Dear families,

Welcome to a new term and the start of Semester Two!
We hope the children enjoyed a well-deserved and refreshing break, though we imagine some parents may be feeling otherwise!

Despite being a short week, we hit the ground running and finished with a truly special celebration for Grandparents' Day. It was heartwarming to see our church filled to capacity once again, creating a beautiful atmosphere for students and their loved ones. A heartfelt thank you to all the grandparents and special visitors who braved the chilly morning to join us. We are so grateful for your presence and support.

We began the week with the Confirmation Preparation Evening for our Year 6 students, who will be receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation on Saturday, August 2nd. The evening was led by Sr Rita Malavisi, a Josephite sister, who guided the candidates and their families in a meaningful reflection on the significance of Confirmation and the responsibilities it brings as members of the Catholic faith. Sr Rita was deeply impressed by the students' engagement and thoughtful contributions.

On Wednesday evening, our School Advisory Council had the opportunity to meet Susan and Sofia, architects from Kennedy Nolan, who will be working with us on our school’s master plan. They presented the results of our recent community surveys and shared the next steps in the planning process. It was an exciting evening as we look ahead to the future development of our school.

There is great buzz and excitement in the air for tonight’s Trivia night. Once again, I thank members of the P&F who have been relentless in their pursuit of auction and raffle prizes for the night and for the level of dedication it takes to put on such an event. The staff, I know, are looking forward to winning this time. We came close last year, but watch out, parents, we’re ready!

Staff news

We are delighted to share the joyful news of the safe arrival of Ella Grace Hein, born yesterday morning to proud parents Mr. John Hein and his partner, Mel. Weighing 2.7kg, little Ella Grace is doing well, as is her mum. Her lucky brothers and sisters are absolutely smitten with their newest family member. Congratulations to the Hein family on this beautiful addition!

This term, we also extend a very warm welcome to Thomas Dow, who joins our Learning Support Officer (LSO) team for the remainder of the year. Thomas previously completed a placement with us earlier this year and continued to volunteer while finishing his course last term.

Welcome aboard, Thomas! Both our students and your new colleagues are thrilled to have you as part of the team.

Some beginning of term refreshers

Smartwatches

Please be reminded that student smartwatches are not to be used for calls, messaging, recording, or any other functions during school hours, except for telling the time.

If a student is feeling unwell, it is essential that their teacher and the school office are informed so we can ensure they receive the appropriate care and support. Similarly, if you need to get a message to your child during the day, please contact the school office, and we will ensure it is passed on promptly.

Many smartwatches include recording features, which pose privacy and safety concerns within our school community. The potential misuse of these devices can escalate quickly and affect others.

As part of our commitment to teaching students responsible technology use, we ask that all families support this policy. If a student is found using their smartwatch for communication or recording during school hours, the device will be confiscated and stored at the office until the end of the school day.

We appreciate your understanding and support in helping us maintain a safe, respectful, and focused learning environment for all students.

School uniform

While our uniform allows for some flexibility with mixing and matching, there are a few non-negotiable expectations we ask families to follow.

Coloured runners are only permitted on designated sports days.
When wearing the academic uniform, students are expected to wear fully black shoes or runners.

If your child is temporarily unable to meet this requirement due to an extenuating circumstance, please notify their teacher with a brief message explaining the situation.

Follow-up Anxiety workshop

We’ve had an overwhelming response to our upcoming workshop on 5th August. Thank you to everyone who has registered.

A special thank you to Maree and Nicole, two of our dedicated Learning Support Officers, who will be providing supervision for the children on the evening.

Enjoy the weekend,

Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage

Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage

The Raising Healthy Minds app is a free, personalised, pocket resource to help parents and carers raise confident, resilient children. Co-designed with parents and experts and funded by the Australian Government, Raising Healthy Minds aims to support children’s social and emotional wellbeing with evidence-based information.  

You’ll find information on topics like dealing with worries and making friends, as well as ideas for day-to-day life, like creating family routines, looking after yourself as a parent, and building strong relationships.  

The app offers a mix of quick-read articles, videos and animations aimed at parents and carers of children aged 0-12 years. You can tailor information to the age of your child and opt-in to receive helpful tips.  

Raising Healthy Minds provides simple-to-use information at your fingertips with clear actions you can start today.  

Download from Google Play or the App Store or go to raisingchildren.net.au/rhm to learn more and raise a healthy mind. 
Click here for more information. 

I hope you find it useful.
Regards
Marg Masseni
Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader

Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage

We are excited to invite you to the second workshop in our Parent Workshop Series, taking place on Tuesday, August 5th, during Term 3 and titled “Big Feelings, Brave Responses”.

This session will begin with a brief recap of our first workshop, Understanding Anxiety in Children, before exploring the topics of Self Regulation and Strengthening Connections.

We are delighted to welcome back Elaine O’Connor, Occupational Therapist, who will guide us through practical, evidence-based strategies that parents can use to support their children during challenging times.

Parents who attended our previous session found it highly valuable, and we’re pleased to continue deepening our understanding of this important topic with Elaine’s expert guidance.

The presentation will once again be FREE for St. Mary’s parents and child minding will be offered for St. Mary’s students.

Details:

Parent Workshop: Big Feelings, Brave Responses

Date: Tuesday 5th August

Time: 6:30 - 8pm

Location: Upstairs in the TRI Centre

Remember to register your interest via the Operoo note sent out this week or email me directly, noting how many adults will attend and whether you require child minding services. 

We look forward to seeing you there.



Warm Regards
Marg Masseni
Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader

Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage

Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage

We are excited to share our multiplication focus for Semester 2. Throughout Semester 1, students have made impressive gains in both speed and accuracy, and we are eager to build on this momentum.

To continue supporting student success, we’re introducing a range of fun and effective activities that focus on improving multiplication fluency:

Multiplication Grid: Students complete a 10x10 multiplication grid (covering times tables from 1–10) within a 10-minute time limit. This activity is used as our primary tool for assessing and tracking progress in both speed and accuracy.
click here for the grid .

Multiplication Wristbands: We are using a colour-coded, incentive-based system to encourage mastery of multiplication facts. Students are assessed by a Learning Support Officer and must answer each fact within 3–4 seconds to demonstrate fluency and accuracy.

• Beginner Wristband: x1 x5 x10

• Superstar Wristband: x2 x4 x8

• Master Wristband: x3 x6 x9

• Grand Master Wristband: All Multiplication Facts up to 10x10

Timestables Rockstars: This engaging online platform makes practising times tables fun and effective. With proven results in building fluency, students will participate in interactive games to complete their 10x10 heatmaps. They will be introduced to Times Tables Rock Stars in class over the coming week, and it will also form part of their regular homework routine.

We encourage you to continue supporting your child at home by helping them practise their multiplication tables regularly. Speed and accuracy with times tables are essential skills that will support their overall mathematical learning.

Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage