What a big term!

We think our children at St Mary's are very special and this was acknowledged to us recently by the contractors working on the new playground. They told us that they have done a lot of work in schools across NSW and the ACT and that never before have they experienced children as polite, well mannered and well behaved as ours. They said that they were a credit to the school and staff and what a pleasure it had been to complete this work at St Mary's.

This was wonderful feedback for us and we commend the students for the respect they show to each other and to visitors to our school. Well done boys and girls!

As Term 3 comes to a close, we like to reflect upon the effort and achievements of our students and celebrate all the wonderful opportunities and experiences we have had in recent weeks and during this term.

First Eucharist
On Saturday 9 September, nine of our Year 4 students celebrated their First Holy Communion. Thank you to Fr George, Mrs Gen Schofield, Mr Justin Bateman and Mrs Sophie Kenny who prepared the students for the sacrament and organised the First Eucharist Mass.

First Eucharist is a significant religious event in the lives of our young students and our Catholic church. It represents our deep spiritual connection with God and the continuation of one’s faith journey. It also reinforces a sense of belonging to a faith community and helps our children feel connected to a larger group of believers who share similar beliefs and values. We congratulate all the children and their families in continuing the sacramental journey of living a Catholic life.

We look forward to welcoming our 2024 Kindergarten students next term for the Kindergarten Orientation sessions to be held on
Wednesday November 8 and Wednesday November 22

If you know of parents considering enrolling their children at St Mary’s, please ask them to contact the school office as soon as possible. 

All Year 5 and Year 6 students are really looking forward to the Stage 3 Camp in Term 4 to Jindabyne Sport and Recreation Centre. We know that they will have an unforgettable time as they continue to develop their skills in leadership, resilience and self-confidence.

Thank you to our Year 6 students who on Wednesday organised a ‘Show Your Colours’ fundraising event and ran a very successful cake stall that all our students enjoyed. Today, our Year 6 students have been at a sports and activity day at St Bernard’s, Batemans Bay. This was a good opportunity for the students to again meet and continue to build relationships with their peers from our K-12 Pathway as they transition together to Carroll College.

CyberSafety
Last week we had Donna Clark, Police Youth Engagement Officer, deliver an important presentation to our Stage 3 students about the safe use of social media and the internet. She spoke about the importance of being safe online, using the internet and social media responsibly and the things students should consider to keep them safe while they are online. Donna explained the importance of keeping our identity safe when uploading things like photos, ensuring that information such as where we live, where we go to school and our phone numbers are not shared online. Cyberbullying was also discussed and Donna explained to the students the importance of them 'speaking up' and talking with their families/trusted adults if someone is being mean to them online and if they know about other people being mean to others online.

For more information and support about CyberSafety, please visit the eSafety website parent page. There are a lot of useful resources to support parents and families navigate the use of social media and the internet with their children.

Looking Back at Term 3
There have been so many highlights for our school this term including: the Regional NAIDOC Mass held at St Mary’s, Kindergarten celebrating 100 days at school!, the K-12 Yuin Banaan Cultural Day, the visit from Ibu Yuni and Ibu Lina from Indonesia, Little Investigators Playgroup, our representation at the Southern Region and Archdiocesan Public Speaking Competitions, the Binin.gala Workshops in Stage 2, the Book Week Parade, Book Quiz and Book Swap during Book Week, celebrating our Dad’s and father figures at the Father’s Day Breakfast, our representation in the Little Bas Art Show, the Gurubangamba Mentoring program with our K-12 Pathway, a visit from the Director of Catholic Education - Mr Ross Fox, the celebration of the Sacrament of First Eucharist, Kinder and Year 1 visiting Mogo Zoo, multiple sport opportunities from athletics, to hockey and many students representing St Mary's, our Southern Region and the Archdiocese at sporting events, whole school assemblies, special class masses and class picnics! 

Along with all of this, is of course, daily learning. Our students have continued to learn and grow and build on their skills and knowledge. We are very impressed with their effort and commitment to reaching their learning goals.

Looking Ahead to Term 4
Term 4 promises to be just as busy and exciting as this one. Some important dates coming up include:

• Gurubangamba Mentoring Program - Monday 16 October
• Andrew Chinn visit - Wednesday 18 October (Concert 2pm)
• Mission Week Mass and Market Day - Friday 20 October
• Swimming Program Assessment - Tuesday 24 October
• Whole School Assembly (Year 1) - Tuesday 24 October (2pm)
• Staff Professional Learning (Pupil Free Day) - Wednesday 25 October
• Stage 2 Canberra Excursion - Thursday 26 October-Friday 27 October
• Stage 3 Camp Jindabyne - Monday 30 October - Wednesday 1 November
• Kindergarten 2024 Orientation Days - Wednesday 8 November, Wednesday 22 November (9:30-11:30)
• Swimming Program - Wednesdays Weeks 5,6,7,8.
• Year 2 Excursion to Tilba - Thursday 9 November
• Mass and Picnic to celebrate the teaching career of Mrs Marg Croese - Friday 17 November
• Year 7 Orientation Day Carroll College - Friday 24 November
• Kindergarten 2024 Parent Information Evening - 27 November (6-7pm)
• K-6 Awards Night - Tuesday 5 December
• Year 6 Graduation Mass (12pm) and Graduation Dinner (6pm) - Tuesday 12 December
• Final Day of Term 4 - Friday 15 December

Classroom Mastery
Next year, Catholic Education is introducing a well-being program called ‘Classroom Mastery’ to a number of selected schools who will pilot the program for gradual implementation across the system.

Our three K-12 Catholic schools on the coast have been selected in the first wave of schools to participate in 2024. Our three schools were chosen recognising the importance of a common approach for the K-12 Pathway.

Initial training is commencing next term with Dr Tim McDonald to upskill staff. To enable this to occur, an additional Pupil Free Day has been approved by CE for Wednesday 25 October (Week 3). This training complements Catalyst initiatives, particularly High Impact Teaching Practices.

Our involvement in this program is exciting as it supports our continual promotion of high expectations for learning.

Follow the website link for further information about the program.

Students return to school for Term 4 on Tuesday 10 October, and will be wearing their summer school uniform. Monday 9 October is a pupil free day as the St Mary’s and St Bernard’s staff will be holding our Staff Spirituality Day here at St Mary’s. Luke Maher, Religious Education and CSYMA Officer, is facilitating the day with a focus on deepening our understanding of 'The Year of the Holy Spirit'. 

We would like to thank all our families for your continued support this term. Your children have worked incredibly hard and we wish you and your families a safe and enjoyable holiday break .

God’s blessings on your families

Leadership Team