the joy and adventure that our children experience each and every day. Seeing some of our Dad’s stand in the audience at our final show vocalling sharing their belief in fairies was a moment that will last a lifetime. 
We would like to thank you, our fabulous parent community for your support in bringing our dream to life! We look forward to sharing with you all soon the downloadable video link for production of Peter Pan. 
Regardless of your age, remember the valuable message of Neverland; “I just want to be a child forever and have fun!”
The Production Team
Mrs White, Mrs Hamspon, Mrs Afflick and Mrs Devonald
Mrs Ryan - Classroom Support Assistant
We love Mrs Ryan because she always brightens our day with her smile, always listens to us, she makes everything fun and is always helping us learn to read fluently. She is so helpful, caring and supportive.
I love teaching at St. Mary’s because our children are so kind and the staff are the most caring people. We celebrate each child when they have success and encourage everyone to reach their full potential.
CHRISTMAS RAFFLE
The Community Council are selling raffle tickets for this year’s Christmas Raffle. The raffle features excellent prizes from many very generous local businesses including Surf the Bay, Moruya Pharmacy, Moruya Golf Club, the Health Café, Sports First, Church St Pizza, Resting Ridge Leather Co and the Broulee Brewhouse. Tickets are $2 each, or 10 for $10 and can be purchased on the night or via QKR!
St Mary's Primary supports this wonderful initiative, please help Ava D (Year 6) reach her fundraising goal. If you can't make a donation, it would be great if you could share the fundraiser to help spread the word. Thanks for taking a look!
