Most schools today have students with food allergies, all of which are serious with the most serious consequence for some students seeing them go into anaphylactic shock, which is life threatening. In some cases students do not necessarily have to ingest the product they are allergic to, but simple exposure to the product can be enough to trigger a reaction. We all know of nuts being an allergen for many people but we have a number of students highly allergic to products containing dairy. Both are difficult for families to manage as these products are in a high proportion of foods and require the support of the school community to minimise exposure.

St Mary’s is currently in the process of examining how we support these children through looking at food options we have both in the canteen and at special events. We are also planning to do further education with all staff to increase their knowledge around this condition. 

All staff have current First Aid qualifications and this includes training around common conditions we encounter at school such as diabetes, anaphylaxis, epilepsy and asthma.

In addition this year all staff will be undertaking an e-learning module from the Australian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA). I have recently done this module and found this very informative and it took me about one hour. The link to the site is https://www.allergy.org.au/ should you want to see what it offers.

One of our major concerns in trying to provide a safe environment is parents sending in food treats for their child’s birthday, especially cakes. After discussing the matter on Wednesday, the Community Council felt that communicating with, and informing parents was a preferred option to banning food being sent in for birthdays. To assist the school provide a safe environment we ask that families that wish to send in a treat do the following.

1. Instead of sending in cakes, look for a simple alternative. We have had parents send in icy poles which we can freeze and distribute on the child’s birthday.
2. If you decide to bring in a cake or item that may contain allergens please let the front office and the classroom teacher know prior to the day, so that they can contact the families of children with allergies. This is to allow them to provide a treat for their child so they don’t feel excluded.

For families that do not have a child with severe allergies it is hard to understand the constant worry faced by these families. I thank parents in advance for their understanding.

COMMUNITY COUNCIL NOTES

The Community Council, through the generosity and hard work of families, has managed to raise a significant amount of money. They are asking parents for ideas they may have for where the money could be spent. Parents are asked to email any suggestions they have to the Community Council email address which is communitycouncil.stmarysyoung@cg.catholic.edu.au

Recently the Community Council funded the installation of a large secure storage space under the kindergarten rooms. We will be looking to fill the tubs students can use in the sandpit and concrete play areas adjacent to the main student toilets. 

Before they purchase new equipment the Community Council has asked families that may have some toys or equipment that are in good condition and may be suitable to consider donating them to the school. Suggestions include Matchbox cars, trucks, sandpit toys, tea sets, large building blocks etc. If you have items to donate they can be left in A1 (the children will know where this is) or given to Jamie, our groundsman.

THANKS

Last Friday we saw a wonderful turnout of parents to assist in both canteens at the soccer carnival. Many backed up again last night to assist at the disco. We thank all the parents who donated their time to assist with these events. I also thank the parents who were team managers last Friday. We were blessed with wonderful weather and the children had a wonderful time.

I also thank the staff that assisted at both events.

Thank you to Kendall for spending her time to sort and organise the used clothing pool.

On that note, if you have clean Summer uniforms you no longer need can you please consider donating them to the used clothing pool.

CANTEEN

Going home today is a survey from the canteen. At our canteen sub-committee meeting the idea was floated to have a hot meal available on a Tuesday.  This would be the only offering on that day. There are four options on the survey and parents are asked to select one they feel their child would eat. Students from Years 3 - 6 will also be surveyed.

A sheet seeking canteen helpers is also accompanying the newsletter. If you can assist on any day, even if infrequently, can you email Jen, our canteen manager directly at Jennifer.Vorvis@cg.catholic.edu.au

When we begin the offerings of hot meals we will use Monday, which is another quiet day, as the prep day.

ATHLETICS CARNIVAL

Our Athletics Carnival for students in Year K to 6 will be held next Friday 23rd May at Gus Smith Oval.

Students in Year 3 to 6 will compete in running events – 800m, 200m and 100m age races. They will also participate in Long Jump, Shot Put and Discus. For the 100m, the students compete in the age they are turning this year. In all other running and track events they will compete as Juniors (8,9 & 10 years) Intermediate (11 years) and Senior (12/13 years)

Students in Year K to 2 will be bussed to the oval at approximately 11am and will have an opportunity to have their lunch, cheer for their Primary friends and then participate in fun-based events including running, shot put, discus and hurdles. At the completion of their events, they will return to school.

Arrival/Departure

Children in Years 3 to 6 may be dropped at the oval from 8:30am. Students who arrive at school by bus will be dropped down to Gus Smith after arriving at school. Students will need to have their name checked off by their class teacher on arrival. This is a legal requirement for our class rolls. Buses will return those students who are not collected from the carnival to school in time for afternoon buses. Students departing from the oval at the conclusion of the carnival will need to have their names signed off by Mrs Dal Molin who will be located under cover, near the canteen.

Students in Years K to 2 will arrive at school as normal and depart school as normal.

 Lunch/Recess for K to 6

There is no set time for lunch or recess and students are encouraged to eat when they get a break. There will be no lunch orders from school available as a meal deal and a small canteen will be in operation at Gus Smith Oval. Please ensure they have plenty of extra food and drink for the day.

Uniform

All students are to wear their sports uniform or their sports colours. There will be points awarded to houses for students who come dressed up!

Event Timing

Unfortunately, we cannot give specific times for track and field events; however, we will begin with the 800m races at around 9.15am then on to the 100m races. We hope to then have our K to 2 fun races which will then be followed by the 200m races. We will start with juniors moving up to seniors for each race. Field events will begin at the start of the day and will operate on rotation.

Year 2 students turning 8 in 2025

Any 8 year olds that wish to compete for selection in the Western Region Athletics Team may attend the Years 3 to 6 Athletics Carnival. They will compete as an 8 year old in the 100m running event. For all other events, they will be competing as a Junior against other 8, 9 & 10 year olds. We recommend that only students with prior experience in running and field events attend. If you wish for your child to be considered for Western Region selection please email me at leonne.challen@cg.catholic.edu.au by Monday 19th May.

Helpers

We would really love some volunteers on the day! Unfortunately we are unable to secure any timing gates this year so will need timekeepers on our lanes – if you are able to help out could you please email me the times you would be available at leonne.challen@cg.catholic.edu.au

High Jump

We will hold our High Jump in Week 5 at school. On Wednesday 28th May Phil McInerney will work with all students in Years 3 to 6 on correct technique and allowing them time to practice their jumps. He will then identify students likely to jump the minimum height requirements. These students will then compete on Thursday 29th May.

Presentations

Due to our High Jump being held in Week 5 our Age Champions and the winning house trophy will be presented at the Assembly in Week 6.

We look forward to a fantastic day! Please email me with any questions.

MacKillop Rugby League Championships

Well done to Nixon Gault and Riley Walker who represented the Canberra-Goulburn Archdiocese in the MacKillop Rugby League Trials in Canberra last Friday. Both boys reported the competition to be very tough! Congratulations on representing the Archdiocese with such enthusiasm! 

Archdiocesan Touch Football Trials

Well done to Nixon Gault who competed for selection in the Archdiocesan Touch Football Team in Lyneham this week. Nixon was successful in his bid and we congratulate him on his selection!

Archdiocesan Cross Country Carnival

We wish Ashton Callaghan the best of luck as he competes for selection in the Archdiocesan Cross Country Team in Stromlo today. We hope you have an amazing experience! Go Ashton!!

2025 Mortimer Legends Day

This event will be held on Tuesday 27th May for Year 5/6 students in either tackle football or league tag. The registration for the event via Compass will close tonight. Unfortunately we cannot add any players after this date as I need to submit our teams with the organisers. All 5/6 students have been invited so please check your events section on Compass to register.

Our Athletics carnival is coming up next Friday, please find below our over the counter menu for the Athletics carnival. We are excited that a coffee cart will also be available on the day for our all our caffeine needs.

A Hot Dog Meal Deal will also be available to pre order either via the flyer that your child received today at school or on flexischools.  

I would like to request a few volunteers next week to help get ready for the athletics carnival, as well as a couple volunteers for the day of.

Jobs I would like help with are making lolly bags, baking cookies or prepping toasties. Etc., as well as help getting all our food, drinks and gear for the day over to the oval.

Even if you can spare an hour or two during your week it would be very helpful. Send me a text at 0428 115 296 or as always you can email me at Jennifer.vorvis@cg.catholic.edu.au if you are able to volunteer some time.

CANTEEN VOLUNTEER REQUESTS

Moving forward I will be advertising my volunteer requests for the next week in the Friday newsletter, this way no one is locked in to coming every week but able to pick and choose what jobs and days they might like to help with on a weekly basis. I hope to see some new faces in the canteen, it’s always a bit of fun.

 HOT MEAL TUESDAYS SUGGESTIONS

I am also excited to request your feedback regarding our proposed Hot Lunch Tuesdays, we have come up with a few ideas of hot meals that we can offer on Tuesday to bring more business into the canteen on one of our slower days while also offering a warm nutritious meal to fill your child’s belly. Please follow the link to complete the poll, we will also be conducting some research in school to see which hot meals appeal to the kids.

Thank you,
Jen Harden

This week in STEM we went offline! Due to technical difficulties we enjoyed some imagination building during our lessons. This was a great lead up to our STEM focus this term - The Engineering Design Process. Using our imagination helps us to be able to look at a problem and come up with interesting and creative solutions. We absolutely loved being let loose with Lego and we are excited to share our fabulous designs with you!!

As part of our weekly lunchtime Minecraft Club for Years 3-6 - held in the STEM room on Mondays - we will be holding a Minecraft competition for the term. Students will be given a new challenge each week that adds to the previous week’s build. If students have Minecraft Education downloaded at home they are welcome to work on this challenge in the afternoons. We will have weekly winners and an overall champion announced at the end of the term.

All students in Year 3 to 6 have access to a Stem Google Classroom and this is where they will upload either a short screen record or photos of their build each week in order to be eligible for the weekly winner/Minecraft Champion. Winners will be announced in the newsletter and the student messages page each week. We look forward to showcasing our clever and creative builds!!!