Religious Education News
Welcome back to Term 3! We hope the school holidays gave your family an opportunity to rest, reconnect, and make lasting memories - whether it was a peaceful time at home or filled with exciting travels and adventures. It was lovely to see the children return on Tuesday morning with bright smiles, eager chatter, and a wonderful sense of readiness to dive into the term ahead.
Term 3 is such a valuable time in the school year. With routines firmly in place and students feeling settled and confident, we often see incredible academic, social, and emotional growth during this time. It’s a term filled with opportunities - for deepening learning, developing friendships, and taking on new challenges with a growing sense of independence and resilience.
We’re looking forward to an exciting term filled with rich learning experiences, engaging class activities and community events that bring us together.
NAIDOC Mass Bega
Indigenous students and our school leaders from Year 4-6 travelled to Bega yesterday to be part of our Southern Region NAIDOC Mass to commence our NAIDOC Week celebrations. We congratulate five members of our school community who have received awards at this special Mass for their leadership, academic, cultural and or artistic successes in our our community.
At St Mary’s, we are blessed to have Riley as a passionate and inspiring Aboriginal Education Worker. Riley has started with us at St Mary's this year, and also shares his knowledge at St Bernard's Batehaven and Carroll College Broulee. He brings a strong sense of leadership through his dedication to sharing culture and language with our community. With a deep love for his heritage, he works closely with students and families to build cultural pride and strengthen identity. Each week, Riley teaches dhurga language in classrooms and leads didgeridoo lessons during break times, creating rich opportunities for cultural learning and connection. His enthusiasm, commitment, building of relationships with family and authentic leadership make a lasting impact across our school community.
Culture & Identity - Jake F
Jake is a proud and strong Yuin man who truly embodies what this award represents. His quiet determination and deep sense of cultural pride shine through in everything he does. Jake is committed to learning and honouring his Aboriginal heritage, not only through regular didgeridoo lessons and cultural conversations with our Aboriginal Education Worker Riley Nolan, but also by connecting with his family and Elders to deepen his understanding of the dhurga language at home. He is an active learner, often borrowing books from the school library to further explore Aboriginal history and stories. While soft-spoken, Jake lights up when speaking about his culture and is always willing to share his growing knowledge with those around him. His respectful and passionate commitment to culture and identity makes him an outstanding recipient for this award.
Art Award- Arthur MF
Arthur is a proud Yuin young man and a passionate young artist whose work reflects a deep connection to his culture and heritage. His artistic talents are evident in the thoughtful way he incorporates storytelling into each piece, using art as a powerful medium to express his identity and share the richness of his cultural knowledge. Arthur approaches each artwork with care and purpose, ensuring it reflects both traditional elements and his personal journey.
Deadly Encouragement - Theodore J
Theodore is a proud Yorta Yorta young man whose strength, resilience and determination embody the spirit of the Deadly Encouragement Award. Despite facing challenges in his learning journey, Theodore shows up every single day with a positive attitude and the tenacity to improve. He has worked so hard to read with success, and a highlight has been Theodore showing incredible courage and pride in his culture by delivering the Acknowledgement of Country at assemblies; an act that takes both tenacity and heart. Theodore is a true inspiration to his peers and a deserving recipient of this award.
Academic Achievement - Amelia G
Amelia is an outstanding young learner who continues to strive for improvement across all areas. Amelia is an excellent candidate for Academic Achievement to recognise her dedication, determination, and passion for learning. Amelia consistently applies herself across all learning areas, demonstrating a strong work ethic, curiosity, and a commitment to doing her best. She approaches every task with a positive attitude, takes on feedback to improve, and uses it as a tool for growth; continually striving to improve her knowledge and skills. In addition to her academic efforts, Amelia has shown a thirst for knowledge in learning more about her cultural heritage, embracing the learning of language and actively seeking opportunities to connect with and understand country. Her willingness to embrace all aspects of her learning journey, academically, spiritually and culturally makes her a deserving and inspiring recipient of this award.
A Prayer for NAIDOC Week
God of all wonder,
We pause in the busyness of our days to listen deeply to the wisdom
of this land and those who belong to it.
May our minds be open to dialogue,
May our hearts be open to transformation and
May our hands do the work of reconciliation.
We ask that the Spirit accompany us on our journey of healing
on these lands, seas and waterways;
We also ask the Spirit of peace be with all those who are living a life of fear,
dispossession and distress.
We make this prayer in the name of Jesus our brother and friend.
Amen
Welcome Father Josh
We are very excited to have welcomed Fr Joshua Scott to our Sacred Heart Parish and St Mary’s community. We are sure your child/ren have come home already and explain that they have met Fr Josh as he has come and visited all the classrooms and can often be spotted playing handball at break time or helping with afternoon pick up to meet families.
Fr Josh has his official Installation as Parish Priest and also as Dean of our area on Sunday the 10th August at 10am Mass. We warmly welcome families to come join in this very special Mass and morning tea afterwards presided by Archbishop Christpher Prowse.
First Eucharist Sacramental Program
The Sacrament of First Eucharist will be celebrated this term with some of our Year 4 students. The students are beginning to prepare for this sacrament in their classroom learning and are looking forward to this important step in their faith journey. We keep these students closely in our thoughts and prayers over the coming weeks. The sacrament of First Eucharist will be celebrated on Saturday 13th September at 5pm. All families and parishioners are warmly invited to attend this special Mass. Information regarding the sacrament of Eucharist will be shared with families. Some key dates to note in relation to the sacrament of Eucharist are listed below:
Save the Date:
|
First Eucharist Parent Enrolment Evening |
Thursday 31st July 5:00pm |
|
First Eucharist Commitment Mass |
Saturday 23rd August |
|
First Eucharist Retreat Day |
Thursday 28th August, Carroll College |
|
Sacrament of First Eucharist Mass |
Saturday 13th September 5:00pm |
A reminder that regular attendance at weekend Masses is an important commitment and a special way you can support your child in their sacramental preparations.
Feast of the Assumption Mass & Grandparents Day
On Friday 15 August, we will celebrate both the Feast of the Assumption and Grandparents Day, a very special occasion that honours the role of Mary, our Mother in the life of the Church and recognises the love, wisdom and guidance of our wonderful grandparents.
We warmly invite families to join us for Mass at 9:15am, followed by morning tea back at school. Children and families are encouraged to pack something to share together for morning tea, either with their grandparents or special guests. We look forward to welcoming our grandparents and grandfriends for this meaningful celebration of faith, family, and gratitude.
Condolences
We offer our prayers and condolences to Imogen (Kinder), Phoebe (Yr 3) and Mum Lynelle following the passing of their father recently. May they be comforted by the special memories and feel supported by the St Mary’s community.
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."
- Matthew 5:4
Mrs Jessica Afflick and Mrs Carla Durnan
Religious Education Coordinators