Dear families,

 

What a wild week of weather we’ve had!  I hope your family life was more settled.

 

 

We’ve had some cases of highly contagious illnesses affect our community this fortnight. Given a number of students and families are currently experiencing illnesses affecting their immune systems, I ask that you are vigilant in sharing any medical information that may be important for these families in a timely manner.

As always, please keep your child home if they are unwell. I appreciate your support.

 

This week, our P&F met for our first meeting of the year. It was a fruitful and enjoyable meeting. Our School Advisory Council (SAC) will meet next week.

We are always looking for new members to bring in fresh ideas so if you are interested, read on.

Our P&F’s predominant role is to organise and manage fundraising initiatives. This group is also involved in organising social events. The team also has a say in coming up with ideas on what projects to fund in the school. You can find out more here. 

Our SAC is an advisory group, advising the principal on things like fees, policies and other procedural items. Last year they helped explore new canteen options for the school. They also have a say in how fundraising money is spent in the school. You can find out more about the SAC here.

If you’d like to know more about either group, please come and see me or contact the office.

 

The P&F had a look at the initial costings for the sensory garden. Whilst the initial design presented would be a truly remarkable feature for our school, initial costings are around the $170,000 mark. We know you’ll agree that kind of money could be best spent on so many other things in our school. To that end, the team has looked at the breakdown of features and decided we would spend the initial $20,000 first pledged at the end of 2022, on a beautiful timber and multicoloured acrylic cubby. The next project will be the multisensory paths around the cubby. You can see some initial draft images below.

Projects of this size require multiple quotes, so the next step is to have other tradespeople come and quote these pieces.

If you know anyone who would be interested in either of these projects, please let me know.

 

Our tram, that was the other big project to be funded by fundraising money last year, will soon have a new, waterproof roof.

We are currently working with other contractors to provide quotes for painting and flooring. I know we all can’t wait to see these projects finally come to fruition. Thank you for your patience.

Mr Freeman and Dean Belton, one of our amazing dads (who also helped at Swimming yesterday, what a legend!) today commenced work on the second gaga pit. I’m sure our students and staff on oval duty, thank you!

 

On Monday, you will receive an email with your fee statement. We will send out a separate Operoo notification to let you know to watch out for it. This is the first time we will be using our admin system to send home statements. If you don’t receive it, we ask that you let us know.

You will also be asked to indicate how you intend to pay this year and set up a direct debit plan again. This, unfortunately, needs to be authorised each year at the moment. We are working with our business manager to work out a way to not have to ask for authorisation each year, as we acknowledge what a nuisance this is for parents.

We continue to ask for prayers for all of the members of our community currently facing hardship.

We especially ask for prayers for Dario in Year 6 and for Aggie, mum to Emily and Olivia, who is currently in hospital. 

Enjoy our weekend with the family,

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Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage

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At the end of 2023, having received a Wellbeing Boost grant from MACS (Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools), we signed up to partner with Real Schools for the coming three years.

Have you heard of their CEO Adam Voigt? Recently you may have seen him in the media talking about his passion for education, school culture and building strong relationships in schools, amongst many other things. He is the resident Education Expert for the The Project, is often heard speaking on 3AW and is a regular print columnist for the Herald Sun. 

Adam's company, Real Schools, works with staff and families to transform student lives and teacher practice by fostering school cultures that are strong, relational and based on stakeholder trust.

Daniel Vella will be the expert facilitator from Real Schools who will lead us in our work in this space.  Daniel, an ex principal, will facilitate our Professional Development day on Monday 26th February and then return at various times throughout the year to work with staff in classrooms, giving first hand advice and opportunities for discussion around relational practice.  

Our partnership will also give us access to many resources that we can share with families and opportunities to engage in discussions about the work we are doing. 

We are very much looking forward to beginning this partnership and seeing the results. Watch this space so that you can be part of the journey we are embarking on.

Regards
Marg, Steph and Cathy
Wellbeing Team

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Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage

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As President of the Parent's and Friends Association, I’d like to welcome you back to our wonderful school community. I would like to also warmly welcome all the new families to the school and I hope you are settling in well. 

 

We are looking forward to another great year filled with fantastic fundraising events, social and community building activities and most importantly, we look forward to giving our children many opportunities for happy memory making moments at the school.

 

Last year, our community was able to raise a staggering $25,000.  This incredible effort shows the dedication of parents towards improving facilities and providing spaces for our children that will enhance their daily experiences at St Mary’s. These funds will be and have been put towards:

• the gaga pits (thank you to Mr. Freeman for constructing these)
• tram upgrades (paint, upholstered seats, resurfacing the roof, updating flooring)
• giant painted games of Snakes and Ladders and What’s the Time Mr. Wolf (these are estimated to be completed at the end of term one due to delays from suppliers over the Summer holidays)
• the sensory garden cubby house as a staged process for the sensory garden space.

 

In our first meeting for the year, we were able to select the terms when our fundraising events will take place.  Please see below.  It was also an opportunity to discuss new events, both fundraising and friend-making, that we would like to add into the mix this year. 

            Term One:

• Easter Raffle

Term Two:

• Mother’s Day Stall
• Disco
• Dad’s Night Out

Term Three:

• Father’s Day Stall
• Bunnings BBQ and Bake Sale
• Parent’s Night Out
• Cadbury Chocolate Drive

Term Four:

• Walkathon
• Movie Night
• Family Photo Day

 

Suggestions for the focus of our fundraising efforts this year will be discussed with the Parents and Friends Committee, with the School Advisory Council, with Junior School Council, School Captains and teaching staff.  Our hope is that funds will go towards enhancing the students’ educational, recreational and sporting experience at school and to continue building our wonderful community.

 

With a big year ahead, now has never been a better time to come along to a P&F meeting to share your great ideas in a welcoming, fun and friendly environment. When you join the Parent's and Friends Committee, you are not required to attend all the meetings (meetings occur twice a term), you can be involved in a variety of ways, for as much or as little time as you like, finding the perfect balance for your family. There are opportunities in events, sponsorship and donations, social and community connections, school banking and even graphic design!

 

We all know that it takes a village when it comes to fundraising. Amongst the parents and family members of St Mary’s there are so many skill-sets that would be so beneficial, so let us know if you are able to offer some support. With grade 6 parent members leaving us last year, we are hoping to gain some new people to join us. ?

 

Having said that, our next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday the 6^th of March at 7pm. Meetings go for one hour and are filled with lots of laughs and positive energy. This is your chance to become a member of a welcoming and supportive group that help to create the experiences that enhance our children’s enjoyment at school. Please contact the committee by email on parentsandfriends@smaltona.catholic.edu.au or flag one of us down in the yard for a chat. We’d love to meet you!

 

Look out for the information for our upcoming Easter Raffle! Enjoy the rest of the term.

 

Adele Callegari (mum to Iris, Estelle and Alfie).

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St. Mary’s Primary School will host our 2024 Beginning of Year Mass on February 29th at 5 pm, and we warmly invite the school community to join us for this special occasion in the church. We extend a warm invitation to our parent community to mark the commencement of an exciting year ahead.

During the mass, we will also acknowledge the commitment of our student leaders as they receive their badges for the year ahead, recognising their dedication to leadership and service.

Following the Mass, we invite you to a picnic on the school oval. This offers an opportunity for parents, students, and staff to come together in a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere.

Your presence enriches the school community, and we eagerly anticipate celebrating the beginning of the school year with you.

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Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage

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As we embark on the academic challenges of the upcoming year, our year 3 and 5 students are preparing for the National Assessment Program – (NAPLAN), scheduled for March 13 to March 25. NAPLAN serves as a valuable tool, offering a snapshot of our students' proficiency in literacy and numeracy.

At St. Mary’s, we view NAPLAN not just as a test but as a catalyst for growth and improvement. It serves as a guide to tailor our teaching strategies, ensuring a dynamic and effective learning environment that caters to the unique needs of every student.

During this assessment period, our Year 3 and 5 students will engage in assessments covering Reading, Writing, Language Conventions, and Mathematics. This comprehensive approach aims to provide a holistic understanding of their academic progress.

We look forward to celebrating the upcoming growth and development of our students, in particular the improvements made between 2022 - 2024 by our year 5 students.

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Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage

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Our first Walk/Ride to School day will be held on Thursday 22nd of February.  Come along in an active way and earn house team points.

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On Thursday the 15th of February, 20 of our most dedicated swimmers from Years 3-6 headed off to Victoria University, Footscray pool to compete in our sport district's interschool swimming carnival to represent St Mary’s as our Swim team.

This year’s swim team captains were Ariadne and Harry M. It was great to see so many parents and even grandparents come along and support the children and the team did a great job of supporting one another too. A special shout out to Dean Belton who helped with timekeeping for the day and those who shared their photos of the day, junior sport cannot exist without the support of parents and families, so thank you.

Congratulations to everyone who swam at the carnival. What a wonderful job they all did. A special well done to the children who received ribbons in their individual races and relay teams. Good luck to those students who made it through to the divisional finals which will be held on Wednesday 16th March, at Werribee outdoor pool.

Thanks to Mrs Masseni, Nicole Singleton, the teachers who cooked breakfast after the trials and all the parents who helped during the trials and in the lead up to the day. Great teamwork everyone!!!

Miss Sottile

PE Teacher / Sports Coordinator

asottile@smaltona.catholic.edu.au

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Bayside Netball Club are still looking for some new 9 years and under players and we have information included about a new holiday program.  You can sign up for Creative Music lessons in Term 3 and also read our Parish Bulletin.

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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Thank you to the many Prep to Year 3 families who returned the CASEA survey.  The CASEA team were overwhelmed by the number of families who responded. Our school wellbeing team will meet with the CASEA team next week to analyse the data gathered and select families to be included in the small group sessions. We will keep you informed as we move through the process.

In the meantime if you have questions or concerns please contact either Marg Masseni or Cathy Sims via email or the school office.
mmasseni@smaltona.catholic.edu.au 
csims@smaltona.catholic.edu.au

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Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage

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The annual Run for the Kids is happening on Sunday the 17th of March 2024. The Run for the Kids supports the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal.

 

We know that the Good Friday Appeal unites many and holds a special place in the hearts of many people in our community. We are reaching out to any families who may wish to join some of the St Mary’s staff to participate in the event.

There are multiple events that you and your family can be a part of, ranging from walking to running two distances of 4.8km or 14.4km. There is even an option to volunteer! We have a number of staff joining in both of the courses.

If you are interested in joining us, you can sign up using this link to join our team. Please note that you can only join the St Mary’s team by using the link below: 

https://www.registernow.com.au/secure/Register.aspx?E=50163&G=188974

 

You can also help us reach our fundraising goal by donating to the appeal via this link:

https://runforthekids.gofundraise.com.au/page/STMARYSALTONA

 

Money raised will continue to support projects in the following areas of the Royal Children’s Hospital:

• state-of-the-art equipment and technology
• patient and family centered care programs
• ground-breaking research
• fostering staff excellence through education programs, scholarships and fellowships

If you have any questions or would like some more information, you can contact Miss Sottile asottile@smaltona.catholic.edu.au or visit the Run for the Kids website https://www.runforthekids.com.au/ 

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Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage

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At St. Mary's we are committed to maintaining a culture of child safety. We implement strategies which demonstrate this through everyday life at the school, guided by the documents listed in the 'Read More' section.
Our Child Safety Officer is John Hein (DP & Learning & Teaching Leader).

Our Child Safety Team consists of John, Sonia Riccardi (Principal), Cathy Sims (Learning Diversity Leader) and Tony Freeman (RE, Maths & ICT Leader).

      

Please contact John (jhein@smaltona.catholic.edu.au) or another member of the team if you would like to discuss any matters related to Child Safety.

St. Mary's School Child Safety Code of Conduct

St. Mary's School Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy

St. Mary's School Child Protection - Reporting Obligations Policy
Strategies for Empowerment of Students

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Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage

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Just a reminder that hats must be worn through until the end of April 2024.

Hats should be school legionnaire style or broad brimmed in keeping with our sun smart policy.

 Please ensure that your children have the correct hat to wear.....NO HAT, NO PLAY.

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Each August all schools complete the National Consistent Collection Of Data (NCCD)

For Catholic schools in Victoria, this information is used to provide funding for students who have some form of disability that prevents them from accessing the curriculum in the same way as their peers. Some of these disabilities can include hearing loss, dyslexia, trauma, ASD, ADHD etc.

These students will have a Personalised Learning Plan and parents will regularly meet with parents to discuss their child’s progress. These meetings are called Program Support Group meetings (PSG)

Over 6 days these PSG meetings will occur beginning Monday Feb 19. 

If you were required to attend you would have received an invitation via Operoo.

The infographic below provides additional information regarding the NCCD.

If you would like any further information please feel free to contact me.

Cathy Sims

Learning Diversity Leader

csims@smaltona.catholic.edu.au

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Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage

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