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Dear Parents, Guardians and Community,
Welcome back. This term is an important term for the future of the school as we are having our School Review. Michael Rowland begins this Friday by coming in and going through all the school documentation for the official registration of the school. He returns on July 29/30 to look at the operations of the school. On these days he will be observing classes, looking at work programs, interviewing students, staff and parents. Michael then returns early September to give a report to the school which will then inform the four year strategic plan for the school.
Michael Grose Parenting Seminar August 3 7:00. Our event is only a few weeks away and due to our density limits is a unique opportunity to hear from one of Australia's leading experts in a small group (we are capped at 125 people). Please order your Tickets through CDF Pay. This may be your last chance as this event will be made public soon and you may miss out on a ticket.
Michael Grose, founder of Parenting Ideas, is one of Australia's leading educators. He is the author of 12 books for parents including, "Spoonfed Generation," and the best selling, "Why First Borns Rule the World and Last Borns Want to Change It." His latest release "Anxious Kids," was co-authored with Dr Jodi Richardson.
Tickets $20. https://smwilliamstown.cdfpay.
Community Portal Update: Parents have informed me that they are now able to login into the Community Portal. From what I hear it works well on a lap top, however on a phone it is difficult to use. Stage one was about getting families signed up. We now move into Stage two where we start to use it. Admin staff will now go through training so we can set up the systems we want to use within it, these include parents being able to update personal details, book parent teacher interviews, excursion permissions and other things. This is obviously taking longer than we anticipated and we apologise for that. We will communicate when these tools are available to families.
God bless and stay safe
Anthony
Upcoming Events
TERM 3 |
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Tuesday 13th July, 4pm |
Year 6 Confirmation bookings NOW open: Please log into : https://www.schoolinterviews.com.au/
Code: ffkq3
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Saturday 17th July, 6pm |
Year 6 Family Mass - presentation of Confirmation candidates to the parish
To attend this Mass, everyone will need to register their details at: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/stmarys Due to this Mass being a large event, we ask that numbers are limited to 4 people. |
Wednesday 21st July, 6pm |
Year 6 Confirmation Evening in the school hall
**** Parents and Sponsors Only**** |
Year 6 Confirmation Liturgies
Tuesday 27th July, 6pm Wednesday 28th July, 6pm Thursday 29th July, 6pm |
To attend a liturgy, everyone will need to register their details at: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/stmarys
Fr Greg has requested that no more than 8 people per family (including candidate) attend due to restrictions in the Church.
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Saturday 4th September, 6pm
Sunday 5th September, 8.30 & 10.30am
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Year 5 First Eucharist
Bookings will be transferred from the original date and time to the new date and times
*** numbers for this event will be announced closer to the date****
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TERM 4 |
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Saturday 16th October, 6pm
Sunday 17th October, 8.30 & 10.30am
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Year 4 First Eucharist
Bookings will be transferred from the original date and time to the new date and times
If these new dates create any problems, then please feel free to contact Father Greg directly. |
A message from Fr Greg
Please find the link to an informative article published by Beyond Blue on Anxiety in School Aged Children.
It provides information on what is normal, how anxiety affects children and what signals to look for if you suspect your child may need support for their anxiety.
St Mary’s Lego Station and the Rainbow Retreat
St Mary’s School is gratefully asking for donations of any unwanted lego you might have at home. We have set up “Leah the Lego Lorry” and are looking to increase supplies at school for students to use their creative skills during recess and lunchtimes. We are also seeking any Matchbox cars you no longer need to top up the ones available in the Rainbow Retreat.
Donations are being accepted at the school office.
In continuation of supporting families with guiding students in the online world, please find the following resources to support your family through navigating the world of technology safely with your family.
Cyberbullying and Online Drama
Parents and carers can help children prevent and deal with online bullying by following these handy tips from eSafety's experts. You can download an information sheet to provide you with tips and information.
A reminder that there are the following interactive webinars are being offered online by the Australian Government’s e-safety Commissioner to help parents and carers.
eSafety's parent guide to popular apps
Learn how to help young people safely use popular apps including TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube.
This webinar is designed for parents and carers of young people aged 8-13.
It will cover:
- an explanation of the popular apps used by young people
- case studies, research, and targeted advice
- ways you can support the young people in your life to have safe, enjoyable online experiences.
Dates (Australian Eastern Standard Time)
Monday 16 August 12.30 to 1.30 pm
Tuesday 31 August 7.30 to 8.30 pm
REMINDER - Every Wednesday is Nude Food Wednesday this term.
The Sustainability team asks that every Wednesday the children come to school with food that does not come in a packet.
We are off to a busy start in Term 3 with a number of activities, events and fundraising underway. We look forward to seeing you throughout the term and thank you the support across the community for P&F Committee.
Jogathon for classes 1K and 2C. They will be having a session with Kelly Sports on Friday 23rd July, please make sure to wear sport uniform. For 1K they will also be receiving a Hot Wings Lunch. Well done to all the kids and families that participated. It will be wonderful for those classes to finally receive their prizes.
Father’s Day Breakfast
We are seeking help as an event coordinator for our Father’s Day Breakfast held on Friday 3rd September. If you are keen to get involved please contact volunteers@smwilliamstown.catholic.edu.au
Disco
We mentioned last term that we were postponing the School Disco to Term 3. We have a new date, Friday 20th August!
If your child/ren are no longer able to attend and you would like a refund please contact Louise Dorinko specialevents@smwilliamstown.catholic.edu.au as we have a number of children that are on the waitlist and we would love to offer them a ticket.
St Mary’s Spring Ball - Sponsorship
To help run a successful and fabulous night out for our parent, family and friends in the St Mary’s Community we will be seeking out support via sponsorship. Families will shortly receive a flyer outlining available sponsorship options, and as always, we want to offer first options to our school community who may have businesses that they are keen to showcase at this premier event.
- Platinum – 1 major sponsor valued at $3,000
- Gold – 2 sponsors valued at $2,000
- Silver – 5 or more sponsors valued at $750
- Bronze – multiple sponsors to support in-kind and raffle donations
If you may be interested or would like information on marketing/sponsor benefits for each package please contact George Younan sponsorship@smwilliamstown.catholic.edu.au by 28th July.
Chocolate Drive
Thanks for everyone that has already sold their box of chocolates over the school holidays. We have additional boxes available if you think that you can sell another box. These can be collected from the School Office at any time.
For each fully paid box, your family will receive an entry into the golden raffle to win a $150 voucher to Santorini's. Thanks to Craig and the team at Santorini's for their support.
Due to COVID-19 and the need to reduce cash handling, payment for the boxes will be via the CDF platform. No cash payments.
All payments need to be finalised by August.
Join the P&F Committee
Being part of the P&F is a great way to meet new people across all year levels of the school and wonderful opportunity to give back to our school. If you have been thinking you would like to learn more or get involved, it is never too late. Please email president@smwilliamstown.catholic.edu.au if you would like to join us for our next meeting.
Jemima Bowen
P&F President (president@smwiliamstown.catholic.edu.au