Principal's Message
Dear Parents and Carers,
Where has Term 3 gone? All terms go quickly at school but this one has shocked everyone!
First Eucharist
Last Sunday, many of our Year 4 students celebrated the Sacrament of First Eucharist. The mass was beautiful and the students were reverent and prayerful. Thank you to Mrs Afflick for coordinating the mass and to Mrs Hampson and Mrs Veneris for their work in preparing the students for this most important sacrament. A small but beautiful young choir sang uplifting hymns for us and I thank Mrs Devonald, Mrs Croese and Mrs Durnan for being there to support them.
A special thank you to Father Eden. On behalf of the students, staff and families, I would like to express my gratitude to Father for his support by visiting us each week and welcoming all of our families to Church. The students enjoy having Father Eden visit their classes and we appreciate his guidance and humour. We wish Father well on his travels to Europe. A well deserved holiday!
Youth Mental Health Training for Parents
The Catholic School Parents Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn (CSPACG) and Catholic Education are hosting a Youth Mental Health First Aid Training Course in Batemans Bay on 27th & 28th October. This course is being offered at no cost for parents and carers of young people (12-18yrs) at St Mary’s and Carroll College.
Participants will learn how to assist a young person who may be experiencing a mental health problem or mental health crisis until appropriate professional help is received or the crisis resolves, using a practical, evidence-based action plan. This course is delivered by a trained facilitator and is based on guidelines developed through the expert consensus of people with lived experience of mental health problems and professionals.
The 2-day training will take place on 27th & 28th October from 8.30am-4pm at the Batemans Bay Soldiers Club. Places are limited to 20 participants, so parents and carers are encouraged to register early at Eventbrite:
Term 4 Expectations
Term 4 promises to be as busy as this one. With Stage 2 visiting Canberra, Peter Pan, Kinder Orientations, Yr 6 Orientation, K-2 Art Show and End of Year celebrations, we will need to hit the ground running in Week 1. At the Assembly on Wednesday, while everyone looked like they had just got outta bed… I spoke about the necessity for all of us being positive, cooperative and respectful at all times. Please remind your children that this is especially important in Term 4 when the staff are incredibly busy, teaching and assessing students, organising co-curricular activities, planning fun, end of year activities as well as transitioning students for 2023.
At St Mary’s we have a Behaviour Management Plan that is well understood. When things go wrong, we keep it simple by referring back to our four school values and ask the following questions:
Were you being kind?
Were you being safe?
Were you being respectful?
Were you doing your best?
We are here to support your child to make the right choices and learn from situations. Occasionally a student requires time away from their class and teacher to discuss and reflect on their behaviour. Parents are informed if the situation is of a serious nature, or if a pattern of misbehaviour is occurring. Thank you for your support with this. When teachers and parents trust each other’s decisions and work together, the students know what is expected and benefit greatly.
We all want the same thing; For children to grow up to be the best person they can be.
Students return to school on Tuesday October 11, and will be wearing their summer school uniform. Parents are asked to check that their child's uniform is neat and correct. All students are expected to wear black shoes/joggers on non sport days. Coloured nails and excessive jewellery are not part of the St Mary's school uniform. Thank you for your support.
Wishing you and your families a safe and happy holiday break. Your children have worked incredibly hard and deserve a good break.
God's blessings on your families
Noeleen O'Neill
Principal