St. Mary's eNews

Week 11 Term 1


Principal's Message 8th April 2022

Dear families,


We have made it!


One of our staff posted the following on the staffroom wall:

From 2nd February 2022 to the 7th of April 2022, we have been at school for 46 days. 

This is the longest stretch of onsite education since 4th term 2019.

 


This fact alone is cause for celebration, but I think it also invites us to be kind to ourselves, our children and each other. As parents and teachers, we are out of practice with the usual school routine. Our Year 2s and Year 9 secondary counterparts, had never (until now) experienced a full term at school/high school.

This is a big deal and it’s important that we acknowledge this.


Our children deserve to be acknowledged and congratulated for their perseverance. It has been a productive, successful return to school and I am looking forward to great things ahead.


Professional Learning update


On Thursday we welcomed Shane, a professional learning leader with Corwin Australia, to our school. Shane was undertaking our first Capability Assessment visit, where he met with leaders and teachers and also visited the classrooms to see student learning in action. This visit is the first step in our Visible Learning journey. The aim of this visit was to establish baseline data on how the learning and teaching are progressing at St Mary’s. This data will inform the next steps on our learning journey as we begin implementing more evidence-based practices into our learning cycles.

After talking to many of our students, Shane was impressed with what they were able to articulate about their learning. He was particularly taken with our Prep students. Shane asked them to tell him about Reading and how they learn to read and how they know what to do and when to do it. When he first spoke to a small group of 3, he was gobsmacked at how clearly they understood how they are learning to read. So much so that he thought he may have selected a particularly capable group of students and felt the need to seek out more students to see whether this was an anomaly. To his astonishment (and to my great pride!), he found the same responses group after group and even went to the class next door to see if it was perhaps the teacher in one room doing this exceptionally well. These responses were replicated across both classrooms.

While he encountered other pockets of great practice across other classes and year levels, he thought that what the Preps had picked up on after only 10 weeks of formal schooling was in his words, exceptional.


Our staff will undertake our first Professional Learning with Shane on the first day back next term. Please note that students’ first day back that week will be Wednesday 27th April.


Today, our staff also participated in Professional Learning around the teaching of writing. This Professional Learning was due to commence in early 2020, but had been postponed several times due to COVID.


We will share some of our new learning in our first newsletter back next term.


COVID Update


As we begin to plan for the return of community events, we remind you that the existing requirements are that parents and visitors will need to show proof of double vaccination. This does not include pick up and drop off or entering the front office.

There will be some planned Masses that will be open to parishioners and as such are not subject to the current school restrictions. This means that we will be able to have visitors join us for Mass without vaccination proof.


Community news


A big thank you to Rob, Richard, Shane and Nick for installing our new basketball backboards.


We congratulate Olive Chodowski on becoming a Nonna this week. Laura and baby Isla are doing well. 

Baby Isla



Finally, I wish you a blessed Easter.


God, please give us eyes to see beauty and to behold Your glory and majesty in all things. Help us to live daily with joy and hope in our hearts; knowing that whatever happens, Your love and peace surround us every day. 

Teach us that we need only to open our hearts and minds to Your love to truly experience the celebration of personal rejuvenation during this blessed Easter season. 




Looking forward to seeing you all in a few weeks,

Sonia



Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage

 

 



Gymnastics Excursion

On Tuesday and Thursday our Prep, 1 and 2 students visited Lifestyle for Kids as part of their Gymnastics program. They incorporated some of their gymnastics skills that they have been learning in PE and had lots of fun. 

 


A very big thank you to all of the Prep - 2 teachers and LSO’s for all of their help on the day.

Easter message

We have made it to the end of a long and eventful term and as we near the finish of our Lenten fast, we look forward to the great feast of Easter. This year, Holy Week falls in the school holidays with the Easter Triduum falling over the middle weekend. Easter is a time for celebration and celebrations mean the most when we involve those closest to us. Even if we cannot be together in person to celebrate Easter with all the people who matter most to us, we can still extend Easter greetings to them.

Whether it’s a text, greeting card, email or social media message, Easter wishes that we send let others know we are thinking of them and help us share our joy with them.

When I think of Easter and God’s many blessings, I realize that there’s no bigger blessing than my family. This year, in 2022, when our world seems so challenging and uncertain, I pray that you feel the peace and love of God at Easter.

May all your eggs, bunnies and baskets be small reminders of the love that God has for each of us. Wishing a Happy Easter from our St Mary's family to yours.

Yours in Faith
Matthew Taylor
Religious Education Leader

Mother's Day 2022

Calling all you mums, grandmas, nonnas, aunties and special women of St Mary's school community. We will be holding our Mother's Day event on Friday the 6th of May beginning with Mass in the Church at 9:30am. Following Mass you will have the opportunity to visit classrooms.

At 10:50am morning tea will be held in the Tri Centre. All welcome. 

Our Mother's Day Stall will be held in the Hall from 11:30 till 1:30pm.
Children will attend the stall with their class teachers.

Gifts will range between $1 and $5. 

If possible please send along a carry bag for your child to place their gifts in.

Yours in Faith
Matthew Taylor
Leader of Religious Education


Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage



NAPLAN - practice for 2022

This year, NAPLAN will be online for the first time for students at St Mary's. To prepare, Year 3 and 5 students have done some practice tests at school within the new look online environment. The formal test window will extend over Weeks 3 and 4 next term (10-20 May).

The NAPLAN (National Assessment Program— Literacy and Numeracy) Tests are held throughout Australia for Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. Students' academic performance is measured through standardised language conventions, writing, reading, and numeracy tests. These tests indicate fluctuations in performance levels as they progress through primary and high school.

As we approach the holidays, there is an opportunity to check out the public demonstration site (click the link) and do a little more voluntary practice for any student who may find it challenging or any parents or any families who would like to see what it all looks like and how it operates.

Students, teachers, parents and carers are invited to use the public demonstration tests to familiarise themselves with the types of questions and related functionalities available in the online NAPLAN assessment. 

Some of the key features include a range of question types, onscreen tools, timers and interactive navigation. Students are encouraged to try all the tests for their year level to practise the complete range of question formats available. 

Yours in Education
Matthew Taylor
Leader of Learning & Teaching



Walk/Ride to School Day ~ Thurs 28th April

Our next Walk/Ride to School day will be on Thursday 28th April.  We hope you can join in the fun.  House points for everyone who participates.  The House Captains will be on the netball court to record your name!


Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage



Community News

In this weeks Community News we have our Church bulletin, news from Emmanuel College, Music Lesson sign up, Mount St. Josephs Open day info, school holiday playgroups, and football sign up information.
Church Bulletin

Emmanuel College News

Creative Music

MSJ Open Day

VISIT US
"Mount St. Joseph Girls' College invites you to attend our Open Day on Sunday 1st May from 10am-2pm. 
 
If you are unable to attend Open Day, please book to attend one of our Open Mornings. We also have an updated Virtual Tour where you can view our newly landscaped areas and our new student cafe.


Laverton Football Club THURSDAY!


Junior FIDA Program Registration
AFL Victoria and the Williamstown FIDA (Football Integration Development Association) club are excited to work together to deliver a free 2-week Junior FIDA program to participants aged 10-17 and living with an intellectual disability on Wednesday the 13th and 20th of April at The Fearon Reserve in Williamstown from 3 pm – 4 pm.



Playgroup

Hobsons Bay City Council runs Supported Playgroup on Thursdays 10-12 at Altona Early Years Hub during the school term.  Supported Playgroups allow parents to enjoy quality time with their child while encouraging their learning and development. With the support of a trained facilitator, parents are able to connect with other families in the community who are going through similar experiences and find out more about local services. Spots are currently available for eligible families.  For further information please contact Kristina Strangis on 0418909314 or email playgroups@hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au 
More info here


Hobsons Bay Library News ~ The New Chapter



UNIFORM SHOP - WINTER UNIFORM ORDERS
 
Just a friendly reminder with term one almost over it’s time to  get ready for winter uniform in term 2.
 
Orders can be placed via email, left at the office or on person at the uniform shop. (Tuesdays and Tridays 2:30 - 3:00)

When your order is complete it will be given to your child to be taken home.
Current order forms are below and there is also blank forms at the office. 

Click here to access the Uniform Order forms 

The uniform shop accepts cash or direct deposit payments. Please note payment must be received before uniforms are sent home. 


Quantin Binnah vacation care

Vacation Care Term One School Holiday Program for Quantin Binnah is NOW OPEN. Please visit their website  to find out more about all of their services.

They run Vacation Care at the following Venues (click for activities guide):

  1. Newport Lakes Primary School  - 40 Elizabeth St, Newport VIC 3015
  2. Corpus Christi Primary School - 29 Russell St, Werribee VIC 3030
  3. Quantin Binnah Community Centre - 61 Thames Blvd, Werribee VIC 3030

Please see attached above the activity brochures for all of the vacation care programs.


Get Active Voucher 

The Get Active Kids Voucher Program helps eligible families get their kids involved in organised sport by providing financial support for registration fees. You may be eligible for up to $200.

To find out if you are eligible, how to apply, what costs are covered and more, click here


Dream City - 3/4 Excusrion

Well, we FINALLY made it! We had SO much fun on our excursion to DREAM CITY

DreamCity is a brand new high-tech city where children are inspired to learn through fun career activities, an amazing world where science, technology, engineering, the arts and maths collide in an explosion of fun. 

Some of us tried being a neonatal nurse and looked after babies, others tried out being a firefighter fighting fires. We had a go at virtual reality and even tried aviation and electrical engineering activities where we built circuits. 

Dream City photos

We had a great time being together. Our teachers and helpers were so very proud of us and we have some great stories to tell.

Your 3/4 team
Lisa Said, Nicole Barnes & Randa Assaad