St Mary’s Faith News

 School and Parish Connections

Gospel: Luke 12: 49-53

I have come not to give peace, but discord

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘I have come to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were blazing already! There is a baptism I must still receive, and how great is my distress till it is over!

‘Do you suppose that I am here to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on a household of five will be divided: three against two and two against three; the father divided against the son, son against father, mother against daughter, daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law, daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.

Way of the West

 The Month of August

 This week we are collecting: Other Household Items

• Washing detergent
• Laundry liquid and powder
• Household cleaning products
• Nappies - all sizes
• Wipes
• Gift cards - Kmart, Big W, Target
• Asian sauces - soy sauce, chilli sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce

Just a quick reminder that each class has its own donation box. We ask that school families please place their donations in these class boxes, and leave the box in the office for parishioners.

There are two reasons for this:

1. Some classes are eager for a special shout-out at assembly for their generous contributions.
   
   
2. It helps keep the office area tidy during the week, as donations can build up quickly, while some classroom boxes are still quite empty.

Thank you in advance for your generosity and support of this program, which makes such a difference in the lives of others. 

St Mary’s Family Monthly Mass

Sunday 31st August 2025

Forms will be sent home later this week.

Please fill in the forms and return as soon as possible - especially if you would like your child to read at Mass. There are limited readings and we need to make sure the children have time to practice at home and then in the church.

Anyone is welcome to sing with the choir. There will be a practice in the church with Monique and myself the week before the Mass.

Thank you for your support!

A heartfelt thank you to all families who encourage their children to participate. It is always wonderful to see familiar faces at these Masses, and we hope even more families will join us in this special school tradition.

New Front Office Display

Crosses from Around the World

We have now collected about 6 crosses - Thank you to everyone who has donated a cross

As part of our recent staff Reflection Day, we were inspired by the idea of creating a new display in our front office – a collection of crosses from around the world. This will be a whole school initiative, and we warmly invite our families and staff to take part.

If you have a cross from your travels – whether from overseas or within Australia – that you would like to donate, we would be honoured to include it. The crosses will be thoughtfully displayed on the wall beneath the mounted monitor in the front office.

We look forward to creating an inspiring and meaningful space that invites contemplation, discussion and reflection for all who visit.

Thank you for helping us bring this idea to life.

Wednesday Morning Masses

As part of our ongoing commitment to nurturing the spiritual life of our students, each class has been taking turns to attend the Wednesday morning Parish Mass at 9:15am.

The response from teachers has been positive. The children have been able to connect with parishioners and pay attention to rituals that they have been taught in class.

Moving in to term 3, we warmly invite parents and carers to join their child’s class on the day they are rostered to attend.

You may receive an email invitation or a paper invitation, so please check emails, children’s reading folders or take heed of your child’s verbal invitation.

This is a beautiful opportunity to come together in prayer and strengthen our connection as a school and parish community.

We encourage you to check when your child’s class will be attending the Wednesday Mass.

We look forward to welcoming you to this special part of our faith life.

During this Mass you are welcome to sit with your child, but we ask that you join us as a class - so please come along and sit with us at Mass.

Term 3 Masses

At the weekend family Masses, families sit together. Children who are reading are encouraged to sit with their family near the front of the church and ideally to have the reader sit in the aisle seat.

Winter Interschool Sports Tops

District Athletics

On Wednesday, 54 students from Years 3-6 travelled to Newport Athletics Track to compete at the Williamstown District Athletics Carnival. Attended by 6 other schools and comprising 10 different events, our students competed magnificently across the day. 

We would like to congratulate them not only on their sporting ability and perseverance, but also the amazing attitude towards supporting each other, as well as the sportsmanship and camaraderie with the other schools. 

We would also like to celebrate a number of students who look like they will be attending the next level of competition at the Divisional championships. The final results are still to be determined and we will announce these students at a later date. 

It’s Almost Disco Time!

The countdown is on to our School Disco is happening on Friday 29th, and we know just how excited the students are!

Ticket sales via CDF Pay will close on 26 August - so hurry and get yours if you haven’t already!

Reminder, there are two separate sessions:

• Session 1: Prep, Grade 1 & 2 — 6:00pm to 7:15pm
• Session 2: Grades 3, 4, 5 & 6 — 7:30pm to 8:45pm

Drop-off and Pick-up Information

• Drop-off: Please bring your child to the main entrance of the School Hall, where our friendly volunteers will greet and guide them in.
  
  
• Pick-up: Children will be ready for collection from the Cecil Street exit at the end of their session.

We kindly ask parents to drop off and depart after check-in to avoid congestion and keep the disco area safe and manageable.

What to Expect

Students are welcome to come dressed in their disco best! There’ll be:

• Glow sticks
• Lollies
• A live DJ
• Chill-out zones
• Plenty of dancing!

Please note: mobile phones must be left at home.

This is one of the most exciting events of the school year—a great chance for the kids to let loose, connect with friends, and make special memories. We can't wait to see all the smiling faces on Friday night!

P&F Committee

Please complete the following if you are able to help on icy pole duty  Icy Pole Duty