Dear Parents, Guardians and Community, 

Events of the Week.

• Wednesday Year 1 Sun Theatre
• Friday Year 2 Sun Theatre

Upcoming Events:

• Monday December 9 10:45 Step Up Day (Students to their new classes)
• Thursday December 12 End of Year Excursion day
• Monday December 16: 6 to 8 pm Year 6 Graduation
• Monday December 16 9:15 am End of Year Mass
• Tuesday December 17. 1:30pm End of School Year (Prep to Year 5)

Advent: A Season of Hope and Preparation

As we begin the season of Advent, we are reminded of the hope, joy, and peace that this time of year brings. It is a time to reflect, prepare, and come together as a school community in anticipation of Christmas. Let us embrace this season with hearts full of gratitude and kindness, sharing the light of hope with one another.

Congratulations to Mila Batur who finished 4th in high jump for the Australian Championships in Sydney recently. The conditions were tough as it was raining all day, so much so that they had to stop competition to soak up some of the water. Well done Mila we are all very proud

Annual Action Plan Meeting. On Monday our Leadership team attended the Western Annual Action Plan day in Werribee. The day was spent reviewing our current goals and setting new goals for 2025. Our new goals for 2025 are:

• Spelling Mastery: To improve spelling achievement in our school.
• Mathematics: To improve student achievement in Mathematics particularly in counting and place value. (fluency)
• Faith Formation: To improve the Catholic Identity of the school for students and staff

Looking Ahead to the Catholic Jubilee Year 2025

As we approach the Catholic Jubilee Year in 2025, we are invited to deepen our faith and embrace the theme: Pilgrims of Hope. This special year reminds us to reflect on God’s mercy, renew our commitment to service, and journey together in faith. Let us prepare as a school community to celebrate this sacred time with hearts open to hope, love, and unity.

Thanks you for your ongoing support.

God Bless

Anthony

2024 STATE CHAMPIONS. Congratulations to our Boys Team that won the SCHOOL SPORTS VICTORIA Year 5/6 STATE LACROSSE CHAMPIONSHIPS. A huge effort by our students. The event took place in Fawkner Park last Friday in very hot weather. Well done to all.

St Mary’s Faith News

 School and Parish Connections

Gospel: Luke 3: 1-6

In the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar’s reign, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judaea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of the lands of Ituraea and Trachonitis, Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, during the pontificate of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah, in the wilderness. He went through the whole Jordan district proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the sayings of the prophet Isaiah:

A voice cries in the wilderness;

Prepare a way for the Lord,

make his paths straight.

Every valley will be filled in,

every mountain and hill be laid low,

winding ways will be straightened

and rough roads made smooth.

And all mankind shall see the salvation of God.

The Second Week of Advent

Advent Paraliturgies

We are moving back to the Church

The Advent Paraliturgies will be held in the church every Monday morning after assembly. All families are welcome.

Where: The Church

When: Monday 9th December at 9:15 am

Reflections from our Pilgrimage

 Sienna

This week, I am thrilled to highlight our inspiring pilgrimage to Siena! Centered on the teachings of saints and mystics, we celebrated Mass at the Basilica of San Domenico and explored the life of St. Catherine of Siena, a revered Doctor of the Church.

Saint Catherine of Siena - A life devoted to Christ

Saint Catherine of Siena, one of only four women named Doctor of the Church, is celebrated for the spiritual authority of her writings, including The Dialogue, and her devotion to Christ. Born in 1347 in Siena, she experienced profound mystical encounters from a young age, including a vision of Christ at age six that shaped her life’s mission.

As a member of the Third Order of Saint Dominic, Catherine embraced a life of prayer and service, caring for the sick and advocating for spiritual renewal. Her extraordinary faith inspires us to deepen our relationship with Christ and live out our calling with purpose and compassion.

Our Experience

During our time in Siena, we were deeply blessed to celebrate Mass in the Basilica of San Domenico, home to the relics of Saint Catherine, including her head, and the original portrait painted by Andrea Vanni. It was a humbling experience to be in a place so closely connected to her extraordinary life.

Sisters Mary Sarah and Mary Helen enriched our journey with their insights into Saint Catherine's unwavering devotion to Christ. After Mass, we visited the Sanctuary of Saint Catherine, her family home, and the Oratory of the Bedroom.

This sacred space, a small cubicle where Catherine prayed and rested, holds the stone she used as a pillow and remains a profound symbol of her life of contemplation and penance.

Standing in the places most intimately tied to Saint Catherine’s early years, we were struck by the depth of her devotion as a child and her fierce desire to draw near to Christ. Her example challenges us to cultivate our own spaces of prayer and reflection, seeking Christ with the same passion and purpose.

Prep Mass/Children’s Mass

A wonderful Celebration of our First Year at School

Sunday’s Prep Mass was a joyous occasion, with a full church and many prep families joining us to welcome the new families starting at St Mary’s next year. The Prep children impressed us all with their beautiful singing, adding a special touch to the celebration.

A big thank you to the older students who supported the Preps with their wonderful choir performance and heartfelt readings of the Liturgy of the Word.

We’re also grateful to Fr. Greg for hosting the Parish BBQ at the Parish Centre and surprising the children with a bouncy castle—it was a delightful way to end the day!

Important Dates for Term 4

Congratulations to our School Captains for 2025

School Captains- Annika Sementilli and Tom Murphy

School Vice Captains- Madelyn Hussey and Luka Bjazevic

All school Library books are due back this week  

Hi everyone, we’re still eagerly awaiting the incentive prizes from Australia Fundraising and will keep you updated on timing for distribution.

 In the meantime, we’d really appreciate your help to donate any bags you have at home (e.g. paper supermarket bags, reusable plastic supermarket bags) to help us with distribution of prizes. If you have any bags at home, or in your car boot that you no longer need we’d be grateful if you could please drop these at the school office.

We appreciate your help.

St Mary’s Parish and Mary Care sub committee would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to all the families who generously donated food to the monthly senior’s lunch throughout this year.

Also, a huge thanks to the Grade 5 and 6 students who joined the seniors each month for the seniors Mass. The seniors enjoyed the interaction with the students and good company.

We wish you all a happy and blessed Christmas and Happy New Year. We look forward to continuing this wonderful interconnection in 2025.