Dear Parents, Guardians and Community,

The Jubilee Prayer

Father in heaven,
may the faith you have given us
in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother,
and the flame of charity enkindled
in our hearts by the Holy Spirit,
reawaken in us the blessed hope
for the coming of your Kingdom.
May your grace transform us
into tireless cultivators of the
seeds of the Gospel.
May those seeds transform from within
both humanity and the whole cosmos
in the sure expectation
of a new heaven and a new earth,
when, with the powers of Evil vanquished,
your glory will shine eternally.
May the grace of the Jubilee
reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope,
a yearning for the treasures of heaven.
May that same grace spread
the joy and peace of our Redeemer
throughout the earth.
To you our God, eternally blessed,
be glory and praise for ever.
Amen.

What's on this Week.

- Fri Feb 7 Beginning of School Mass 9:15am

- Fri Feb 7 Father Greg's Father's Event at the Presbytery 6pm

Upcoming Events

- Tues Feb 11 Parent Meet and Greet Meetings 1.30pm to 6:30 pm

- Weds Feb 11 Year 2 Meet and Greet 9 to 11

- Weds Feb 12 Swimming Trials

- Weds Feb 19 District Swimming

- Tues Mar 4 Shrove Tuesday

- Weds Mar 5 Ash Wednesday

- Tues Mar 11 School Closure Day

We have had a wonderful start to the school year with new students and families settling in. The teachers are focusing teaching their students school and classroom routines to set high expectations throughout the year. Classes are already working hard at their Literacy and Numeracy. Thank you for your efforts.

Spelling Mastery: After our teacher training on our first day, our classes are now being introduced to our Spelling Mastery Program. Students have completed a  pre-assessment to see what level they are and they have been assigned a workbook. The teacher guides them through the lessons so they can master the skills to get to the next level. Each level has around 125 lessons, so the program will be complete some time in Term 4.

Tutoring During School Hours: We occasionally get asked about tutoring in school hours and whether a students can leave school to attend a tutor. To do this requires a Principal's permission, the same goes for attending a holiday during the school term. We have a very structured and sequential teaching program that requires students to be at school during Literacy and Numeracy and I will not be giving any students permission to attend tutoring during our Literacy and Numeracy time as lessons cannot be retaught to students who regularly miss lessons. Literacy and Numeracy is taught from 9 am until 1 pm and occasionally in the afternoons as well, depending on the classes specialist timetable. Our preference is for no students to attend tutoring during the school day as it is disruptive to a child's learning and the other students in the classroom.

New Furniture: Our new furniture has arrived and has been set up in our 3/4 classrooms. Our students are very excited to have a new desk and chair. The furniture style is also much more suitable for our teaching philosophy. It also means we have the old furniture to dispose of. If any family would like a table, they are currently in our hall until we find a way to dispose of them. If you would would like some you are more than welcome to take some home. We have looked at some of the options of sending the furniture overseas to poorer schools, but I am yet to find a viable option. If anyone else has an idea of where this old furniture can go, I would appreciate any suggestions.

Yellow Uniform Tops: Last Friday I took 3 bags of our old yellow uniform tops to a uniform recycling centre. We recycled 16kg of yellow tops rather than them going into landfill. Thanks you to all who returned their uniforms by the closing dates, we will be taking no more yellow uniforms.

I have been talking to some students about their uniform so that they get into the correct habit of wearing their uniform correctly. The main issue is usually wearing the wrong socks. Black socks and socks with branding are not part of our uniform. We would have around 95% of students in correct uniform which is a great effort. I am sure the other students will organise themselves soon

This Friday is our Beginning of Year Mass at 9:15 where we come together in Faith. A reminder that Father Greg also has an event for the Fathers on Friday night at the Presbytery which is a great chance to build community

Finally. Thank you to the many families who have made a donation of sandpit toys for our school sand pit. The students love it. Our sand pit is very well used.

God Bless

Anthony

St Mary’s Faith News

 School and Parish Connections 

Gospel: Luke 2: 22-40

My eyes have seen your saving power

When the day came for them to be purified as laid down by the Law of Moses, the parents of Jesus took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord – observing what stands written in the Law of the Lord: Every first-born male must be consecrated to the Lord – and also to offer in sacrifice, in accordance with what is said in the Law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons. Now in Jerusalem there was a man named Simeon. He was an upright and devout man; he looked forward to Israel’s comforting and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he had set eyes on the Christ of the Lord. Prompted by the Spirit he came to the Temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the Law required, he took him into his arms and blessed God; and he said:

‘Now, Master, you can let your servant go in peace,

just as you promised;

because my eyes have seen the salvation

which you have prepared for all the nations to see,

a light to enlighten the pagans

and the glory of your people Israel.’

Introducing The Charism Team for 2025

Congratulations to Elyssa Eid, Scarlett Beckton, Noah Johnson and Sebastian McKellar on being selected for their role as Charism Team leaders for 2025.

I look forward to working with this amazing team. I know they have so much to offer St Mary’s as a school and a community.

You will see our Charism team leaders, lead the Prayer every Monday morning. Please follow their lead.

In the next few weeks of term they will be visiting classrooms and talking to the children about Project Compassion.

St Mary’s Family Mass

Children’s Mass - Sunday 23rd February

We have our first St Mary’s Children’s Liturgy on Sunday the 23rd February at 10:30 am.

Flyers will be sent home this week asking for volunteers to read and sing in the choir.

For Families new to the school, the 10:30 Mass on the last Sunday of each month is dedicated to the students who attend St Mary’s Primary School.

The children lead the Mass with the support of the Charism team. Children at the school can volunteer to read and /or sing with the choir.

Both Monique, the pastoral care officer for the parish and myself, Charlotte Lipnicki, attend the Mass and support the children.  We run through with the songs with the choir and listen to the readers a couple of days before the Mass, so that they are familiar with the songs and how to project their voice in the church.

The numbers in the choir are growing and the children are keen to be involved.

Thank you to all the families who continue to encourage their children to get involved.

It is wonderful to see familiar faces and as a school this is something we hope more families will take up the invitation to join.

As a testament to how much the students love to sing in the choir, it was so beautiful to see and hear two of our year 6 students last year.

Lizzie Nardo and Georgie Bolle, requested to sing with the choir at the end of school Year Mass.

Lizzie was also involved in the Children’s Christmas pageant, as a narrator and leading with the choir.

Sacramental Program 2025

This year the only Sacrament the school will be facilitating is the “Rite of Reconciliation”.

If you child is in Year 4 and is yet to make their “First Eucharist” please contact Mrs Lipnicki at clipnicki@smwilliamstown.catholic.edu.au.

Likewise if your child is in Year 6 and is yet to make their “Confirmation” please contact Mrs Lipnicki at clipnicki@smwilliamstown.catholic.edu.au

School Masses

Some important Dates to Remember for Term 1

All families are welcome to attend the school Masses.

At St Mary’s, students sit as a class with their teacher in reserved pews.

The Altar servers sit in the first pew to the left of the Altar. The pews to right of the Altar are reserved for the choir and music ministry.

Parents are asked to find a seat towards the back of the church and not sit in the pews reserved for the school children.

HOUSE CAPTAINS

Congratulations to our House Captains for 2025

Portland - Sofia Nguyen and Lucian Lusi

Penola - Will Trethowan and Kristian Nastoski

Winella - Sofia Ostojic and Chloe O'Keefe

Bayview - Cristian Cassar and Liam Wilson

SUSTAINABILITY

Congratulations Sustainability leaders!

Emily Vella, Lachie Childs, Sicilee Diep-Dubois and Max Fenech

Class Representatives Term 1

Congratulations to our Class Represetatives for Term 1. Certificates and badges will be presented at assembly this Friday at 3pm.

Swimming Trials

Interschool Sports

Please ensure you have completed the permission form to allow your child to participate in Interschool Sports. 

Lunch Orders will begin on Wednesday February 12. Orders will then continue every Wednesday and Friday. Information regarding lunch orders can be found on our school app. Reminder to download the school app, SZapp, you will need to use the code 2951.