St Mary's Catholic Primary School Warracknabeal eNewsletter

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

2024	Term 3 Monday 15 July - 20 September Term 4 Monday 7 October – Wednesday 18 December
Term 3
Week 8	Monday 2 September Foundation 2025 information evening 5.30pm Friday 6 September Dental Van visit
Week 9	Wednesday 11 September to Friday 13 September Years 5 and 6 Melbourne camp Thursday 12 September Little Desert Regional Division SPorts
Week 10	Monday 16 September to Tuesday 17 September Years 3 and 4 Halls Gap camp Wednesday 18 September Learning Walk through the school for current, interested and prospective families Term 3 finishes Friday 20 September 2:15 pm
TERM 4	Monday 7 October Term 4 commences - students return

A prayer for fathers ( and those who are father -like) in our lives

We give our thanks, Creator God, for the fathers in our lives.

Fatherhood does not come with a manual, and reality teaches us that some fathers excel while others fail.
We ask for Your blessings for them all and forgiveness where it is needed.

This Father's Day we remember the many sacrifices fathers make for their children and families, and the ways--both big and small--they lift children to achieve dreams thought beyond reach.

So too, we remember all those who have helped fill the void when fathers pass early or are absent; grandfathers and uncles, brothers and cousins, teachers, coaches and the women of our families.

For those who are fathers, we ask for wisdom and humility in the face of the task of parenting. Give them the strength to do well by their children and by You.
In Your Holy name, we pray.

Amen.

Principal's Report

The Season of Creation

The Season of Creation begins next Sunday, 1st September, the World Day of Prayer for Care of Creation, and runs through to the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, 4th October. It is a time when Christians from across the globe focus on God’s gift of creation and recommit to care for this precious gift. The Season of Creation celebrates the joy of creation as well as encouraging awareness-raising initiatives to protect the natural environment. This year’s theme is 'To Hope and Act with Creation.'

Earlier this week Louise Kemp and myself visited the Warracknabeal Kindergarten to meet prospective children and families joining St Mary's next year. It is pleasing to know our numbers are increasing, and we have now advertised for our new teacher for 2025.

This week has been Speech Pathology Awareness Week, with the theme "Communication Your Way". We are incredibly lucky to have Sally Anderson on our team to support our students, their families and staff. From providing screenings of students, supporting the school with the Read3 and individual speech programs, collaborating with teachers, our LSO's and myself as principal, Thank you Sally! for your work and amazing contribution to our school, you are greatly appreciated!
Find out more about Speech Pathology Awareness Week: https://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/Public/Public/About-Us/News-media-campaigns/Campaigns/Speech-Pathology-Week.aspx

We enjoyed our Father's Day celebrations with dads, grandparents and special friends on Thursday morning for breaky and a cuppa. Happy Father's Day this Sunday, to all who play the role of father/ grandfather/special carer in their families.

Travel safely with God's blessings,

Nerrida

2025 Foundation information evening and enrolments

The 2025 Foundation information evening will be held at school in the Chickpeas room on Monday 2 September at 5:30 pm. All current and new families are warmly invited.

Learning Walk

Another Learning Walk will be held at the end of the term on Wednesday 18 September at 9:00am. A Learning Walk is not just for prospective families, it allows another opportunity for our current families to engage and witness the learning that is happpening in your child's classroom. All current and prospective families are invited. Please RSVP to Nerrida if you would like to join us.

Father's Day Breakfast and Chickpea Assembly

Thank you to all who attended our Father's Day breakfast. We had a wonderful turnout with fathers, grandfathers, special family friends and relatives attending. Thank you to the staff in preparing the food and coming in early to cook and serve the croissants and cuppas to our guests. We then had a lovely large crowd present to attend the Chickpeas assembly and class award winners - well done Chickpeas and Mrs. Kemp for your assembly, which is able to be viewed on our family Facebook page. (Thank you Fiona Holland for recording this!)

Father's Day Breakfast

Book Week Mon August 19

On Monday 19 August we began the celebrations for Book Week with the annnual Book Week parade. A special thank you to the Warracknabeal Kindergarten for visiting us and joining in the fun all dressed up and taking part of our parade. Thank you to families for organising your children in their wonderful array of colourful costumes representing their favorite book character! And a special thank you to the teachers and staff for their work in decorating their doors and rooms and designing engaging activities for the students to celebrate the week.

Classroom Doors

Class Activities

On the last day of Term 3, Friday 20 September, students can come to school dressed in footy/sport team colours, and Parent Club will be providing all students a special lunch. School finishes at 2:15 pm.

Camps

Camp costs have now been finalised.

Year 3/4 Halls Gap, one night, two days, 16-17 September $282.65 school subsidised to $200 per student

Year 5/6 Melbourne, two night, three days, Wednesday 11-Friday 13 September DOXA subsidised to $265 per student

Our Grade 5/6 Melbourne camp will travel by bus to Melbourne, leaving St Mary's at 7:45 am. From there we will be met by the Camp coordinators to stay the heart of Melbourne and use public transport to reach our destinations. It will be a true Melbourne experience for our students! DOXA staff will be with us at all times, including travelling on public transport. Returning home we will catch the train to Ararat, be met by the bus and have tea at the Ararat RSL and return to St Mary's by approximately 7:30 pm.

If you would like to know more about the Melbourne camp we are attending go to https://doxa.org.au/city-camp/.

The Grade 3/4 students Halls Gap overnight camp at the Halls Gap Baptist Centre is Monday 16 September to Tuesday 17 September. Students will leave St Mary's at 9:15 am Monday and will return to St Mary's at approximately 3:00 pm on Tuesday.

The F-2 students will have a day trip to the Halls Gap zoo on Friday 18 October.

Details with the itinerary and what to bring have been sent home in children's bags.

New Fee Statements now sent.

All families have received new fee statements, with the camp costs included. Now we are well into Term 3, please be aware all fees need to be finalised by November 8. If you are experiencing difficulties paying your fees please contact Nerrida. For direct debit and payment plan availability, please contact Paula at the office.

School TV - Healthy Study Habits

In today's world, where distractions are abundant and the pressure to excel is high, guiding children to develop healthy study habits is more important than ever. As students aspire to achieve academic success, the cornerstone of that achievement lies not just in their intelligence or drive, but in the study habits they cultivate.

It's essential for students to recognise that good study habits aren't merely about spending extra hours hitting the books. It's more about quality over quantity and having a more balanced approach. Emphasising the value of a routine is essential. Consistent study times establish a sense of structure and discipline, turning studying into a natural part of their daily routine rather than a burdensome task.

Additionally, how students approach their study sessions is equally important. Taking regular breaks is a crucial part of this process in maintaining focus and preventing burnout.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle that includes sufficient sleep, a balanced diet, and consistent physical activity are indispensable elements that will significantly impact your child's ability to study effectively. Fostering these healthy habits is one of the most valuable gifts we can offer children, paving the way for a lifetime of learning and achievement.

This Special Report will help you support your young person as they embark on studying for exams.

Here is the link to your Special Report

https://smwarracknabeal.catholic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-healthy-study-habits-au

National Child Protection Week

National Child Protection Week is next week, 1 to 7 September 2024. This is an opportunity to recognise and promote the safety and wellbeing of Australian children because ‘every child in every community needs a fair go’. 

Students at St Mary's are explicitly taught esafety, including how to:

recognise and understand what warning signs or ‘red flags’ look like online
identify safe and unsafe behaviours and the differences between secrets that are safe and unsafe to keep
use strategies to address harmful or dangerous situations online
identify the qualities of a safe adult and how to access support pathways.
understand why some people deceive others online
use strategies to address harmful or dangerous situations online
understand the importance of empathy online.

All in our community have a part to play in keeping our children and young people safe and have a responsibility to act on the core message, “protecting children is everyone’s business”.

Child Safe Standards - What are they?

The new Child Safe Standards came into effect in July 2022 and are a vital part of what we do here at St Mary's. What do these standards look like in practice? Each newsletter we will look at a standard in closer detail.

For more information please visit this link Child Safe Standards

The Resilient Kids conference (Melbourne)

The Resilient Kids Conference is a one-day event for parents and professionals who live and work with kids and teens. It’s a place where Australia’s leading parenting educators join forces to support you with practical tools and strategies, so we can better show up for this generation of kids.

Since 2016, our live events have attracted hundreds of parents and educators in a single event, so the vibe is marvellous. Our last recent conference in July in Perth was a full house with 750 delegates. It is beyond beautiful to see parents, educators, and many other professionals stream through the doors in anticipation of a soul fulfilling experience. By the end of the day their faces are beaming, and so is our teams.

If you haven’t been to a Resilient Kids Conference you simply must! It’s much more than a conference. It’s a community of people, redefining resilience together. In person, online and group licence tickets are available for most events.

We are bringing you three new presentations - all ready to support you as a parent or professional. Each presentation will include an extra Q and A segment. Let's dig in and answer some of those nitty gritty questions that you have. It's going to be a very full, action-packed day offering you loads of takeaways for your home, profession or community.

Date and Time: Sat 7th Sept

Time: 9.30am – 3:30pm (Doors open at 8.45 am for a 9.30am start)

Location: Main Auditorium, New Hope Church Building, 3-7 Springfield Road, Blackburn North VIC

Cost: $99.00 AUD

GET TICKETS HERE

Warracknabeal Show Day Thursday Oct 10

The 136^th Warracknabeal Show is being held on Thursday 10^th October 2024 at the Warracknabeal Showgrounds Reserve. There are several competitions which students are encouraged to compete in. The theme being everyone is good at something, so the organisers are particularly interested in encouraging first time participants.

The competitions include:

Cooking
Craft Work
Lego Construction
Photography
Art
Other
The Warracknabeal Community Garden Scarecrow Competition

At the end of the newsletter are attachments which outline the details of the competitions. The organisers expect to have the Show Schedule printed for circulation early during the week beginning Monday August 5.

All students are encouraged to participate in the Show and enter some of the competitions.