St Mary's Primary School Newsletter Term 4 Week 9

Acknowledgement of Country

St Mary’s Primary School respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the
Wimmera Mallee area, the Wotjobaluk, Jaadwa, Jadawadjali, Wergaia and Jupagalk
peoples, and pays respect to the ongoing living cultures of First Peoples.

As partners in Catholic Education and open to God’s presence, we pursue the fullness of life for all.  St Mary's Catholic Primary School  is committed to the safety and well-being of all students.

Key Dates

Principal's Report

Welcome to Term 4 Week 9

This Sunday is the second day of Advent. 

On Monday we will light the second purple candle on our Advent wreath which represents peace and preparation. Together we will celebrate a short Advent reflection in the library after lunch and will talk about the Gospel from this Sunday where Isaiah tells the people to "Prepare the Way of the Lord." 

Last Sunday night, the ecumenical Prelude to Christmas held at the Uniting Church was a wonderful celebration for the Warracknabeal community to begin Advent. All the children should be exceptionally proud of their singing efforts and were exemplary in their behaviour. Thank you to all the mum's, dad's, relatives and friends who brought their children and stayed for the evening.  A very special thank you to all the staff who worked very hard in organising the singing practices and church rehearsals leading up to the event.

We had a very exciting day on Tuesday welcoming our Foundation students for 2023. The Grade 5 student buddies were just as excited as the kinder children!  There was a lovely energy in the air as all the St Mary's students greeted the new Foundation students on their arrival. The new students had a busy time 'looking for the green sheep', and then making their own woolly sheep! Thank you, Louise Kemp for a terrific morning for the new students for 2023. 

As we head to the final weeks and days of the year, there is still so much to be done but also lots to look forward to. Next week will be Transition Days for both Kinder and Grade 6’s, whole school STOMP practices, Grade 5 Leadership speeches, Graduation Mass practices and the Pool Party. Again thank you to the staff for all the incredible work going on in the organisation of these events, including Clare Letts and Bron Orval for the Grade 6 celebration preparations.

Travel safely with God's blessings,

Nerrida

Staffing for 2023

I am very pleased to announce our advertised staffing positions have been fulfilled for 2023.  We are lucky to have appointed Margaret Clancey from Warrnambool, a highly experienced teacher who also has her Masters in Religious Education.  We are also very pleased to welcome the appointment of Andy Malcolm, again an experienced teacher and just so happens to be a St Mary's parent!  Also appointed is Alyssa Muller as a Learning Support Officer. We also welcome back Meg Werner (and now a St Mary's parent!), returning one day a week.
Leaving us this year to pursue new interests is Jayden Smith (LSO). Eilish Flagg (Barley) will also be taking 2023 to travel and explore different opportunities.  Claire (Chickpeas) and Joel Schulz have now welcomed their son Hunter to their family, so Claire will continue with her family leave until her return.  And with further blessings Victoria McPhee (Wheat) is expecting her new bub in the New Year and will also be away for 2023.  We wish all leaving or taking leave a fruitful 2023 filled with new experiences. 
With our newly appointed staff we have planned for four classes for 2023. Our enrolments have increased, and we are expecting 70 students on our return in the new school year. 
Our classroom teachers will be Louise Kemp, Marg Clancey, Clare Letts and Andy Malcolm. Our specialist teachers will be Jess Boyd and Fiona Holland, and of course, we will continue to have our amazing Educational Support Staff.  The staffing allocation and final class structures are still in progress and the teachers allocated to the grades will be formally announced on the Transition day on Thursday 13th December.  However, it is finalised that Louise Kemp will be the Chickpeas teacher for 2023.
We are all very much looking forward to an exciting 2023! 

Student Leadership Speeches Wed 7th Dec

Next Wednesday 7th December at 9:00am, the current Grade 5's will present their leadership speeches in preparation for the student elections for School Captains and Vice Captains for 2023.  All Grade 5's will presenting their speech. As Grade 6's in 2023, each student will become a student leader as a House Leader and will have responsibility in guiding and supporting the students in their houses throughout 2023.  We are expecting a sunny day with no rain on Wednesday, so we will hold the speeches outside in the stage area underneath the shade sails. All parents and families of the Grade 5's are warmly welcomed. 

Barley Assembly and Student Awards

This week Barley presented the final class assembly for 2022. Hopefully you have had the opportunity to see the video on our family Facebook page.   Below are our final award winners for the year - well done everyone!

Transition - Foundation Students 2023

Welcome to our new Foundation students - Ollie C, Parker, Isla, Ollie G, Remy, Frankie, Rocco, Ollie W, Arlie, Emerson, Victoria and Addison. We are very excited to have you join St Mary's! And well done to all our Grade 6 2023 buddies - you were all terrific!

Welcome Foundation Students 2023

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Transition - Grade 6 to Secondary

The transition day for the Grade 6 students attending Warracknabeal Secondary College will be held on  Thursday 8th December.

Please note on Tuesday 13th December, there will be a whole school transition in the morning, for 2023 Prep to Grade 6 students to be in their new classes. Staffing for these classes is still being finalised. 

Our current Grade 6's are still to come to school on Tuesday 13th December.  In the morning while the rest of the school is undertaking transition activities, Ms Holland will meet with the Grade 6's to become familiar with the new Child Safety Standards and to seek their input into creating student friendly standards for our school.  Normal classes will resume after recess. 

Graduation Mass, Stomp and Basket Tea

Our school’s Grade 6 Graduation Mass, which is also our End of Year Mass, will be held on Thursday 15th December at 5:30pm. Please have your child at the church by 5:15 pm. It is expected all our families will attend this special celebration to give thanks for our school year and farewell our Grade 6 students.  It is especially important all our Foundation students also attend, as they are the Grade 6 buddies and will be part of the Mass proceedings.  Fr. Matt Restall will be celebrating Mass with us. Families, friends and parishioners are warmly invited to this special celebration. Students will sit together as a school.  Our new Foundation students and families are also warmly invited to attend this special event.

After the Mass, we will return to school for the students to present their STOMP dances to their families, which will run for approximately 20 mins. Afterwards will be the opportunity for a basket tea if families wish to bring tea along to stay and share hospitality with others.  

Please ensure your child has eaten afternoon tea/a light snack before Mass at 5:30pm, otherwise they won't have tea until about 7pm. 

For our planning organisation, if your child and family are unable to attend the evening of December 15th, please notify Nerrida.   Thank you. 

Student Wellbeing - Consent

Changes to the Australian National Curriculum means age-appropriate consent education from Foundation to Year 10 will be mandated in all Australian schools from 2023. As parents you are the primary influencers in your child's development and hold the vital role in delivering what you feel is appropriate information for your child.  The link and article below hold some information for you to be having conversations with your child around consent. 

School TV - Bullying

This month on School TV - Bullying

Bullying is an ongoing or repeated misuse of power in relationships, with the intention to cause deliberate psychological harm. Bullying behaviours can be verbal, physical or social. It can happen in person or online, via various digital platforms and devices and it can be obvious or hidden. Bullying in any form or for any reason can have immediate, medium and long-term effects on those involved, including bystanders.

Despite the efforts made to reduce bullying behaviours, the research tells us that one in four students still report being bullied every few weeks. However, not all negative behaviour should be considered bullying. The key difference is that bullying does not stop on its own. It’s important young people learn how to identify behaviours that are rude, behaviours that are mean, and behaviours that are related to bullying.

Often the reasons for bullying can be complex. Some young people do it to get approval from others, some do it to regain control, whilst others may do it because it makes them feel safe. Supporting young people as they work through their emotions will help them unpack the motivation and reason behind the behaviour.

In this edition of SchoolTV, caregivers can better understand why some young people engage in bullying behaviours and what to do to support a child experiencing it. We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this month’s edition, and we always welcome your feedback.

If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Below is the link to this month's edition. 

Child Safe Standards - A Summary

Community News

Parish Bulletin