How quickly Term 4 is flying by! With just over three weeks left of school, we have a lot to get done to finalise this year and plan for 2025. We have talked to the students about the importance of being patient and cooperative, especially now as everyone is so busy and getting tired.

New Families
In recent weeks, a number of new families have enrolled their children at St Mary’s for the last part of this year or from Term 1 2025. We welcome Sriyan T, Adeline M, Patterson M, Hadley M, Nyguen T, Aiden WV, Faith WV and their families and trust that they will enjoy their time in our beautiful school community. 

If you are aware of any other families considering moving their children to St Mary’s  for 2025, please urge them to make contact with Annette or Cathy early next week. We already have waiting lists for some classes. 

Swimming Program
Our whole school swimming program is once again proving to be very successful. The students' confidence has grown and their swimming abilities have improved greatly in just a few weeks. Thank you to Mrs Grant for organising the entire program, the staff for walking the students back and forth and supervising them at the pool and back at school. A special thank you to our wonderful swimming coaches, Mrs Grant, Mrs Connaugton, Mrs Durnan and Mrs White for their huge commitment to teaching swimming groups all day. They use a lot of sunscreen and look a bit tired on Friday afternoons!

Thank you to our School Community Council for donating money to the school, to employ casual teachers to replace our swimming coaches. We are very fortunate to have such a high quality and affordable swimming program for our St Mary’s families. 

2025 Kindergarten
It was wonderful to meet all the 2025 Kindergarten students last week during their first Orientation morning and we look forward to seeing them again next Thursday November 28 for their second one. Next week, the children will meet their Year 6 Buddies who will help the Kinders settle into school next year. Our Year 6 Buddy Program is a special part of our school and something we are very proud of.

Kinder 2025  Information Evening
On Monday December 2 at 6pm we will be hosting an information session for parents of children starting Kindergarten. The evening will provide information about expectations, details of the daily routine and school programs. It is also an opportunity for parents to meet some key staff who will be working with their child. 

After school arrangements
We have noticed over the last couple of weeks that there is a growing number of students who walk/ride bikes downtown after school on certain days. We are concerned about safety, especially around riding bikes on footpaths and across roads. I urge parents to let teachers know if there are any changes to afternoon arrangements. e.g. if your child normally catches the bus home, please let us know if you give them permission to walk downtown after school one day. We just need to be sure that your children are safe and that parents know their whereabouts after school. Please also remind your children that when wearing their St Mary’s school uniform, they are representing our school and their behaviour reflects our school. Thank you for your support with this.

School Leadership 2025
Finally, this weekend I will have the pleasure of reading over our Year 5 students’ applications for School leadership at St Marys in 2025. I look forward to ‘interviewing’ the students who have nominated themselves for the School Leader positions early next week. On Friday November 29 School Leader Speeches will be held in the PAC. Parents are most welcome to join us. Those students who wish to be considered for House Leader positions will speak to their House peers at a different time that day. Mr Bateman has developed a very fancy electronic voting system for the students. Please tell your children just to be themselves!  

Recently we heard that there was a concern about the timing of the announcement of our school leadership positions. We believe that it is important to announce them publicly at our Award Nights, but we are happy to let the students know beforehand to prevent disappointment on the night. Our Annual Awards Night is a very special occasion for our school community to celebrate a successful year of learning. We made the decision to have it in the evening to allow all working parents to attend. Thanks to our School Community Council for supporting our families for the Pizza night following the Awards. The Community Council and the school received very positive feedback after last year’s event. More information about our Annual Awards Night will be coming home shortly. Please mark the evening of Thursday December 5 on your calendars, put your Pizza orders in when requested and have a night off cooking!! Hopefully the weather will be as  perfect as it was last year. 

We pray for peace and justice in the world. We pray for the people of Palestine; that next week’s  United Nations  International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People reinforces their hope for a homeland of peace. May Mary our mother protect all of the children in the world.  

God Blessings on your families 

Mrs Noeleen O'Neill
Principal 

High School Transition
The move from Primary school to Secondary school is a big milestone in the life of students. While this can be an exciting time for young people and their parents, it can also be a bit daunting. The more informed and involved you are in your child’s preparation, the more likely the transition will be positive.

With the help of family and school staff, students usually adapt quickly to their new environment. Our K-12 Pathway with Carroll College and the opportunities we have to work together regularly helps make this transition easier.

Next week, on Friday 29 November, our Year 6 students will attend their Year 7 orientation day at Carroll College. They are looking forward to experiencing some of the subjects they will get to do next year, meeting their new teachers and peers, learning their way around the College, and getting a closer look at the Carroll College facilities. 

Katungul Ear Health Screening
On Monday 2 December, Katungul will be visiting St Mary's to conduct 'Ear Health' screenings for Aboriginal students. Permission forms will be sent home on Moday with children. Please return these forms to school by Friday 29 November. Please note: that each child must have their own individual form. 

Kinder Information Evening
On Monday 2 December at 6pm there will be an information session for parents of children starting Kindergarten in 2025. On this night we will provide families with some general information regarding starting school. The presentation will provide valuable information about our facilities and programs at our school and is an opportunity to meet some key staff who will be working with your child. 

In addition, parents will have the opportunity to develop a comprehensive understanding of what learning looks like at St Mary’s, as well as start dates, and what the first weeks of school will look like. The evening will be held in the Kindergarten/Year 1 building.

Celebrate International Day of People with Disability
International Day of People with Disability is a United Nations observed day celebrated on 3 December each year to increase public awareness, understanding and acceptance of people with disability. This year’s theme is ‘Amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future.’ Leaders with disability make the world a fairer place for everyone. By listening to the experiences of people with disability, and recognising their unique talents, skills and interests, we can challenge our own perceptions about disability and make positive changes in the community. 

We encourage all students, their families and carers to join the conversation about disability,  to challenge perceptions, break down barriers and encourage a more inclusive and respectful society.  We all have a role to play in ensuring people with disability have the opportunity to reach their full potential and participate in all aspects of community life. 
Check out the IDPwD website for more information.

K- 6 Awards Night
Next Thursday evening 5 December we will be holding our K-6 Awards Night at 6pm in the PAC. All children are encouraged to attend with their families. Awards will be presented to students K-6 and the student leaders for 2025 will be announced to the community. Following the ceremony, we look forward to celebrating a great year with a Pizza night organised by the Community Council.

All children are to wear their school uniform and arrive at the PAC by 5:50pm. Children will sit in their classes as they would for a school assembly. We would love to see as many families and community members come along and help us celebrate a wonderful year of learning at St Mary’s.

God bless and take care,

Mrs Sue Heffernan
Assistant Principal

Mr Justin Bateman
Coordinator

Our Learning in Year 6 Maroon
This term has been an exciting journey for 6 Maroon, filled with many learning experiences and achievements. Highlights include the Mission Week Markets, where students showcased their leadership through well-organised and creative activities; the highly anticipated Mary Poppins Musical, which involved the entire school in a wonderful celebration of the arts; the engaging Carroll College STEM Program, which sparked curiosity; and the beautifully presented Remembrance Day Liturgy, where students demonstrated respect and reflection. Most importantly, the significant learning growth within our classroom has been exciting in preparing the students for the next chapter into high school.

New Class Member
Welcome, Adeline, to the St. Mary’s family. We hope you enjoy your learning journey with us and make wonderful memories. 

Adeline: St Mary's has made me feel safe, there are fun games at lunch and the teachers are lovely.

Religion
This term in Religion, our students have been delving into the concept of justice through the topic “Why Does Justice Begin With Me?” They have explored the meaning of justice and Just Leadership while reflecting on why the responsibility for justice starts with each individual. As part of their learning, students have been investigating God’s dream for a just world. They have listened to the story of God’s Dream and considered how this vision has been communicated with humanity throughout history. The prophet Micah, a key figure from the Old Testament, has been central to their study, particularly his message to “act justly,” “love tenderly,” and “walk humbly.” In groups of three, students are using the Jigsaw Strategy to examine these key phrases. Each group will contribute their insights and understanding, and we look forward to listening to their presentations next week.

Poppi, Felicity, Madison
The three of us have loved making our posters and learning about how to follow in God’s footsteps in an enjoyable way. We think it is important to walk humbly, love tenderly and act justly every day.  

English
From Monday to Thursday, the students have been actively engaged in their Mastery Groups, focusing on enhancing their reading skills. It’s been wonderful to see the significant growth they’ve achieved in key areas such as comprehension, fluency, pace, inference abilities, and identifying the main idea in texts. We have also read the first five chapters of our class novel, Can You See Me. The students have been highly engaged with the story, drawing meaningful connections to their own experiences as they prepare for the transition to high school. We have also explored literary devices and unpacked key vocabulary words like contemplate and suspicious. In addition, the students have been perfecting their sentence structure, ensuring their writing is both coherent and entertaining for their audience. Their efforts have been impressive, and their progress continues to shine.

Liam: Reading fluency has been really fun trying to beat my PB. I can read 246 words in 1 minute. I am proud of my improvements. 

Finn: I like english and I am enjoying our class novel. I also enjoy writing as it can take you to different places with your thinking.

Mathematics
In mathematics, the students have been working incredibly hard to enhance their division and multiplication skills, focusing on both accuracy and speed. Each morning, they tackle around 50 problems within a 3-minute time frame. Impressively, most of the class can now complete this challenge in under a minute! Alongside this, the students have been learning about divisible numbers and exploring rules for determining divisibility by 2, 5, 10, 3, 6, 9, 4, and 8. To deepen their understanding, they have created and used a decision tree to test if a number is divisible by 2, 5, and/or 10.

Patience: I like mathematics because I like doing speed maths each morning, I have improved my times and it gets me started for the day.

Leo: I have made lots of improvements with my Mathematics, I really enjoy speed maths and learning about quadrilaterals. 

Science
This term in science, the topic is Physical Sciences, which involves the study of energy and how it can move and change form. The unit focuses on the concept that "electrical energy can be transferred and transformed in electrical circuits and can be generated from a range of sources." The students have been exploring key ideas such as Generating Electrical Energy, Energy Transformation, and Electrical Energy Transfer. Additionally, a group of students had the opportunity to participate in STEM lessons at Carroll College, where they learnt about the topics forensic science and the engineering behind rocket construction. This hands-on experience was both engaging and educational, providing students with an exciting glimpse into what science might look like in high school.

Lucy: I liked working out the crime scene lesson and winning the most aesthetically pleasing award for my rocket.

Blake: I enjoyed the STEM program and designing and my rocket. The Physics unit this term is really good too.

The Arts
This term, Mary Poppins, our whole school musical, has been a major focus of our learning. Our class is overflowing with talent, with students taking on lead roles, singing, and dancing their hearts out. The musical was a spectacular event, and every student shone like a star! In addition to our musical preparations, we’ve also been working on line art projects. As part of this, the students created stunning poppy artworks for Remembrance Day.

Jaykob: My most enjoyable art piece I have created in the front cover to my art portfolio where I was able to have free choice on my designs and creativity.

Melody: I loved performing Mary Poppins in my costume and wearing makeup, I felt like I was Mary Poppins herself. 

Physical Education
This term in Physical Education, the focus has been on the topic, "How can I use tactics to be successful in games?" Students have been testing, applying, and combining various tactics by incorporating movement, space, time, equipment, and rules to improve their chances of success in territory games. They have been performing and refining movement skills and sequences to solve game-based problems, with examples including netball, volleyball, and capture the flag. This has helped students develop teamwork and strategic thinking making each session both engaging and educational.

Nathan: I enjoyed playing netball with my mates and playing goal shooter. 

Swimming Program
Our annual swimming program on Fridays has been a wonderful success. Every child in our class has participated each week, and all students have shown great improvement. The more confident swimmers have been incredibly supportive and encouraging to their peers. Throughout the program, students have been learning about water safety and why it is so important to be safe and confident around water. This has not only enhanced their swimming skills but also equipped them with valuable knowledge.

Sophie: I like doing lessons with my friends and swimming fast laps. 

Callum: It’s been fun enjoying the water with my friends.

Ms Allison Lock
Teacher 6 Maroon

Community Council