Dear families,

We have made it to the end of another term.  And what a term it has been.  I had been hoping that as we head into school holidays we would know what next term has in store, but alas, this will not be the case.

I share the frustration and deep disappointment of our Year 3-6 students and parents, particularly our Year 6s, with so much still unknown and uncertain.  Please know that we are working hard to try and plan for various scenarios to ensure that WHEN (let’s be hopeful!) we return to school, we will do everything within our power to make what time we have together truly memorable. 

On Tuesday’s closure day, staff worked together to re-energise the curriculum content moving forward, particularly for the Year 3-6 students who will continue to learn remotely for the beginning of the term. Student activities will be much more project-based and allow for students to pursue topics of interest. This plan aims to re-energise and re-engage students as we continue to learn remotely for the time being. For Prep - 2 students returning to face-to-face learning, there will be a strong focus on English, Maths and Wellbeing, working on early identification of learning gaps, so that we can target teaching quickly with the time we have this year.  

For our students returning to face-to-face learning on-site next term, we are still awaiting directives regarding staggered start and end times. I imagine these will not be too dissimilar to processes we had in place upon the last return to school in Term 2.  We will distribute information regarding these processes in the first week of Term 4.

The Victorian Government has extended the closing date for families to submit Health Care Cards to schools.  If there are any parents with a newly acquired Health Care Card or with a card that have not informed the school, please send a photo of this card to bursar@smaltona.catholic.edu.au as you may be eligible to claim $125  per student as an ongoing deduction from the excursion levy.  You may also qualify for ongoing fee assistance. 

Next term, we will  be reissuing fee and levy invoices to families. These revised statements will remove levies for items that will no longer take place (eg camps, swimming programs, sacraments etc). If families have already paid their fees and levies in full, a credit will be issued or refund (for exiting families).

Please reach out if you are experiencing financial difficulties. We will work with you to come to a manageable and comfortable arrangement.

I wish to thank you all for the support you have provided for your children and their teachers this year.  I am so proud of how well our children have adapted.  Our teachers have all continually commented on the incredible resilience of our students. Thank you to the parents who have taken the time to send messages of gratitude for their child’s teachers.  These messages are so very much appreciated and help spur us on to continue to provide the best learning opportunities for your children.

Today, we also bid farewell to Mrs Nancy Leone and Mrs Jane Kirkwood who commence their maternity leave.  We wish them and their respective partners, all the very best for an exciting future that awaits.  May God bless their families with healthy and happy babies.  We look forward to seeing many photos!

I wish our students a safe and happy holiday and our parents and carers a well-deserved break from supporting the online learning of your children.

Get out and enjoy the sunshine as best as you can within our current restrictions. I cannot wait for our school to once again be buzzing with the sound of children’s laughter and energy.  These places are not the same without them.

God bless and I hope to see you all soon.

Sonia

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After taking on board requests from members of the community, we have decided to increase our usage of our School App - Updat-ed.  It will become the medium we use for sending quick alerts & reminders about school events and to update you, if for example the bus coming home from camp is late.
When we send an alert, your phone will ping and the message will land in the ALERTS folder.
Another feature of the app is the EVENTS folder. In it you'll find all our calendar dates. Just click on an event to save it directly into your phone's calendar. Easy!

       

Click on the images below to download Updat-ed, or visit the App Store for iphones and Google Play for Androids. Search for Updat-ed.  

      

If you already have the current app there is no need to download it again. 



If you have any questions about the app, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Regards
Marg Masseni - mmasseni@smaltona.catholic.edu.au
Website Curator

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Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage

 

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We have now reached the end of our third term and we stand in awe of the efforts of our teachers, students, staff and families over this challenging time. We wish everyone in the St Mary’s community a safe and restful holiday with family. 

We look forward with hope to seeing everyone back in Term 4 rejuvenated and ready for whatever the future holds.

End of Term Prayer We thank you Lord, for this term. For the challenges, the successes,  and the mistakes from which we have learnt. Be with us as we spend our time with family and friends. Give us strength and courage to do  what is right: to be witnesses of our faith. Help us to be a practical Christian  these holidays, to appreciate what others do for us, to give time and effort to help others. To be peacemakers in our family. Keep us safe in our activities; give us good rest and good fun. Bring us back refreshed and ready for a new term. We thank you for our classmates, teachers, parents And a community that cares for us. May we always be conscious of you in our lives. Amen

Yours in faith
Matthew Taylor

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Click on the links to access a range of information & activities across our community, including news & information from the parish and local secondary schools as well as, this week, information about Creative Music and Workshops for parents re teens.
NEW this week...
Church Bulletin 21st October
Emmanuel College Update 21st October
Hobsons Bay Children's Week
Creative Music - Sign up for Term 4

Tuning in to Teens is heading into its Term 4 sessions so we’re getting the word out to parents who may want to join in. This 7-week program is designed to support parents in raising emotionally intelligent teens to improve relationships, communication skills and overall wellbeing.

Two Tuning in to Teens courses will be running in term 4:

• Wednesday 6 to 8pm from 14^th October to 25^th November.
• Wednesday 6.30 to 8.30pm from 28^th October to 9^th December.

Registrations essential. Learn more over on our webpage: www.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/teens

Archive...
Emmanuel College Update - 16th October
Camp Australia
Joseph's Corner newsletter
Camp Australia

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This week I received an email from a parent who had come across a resource that she had found most useful when helping her child in during this period of remote learning and she felt it was worth sharing. 
She wrote...

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With the school holidays on our door step and after a long peroid of isolation and lockdown, the these holidays may seem like a big challenge for some families, especially in regards to technology. The team at the Cyber Safety Project have greated a Holiday Digital Balance Challenge, that focuses on children creating using technology, rather than consuming. You can read their blog post for parents here, where you can also find 2 weeks of challenge activities to promote some great creating using technology. 
 

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Today we farewell Nancy Leone (Prep L) and Jane Kirkwood (Year 3/4K). Both of these wonderful ladies leave us to start a new adventure in life as they become mothers for the first time in the coming months.  We know that you will join us in wishing them all the very best. We look forward to seeing them in Term 4 with their beautiful bundles of joy!

   

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Congratulations to Ryder, Isabella and Aidan who were awarded our Aussie of the Month awards for September. Click here to see their smiling faces and to find out why they got their awards.

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