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There have been many stories in the media about the shortage of health professionals across Australia and this is particularly so for country communities. I am sure many families at St Mary’s and other schools located in rural and remote communities have faced the difficulty of trying to access the services of speech therapists and occupational therapists. This has often resulted in students facing educational and social challenges for longer than families, and indeed schools would like. There is also the cost involved in accessing these services as well as the time.
The charity ‘Royal Far West’ was established to assist families living in rural and remote communities to access services normally difficult to arrange or afford. Over the last few years we have had a number of students being supported via telehealth for both speech and occupational therapy. We will again be utilising these services in 2025.
I am asking all families to write a letter of support for the continuation of funding for students with need, both at St Mary’s and other rural schools. I ask you to address your letter to our local member, Michael McCormack. I have written a letter on behalf of the school to the federal health minister. The link below will give you a sample letter if have had a child use these services. Other parents may wish to use this letter as a template.
Clothing Pool
Thank you to Emma Murdoch who has spent several hours sorting out our clothing pool. If you are able to assist Emma with the clothing pool please contact the front office. Any families with uniforms they no longer need are encouraged to donate them to the clothing pool. The stock in the clothing pool is valued by many families.
At St Mary’s we are committed to keeping our children safe and ensuring the child safety standards that were delivered from the Royal Commission into Child Abuse are embedded into our school policies practices. Navigating our children through the online world is tricky and fraught with problems. We are often dealing with issues at school that come from the online activities of children outside of school. The standards expect that St Mary’s supports:
- Families and communities to be informed and involved
- Physical and online and environments that minimise the opportunity for abuse to occur
- Staff to be equipped with the knowledge, skills and awareness to keep children safe through continual education and training
- Child safety is embedded in our schools culture
All parents can pay for tickets now on COMPASS. It is a very reassuring $10 for the SECURITY and KNOWLEDGE that Kirra empowers us with, both children, parents and staff.
- Thursday 5th December (Week 8)
- 10am - 11am Stage 2 students at $10 each
- 12pm - 1pm Stage 3 students at $10 each
- 5.30pm - 6.30pm Parent session $10 for parents/carers (per family members who come) in the school library.
Archdiocesan Sport for 2025 - NOTIFICATION OF TRIAL DATES
Please note that some Archdiocesan Sporting trials for 2025 will occur this year in Term 4. These trials will be open for students who will be in Year 5 & 6 in 2025. Registrations will be via the Canberra-Goulburn Sports Webpage.
2025 Cricket - to be held in Queanbeyan on Tuesday 19th November 2024. Registrations are open now and will close next Tuesday 12th November 2024.
2025 Tennis - to be held in Belconnen on Thursday 28th November, 2024. Registrations are open now and will close on Friday 22nd November, 2024.
2025 Basketball - to be held in Macquarie on Tuesday 26th November 2024. Registrations are open now and will close on Friday 22nd November, 2024.
https://www.sport.cg.catholic.edu.au/nominations
https://csnsw.sport/help/help-guide-for-parents
Gecko Sports at St Mary’s
Our sessions continue next week. A reminder that students need to wear their sports uniform on their Gecko Sports day. Please see the revised timetable below:
Wednesdays:
Week 5: 1/2C, KKW, 3/4A, 5D, 3/4R
Week 6: KMW, 3/4A, 5D, 3/4R
Week 7: 1Mc, 3/4A, 5D, 3/4R
Week 8: 2M, 3/4A, 5D, 3/4R
Week 8 Monday: 6C, 6E, 3/4S, 5Z (this is the makeup for Week 4)
Sporting Dates 2025
School Swimming Carnival - Friday 14th February
Western Region Swimming (Tumut) - Monday 24th February
Archdiocesan Swimming Carnival (Boorowa) - Thursday 6th March
CSNSW SPORT AQUATHLON – 19 December 2024
It's on again!! Holiday fun time. The 2024 CSNSW Sport Aquathlon is open to students in Catholic schools in NSW. Polding & MacKillop affiliated students register through csnsw.sport portal as per usual sport registration. Please see the information flyer here.
- Thursday, 19 December 2024
- Heats from 8:30am Finals from 11:30 am
- Amour Park & Max Parker Aquatic Centre, Revesby
- 8 – 11 yrs 100m swim, 1km run
12 – 19 yrs 200m swim, 1.8km run - Entries close 6 December $40. Late entries $55 up to 13 December
More information https://csnsw.sport/sports/csnsw-sport-programmes/aquathlon
The St Mary's 2024 Melbourne Cup annual event took place on Tuesday 5th November on a hot afternoon, at the top grass area of the playground. It involved students riding hobby and pool noodle horses.
It was a fine event. All grades competed for the silver trophy.
Year 6 girls raced first, then the boys followed by Year 5, 4, 3, 2,1 and finishing with Kindergarten.
The winners from each race then met and competed in Race 15, the Grand Final.
Winners of each race may have been the ‘Elegant jockey,’ ‘The slow and steady jockey,’ ‘Bib number 12,’ ‘The wild one’ for example.
The Grand Final race saw the following students competing:
Trinity Silva, Sam Presser, River Hambilton, Patrick O’Reilly, Abella Harris, Nate Neilsen, Frankie Sullivan, Max O’Brien, Pippa Hosken, Dustin Bruce, Sophie Holland, Archie Spring, Chloe Deasey and Franco Cabacungan.
The overall winner was decided upon from a card drawn out, which read ‘3rd place’ and this was Pippa Hosken! She was ecstatic about her win. Congratulations Pippa.
Last Monday, eighteen chess players from Hennessy Catholic College travelled to St Mary’s to play chess. There were thirty-six players in total with students from Kindergarten to Year 10. Each player played a number of opponents with some competitive games as well as the opportunity for coaching. The day was enjoyed by all involved.
This was the second visit by Hennessy this year and the St Mary’s students used it as a good warm-up before the St Mary’s School Chess Championships which take place over eight rounds on the 26th November.
Thank you to Mrs Cronin for organizing the students from Hennessy.
3/4S have had a very busy start to Term 4! We loved every dusty minute of the Boorowa Carnival and we have been enjoying the warmer weather in our Sport lessons. We have recently mastered the skill of weaving. We decided to make it even more challenging, by making optical illusions with our cutting and weaving. We are so proud of our creations! Look for our artwork hanging in an Art Gallery in the future!
Music at St. Mary's in Term 4 is always a lot of fun!
Kinder students have been learning about sounds that are loud and soft and are becoming very good at playing instruments loudly and softly.
Year 1 and 2 students have been learning how to play short rhythms and melodies on the xylophone with sounds that are high and low.
Year 3 and 4 have been rapping and rhyming, dancing and creating music that is counted in groups of 3 or 4.
Year 5 and 6 have learnt about the different 'feels' of music, even learning how a square dance to a hoedown style song!
We are all looking forward to getting towards the end of term when we can share in the Christmas spirit!
*** 5D are always an enthusiastic class when it comes to participating in Music. Check out their joyous smiles in the video!***
