To have my long term goal of becoming a School Principal materialise this year has been a dream come true and to have this occur in the town that I grew up in makes it all the more special.  I feel tremendously privileged and honoured to be given the role of principal at St Mary’s.

This school has one of the hardest working and caring staff I have been involved with, a parent community that is alive, supportive and vibrant and a student body that is respectful, happy and eager to learn.  I would like to thank everybody for their support so far and look forward to working with the school community into the future.  I would also like to again thank Mrs Robyn Akehurst for her service over the last 10 years and thank her for leaving the school in the wonderful position that it is in.

I would like to welcome our continuing families to another year and extend a special welcome to our new families for 2019.  This year we invite the Stokes, Bell, Bales, Braunberger, Chatrill, Crawford, Stewart and Westaway families into our school community.  I sincerely hope your experience with the school reflects our mission statement of Plant the Seed, Nurture the Growth and Celebrate the Harvest.

It is also with great joy that I welcome 17 new students to our school.

• In Kinder we have Savannah Atfield, Indianna Bales, Hamish Braunberger, Adalia Chantrill, Archer Crawford, Molly Gaynor, Ted Glasgow, William McDonell, Billy Pettit, Hugh Ridley, Maive Stewart, Abigail Sturgess and Toby Westaway;
• In Year 1/2 Mercy we have Freddie Bell and Molly Stokes;
• In Year 3/4 Trust we have William Stokes and
• In Year 5/6 Hope we have Riley Bell.

I look forward to getting to know you all and finding out about your story.

2019 also sees a band of new staff join our existing staff.  I would like to offer my support to Mrs Jacqui Cuthbertson (3/4 class teacher), Miss Josie Parker (Year 1/2 collaborative teacher) and Mrs Angela Scott (Assistant Principal) and warmly welcome them to St Mary’s.  I wish Miss Emma Jackson all the best in her new role as Religious Education Coordinator.  I would like to congratulate Mrs Stacey Maier and Mrs Belinda Haworth on the arrival of their new babies - Mrs Haworth welcomed Tomas Edward into the world on Wednesday 2 January and Mrs Maier welcomed Sophie Addison on Monday 14 January.  I hope you enjoy this special time with your new arrival.

For those that are new to our community, I have been teaching in Catholic schools since 1999. St Mary’s is the third school that I have taught in having previous experiences at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Merbein for 1 year and St Mary’s Toukley for 7 years.  I am passionate about developing the whole child and helping them to grow to the best version of themselves, about Catholic Education and the dimension Christ brings to all of us, about supporting my staff and giving each one the resources they need to thrive in their positions and about working with the parent and wider community to promote a healthy connection with the school and the students that fill our classrooms every day.

I would like to offer an invitation to our entire school community to contact the school for any reason, either positive or negative.  I am open to constructive feedback and no issue is too big or too small for the school to be contacted about.  I look forward to the rest of the year and the years to come.

Phil Nielsen

Don't forget our swimming carnival tonight.

Dear God,

Thank you for the gift of

Education in every form.

As children prepare to start a new year

May confidence be their foundation,

May grace be their guide and

May hope be their compass towards a bright future.

I pray they would have eyes to see

The needs of those around them

And a heart to love well.

May they face each day with positivity

Knowing that no matter what comes their way,

They do not have to face it alone.

Amen

Congratulations to our new House captains:

McAuley - Ellie McDonell

Tenison-Woods - Riley Bell

MacKillop - Mia Pettit

We welcome our new Kinder students for 2019

Back (L-R): Hamish Braunberger, Adalia Chantrill, Maive Stewart, Savannah Atfield, Molly Gaynor, Abigail Sturgess

Front (L-R): Indianna Bales, Hugh Ridley, Archer Crawford, Ted Glasgow, Billy Pettit, William McDonell, Toby Westaway

Opening School Mass

Friday 22 February 2019

12.30pm

Our school leaders will be inducted at this Mass.

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

Our P&F will host a morning tea afterward for all our families and to welcome our new families.

Happy Birthday to

who celebrate their birthdays this week and next week.

We hope you enjoy your special day.

The 2019 pupil free days are:

TERM 2: Monday 29 April

TERM 3: Monday 22 July

   

Issue 1 of Scholastic Book Club will close on Friday 8th of February

These interviews will be held on Tuesday 12 and Wednesday 13 February.

Bookings will be via an online system and more information will be sent out next week.

REPRESENTATIVE TEAM SPORT

If your Year 5/6 child has the ability to compete at a representative level in the following sports - Cricket, Basketball, Tennis, Netball, Rugby League, Football (Soccer), Hockey, Softball, Touch Football and Rugby Union - you are able to nominate them for the Archdiocesan trials.

Please note that the Archdicocesan representative sport trials are highly competitve and there is an expection that children nominating for these trials have extensive experience in the sport and currently compete at a high level.

The nomination and payment is now done on-line.  Please click on the link below to for information and instructions.  Once you have nominated your child, approval to participate will come from Mr Nielsen.  Please contact the school office if you are unsure. 

CARNIVAL QUALIFICATION

Additionally online registration for Archdiocese of Canberra Goulburn carnivals such as Swimming, Cross Country and Athletics will be available on-line.  If you qualify at Western Region for the Archdiocesan event then the school will notify you so you can do an on-line entry.

     

All students K-6 require the following items for school, clearly labeled:

art smock, box tissues

Students in Years 1-6 require the following:

Scissors, glue sticks, erasers, pencil sharpeners, black lead pencils (HB), plastic ruler (narrow), coloured pencils and/or textas

Students in Years 5 & 6 only—biros – blue and red

Students in Kinder, Years 1 & 2 require a Library Bag.

Kindergarten students are provided with all  stationery requirements by the school

Back packs are available from the school office at a cost of $45.

  

  

If your child has a Dollarmites account at the Commonwealth Bank and would like to participaes in School banking, books should be brought to the school office on a Monday morning.

An information brochure from the Commonwealth Bank will be sent home for parents of Kinder children.  If your child is in another class and you would like a brochure please contact the office.  An account must be opened at the Commonwealth Bank before your child can participate.

P&F Meeting

Our next P & F meeting is on Thursday 7 February at 7pm in our school library.  All parents and carers are most welcome to attend.

Canteen Volunteers 2019

We are still looking for volunteers for the canteen and baking roster for 2019.

Thank you to our current volunteers.

New volunteers please click here to email the office and advise of your availability.

Canteen Roster

Monday 4 February	Wednesday 6 February	Friday 8 February
Amanda Gaynor Baking: Amanda Gaynor	Kate Dean Baking: Kate Dean	Katherine Carey &  Annabelle Brown Baking: Katherine Carey
Monday 11 February	Wednesday 13 February	Friday 15 February
Linda Thomas Baking: Lisa Sturgess	Jodie McDonell Baking: Jodie McDonell	Fliss Ridley & Megann Little Baking: Anna Player

Sample Lunch Bag for 2019

A reminder for you send in your child's lunch order please ensure the class name is included as shown below.  If you have more than one child you can put the money in one bag and just indicate on the other bags which bag the money is in.