Filter Content
Dear Parents and Community.
Well, we made it to the end of another term. We thought Term 2 was challenging, but Term 3 proved equally as challenging and Term 4 still has a few extra obstacles. What a lesson on resilience this year has been. For many of us it is the first time in our lives where we have not been able to control the environment we are surrounded by and we have had great lessons about being adaptable and finding positives in difficult situations.
The school is receiving updated advice from Catholic Education Melbourne around many things. They have some template letters coming out to communicate to families with. The overall emphasis of all the communication was a focus on student well being on their return. Making sure students feel connected and safe. We all know if our well being is not good, learning will not happen, so it will be an important starting point.
Catholic Education Melbourne Term 4 Priorities
The following priorities for students and staff should guide school operations in Term 4.
Priority 1 – Wellbeing and Equity
The wellbeing, and particularly the mental health, of every student and member of staff is the highest priority. This means encouraging and sustaining motivation for learning, re-engaging students and families where needed, and supporting the social and emotional learning of children and young people alongside curriculum-based learning. This also means ensuring support for school staff, who have sustained their efforts through multiple transitions in modes of teaching and learning delivery.
Priority 2 – Learning and Excellence
Some students have been better able to progress in their learning in the remote and flexible learning environment, others have maintained their rate of progress, and some have, despite their best efforts and those of their families and teachers, fallen behind. It will be critical to ensure those who have fallen behind can catch up and to support those who have progressed to continue to extend and stretch their learning.
Literacy and numeracy across the curriculum remain a focus, with schools also adapting their teaching and learning program in Term 4 to be responsive to student needs.
Priority 3 - Transitions
Term 4 is a critical period, particularly for the children moving from kindergarten into Prep, from Grade 6 into Year 7, and those in Year 12 moving into employment or further education and training. Students in other year levels will also prepare for a change of teachers and new classmates. A key focus of Term 4 will be to make every effort to ensure each of these end-of-year and beginning-of-year transitions occurs as successfully as possible. This includes finding contextually appropriate ways to conduct orientations and end-of-year celebrations and ensuring transition information captures additional details as necessary.
Thank you. We have received lots of good suggestions from families about ideas for Term 4
- Online Assemblies ( This would have happened already, but I have been working offsite and assembly from my front bedroom probably would not cut the muster.)
- Whole School Excursions
- A Letter writing exercise to the elderly
To name a few. Teachers are looking into online excursions as well, now that we know we cannot go anywhere, we can move ahead and get organised.
Prep orientation 2021. We have now made a plan for Prep Orientation with a few contingency plans if restrictions change. We are hoping we will be able to have the new students visit in weeks 6, 7 and 8 of this term with plans around how to do drop off with children who can be very anxious about starting school. We should have a letter home to families this week.
Staffing News: After many many years of connection to the school, student, parent and employee, Marilyn Bunting, our school Finance Officer, goes on leave this week before she officially retires in March 2021. It is a strange way to leave a school in these circumstances after such long service, but we intend to get her back next year for a bigger celebration of her time at St Mary's. Marilyn has been everything you want in an employee, knowledgeable, dedicated, great staff member, gets along with everyone and she gets things done with no fuss. She will really be missed, but her close connection to the Parish, I know she will not be forgotten. Marilyn has been handing over with Sherralee O'Reilly for the last few weeks so that we have a smooth handover between the two.
Tournament of the Minds (TOMS): This year the school took part in TOMS again, this time virtually. The school had four teams in and worked worked with Anita Sharma, Charlotte Lipnicki and Brittany Rickman. One of our teams definitely got a Honours Awards!!!! We are confirming one other team. That is big news. Having been involved in TOMs for many years and never, ever getting an award, I know how hard it is. So well done to Super STEM Team (out of 150 teams). But really, congratulations to all who participated, winning is a bonus, the students get so much more out of it then a prize. It teaches them to think laterally, work as a team, use each other's strengths, adapt and bounce back from set backs.
Finally, an update on my son. William started his last rounds of Chemo last week and that should conclude late September/mid October. His treatment continues to July 2022, but the intensive chemo/steroids concludes. We are expecting by the end of this week he will end up in hospital for several weeks due to fevers and other side effects of the medication, but we are seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. He is very susceptible to any coughs and colds during this time, which can also mean time in hospital, so our family have to be super careful about contact with other people, I am hoping to be able to back onsite early Term 4. Thanks again for your thoughts, messages and prayers.
Stay safe and God Bless
Anthony
We may pass by without eye contact. We may seem busy and self-sufficient. But the people of Melbourne work together every day to preserve the security, peace and order of our city. And when strangers need help we respond with sacrificial tenderness, kindness and comfort.
We invite you to continue to pray for Melbourne and to reach out to the strangers around you with Love. This is a powerful time to be bearers of Good News.
Way of the West
As we approach the school holidays, please don’t forget that donations are still needed for our Way of the West campaign. Here is what you can donate to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre:
Due to the current Covid 19 restrictions, donationed items can be left on the presbytery porch.
Thank you for your kindness and generosity.
In the last 4 weeks Year 6 have been learning about Social Justice and Human Rights. They have read stories about Refugee and Asylum families families. The students' response to their learning reflected their understanding of what Jesus teaches us in the Gospel Stories and the message of Mary MacKllop and our St Mary’s School values. These photos today show some children ‘Taking Action’ in response to the Way of the West program.