Dear Parents,

Each year St Mary's develops an Annual Improvement Plan that sets out the school's priorities for the upcoming year. Some are initiatives that are continuing from previous years such as the work we are doing in literacy while others are new undertakings. The initiatives also cover a range of areas.

This year is special to St Mary's as it commemorates 200 years since the foundation of the Presentation order by Nano Nagle. The charism of the Presentation Sisters infuses the culture of our school. It is also twenty-five years since St Mary's School was amalgamated on its current site. We also incorporated the call from the Church for us to be pilgrims of hope.

This single page overview is supported by more detail which is sent to Catholic Education.

If you would like to discuss any aspects of our Annual Improvement Plan, please feel free to contact me.

NAPLAN 2025 Parent and Carer Information

Each year the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is sat by students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. Students will participate in tests for writing, reading, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy. 

NAPLAN 2025 will take place from Wednesday 12 March to Monday 24 March.  

NAPLAN TESTING TIMETABLE AT ST MARY’S

Our NAPLAN testing times for Year 3 and Year 5 will be in Week 6:

• Wednesday 12th March - Writing 9am - 10am

• Thursday 13th March - Reading 9am -9.50am & Con. of Lang. 10.00am - 11am. (Fruit break in between)

• Friday 15th March - Numeracy 9am -10am

Please do not make appointments for your son or daughter during these times. You should inform your child’s classroom teacher in the first instance, if they will be unable to attend school on the testing days..

NAPLAN is just one part of our school’s learning assessment program. The tests assess literacy and numeracy skills your child is already learning at school.

In preparation for NAPLAN, our school will undertake activities to help students become familiar with the format and functionality of the online tests. These activities are not an assessment of student ability and will not be marked. Excessive preparation for NAPLAN is not required nor recommended.  

The public demonstration site https://www.nap.edu.au/online-assessment/publicdemonstration-site is available to see the format of the online tests. 

Further information about NAPLAN is available on the NESA website https://www.nsw.gov.au/education-and-training/nesa/naplan and the NAP website https://www.nap.edu.au/naplan/for-parents-carers.

If you have any questions about NAPLAN, please contact your child’s teacher. 

Just a reminder that if a student is absent due to illness, they will be required to make up the test they missed before they can sit any future ones as ACARA stipulates the testing sequence. Mrs Thompson will be managing the make-up testing schedule and will communicate with those students when the make-ups will take place.  

We encourage you to help your child(ren) to stay calm and remind them that NAPLAN is just a snapshot of their learning and only ONE measure of their achievement. Please refer to the attached advice regarding children’s wellbeing during NAPLAN. 

Link to Advice on Wellbeing for students during NAPLAN

Morning Drop off for all families:

As the school year settles in it is normal for children to be unsettled at morning drop off.

To ensure that your child successfully transitions well into the morning routine we remind parents that children are to arrive at school via Bus, Car Park drop off or through the front gate. If your child is unable to separate at the front gate and walk themselves to the playground, we ask that you wait in the front office to be met with a staff member who will assist with the transition.  

We would also like to remind parents that once school commences at 8:50am, all students must arrive through the front office and be signed in. We ask parents not to walk the students to the classroom or congregate in the playground as this can unsettle students' learning and morning routine. Please feel free to call the front office who can check on your child if needed. If you wish to speak to your child’s teacher, please contact them through their email address to arrange a suitable time to discuss any concerns.

Online safety with Kirra Pendergast and Safe on Social

How do you build your children’s intentional early tech habits? 

Read on with Kirra’s information from here. 

LENT 

On Wednesday March 5th, we commenced the Season of Lent with our Ash Wednesday Prayer Service. Those present participated in a special ritual of placing ash crosses on our forehead.  

Lent is a time of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. These are three things God is asking us to do in the Gospel - to give (almsgiving); to pray; and to go without (fasting).

Lent is a season of forty days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on the evening of Holy Thursday. Lent comes from the Anglo Saxon word lencten, which means "spring and life."

PROJECT COMPASSION 

This week, each child will bring home a Project Compassion box. Project Compassion brings thousands of Australian schools, parishes and supporters together to raise funds for people living in some of the most vulnerable communities across the world.

The theme of Project Compassion 2025 is ‘United Against Poverty’. We pray that we can unite to bring peace, justice and care for the world and assist children and their families living in poverty regardless of their beliefs, gender or background. 

We encourage families to donate any spare change you may have in an effort to make a difference for those that don’t have life as easy as us. Once you are ready, you can send your Project Compassion box back into school so that it can be added to the class box. 

Together we can make a difference!

Sacramental Programmes (Stage 2 & 3):

If your child/ren are in Stages 2 or 3, and are making their sacrament/s this year, please come to the Information and Registration Evening which will be held at the St Mary’s Parish Centre on April 10th. This information  evening is for all three sacraments, however, you need only attend the session relevant to your child/ren and the sacrament they are celebrating in 2025.

Details for the Registrations & Information Evening on April 10th:

- Reconciliation & First Communion - 5:30 to 6 pm

- Confirmation - 6 to 6:30 pm

Archdiocesan Swimming Carnival

Well done to all our swimmers who attended this carnival in Boorowa on Monday this week. The competition was very tough! Our swimmers showed tremendous spirit and we are very proud of their efforts! 

Congratulations to Evie Brodbeck who was named Junior Girls Champion!! Fantastic effort Evie!! She will now represent the Canberra-Goulburn Archdiocese at the MacKillop Championships in Sydney on the 2nd & 3rd April. We wish you the very best of luck and cannot wait to hear about your experience!

ACT Brumbies Primary Schools 10’s Gala Day

We are looking for expressions of interest for students interested in attending this gala day to be held on the 1st April 2025. Currently we have had only 4 responses. If your child would like to participate please complete the EOI form asap. It will be held in Harden and depending on numbers we may be able to take the school bus. It is open to both boys and girls in Years 3 to 6. This is a tackle competition day and we highly encourage students to have had previous tackle experience in a local competition - either with the Young Yabbies or the Young Junior Rugby League. If your child is interested please complete the Google Form found here.

Young & District Soccer Carnival 

It is that time again! Students from Year 1 to Year 6 have been invited to attend our annual Young & Districts Soccer Carnival to be held in Young on Friday 9th May at Gus Smith & Cranfield Oval & Hall Brothers Oval from 9am to 3pm (approx). The cost per child will be $5.00 and due to the starting and finishing times parents must provide transport to and from the ovals. 

Teams will be mixed in a 1/2 division, 3/4 division & 5/6 division. You must opt in to the event on Compass and please ensure your answer all questions and press the green confirmation button. You will know if you have been successful because it will say attending for your child under the event. 

Opt in permissions are due by FRIDAY 28TH MARCH. This is a very popular event and I urge you to ensure you have opted in by the due date. We cannot accept late nominations.

PREMIER'S READING CHALLENGE

Students in Kinder - Year 6 are invited to participate in the Premier’s Reading Challenge.  The Premier’s Reading Challenge aims to encourage a love of reading for leisure and pleasure in students, and to enable students to experience quality literature.

Students must complete a set amount of reading and record books online to finish the Challenge.

Kinder to Year 2 students must read or experience 30 books (20 books from the PRC list and 10 free choice books).

Year 3 to 6 students must read 20 books (10 books from the PRC list and 10 free choice books).

We have an extensive collection of books from the PRC book list in our school library.

Reading must be completed by Friday, 22nd August 2025.

Further information on the Premier’s Reading Challenge may be found on the website:  https://online.det.nsw.edu.au/prc/home.html

To register your child for the 2025 Premier's Reading Challenge please email Mrs Joanne Murphy (joanne.murphy@cg.catholic.edu.au)

Passwords for the online reading log will be issued in Week 7.  

The St Mary’s Community Council would like to welcome all our families to join in a social event at the Bowling Club on Friday 21st March.

This is an opportunity for our St Mary’s Parents & Carers to catch up, have a chat and network. Parents can opt to bring the whole family or just attend themself (please note that this is not a supervised event and parents are responsible for supervision of their children).

This is a casual get together from 5pm onwards. But if you would like to stay and have a meal please RSVP by Monday 17th March and we will book a table.