2024 St Mary's Primary School Newsletter Term 4 Week 7

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

Prayer

Principal's Report

Dear Families and Friends of St Mary's Community, 

As we approach the end of the year, there is so much happening across the school
Prelude to Christmas practice is underway, and Canola staff and students have worked very hard in preparring for end of Year 6 celebrations and Graduation Mass.  A special thanks to our teachers and support staff for their dedication and hard work throughout the year—your efforts are truly appreciated.

Next Tuesday, we are excited to welcome the new Foundation students for 2025. Our Year 5 students have been writing to their Foundation buddies, and everyone is looking forward to meeting them. This is also a special time for our Year 6 students, many who have already began their transition programs for secondary school.  The Year 5's have prepared and presented their leadership speeches and will soon step up into their leadership roles.

With such a busy time underway after a solid year and with the arrival of the the hot weather, the students are showing signs of fatigue. This is in additon to the extracurricular activities students are involved, with many out 3 to 4 or more nights a week afterschool plus weekend commitments.  Rest days and sleep are important so please ensure your child is having appropriate downtime, so they can cope with their learning at school. They still have a lot to get through over the next three weeks!

Thank you all for your ongoing support as we finish the year strong together!

Travel safely with God's blessings,

Nerrida

Thank you parents for catering this weekend.

Thank you families for bringing in your donations for the catering event this weekend for the St Vincent de Paul conference. Thank you Jess Boyd, Parent Club and all volunteers for your preparations leading up to Sunday. Please see the school Family Facebook page for arrangements for salad drop offs and helping on the day. This is another great fundraiser for the benefit of all the students. 

Fee Statements

All 2024 Fees should now be finalised. If there are still fees outstanding your attention to this is appreciated. Families will with overdue fees will be contacted next week. Please, if there are any difficulties with fee payments, do contact Nerrida for a confidential discussion. 

Prelude to Christmas next Sunday December 1

Another lovely way Warracknabeal comes together as a community each year is through the Prelude to Christmas, to be held at St Mary's Church on Sunday 1 December, the first day of Advent. I look forward to seeing our St Mary's families there for this eucemenical occasion to celebrate all faiths of our community in Christ to begin the Advent season. The students will be presenting two songs - "It's Advent" and "Mary Said Yes, Yes Yes". The words and links to the the music are attached at the end of the newsletter. Families, please let Nerrida know as soon as possible if your child/ren will not be attending. We spend a lot of time organising and preparing for this event for the community, practicing at school and church, planning where chidren will sit and stand on the night, and which student leaders and captains will say prayers etc. Your cooperation informing us is appreciated. 

After the event there will be supper at the Anglican hall across from St Mary's Church. If families staying for supper afterwards would please bring a plate to share. Thank you. 

Student Leadership Speeches and Elections

On Wednesday 20 November, our current Year 5 students presented their speeches to the school community. Students and staff will vote for their 2025 school leaders over the next few days, with successful candidates announced at the Chickpea assembly on Wednesday 27 November.

Remembrance Day November 11

Our school leaders proudly represented our school at the Cenotaph on November 11. Thank you to Matilda, Meika, Ivy, Charlie and Isaac. Thank you to Clare Letts and staff who led a short liturgy at the flagpoles to commemorate those whe have served and lost their lives in conflict. 

Country Education Partnerships-BMX Bike Bandit

Thank you to CEP for funding another entertaining experience for our students. Please see our family Facebook page for a video of our students' circus tricks!

We are a BARR school (Bushfire at Risk)

Pleae read the communication below. As a Bushfire at Risk school, on days there is a Catastrophic fire danger forcasted in our district, the school will close. Other educational providers in our area will also close, and there will be no school byses running. We need to receive notification from the Department if Education and also DOBCEL in order to close. The school will always endeavour to notify families as soon as practical. We did have two Catastrophic school closure days earlier this year. 

Please ensure you have downloaded the SIMON everywhere app to receive the first notification of a sudden school closure through PAM, as this is the official school emergency notification platform.

Then emails will be sent to families, followed by a Facebook update. 

Transition Days

Families with students beginning at St Mary's in 2025, your child will soon receive a letter inviting them to the Foundation transition days for 2025. The dates and times are in the key dates calendar at the beginning of the newsletter and also as below:

Tuesday 26 November Foundation Transition Day     9:00-11:00 am

Tuesday 3 December Foundation Transition Day 2     9:00 -11:45 am (students stay for recess and end of eating time)

Tuesday 10 December statewide transition Day - whole school transition from 9-11 am, 2025 Foundation students at St Mary's until 1:45pm, for 2024 Grade 6 students there are no classes at St Mary's this day, until 11:45am.  

Class Assemblies Term 4

Assembly Time Table for Term 4 - all 9:00am

School Closure Days for 2025

Please see previous newsletters for details and note the following dates for your planning:

Thursday 13 February

Tuesday 22 April, Wednesday 23 April, Thursday 24 April  (Note Mon 21 and Fri 25 are also public holidays - so a three week break for Term 1 holidays)

Fri 19th September (last day of Term 3)     

Year 6 jumpers for 2025

Students are finalising their design and these shall be ready soon to order.

End of Year Celebrations

We now have all our end of year dates confirmed:

Wednesday 11 December  Year 6 Graduation Dinner at the Creekside Hotel 6:00pm

Thursday 12 December  Canola Assembly

Tuesday 17 December   End of Year Graduation Mass 5:30pm St Mary's Church.

Wednesday 18 December   Students' last day, End of year pool party 10am-1pm at Warracknabeal Memorial Pool; BBQ lunch suppled by Parent Club

Confidence & Motivation

Child Safe Standards - What are they?

Prelude Songs and Words - please practice!

It's Advent

Mary said "Yes. Yes, Yes"

Community News