Dear Parents, Children and Friends,

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1 Newsletter 3 Week 3 Term 1 16 February 2016 Key dates Term 1 FEBRUARY 17 Book Club due 18 Student Banking 25 Yr 1/2 Priest visit 10.20am School Banking 28 Family Fun Day MARCH 2 Senior Swimming Trial (Years 4-6) 9:30am- 12:30pm 3 Student Banking PP/PK Priest Visit 10:20am 4 Pupil Free Day Staff PD 10 Yr 3/4 Class Mass 9:30am 11 Year 6 Presentation Assembly 2.25pm 14 P&F Meeting 2pm 17 Student Banking 18 St Josephs Day Mass & Fair 9:00am 22 Senior Swimming Carnival (Years 4-6) 9:00-12:30pm 23 Kindy Priest Visit 9:00am Junior Water Fun Day (Years 1-3) 12:30-3:00 24 Stations of the Cross P&F Easter Raffle Drawn Student Banking 31 Student Banking APRIL 1 Interschool Swimming Carnival 2 Car Boot Sale 4 Humphries Dance (Mon-Fri) 6 3-Way Interviews 8 Term 1 Concludes Keep in Our Prayers Please pray for members of our community who are sick or in need or our prayerful support. Mrs Pav whose father passed away last week. Dear Parents, Children and Friends, The SEASON OF LENT BEGINS Last week, we celebrated Ash Wednesday with St Mary s School. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent. It is a season of penance, reflection and fasting which prepares us for the resurrection of Christ on Easter Sunday. During these days of Lent we are called to commit ourselves to renewing our faith and spiritual life. We are called to help others and try to make a difference to our family, ourselves and our world. THE WITNESS I was among the crowd Who followed Jesus up the hill - I watched the soldiers nail Him to His cross. And I saw Mary weeping when they crucified her son, I viewed firsthand the anguish of her loss I was one of many who looked up into His eyes, expecting to see nothing there but grief... But when His gentle gaze met mine, it struck me like a blow that this Man was no ordinary thief... I stood by and listened as He gasped His final words - I heard no blame or anger in His voice... Instead, He cried, Forgive them! And then suddenly I knew that He was hanging there by His own choice... I ll never know for certain what He whispered at the end, when all His agony was finally through... But I believe, with all my heart, I heard the Saviour say, My child, I lived and now I die - for you B.J Hoff In this time of Lent, it is important to keep reminding ourselves what the Easter season is all about. If we are struggling to keep our Lenten sacrifices, we need only to compare them to the sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross! PROJECT COMPASSION Last week each of our families received a project compassion box and each classroom has their own class box for donation. Project Compassion is Caritas Australia s annual fundraising and awareness raising appeal bringing Australians together in solidarity to help end poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity. Project Compassion runs for the six weeks of Lent. The theme for Project Compassion 2016 is Learning more, creating change. As Pope Francis says Education is an act of hope, so this year Project Compassion celebrates the power of learning, and the many ways in which Caritas Australia is working with local partners around the world to provide vital learning and renewed hope to children, women and men. Every dollar makes a difference! P&F FAMILY FUN DAY Next Sunday our P&F will hold the first function of the year, Family Fun Day. This promises to be an exciting community event with a rock climbing wall and jumping castle for the children. The event will be held on the oval between :30pm. Please mark this date in your diary. HOMEWORK CLUB We continue to run Homework Club, in the Science room, three times per week. The Homework Club is open to all children across the school from Year 1 to Year 6 and is an opportunity for children to complete their homework in a quiet, supportive environment. It is run on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoon from 3.00pm to 3.30pm. Each session will be staffed by Teachers and Education Assistants who have generously donated their time to assist the children. I look forward to seeing you there. May God bless our school and those within it. Miranda Swann Principal

2 CURRICULUM NEWS BEGINNING OF YEAR TESTING Over the next two weeks, you may notice teachers conducting specific testing on children, across all year groups. These tests are both for literacy and numeracy to help the teacher understand exactly where your child is at in these subject areas and how best to program for individual needs. They also reinforce our commitment as a school to differentiate the curriculum and meet each learner s needs. This week, classroom teachers will begin to administer Observation Surveys to a number of students. The Observation Survey includes six literacy tasks, all of which are necessary for describing a child s emerging reading and writing behaviours. MATHLETICS Students from Pre-Primary to Year Six should now have their 2016 log-in details for Mathletics. It is important that these remain in a safe place (as directed by your child s teacher) and that the details remain private. This is a fantastic learning tool that allows students to revise concepts learnt in class in an engaging way that is differentiated to suit the needs of each learner. Have a wonderful week. Luke Shaw Assistant Principal RELIGIOUS EDUCATION PROJECT COMPASSION All families should have received a Project Compassion box last week. The boxes are designed to raise money for Caritas Australia during the season of Lent. Families are invited to donate money to the boxes and return them to school at the end of Lent. We will collect these boxes by the end of the term. If your family missed out on a box, please see Mrs Pavlinovich. To assist our new families I have included a copy of our school prayer. EDUCATION IN FAITH Last Saturday 13 February was the Anniversary of the National Apology to the Stolen Generations. The term Stolen Generations refers to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians who were forcibly removed, as children, from their families and communities by government, welfare or church authorities and placed into institutional care or with non-indigenous foster families, based solely on their race alone. For many of the children, removal meant that they lost all connection to family, traditional land, culture and language and were taken to homes and institutions where they were often abused, neglected and unloved. During this time we pray for them and we remember and acknowledge the difficulties they experienced. Prayer for Australia God of holy Dreaming, Great Creator Spirit, from the dawn of creation you have given your children the good things of Mother Earth. You spoke and the gum tree grew. In the vast desert and dense forest, and in cities at the water s edge, creation sings your praise. Your presence endures as the rock at the heart of our Land. When Jesus hung on the tree you heard the cries of all your people and became one with your wounded ones: the convicts, the hunted, and the dispossessed. The sunrise of your Son coloured the earth anew, and bathed it in glorious hope. In Jesus we have been reconciled to you, to each other and to your whole creation. Lead us on, Great Spirit, As we gather from the four corners of the earth; Enable us to walk together in trust from the hurt of the past into the full day which as dawned in Jesus Christ. Amen. Prayer of St Joseph St Joseph, just as you love Mary, and with fatherly care you watched over Jesus, we ask you through Jesus to continue to care for us and our families from your home in heaven. Amen. Mrs Sharon Pavlinovich Religious Education Coordinator Mrs Miranda Swann Principal

3 MASS & LITURGY DATES th February 10.20am Year 1 & 2 Priest visit 18th March 9.00am St Joseph s Day Mass Merit Award Winners Pre-Primary Jaxon Clynk Year 1 Matilda Priestly Year 2 Charlotte Bingham Year 3 Marquios Rotugal Year 4 Tayah Patten Year 5 Riley Cook Year 6 Shanae Corney STUDENT BANKING Student Banking THURSDAY. BOOK CLUB Welcome back to Book Club for 2016! The current Book Club is due back to Duangmala wished for a bright future for her school Wednesday 17th February. eight-year-old son, Hum Noy, who has Down We still have a number of books that need Syndrome. However, she feared he would covering. If you are able to help out please remain isolated and never reach his full potential due to a lack of support services for see Miss Arnold in the Library. children living with intellectual disabilities in Laos. CANTEEN NEWS Thankfully, everything changed when Duangmala and Hum Noy were introduced to the Intellectual Disabilities Unit, which was set up by the Lao Disabled People s Association with the support of Caritas Australia. This specialised school provides learning support A reminder that students need to bring and nurturing care to 50 children with their own cutlery if they are consuming intellectual disabilities in the Laos capital, food brought from home such as yoghurt/ Vientiane. leftovers. Cutlery will not be provided by Hum Noy is learning how to follow instructhe canteen unless food is purchased. tions and say the names of his teachers and Our Canteen menu can be found friends, says Duangmala proudly. He likes to draw, play instruments, and when they do aeron our website and our school app. obics he joins in! Mrs Otty is looking for some canteen volunteers on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. If you are able to assist please see Mrs Otty in the canteen or leave your name at the office. UNIFORM SHOP Please note our NEW Opening Hours Monday 2:45pm-3:30pm Tuesday 8.15am am FULL FAMILY DETAILS FORM HOMEWORK CLUB Monday, Wednesday & Thursday 3.00pm 3.30pm in the Science Room COOKBOOKS FOR SALE Our cookbooks are available for purchase for $20 each from the office. 2nd Week of Lent Project Compassion: Have you moved? Have your contact details changed? Are your emergency details current? Last week forms went home with the current details we have on record for your family and child/children. Can you ensure all details are correct? TRIPLE P - POSITIVE PARENTING PROGRAM SEMINARS 2016 These 2 hours seminars will leave parents feeling more confident and better able to deal positively and effectively with common child behavioural and emotional issues. Seminar 1: Tuesday 23 February: The Power of Positive Parenting Seminar 2: Tuesday 1 March: Raising Confident Competent Children Seminar 3: Tuesday 8 March: Raising Resilient Children Please make alterations where necessary and return the form to the school office. If Parents may choose to participate in just one, all details are correct please tick the form two or all three of the seminars. and sign. There is no cost to attend, however, It is imperative that all your details bookings are essential. A crèche is available by are correct should an emergency arrangement. occur with your child. For more information or to register, please contact Population Health on

4 Year 5 News The Year Five students have been discussing the significance of Lent during our Religious Education lessons. We were lucky enough to have Father Garner visit us last week to provide some insight into Ash Wednesday and Lent, as well as answer a range of interesting questions. The students have worked hard to create meaningful Lenten promises, under the headings of prayer, charity and fasting. Each child has promised to pray for someone that needs their prayer, assist another person and go without a luxury that they enjoy. Luke Shaw & Kiona Craig Year Five Teachers

5 Community News Save the Date!!!! Saturday 2nd April Start clearing out your shed and spare room!!