A very warm welcome to the 2024 school year at St Mary’s. There is something very special about this year already. The students are calm and happy and everyone is well rested after the holidays. Our new Kindergarten students have settled in well and already seem ‘at home’ when at school. It was lovely for Mrs Sue Heffernan and me to meet our new Kinder parents last Thursday morning, as they joined us for a coffee after dropping their little ones off to school on their first day. 

We make a special welcome to our new students and their families. Claudia, Jai, Finley, Eli, Juliet, Izabel, Charlotte, Harry, Henry, Hayes, Houston, Jaden, Jhasritha, Alexander, Helena, Parker, Taj, Calvin, Kingston, Alonso, Emilia and Layla have settled in very well and have become important members of our school community. We are very proud of the way St Mary’s students welcome and look after our new students. We welcome all of our new parents and grandparents and hope to see you at school and at our upcoming school functions.

When interviewing new parents, I ask them why they are choosing St Mary’s and the most common response is that they have heard of our excellent reputation, especially in caring for children. All children attend a school to be educated, however parents want to know that their child will be known as an individual, loved and supported.  The staff at St Mary’s do this well. I thank our parents for speaking positively about our beautiful school, and its staff and students. 

St Mary’s Staff 

The Leadership Team for 2024 comprises:
Parish Priest - Father George Azhakath
Principal - Mrs Noeleen O’Neill
Assistant Principal - Mrs Sue Heffernan 
Acting Religious Education Coordinator - Mrs Gen Schofield 
Coordinator- Mr Justin Bateman

Teaching Staff 
Kindergarten- Mrs Gen Schofield 
Year 1- Mrs Jessie White
Year 2 - Mrs Fran Devonald
Year 3 -  Mrs Megan Grant 
Years 3/4 - Mrs Alicia Hampson and Mr Justin Bateman
Year 4 - Mrs Carla Durnan
Year 5 - Mr James Campbell and Mrs Jess Afflick
Year 5/6 -  Mrs Allison Lock
Year 6 - Mr Matthew Harpley
PDHPE Teacher- Mr Paul Hill 
Learning Support- Mrs Jo Matthews and Mrs Jessie White 
Sport Coordinator - Mrs Megan Grant

Support Staff
Mrs Shellie Butler, Mrs Janet Ryan, Mr Dom Ziino and Mrs Brooke Connuaghton
Wellbeing Officer - Mr Dom Ziino
Playgroup Coordinator - Mrs Brooke Connaughton
Front Office Manager- Mrs Annette Hazell
Administration Support- Mrs Cathy Smith
School Counsellor - Ms Faith Costigan

Communication
Each week, your child’s Home class teacher will send you a Weekly Class Memo to inform you of what is happening in your child's classroom. Whilst the focus will be on the learning that is taking place, reminders and other special class information will also be included. Please refer to it each week and contact your child's teacher directly if you have any questions. Of course, we want our teachers to be teaching and not on their emails during the school day, so please give them time after school to respond.  For family/ work life balance, staff have been asked not to read and write emails to parents after 5 pm at night or on the weekends. 

Each fortnight, on Fridays (even School Weeks)  you will receive a detailed school newsletter. The Parent Calendar is posted on COMPASS and regularly updated. If you have any difficulties accessing COMPASS, please contact the Front Office staff.  Following our  School Facebook page is an excellent way to get a real sense of what is happening every day at St Mary’s. Please feel free to email me directly if you have any issues or concerns that you feel are not best resolved with your child’s class teacher.

Opening School Year Mass, Family Picnic and Special School Assembly - Year 6 Student Leadership Induction and Kinder Welcome
Friday February 23 will be a big day at St Mary’s!  At 12 noon, the whole school will be attending our Opening School Year Mass at the Sacred Heart Church.  We invite our parents, friends and grandparents to join us. Following Mass,  we will be having our first Family Picnic on the Front Lawns. After lunch, we will be hosting our first Whole School Assembly in the Performing Arts Centre (PAC) which will incorporate a Kinder Welcome and a Year 6 Student Leadership Induction ceremony. 

Parents are asked to bring along a picnic rug, food and drinks for their families. Those children whose parents are unable to attend, will also join in with their teachers and friends.

We look forward to welcoming you all on this special day. 

Drop off and Pick up arrangements
As student safety is always our number one priority, we have two designated drop off and pick up zones. One at the Front Gates on Church Street and the other at the end of the oval near the Church Car Park. After school, the students are supervised by a staff member until their parents arrive. If a parent is running particularly late,  the child may need to be brought back to the Front Office to wait. Students who walk or ride their bikes are supervised to cross the road on Church Street. 

Some children have permission to leave the school via the Alleyway near the Police Station. Parents of those children are asked to send a note to the Front Office giving their child permission to leave the school independently.   We ask parents not to pick their children up from Queen Street as this is the Bus Zone area, it is very busy and is not safe.

In the mornings, most parents drop their children off at the same two designated spots.

Please do not drive into the staff car park or walk through it with your child as it is unsafe. 

All parents are welcome to come inside the school grounds in the mornings and afternoons. If staying for longer than a few minutes in the mornings, you will need to sign in. 

In the afternoons, you are very welcome to socialise and make use of the playground with the understanding that you are responsible for your own children.   

Meet the Teacher Meetings
On Monday February 19 and Tuesday February 20, teachers will be available for individual parent/teacher meetings before and after school hours. This will give parents a chance to talk with their child's teacher and discuss their child’s learning goals for the semester. We understand how busy families are but we really hope all of our parents take up this opportunity. If you prefer a phone call, please let your child's teacher know.  Bookings are made through COMPASS. If you have any difficulties, please let your child's teacher know.

Wishing you all a wonderful year ahead. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any  questions or concerns. We look forward to continuing our close partnerships with all of our families.  

God’s Blessings 

"We must teach more by example than by word." ~  Saint Mary MacKillop

Noeleen O'Neill
Principal

CLASSROOM MASTERY
Last Tuesday, the staff from St Mary’s, St Bernard’s and Carroll College, participated in a Classroom Mastery professional learning day facilitated by Dr Tim McDonald and Sara Wiggins. Our three schools were chosen for this program recognising the importance of a common approach for the K-12 Pathway.

Classroom Mastery focuses on the skills and routines needed for staff to create consistently productive, safe, inclusive and calm learning environments. The workshops during the day included evidence to support this approach which aligns with cognitive load theory and explicit instruction, which our teaching staff have  been engaged in implementing as part of our diocesan CATALYST initiative.

During the afternoon workshop our staff established some simple routines for our school that the whole school has embraced to ensure consistency of approach in every classroom, with the goal of optimising learning time. The routines taught include the entry and exit routine as well as the cue to start or gain attention to maximise learning.

Later this term Dr McDonald will visit our schools and work with our leadership team and staff to support the ongoing adoption of these instructional strategies and consistent classroom routines. 

HIGH IMPACT TEACHING PRACTICES  (HITP) - IN ACTION
‘HITP in Action’ is an aspect of the Catalyst program that supports our teachers to improve their practice through practical professional learning. It is a comprehensive professional learning program, encompassing both the theory of the Science of Learning and coaching, for each teacher to enable high impact instructional strategies in the classroom.

At St Mary’s we have been very fortunate to be working with Dr Lorraine Hammond and the team from Shaping Minds, Jordan O’Sullivan and Brooke Wardana. These educational coaches have been working with all our staff to share their expertise and knowledge through a combination of professional learning experiences, demonstrations of teaching in our classrooms, immersive staff meetings, and ongoing support via email. 

Next week Brooke Wardana will be visiting St Mary’s and working with staff in the K-2 classrooms and the leadership team. The focus of this visit will be to provide demonstration lessons on ways to increase student understanding of creating written text.  

GURUBANGAMBA MENTORING AND TRANSITION PROGRAM
The first session of the Carroll College Gurubangamba Mentoring and Transition Program for  Aboriginal students in Year 5 and Year 6 will be held on Monday, 12 February. This program is delivered over three sessions, during the school year. The purpose of this program is for students to develop a connection to the College and form relationships with staff and other ATSI students. These important connections can provide guidance and support to help students as they transition from Primary school to Secondary school.

Students participate in a variety of activities that focus on the following themes:

• Building Relationships
• Fostering Resilience
• Respecting Yourself & Others

These days not only help prepare students for the high school environment, they provide opportunities for students to make friends through positive social activities and join a community of students to share Aboriginal culture.

YEAR 6 SCIENCE & STEM ENRICHMENT PROGRAM
This year all Year 6 students from St Mary’s and St Bernard’s will be part of a Science & STEM Enrichment Program at Carroll College. This enriching experience will be facilitated by Science teachers from Carroll College and aims to foster a culture of curiosity and exploration, making science an engaging and rewarding endeavour. 

Each group of students (approximately 8 in each group) will complete a series of lessons over a 6 week period. The program will begin Week 5. 

• 5 groups of 16 students (8 students from St Mary’s and 8 students from St Bernard’s)
• 6 weeks of enrichment lessons per group with 3 Science and 3 STEM lessons
• Every Tuesday at Carroll College from 12.30pm – 1.30pm
• Odd numbered weeks – Science with Ms Danielle Ciuffetelli
• Even numbered weeks – STEM with Mr Andrew Kenneally

Further information will be communicated to Year 6 parents in the coming weeks.

LITTLE INVESTIGATORS PLAYGROUP
Our Little Investigators Playgroup for children 0-5 and their parents will be recommencing in Week 4 of this term. The Playgroup sessions will run on Wednesday mornings from 9-11am in the school hall. The sessions are facilitated by Mrs Brooke Connaughton.

We have a lot of different sensory experiences set up for the children to explore and play with and it is a great opportunity to connect and build relationships with other families.

Our Playgroup is open to all families, not only those with children enrolled at St Mary's. 

We are so excited to be able to provide this service and help our littlest humans establish their own community and enjoy some wonderful social and learning experiences. 

It is offered at no cost to families. Please spread the word in the local community.

Playgroup begins on Wednesday 21/02/23 (Week 4).

NAPLAN NEWS 
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 1, and will occur between the 13 March - 25 March.

NAPLAN FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 
What will be tested? 

• NAPLAN tests the important skills that are essential for every child to progress through school and life, such as reading, writing, spelling, grammar and numeracy. The content of each test is informed by the Australian Curriculum. 
• The Literacy tests are based on content in the English learning area, and the numeracy tests draw content from the Mathematics learning area. 

For more information on the types of skills and understandings that students are generally expected to demonstrate at their particular year of schooling, refer to the information provided for each domain in the NAPLAN section. 

What types of questions are in the tests? 

• Questions are multiple choice, technology-enhanced (such as drag and drop), or require a short written response for all tests except the writing test. In the writing test, students are expected to write a continuous text.

For more information about the writing test, see the relevant FAQs at NAPLAN - writing test 

The links below take you to demonstration tests for conventions of language (grammar, punctuation, and spelling), numeracy, reading and writing for each NAPLAN test year level: 3, 5, 7 and 9. As all Year 3 students will complete the writing test on paper, there is no Year 3 demonstration test for writing. 

https://pages.assessform.edu.au/pages/year-3-demos

https://pages.assessform.edu.au/pages/year-5-demos

God bless and take care
Sue Heffernan
Assistant Principal

Greetings from the School Counsellor and important information about how to access School Counselling.

Hello lovely St Mary’s families. My name is Faith and I have been
part of the Marymead CatholicCareStudent and Family Counselling team since 2019. During such time, I have worked in our regional primary and secondaryschools as a student and family counsellor.

I am a social worker; I have previously worked in legal, AOD, and homelessness sectors. My passion for my role stems from an innate desire to help people. I strive to assist my clients in acknowledging their strengths and realising their potential. I love working with diverse needs and have particular interest in neurodiversity.

In my school counselling work, I provide short term client centred support to children and their families drawing from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Strengths Based, Mindfulness and Trauma informed approaches in a developmental context. For more complex issues I also provide referrals and information/parent consultation.

Please feel free to touch base with any questions or concerns relating to the counselling service. I am at St. Mary’s Thursdays and alternating Fridays.

How to make an appointment.

If your child was seen by the school counsellor in previous years and you would like them to receive support in 2024, we require you to complete a new counselling registration form. The link can be found below. New referrals and requests can be made via the same link.

Parent consent for counselling continues to be required for all primary school students and will be sought and provided via email. Where parents are separated, we require the written consent of both parents. Once the referral has been received, I will contact parents on my next day at St. Mary’s to further discuss the referral. I am at St. Mary’s every Thursday and on Fridays in weeks 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 each term

Referrals can be submitted here https://mccg.my.site.com/housing/s/school-referral-form

More about School counselling/how to access school counselling at St Mary’s
As part of the pastoral care program for students at St. Mary’s, students have access to a Student and Family Counselling service provided by Marymead CatholicCare Canberra & Goulburn (MCCG). MCCG are contracted by the CEO to provide a counselling service to students and their families on site. There is no fee to access this service. The service offers short term counselling support (5 – 6 sessions per referral issue, totalling one term worth off support on a fortnightly basis) to children and their families – the counsellor can also provide referrals or advice for more complex issues requiring intensive or long-term therapy/support.

The role of the counsellor is to focus on the emotional, social, and educational well-being of the students. Counsellors welcome contact with students having difficulty with some part of their life, the concern does not have to be a big one. It is better to seek help sooner rather than later. Some typical concerns that counsellors work with include anger, anxiety, behavioural problems, low mood, family changes/separation, grief and loss, learning and educational challenges, parenting challenges, peer and other social relationships, school avoidance, stress and study skills. As well as individual sessions with students, counsellors consult with parents and teachers and make referrals to other services and supports. 

Student and Family Counsellors subscribe to a set of professional ethics that include duty of care and respect for the individual rights to privacy and confidentiality. The counsellors’ obligation is to ensure the safety, wellbeing, and confidentiality of the student they are working with. All counsellors are mandated to report any disclosure or sign of abuse (including self-harm) or neglect to Child Protection Services. Outside of these mandated requirements, all counselling sessions are confidential, and the details will not be discussed with other parties unless consent is given by the client.

Faith Costigan
Student and Family Counsellor