Dear Parents, Community and Guardians,

PRAYER

In this Advent time dear Jesus, open my eyes and reawaken me to the wonders of your presence. Speak Lord, I am listening…, Mary give me openness and courage…
 
Luke 1: 26-38
In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary.
 
And coming to her, he said, “Hail, favoured one! The Lord is with you.”
 
But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
 
Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,^*and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
 
But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?”
 
And the angel said to her in reply, “The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.
 
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.
 
After a time of contemplation on the Word, just spend some time in the silence. This can be as long or short as you like.
 
Ask God to prepare your heart this Advent and to reawaken your spirit so that you might more fully make the paths straight for him in life and in your work. Give thanks to God for any experience you may have had during your contemplative time.

A very quiet week at school as we start to head towards the final days of the school year. Staff are finalising school reports and looking at class lists. We hope to announce teachers and what our class structure will look like by the end of this week. The teacher shortage has impacted us with virtually no applications for an advertisement we had up for six weeks. All schools have similar stories with most not having enough teachers to staff their schools. Thankfully we are in a position to have enough teachers to staff our school, (At this stage!) however it has meant we have had to be creative with our model.

We had our Prep Mass on Sunday for our current Prep families and our incoming families for 2024. It is always a very positive Mass with a great feeling. Our Preps did a wonderful job and showed us how much they had learnt reading in front of the congregation. Thank you to all who organised this Mass to make it such a success.

End of Year days

Beach Program Year 5 December 4 and 5

Beach Program Year 6 December 6 and 7

Mass - Feast of the Immaculate Conception December 8 9:15

End of Year Excursion Day Monday December 11

Step up Day December 12 11:45 ( Time with new classroom/teachers)

Mass End of Year December 14 End of Year 11:30

Year 6 Graduation December 14

Last Day for Students December 15 Friday 1:30 pm finish

Concessional School Fees 2024

If you wish to apply for Concessional fees for 2024. Please complete the following form. The Form is also available on our School Website. (https://www.smwilliamstown.catholic.edu.au/policy-page) Concessional Fees are awarded yearly and must be reapplied for each year.

God Bless 

Anthony

St Mary’s Faith News

School and Parish Connections

Gospel – Mark 13:33-37

Jesus said to his disciples:
 “Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come.

It is like a man traveling abroad. He leaves home and places his servants in charge, each with his own work, and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch.

Watch, therefore; you do not know when the lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning.

May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping.

What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!'”

This Friday - 1st December

 Join Us for First Advent Liturgy this Friday! 

We're excited to invite all students, staff, and families to come together this Friday afternoon for our First Advent Liturgy. The liturgy will take place in the hall as part of the assembly, and your presence will add to the warmth of this special event.

This year, our dedicated Charism team has been hard at work planning the Advent Liturgies. From orchestrating the liturgy itself to creating a captivating slideshow and coordinating readers, this exceptional group of students has shown true commitment to enhancing our faith journey.

Let's take a moment to appreciate and support these incredible students who have willingly dedicated their time and efforts to enriching our school community. Your attendance at the Advent Liturgies would be a wonderful way to show your encouragement for their remarkable contributions.

? Date: Friday, 1st December

? Time: 3pm

? Location: School Hall (Assembly)

We look forward to coming together as a community to celebrate the spirit of Advent and to show our gratitude to the Charism team. All are welcome, and your presence will undoubtedly make this event even more special.

Prep Family Mass 

We extend our sincere gratitude to the families who joined us for the Prep Family Mass last Sunday. While I regret my absence, the resounding feedback assures me that it was a delightful experience. Our current Prep students showcased their talents through impressive readings and joyful singing, making the event truly special.

A warm welcome is extended to the Prep children of 2024 and their families. We trust that you felt the embrace of our school community and anticipate sharing in more significant Mass celebrations together in the coming year.

Thank you once again for your continued support and participation in our school events.

Children’s Christmas Pageant

Exciting news for our budding vocal talents! This year, the organizers of the Children's Christmas Eve Pageant are thrilled to introduce a children's choir, and we want your child to be a part of it!

Look out for the expression of interest form coming home this Friday. If your child is eager to lend their voice to the festive cheer on Christmas Eve, simply fill in the form and send it back to school.

Once we have the lineup of our talented singers, further details about choir practices will be shared with you. Let's make this Christmas Eve Pageant truly special with the enchanting voices of our school's young stars!

Get ready to spread the joy through song!

Sacrament Programs for 2024

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 1.  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 1 next year.

The dates are as follows: TBC

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 recieving Holy Communion. Eucharist is unique among the scaraments 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 Sarament 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 2024 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: TBC

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 Sarament 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 2024 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: TBC

Some important dates to Remember for Term 4

Whilst we are nearing the end of the school year, there is still plenty happening at Emmanuel;

We have recently farewelled out students in Year 12 who now eagerly await their result which come out in a couple of weeks. We have also wished the Year 10 & 11 students well as they have completed their exams as well as their Headstart program and they head off for a well-earned break.

Last week was also very busy as the Year 8s headed to Anglesea to learn how to surf, to catch some waves and enjoy each other’s company away from studying. In addition to this, we acknowledged high achievement at the annual Celebration of Excellence evening held at Flemington Racecourse on Thursday.  Awards were presented for excellence in all areas of school life and we congratulate everyone in achieving their personal and academic best.

It will be very exciting to welcome 473, Year 7/2024 students, to their Orientation Morning is this Tuesday 28 November.  Orientation morning is another great way that assists in the transition leap from primary to secondary school and for students to get to know their campus a little bit better.

Ms King, Art teacher at Notre Dame is excited to share the news that it is clay time again!  After the big move to the new Resing Art Building, the Art Department is making wonderful use of the facilities and the fantastic weather.  The Roller Door is up and students have been experiencing the use of the new clay area at NDC.  This new room houses the pottery wheel facilities and the current Year 9 Picture Perfect students have been able to use this area to extend their clay making skills with much pleasure and enjoyment. This is on offer for many students that use clay as a material.  Clean up is a breeze, with the new area able to be hosed out for use in the next lesson - exciting times for the Art Department.

Yours sincerely

Jenny Hendricks