Dear Parents and Carers

Last week, I had the privilege of attending the Principals’ Retreat in Bowral alongside Interim Executive Director Pam Betts, Leaders from Catholic Education, and Principals from across our Archdiocese. Pam reaffirmed our role as Catholic educators, reminding us of the vital contribution Catholic schools make in providing families with a faith-based education—one that nurtures students, empowering them to become who God created them to be. Our schools are places of belonging, where dedicated staff foster a deep awareness of God’s presence and bring each school’s motto to life, guiding students on their journey of faith, learning, and personal growth.

Following Pam’s address, I have been reflecting on why families choose St Mary’s. My hope is that each family feels truly welcomed and that every child knows they are supported and encouraged to aspire to be the best version of themselves. We are blessed to journey alongside your family, sharing in the gift of a Catholic education and the difference it makes in shaping young hearts and minds.

As we continue through the season of Lent, may we take the opportunity to reach out to others and recognise the light within each of us. Compassion, integrity, and a commitment to presence are at the heart of authentic leadership, and at St Mary’s, our staff are dedicated to fostering both the spiritual and academic growth of every student. I hope you feel the deep trust that exists between home and school, knowing that we are united in our care and commitment to your child’s development.

On Saturday 29 March, all families are invited to attend a family mass at Sacred Heart Church at 5.00pm. If you are available to attend, can you please let Mrs Durnan or Mrs Afflick know, as we would like children to take on the roles of the mass.

Curriculum
Last week the teaches of St Mary’s engaged in Mathematics professional learning with Mr Jamie Kemp, Teaching and Learning Officer, Catholic Education. Every teacher is committed to teaching with a low variance curriculum to ensure we have no gaps. Teachers have an excellent understanding of what needs to be taught and when. One of the key teaching strategies we use is the "I Do, We Do, You Do" approach. This method ensures that students receive explicit instruction, guided practice, and independent application, helping them to master mathematical concepts step by step.

• I Do – The teacher explicitly models the concept or skill, demonstrating the process while thinking aloud. This provides students with a clear example of what success looks like.
• We Do – Students and teachers work together to practise the skill, with guided support and feedback to build confidence and understanding.
• You Do – Students independently apply what they have learned, reinforcing their skills and deepening their understanding.

This structured approach helps students develop mathematical fluency and problem-solving skills while ensuring they feel supported at each stage of their learning.

Last Friday, we had the pleasure of welcoming Jacqui Heffernan (Principal of Carroll College), Karen Hadley (Principal of St Bernard’s), and Tim Smith (Performance and Improvement Leader) to St Mary’s. They visited our K-2 classrooms to witness the teaching and learning in action.

It was evident that our students are thriving in a rich and engaging educational environment—a true credit to our dedicated teachers. The visitors observed highly engaged students, while our teachers demonstrated consistency, explicit curriculum teaching, and the use of high-impact teaching practices.

Cross Country
The annual St Mary’s Cross Country Carnival will be held next Friday 28 March at Gundary Oval. All children from Kindergarten to Year 6 will be participating and we invite you to come along and share the day with us. We will begin our races at 9.30am. Students in Years 3-6 will compete in their age group category from 8-13 years. This is the age they are turning or have turned this year.  Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 students will participate in races in their class groups. We are looking forward to a great carnival.

School Assemblies
School assemblies are held on either a Thursday or Friday throughout the term at 2.00pm, with different grades taking turns to lead them throughout the year. These assemblies serve as a platform to acknowledge and celebrate the learning occurring in the classroom. Additionally, they provide an opportunity to present awards to students who demonstrate readiness to learn and exemplify the values of St Mary's school. The names of the award winners are published in the school newsletter, ensuring recognition of their achievements. Parents, grandparents, and members of the community are encouraged to attend these assemblies. Upcoming assembly dates can be found on the parent Compass calendar or the school's Google Calendar. This regular assembly tradition not only fosters a sense of community and pride within the school but also reinforces the importance of academic excellence and positive behavior among students. 

Many of our Year 3 students are currently preparing to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation, which will take place on Thursday 10 April at 5.00pm. This Sacrament is an important step in their faith journey, allowing them to reflect, seek forgiveness, and grow in their relationship with God. Please keep our young people and their families in your prayers as they prepare for this special occasion.

Catholic Care

Catholic Care offers online (via Zoom) Parenting and Child Development Courses each school term. These courses provide valuable support and guidance for families navigating various challenges.

Their programs focus on key areas, including:

• Separation
• Managing emotions
• Effective communication
• Understanding and responding to difficult behaviours

The flyer below provides more details, including course options and contact information. If you’re interested, I encourage you to take a look and see if one of these courses could support you and your family.

Blessings on the week ahead.

Kind regards
Jo

Mrs Johanna Wain
Principal 

Students in Year 4 are very pleased to be able to share some of our learning with you this week! We have had such a wonderful term so far, jam-packed with literacy, maths, novel studies, fitness and health, travelling the world as part of our explorers unit in History, learning about symbiotic relationships in Science and lots of wonderful and colourful art pieces. We have had a number of wonderful visits to the Church and we look forward to the build up towards Easter. Some of the highlights have definitely been the addition of Mrs Ellen Shannon to take drama on Fridays, Mrs Ryan’s efforts in the Library and the ever-wonderful Cheryl running hockey clinics for sport on Fridays.

Religious Education
Earlier this term in our Religion lessons we have been learning about blessings and the important roles they play throughout our day-to-day lives and as part of the Mass. We looked at alternative ways to pray that are more accessible to children. The methods of praying focus on being still in the mind and inviting God to be with us as we consider the people and things that are important to us. To finish the term we have started to examine different texts within the bible, delving into the Creation Story in Genesis and the wonderful story of Moses being found in the reeds.

English
Our English lessons are divided into four main parts: Reading Comprehension & Fluency, Spelling, Grammar and Writing. Our reading comprehension has included a wonderful novel by indigenous author Jared Thomas. This has given us the opportunity to explore some wonderful and mature themes as well as practice writing in the structure of factual recount. Spelling Mastery will continue in the mornings and will be a great way to start the day, ensuring all students are exposed to explicit direct instruction and are on task from the first bell. Our grammar focus for this term has been primarily around adverbs of manner, time and place (how, when and where) as well as using the conjunctions because, but and so to improve our sentences. Our explicit lessons and daily review have allowed for students to achieve success multiple times throughout the morning and the use of adverbs and conjunctions are taking our writing to the next level.

Mathematics
Year 4 have responded brilliantly to the Mathematics resources Catholic Education have developed in conjunction with OCHRE education.  Engagement has been fantastic  during our lessons and we have enjoyed the opportunity to dive deep into some core number skills, including how to trade and borrow when working with the four operations. The use of MAB blocks and concrete materials has really helped them visualise the process.

Creative Arts
This term in Creative Arts has seen the exploration of a number of wonderful artists including Vassily Kandinski, Victor Vasarely and Bridget Riley. We  have experimented with shape, contrast, abstract geometric patterns, warm and cool colours. It has been wonderful to have everyone share their opinions on Art and explore the concept of Art being in the eye of the beholder.

Science
This term in our Biology unit we are learning about how living things require a supply of energy and materials, so they are often dependent on or in competition with other living things. We have recently been learning about life cycles of plants and animals. This week, we began an experiment with the aim of observing the early stages of a plant's life cycle. We planted snow pea seeds in containers and will observe and record data on the growth of the seedlings.

History
Year 4 has really enjoyed learning about the age of exploration. We have been investigating why some European nations began their quest for exploration in the 15th century. We are currently learning about the First Fleet and what it was like for them when they arrived in Sydney Cove in 1788. We have traced some famous voyages including Captain Cook's first voyage to Australia and Christpher Columbus’ failed attempt to sail west to Asia and subsequent discovery of the Americas. We are now working on a research project where we have selected a famous explorer from the age of exploration or the 18th century. After completing an in depth research questionnaire, we will use google slides to compile and present our research findings.

PDHPE
In Health this term, Year 4 is learning all about being safe, in and around water. This has led us to examine the eight ways to stay safe, how to identify dangerous situations near water, what it might be like to be a lifeguard and more. In our sport sessions, we are currently focussing on hockey skills. The kids have really enjoyed the sessions run by Cheryl.

Year 4 Visits the Mayor!
Year 4 were lucky enough to have the honour of being invited into the council chambers for a mock question and answer session with the Mayor himself Mr Matt Hatcher and the wonderful Megan Weyman. A team of 6 “concerned community members” presented ideas for things they would like to see changed or implemented in our community. Another 8 students sat on council and asked thoughtful questions in response. This was an amazing experience for our young students who are transitioning towards leaders in our school and a fantastic example of how they can “be the change they want to see in the world”.

Mrs Afflick, Mr Campbell & Mr Harpley
Teachers 4 Blue & 4 Maroon

Congratulations to the following children who have received a class award for Weeks 4-6