Newsletter 2025 Term 3 Week 8
PRINCIPAL NEWS - Mr Peter Hughes
Dear Parents,
On Tuesday we gathered at St Mary’s Church with the Year 7 & 8 students from Hennessy Catholic College to celebrate the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was wonderful to see both schools come together along with many family members and parishioners. All students were very reverent with the musicians and choir making a major contribution to the mass. Thank you to Ms Murray for her organisation.
Digital Work Samples
For parents that have children from Year 3 to Year 6 our second digital work sample, based on Writing, is now available for parents to view via Compass. Again I ask parents to sit with their child, look at the worksample and leave a comment. A reminder this is one work sample of many assessment pieces that will be examined when a teacher awards a grade in the end of year reports.
Worksamples for students from Kindergarten to Year Two will be loaded on Compass in week 10. These classes have just introduced a new writing program, hence the delay.
Uniform Survey
Recently we sent out a survey to ask for parental feedback on the proposed changes to our sports top. We had 79 respondents and from the results below you will notice the vast majority wanted to change to a sports top which is predominantly blue with yellow down the sides. This change was endorsed at Wednesday night's Community Council meeting, however the change is some way off yet.
We are still waiting for a sample of the ‘safety tie’ to arrive from the manufacturer so we can see if it is a suitable option to the tie with an elastic back we currently use. Once we have the sample we will send out a survey so parents can comment on ties going forward.
Once a decision has been made on these two changes we will have discussions with our suppliers who will want to reduce their older stock. When the change has been made there will be a period of several years where families that still have discontinued items can still us them.
Kindergarten 2026
Yesterday we held our second Kindergarten Orientation session for children commencing Kindergarten in 2026. I was able to announce to families that the Kindergarten teachers for 2026 would be Mrs Mandy Williams, Ms Jillian Murray and Mrs Amy Collins. Mandy will be teaching in Kindergarten Blue four days a week with Amy teaching the class on a Monday and also teaching Jillian’s class when she undertakes her role as Religious Education Coordinator.
I am is still working on teacher placements for the 2026 school year and these will be announced towards the end of term four.
Student Disco
Thank you to all the staff and parents who volunteered at our two student discos last night. It was a hectic and noisy night but thoroughly enjoyed by the students.
Our sausage kings modelling their new aprons.
AP NEWS - Mrs Katie Thompson
Safe On Social - Kirra Pendergast Cheat Sheet:
What Is Age Assurance Technology?
Do you know why Age Assurance Technology is important for children? Not only is it to protect you from inappropriate content, it keeps you safe from interacting with strangers who could pose a safety risk to you. It can also provide you with privacy protection to protect your personal information and it will build a safer space for you online, to ensure that you are part of an age-appropriate community.
Attendance Matters
If your child is reluctant to go to school, it can be challenging, but there are several approaches you can take to address this:
- Open Communication: Talk to your child to understand the reasons behind their
reluctance. It could be due to academic pressure, social issues, or other concerns.
- Positive Reinforcement: Encourage and reward your child for attending school. Small incentives can motivate them to go.
- Involve Them in Solutions: Ask your child for their input on what might make school more enjoyable or less stressful for them.
- Work with the School: Collaborate with teachers and school counselors to address any issues your child might be facing.
- Create a Supportive Environment: Ensure your child feels supported at home. Help them with homework and be there to listen to their concerns.
- Set Realistic Goals: Break down the school day into manageable parts and set small, achievable goals to help your child feel more in control.
It's important to be patient and understanding while working through this. Every child is different, so finding the right approach might take some time.
RE NEWS - Ms Jillian Murray
Whole School Mass
On Tuesday, our school joined with Hennessy Catholic College to celebrate the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was a meaningful and joyful way to honour the birthday of our school’s patron saint.
Sacrament of Reconciliation
Next week, on Thursday September 18th, 22 Year 3/4 students from St. Mary’s will celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation at 5:30 pm in St. Mary’s Church.
Parents are asked to bring their child to the church by 5:20 pm, where Ms. Murray will be there to welcome students and their families.
Everyone from our school community is invited to join our special liturgy as we celebrate this important sacrament.
SPORTS NEWS - Mrs Leonne Challen
School Sporting Uniforms
We still have a number of shorts and socks yet to be returned from Trent Barrett in August and Mortimer Shield back in May. Can these shorts and socks please be returned promptly.
Boorowa Touch and Netball Carnival - Training for Netball
An opportunity for our Boorowa netballers - Mary Wright has kindly offered to conduct some training sessions with our three teams between now and the carnival in Week 2. The training will be here at St Mary’s on Mondays from 3pm to 4pm. Mrs Wright will supervise the students from 3pm and they are welcome to bring training clothes to change into after school. Students can be collected from the basketball courts by parents at 4pm.
Archdiocesan Sport for 2026 - NOTIFICATION OF TRIAL DATES
Please note that some Archdiocesan Sporting trials for 2026 will occur this year in Term 4. These trials will be open for students who will be in Year 5 & 6 in 2026. Registrations will be via the Canberra-Goulburn Sports Webpage.
2026 Cricket - to be held in Queanbeyan on Friday 31st October 2025. Registrations are open now and will close on Friday 24th October.
2025 Tennis - to be held in Belconnen on Friday 21st November. Registrations open soon.
2025 Basketball - to be held in Belconnen on Friday 21st November. Registrations open soon.
Links for the Canberra-Goulburn Sports Webpage:
LIBRARY NEWS - Mrs Joanne Murphy
PREMIER'S READING CHALLENGE - CLOSING SOON
Well done to all of those students who have successfully completed the Premier's Reading Challenge. A reminder that student reading records MUST be completed by Friday 19th September.
Online student reading records can be accessed via the website:
https://online.education.nsw.gov.au/prc/home.html
Students will require their username and password.
Please contact Mrs Murphy (joanne.murphy@cg.catholic.edu.au) for assistance.
CANTEEN NEWS - Mrs Jennifer Harden
Hot Lunch Tuesday 16, September
Hot Lunch Leftovers
This will be our last hot lunch for the year and will include individual portions of some of previous meals.
Thursday 25, September
Last day of the term Meal Deal
Meal to be determined and flyer sent home as we get a little closer.
School Canteen Volunteers Message Group
I am very excited to introduce you to our Canteen What’s App group.
From now on I will be requesting volunteers through this group.
Please join using the QR Code or link below, to receive notice of when volunteers are needed.
I look forward to seeing some new faces in the group and having you in the canteen to help us stock up on all the food and baked goods we serve the children.
Volunteers Needed
I am looking for volunteers on Monday’s and Tuesday’s each week. Also Thursday 25/9 for the MEAL DEAL DAY.
Feel free to reach out via my email Jennifer.vorvis@cg.catholic.edu.au or phone 0428 115 296
Every little bit helps even if it’s only an hour or so.
GARDENING CLUB-SPRING
Spring has sprung and our young gardeners have been getting excited as they prepare the garden for our summer crops. We have weeded, topped up our garden beds and laid down our mulch ready for planting. A special thanks to Mr Williams for helping us out. We are very excited. With all of this lovely weather, we should have a great season!
ST MARY'S ON STAGE
