Dear families,
Last weekend, we celebrated First Eucharist in our Parish. Our children’s reverence and preparedness were a tribute to both their families and teachers.
Thank you to Father Michael for celebrating such a beautiful occasion in the lives of our students and to Mr Freeman, who coordinated the ceremonies.
Our communicants will receive their certificates at Monday’s Prayer Assembly.
This week, John and I officially welcomed our newly appointed architects, Susan and Sofia from Kennedy Nolan, along to commence work on our new Masterplan. It was a productive meeting and set the scene for some exciting steps to come, the first one being a survey in which all families will be invited to partake. Stay tuned for regular updates.
We are noticing an increase in the number of children who are arriving at school either very early or very late.
Please note that students are not supervised until 8:30am. If you need to drop your child off early regularly, you must access Camp Australia’s before-school care.
This late arrival is very disruptive, not only for the late student themselves, but also for their teacher and classmates. The children miss valuable time in the morning, socialising with their peers and preparing for their day before the bell, as well as vital information at the start of every day.
We will begin contacting parents of children who regularly arrive late to discuss how we can help improve punctuality.
Whilst on the topic of early morning class activities, I had Annabelle from Prep S share the incredible independent writing she undertook of her own accord yesterday. She was not only able to read her work for me, but also articulated what needs to go into a sentence: one capital letter, one thought, finger spaces and a punctuation mark. I’m so proud of Annabelle, but not as proud as she is of herself. Look at that smile!
It’s been a truly wonderful thing to see how engaged and how well our students are taking to the new phonics program we have undertaken in our Junior School. While our previous program was also successful, our teachers agree that UFLI has taken student learning to a whole new level.
We have had some parents express interest in having us run another session by Elaine O’Connor around children’s anxiety. We know that there is never one single time that suits everybody, but this time we thought we’d ask for input and choose the time of day that suits most. If you’re interested in attending the next session, please indicate here, your preferred time.
The next P&F meeting takes place this Tuesday at 7pm in our staffroom.
New members are always welcome.
The campaign to find Australia’s best teacher is once again underway.
We have incredible teachers at St Mary’s and I’d encourage you all to consider nominating one of my amazing colleagues.
You can nominate here or read more in the article in today’s eNews.
Have wonderful weekend. Stay warm,
Please note that students will be dismissed at 1pm on Monday 30th June and at the regular time of 3.15pm on Tuesday.
To book an interview please go to https://www.schoolinterviews.com.au/code and use the code 8stn4.
For further information please refer to the Operoo note sent on May 21st.
If you require assistance with the booking process please contact the school office.
Regards
John Hein
Our crafters have been enjoying upcycling donated CDs to create a striking backdrop. Miss Hall will be concluding her time with Craft Club this week, Mrs. Richards will continue and is excited about our upcoming projects.