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Dear Parents, Guardians and Community,
Thank you to everyone for the great start to the year. The students continue to work well and be on their best behaviour. I have already done quite a few tours for new students in 2023 and all the families are very impressed by how settled our students are. At the moment I have 18 tours either completed or booked in, which is much higher than in comparison to other years at this time. Using our online application process through the school website has made it much easier for new families to find out about the school and complete an application and inquiry. Existing families also need to complete the enrolment application through the website.
Covid. As you may have noticed we have had a few covid cases. We have many discussions at school; is this safe, can we do this, is that enough social distancing etc. We seemed to be going okay at this stage in comparison to other schools but as we learnt last year, that can change very quickly. So please, let us be vigilant with our Covid Safe Practices. Included in this newsletter is a letter from Melbourne Archdiocesan Catholic Schools about Vaccinations. Families should receive their next RAT tests soon.
Meet and Greet: On Tuesday we held our meet and greet where families had a chance to meet the teacher and give them a better idea of the needs of their child. If you were unable to make this time, please be sure to contact the teacher individually to make another time.
God Bless
Anthony
Faith News - School and Parish Connections
School Prayer
Creator God,
We at St Mary’s school pray that we contine to live by the Gospel in our work and play.
Help us to care and respect for each other as Jesus teaches us.
Bless everyone in our school, parish and beyond as we go forth and work together as followers of Christ to reach out to those in need.
Jesus be in our thoughts. (use thumb to make a cross on your forehead)
Jesus be in our words. (use thumb to make a cross on your lips)
Jesus be in our hearts. (use thumb to make a cross on your heart)
Amen
Beginning of school Liturgy
On Friday we will be celebrating the beginning of school Mass. This year we will not be gathering in the Church due to Covid restrictions. The Liturgy will be celebrated in each class.
Important dates to Remember for this Term
Event |
Date |
Time |
Where |
Beginning of school Year Mass |
11th Feb |
3:00 |
Online in classroom |
Year 5 Family Mass |
13th Feb |
10:30 |
Church |
Year 5 First Eucharist |
19th |
6:00 |
Church |
Year 5 Eucharist |
20th Feb |
8:30 & 10 :30 |
Church |
Ash Wednesday Mass |
2nd March |
9:15 |
Church |
Feast of St Joseph |
18th March |
9:15 |
Church |
Year 3 Reconciliation Family information night |
TBA |
TBA |
School Hall |
Year 3 Family Mass |
20th March |
10:30 |
Church |
Year 3 Reconciliation |
22nd March |
TBA |
Church |
Year 3 Reconciliation |
23rd March |
TBA |
Church |
Year 3 Reconciliation |
24th March |
TBA |
Church |
Sacramental Dates for 2022
Year 5 Eucharist:
Saturday 19th February at 6:00 pm
Sunday 20th February at 8:30 and 10:30 am
The Mass time that you booked for your child in 2021 will stay the same. If this time is no longer suitable for you and your family please contact Fr Greg to discuss your options. Fr Greg can be contacted at greg.trythall@cam.org.au
Please be aware that the Saturday evening and Sunday 10:30 Masses are already fully booked.
Again we are going to have cap the number of people per family to 5 including the candidate. We apologise for this, but we are trying to keep the community safe.
Reconciliation - Year 3
Tuesday 22nd March
Wednesday 23rd March
Thursday 24th March
Friday 25th March
Times have yet to be confirmed. Further information will be sent out shortly, so please keep checking the newsletter for updates.
Eucharist - Year 4
Saturday 21st May at 6pm
Sunday 22nd May at 8.30am & 10.30am
Confirmation - Year 6
Tuesday 26th July at 6pm
Wednesday 27th July at 6pm
Thursday 28th July at 6pm
Dear Parents
As there is a monthly ‘Farmers Market’ on this Sunday at Robertson Reserve could you make sure you are a few minutes earlier to get a park for the 10:30 am Grade 5 Family Mass this coming weekend.
Please, also be reminded as it is good to have the whole property looking nice, there is a Parish Working Bee for Saturday 26th February from 9 – 11:00am. Come along and help the other workers (even if only for an hour) to help tidy up the Parish Grounds from the basketball court area to Parish Church and back behind Parish Centre. You are welcome to report to John O’Keefe or myself on the day for various work assignments fitting your interests and capacities. Bring your own tools/equipment. Also, as two parents, (one due to a long term injury) cannot do the front lawns anymore, there is need for two more parents to be on the lawn mowing roster every third or fourth month (for the month). It is easy to contact me on 0400524363 or greg.trythall@cam.org.au
Warm regards to all.
Fr Greg 9/2/2022
Specialist Newsletters - Term 1
Class Representatives Term 1
Congratulations to the following students who have been elected to represent their classes in Term 1. Students will be presented with their badges and certificates at the online assembly on Thursday. This will be recorded and shared with families.
PL |
Ben Hage and Xavier Carmont |
PS |
Chloe Cassell and Tom McCutcheon |
1K |
James Davis |
1RM |
Briella Dias |
2C |
Frankie Glasic |
2M |
Lucy O’Dowd |
3E |
Eve Osuchowski |
3S |
Annika Sementilli |
4D |
Charlotte Hussey |
4SB |
Lily Tosevski |
5H |
Claudia Lofting |
5C |
Ava Beckton |
6D |
Aidan Garner and Noah Kirby |
6B |
Evan Vella |
ST MARY’S ICT AGREEMENT
St Mary’s ICT Agreement has been developed to establish school wide expectations in the use of online and digital technology.The ICT Agreement will be sent home with each student in Years 1-6. Please read and discuss the agreement with your child and return the signed agreement.
Students in Years 1-6 will also take part in Cyber Safety lessons this term and throughout the year to develop their knowledge and understanding of being responsible, respectful, safe and kind when online and using digital technologies.
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.
A reminder that the following interactive webinars are being offered online by the Australian Government’s e-safety Commissioner to help parents and carers.
The Parent and Friends Committee will be hosting our first meeting on Tuesday 15th February, which will be our Annual General Meeting and we would love our community to get involved and come along, see what is in store for 2022. If you would like to attend please email Jacinda Davies secretary@smwilliamstown.catholic.edu.au .
We are planning for Shrove Tuesday but we will give an update closer to 1st March if the event is permitted to proceed. See the update below for volunteers and donated items.
Many thanks for all your support
Jemima Bowen
P&F President
P&F Meetings
Parents and Friends meetings will be held on the second Monday night of the month, with the exception of the AGM which is being held Tuesday, 15th February. This year we are looking for parents who have fresh, new ideas to join the group. There are a number of benefits to joining the P&F:
1) Kids love seeing their parents getting involved in their school community.
2) Parents meet other parents in a stress-free environment
3) The school community benefits from your skillset, and you might learn a new skill set
4) It's fun being involved.
Meetings are open to all parents, so don't be shy, come along and be part of something great.
St Mary’s Fabulous Fair
Planning is underway for the school fair and we are seeking volunteers to help on the Working Group. The Working Group will meet monthly and will work through the event planning and coordination. You don’t have to have experience just a lot of enthusiasm and energy to bring back one of our premier events for the school. Please email president@smwilliamstown.catholic.edu.au
Shrove Tuesday – 1 March 2022
To celebrate Shrove Tuesday the Parents and Friends Committee will be offering pancakes to all students on Tuesday 1 March. Many thanks to Annette Bakker for volunteering as our event co-ordinator.
Kids will enjoy a pancake prepared by our parent helpers in the morning. Each student is asked to donate a gold coin, with all donations going to charity. We are seeking your support as helpers, see note below and seeking donations for:
- Plain/Original pancake mixture bottles (Green’s Brand only)
- Greens Maple Flavoured Syrup
- Lemons
Drop off point is the school office before or after school.
If you are interested in volunteering, please contact volunteers@smwilliamstown.catholic.edu.au
Second Hand Uniform Pop Up Shop
Have the kids had a big growth spurt over summer? Remember that you can order any items from our Second Hand Uniform Shop at any time by emailing uniformspf@smwilliamstown.catholic.edu.au
Alternatively, sales will be held on the following dates between 8.30am and 9.30am in the school hall
- 16th February
- 2nd March
- 16th March
- 30th March
Lunch order update
Lunch orders are underway. We are keen to receive feedback over the next two weeks, this can be shared via secretary@smwilliamstown.catholic.edu.au
Thank you for your patience as we work through the details.
Scholastic Book Club is back for 2022!
Book Club is back for another year providing families a great opportunity to purchase a wide range of quality books at competitive prices whilst helping our school earn free books and resources.
To place an order go to www.scholastic.com.au/loop and create yourself a profile. Submit and pay for your order online.
Please note - NO money will be accepted at the school. All orders must be placed online.
Issue 1 orders are due back by 18th February 2022