St Mary's War Memorial School West Wyalong eNewsletter

Dear Parents and Carers,

As we approach the end of Term 1, it is wonderful to stop and reflect on another positive period for St Mary’s. As I mentioned last week, our teachers have made significant steps to ensure High Impact Teaching Practices are evident in our classrooms. Our dedication is being recognised by everyone in the CECG system. I’ve recently had a school reach out from the South Coast to come and see the great work we are doing so they can take the approach back to their school.

The end of Term 1 sees the start of Mrs Bree Taylor’s maternity leave as she slows down and rests before the arrival of her first child. On behalf of the St Mary’s community, I would like to wish Bree and her husband Bradon all the best with their pending arrival and look forward to meeting ‘baby Taylor’ in the not too distant future. I am still not in the position to announce Bree’s replacement, however I can say that a teacher has been offered the position and the contract process has begun.

I’d like to wish all the St Mary’s community a safe and joyous break over the Easter period and look forward to everyone’s return on Monday 24 April.

Kind regards,

Mr Nielsen

Today marks the beginning of Holy Week, this is the most sacred week in our liturgical calendar. This is a time as Christians where we reflect and recall he events that occurred leading up to Jesus' death and Resurrection.

We begin with PALM SUNDAY, commemorating Jesus' triumphant yet humble entrance via a donkey into Jerusalem to observe the Passover.

Matthew 21:8-11

A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

“Hosanna to the Son of David!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”

The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

MAUNDY THURSDAY, a Latin word meaning commandment, commemorates the day that Jesus washed the feet of his 12 disciples and the celebration of the Passover, now known as The Last Supper with his disciples.

Luke 21:14-20

When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

GOOD FRIDAY commemorates Jesus' suffering and crucifixion at Calvary. This is a somber day where traditionally they fast and is a day of penance.

Matthew 27: 45 - 50

From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli,[a] lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.” Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.” And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

HOLY SATURDAY is the conclusion of Lent.

EASTER SUNDAY is the celebration of Jesus' Resurrection where according to the Gospels, one the third day he rose again therefore fulfilling the prophesy.

Matthew 28: 5-7

The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

This year the parish will be undertaking the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the First Eucharist for students in Year 3 and 4. The important dates to remember are shown below, please note there will be one information night for both Sacraments.

Sacrament of Reconciliation

Thursday 27 April -	Welcoming and Information Night
Thursday 4 May -	Reconciliation Retreat
Thursday 11 May -	Sacrament of Reconciliation

Sacrament of Eucharist

Thursday 27 April -	Welcoming and Information Night
Sunday 28 May -	Commitment Mass @ 9.30am
Thursday 1 June -	Eucharist Retreat
Sunday 4 June -	First Eucharist @ 9.30am

The recipients of our Whatever You Do, Do Well awards this week:

Poppi Barber	Hamish Braunberger	Whyatt Braunberger
Zahli Cattle	Meila Fair	Nixon Hart
Emily McCoullough	Marcus Murrells	Scarlette Orr
Georgina Patton	Alexander Ridley	Lily Robertson
Sam Robertson	Ivy Wilson	Ida Wood

We will not have an assembly this week.

MacKillop AFL Trials

James Dean, Nate Sams and Max Cuthbertson were in Wagga last Tuesday at the MacKillop AFL Trials.

The competition was fierce and our boys clearly held their own, helping Canberra Goulburn to several victories.

The boys tried hard to showcase thier talents but unfortunately did not get chosen for the next level.

These trials are a great way to make new friends.

MacKillop Swimming

Hunter Connellan was in Sydney last Thursday at the MacKillop Swimming Trials.

Hunter had qualified for 6 events at this carnival. He managed to do personal best times in 2 of these events which is an amazing achievement.

Hunter came 5th in the butterfly, his favourite event and was in the top 10 in the other events.

Well done Hunter, St Mary's is proud of your achievements.

Date and Day	Teacher on Leave or PD	Class	Relief
No staff changes this week.

Mrs Emma McRae our counsellor will be visiting our school this week on Wednesday the 5th of April

For a new referral please complete the School Referral Form.

Emma has a schedule of students who see her and organises sessions as appropriate. If you would like to ask Emma to see your child on a particular day please contact the office.

Happy Birthday to

Pippa Cuthberston, Billy Pettit, Audrey Pritchard, Elizabeth Sturgess, Olivia Hoye, Zoe Otaegui, Molly Green and Mike Uiva

who celebrate their birthdays during this week and the school holidays.

We hope you enjoy your special day.

Full winter uniform, including ties, is compulsory for all students to wear from June 1.

Students are permitted to wear pants and skirts prior to June 1 if the weather suits.

Parents can refer to the school handbook on our website.

Our school uniform is always to be worn with pride. It is our brand and reflects the quality of our school.

Girls Winter Skirts and Ties available from the school office

Girls winter skirts - various sizes - $40.

Ties (either zipper or tie your own) - various lengths - $16

The ANZAC Day public holiday is on Tuesday 25th of April, which is the day after the first day of Term 2. 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 winter school uniform with a tie. Jumpers will be determined on the day to suit the weather. The students will be accompanied by Mr Nielsen and teachers from our school.

TIMES TO BE CONFIRMED ONCE THE SCHOOL HAS BEEN ADVISED BY THE RSL.

The Premier's Back to School NSW Vouchers program provides 3 x $50 vouchers, totalling $150 for each eligible student.

St Mary's can now accept these vouchers and they can be used to purchase the school skirt, school ties and school bags.

If you spend more than the voucher value you will have to pay the difference by EFT, if you spend less that the voucher value the leftover amount will be forfeited.

Please come to the school office if you wish to use your vouchers which expire on 30 June 2023.

On Tuesday the 4th of April our Year 5 and 6 students will attend the "Taster Day" at St Anne's in Temora.

Lunch is provided however students will need to take their fruit, recess, hat and water bottle.

The bus will leave at 9am and will return in time for the afternoon bell.

Our Year 5/6 students are very excited to be competing in the Paul Kelly Cup in Wagga on Wednesday the 5th of April.

The bus will leave the school at 7:45am sharp and will return around 4pm.

Parents will be advised of return time via SeeSaw.

Parents are welcome to attend and also travel on the bus with the students for a cost of $10. Please contact the school if you would like to take up this offer.

Student Easter Raffle Information

The Easter raffle for students is on Thursday 6th of April.

Tickets will be sold on the 6th of April for 50c each (to a limit of $5) and there will be three prizes per class drawn that afternoon.

Please send your child to school with coins to buy a ticket.

End of Term - Canteen Opening Information

Due to change in circumstances today, Monday the 3rd of April, was the last day for Canteen for Term 1.

Apologies for any inconvenience this may cause families. At this stage the Canteen will be closed the first couple of weeks in Term 2 due to no volunteers. If you wish to volunteer please get in touch with Bridget through one of the Facebook posts or on 0404633688.

Award Winners

Some pictures of our award winners this week.

Altina Wildlife Park Kinder - Year 2

At 7am last Wednesday, a cold and wet morning, our brave Kinder, Year 1 and Year 2 students (supported by their parents of course) boarded the bus bound for Altina Wildlife Park.

Mrs Haworth was very hopeful that the weather would clear and her prayers were answered.

The children absolutely loved the wildlife park and the trip around the park in the motorised buggies. The sun kept shining and there were some wonderful animals to see.

There were some exhausted children on the bus home, but the trip was worth the planning and effort.

Thank you to Mrs Haworth for organising the exursion and our other wonderful teachers who travelled and helped our students on the day, Mrs Meincke, Mrs Maier, Mrs Turner and Mrs Loudon.

St Mary's Cross Country

The St Mary’s school spirit was alive and running on Friday with our annual Cross Country.

Years 2-6 ran their course at the showground whilst K-1 participated in sporting activities on the school oval. The positive energy, support and encouragement filled both venues and lots of fun was had.

The weather was favourable and we had some oustanding performances from some students that had clearly prepared for the event.

Well done to all the students for their efforts and the ribbons will be given out to those that placed in the Yr 2-6 races on Thursday afternoon before the Easter Hat Parade.

Thank you to Mr Collins for his organisation of the Yr 2-6 events and Mrs Meincke & Mrs Haworth for organising K-1 activities. Teachers and parents thank you also for your help on the day.

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

The Compass Calendar is updated to show Mass times, sporting events, important events.

The SZAPP calendar is no longer updated, please do not refer to this calendar for important dates.

Day	Event	Location
Tuesday 4th April	St Anne's High School Taster Day Year 6	St Annes Temora
Wednesday 5 April	Paul Kelly Cup - Year 5/6	Jubilee Oval, Wagga
Wednesday 5 April	School Counsellor Visit	At School
Thursday 6 April	Easter Raffle for students 50c a ticket
Thursday 6 April	Last day of Term 1
Monday 24th April	First Day of Term 2
Tuesday 25 April	ANZAC Day Public Holiday. Our students participate in the march and service in West Wyalong.	Main Street and S&C Club
Thursday 27 April	Reconciliation and Sacrament of Eucharist Enrolment (Year 3/4) @ 5pm	At School
Friday 28 April	Western Region Cross Country (for students who have qualified)	Grenfell
Thursday 4 May	Reconciliation Retreat Year 3/4	At School
Friday 6 May	MacKillop Rugby League Trials
Thursday 11 May	Mothers Day Stall for students. Presents will cost between 3 - $15	At School
Thursday 11 May	Sacrament of Reconciliation @ 5pm	St Mary's Church
Friday 19 May	The Twits - Wagga Theatre Excursion Year 3-6	Wagga
Friday 19 May	CG Cross Country - for those students who qualified	Stromlo
Tuesday 23 May	The Super Science Circus Show - all students	At School
Wednesday 24 May	National Simultaneous Story Time and Book Fair	At School