Filter Content
Dear Parents, Guardians and Community,
October is the month that we dedicate to the Holy Rosary. The purpose of the Rosary is to help keep in memory certain principal events in the life of Jesus. There are twenty mysteries reflected upon in the Rosary, and these are divided into the five Joyful Mysteries (said on Monday and Saturday), the five Luminous Mysteries (said on Thursday), the five Sorrowful Mysteries (said on Tuesday and Friday), and the five Glorious Mysteries (said on Wednesday and Sunday). As an exception, the Joyful Mysteries may be said on Sundays during Advent and Christmas, while the Sorrowful Mysteries may be said on the Sundays of Lent.
The steps to praying the Rosary are:
- Make the Sign of the Cross and say the “Apostles’ Creed”
- Say the “Our Father”
- Say three “Hail Marys” for Faith, Hope, and Charity
- Say the “Glory Be”
- Announce the First Mystery and then say the “Our Father”
- Say ten “Hail Marys” while meditating on the Mystery
- Say the “Glory Be” (Optional: Say the “O My Jesus” prayer requested by Mary at Fatima)
- Announce the Next Mystery; then say the “Our Father” and repeat these steps (6 through 8) as you continue through the remaining Mysteries.
- Say the closing prayers: the “Hail Holy Queen” and “Final Prayer”
- Make the “Sign of the Cross”
You may wish to say the rosary with your family at this time.
Our Fabulous Fair. For those who have missed it, here is the link to the sign up sheet for our Fabulous Fair Our Fabulous Fair Volunteer Sign Up Sheet It would be great if all families can help us on the day. The Playground Development is one of the key goals of where the funds will go to.
Earlier this week our Year 4 class went on Urban Camp, staying overnight and visiting the Australian Sport's Museum, the Zoo other places around Melbourne. For many it is their first time sleeping away from family so it is a big occasion. Thanks to the staff for their commitment to the students for organising this.
On Thursday 20th October our Year 3 students are doing a bike ride together, putting together all they have learnt in their Bike Education Lessons. Riding to school at St Mary's is so much easier now with the improvements around the school from Hobson City Bay Council to make this school a precinct to walk and ride to school.
On Tuesday, Rebecca Backman and myself attended a day on Mathematics education looking at how other schools are teaching Maths. Other schools presented about how they have improved their Mathematics results and the steps they took to change their practice. There were certainly some things we can learn from other schools to help us to continue to improve our work in that area.
On Wednesday we have a day at school where the teachers get a chance to visit another teacher and observe them teaching. Teachers have nominated a lesson such as phonics lesson, mindfulness, morning prayer, Lego therapy or a Math's lessons and other teachers can nominate which lesson they wish to see. We also have a chance to debrief later. It is a great chance to learn off each other. This is part of our work for our School Improvement Goal of Instructional Coaching and learning off each other.
Welcome to George Tsantarlis and his parents Kathleen and Ralph. George has joined Miss King's Year 1 class. We hope they feel welcome in our community.
God bless,
Anthony
In this update:
The Victorian Government has announced the end of the pandemic declaration and associated pandemic orders. New settings will apply from 11.59 pm on Wednesday 12 October 2022. Requirements for close contacts, like continually testing negative on a rapid antigen test (RAT), will become strong recommendations – joining the strong recommendation to wear a mask indoors, which will remain in place. Changes to COVID-19 isolation requirements
Where students become symptomatic at school, they should:
COVID-19 reporting requirements Schools are no longer have to alert your school communities of positive cases. Face masks The Department of Health recommends that masks should be worn by a person who is a close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 when leaving home. Additionally, the department recommends that masks should be worn by a person who has COVID-19 for 10 days after a positive test when they need to leave home. |
St Mary's Families Supporting Each Other
Financially: Did you know that families often financially donate to support other families. This may come in the form of offering to pay for another families school fees, camp fees or other costs. We cannot give money to another family directly, however we can use that money to supplement their school fees, camp fees etc.)To support another family in our school, use our normal bank account with a reference;
ST MARY'S FAMILY SUPPORT DONATION
Bank Account BSB 083 347 Account Number: 658206494
Second Hand Uniform Shop: Many families donate old uniforms to our second hand shop. These second hand uniforms are either resold or donated to families in our school.
Book Exchange: Did you know we have a book exchange near the entry of our school? Many families use this to donate and swap books.
St Mary's Parish School Building fund (Tax Deductable) You may also choose to support the school by making a donation to the St Mary's Parish School Building Fund. All donations to this fund are tax deductable. Funds can only be spent on a set criteria which include building maintenance, repair, replacement or a new building. BSB: 083 347 Account Number: 153900034
As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee.
As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him
and raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!”
And when he saw them, he said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” As they were going they were cleansed.
And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice;
and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan.
Jesus said in reply, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine?
Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?”
Then he said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.”
October - Mission Month
Please keep sending in your socks. There is a box in each classroom and the teachers are already learning about how to make the sock ball.
We are already making plans for the big shootout.
We have however changed the date, so that the shootout happens in Catholic Mission week.
The new date is now Friday 28th October.
On Friday the 28th October all children can wear their sports uniform and their house/team colours.
More information will be given in the next few weeks and updates will continue to be posted in the newsletter.
If you would like more information please jump on this link socktober.
Important dates to Remember for Term 4
Event |
Date |
Time |
Where |
Socktober Shootout |
28th Oct |
All day |
Playground |
First Advent Liturgy Parents Welcome |
25th Nov |
3:00 |
Church |
Prep 2023 Welcome Mass |
27th Nov |
10:30 |
Church |
Seniors Mass |
2nd Dec |
11:30 |
Church - Yr 4 |
Second Advent Liturgy Parents Welcome |
2nd Dec |
3:00 |
Church |
Feast of the Immaculate Conception |
8th Dec |
9:15 |
Church |
Third Advent Liturgy Parents Welcome |
9th Dec |
3:00 |
Church |
End of Year Mass |
15th December |
TBC |
Church |
Congratulations to the Term 4 Class Representatives. Badges and cetificates will be presented at assembly on Thursday morning. All welcome!
PL |
Hazel Lathouras and Yianni Demertzis |
PS |
Max Biley and Ava Paton |
1K |
Olivia Scarpino |
1RM |
Mikaela Lusi |
2C |
Ella Rinaldi |
2M |
Harry Carter |
3E |
Lachlan Kirby |
3S |
Lucian Lusi |
4D |
Harry Rinaldi |
4SB |
Xavier O’Keefe |
5H |
Caitlin Andrews |
5C |
James Cumming-Jones |
6D |
Alice Boulton and Max Dorinko |
6B |
Michael Boru |
The first P&F meeting for 4th term was held on Monday 10th October. Our focus for this meeting was to start planning the fun events for 2023. A huge thank you to the people who have coordinated events over 2022. Over the coming weeks we will be contacting the 2022 coordinators to confirm who will be coordinating again in 2023.
Free Dress Day
On Friday 21st October the children are invited to come dressed in their civilian clothes for the day. The cost for participating will be a family-sized chocolate bar, which will be collected by teachers and used at the school fair for the Choc Toss stall.
175th Anniversary Books
To celebrate St Mary’s 175th anniversary, a book titled “Home and Place” was commissioned to celebrate the unique history of St Mary’s School Williamstown. We have found a couple of boxes of these books, and they can now be purchased from the office for $5 a copy, a saving of 90%. These would make great keep-sakes for year 6 students graduating this year, or as a special gift for an ex-student.
The next 2nd hand uniform shop will be back in Term 4, for all of your summer uniform needs. The next shop for Term 4 is scheduled for Wednesday 19th October, from 8:30-9:30am in the hall, and fortnightly after that. In addition, uniforms can still be ordered at any time by emailing Sherrine and Meagan at uniformspf@smwilliamstown.catholic.edu.au
What’s happening in the 4th Term?
This is just a snapshot of what the P&F Association has planned for the fourth term.
Date |
What’s happening |
Tuesday 18th October (7pm) |
Fair Working Group Meeting (Parish Centre & Online) |
Wednesday 19th October (8.30am - 9.30am) |
2nd Hand Uniform Sales (School Hall) |
Friday 21st October (all day) |
Free-Dress Day (Bring a chocolate bar) |
Wednesday 2nd November (8.30am - 9.30am) |
2nd Hand Uniform Sales (School Hall) |
Sunday 13th November (All day) |
St Mary’s Fabulous Family Fair (School grounds) |
Wednesday 16th November (8.30am - 9.30am) |
2nd Hand Uniform Sales (School Hall) |
Monday 21st November (7pm - 8pm) |
P&F Meeting (TBA) |
Wednesday 30th November (8.30am - 9.30am) |
2nd Hand Uniform Sales (School Hall) |
Wednesday 14th December (8.30am - 9.30am) |
2nd Hand Uniform Sales (School Hall) |
St Mary's Fabulous Family Fair
What to expect at the Fair
Never been to a St Mary’s Fabulous Family Fair before and don’t know what to expect?
-
Rides
-
Games
-
Showbags
-
Cake stall
-
Bar (open from 12pm)
-
Community sports
-
Books, puzzles and games
-
just to name a few of the stalls available.
The day is a lot of fun for our kids but also our wider community, so invite family and friends to come along on the day. Make sure to book in time to watch the kids perform on the entertainment stage.
Volunteer Sign Ups
We need your help to fill all our volunteer shifts on the day of the Fair but also on Friday and Saturday leading up to the big day.
Thanks to everyone who has already signed up as a volunteer. We have filled approximately 30% of the shifts for the big day.
To spread the load and make it easier for us all to be able to volunteer we have created two hour shifts across Sunday 13th November.
Please complete the online sign up form.
SPECIAL CALL OUT - anyone that has a current RSA and are able to help with the shifts for the bar we would really appreciate volunteers for that stall.
Grab a friend and sign up together. It is a great way to contribute to a fun community based event.
Badges, Magnets and Keyrings - New in 2022
If you are looking for something unique, a bit of fun or want to personalise your school bag you can create your own badge, keyring or magnet at the Fair on Sunday 13th November.
-
Badges $2 each
-
Magnets $3 each
-
Keyrings $ 3 each
All items will be available on the day but to avoid the queue and to spend a little time creating your special pieces please pre-order.
Steps
-
To pre-order simply log-in to CDF Pay and order your preferred item by child
-
Collect artwork templates from the school office, available week commencing 17th October
-
If you would like to create a special item using a photo please ensure that these are printed or 80 GSM paper stock
-
Any pre-ordered artwork will need to be handed in at the school office by Thursday 10th November, this will help you to avoid the queues at the Fair.
-
Bring your artwork or photo on the day or even create it on the day at the Christmas Craft Stall
-
Collect your item/s from the Christmas Craft Stall on Sunday 13th November
With Christmas around the corner these can make great gifts for family and friends
Rides
Pre-sales of All Day Ride Wristbands are now available on CDF Pay , these are available at a discounted rate of $30 per wristband if you purchase before Thursday 10th November. A ride wristband permits the kids to ride as many times as they like from 10am - 4pm. It is a great way to keep the kids entertained throughout the day.
All day ticket rides are $35 on the day, single rides are $7 per ticket.
Pre-purchased wristbands can be collected from the Rides Stall from 10am Sunday 13th November.
Donations Still needed
CHOCOLATE
To get to our target of 600 bars of chocolate for the Choc Toss stall we need a further 400 family blocks of chocolate donated. If you are able and perhaps spy a block on special if you can add one to the trolley for the Fair we would really appreciate it. These items can be dropped off at any time at the school office.
BUY-A-BOTTLE
Are still needing another 100 bottles to contribute to our buy-a-bottle stand. These do not need to be alcohol, they can be glass bottles of special sauces, oils, bath oils, cordials. We are pretty close to hitting the donation target for this stall, please keep those glass bottles coming in.
LUCKY DIP
We are seeking small items that can be used in lucky dip. Perhaps you have some leftover party favours or know someone that recently held a party that may be looking to get rid of leftover items. Please send them in to school, a donation box is located in the school office.
We are also still accepting glass jars already filled with lucky dip items.
Cake Stall Pledges
One of most popular stalls the Cake Stall is a success based upon the fabulous creations that come from our families. We are aiming for approx 200 items so we need as many pledges in as possible.
As in previous years, each year level will be allocated to types of baked goods to ensure we have a wide selection of treats but if you have a special recipe or skill for a particular type please feel free to substitute.
-
Prep and Grade 1 - Whole cakes and biscuits
-
Grade 2 and 3 - Whole cakes and cupcakes
-
Grade 4 - Whole cakes and muffins
-
Grade 5 and 6 - Whole cakes, sweet treats and slices
Things to remember: Consider Allergy Free – Gluten free (very popular), dairy free, egg free NUTS are OK – BUT please NO fresh cream due to minimal refrigeration.
Ingredients & Packaging: We promise to make it easy for you. We will provide you with ingredient label(s) for each item baked to simply tick and attach to packaging, cake boxes with clear plastic bags and ribbon and cellophane bags and ribbon for biscuits.
Complete the pledge form before 28 October.
https://www.signupgenius.com/
Fair Working Group Meeting
The next meeting is being held on 18 October at 7.00pm. This meeting is scheduled in the Parish Centre but zoom will be available for those that cannot make it to the Parish Centre.
Please email fair@smwilliamstown.catholic.
Stall Champions
If you need to organise a time with the Stall Coordinator Louise Dorinko please reach out as soon as possible.
To place an order, head over to www.scholastic.com.au/loop. Please note, no money can be accepted at school.
It is a very exciting time for the young people of the College with the Year 12 Graduation mass being held at St Patrick’s Cathedral last Friday evening, followed by a dinner at the Sofitel. It was terrific to see young people about to embark on the next stage of their lives being celebrated together. Now those celebrations are over, the Year 12s are knuckling down to the last week or so of school, revision and study as they head into their exams.
The next College experience for families to enjoy is the annual Twilight Talk & Tour to be held at St Paul’s Campus, registration for this event is essential and can be made by clicking on the Tours and Events tab on the right-hand side of the homepage on the College’s website, www.ecmelb.catholic.edu.au Details of the events are as follows;
Notre Dame Campus - Tuesday 8 November, 2023 - Commencing at 6.00 pm
St Paul’s Campus - Tuesday 15 November, 2023 - Commencing at 6.00 pm
We hope to see you at an event soon
We are holding our Year 7 2023 Information Night on Wednesday 19 October at 7pm
Our Year 2023 families have been emailed and asked to attend the info night at tthe campus that their child is enrolled at:
Year 7 2023 Information Night October 19, 7pm
St Paul's Campus - McCoy Hall Chambers Rd Altona Nth
Notre Dame Campus - Quiroga Hall Foxwood Drive Point Cook
St Mary's School is a Child Safe School and as such complies with all aspects and legal obligations that relate to the Child Wellbeing and Safety Act 2005 (VIC)