2024 St Mary's Primary School Newsletter Term 4 Week 10
- Acknowledgement of Country
- Key Dates
- Prayer
- Principal's Report.
- We are a BARR school (Bushfire at Risk)
- Final days of school this week:
- Welcome to our New Principal and Foundation students
- Year 6 Graduation Dinner
- Canola Assembly
- Sacramental Program
- 2026 Scholarships for St Brigid's and transport
- DOBCEL Strategy 2035
- Students' Reports
- Child Safety at St Mary's
- Year 6 jumpers for 2025
- Thunderstorm Asthma
- Fee Statements due now.
- Confidence & Motivation
- Community News
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 | Students' Last Day Wednesday 18 December |
Week 11 | Monday 16 December Rotary Breakfast BBQ for all staff and students from 8:30 am 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 10-1 at Warracknabeal Memorial Pool; BBQ lunch supplied by Parent Club |
2025 | Term 1 Tuesday 28 January – Friday 4 April Students return: Wednesday 29 January *Easter 18 April – 21 April School Closure: Thursday 13 February; Tuesday 22 April; Wednesday 23 April; Thursday 24 April (Monday 21 and Friday 25 are public holidays - Three Week Term 2 break for 2025) Term 2 Tuesday 22 April – Friday 4 July Term 3 Monday 21 July – Friday 19 September School Closure: Friday 19 September (Term 3 Week 10) - last day of Term 3. Term 4 Monday 6 October – Thursday 18 December (Staff finish 19 December) |
TERM 1 2025 | |
Week 1 | Tuesday January 28 Staff return, book pick up and fee payment day Wednesday January 29 All students return |
Week 2 | Tuesday February 4 Getting to Know You Meetings 3:30-5:30pm Wednesday February 5 Foundation absent Thursday February 6 Getting to Know You Meetings 3:30-5:30pm |
Week 3 | School Swimming program this week Wednesday February 12 All students present - including Foundation Thursday February 13 School Closure Day (no students this day) |
Week 4 | Wednesday February 19 Foundation absent Friday February 21 School Swimming Sports - Warracknabeal Memorial Pool |
Week 5 | Wednesday February 26 Foundation absent, Little Desert Swimming in Horsham |
Week 6 | Tuesday March 4 Shrove Tuesday Pancake Day Wednesday March 5 Ash Wednesday, Foundation studwents absent but welcome with families to attend the Ash Wednesday liturgy |
Week 7 | All Foundation students now at school every day after the Long Weekend NAPLAN this week Monday March 10 Labour Day Public Holiday |
Week 8 | NAPLAN this week Tuesday March 18 Year 5 and 6 STEM day at Longernong |
Week 9 | |
Week 10 | TBC Wednesday April 2 School Athletics Field Events TBC Thursday April 3 School Athletics Track Events Friday 4 April Last day of Term 1, 2:15 finish (Three week break for students) |
TERM 2 | |
Week 1 | Tuesday 22 April; Wednesday 23 April; Thursday 24 April (Monday 21 and Friday 25 are public holidays - Three Week Term 2 break for 2025) |
Week 2 | Monday 28 April Students return |
Prayer
Almighty God, we begin this Advent Season as an ‘Advent People’ – people of hope, ready to do your will. Let your blessing come upon us as we light this wreath. May it turn our hearts to you in the days ahead. Grant us the peace and joy we long for, as we await the coming of your Son with patient hearts. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Principal's Report.
Dear Families and Friends of St Mary's,
It is with mixed emotions I write to you my final newsletter for St Mary's. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as Principal of St Mary's and I am very proud of the unique and outstanding educational environment we provide for our students.
For the past 35 years I have been privileged to work in education and it has been a wonderful career. As a Principal, it can sometimes be very challenging, however, schools are also inspiring and rewarding. Our staff are nurturing, guiding and protecting the most precious of people, your children. Every staff member makes a significant difference to each of our students and positively impacts our school. St Mary’s is very blessed to have such an amazing staff!
All our students are fantastic young people with zest for life and filled with curiosity. For our Year 6 students, they are a terrific bunch, who should be incredibly proud of their achievements. I am sure they will leave St Mary's with many fond memories and stories to share with friends and families over time, all made possible by their friends and staff here at St Mary's.
I extend my best wishes to other students and families who are leaving St Mary’s. Thank you for your contributions and I hope you also leave with fond memories.
Thank you, everyone, for trusting me with the leadership of this beautiful school. I am excited to see what new opportunities perhaps outside the education sphere await for me in 2025. I wish Julie Leonard all the best with her leadership of St Mary’s as your new Principal.
This week marks the third Sunday of Advent and gives us the opportunity to prepare our hearts in faithful waiting, celebrate the birth of Jesus, and prepare ourselves for his second coming. As we get closer to Christmas this Sunday we light the third candle which is the Sunday of Joy. The third candle on our Advent wreath is pink to celebrate the joy of waiting!
May you all have a blessed festive season, safe holiday break and I look forward to catching up with you again one day.
Travel safely with God's blessings,
Nerrida
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.
Final days of school this week:
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; Students will then walk back to school to have a BBQ lunch suppled by Parent Club starting 1:30 pm. In the afternoon the students will then exchange their KK presents with thier classmates. School finishes at 3:15 pm
Welcome to our New Principal and Foundation students
On Tuesday 10 December incoming Principal Julie Leonard joined us for our transition day, along with our new 2025 Foundation students and also other students coming into other year levels. Next year we will also have Eamon join the Wheat class, with Sophia and Penny joining the Canola class. The school was buzzing at recess and lunchtime with so many new people joining us, it was a very exciting day!
Staffing for 2025
We are thrilled with our increase in student numbers to move to four classes for 2025. We are still advertising for a another teacher, and in the interim some staff have kindly adjusted their teaching loads to accomodate the four classes whilst we continue to select the best teacher we can for St Mary's.
Classes for 2025
Chickpeas (Foundation) Louise Kemp and Jess Lang
Wheat (Years 1 and 2) Claire Schulz and Victoria McPhee
Canola (Years 3 and 4) Clare Letts and Meg Werner
Lentils (Years 5 and 6) Fiona Holland
Specialist Classes Jess Boyd, Louise Kemp and Meg Werner
Education Support Staff Cath Bellis, Bron Orval, Bec Lewis, Deb Templeton
Administration Paula Winsall
Garden and Maintenance David Edwards
Year 6 Graduation Dinner
Thnak you to our amazing Year 6 students: you have been an exceptional group, demonstrating growth, leadership, and kindness throughout the year. Your support for younger buddies, your achievements across academics, sports, and the arts, and your contributions to our school community are truly commendable. We are so proud of you and wish you every success in the exciting journey ahead. Thankyou to Clare Letts, Meg Werner, Bron Orval, Bec Lewis, Jess Boyd and Paula Winsall for all your efforts in preparing for the dinner, and also to all involved in preparing for the Canola assembly earlier in the week and for the Mass next Tuesday.
Congratulations to our 2024 Award recipients:
Winner of the Lion's Award for Numeracy - Pippa Shannon
Winner of the Lion's Award for Literacy - Matilda Drage
Winner of the Principal's Award for academic growth in Numeracy - Aleah Elliott
Winner of the Principal's Award for academic growth in Literacy - Meika Peters
Pippa and Matilda with Lion's representative Emma Mansfield
Meika and and Aleah with Principal Nerrida Holland
Canola Assembly
What a fabulous assembly Canola led for the school on Thursday this week. Each year level presented heartfelt messages of thanks and gratitude to their peers and staff. Every student should be very proud of themselves! Thank you Clare and Bron for your amazing work over the past few weeks, preparing for the Graduation Dinner, Canola Assembly and also for the End of Year Mass next week. You have created truly memorable experiences for our Year 6 students and this is greatly appreciated.
A highlight was a beautiful poem read to farewell the Year 6's created by the Year 4's - as below:
Maddi: Starting school in 2018, full of hope and cheer, moving on in '24, the Paris Summer Games year
Ryan: What a long journey you've had together! Learning, laughing, growing,
Nathan: But now it's all change, a new challenge, it's off to high school you're going!
Indi: We've watched you be school leaders throughout the year. Here is our chance to tell you out loud, you have made us all so unbelievably proud
Edi: You were resilient throughout the COVID years, you've shown that "You've got this!" so we know you will cope.
Miki: February 2025 will bring changes: new faces, new classrooms, a new start. But have confidence in all you've achieved so far - take heart!
Chloe: Hold on to all the memories: trips and fun lessons we've shared. Remember your friends, your teachers and all school staff who've cared.
Elli: Recall times table facts, sentence types, what you have learned in VCOP. Kepp in mind your listening skills, you've got this in the bag.
Lachie: But mostly remember how much you are valued - you're superstars that's for sure!. We'll never forget the fabulous Class of 2024!
Canola Award Winners
Congratulations Indi!
Chickpeas Award Winners
Wheat Award Winners
Sacramental Program
St Paul VI Parish is dedicated to nurturing the faith of our young people, supported by their parents/home through running of the Sacraments of Reconciliation, First Holy Communion, and Confirmation.
The Sacramental Program for 2025 is designed to support families and students on their spiritual journey, offering meaningful preparation for these significant milestones.
St. Paul VI Parish - 2025 Sacramental Program
EARLY ENROLMENT
Reconciliation – Holy Communion – Confirmation
Reconciliation & Holy Communion preparation is available to children in Year 4 and above.
Confirmation is available for children in Year 6 and above who have completed Reconciliation & Holy Communion.
This includes those in secondary colleges who may have missed Sacramental opportunities in recent years, with COVID restrictions and beyond.
Early Enrolments help us decide where sessions are held and how many sessions are needed.
Early Enrolments close Friday 13th December at 4pm.
General Enrolment will follow and be open until February 15th, 2025
For more information or to enrol your child, please visit the Parish Office at
10 Roberts Ave, Horsham or email wimmeramallee@ballarat.catholic.org.au
Download enrolment forms using the links below, or call into the school office for a hardcopy.
2026 Scholarships for St Brigid's and transport
St Brigid's in Horsham is looking to put on transport from Warracknmabeal 2026 for any families wishing to pursue Catholic secondary education for their children. Dedicated scholarships will be available for St Mary's students to support families. Please contact Gerard Raven principal@stbc.vic.edu.au for more information.
DOBCEL Strategy 2035
Please find below a letter from Catholic Education Ballarat Executive Director, Tom Sexton and DOBCEL Board Chair Terry Harney regarding the DOBCEL Strategy 2035.
This letter introduces the new strategy that all DOBCEL schools will be working through over the next ten years.
Students' Reports
Students’ End of Semester Reports will be available through the Parent Access Module (PAM) from Thursday 19 December. Parents wanting printed versions of the report will be able to download copies from PAM. If you have any questions about your child’s report, teachers will be at school on Thursday 19 December and Friday 20 December, before commencing their Christmas breaks. After that date you would need to wait until school returns in late January.
Child Safety at St Mary's
St Mary's is committed to zero tolerance of child abuse, committed to listening to and empowering children and young people and keeping children and young people safe. We are committed to being proactive in the care, wellbeing and protection of children and young people. Child Safe Standard 11 as below highlights what we as an organisation must do. regarding documentation. If you ever have any concerns, regarding the safety and wellbeing of your child please contact the Principal. Your information makes us more aware of what needs to be addressed and how we can improve.
For more information please visit this link Child Safe Standards
Year 6 jumpers for 2025
The design is completed and jumpers have been ordered. We anticipate these will be ready for collection early 2025.
Thunderstorm Asthma
Fee Statements due now.
Families, please be aware all fees should now be finalised. Camp and excursion payments should already be paid prior to this date. If you are experiencing difficulties paying your fees please contact Nerrida. For direct debit and payment plan availability, please contact Paula at the office.
Confidence & Motivation
Community News
