Newsletter - 11th June 2025

Acknowledgement of Country

We respectfully acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we meet, the Wadawurrung people.  It is a privilege to be standing on Wadawurrung country.  

We pay our respect to Elders past, present and emerging.  We acknowledge the contributions of Indigenous Peoples from the past, present and future who contribute to this country in which we live.  

May Indigenous Australians and non-Indigenous Australians continue to work together to educate, unite and live in peace on this land we call home, Australia.

Upcoming Events

19th June:  Lunch orders due in

20th June:  Ten Pin Bowling

22nd June:  Lunch orders delivered

25th June:  Student-free day; Staff Professional Development Day

27th June:  Ten Pin Bowling

2nd-4th July:  Yeas 3-6 Urban Camp, Melbourne

2nd July:  Years F-2 Excursion

4th July:  End of Term 2

21st July:  Term 3 commences

23rd July:  Sacrament of Eucharist Parent Information Session 7pm

Prayer

Messages from the Principal

STUDENT REPORTS AND PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEWS

Student reports will go home on Monday 23rd June.  

Parent Teacher Interviews will be held over 4 mornings and afternoons.  Claire will send a message out on PAM inviting you to choose a timeslot.  The meetings are scheduled for 10 minutes.  If you feel at the end of the ten minutes you need more time, let the teacher know and another time can be made to further the discussions.

WINTER IS HERE

As the chilly winds and frosty mornings arrive, we welcome winter to our school community. With the change in season, it’s important to remember to dress appropriately and wear the correct school uniform to stay comfortable, healthy, and ready to learn. We cannot have students coming to school without a jumper on, it is just too cold! Wearing the correct winter uniform not only keeps us warm but also helps us show pride in our school. The uniform brings us together as a community and ensures that everyone feels included and prepared for the school day.

Please ensure your child is wearing the correct winter uniform:

Monday and Friday

• St Mary’s Clarkes Hill gold polo shirt with school logo, 
• bottle green track pants
• bottle green tracksuit jumper with school logo
• green coat with school logo
• sneakers

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday

• St Mary’s Clarkes Hill checked tunic and black tights
• melange grey pants
• long sleeve gold polo shirt with school logo
• St Mary’s Clarkes Hill woollen jumper with school logo
• black shoes and grey socks 
• green coat with school logo

FEE RELIEF TO FAMILIES IMPACTED BY DROUGHT 

As parts of Victoria endure one of the most severe droughts in decades, Catholic Education Ballarat is reaffirming its commitment to supporting families facing financial hardship by offering school fee relief across its 57 schools in the diocese.

Executive Director Tom Sexton emphasised the organisation's dedication to ensuring that every child has access to a quality, faith-based education, regardless of their family's financial circumstances. “The ongoing drought has placed immense pressure on many families in our communities,” Mr. Sexton said. “We understand the challenges faced by those in agricultural sectors and related industries, and we are here to support them during this difficult time.” Families experiencing financial hardship due to the drought are encouraged to confidentially discuss their situation with myself.

Catholic Education Ballarat offers various support mechanisms, including the Family Fee Assistance Scheme, which provides reduced fees for eligible families. “Our schools are more than just educational institutions; they are communities that stand together in times of need,” Mr. Sexton added. “We urge any family facing difficulties to reach out so we can work together to find a solution.”

Catholic Education Ballarat remains committed to its mission of providing accessible education and supporting the wellbeing of its students and their families, especially during challenging times.

SCHOOL CLOSURE DAY

As mentioned on the last newsletter.  The staff will be continuing with Literacy and Numeracy Professional Development on Wednesday 25th June and school will be closed on this day.

PUNCTUALITY AND ATTENDANCE

I would like to emphasise the importance of regular attendance and punctuality at school. Consistent attendance and arriving on time are critical factors in a student's academic success and overall development. Arriving on time shows respect for teachers, classmates, and the learning environment. Punctuality ensures that students do not miss out on important instructions, activities, or discussions at the beginning of class. We understand that occasional absences may be unavoidable due to illness or other unforeseen circumstances.

Let’s work together to promote a culture of attendance and punctuality at St Mary’s. By prioritising these habits, we can create a positive and productive learning environment where all students have the opportunity to thrive.

SENIORS CAMP

Get ready for adventure! Jenny has been hard at work organising a fantastic Urban Camp experience in Melbourne for our Year 3, 4, 5, and 6 students. The camp will run from Wednesday July 2nd, to Friday July 4th. With exciting activities planned, our students are eagerly counting down the days! A huge thank you to Jenny for the work that has gone into this. 

JUNIORS EXCURSION

While our Senior students are off on their camp adventure, the Juniors won't be left out! Louise is hard at work planning a special excursion just for them. Keep an eye out for more details coming soon! 

God bless,

Clare

Gumnut Room News

Patterns Patterns Everywhere!

What is a pattern you may ask?  Well, according to Skyler a pattern is something that repeats. 

Genevieve shared with us that a pattern in the classroom is the alphabet frieze that is 5 shades of green background then it repeats, and it repeats 5 times.  

Rupert discovered that the traffic lights in the room has a pattern of 3 lights - 2 lights - 3 lights and 2 lights as well as a pattern of colours - red, orange, green, red, green, red, orange, green, red, green.

Boston found a very tiny pattern of coloured hairs on the caterpillar on the front cover of "The Hungry Caterpillar" book.

Edward liked the pattern on the pop-it game board. 

We also discovered that patterns can be made by shapes too. We are now learning about counting patterns with numbers.

During Religious Education (RE), we learnt about the parable of The Mustard Seed.  A mustard seed is tiny and grows into a big bush that gives food and nourishes all.  God’s love and our faith is like the mustard seed growing and spreading to all. 

During Literacy, we continue to learn phonics with letter names and sounds.  We also have been developing our sentence writing with the words because, but, so. 

“Because gives the reason, but is a difference and so gives the result.”

The weekend was cold and wet…

The weekend was cold and wet because it was raining.

The weekend was cold and wet so I stayed inside.

The weekend was cold and wet but it was good for the farmers for their crops. 

News from the Banksia Room

Typing Tournament:  Each Thursday, the Banksia Room work on Typing Tournament which helps us know how to use two hands when typing and helps us to use the keyboard faster.  We do tests to test our skills to find the letters and type them in correctly.  It is very hard and challenging as we have to learn which finger goes on each key.  Pat was the first one to go onto Level Six.  Ellie was the first to  get in the Tournament.  Jayden has finally made it up to Dragon's Dungeon. We mostly enjoy this most of the time.

Auslan - Renee's Visit:  Renee joined us on Friday for the Mid-cycle assessment. She said that we had improved a lot since our last assessment.  We played a few games with Renee which were fun.  Auslan Chinese Whispers was our favourite.

Digital Media Literacy & Safety

Child Safe Information - all on website

Child Safe Standard 9:  Child Safety in Physical and Online Environments

Schools must ensure that physical and online environments promote safety and wellbeing while minimising the opportunity for children, young people and students to be harmed.

Child Safe Standard 10:  Review of Child Safety Practices

Schools must ensure that implementation of the Child Safe Standards is regularly reviewed and improved.

Child Safe Standard 11:  Implementation of Child Safety Practices

Schools must have policies and procedures that document how schools are safe for children, young people and students.

This concludes our brief outline of the Child Safe Standards.  Further information is available on our website or please contact the school.