Dear families,

I hope you are all managing to stay safe, well and warm during these tricky times.

What a wonderful turnout for our Grandparents’ Day celebrations on Wednesday! We were so delighted to see so many grandparents and special people attend Mass and visit our classrooms.

We also enjoyed hosting morning tea for them and our choir did St Mary’s proud with not only their singing but also incorporating Auslan into their performance.

Last weekend we also commenced our First Eucharist services. It was a lovely celebration and one we have waited a long time for. Families are welcome to join us this weekend and next for our remaining Masses. These will take place on Saturday at 9:15am.

Staff News

This week we farewelled Adriana Everett. Adriana has been a valuable member of our Learning Support Staff and is moving to a school that is closer to home. Adriana will be missed by the students on 1/2RT and by the other students who have had the privilege of working with her.

We wish Adriana all the best.

We congratulate Matt Taylor and his wife, Katrina, who on Tuesday morning, welcomed little baby Ezra into their family.

Community News

It has been some time since we’ve reported new arrivals in our newsletter and I apologise if I have missed your family. Could you please let me know if we missed sharing your news and I will share it in our next newsletter? 

In the meantime, we welcome the following siblings:

• Gia, baby sister to Max in Prep S
• Noah, baby brother to Gracie-Ella in 3/4A
• Connor, baby brother to Ronan in Prep B

May God continue to bless these little ones and their families.

Have a wonderful weekend,

Sonia 

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In the lead up to our Spring into Happiness and Kindness Day (aka Yellow Day) on 1st September, our Wellbeing leaders, Andy and Judah are calling on the community to spread some happiness and kindness in their daily interactions.  At assembly last week they spoke about their mission. 

 

"We ask you to be kind everyday leading up to yellow day and to pass on the message - BE KIND towards others and BE HAPPY. Share a smile every day!"

The first message they sent out to the classes was
 

actionforhappiness.org also implores us to be be kind especially during the month of August and they offer us ideas about how we can do this daily in their Altruistic August calendar.  This is a great opporunity to talk with your family about altruism (showing a selfless concern for the well-being of others) and how we can spread happiness and joy throughout our community.

Download the calendar here
Go to their website for more information

What will your first action be?

Have a great weekend

Andy, Judah & Marg Masseni
Wellbeing Leaders

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Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage

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Today our Preps have celebrated their being at school for 100 Days!  They dressed up in wonderful costumes and broughts collections of 100.  Such a great maths activity as well as being lots of fun.  Check out some photos here

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Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage

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What a wonderful day we had on Wednesday celebrating with our grandparents and other special visitors. We began the day with mass in the church. This was followed by classroom visits where children could showcase their work and join with their grandparents in doing many different activites.

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For this weeks Community News we have our Church Bulletin, news from Emmanuel College & Mount St. Josephs, a free workshop with local artists, and a Sports Education Program for ages 3 - 8.
Church Bulletin

Emmanuel College News

Williamstown Community News and Events

Mount St Josephs 2024 Enrolments

APPLY NOW
We are a nurturing faith and learning community where each individual is
encouraged to excel in their academic, co-curricular and personal goals whilst
bearing witness to the gospel values.
Students wishing to attend Mount St. Joseph Girls’ College for Year 7 in 2024
should apply in Grade 5 of their primary school education.
Applications for Year 7 in 2024 are now open. Apply online via the College
website. The closing date for applications is Friday 19 August 2022.
For application to Years 8-12, there is no application closing date, but vacancies
are limited and waiting lists may apply.
For all enquiries, please contact:
Sherri Collins: registrar@msj.vic.edu.au
133 Maidstone Street, Altona
(03)8398 2000
www.msj.vic.edu.au



Creative Music

Foster Caring

Free Workshop

Children aged 5 to 12 years are invited to take a journey with local visual artist Frances Loriente, Wiradjuri Soprano Shauntai Batzke, Kokatha/Mirning musician Bart Willoughby, Yvonne Rigney Ngarrindjeri/Kokatha dancer and guest Taungwurrung, Yorta Yorta elder Maxine Briggs together with Indigenous elders explore what a totem represents through, colour, music, song and dance through these free workshops at Woods Street Arts Space in Laverton.

 

Dates:

Saturday 6 August 10am to 12.30pm

Sunday 14 August 11.30am to 1.30 pm

 

Exhibition and  performance:

Sunday 14 August, 2 to 3pm

 

Bookings essential:  www.trybooking.com/CAXBW     

 

Children 5 to 6 years of age must be accompanied by a parent or adult carer.   Children are asked to bring a healthy snack along and wear comfortable clothing.

For more information please visit: www.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/Community/Whats-On/The-Colour-and-Sound-of-my-Totem or The Colour And Sound of My Totem Facebook event

We would also like to thank Mancini Real Estate for their continuous support to St Mary's Altona


                                         

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Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage

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Congratulations to our July Aussie of the Month award winners - Milania, Stella and Roland.  Click here to see their smiling faces and to find out why they are so wonderful.

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We are especially looking for lids in shades of the colours of our house teams nows.  Please place them in the boxes outside the staffroom. Esure they are washed and clean before your drop them in. 

Lids that are collected will be used in a special art project.

 

Thank you
The Special Art Team & the House Captains

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Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage

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This term is a busy one for all things Religious here at St Mary's. We will be celebrating the Sacraments of Eucharist and Confirmation and there will be feast day masses and prayer assemblies to attend also. In terms of our Sacraments, Eucharist (First Communions) will be held over three Saturdays (July 23, 30 and August 6) at the 9:15am service. Most people have already booked in but for those who haven't, please check Operoo for the booking form.

Confirmation will be celebrated this year for our Year 6 students on Saturday August 20th here at St Mary's church. There will be two services, one at 11am and one at 2pm and a booking form went home today on Operoo for families to select their preferred time.

Masses that you may want to mark on your calendar include

• Grandparents day mass on Wednesday 27/7 at 9:15am
• The Feast of Mary of the Cross MacKillop on Monday 8/8 at 9:30am
• The Feast of the Assumption on Monday 15/8 at 9:15am
• We will hold a celebration in honour of Father's Day on Friday 2/9. Details closer to the date

There are also two prayer assemblies you may wish to attend:

• The Year 1/2 classes are hosting with a focus on the Eucharist on Monday 01/08 at 2:30pm
• The Year 5/6 classes are hosting with a focus on Confirmation on Monday 22/08 at 2:30pm

Yours in Faith
Matthew Taylor
Religious Education Leader

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Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage

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Are your children just consuming technology? 
Technology moderation is important. Children need to balance time spent
online and how they are using technology (consumption vs creativity). The CyberSafety Project have put together this great tip sheet that raises some interesting questions regarding technology comsumption. 

For more information go to the CyberSafety Project Digital Balance Challenge

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Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage

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Our Parish Renewal Program continues this week. Please see below for more news about the program.

Week 3

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