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Dear Parents, Guardians and Community,
Advent Week 2
Let us pray
God show us your splendour,
in each of our days ,
In moments with loved ones,
At work,
Through the beauty of your world,
In nature
Help us to shed thoughts of worry and stress
And guide us to see the moments around us that are full of light and love this Advent.
This week our year 5/6 students are doing a Cybersafety Incursion. It is a very important topic for us all and vital that our students learn about ways to keep safe and our reponsibility to act in a respectful way. One of the main messages we hear is that any comment on social media is not private and is a public comment as screen shots can make something private public very quickly. Even us as adults need to stop and think before we post a comment on facebook, Whatsapp or other social media platforms. We can have an emotional reaction that we regret later when we have had time to think and reflect.
Another important event this week is our 2023 School Captain Speeches. Our Year 5 students have been working with "Unleash Your Potential," in preparation to take on teh reponsibility. Parents are welcome to join us at 11:40 on Thursday.
Staffing News: Congratulations goes to Stephanie Streets who has succcessfully applied for a full time Art Teacher role at Queen of Peace School in Altona Meadows. Stephanie has been with us in various forms for several years and she even attended St Mary's herself, so she has had a long time connection with the school. We wish her well in her new position in 2023 and thank her for everything that she has contributed to the school. She will be missed by the staff and community.
More Staffing News: Congratulations to Ana Nikolic one of our terrific Learning Support Officers, who welcomed her new baby Luca last week. Ana only went on maternity recently so it all happened very quickly. This week we also employed Michael Phem who will be replacing Ana in 2023. Michael is studying to be a teacher and also has a music degree specialising in Jazz and the trombone.
God Bless
Anthony
Faith News - School and Parish Connection
Gospel – Matthew 3:1-12
John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea His winnowing fan is in his hand.and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”
It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said: A voice of one crying out in the desert, Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.
John wore clothing made of camel’s hair and had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.
At that time Jerusalem, all Judea, and the whole region around the Jordan
were going out to him
and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins.
When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance.
And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
He will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
Prep Mass
Congratulations to the Prep children who welcomed the new 2023 Prep children to St Mary’s school at their family Mass on Sunday. They read and sang beautifully.
They were also very lucky to enjoy an ice-cream after Mass - Thank you Fr Greg.
The prep children will be performing their song at assembly this Thursday. Please come along and see them sing their hearts out.
Sacrament Programs for 2023
Reconciliation - Year 3 Students
In the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the Church celebrates Jesus’ gift of forgiveness. Through their preparation, the Year 3 students will explore their ability of making good choices and the importance of forgiveness.
Next year, the children in Year 3 will receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation in Term 2. At St Mary’s this a very intimate celebration with the candidate’s family and Fr Greg. Each candidate will need to book in for a ten minute session. Further information about booking a time will be shared in Term 2 next year.
The dates are as follows:
Tuesday 20th June 2023 - 4:00 - 6:00pm
Wednesday 21st June 2023 -4:00 - 6:00pm
Friday 22nd June 2023 - 4:00 - 6:00pm
Saturday 23rd June 2023 - 10:00 -12:00 am
First Eucharist - Year 4 Students
Eucharist is the Sacrament that completes the process of initiation and is when the students can fully participate in the Eucharist by receiving Holy Communion. Eucharist is unique among the sacraments as it at the heart of our faith. The Eucharist, or Mass is the most powerful way we encounter the presence of Jesus Christ.
Next Year, the students in Year 4 at St Mary’s will receive the Sacrament of First Eucharist in Term 2. There will be one Mass for each Year 4 class. This will be the 10:30 Sunday Mass. Once classes and teachers for 2023 have been confirmed, a Mass date will be assigned to each class. Further Information about the program and requirements will be provided next year.
The Dates are as follows:
Sunday 28th May 2023 - 10:30 am
Sunday 4th June 20232 - 10:30 am
Confirmation - Year 6 Students
The Sacrament of Confirmation is the second of the three sacraments of initiation. Confirmation completes Baptism, by which, in the laying on of hands and the anointing with Chrism oil, the students are confirmed with the fullness of the Holy Spirit and strengthened to follow Jesus more closely. In their preparation for receiving this sacrament, the students will be reminded of their participation in the ministry and mission of Jesus.
Next Year, the students in Year 6 at St Mary’s will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation in Term 3. There will be one Mass for each Year 6 class. This will be held on a weeknight at 6:00 pm. Once classes and teachers for 2023 have been confirmed, a Mass date will be assigned to each class. Further Information about the program and requirements will be provided next year.
The Dates are as follows:
Tuesday 22nd August 2023 - 6:00pm
Wednesday 23rd August 2023 - 6:00pm
Important dates to Remember for Term 4
Event |
Date |
Time |
Where |
Seniors Mass |
2nd Dec |
11:30 |
Church - Yr 6 |
Second Advent Liturgy Parents Welcome |
2nd Dec |
3:00 |
Church |
Feast of the Immaculate Conception |
8th Dec |
9:15 |
Church |
Third Advent Liturgy Parents Welcome |
9th Dec |
3:00 |
Church |
End of Year Mass |
15th December |
11:40 |
Church |
Leadership
Student Voice and leadership have been an area of focus in our school this year. Throughout the year staff and students have participated in workshops and learning on student voice and leadership. Through this work we have reviewed our Student Leadership program and process. The below document outlines the Student Leadership program at St Mary's.
Fair Dance Performances
Medical Updates for Primary Schools
Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools has made updates to Medical Authority in Schools.
The updates require parents to complete a Medical Authority Form when their child requires medication at school. This form must be completed and signed by a Health Practitioner (Doctor, Pharmacist or Nurse).
Examples for when this form would be needed is if your child requires allergy medication such as Claratyne, regular daily medication such as Ritalin or a course of antibiotics.
You do not need to complete this form if your child has a management plan such as Anaphylaxis or Asthma.
A copy of the form is attached and there are copies in the office.
If you have any further questions please contact Michelle Ristovski or Madeleine Grace
The registration form for Icy Pole roster (Term 1 2023) is now open. We are attempting to go digital with the collection of information, so if you would like to be a part of the Icy Pole roster for Term 1 2023, click on the link below to fill in the Google-form:
https://forms.gle/6ybH59JgCAUSR7x57
For those who are new to the Icy Pole roster, you will be required to arrive at approximately 1.25pm and will finish by 2.20pm. Generally 2 helpers are rostered on each day, so if you are new, don’t worry, there will always be someone to help.
WE HAVE A NEW DATE!
The St Mary’s Primary School Fabulous Family Fair will now be held on Friday 9th December as a twilight event from 3.45pm - 8.00pm. Super fun and easy for kids to go from school to the Fair!!
What to expect - rides, cakes, entertainment, BBQ, lucky-dip, buy-a-bottle, choc-toss and more. The major raffle will be drawn on the 9th for the 22 beautiful hampers on offer. The bar will be open and the entertainment swinging!
If you have purchased Ride Wristbands these will be issued on 9th December. If you have purchased a wrist band, and can no longer attend, you can request a refund from David Velardo via treasurer@smwilliamstown.catholic.edu.au
The Chamber of Commerce is hosting its Christmas shopping event the same evening and both the school and COC are supportive of both events bringing more trade into Williamstown that night.
We can't believe we have found a new date and we all want this to be a magical evening for the kids. Thank you again for your ongoing support, commitment and patience.
Any questions please email fair@smwilliamstown.catholic.edu.au
MacLean Reserve Roster - Next Week
Monday 5th December - Jacinta Sagona G6
Tuesday 6th December - Holly Gultom
Wednesday 7th December - Kate McCutcheon G1
Thursday 8th December - Nadia Grima Nitschke G4
Friday 9th December - Amy Carmont G4
May thanks to our volunteers.
What’s happening in the 4th Term 2022 and 1st Term 2023?
Date |
What’s happening |
Friday 9th December (3.45pm - 8pm) |
St Mary’s Fabulous Family Fair twilight event (Robertson Reserve and school grounds) |
Friday 9th December |
St Mary’s Fabulous Fair Raffle Drawn |
2023 |
|
Monday 30th January (9am) |
Prep parent welcome morning tea (School Hall) |
Monday 13th February (TBA) |
P&F Association AGM (TBA) |
Tuesday 21st February |
Shrove Tuesday Pancakes |
Wednesday 5th April (Proposed) |
Easter Raffle Drawn |
New date
In case you haven’t heard the great news, we have a new date, Friday 9th December, 3.45pm to 8pm!!!
Thanks for your patience while we worked with many suppliers to get alignment on a new date. Because of the short notice and having to move from weekend to a twilight event some of our supporters are not available but we appreciate their efforts.
With the change of date we have a few stall champions that are no longer available so if you think you
Things to remember this week
-
Review volunteer sign up sheet for any shifts that still need to be filled
-
Sign up for any shifts that have not been covered
-
Pre-purchased all day ride tickets by 7th December
-
Pre-purchase your raffle tickets by 8th November
-
Pre-purchase your showbags by 7th December
-
Drop off cake pledges on Friday 9th December anytime between 9am - 3pm or Thursday 8th December between 3.30pm - 5.30pm
-
Get kids performance outfits ready
We can't believe we have found a new date and we all want this to be a magical evening for the kids. Thank you again for your ongoing support, commitment and patience.
Any questions please email fair@smwilliamstown.catholic.
Volunteer Sign Ups
Volunteers, what would we do without you? With the new date and time we have to ask you all again to see if you can help out for a shift or two at the Fair. We know Friday may make it difficult but if you can commit to one shift we would be very grateful. We had to create a new form for the new date and times, so any shifts you signed up for previously have not transferred to the new date.
For stall shifts the times are 3.30 - 6.00pm and 6.00pm - 8.30pm. If you are not able to help out on Friday afternoon/evening there are also some shifts to help with set up Thursday afternoon, Friday during the day and Saturday morning for clean up.
https://www.signupgenius.com/
Grab a friend and sign up together. It is a great way to contribute to a fun community based event.
Fair Meetings for the Diary
There are a number of meetings scheduled for the next two weeks.
-
Fair Working Group meeting on Thursday 1 December at 7.30pm via zoom (stall champs don’t need to attend)
-
Stall Champs on Monday 5th December at 7.30pm via zoom
-
Event Briefing Meeting on Thursday 8th December at 7.30pm via zoom
Please email fair@smwilliamstown.catholic.
Rides
Pre-sales of ride wristbands are now available on CDF Pay at a discounted rate until Thursday 8th December of $30. All day ride tickets are a great way to keep the kids entertained all day. Wristbands entitle your child to keep on riding as much as they want, on any ride!!
You will find the link under Fair in CDF Pay via the schoolzine app.
Pre-purchased wristbands can be collected from the Rides Stall from 3.45pm on Friday 9th December.
Showbags special pre-sale!
A Fair classic is the glorious showbag, coming back to 2022 but this year we have some exciting news. This year St Mary’s Fabulous Family Fair will be the first to trial a pre-sale system where kids can choose from a much wider range of showbags and then collect them on the day.
Simply use our specific URL https://stmarys.showbagworld.
Complete your order by Wednesday 7th December 5.00pm and you can collect your showbags from the showbag stall on Friday evening at your convenience.
Avoid the rush and don’t miss out on a bag you are desperate to get your hands on. Order Today!
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
Jemima
P&F Association
As we enter the final week for the students at Emmanuel for the year, we would like to congratulate them on a year of incredible resilience as they have bounced back from the COVID affected years. They have embraced school life and the opportunities presented to them with great enthusiasm.
Last week, we acknowledged high achievement in the College with the annual Celebration of Excellence evening held at ‘The Atrium’ at Flemington Racecourse, where students received awards for excellence in all facets of school life. We congratulate all students who achieved personal bests this year and who strove for improvements whenever they could.
Excitement is rising for the students commencing in Year 7, 2023 with the Orientation Morning held this week. Students came along and met new friends, learned which house and homeroom they will be in and met their teachers all while learning a little more about life at the College. We are very much looking forward to all 448 of them starting life at Emmanuel at our two campuses next year.
The College community would like to wish you all a safe and enjoyable festive season and look forward to seeing you at events in 2023.
For those families wishing to apply for the Concessional Fees in 2023. Please read the attached Policy and Application Form