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Dear Parents, Guardians and Community,
Well today certainly changed quickly with news of a positive Covid case in the 5M. The good news is that the student involved is not feeling too bad and is going okay.
Thankfully we have been very thorough with our Covid Safe practices. We have not been mixing our classes which limited the amount of students isolating, mask wearing has been followed through our classes where required, students have been sanitising their hands and we have had our windows and doors open to encourage good air flow.
When this happens we follow all advice from the Health Department.
- Send communication to the families.
- Create a spreadsheet of students and staff considered close contacts for the Health Department close contact tracing.
- Organise a thorough clean for the areas where the positive case has been.
- The teachers talk to the other classes about the case and the importance of wearing a mask.
Under current advice, close contacts now get tested and now go into isolation for 14 days. They need to be retested on Day 13 which is next Wednesday. Today is considered Day Six.
**Double Vaccinated staff and students do not need to isolate for 14 days, they only need to isolate until they get a negative result.
Remote Learning will now be in place for isolating students.
This advice is always changing and length of isolation/ Rapid Antigen Testing advice could change at any time. We will update families as soon as we hear anything. Those tested will also receive advice from the Health Department which they will need to follow.
In other news.
This Thursday we hold our Remembrance Day Ceremony. I have included for information about the origins of Remembrance Day. We take this time to remember all who have fought and died in conflict. Our Ceremony will be led by our Year 6 students.
God Bless and Stay Safe
Anthony
I found this piece on the Origins of Remembrance Day on the Australian War Memorial Website
Origins of Remembrance Day
Why is this day special to Australians?
At 11 am on 11 November 1918 the guns on the Western Front fell silent after more than four years of continuous warfare. The allied armies had driven the German invaders back, having inflicted heavy defeats upon them over the preceding four months. In November the Germans called for an armistice (suspension of fighting) in order to secure a peace settlement. They accepted allied terms that amounted to unconditional surrender.
The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month attained a special significance in the post-war years. The moment when hostilities ceased on the Western Front became universally associated with the remembrance of those who had died in the war. This first modern world conflict had brought about the mobilisation of over 70 million people and left between 9 and 13 million dead, perhaps as many as one-third of them with no known grave. The allied nations chose this day and time for the commemoration of their war dead.
On the first anniversary of the armistice in 1919 two minutes' silence was instituted as part of the main commemorative ceremony at the new Cenotaph in London. The silence was proposed by Australian journalist Edward Honey, who was working in Fleet Street. At about the same time, a South African statesman made a similar proposal to the British Cabinet, which endorsed it. King George V personally requested all the people of the British Empire to suspend normal activities for two minutes on the hour of the armistice "which stayed the worldwide carnage of the four preceding years and marked the victory of Right and Freedom". The two minutes' silence was popularly adopted and it became a central feature of commemorations on Armistice Day.
On the second anniversary of the armistice in 1920 the commemoration was given added significance when it became a funeral, with the return of the remains of an unknown soldier from the battlefields of the Western Front. Unknown soldiers were interred with full military honours in Westminster Abbey in London and at the Arc de Triumph in Paris. The entombment in London attracted over one million people within a week to pay their respects at the unknown soldier's tomb. Most other allied nations adopted the tradition of entombing unknown soldiers over the following decade.
After the end of the Second World War, the Australian and British governments changed the name to Remembrance Day. Armistice Day was no longer an appropriate title for a day which would commemorate all war dead.
In Australia on the 75th anniversary of the armistice in 1993 Remembrance Day ceremonies again became the focus of national attention. The remains of an unknown Australian soldier, exhumed from a First World War military cemetery in France, were ceremonially entombed in the Memorial's Hall of Memory. Remembrance Day ceremonies were conducted simultaneously in towns and cities all over the country, culminating at the moment of burial at 11 am and coinciding with the traditional two minutes' silence. This ceremony, which touched a chord across the Australian nation, re-established Remembrance Day as a significant day of commemoration.
Four years later, in 1997, Governor-General Sir William Deane issued a proclamation formally declaring 11 November to be Remembrance Day, urging all Australians to observe one minute's silence at 11 am on 11 November each year to remember those who died or suffered for Australia's cause in all wars and armed conflicts.
Dear God,
I come to you asking for your help in keeping me strong and healthy in body, mind and spirit.
I thank you because you created me and you know my inner thoughts. You know all of my fears, my hopes and my dreams. You know my past, present and future. Only you know my personality and you know all of my emotional needs.
I pray that you will help me handle my emotions well. I thank you that you understand my feelings and that you hurt when I hurt and you rejoice when I rejoice. Comfort me when I am hurting. Calm me when I am distressed and anxious. Heal me when I am broken. Show me how to handle stress.
Guide me how to keep my life balanced. Open my eyes to activities that can replenish my mind and spirit. Connect me with others in meaningful ways. Deepen my friendships, strengthen my family ties, connect me with other Christians. Help me care for my body and keep it strong. Help me to eat well and keep fit.Most of all, draw me closer to you. Fill me with faith, trust, love, grace and peace.
Let me sit at your feet in your presence, safe and secure in You.
Amen.
**** Please be aware that Father Greg is on annual leave from Monday 25th October until Friday 19th November****
Upcoming Events
TERM 4 |
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Thursday 11th November 10.50am |
Remembrance Day Liturgy
Groups of Year 6 children will be visiting all classes to present a liturgy to each grade in remembrance of this special day. |
Sunday 28th November 8.30am & 10.30am
* spaces for the 10.30am Mass are filling fast * |
Prep Family Masses
To accommodate the large number of people and families attending this event, 2 Masses will be offered to families.
Please note that the following restrictions will be in place for this event: ● 5 members per family (including prep child) ● Every attendee will be required to register for Mass at: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/stmarys ● Masks to be worn by attendees over 12 years of age ● Sign in to Mass using a QR code ● Government mandates require that church adult attendees be fully vaccinated. |
Saturday 4th December 6pm Sunday 5th December 8.30am, 10.30am & 5pm |
Year 5 First Eucharist
Please note that the following restrictions will be in place for this event: ● 5 members per family (including the communicant) ● Every attendee will be required to register for Mass at: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/stmarys ● Masks to be worn by attendees over 12 years of age ● Sign in to Mass using a QR code ● Government mandates require that church adult attendees be fully vaccinated. |
2022 |
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Saturday 19th February 6pm
Sunday 20th February 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 after December 6th.
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How to Teach Children Gratitude
This article explains the importance of teaching children Gratitude and offers suggestions on how to instill Gratitude. It provides research findings and how Gratitude is more than just saying thank- you.
A 2019 study published in the Journal of Happiness Studies1 found that gratitude is linked to happiness in children by age 5. This means that instilling gratitude in your kids at a young age could help them grow up to be happier people.
According to a 2008 study published in the Journal of School Psychology2 , grateful children (ages 11 to 13) tend to be happier, more optimistic, and have better social support. They also report more satisfaction with their schools, families, communities, friends, and themselves. Grateful kids also tend to give more social support to others as well.
Click the link here to find out more information.
St Mary’s Lego Station
St Mary’s School is gratefully asking for donations of any unwanted lego, particularly Lego Mini- Figures you might have at home.
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.
eSafety parent guide to digital technologies and mental health
This webinar will provide parents and carers with strategies to help young people and their mental health when they are online.
It is designed for parents and carers of young people aged 10–18.
It will cover:
- what do to about accidental exposure to content about suicide, self-harm or eating disorders
- using games, apps and social media to support mental wellbeing
- the pros and cons of digital mental health platforms
- strategies for young people to support friends online.
Dates (Australian Eastern Daylight Time)
Thursday 18 November 12.30 to 1.30 pm
eSafety’s parent guide to online gaming
This Term 4 webinar will provide parents and carers with an understanding of the benefits and risks of online gaming.
It is designed for parents and carers of young people aged 8–13.
It will cover:
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eSafety’s State of play research
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the games young people are using and how they are engaging with them
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the benefits of gaming and how to mitigate risks
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practical strategies to use at home and where to find help and support if things go wrong.
Dates (Australian Eastern Daylight Time)
15 November 12.30 to 1.30 pm
24 November 7.30 to 8.30 pm
We are starting to plan for 2022 so if you have been thinking about joining the P&F now may be a great time to come along and learn more about what we do. Our next meeting will be held on Monday 15th November at 7pm, email secretary@smwilliamstown.catholic.edu.au if you would like to join.
St Mary’s Fabulous Family Fair
2022 will be the return of the St Mary’s Fabulous Family Fair, tentatively booked for Sunday 13th November. This is an all-day event, held in the school and Maclean Reserve, that we run every two years. The Fair is a brilliant way to showcase our school within the community, raise funds for the school and most importantly have some fun!!
Planning will commence this year and we are eager to hear from anyone interested in getting involved in any capacity. There are probably lots of families that haven’t had an opportunity to participate or contribute to a Fair due to the impact of the pandemic which meant we had to cancel the Fair in 2020. Please don’t be shy …if you have event management, sponsorship, planning, logistics or happy to get stuck in and help out please reach out to the president@smwilliamstown.catholic.edu.au
School Lunches are back!
Lunch orders have recommenced and available every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
We are trialing a new supplier - Beaver’s Tail. Everything will be managed directly with Beaver’s Tail (ordering, payment, queries) and not through CDF Pay. This is a change to how lunch orders worked previously, and you need to have orders in the night before.
We will be seeking feedback from the school community towards the end of term. Happy ordering!
Christmas Cards
Thank you to all the children and congratulations on preparing such beautiful artwork for the Christmas Cards, we have some very talented kids. Our orders closed on Friday 5th November, thank you to all the families that submitted an order, we had a total of 293 orders, we expect the cards back in early December.
A huge thank you to Charlotte Lipnicki and Stephanie Streets for coordination and guidance on the artwork.
Secondhand Uniforms & Donations
Reminder to parents that Secondhand Uniforms can now be ordered for click-and-collect by emailing uniformspf@smwilliamstown.catholic.edu.au
We are also seeking secondhand uniform donations are greatly appreciated and can be left at the school office. Please ensure items are clean and in a sellable condition.
Jemima Bowen
P&F President (president@smwiliamstown.catholic.edu.au)
The College is well and truly into exam season at the moment with many Year 12 exams completed and Year 11 exams starting on Monday this week. The students have worked really hard to remain engaged in their learning despite the disruptions of lockdowns and we again wish them the best of luck.
The Twilight Talk and Tour event for next Tuesday – St Paul’s Campus - is a virtual event. Registrations are essential and can be made under the Tours & Events tab found on the right hand side of the homepage of the College website, www.ecmelb.catholic.edu.au
Just a reminder that all remaining tours of both campuses for 2021 have been postponed and we look forward to an uninterrupted tour program recommencing early in 2022.
Also, please note the deadline for accepting offers of enrolment for Year 7, 2023 is this coming Friday. If you have not yet accepted your offer, please complete the Confirmation of Acceptance form and follow the return instructions. Thank you to those families who have already submitted their acceptance. If you have any questions, please contact the College Registrar on 8325 5119 or at enrolments@ecmelb.catholic.edu.au