Sports Update

Athletics

Mila Batur has been selected as a member of TeamVIC and will be participating in High Jump at the National Athletics Championships in NSW. 

Each time she jumps, she places 1st and sets a new personal best for herself and I have no doubt she will do it again. 

Lacrosse

We have two team representing St. Mary's in the State Lacrosse Championships on Friday.  

Our GIRLS team placed first in the last competition solidifying their place in the State championship. 

Georgie Bolle, Tate Stanley, Sofia Ostojic, Stevie Hudson, Emily Vella, Poppy Loftus and Alvina Pham. Mila Batur who is also a valuable member of this team is unable to join her teammates in the later state of competition due to the above. 

Our BOYS team placed second in the last round of competition.

Dominic Crowe, Archie Maxwell, Samuel Winter, William Trethowan, Charlie Knopp, Harvey Mandado, Antonio Del-Re and Harrison Mitchell.

St Mary’s Faith News

 School and Parish Connections

Gospel: Luke 21:25-28, 34-36

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars; on earth nations in agony, bewildered by the clamour of the ocean and its waves; men dying of fear as they await what menaces the world, for the powers of heaven will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand erect, hold your heads high, because your liberation is near at hand.

‘Watch yourselves, or your hearts will be coarsened with debauchery and drunkenness and the cares of life, and that day will be sprung on you suddenly, like a trap. For it will come down on every living man on the face of the earth. Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to survive all that is going to happen, and to stand with confidence before the Son of Man.’

The First Week of Advent

Advent Paraliturgies

We are moving back to the Church

The Advent Paraliturgies will be held in the church every Monday morning beginning on the 2nd December.

Where: The Church

When: Every Monday morning at 9:15 am 

All liturgies will be held in the Church moving forward.

Reflections from our Pilgrimage

ROME

In this week’s newsletter, I’m excited to share about our experience of our visit to the Venerable English College.

The History

The Seminary, founded in 1587 by Pope Gregory, was established to train priests for the “English Mission.”

However, the presence on Via di Monserrato dates back to 1362 when the site was acquired by the Confraternity of Englishmen living in Rome. Known as the “English Hospice,” it provided a welcoming refuge for generations of English pilgrims.

This place has long been a sanctuary for Catholic men aspiring to the priesthood, offering study, prayer, and community life.

The term "Venerable" reflects the strong historical connection between England and Rome, uniting them in mission and purpose.

The Seminary continues to serve as a place of live, pray, eat, and study.

For More information visit https://www.vecrome.org/archives

Our Experience

We were recently welcomed to the college and had the privilege of listening to Fr. Stephen Wang, the current Rector and Bishop of the Archdiocese of Westminster.

During his talk, we learned about the rich history of the college, which began as a hospice and later evolved into a seminary focused on providing a safe haven and education for those from England and Wales committed to serving God.

Fr. Wang’s central message was about mission, posing the question, "What is your school’s mission?"

Going forward, I am committed to ensuring that all families are aware of our school’s mission and to supporting our students in growing in their faith.

As our school motto reminds us: "Grow in Knowledge and Thrive in Faith."

Prep Mass/Children’s Mass 

We are delighted to invite you to join us for our upcoming monthly Mass on Sunday, 1st December. This will be a special celebration as our current Prep children welcome the new Preps and their families into the St. Mary’s community.

To make this Mass even more memorable, we warmly encourage older students who enjoy singing to join the Preps in a special reflection song. Additionally, older students will be invited to read the Liturgy of the Word, while the Prep children will share the Prayers of the Faithful.

We look forward to celebrating this joyful occasion together as a school community!

Important Dates for Term 4

In Weeks 9 and 10, students in Years 2–6 will take part in our Bike Education program.

• Years 2–6: Students will focus on bike safety and road safety, with a supervised ride around the local area. This includes around both St. Mary’s and Willy Primary schools, McCleans and Robinson reserves, and crossing only local roads.
• Years 3–6: In addition to the local ride, these students will participate in a longer trail ride on Friday of Week 9, designed to consolidate their new skills and knowledge.

Permission forms will be sent home this week. If you have any questions about the program, please contact Mrs. Cooke at kcooke@smwilliamstown.catholic.edu.au.

We’re looking forward to a fun and educational program!

A big thank you to all students, teachers and volunteers who helped make our Colour Explosion Jogathon such a success last Friday.

Despite the heat, students had a fantastic day, being showered in colour and water, running enthusiastically around the course.

A huge thank you to our students and families who have done such a fantastic job of fundraising. If you haven’t donated yet, today is your last chance to do so. Please follow the simple steps below:

• Go to australianfundraising.com.au
• Click on ‘Login’ and select ‘School Run 4 Fun’
• Search “St Mary’s School – Williamstown”

Please note, all donations must be submitted by today - Wednesday 27 November.

A huge thanks to all volunteers who generously gave their time last Friday. Whether you helped set-up, were part of our colour crew, cooked the BBQ, distributed icy poles or helped pack-up – it was a massive team effort.

Special thanks to Coles Williamstown, Woolworths Millers Junction and Bakers Delight Williamstown for generously donating BBQ items to help make this such a brilliant day.

Congratulations to Prep M, the class who have so far raised the most amount of money. They were the lucky recipients of ‘slime time’, playing with slime after completing the jogathon.

We’ll work with Australian Fundraising on the allocation of incentive prizes for those students who qualify. Prizes will be distributed to students at school in the coming weeks and we’ll keep you updated on timing.