2025 St Mary's Primary School Newsletter Beginning of Year 2025

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.

Principal's News

As we embark on the 2025 school year, I welcome back students and families to another exciting year ahead at St Marys! To our new students, we are thrilled to welcome you into our school family. May you find friendship, support, and inspiration as you navigate through your educational journey with us.

As the new principal,I look forward to meeting and working with students, families and the Warracknabeal community. This year promises to be filled with golden opportunities for growth, learning, and achievement, so let us approach it with enthusiasm, dedication and a commitment to excellence in all that we do. The partnership we have with parents is invaluable and I encourage families to continue working with the dedicated and passionate staff we have been blessed with at St Mary’s

The Beginning of Year and Commitment Mass will be celebrated within the next few weeks, not this Friday, as previously notified. We feel this is an important event, particularly for our leaders and further planning is required. 

With the upcoming events such as this week’s ‘Getting to Know You Conversations (Today and Thursday), the Swimming Program (following two weeks) and Foundation Assessment days (Wednesdays), we ask families to be extra vigilant in their car park safety. We also invite families to park in the staff car park if they would like to. (Entry via Lyle St).

Thank you for entrusting us with the education and well-being of your children. 

Our St Mary’s newsletter will be published on Tuesday each fortnight.

Welcome to our new Foundation kids

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Key Dates

Prayer

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. 

Sacramental Program

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.

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.

School Fee Information

Thank you to all the families who have returned their Fee Payment Plan for 2025 and or have paid their fees in full. Please remember if you pay your fees in full by the 28th February 2025 you will be entitled to a $100 discount. If you have not yet provided your Health Care Card for 2025 could you please do so by the 10th February. Fee Statements will be emailed early next week. Any concerns or questions please feel free to contact the office.  

Dental Van

Today your child will have a Dental Van form in their school bag. The Van will be at school on Thursday 6th March. This is not compulsory it is a family choice. Student forms must be returned to school by Friday 21st February - late forms will not be accepted. 

ICT, Code of Conduct and WWC

Thank you to all the families who have sent back the ICT and Code of Conduct forms that were sent home last Friday. If you have not returned these forms yet could you please do so by Friday 9th February. If you have signed up to help out with swimming could you please check in that the school has a current copy of your Working With Children Card?

Thunderstorm Asthma

School Transitions

Community News

Issue One of Book Club was sent home last week and is due on Wenesday 12th February.

Owning your own books is something special! I hope that you will encourage your child to order books this year. Each order helps earn free books and teaching materials for our classroom, however there is never any obligation to order. I know of no better way to encourage reading than to allow children to choose the books they want to read.

The Shed Project - Expressions of Interest

The Shed Project has been operational for 6 years, and is excited that our purpose built shed is almost ready for habitation. Reverend James - the shed co-ordinator - is seeking an expressions of interest from families who would their children to participate in 2025.