Newsletter 2025 Term 3 Week 4

PRINCIPAL NEWS - Mr Peter Hughes

Reporting

From this afternoon parents will be able to access their child’s Semester Two Interim Report via Compass. This report, while brief, gives you an indication of how your child has settled back into school following the mid-year holidays. 

On Wednesday 27th August 3 way conferences involving the student, their parents and their teacher will be occurring. Parents will be able to book a time slot for the meetings from next Wednesday via Compass. As we no longer write comments on reports these meetings are essential and will give you a clear understanding of how your child is performing.

The interim reports and face to face meetings are just two of the many ways we provide information on each child’s progress throughout the year. 

Below is a timeline of opportunities planned for 2025, some of which have already taken place.

Term One

• Week 2 Meet the teacher evening
• Week 6 Semester one - interim report available for parents

Term Two

• Week 4 Parent-teacher meetings
• Week 8 Digital work samples (number) available on Compass
• Week 9 Formal Reports go home
• Week 10 Optional parent-teacher meetings

Term Three

• Week 4 Semester two - interim reports available for parents
• Week 6 Parent-child-teacher meetings
• Week 8 Digital work samples (writing) available on Compass

Term Four

• Week 3 Open classrooms
• Week 9 Formal reports go home
• Week 10 Optional Parent-teacher meetings

As you can see there are many formal opportunities for parents to discuss student progress with teachers. If parents have any concerns they can make an appointment at any time to discuss their concerns with their child’s teacher. There is no need to wait until the formal interview process.

At the start of the term I viewed the feedback from parents on the digital work samples sent home at the end of week eight last term. While only a small number of parents commented on the work samples, many students when asked in STEM by Mrs Challen if their parents viewed the work samples said they had.

Ideally, when worksamples go home, we would like the parent to comment on what they thought about the sample of work and the child to also leave a comment. A reminder that a ‘C’ grade equates to average. The overall grade given in a subject area such as writing, may not be the same as the grade on the work sample, as that is one of many samples of work assessed by the teacher.

As a school we will continue to send work samples home as it allows teachers from different classes in the same stage group to come to a common understanding of what grade a single piece of work is given when considered against other samples from the same stage.

Father’s Day Breakfast

On Friday 5th September we will be holding our Father’s Day Breakfast commencing at 7.30am. It is open to all fathers or significant males in the lives of our students. Weather permitting it will be held under the trees at the front of the school, similar to last year.

At this year’s Mother’s Day Breakfast we had a number of men volunteer to assist with the BBQ so we are now looking for any ladies who can assist with the cooking of breakfast on Father’s Day. If you can assist, could you please let the front office know. Unfortunately Mr Hughes will be out of town at a series of meetings so he will be unable to assist but according to the fathers at the Mother’s Day Breakfast he did not do much as he kept disappearing (problems with the urns).

There will be a Father’s Day raffle to help offset costs of the breakfast. I am sure it will be a wonderful morning.

AP NEWS - Mrs Katie Thompson

Western Region Public Speaking

During Week 3 Pippa Harris and Alex Presser represented St Mary’s at the WR Public Speaking Competition being hosted by St Patrick's Gundagai. 

What a great experience for both students and another opportunity to develop new skills, challenge themselves and further develop their resilience.  

St Patrick’s Principal Christine Barron spoke highly of Alex and Pippa and the way in which they represented St Mary’s. Their manners, respectfulness and engaging with other students and staff was mentioned. 

Safe on Social: Kirra Pendergast

Continuing the theme on A1 from Week 2, this week we examine how parents could help their children discern the information they find - that is to think critically about what they consume from AI. Imagine a child asking an AI chatbot for help with a science project. Within seconds, the chatbot generates a detailed response, complete with diagrams and explanations. While impressive, it’s essential to pause and discuss what the child is consuming. AI systems are not infallible; they reflect the data they’re trained on, which may include outdated, biased, or inaccurate information. 

BULLYING NO WAY WEEK

During this week we have been engaging students in meaningful discussions and activities aimed at promoting empathy, understanding and respect for diversity. We encourage families to take this opportunity to have open and honest conversations with your child about the impact of bullying and what they can do if they need support.

You can visit the Bullying No Way website for tips around how to have this discussion.

You can access the school’s and CACGEL bullying prevention policy below to learn more about our process for preventing and responding to bullying.

If you have concerns that your child is being bullied, please contact your child’s classroom teacher in the first instance or Mrs Thompson. If you believe the behaviour constitutes a crime, or is a serious incident of cyberbullying, please refer to the Bullying No Way website for information on how to report to other authorities and access wellbeing help.

This week we have covered the following discussions. Perhaps you can continue these conversations at home with your child and re-inforce these important messages. Thank you for your support in helping St Mary’s staff and students maintain a safe and happy community.

Day 1. Be Bold: You have the power to help
Being bold doesn’t mean putting yourself in danger – it means choosing to do what’s right. Standing up shows others that bullying is not accepted. Bullying No Way: National week of action

Day 2. Be Kind: Small actions make a big impact

Kindness builds connection, and connection helps stop bullying before it starts. Bullying No Way: National week of action

Day 3. Speak Up: Speak up against bullying
When you speak up, you become an upstander—someone who chooses to help instead of watching from the sidelines. Bullying No Way: National week of action

Day 4. Think before you post or speak

The words we use can build someone up or tear them down. That’s why it’s so important to think before we speak, type or post. Bullying No Way: National week of action

Day 5. Together, we can stop bullying – a whole of community approach

RE NEWS - Ms Jillian Murray

Sacrament of Confirmation 

Our Year 5/6 candidates will celebrate their Sacrament of Confirmation this Saturday, August 16th. All are welcome to join us in celebrating our special parish mass held at St. Mary’s Church at 6 pm.

We ask members of our community to keep these children in our prayers as they make their Sacrament of Confirmation over the weekend:

Yuhan Alicoy

Sophie Anderson

Zach Armstrong

Zoe Armstrong

Keaton Bedford

Zoe Caldwell

Annabelle Carson

Samuel Cartwright

Louis Clarke

Jack Collins

Jonathan Eastwood

Amy Gerrard

River Hambilton

Oscar McRae

Tom McKnight

Belle Morris

Agatha Murphy

Tate Owen

Alexander Presser

Tobias Price

Joseph Reeves

Ezra Sharpe

Hadley Smithers

Amity Sullivan

Ayla Terry

Jaxon Wark

Arthur Wright

Samuel Wright

Upcoming Dates:

August 16th   Sacrament of Confirmation Mass

September 9th    Combined Whole School Mass with Hennessy

September 18th   Sacrament of Reconciliation

September 25th  Mission Day Fair

October 23rd   First Eucharist (Holy Communion) Retreat Day

November 22nd   Sacrament of First Eucharist (Holy Communion) Mass

OFFICE MATTERS

Term 3 school fees are now due. School fees are essential to supporting the operational costs of St Mary’s and ensuring quality resources for student learning. We kindly ask that you select one of the above options to address any outstanding balances.

Full Payment
You may choose to pay the full outstanding balance in full.

Regular Payments via BPOINT

• Via BPOINT: Set up a regular payment plan through BPOINT to assist with budgeting. Please contact Mrs. Dal Molin for support.
• Via BPAY: Set up a regular payment plan through your internet banking using BPAY. If you need help calculating recommended payment amounts based on your current balance and Term 4 fees, please contact Mrs. Dal Molin.

Combination Payment
You may opt to make a lump sum payment toward the outstanding balance, followed by a direct debit arrangement for the remaining fees. Mrs. Dal Molin can assist with setting this up.

Fee Remission
If you are experiencing financial hardship, you may apply for a fee remission. Forms are available at the front office. All information provided is treated with strict confidentiality and will be reviewed only by Mr. Hughes and Mrs. Dal Molin.

For further assistance or to discuss your options, please contact the front office to arrange an appointment.

LEARNING SUPPORT - Mrs Kirsty Miller

Supporting Children with Anxiety: Join the Courage Quest Plus Program!

Did you know that in Australia, 1 in 14 children experience anxiety that affects their daily lives? Many of these children don’t get the support they need because services are often overbooked. To help, researchers have developed a new digital program called Courage Quest, designed to teach children aged 8-12 and their parents simple, effective ways to manage anxiety.

What is Courage Quest Plus?
Courage Quest Plus is an exciting new program that builds on the original Courage Quest by adding extra features to find the best way to support children with anxiety. The program is based on proven techniques from Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and is completed together by you and your child at home.

Who Can Join?

• Children aged 8-12 who experience anxiety affecting their daily life (formal diagnosis not needed)
• Children who can answer questions on their own or with some help
• Children not currently in CBT or willing to pause CBT during the program

What’s Involved?

• A 10-week online program with short weekly sessions (about 20 minutes each)
• Daily activities you and your child complete together (even 5 minutes a day helps!)
• Three supportive video calls with a therapist to guide you through the program
• Questionnaires before, during, and after the program to help evaluate its effectiveness

Benefits of Joining

• Help your child understand and manage anxiety in a supportive way
• Receive up to $100 in e-gift cards as a thank-you for your time
• Get free digital resources to support your child’s mental health beyond the program

Want to Help?
If you think this program might be right for your family, please consider signing up to participate in this important research study. Together, we can help improve support for children with anxiety across Australia!

For more information and to sign up, please contact

SPORTS NEWS - Mrs Leonne Challen

Trent Barrett Legends Gala Day

A big well done to our four teams of Year 3 & 4 students who headed over to Harden to participate in a great day of tackle football and league tag. Thank you to Mrs O,Connor and Mrs Dal Molin for attending the day. We thank Mr Brendan Croese from Hennessy for lending us eight of his sports coaching students who were amazing all day and were exemplary role models for our kids. A great day once again organised by the NRL. Could all shorts and socks please be washed and returned to Mrs Challen to be marked off.

Archdiocesan Athletics

We wish the following students the very best of luck as they represent the Western Region at the upcoming Archdiocesan Athletics Carnival next Thursday at the AIS in Canberra: Henry Aiken. Rose Butt, Zoe Caldwell, Nixon Gault, Henry Maloney, Oscar McRae, Marlie Oakley, Nina Robinson, Layla Stinson and Eden Sibanda. Fingers crossed for our Senior Girls Relay team which will also compete at the carnival!

Dance Championships

We wish the very best of luck to Marlie Oakley & Josephine Denniss who will compete on Monday 18th August in Hobart for the TFT School Aerobics National Dance Championships of Australia. Marlie is competing in two solos in Jazz & Contemporary & also performing in a trio. Josephine is also competing in three solos Jazz, Lyrical & Tap. Well done to both of you and we cannot wait to hear about your experience!!

Boorowa Touch and Netball Carnival

We have had 80 students nominated for the Boorowa Touch and Netball Carnival which is a great result. 

We will be entering the following Touch Football Teams:

Year 2 - 1 team

Year 3 - 2 teams

Year 4 - 2 teams

Year 5 - 1 team 

Year 6 - 2 teams

We will be entering the following Netball Teams:

Year 2/3  - need 1 more player to enter a team

Year 4/5  - need 2 more players to enter a team

Year 6 - 1 team

Team numbers will be given to the organisers on Monday - we are unable to make changes to team numbers once entries have been submitted. Please email me if you wish to be added to the list for either the 2/3 Netball team or the Year 4/5 Netball team - leonne.challen@cg.catholic.edu.au

LIBRARY NEWS- Mrs Sarah Sullivan

The Library is buzzing with all things “Book Week” as the children “Book An Adventure” every time they step into the Library for a lesson. This term the children have been looking at reptiles, life cycles of chickens, endangered animals and famous Australian landmarks and events! They are on a learning adventure everyday!

The children have been problem solving in the library this term. They have been challenged to find out which staff member owns the ‘Book Passport’ for their favourite childhood book. They have guessed how many bookworms Mrs Sullivan has managed to capture in the jar and they have also looked at real passports and all things adventure!

We are on the countdown to the ‘Book An Adventure’ Book Week Character Parade in Week 7. All children are invited to dress up as a book character that they love and to bring along their favourite book. Everyone is welcome to come and watch our parade in the Hall at 12.30pm on Friday 5th September.

Please come to school in costume and ensure that your child is warm and has sensible shoes to wear on the playground.

We can’t wait to take you on a Book Week Adventure!

National Science Week 2025

It's National Science Week for 2025! The week showcases Australia’s biggest celebration of all things Science and we have had a fabulous time exploring this year's theme - Decoding the Universe – Exploring the unknown with nature’s hidden language.

The theme invites us to explore the codes and patterns that shape our world. Throughout the week, we have been busy investigating a range of exciting and hands-on activities, including experiments and challenges all designed to spark wonder and awe! 

National Science Week is about celebrating curiosity, creativity, and the way science connects to our everyday lives. We can’t wait to show you over the next couple of weeks how our students became scientists, engineers, and explorers for the week! Stay tuned!!

K Blue

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K Blue were inspired by being in nature for National Science Week! At the start of the week Mrs Mandy Williams read, I Am Tree Rex by  Mo Davey to the class outside in the beautiful sunshine. The main message in the book relates to caring about trees. Afterwards, the children collected leaves and made patterns with them, it was a lot of fun! Madden loves trees so much that he hugged one!

Year 1/2

This week our Stage 1 scientists spent time exploring nature’s hidden language by decoding the “growth code” of grass seeds. Each student has created their own colourful home, planted a lawn, and is testing how changes in sunlight, water, or soil affect growth. Over the next few weeks, we will measure, graph, and photograph our lawns to see what nature is telling us. We look forward to sharing our findings with you!

Year 3/4

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During National Science Week Year 3/4 explored the ways living beings communicate beyond words. In nature, many messages travel through frequencies we can’t hear or see. By studying animal calls and visualising sound waves, students were able to reveal patterns in communication that they have not observed before. 

Year 5/6 Blue

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As part of National Science Week, 5/6 Blue explored the fascinating world of electrical circuits. Students worked with batteries, motors, and lightbulbs to design and construct a variety of circuits. They also investigated the properties of insulators and conductors by testing a range of classroom objects using a simple circuit. This hands-on learning experience encouraged problem-solving, critical thinking, and collaboration, while sparking curiosity and excitement for science.

CANTEEN NEWS - Mrs Jennifer Harden

FATHER'S DAY BREAKFAST

PARISH BULLETIN