St. Mary's eNews

Term 4 Week 7


Principal's Message ~ 20th November

Dear families,

As we eagerly await this weekend’s announcements from the Premier, I hope you are managing to enjoy some of our newly found freedoms.

 
Revised fee statements are ready for distribution.  Please look out for an envelope in your child’s bag next week. If you prefer to have your statement emailed, please contact Katrina on
kchavarria@smaltona.catholic.edu.au . As previously mentioned, we have removed all other levies besides family fees and curriculum levies. While this year certainly looked different, our teachers worked harder than ever to try and offer the best in difficult circumstances and the cost of running the school has not actually reduced. In fact, our cleaning budget alone has close to tripled!  It is imperative that any outstanding fees and levies are paid before the end of the year, unless another arrangement has been reached by consultation. We are able to offer payment plans for families and of course, holders of Health Care Cards also qualify for further governmental reductions, so if you find yourself in genuine financial hardship, please contact me at principal@smaltona.catholc.edu.au.  In case you missed the announcement earlier this term, fees and levies will remain the same price for the 2021 school year.


We have much staff news to share:  

  • Mrs Stefanie Harvey has accepted a Deputy Principal position at Corpus Christi, Werribee. She is well and truly ready to take on this next exciting role in her career.  Stefanie’s leadership and presence will certainly be missed around the school. I know the students will miss her calm approach in the classroom.
  • Mr Tim Lappin has accepted a position in Drouin next year. Tim and his family are in the process of building a new home in the area and it will be a far easier commute to work for him once the home is ready. I know the children will miss him as his lessons are always enjoyed by all.
  • Mrs Mirjana Sawyer has accepted a Learning Support position in Hoppers Crossing. I know she has been an amazing support to the students entrusted to her. She knows our students so well and our staff will miss her dedication and efficiency.  Mirjana was also a much appreciated key staff member onsite everyday throughout the remote learning in Term 3.

I know you will join me in offering our congratulations and best wishes to Stefanie, Tim and Mirjana.  We have a big job on our hands filling their shoes in 2021.



Enjoy this wonderful weather, keep on keeping safe.


Sonia



Zara R: 'Donate your ponytail' program

Recently Zara R from 5/6T donated her hair to the Variety Club via the Sustainable Salons "Donate your ponytail" program. Check out the photos of Zara to see how the process works.  We are very proud of you Zara. Well done.

Thanks to Jacinta Ramsey (mother of Ruby & Ashton) for volunteering her time and skills to get this whole process organised for Zara. You may remember that Ruby donated her hair last year.

Sustainable Salons collects ponytails and distributes them to charitable organisations and local wig-makers where they can become wigs for those suffering from medically-induced hair-loss conditions such as Alopecia and cancer, or help fund other life-changing programs!
Perhaps it might be something you are interested in doing. 

     

Learning & Teaching: Maths Anxiety

Yes, it is a thing!

At some point or another, you have most likely had your child come home saying they don’t like maths. One of the underlying reasons for feeling this way is often because they feel that they can’t do it. 

Everyone is capable of learning in the area of maths however research is continually undertaken in this area and it is believed that at least 20% of the US population are highly anxious about maths and given the cultural similarities between Australia and the US, we can assume that this number would be comparable.

Click this link to access a short TED ED Youtube clip titled Why do people get so anxious about Maths? which further explains the research done in this area.

 



Education In Faith: Advert Week 1

Next week we will begin our countdown to Christmas here at school. In our Church, we call this four weeks, this time of waiting and preparation, Advent. 


Although the first Sunday of Advent is officially the 29th of November, over the next four Monday’s we will be sharing a video liturgy to celebrate each of these important events in our liturgical year. A link to this will be shared on Mondays as a Seesaw announcement.

Advent Liturgy & Theme

Host classes

Date

1st week of Advent

HOPE

Year 5

Monday 23rd November

2nd week of Advent

PEACE

Prep & Year 6

Monday 30th November

3rd week of Advent

JOY

Year 1/2 classes

Monday 7th December

4th week of Advent

LOVE

Year 3/4 classes

Monday 14th December


The season of Advent is peculiar to the Western church, it has no counterpart in the East. Historically, when the birth of Christ came to be observed in Rome on 25th December in the fourth century, Christmas was taken to be the beginning of the year.  Thus Advent, once it took shape, served as the conclusion of the year.  It was at the time, characterised by an emphasis on Christ’s coming in glory at the end of time rather than on preparation for his nativity.  

In the time of Gregory the Great (590-604) the Advent season was shortened from six weeks to four. Eventually this four week season became universal in the Western church that combined three themes: spiritual discipline (arising from preparation for baptism), preparation for Christmas (originating in places such as North Italy before being adopted in Rome), and the last times.  It was only in the 10th century with the merger of Roman and Frankish liturgical traditions that Advent came to be understood as the beginning of the church’s year.  

 

Yours in Faith

Matthew Taylor

Religious Education Leader




WOW

Shabby

Adjective

If something is shabby it’s in bad condition and has not been looked after well.

Synonyms: run down, scuffy, neglected

On our hike through the mountains we saw a shabby hut. 

His uniform looked shabby because he didn’t look after it.



Walk/Ride to School Day

Thanks to the many students who came to school in an active way this week. It was great to see so many names on the House team charts and so many bikes and scooters in the bike shed.

Congratulations to…GREEN who were the Most Active House team and Year 5/6CT who were the Most Active Class.


Our next and final Walk/Ride to School day for this year will be on Tuesday 8th December.

Community News

News from around the community...Parish, Secondary schools, Hobsons Bay council and Camp Australia.
    Take a peek...there might be something for you.

There's new information about the Hobsons Bay Music Academy who are running music lessons for children from a young age.

Church Bulletin 13th December
Williamstown Magic Basketball
Camp Australia - Summer Holiday Club
Hobsons Bay Music Academy
Hobsons Bay Netball Club
Creative Music for Schools


St Mary's College - Enrolments
Dear Family and Friends of St Mary’s College
Our final newsletter for 2020 is now available:

https://newsletters.naavi.com/i/kNVOjyJ
Just a reminder – to continue to receive our newsletters after this year, please subscribe:
https://newsletters.naavi.com/p/O5gLrNE/subscribe

Wishing you all a blessed Christmas!
Warmest regards  Jenny Knox ~ Director of Innovation & College Develpment

 

Mount St. Joseph Girls' College Community
The latest edition of the Synergy newsletter is now available to view or download. Dear Members of the Mount St. Joseph Girls' College Community,

Please Click here to read

We hope you enjoy this updated edition and we thank all staff and students for their contributions.

Mount St. Joseph Girls' College
133 Maidstone Street
Altona, Victoria  3018


Camp Australia

Camp Australia brings to you The BIG Art & Expression Competition – where your child can display their creative talents and win BIG prizes. The competition is open to all registered Camp Australia families and, if you’re not registered, registration is free! Register free at http://pp.campaustralia.com.au/ and find out more about the competition at https://campaustralia.com.au/bigartcomp

There will also be 3 prizes for the top 3 schools; 1st prize $3,000 art grant, 2nd prize $2,000 art grant, 3rd prize $1,000 art grant. 

 



Action for Happiness: New Ways November

Action for Happiness has launched their November calendar ~ New Ways November.

Covid is restricting our lives, but we can find new ways to keep making progress. Trying out new things can actually boost our well-being. When we open up to new ideas, it helps us stay curious and engaged. It can also bring a sense of accomplishment and help to boost our self-confidence and resilience. There are so many ways to learn new things and this month we're encouraging everyone to find new and creative ways to overcome our frustrating situations.

Click here to access the calendar

Click here to sign up to receive their calendar each month via email