On Thursday 25th April our School Captains and Social Justice leaders will present a wreath on behalf of the school community at the Dawn Service held at the cenotaph at the council offices in Civic Pde.

We welcome all members of our school community to join with the local community on this occasion.  If you are unable to attend the service on 25th April, there is another Commemorative Service being held on Saturday 20th April at 2pm at the Civic offices that you may wish to attend.

We will hold our own ANZAC Day Prayer Service on Monday 22nd April at 2:40pm in the church. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Lest we forget.

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Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage

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We are delighted to extend a warm invitation to all Mother's, Grandmother's and significant women in our students' lives to join us for a special Mother's Day event at St Mary's Primary School on May 10th. It promises to be a memorable morning filled with love, appreciation, and cherished moments.

Event Schedule:

8:45 - 9:25 AM:
We invite all visitors to indulge in a delicious morning tea. It will be the perfect opportunity to relax and enjoy some quality time with others in the community.

9:25 - 9:55 AM:
Visitors will have the opportunity to engage in a special activity with their children in their classroom.

10:00 - 11:00 AM:
Join us for our Mother's Day mass, where we come together to celebrate the love and dedication of all mothers.

11:30 AM Onwards:
Following the mass, students will have the chance to visit our Mother's Day stall, where they can select thoughtful gifts to surprise and delight their mothers. Children will need to bring their money in a small wallet or purse and also being a shopping bag.  The stall will run from 11:30 - 1:30pm. 

A reminder that addtions to the reflection slides need to be made by Monday 6th May.  Please email Marg Masseni if you are having difficulties. 

We look forward to celebrating this special occasion with you and your family. Your presence will undoubtedly make this event even more meaningful.

An Operoo form will be sent out shortly, asking if you would be able to attend our special Mother's Day morning tea.

Warm regards,

John Hein

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On Tuesday evening, Daniel Vella, our expert facilitator from Real Schools, hosted a parent session during which he explained our school parntership with Real Schools and also gave valuable insights and strategies aimed at enhancing our students learning journey. Included in his talk were suggestions for actions that parents/familiy members can do that may help with some challenging behaviours as well speaking about building a restorative community.

At the end of Term 2 we shared this short video in which Daniel explains the natue of our partnership and a little about what could be expected from the information session.  We now can also share with you the slide presentation he spoke to in Tuesday's session.  Next week, will be able to share with you a recording of the session so that you can hear the information straight from the horses mouth so to speak.  

If you attended the evening we would love your feedback and any further questions you might have.  Please email Sonia (principal@smaltona.catholic.edu.au), John (jhein@smaltona.catholic.edu.au) or myself (mmasseni@smaltona.catholic.edu.au) or catch us when you see us.  If after watching the recording or viewing the slides we would love your feedback and questions too. 

Look our for more information about oulr work with Real Schools during the year.

Regards
Marg Masseni
Mental Health Leader

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Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage

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Earlier this week we sent an Operoo note asking for helpers for the Mother's Day stall.  If you can help out for even anhour it we would be most grateful and if you can complete the form by Monday 6th May, it would be much appreciated.



There is still time to donate creations and donations.
Creations include our students getting crafty making bracelets,
bookmarks, keychains and earrings Mum would love.

Donation ideas; Blocks of Chocolate.
All donations can be dropped off at the School Office.

For any local business that wishes to donate please contact a
Committee Member or parentsfriends@smaltona.catholic.edu.au Any
donation big or small is greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your generosity and support.
Special mention to creations received from Staff and students. Check
out these gorgeous bracelets made by Ava & Chloe. Thank you so much.

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Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage

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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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Dear Parents

During 2023 the Victorian Curriculum & Assessment Authority (VCAA) evaluated and rewrote the Mathematics Curriculum for Victoria. Consequently, our report templates will be adjusted to include the new curriculum indicators which students are assessed and marked against.

The curriculum is being phased in over two years, so schools have until the beginning of 2025 to fully implement, assess and report to the Version 2 curriculum.

Therefore, we have begun to transition our planning, teaching and assessment accordingly. You may notice that your children’s Mathematics goals look and sound a little different this year. The skills and content have been reorganised to better represent the connections within areas of mathematics.

The report format remains the same, but the content descriptiors have been adjusted to represent the new curriculum indicators which students are assessed and marked against. There will be an explanation on how to read the new codes for the Content Descriptors in the report title pages.

Once reports are completed and made available in the Parent Portal, if you have any questions about the Mathematics area, I am happy to help parents interpret the structure content of the new curriculum.

Regards

Tony Freeman

Mathematics Leader

tfreeman@smaltona.catholic.edu.au

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Keeping active is a great way to boost our mental wellbeing.

This month Action for Happiness and St Marys are encouraging everyone to get moving and get outdoors as much as possible. Whatever your circumstances or physical limitations, you can find your own ways to be a bit more active. We don't need to run marathons - there are simple things we can all do to take care of our bodies, like unplugging from technology, reconnecting with nature, and getting more sleep! You could also try going for a walk as a family, playing with your pets, and dancing to your favorite songs.

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The first our 'The Cybersafety Project' parent webinars, 'Protecting Children online', has been released for access by our community as a recording. If you were unable to attend the webinar on the evening, you can access it now from the website. Parent access to the portal is linked here.
All you need to do is register and name our school (St Mary's Altona) to access the recorded webinar at your convenience.


Regards
Tony Freeman
IT Leader
tfreeman@smaltona.catholic.edu.au

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