Newsletter Term 2 2025 1st May
Principal Report
Dear parents and carers,
We begin the term during a period of mourning for our much loved Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday. I bring you a message from Christina Trimble, our executive director:
Our Holy Father was of a fine age and had been very ill for much of this year, however, his appearance outside the Vatican on Easter Sunday had brought much joy to those gathered there and given all of us hope that he may be able to lead us all for some time to come.
Pope Francis gave the Church and the broader community hope. His concern for the environment in Laudato Si, and his call for brotherhood in Fratelli Tutti spoke to all. He had a great gift to be able to touch the hearts of those within and beyond the Church.
Pope Francis led by example and as the shepherd of the church he knew “the smell of the sheep”. His concern and compassion were always for the human dignity of those who live on the margins of society. His words were lived as he reached out to prisoners, to the poor and the disabled, and to those who were impacted by the conflicts that plague our world.
I am reminded of his call to us all in this Jubilee year: “We must fan the flame of hope that has been given us and help everyone to gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart and far-sighted vision”.
I had the great privilege of being in attendance at a public audience with Pope Francis in 2017 and the experience of that morning in St Peter's Square in Rome has been one of great personal significance. In his address to the faithful he called on us to be People of Peace and Disciples of Hope. As he toured the gathering from his popemobile, he came right next to our pilgrim group on the left side of the square. I called to him, in what would have been a distinctly Australian accent in the crowd, Pope Francis, here! He turned to look straight at me with a smile as wide as the horizon. I believed I could feel his message of hope seep into my bones and it is that belief that inspired me, shortly afterwards, to seek my first position as a Principal in Catholic Schools. After all, is education not the greatest act of hope there is?
And so now, to the term ahead.
Thank you for sending the students back beautifully dressed in the winter uniforms. As always in every uniform transition we factor in a two week period of grace. In winter time we ask that all students tuck their shirts in for learning. This means that the shirt may be untucked during recess and lunch when students are playing and then smartened up as they enter the classroom for each learning session.
On Monday, at the Staff Development Day, the teachers were fully immersed in all things teaching reading. They carefully considered current student data as a springboard for planning reading instruction. Time was spent looking at the syllabus continuum for reading so that we have a clear idea of where students come from and where they are headed, including up to the end of Stage Four.
Catholic Schools Week is celebrated in Week 3 of this term. You are all warmly welcome to attend our school open morning from 10-11am on Monday 12 May. All classrooms will be engaged in elements of the English Block. Please feel welcome to visit all of the classrooms, as sometimes it's lovely to get an idea of the scope of learning across K-6. In addition please be mindful that, as the teachers will be leading the learning, they won't be available for lengthy conversations with parents during open classrooms. Our wonderful Year 6 students will be on hand to assist with the open morning.
We are in a current cycle of school review. I am pleased to report that we passed the first stage of the review process last term when all of our curriculum and compliance documents for the past five years were thoroughly examined. We were praised for having a culture of 'continuous reflection on practice and improvement'. The next phase is discerning what can be celebrated since the previous review in 2020 and where we need to head.
The yearly Qualtrics survey to the parent and carer community will be sent out over the next few weeks. If you would like to comment either on achievements or opportunities you are very welcome to add your voice. However, please remember that as the survey is anonymous, it is difficult to follow up with a conversation. In that case an email or a phone call is always welcome.
Wishing you a wonderful weekend. How lucky are we to live in this beautiful part of the world.
Gayle Stratton
Assistant Principal
Police liaison Visit
As a school we are committed to maintaining child safety. Our Police liaison Officers Senior Constables Jane Heffernan and/or Sarah Archer visits our school and work with each cohort educating students about important topics relevant to them in today’s world. These topics range from addressing Stranger Danger, Road Safety and What to do in an emergency for Kindergarten children, through to such pertinent topics discussing responsible use of internet, online safety, appropriate and inappropriate gaming, physical aggression and bullying. Jane and Sarah are amazing asset to our school who have a wealth of experience educating students on a range of safety topics, and able to create an environment where the students feel safe to ask lots of questions.
Sarah was also able to meet with our parent community to discuss online safety, parental controls when monitoring their children online and with mobile phones, being aware of the possible signs of cyberbullying.
Helping your family stay safe on devices and apps
New built-in restrictions for Instagram Teen Accounts
Teens under 16 won’t be able to go Live or turn off protections from unwanted images in DMs without a parent’s permission under additional Instagram Teen Account protections. Meta, who own Instagram and Facebook, are also planning to make Teen Accounts available on Facebook and Messenger. Find out more
Apple adds child safety measures
Apple is introducing new measures to the App Store to better protect young people online. It’s part of a broader effort to minimise data collection and give parents more control over what's shared with app developers. Parents will be able to update their child's account age if they previously set it incorrectly, and will be able to consent to their child's age range being shared with app developers so they'll be shown more age-appropriate content in the App Store. Read more in Apple’s Helping Protect Kids Online White Paper
TikTok introduces new family features
TikTok has introduced new family pairing features giving parents additional tools to set boundaries and customise limits. A new in-app meditation feature is designed to help teens wind down after they use TikTok after 10pm. Find out more about TikTok and how to report online abuse or block someone by referring to the eSafety Guide.
Religious Education
Claire Nicholson
Religious Education Coordinator
Welcome back!
Welcome back to Term 2! I hope all our families enjoyed a joyful and blessed Easter, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus and the hope it brings to our lives. As we return to our school community, we also take a moment to reflect on the passing of Pope Francis, a humble servant of God whose life was dedicated to peace, compassion, and care for the poor. May his legacy inspire us all as we continue our learning and faith journey together this term.
ANZAC Day Liturgy
This week we acknowledged our ANZACS and all those who have fought, continue to fight and have died in conflicts around the world. Our Year 5 class lead our service with reverence and pride.
Catholic Schools Week
In week three, all schools within the diocese celebrate Catholic Schools Week. The theme this year is “Guided by Faith, Inspired by Hope, and Committed to Learning.” This theme embodies who we are and what you can expect from St Mary’s. Our classrooms are open to parents and carers on Monday 12 May 10-11am.
Mother’s Day Liturgy
Year 1 will be leading our Mother’s Day liturgy next Friday the 9th. The liturgy will take place promptly in the hall at 9:15 am. All are welcome to attend.
Parish Grade Masses
Parish Masses occur on Tuesdays at 9:30am. The following classes will attend Mass on the following days.
Week 3- Year 6 (13/5)
Week 8- Year 4 (17/6)
Week 9- Year 3 (24/6)
Wishing you a wonderful term.
Christian Leadership Awards
Lulu Meldrum
| In recognition of "Positive View of Life" |
Sebastian Stedman Amelia Weily
| In recognition of "Community & Common Good" |
Maddi Meldrum Tazmin Brown
| In recognition of " God's presence in the world" |
Hudson Pickering | In recognition of "Search for Hope & resurrection" |
| Jye Edwards | In recognition of "Reconciliation" |
Curriculum News
PUPIL FREE DAY - PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
ENGLISH
At St Mary's, we are continually participating in professional learning to enhance our skills and knowledge and to update and refine current practices. On Monday, our day was centred around further implementation of the reformed English syllabus. We are developing and refining quality assessments along with marking rubrics. These can be used by both teachers and students to see where students are demonstrating proficiency in reading and writing, and where the next steps in learning are. The rubrics allow for consistent grading and student goal setting.
Chad Ferris from IdeatEd facilitated the day. Strategies for collecting and analysing data for student learning was a focus.
Below is some information for parents defining some of the important aspects of learning to read.
Oral Language and Communication
The ability to express oneself verbally and comprehend spoken language.
Phonological Awareness
Phonological awareness is a critical skill for all students’ literacy development and a predictor of later reading and spelling success. Phonological awareness refers to oral language and is the understanding of the different ways that language can be broken down into smaller parts.
Phonic knowledge
Phonics is the understanding that there is a predictable relationship between phonemes (the sounds of spoken language) and graphemes (the letters that represent them in written language). Phonics is the relationship between phonemes and graphemes and is an important component in learning to read.
Fluency
Fluency is reading expressively with accuracy and at a good pace. Fluent reading acts as a bridge between automatic word reading and comprehension. It is the link between reading words quickly and effortlessly, and understanding and comprehending text. Fluency is made up of 3 core components:
• Accuracy is the reading of words correctly.
• Rate is the speed of word identification. It is usually recorded as words read per minute.
• Prosody is the sound of the reading. This can be explained as the expression used when reading.
Vocabulary
Vocabulary refers to the words we must know and understand to communicate effectively. It is the knowledge of words and word meanings. Reading vocabulary refers to words we recognise or use in print. These are the words we need to know to understand what we read.
Vocabulary plays an important role in word recognition. A student is more likely to be able to read a word if they find a match between the word on the page and a word they have learnt through listening and speaking. This also supports them to read related words.
Vocabulary is also the key to reading comprehension. Readers cannot understand what they are reading without knowing what most of the words mean. As children learn to read more advanced texts, they must learn the meaning of new words that are not part of their oral vocabulary.
Comprehension
Comprehension is an active process that involves the reader understanding and interpreting what is read. Comprehension is “the ultimate goal of the reading” and that it is dependent on the development of the previous elements.
Reading comprehension is heavily dependent on a student’s word recognition skills because, to be able to understand written material, students need to be able to decode the words in the text.
Comprehension also requires readers to apply their language comprehension knowledge strategically to make connections between what they read and what they already know.
Creative Arts - Drama
We had an entertaining dramatic performance by Dennis from Mime-O-Rama at the end of last term. This performance aligned with the 'appreciating' aspect of our Drama outcomes. It was very much enjoyed by the engaged audience!
School News
EASTER HAT PARADE
Our community gathered at the end of Term 1 to join in our annual Easter Hat and Eggs on Legs Parade. We were blessed with perfect weather. The Kindergarten and Year 6 students paraded together with their buddies while Year 1 and 2 students showed off the wonderful hats they created at school. Parents and carers were invited to the classrooms to assist with this creative endeavour. The Year 3-6 students were invited to make Eggs on Legs, which they paraded with pride. The Easter Bunny made a special appearance and the Easter raffle was drawn. There were many hoppy children skipping home with a prize bag full of Easter goodies!
Easter Hat Making
ANZAC Day March
| Year Group | Grade Reps | Event |
| Kindy | Michaela Wilson & Alice Weily | Kindy Orientation |
| Year 1 | Sharon Henry & Stacey Tracey | Kindy Welcome Morning tea-"Tissues & Tim Tams" & Father's Day Gift Stall |
| Year 2 | Olivia Day Gorham & Amanda Fragar | Father's Day Breakfast |
| Year 3 | Renee Davis & Lizzy Jaensch | Mother's Day Breakfast |
| Year 4 | Olivia Day Gorham & Renee Davis | Easter Egg Raffle |
| Year 5 | Jess McGrath & Katrina Holway | Mother's Day Gift Stall |
| Year 6 | Kellie Pickering, Kym Flitcroft & Angela Duncan | Kindy Welcome Morning Tea -"Tissues & Tim Tams "& Year 6 farewell |
Sports News
Bathurst Diocesan Community Sport
Dear Parents,
Keep up to date with sporting events and achievements across the Bathurst Diocese. Search CEBD community sport or use the following link.
https://sites.google.com/bth.catholic.edu.au/cedbsportcommunity/
SPORTS UNIFORM Term 2 (WINTER )
NO HAT , PLAY IN THE SHADE
(any changes to the uniform days will be sent out via Compass)
Kindergarten - Friday
Year One - Friday
Year Two - Friday
Year Three - Friday
Year Four - Friday
Year Five - Thursday & Friday
Year Six - Friday
Class News
Canteen News
SEVERE REACTIONS TO ‘NUTS’ & ‘EGGS’
As some of our students have a ‘nut’ and/or ‘egg’ allergy, we ask that nuts, nut
products and eggs NOT be packed as part of school snacks and lunches.
Sometimes even contact with nuts or eggs can trigger the severe reaction. This
severe allergy is called ANAPHYLAXIS and can be life-threatening.
Please, NO eggs, peanut butter, Nutella, nut products, etc.
(Check those labels to see that products do not contain nuts.)
Library News
Scholastic Book Club has gone home with students.
If you wish to place an order for your child please do so by using the LOOP online platform.
https://mybookclubs.scholastic.com.au/parent/login.aspx
No cash orders are taken.
Orders are due by 8th May 2025
Each book earns book rewards for our school.
Book Club Rewards help obtain free books and/or additional learning resources for the classroom.
School-Wide Positive Behaviour for Learning (SPB4L)
OUR SIX UNIVERSAL EXPECTATIONS
1. We will use kind words
2. We will keep our hands and feet to ourselves
3. We will follow teacher directions
4. We will engage in our learning
5. We will include others and play fairly
6. We will follow the rules of the game
This week, we have been revising our six universal expectations each day. We understand that when we show these behaviours, we are being safe, respectful and responsible.
Health Matters
Medication at School- Parental Advice
If your child requires medication that needs to be administered during school hours, please bring the medication to the school office, where it is stored safely. This includes asthma inhalers.
Medication must be authorised by a Medical practitioner with a letter
Students can come to the office at an arranged time to have the medication administered by trained First Aid Officers.
The office does not have Panadol, unless parents supply and complete a form for their child only.
Thank you
Student Wellbeing
Children with communication devices such as iPhones and Smart Watches must be handed to the school office in the morning before class and collected at the end of the day. This includes any device capable of taking photos.
Please support your child to meet this school requirement.
If you need to contact your child during school hours please call the school office.
Community News
Catholic Education Benefits All Australians
Catholic schools are Australia's largest non-government education provider, delivering choice, affordability, and value for all.
With the election coming up, parents might be interested in finding out more information by going to https://ncec.catholic.edu.au/2025-federal-election/ There is a great short video explaining how school funding works.
NO Parking in the Bowling Alley car park
the bowling alley car park is for their patrons so please park elsewhere when dropping or picking up your children.
The PCYC has many parks that can be used for dropping off and picking up
Thankyou
St Mary's Uniform Shop
is run by Parent Volunteers and is open from 8:45 am for an hour on Friday Mornings.
If you have put your order through Flexi schools it will be packed the following Friday and sent home with your child.
Dear Parents & Carers
Please label students' clothing , so we can return them from lost property with ease.
Clothes that don't have names will be returned to the clothing pool, if not collected by the end of term.
Thank you