St Mary's Primary School Newsletter Term 1 Week 8

Acknowledgement of Country

St Mary’s Primary School respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the
Wotjobaluk Nation, the Wotjobaluk, Jaadwa, Jadawadjali, Wergaia and Jupagalk
peoples, and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respect to the ongoing living cultures of First Nation Peoples of the Wimmera Mallee area. 

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 1 Week 8  

Dear Families,
I hope you all enjoyed the Long Weekend - I know that I did! Sometimes it’s important to stop and
take a breath before we push on for the remainder of the term. This year students and families have had an extra-long, long weekend with the school closure day on Tuesday. Thank you families for supporting the school closure day this week. We understand that it can be difficult for families to accommodate school closures and we appreciate your support. 

Our staff spent time through the day working through our revised RE and Wellbeing program. This called for new training as we move forward with this program. It is well documented how student well-being and mental health are crucial aspects of a student's overall development, and how they play a vital role in their academic success. As such, it is important for our religious education program to not only focus on the teachings of our Catholic and other faiths, but to also prioritise the wellbeing, mental health and safety of our students. This includes the children's age appropriate understandings of relationships and sexuality.

"Catholic schools in the Diocese of Ballarat are committed to  providing Relationships and Sexuality Education in partnership with families that nurtures the flourishing of each student.  Relationships and Sexuality Education is committed to fostering student well-being and personal dignity through essential learning in the areas of sexuality, personal development, anatomy, physiology, morality and spiritual development. Learning is both developmentally appropriate and responsive to multiple elements that embrace growth in self-knowledge and self-control. Learning is interdisciplinary,informed by the Awakenings Religious Education Curriculum and the Victorian Curriculum.”
BDSAC Relationships and Sexuality Education Policy, 2018, p. 2

Through creating a supportive and inclusive environment, where students feel comfortable discussing their understanding of themselves, their bodies, their emotions and being aware of their rights as individuals, religious education programs can play a vital role in promoting positive mental health outcomes.

Our staff are experts in education and our school continues to lead the way in providing access to programs that are designed to improve learning outcomes for all students. Over the next few weeks information will be sent to families regarding the Health and Wellbeing - Fullness of Life program with class specific information. We will share with you how the age-appropriate program will be integrated across the Health and Religious Education subjects across the school, and how it addresses  mandated Child Safety standards and the Victorian Curriculum.

Please note we fully recognise and support parents as the primary educators of their children. We will offer information sessions and opportunities to clarify your questions. You can help us by becoming familiar with the information sent home and communicating with your child's teacher or myself as needed.  I invite you to read the document attached which shows the content that will be covered in the curriculum for each year level. Please note the content which is not religious focused is from the Victorian Curriculum, which is required to be taught by all schools.  It will be these areas that will be taught in the Health classes as part of the Health and Physical Education program throughout Terms 2 and 3. Further details regarding information sessions and the format of the program specific for each class will be shared over the next few weeks. I look forward to working in partnership with families as this program is implemented. 

Travel safely with God's blessings,

Nerrida

Well done Isaac!

Congratulations to Isaac for making it through to the interschool regional division of swimming which was held in Horsham on 14th March. Isaac was very proud of himself coming first in one of his heats and swimming a personal best in his freestyle event. Well done Isaac for your terrific efforts and being such a wonderful representative of St Mary's!

Calling for helpers for our Athletic days 28th and 29th March.

Tuesday 28th March will be our Athletics Field Events and Wednesday 29th March the Athletics Track Events. We are keenly seeking helpers for these days.

The Field events on Tue 28th March will be from 12:30 onwards to about 2:30pm Note:there will be no lunch orders on this day

The Track events will be from 9:00am onwards till about 1:00pm

Please email amalcolm@smwarracknabeal.catholic.edu.au if you can assist.

Fizzics Education excursion Monday April 3

Our Term 1 Country Education Partnership supported live show is a science perfomance called Fizzics Education, which will be on Monday 3^rd April.  Our session is from 11.00am - 12pm and will be held in the assembly hall at the Warracknabeal Secondary College. Students will walk to and from the College.  Permission forms will be pushed out through PAM shortly - please ensure you have updated all necessary information on PAM, including medical and please contact the offie if you have any difficulties accessing PAM. 

NAPLAN

Students in Year 3 and Year 5 will continue to take part in the annual NAPLAN tests through next week. NAPLAN tests are a nationwide testing regime which provides a snapshot in time for parents and teachers to better understand student progress. We encourage you to chat with your children at home about NAPLAN and what it means to them. 

Student Wellbeing

Little worriers look to parents and teachers for reassurance when they feel anxious. This can be evident in many ways, such as asking a million questions, wanting parents or teachers to make decisions for them or continually seeking praise. Some adult responses such as ignoring their worries or constantly reassuring them are unhelpful. As adults we don't have to fix our children’s problems, but we do have to acknowledge when they are worried (even when it seems silly to us!) Similarly, allowing a child to avoid an activity that makes them anxious is counterproductive- avoidance may help kids feel safe in the short term, but it risks the establishment of a long-term pattern that can be impossible to shift.

A practical way to show that you are trying to understand them is to validate how they are feeling and help to normalise that feeling. It is positive to acknowledge their discomfort and help give them the language to express it, for example you could say, “ It’s normal to feel a little nervous and worried about swimming/ NAPLAN/ the party. When I feel worried I get a pain in the tummy/ sweaty hands/ wobbly legs too. I find it helps me to take some big breaths/ use my brave thinking/ tell myself I’ve coped with this feeling before. What might help you?”
Next week we have further NAPLAN testing in Years 3 and 5- attached is a great tip sheet for children and parents who may be feeling a little anxious or stressed about it.

Wheat Assembly

Thank you to the Wheat students and Miss Clancey for their terrific assembly this week. 

This term in writing, Wheat students have been learning about the different parts of a Narrative text - the Orientation, the Complication and the Resolution. We have been learning how to identify the parts in texts we are reading. We have also been using a modelled text to INNOVATE by changing important features, such as the characters, the setting and the time so we can create our own texts. We have also been learning to include exclamation marks in our writing to add drama and excitement. If we see an exclamation mark in a text we are reading, we are getting really good at remembering to change our voices so the text sounds really interesting.  Our reading expression has been really improving!

In Art, Mrs Holland has been teaching us about two modern artists. We have been learning about the art of the Dutch Cubist painter, Piet Mondrian and the Abstract Expressionist, American artist, Mark Rothko. We presented our innovations of Cubism by Piet Mondrian and Mark Rothko at our whole school assembly today. We are really proud of our artistic skills!

Thank you Sarah-Jayne for filming the assembly today, this is available on our family Facebook page. Please see our recent award winners below!

Marg Clancey, Wheat Teacher. 

Japanese Special Day 

In Japan, on the 3rd of March, the nation celebrates the holiday "Hinamatsuri" which translates to "Dolls festival". At St Mary's on Friday the 3rd of March, we celebrated our own "Hinamatsuri". Students created a wonderful shared artwork with the help of Mrs Fiona Holland to display some Peach blossoms and straw dolls floating down a river. In Japan, young children send small dolls in woven baskets down waterways, whispering their worries to them before they place them in the water, the dolls are said to carry the worries of the children to lighten their load. Students in class studied some of the traditions and Wheat and Chickpeas made Emperor (Odairi sama) and Empress (Ohime sama) cups to use to enjoy their shared green tea. Students also enjoyed a small packet of Japanese lollies during eating time.
Jess Boyd, Japanese teacher

Harmony Day - Tuesday 21st March

Next Tuesday all staff and students are invited to wear a splash of orange and bring in a gold coin or any chosen amount for Caritas. This is a lovely day where we get to celebrate our differences and appreciate our rich diversity. As the day is also in the Lenten season, by donating money to Caritas on this day, this allows us to consider those less fortunate than us and the small difference we can make for others. 

School TV - Celebrating Harmony Week

Harmony Week is celebration held annually in March across Australia. It’s aimed at promoting diversity, respect and inclusiveness. This event is an excellent opportunity for parents to teach their children about different cultures, traditions and customs. The goal is to encourage everyone to appreciate and celebrate differences and promote a sense of community and belonging for everyone.

During Harmony Week, there are a number of events and activities held to bring people from different cultures together. These activities include multicultural food festivals, cultural performances, art exhibitions and workshops. Participating in these events helps children to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the diverse communities that make up Australia.

As a parent, you can engage your children in discussions about multiculturalism and encouraging them to ask questions. Promoting a more harmonious and inclusive society, can help children grow up with a greater appreciation for the richness and diversity of Australia's cultural landscape.

This Special Report hopes to instil positive values and create an opportunity to start a conversation with your child about understanding diversity and multiculturalism. We hope you take a moment to reflect on the information offered, and as always, we welcome your feedback. If this raises any concerns for you, a loved one or the wellbeing of your child, please consider seeking medical or professional help.

Click on this link to view the Special Report https://smwarracknabeal.catholic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-celebrating-harmony-week-au

School Advisory Council - Monday 20th March 6pm

Due to a change in circumstances, our Term 1 SAC meeting has been rescheduled to next Monday 20th March at 6pm. Parents are still sought to be members of our School Advisory Council. Parent input and participation into the life of the school is highly valued. Our current members are Narelle Drage, Ali Perris, Jess Boyd and Dale Stephan, however, we are still seeking a couple more members. The School  Advisory Council is asked to:
- assist with stewardship of the Catholic vision, ethos and culture of the school 
- provide strategic advice and support to the Principal on matters relating to school operations and ongoing improvement
- fairly represent the views and needs of the school community
- assist with promoting the school and Catholic education generally in the local  community
-  have what is best for the students at the heart of all advice it offers 
School Advisory Council members are in the privileged position of being able to formulate and offer informed advice to the Principal.

The commitment to SAC is not onerous.  We only have 3-4 meetings throughout the year, which includes the AGM, which is held in late October before harvest.  

Our first meeting this year will be held next Monday 20th March at 6:00pm  Please contact Nerrida or one of our current SAC members if you are interested. 

Catholic School Parents Victoria Update March 2023

Child Safe Standards - in child friendly language

Here are a some more photos of the child friendly language Child Safe Standards posters the students are currently working on. 

Community News

Colouring Competitions

Children have been given these sheets already.

Yarri Libraries are also holding a colouring competition. Please find attached a flyer and pictures. Once completed these can be handed in at the Warracknabeal Library by 31^st March, 2023.

Winners will be announced on the 6^th April and completed picture will be placed up in the Warracknabeal Library.