St Mary's eNews

Week 6 Term 3


Principal's Message: 23rd August 2024

Dear families,

What a wonderful celebration of Book Week it has been.Thanks to Miss Lycke for coordinating a great week of activities. From our whole-school shared narrative to door decoration competition, to our parade and the prizes for costumes, days like this involve a great deal of work.

A huge thank you to parents and carers. We know these events take a lot of preparation and we are very grateful for your participation and enthusiasm.  


The flooring for our tram and upholstery for the seats have been ordered and are on their way. We will soon start to see things changing on the inside of the tram - the last step before we can open it up to our students.


Our P&F have been busy gathering some amazing prizes for the Silent Auction for our upcoming Trivia night at Altona Sports Club. Tickets are selling well. If you haven’t already done so, get in quick to book a table or some tickets. We are looking forward to a memorable night.


Earlier this week, John and I met with a member of the MACS Infrastructure Delivery team. We took him around the classrooms and talked him through our proposed build.

We will meet with the Chief Planning and Infrastructure Officer on Monday to discuss funding and pre-planning. This is an exciting time for our community. We look forward to sharing more updates as they happen.


Last Friday, our teachers attended the second Flourishing Learners West professional learning day at Caroline Chisholm Catholic College. On the day, we learnt more about the Science of Reading. It’s great to know that as a school we are well into our phonics teaching journey. We have begun to explore Daily Reviews that are designed to provide students with regular revision of key concepts being taught throughout the year, to help embed the learning into their long-term memory. As teachers, we have always known the importance that spaced practice has on learning. Until now, we have not had official structures in place that allow this to happen regularly. 

These daily reviews are organised in ways that increase student engagement and participation using proven modes of delivery and ways of creating more neural pathways. Many of these will appear old-school, such as choral reading/reciting.  We are looking forward to sharing more on these methods with you in the coming months.


Reminders


Smart Watches:

Please note that if your child wears a smart watch it should be set to ‘school mode’ or similar. It is important that if a child needs to contact you or vice versa, they come to the office and we contact you ourselves.

If a child is found with a phone or using an active smart watch, we will hold it for safekeeping at the office until the end of the school day, in line with our policy which can be found here.

If you have any questions about this policy, please contact me.


Fences:

We’ve had an increasing number of parents and relatives come to our fences at break times to chat with the children and/or pass them food.

I ask that you refrain from doing so, as we need to keep our children safe. Staff on duty do not necessarily know the adults at the fence and it is important children are not given food in this way.

Please pass this message on to any family/friends who you know may walk by our school during break times.

If you need to pass anything on to your child, please drop things off at the office and we will ensure your child receives them.

Staff have been asked to move people on if we see anyone around the fence talking to our students. We appreciate your understanding.


Parking:

Please abide by the local parking rules before and after school. We are seeing increasingly dangerous parking which places our community at risk. 

In particular:

  • Do not park in any of the school or neighbouring driveways
  • Do not drive into a driveway to reverse during pick-up and drop-off times as families are using footpaths to get to their cars/homes.
  • Do not park outside designated parking spots, particularly on corners as this obstructs the view of drivers approaching corners

If we continue to notice dangerous driving/illegal parking, we will engage with parking inspectors.


Next Friday we will celebrate Father’s Day with a shared prayer service commencing at 2pm.

We will then follow with dads and carers visiting classrooms before heading for a quick afternoon tea in the hall.

We look forward to celebrating with the significant father figures in our students’ lives.



Have a wonderful weekend,

Professor Dolores Umbridge (IYKYK)



Father's Day Stall Volunteers

We are still looking for some more volunteers for the 10:15-12:00 shift, it would be great to have another 2-3 volunteers, to help students to purchase gifts and assist with inventory afterwards.
Thank you to those who have volunteered to help make the Sept 30th Father’s Day stall a great experience for the students.   

Please contact 0418 882 911 if you are able to help.   
 
A big thank you, to those who have donated items to be sold at the Father’s Day stall.   
 
Donations are still being accepted and can be left at reception. Items such as: bags of lollies, chocolate blocks,  mugs, socks, toiletries etc. are popular with the students and greatly appreciated.   
 
Lastly, a friendly reminder that gifts will cost between $1 and $5.    
Coin payment where possible is preferred. 
Please send your child along with a bag to safely carry the thoughtful gifts home that they have purchased.  
 
Thank you, 
Parents & Friends Team 
 
 


RESPECT COMPETITION!

The Australian Government is running a RESPECT Competition.
They want students across Australia in years 5-6 to show us what respect looks like in your world. As parents, carers and family members, we want the best for our children. As teachers, coaches, employers and role models, we can have a positive influence on young people and set the standard for what is and isn’t acceptable, right from the start.

It is so important we equip ourselves with the right knowledge and tools before we approach the issue of respect with the young people in our lives.

The winner will have their storyboard turned into a 30 second animation by a professional animator and will receive a $500 gift card for them and one for their school.



If your child would like to enter this competition please click on the below link or ask Mrs Murdoch for a printed form. 

https://www.respect.gov.au/respectcompetition



Stephanie Murdoch
Wellbeing Leader 
smurdoch@smaltona.catholic.edu.au


Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage





Footy Fun Day

Wear your Favourite Footy Team colours to school on Wednesday 4th September.
Show your True colours!

Dont forget to order your Footy Day Lunch.
  1. You will need to CLEARLY write the following on the bag. NB: One bag per child.

NAME: 

CLASS: 

FOOD REQUIRED: 

TOTAL $ ENCLOSED: Please enclose exact amount - no change will be given

Sauce will be provided. No need to order.

  1. Send your order to the front office.

  2. Orders should be returned to school NO LATER than Thursday 29th August.

Menu choices:

Sausage roll $5

Spinach & Ricotta roll (veg) $5

Beef & Veg Pastie $7

Party Pies $2.5

Plain beef pie $7

GF Plain beef pie (Gluten Free) $7.50

Veg Pastie (Vegan & dairy free) $7

There will be no school canteen on this day.



Community News

For this weeks Community News we have Emmanuel College, St Joseph's by the sea, Pier Street suggestions and Now we're talking Speech groups for the holidays.

Emmanuel College News - Latest News for 21st of August 

Pier Street Site Suggestions - Help Shape the Pier Street Feature Site!

St Joseph's by the sea - Latest News 

Now we're talking Speech Groups - Now we’re Talking Speech Pathology are running Special Interest Groups during the upcoming school holidays. Check out the link attached for more information.

Mount St Joseph's Newsletter - 




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



             
 

Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage

 



Cadbury Chocolate Fundraiser

Just a small reminder that the Cadbury Chocolate Fundraiser money is returned to the front office by Friday 13th September 2024!

 

By now, every family should have receives a box of Cadbury freddos and Caramello Koalas to sell to their friends, family and community.

The details are as follows:

  • The eldest student will receive the box on behalf of their family.

  • There will be a 2-week period in which the money must be returned to the office in a clearly labelled envelope.

  • Chocolates sold at $1 per unit, totalling $60 for the box.

  • If families would like more chocolates to sell, please let the office know and this can be arranged.

    Funds raised will go towards recreational & sports equipment. 


Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage



Father's Day: Gifts and Creations

Father’s Day is approaching.
We're calling out for our Father’s Day STALL donations & creations.
Keep an eye out for deals at the Supermarket, local stores or get
crafty with the kids. There will be a container at the front office to drop donations off.

All fundraising is going towards recreational & sports equipment.
Thank you for your generosity and support.

Regards
The Parents & Friends Committee


Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage



QuizzaMe: Trivia Night

With over 114 tickets now sold we only have a few tickets available. We’re closing sales end of business Monday 9th September. 
 
To purchase tickets ?️ 
 
We’re super excited for next Friday 13th September parents trivia night finally arriving. Soon all those who purchased tickets will receive an email with a few details, recommendations and question's answered about the night. Please share with those you have purchased tickets for. 
 
Feel free to add accessories to your table colour and get into the spirit of the night. Prizes will be given out to good sports. We have a roving photographer at the start of our evening. 
 
Don’t be late! Doors open to waterfront room from 6.30pm. Trivia starts 7pm sharp. Allow for time to register at front desk at sports club. Remember you can book the courtesy bus!
 
More details outlined in email to follow. 
 
Yay to our community coming together! 

St Mary’s Parents and Friends Committee 

 


Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage






Literacy: Book Week - Reading is Magic

We had a fantastic finale to this year’s book week this morning celebrating our favourite book characters with a dress up day parade!

A huge congratulations to everyone who put in the effort to dress up. We were pleased to see so many homemade costumes!

 

Well done to our costume and class door display winners! The energy that went in to the door displays was wonderful! 

During the week we also had other book related activities happening around the school.

  •  Teachers completed special activities related to the shortlisted books from this year’s CBCA Book Week awards with students in their buildings.
  • Students participated in lunchtime library activities in response to the book Can You Teach a Fish to Climb a Tree by Jane Goodwin and Terry Denten

Last week we had a whole school performance called Maybe a Miracle by perform education where the actors had an interactive presentation to explore some of the shortlisted books. What a fun way to get us excited about books!


Check out our Book Week  photo gallery  


Don’t forget that the Vicotroian Premier’s Reading Challenge is finishing up on September 6th - happy reading everyone!


Brenda Lycke

Literacy Leader

blycke@smaltona.catholic.edu.au




Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage

 



Father's Day Celebration

We are thrilled to announce our upcoming Father’s Day event, taking place on 30th August! This special afternoon will be a wonderful opportunity for our school community to come together and celebrate the important role that fathers and father figures play in our children’s lives.


Event Schedule:

  • 2:00 PM - Liturgy: We will kick off the festivities with a liturgy in the church. This gathering will allow us to reflect on and express our gratitude for the love and support fathers provide. 
  • 2:30 PM - Classroom Visits: After the liturgy, we invite families to visit their children’s classrooms. This is a fantastic opportunity for you to witness the incredible work our students have been engaged in throughout the year. You will also be able to participate in a special Father’s Day activity.
  • 3:00 PM - Afternoon Tea: To wrap up our celebration, we will host an afternoon tea in the school hall. Join us for a bite to eat and the chance to mingle with other families and staff. 

We encourage all dads, grandfathers, and father figures to join us for this meaningful event with their children. It promises to be a day filled with joy, laughter, and cherished memories.

To further enhance our Father’s Day celebration we are putting together a powerpoint presentation for the liturgy. We encourage all families to add a slide which shows our students with their father figure/s. All of the instructions can be found on the first slide of the powerpoint.

We can’t wait to celebrate Father’s Day together!

John Hein
Deputy Principal


Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage