New sletter. No. 20. St M ar y 's Pr im ar y Sch ool. 3 Novem ber Dear Parents and carers,

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1 St M ar y 's Pr im ar y Sch ool 3 Novem ber 2017 PO Box 672 Gr af t on NSW 2460 Teleph on e Fax em ail: sm pgr h olic.edu.au New sletter Dear Parents and carers, No. 20 The term is certainly flying along and there is still much to achieve and enjoy. We are almost through the busy community celebration that is Jacaranda and we only have to look at the school calendar to see the plethora of upcoming school events. We look forward to sharing these times with you all, particularly our Year Six students as they enjoy their final term. Speaking of calendars and busy times, our liturgical calendar below also illustrates that we are about to commence our liturgical year. We will soon end the current liturgical year and move from the season of?ordinary time? into a new liturgical year and the season of?advent?. We then enter the season of?christmas? before settling again into the season of?ordinary? time. We then move into Lent, then Easter and finally Ordinary time again to finish the liturgical year. The cycle below outlines the seasons in the liturgical calendar and all children are taught this concept in Religious Education and have recently been reviewing this in varying detail. I have provided the liturgical cycle and a short explanation of each season for your information should you wish to engage in further discussion with your child. The Church?s year begins wit h Advent. The col our f or get t ing ready is purpl e. Advent is the season for getting ready for Christmas. Then t here is Christ mas, a joyous occasion so t he Church uses whit e in her decorations and the priest?s vestments. It is the time when we celebrate the birth of Jesus. Af t er Christ mas a short season of Ordinary Time comes next. Ordinary t ime uses t he col our of green. This is one of the times when we remember what Jesus said and did during his time on earth. We t hen experience anot her purpl e get t ing ready t ime. This season is cal l ed Lent. It is a time for getting ready to celebrate Easter. It is a longer getting ready time because Easter is the greatest season of the Church?s year. We t hen cel ebrat e t he season of East er. Whit e is used in t his season of joy, as it is during Christ mas. During Easter we celebrate Jesus rising from the dead. The season of Easter is the most important celebration of the Church?s year. East er is f ol l owed by anot her season of Ordinary t ime. The col our f or ordinary t ime as we now know is green. During the Sundays of Ordinary Time we remember what Jesus said and did during his life on earth. This is the end of the Church?s year. The seasons of the Church begin all over again here on the first week of Advent. Advent, Christmas, Ordinary time, Lent, Easter and Ordinary time. All these seasons help us remember Jesus?life and tell us about God?s love. God Bless Frank

2 Rel igious Educat ion First Holy Communion Once again, we congratulate the children in our Parish Community who have recently received the Sacrament of the Holy Communion for the first time. Parish Famil y Cel ebrat ion A Parish family celebration will be held on Sunday, 5 November 2016 af t er t he 9:30 am Mass at St Pat rick?s Church, when children and their families will gather for Mass. After this Mass, children and their families are invited to stay for morning tea and celebrate this occasion with an official cake cutting ceremony and presentation of certificates. Tea and coffee will be provided, and we ask each f amil y t o bring a pl at e t o share. Lucinda Ryder Ivy Hiatt Maile Gilbert Beckett Albert Amali McGrath Joseph White Liam Salvestro Jack Hall Kate Morgan Kyle Moran Sam Brophy Hazel Golding Gus Lobsey Charlotte Moran Ben Smith Annalese McKee Scarlett Mula Emily Dick Molly Dick Alanah Pitt Exuro Our year 5 students attended Exuro on Friday with their peers from South Grafton, Yamba and Maclean at MCC. Exuro is the first Student Discipleship program and it is a privilege to witness them take their first step into their lifelong journey of faith and discovery. Exuro is a fun opportunity for Year 5 students to play games, listen to music, learn about their faith, pray and to meet like-minded new friends from other Catholic schools. Return to Page 1

3 Christian Meditation?Be still and know that I am God?, (Ps 46:10). For more information on Christian Meditation please visit this website / christianmeditationatstmarys.weebly.com Christ ian Medit at ion is a whol e school communit y f ocus at St Mary?s Primary school. What is Christ ian Medit at ion? Christian Meditation as described by Laurence Freeman in these eloquent words: For the desert monks the first goal of life seen as a spiritual process was to reach purity of heart. This gospel term and Beatitude of Jesus is echoed in all traditions. It empowers us to "see God," not as an object of perception or as an abstract concept or as a fantasy projection of wish fulfillment, but in and as reality. Seeing God, according to the Christian tradition, is the true meaning of life and to reach this goal is to find the happiness that lies at the spiritual core of every human act and desire. The vision of God is an experience of communion rather than observation. Christian Meditation is organized to carry out the tradition of purity of heart and seeing God, the promise of the beatitude and the goal of all Christian life. May its practice continue to renew the Christian world.? The children's version is much simpler and just as successful.

4 Cal endar of Event s WEEK DATE EVENT LOCATION TIME 4 3 November Exuro reflection liturgy St Mary?s Hall 10:15am 5 5 November First Holy Communion St Patrick?s Church 9:30 am 6 13 November Remembrance Day St Mary?s Hall 10:00am 6 17 November Year 5 Reflection day St Mary?s Hall All day 8 1 December MJR day St Mary?s Primary All day 9 8 December Christmas concert St Mary?s Primary December Graduation Mass St Mary?s Hall 9:30am Tarnya Jones Leader of School Evangelisation and Catechesis Class Par en t M eet in g The next Class Parent meeting will be held on Tuesday 14 November 2017 at the Grafton Hotel, commencing at 5pm. Please come along to the meeting if you would like more information about the role of Class Parents at St Mary's Primary or would like to become a Class Parent in At t en t i o n Ki n d e r 2018

5 St age 3 English Students in stage 3 have been exploring how words, sounds, imagery and language patterns have a relationship that create vivid, visual images. They have experienced vivid imagery through written texts, images and audio expression. Students had the opportunity to create their own pieces of visual imagery when describing their experience of?popping candy?, focusing on the five senses. Popping candy; The warm fuzzy feeling of smiles contained in one small simple packet. Crackling, boiling, fizzing, rumbling: Popping candy. Can't you just feel the crystal-like rocks smashing just mildly sitting on your tongue and clanged beneath your teeth. Sour tinges rush and burst through taste buds leaving your eyes watering. Victoria Crook (year 5) Mathematics Stage 3 have been busy in Mathematics focusing on area and perimeter. While year 6 have been designing the floor plan for their dream house, year 5 have been investigating the relationship between area and perimeter of different sized garden beds. Religion Year 5 were lucky enough to have Fr Fred visit this week to discuss Holy Orders. They thoroughly enjoyed the visit and were full of insightful ideas. Year 6 have been learning about the sacrament of?anointing of the Sick?. They were able to demonstrate their understanding through an artwork, dramatisation, written passage or google slide. Return to Page 1

6 PDH News In our unit Me and My mates, Kindergarten have been learning about: What makes us special? How can I develop good relationships with my family, friends and others? This week we discussed the importance of rules, and how rules can help us to be safe, polite and organised. Stage 1 have also been learning about Getting Along With Others. Recently we read Koala Lou to highlight the importance of belonging and being able to express our feelings. In Stage 2 we have been learning about aspects of road safety? pedestrian safety and passenger safety. Recently we reinforced the importance of wearing a seatbelt? click, clack, front and back. Thanks Ashlee Students in stage 3 have been learning about the effects that smoking, alcohol and drugs have on the body. They created informative posters about the short and long term effects effects and made board games educating young teens about the risks and how to make positive life choices. Students are now working on their?personal Dossier?which they can present on a poster, a google doc or slide, a comic or through scratch.

7 Fundraising for St Mary?s P & F / Use St Mary?s Fundraising Code: # 1968 at t he checkout Why choose That's Mine? St Mary?s P&F will receive a generous commission to boost our fundraising efforts: 25% for every order placed, or30% for every order placed, if our orders total more than $500 during any calendar month. Reusable lunch order bags To support the school?s efforts to reduce waste, the P & F has introduced re-usable canteen lunch order bags. These clever bags have been designed to replace brown paper bags for lunch orders. They hold more food than a paper bag and are more hygienic to use because of the zippered pocket that separates money from contact with food & easily wipe clean with a damp cloth after use. The bags are available in both insulated and uninsulated styles. Product features include: Collapsible sides and a Velcro tab that secures the bags in a closed position, clear pocket to display name and class, zippered money pocket. The All Rounder has an insulated PEVA lining which keeps food/ drinks warm or cold. Samples are available for viewing in the school canteen. Orders can be made through the canteen (just send in order details & money in an envelope on canteen days). Order slip is available on the skoolbag app. Lunch wal l et $10.50 (col ours: red, bl ue, pink, purpl e, grey, green) Al l rounder (insul at ed)$12.50 (col ours: red, bl ue, grey) Preloved Uniforms Preloved uniforms are available. Please either ask at the St Mary?s office or Fiona O?Farrell smp.pnf.secretary.grafton@gmail.com for a convenient time. Boys shirts & shorts, sports shirts & shorts: $2 Girls dresses: $5 Jumpers:$10 Jackets:$15 Hats, Library bag$1 AMART The P&F have signed up to the rewards program at the Coffs Harbour Amart. Please mention St Mary?s when purchasing any goods so the school will be credited with reward dollars to spend.

8 NOTICEBOARD Congratulations Two of our Year 5 students have been selected from more then 20 young players to representative the Clarence Valley in the Under 12s Clarence River Junior Rep Cricket Team, the first Rep Game will be Sunday 5th November in Coffs Harbour. Well done Patrick and Theo. Fl oat Procession When: Saturday 4 November Decorat ing Truck: Meet at school with parents at 3:00pm to decorate truck, then parents will deliver students to Jacaranda Park to board the truck. Children cannot ride on the truck between the school and Jacaranda Park. Where: Boarding of the truck will occur at Jacaranda Park between Hoof and Arthur Streets. Time: 4:30pm. What t o wear: We would like children to dress in Jacaranda tree colours, purple, brown and green clothing. If your child does not have any purple, brown and green clothing please wear black or white. Import ant not ice: All parents/ carers must be at Jacaranda Park by the end of the parade to collect their child/ children. Ter m 4 Even t s Saturday 4 November Jacaranda Float, Youth Group (7pm at the McCarthy Centre for Stage 3 students) Sunday 5 November Holy Communion Celebration Mass Monday 6 November Stage 3 camp Monday 13 November Remembrance Day Liturgy Tuesday 14 November MCC Orientation Day, P&F meeting, Class Parent meeting Friday 17 November Reflection Day Year 5 Tuesday 21 November End of year CSI Parents Evening for St Marys Friday 24 November STELLA Year 6 to Lismore, DIO Summer Sport Trials Friday 1 December MJR Day Monday 4 December Planet Rhythm Performance Wednesday 6 December Yr 6 Graduation Dinner Grafton District Services Thursday 7 December Swimming Carnival Friday 8 December Christmas Concert Monday 11 December Graduation Mass and Prizegiving Tuesday 12 December P&F Meeting