Newsletter Term 4- 12th December 2024

Opening of our new playground equipment

Last Thursday Mrs Stratton, Year 6 leaders, students and parents officially opened our new playground area with a new slide and obstacle course with hanging  and swinging equipment. It has already been such a hit with the primary students that we have made a roster to share the fun!

Social Media restrictions and parents resources

What does it mean for my family?

eSafety welcomes the introduction of the Australian Government’s Social Media Minimum Age Bill setting a minimum age of 16 for access to certain age-restricted social media platforms. While the contents and passage of the legislation remains a matter for the Parliament, eSafety looks forward to working closely with government, industry and the Australian community to ensure the implementation of any future legislation is effective, enforceable and fair.  

Even with minimum age restrictions in place, it is crucial that we continue supporting parents to play an active role in their children’s online lives. Nothing can replace those vital conversations that help parents stay informed, set boundaries and help when something goes wrong. By modelling good digital practices, parents can lay the foundations for safer and more positive online experiences. 

•  Watch: Short videos in In English, Arabic, Chinese, Dari, Tamil and Vietnamese. 
•  Read: Online safety guides for parents and carers. 
•  Listen: Audio files about online safety issues. 

Parent resources   esafety.gov.au

End of Year Message 

As our school year comes to an end, I take this opportunity to reflect on the many blessings and memorable moments that have shaped our journey together. From liturgies and sacramental celebrations to acts of service and prayerful gatherings, our faith has been at the heart of everything we do.

On a personal note, I want to express my heartfelt thanks for the kindness, support, and encouragement you have shown me during my time here. This community has been such a special part of my journey, and I will carry the memories and connections with me as I prepare to return to my position at St. Joseph’s Oberon for the 2025 school year. 

As we prepare for the holidays, may we carry the spirit of joy, love, and hope into the season of Advent, ready to celebrate the coming of Christ. Let us keep each other in our prayers as we look forward to the new year.

Wishing you and your families a peaceful and blessed Christmas.

End of Year Mass

Next week, we gather as a community to celebrate the year that has been. Everyone is warmly invited to join us for our whole school Mass on Tuesday, 17th December, at 9:30 am at St. Mary’s Church.

We look forward to coming together in prayer and gratitude as we reflect on the blessings of the past year.

Support for the Bishop's Christmas Appeal - helping our neighbours in Santo, Vanuatu

Dear Parents and Staff,

As we approach the season of Advent and prepare to celebrate the joy of Christmas, we are reminded of the call to extend our love and generosity to those in need. This year, the Bishop's Christmas Appeal will support a very special cause: the rebuilding of a school in Santo, Vanuatu, which has been significantly impacted by hurricanes and an influx of families seeking refuge from a nearby volcanic eruption.

The school in Santo plays a vital role in the local community, providing education and stability to children whose families have been displaced. However, recent natural disasters have left the school severely damaged, making it challenging to provide the necessary facilities for learning and growth.

Your support for this appeal can make a meaningful difference, helping to build classrooms, provide essential resources, and restore hope for a brighter future for these children and their families. 

Every contribution, no matter how small, is a step towards bringing joy and opportunity to those who need it most this Christmas. Donations over $2.00 are Tax Deductible and can be made through the Diocesan Website https://bathurst.catholic.org.au/help-build-a-future-support-the-bishops-christmas-appeal/

Thank you for considering this opportunity to share the spirit of Christmas by supporting our neighbours in Vanuatu. Together, we can make a lasting impact on the lives of many.

A short video is available here with more information https://youtu.be/ne52VuNWx0Q

Essential Assessment Professional Learning

This week, Mrs Sally Curran attended a professional development day in Mudgee, on Essential Assessment. This assessment tool has been used at St Mary's, mostly for Mathematics, for the past 2 years. It is used for pre and post assessment as well as formative assessment in the form of My Numeracy. Students are highly engaged and motivated to achieve a 'trophy' by demonstrating mastery of a skill or content point. One of the benefits of using this platform is the ability for teachers to analyse whole school assessment data. It gives valuable information about where the students are on their learning journey and what the next steps are. It assists teachers to see which areas of the curriculum may need reteaching, and which areas the students have shown mastery. It has been affirming to see positive growth data in individual students as well as whole cohorts. 

Reading Comprehension

As a staff we are always looking for ways to improve student learning. Over the past two weeks, we have analysed reading and comprehension assessment data. Each grade team selected one or two areas which they believed could be improved and then created focused lessons to target that area or skill. After concentrated teaching, the students were reassessed in that area or skill to measure the impact, which was very positive. This cycle of learning and feedback is an effective strategy for growth. It is always wonderful to see the improvement made by students in their learning. 

Sally Curran

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/

Class News 1 Gold
Year 1 has had such a busy term. We have learnt all about 3D shapes in Maths and even tried to create our own. Our writing is fantastic and we have read many interesting stories. In between all this, we have enjoyed shows like Circular Circus and even had a trip to the movies last week. Year 1 Gold knows all about insects and has even found out about the fabulous cicadas that are inhabiting our playground and singing very loudly. We have been lucky enough to have tadpoles in our classroom. Every morning we love checking to see how much they have grown. This week we have started completing some Christmas activities which is a lovely way to end our year together. 

Book Chooks 

The benefits of connecting with an animal and the associated sense of wellbeing is well documented.

Our focus in library this term has been to invite students to slow, look closely, engage the imagination and connect with the cycle of life around us.

Here, at St Mary’s our newly hatched chicks have been carefully and calmly held as new borns by students. 

With that care and empathy this week the chicks officially became the BOOK CHOOKS.

 In the library, students read to and shared a story with a chicken

SEVERE REACTIONS TO ‘NUTS’ & ‘EGGS’
As some of our students have a ‘nut’ and/or ‘egg’ allergy, we ask that nuts, nut
products and eggs NOT be packed as part of school snacks and lunches.
Sometimes even contact with nuts or eggs can trigger the severe reaction. This
severe allergy is called ANAPHYLAXIS and can be life-threatening.
Please, NO eggs, peanut butter, Nutella, nut products, etc.

(Check those labels to see that products do not contain nuts.)

SPB4L

New Signs

If you have been to St Mary's lately, you may have noticed the new SPB4L signs which have been installed. CEDB provided funding for the signs as part of a wellbeing grant. The signs are located in various areas around the school such as the exit points, undercroft, corridors, playground and hall. These signs, in conjunction with our weekly focus in classrooms, serve to remind and support all students to be safe, respectful and responsible learners.

Next time you're at afternoon pick-up or visiting the school, take a moment to look at our new signs!

Medication at School-  Parental  Advice

If your child requires medication that needs to be administered during school hours, please bring the medication to the school office, where it is stored safely. This includes asthma inhalers.

Medication must be authorised by a Medical practitioner with a letter 

Students can come to the office at an arranged time to have the medication administered by trained First Aid Officers.

The office does not have Panadol, unless parents supply and complete a form for their child only.

Thank you 

Children with communication devices such as iPhones and Smart Watches must be handed to the school office in the morning before class and collected at the end of the day. This includes any device capable of taking photos.

Please support your child to meet this school requirement.

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

NO Parking in the  Bowling Alley car park

the bowling alley car park is for their patrons so please park elsewhere when dropping or picking up your children.

The PCYC has many parks that can be used for dropping off and picking up

Thankyou 

St Mary's Uniform Shop

is run by  Parent Volunteers and is open from 8:45 am for an hour on  Friday Mornings. 

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

Dear Parents & Carers

Please label students' clothing , so we can return them from lost property with ease.

Clothes that don't have names will be returned to the clothing pool, if not collected by the end of term.

Thank you