St Mary's Primary School End of Term 3 Newsletter Week 10

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

Dear Families,

Welcome to our final newsletter for Term Three! We have had a busy ten weeks of living and learning together at St. Mary's. Students from Foundation to Year 6 can all enjoy a break knowing that much has been achieved in the classrooms, and beyond. Thank you to all our staff who have kept the learning program going strongly for all students. Your dedication is amazing! To our students, I say thank you also for your dedication to your learning. You have certainly earned your break. Thank you to Parent Club for your terrific efforts in supporting and providing wonderful lunches for our students this term. Finally, I say thank you to all our parents and friends who manage to keep school and home life together, even when it has been cold and wet earlier in the term and our little ones might rather stay home by the heater. You have done a great job! Regardless of whether you have time off work or not, I hope that the next two weeks can bring a more relaxed atmosphere to your household and that at least a few sleep-ins might come your way.

When we return next term our students will head into the STOMP program, with the presentation to families being held on Friday 6th October. Please see further in the newsletter for details.

The Warracknabeal Show Day will be on Thursday 12th October - attached towards the end of the newletter is information regarding entries. 

There are also lots of flyers at the end of the newsletter for school holiday activities and Term 4 sporting groups activities.

Enjoy the break everyone, see you in Term Four.

Travel safely with God's blessings,

Nerrida 

Principal    (principal@smwarracknabeal.catholic.edu.au)

Students finish today 14th September

Today Thursday 14th September is the last day of term for students - this is a regular school day with school finishing at 3:15 pm.  Tomorrow on Friday 15th December teachers will travel to St Mary's Donald to work with their teachers and consultant Tony Dalton for professional development on Family Engagement in Learning.

Little Desert Regional Athletics in Stawell

On Monday 1th September,  14 students travelled to Stawell for the Regional Athletics. Congratulations to Zoe, Evan, Olivia, Mia, Bianca, Charlie, Isaac, Miki, Heidi, Harlow, Pippa, Arielle, Aleah and Campbell - each student put in a terrific effort and was a wonderful representative for St Mary's. We now have 6 students who made it through to the next level Greater Western Region in Ballarat to be held on Friday 6th October - well done to Campbell (High Jump and 200m), Zoe (Shotput), Isaac (Long Jump and Triple Jump), Aleah (Shotput),  Harlow (High Jump) and Arielle (High Jump) -  best of luck for the next round.

Note our two girl relay teams both came second on the day in Stawell, but unfortunately only the first place getters for relays move forward to the next level in Ballarat

Thank you to Mr. Malcolm, Ms Holland and parents for driving the children to the event and supporting the students throughout the day. 

Interschool Golf - Tuesday 11th September

Well done to Colby, Campbell, Matilda, Zoe and Meika for representing St Mary's in the interschool golf tournament held at Warracknabeal Golf Course on Tuesday 11 September. A special congratulations to Meika placing first in her division and making it through to the next round in Horsham next term. Thank you very much to Emma Mansfield and Bron for travelling to the course and supporting the students through the event.  

Matilda, Meika and Zoe teeing off

Footy Fever Day and Farewell to Mr Scott

Everyone was decked out in their sporting gear today, supporting their favorite team, local sporting club, or even St Mary's sports uniform.

We also took today as an opportunity to farewell Mr Brad Scott for filling in over the past two weeks while Fiona Holland has taken long service leave. Thank you Brad for your enthusiasm and contributions, we have been so lucky to have you for this length of time and we hope we may be able to have you with us again in the future!

Whole school picnic lunch and playing AFL card games

STOMP presentation and Movie night

On Friday the 6th of October, the students at St Mary’s would like to invite you to watch their STOMP presentation and share a BBQ tea and a movie projected onto the big scoreboard, all starting from 3:30pm. The Parent Club will be providing a fundraiser BBQ tea along with an assortment of snacks for students at a small cost. We encourage you to come along and share this special time with your students.

 Available for purchase will be

sausages, hamburgers with or without coleslaw, cupcakes, ice creams in cones, water, fruit boxes popcorn, tea and coffee

We would ask you to indicate how many people you would bring to the showcase as a rough guide for our catering purposes. If you have any special dietary requirements (ie gluten, vegan/vegetarian, or allergies), please indicate in the form below.

As this is a school event, there is to be no alcohol brought or consumed on the premises.

Please indicate your RSVP through the Google link below.  If any difficulties with the form, please email your RSVP to jboyd@smwarracknabeal.catholic.edu.au

School Fees and Levies 2024

At our recent SAC meeting held on Monday 4th September, our school fees and levies were reviewed.  Also discussed was our school's commitment to provide the best in technology through our infrastructure and devices, to ensure no child is left behind in terms of digital literacy.  

St Mary's is updating the technology provision across the whole school through its masterplan, which includes in 2024 updating the students' chromebooks currently used across Years 3-6.  As such, from 2024, a $100 technology levy per student per year will be introduced, for student in Grade 3 ,4, 5 and 6. 

School fees for 2024 are:

Family fee $895  per family

Capital fee $90 per family

Student fee $180 per student

Technology levy $100 per student

If you have concerns regarding fees and fee payments, or wish to have a confidential discussion regarding how you can best contribute to your child's fees, please call the school or contact Nerrida at

principal@smwarracknabeal.catholic.edu.au

Barley and Lentil Camps next Term

Permission forms will be out through PAM soon for the Barley and Lentil camps.  Lentils will head to  Tarroki camp in Robe S.A  from 17-20 October, with Barley heading to Lady Northcote camp at Bacchus Marsh from 25-27th October. Fee statements have been sent to families and your prompt payment towards these are appreciated.  If you are having difficulties with fee payments please contact Nerrida. 

Wellbeing - R U OK? Day

Understanding the growing challenges related to mental health among young people is an important consideration. Anxiety, depression and self-harm –– are all causes for concern. Factors like academic pressure, social media, family dynamics, and societal expectations, are contributing to these issues. It's therefore crucial for parents and caregivers to take action early, remove the stigma around discussing mental health, and offer accessible support to address these issues and the wellbeing of their children.

R U OK? contributes to suicide prevention year round by urging people to invest time in personal relationships and empowering informal support networks to identify signs of distress. We urge all families to take part, emphasising the value of genuine human relationships and reminding everyone to ask the important question, “Are you OK?”

Engaging in R U OK?Day activities goes beyond the classroom; it's a commitment to our students' overall development. By talking openly about mental health, schools create safe spaces where students feel understood, valued, and supported. As parents and caregivers, you can contribute by fostering open conversations, normalising feelings and breaking down mental health stigmas. Participating in R U OK?Day promotes compassion and shows our dedication to the wellbeing of the entire school community, reaffirming that together, we can truly make a difference.

This Special Report provides guidance on how to talk to your child about mental health and engage in meaningful discussions. 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.

Here is the link to your special report 

https://smwarracknabeal.catholic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-r-u-ok-day

Community News

Woolworths Cricket Blast will kick off on Thursday 19th of October with a Come and Try & Registration night. 4:30pm @ ANZAC Park. Ages 5-10yrs 

Follow the link to register: https://www.playhq.com/cricket-australia/register/781c64