Dear parents and carers,

At assembly this morning it was exciting to see some classes getting back to normal numbers. Our school community has shown great responsibility with COVID-19 requirements and I thank everyone who has contacted the school to inform us of specific instances of exposure with the virus. I also remind everyone to remain vigilant in reporting COVID-19 cases and close contact situations to the school. St Mary’s has extra Rapid Antigen Tests that will be distributed in consultation with staff and families in specific situations as the need arises. If you have any questions or concerns with COVID-19 restriction requirements please don’t hesitate to contact the school.

With sporting events back on the agenda this year it has been wonderful to see so many St Mary’s students taking up the opportunity to attend trials and carnival events. We have had trials for basketball, touch football, Australian rules football and swimming. St Mary’s has had 16 representations at Archdiocesan level, 2 students make possible and probable teams for MacKillop and 1 student make the MacKillop swimming team. The cricket and rugby league trails are due to be held before the end of the term and with a further 8 students scheduled to attend, our impressive representation at this high level could continue to grow.

Congratulations to all those who have been selected and best of luck to those who have upcoming events.

Kind regards,

Mr Nielsen

 

Opening School Mass

Wednesday 30th March

12 pm  

We are celebrating our whole school Opening Mass on Wednesday the 30th of March 2022 at 12pm. Our Year 6 leaders will be inducted at this mass.

If you are a Year 6 parent and you will not have a family member attending the mass, could you please let the school know so a staff member can be with your child during the badge ceremony.

All students attend this Mass and parents and carers are warmly invited to attend.

    

CARITAS PROJECT COMPASSION 2022

At St Mary’s we are promoting the theme, For All Future Generations.  Your children will learn about who Project Compassion is for, why we are fundraising and how their giving can help.

Remember we have donation boxes in each classroom and we encourage your children to make a difference and fill their class box.

This weeks Lenten story from Caritas Australia

Rosalie's story

Rosalie had a tough childhood. Her father passed away when she was just two-years-old and her mother struggled to look after the family on her own.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, women are traditionally responsible for household tasks, with limited employment opportunities outside the home. Rosalie's mother found it difficult to afford food and clothing, let alone school fees, and Rosalie had to drop out school.

Then, when she was just 15 years old, Rosalie was forced to join the army. In recent decades, the DRC has experienced ongoing political instability, violence and conflict, and the recruitment of child soldiers is all too common.

With your generous help, Rosalie was able to participate in business and social skills training, supported by Caritas Australia’s partners, Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD) and Caritas Bukavu. Rosalie is now a business owner, a community leader and a role model for other ex-combatants who are seeking to readjust to civilian life. She is inspiring women and other members of her community to overcome the violence of the past, to work towards a more peaceful and harmonious world for all future generations.

Happy Birthday to

Hunter Connellan, River Greenwood and Pippa Cuthbertson

who celebrate their birthdays this week.

St Mary's had planned a pupil fee day to begin Term 2.

The Pupil Free Day for Term 2 is Tuesday the 26th of April.

NOTE: Monday the 25th of April is ANZAC Day and a public holiday.

• Screen time restrictions should not be activated on your child's iPad on any day of the NAPLAN testing.  Please ensure you disable these restrictions in the settings before sending the iPad to school.  If you are unsure please contact the school office.
• If your child prefers their own headphones, please ensure they can connect to their iPad before sending them into school on the day of testing.

For more information on the NAPLAN tests please click on this link.

Our school cross country will be held on Thursday the 31st of March.

Students in Years 2 to 6 will compete at the West Wyalong Showground.

Kinder and Year 1 students will participate in cross country games at St Mary's school oval at 11.30am.

The Paul Kelly Cup is the largest AFL primary school competition in New South Wales and the ACT and is open to students in Years 5 and 6. The Paul Kelly Cup consists of 12 player teams competing in round robin gala days.  Games are played on a smaller field using modified rules.

Our Year 5/6 students are competing in Wagga on the 6th of April.

All students are required to participate in this sporting competition, there is no choice involved regarding participation.

Please return the form that will be sent home on Wednesday to the school before Friday the 1st of April and indicate if you need help finding a lift for your child.  We are happy to help arrange transport.

ANZAC Day falls on the first Monday of Term 2 which is a public holiday.  As usual St Mary's is participating in the march and wreath laying ceremony in West Wyalong on the morning of April 25.

Students who would like to participate in the march are asked to meet at Thom Dick & Harry's corner by 10:20am for the commencement of the march.

The students and parents are invited to stay for the wreath laying ceremony at the Cenotaph at the S&C Club.  Students should wear the full winter school uniform including ties and their black polished school shoes. The students will be accompanied by supervising teachers from our school.

Award Winners

Author Visit

This week all St Mary’s classes were treated to a visit from author Oliver Phommavanah!

The students  and staff were highly entertained by Ollie and we would like to thank Bland Shire Library and Cathy Lange for organising the visit.

The following events are in the caldendar in the next few weeks.

To see the school's full calender check out the SZApp or our website.