Friday 20th June 2025 ~ Issue 18

Child Safety Statement

School Values

Treat others the way you would like to be treated.

Respect Our School - Hormati Sekolah Kita

Do Your Best - Lakukan Yang Terbaik

Help Others to Succeed - Bantu Teman Untuk Berhasil

Important Dates

TERM 2

Friday 27th June - Assembly

Friday 27th June - Student reports are sent home

Friday 4th July - Last day of Term 2 - 2.15pm finish

TERM 3

Monday 21st July - First day of Term 3

Friday 25th July - Grandparents' Day - details have been sent home this week

Friday 1st August - Assembly

Sunday 31st August - Sacrament of First Eucharist

Friday 5th September - Father's Day celebration at school

Thursday 18th September - Last day of Term 3 - 3.15pm finish

PUPIL FREE DAYS IN 2025

Friday 19th September - Structured Literacy

Wednesday 17th December - Last day of the school year for students

ADVANCE NOTICE

Wednesday 17th September - St Mary's School Concert at Hamilton PAC

From the Principal

Dear Families,

You just never know what might happen in a school and Tuesday really proved that! With damage to the transformer that provides power to Monivae and St Mary's, it was a cold and dark day we faced. A huge thank you to all the families that were able to pick their children up when the call went out and to Powercor who were able to so promptly get us back on the grid. We are extremely grateful to have only lost the time that we did, as it was looking like a much longer process. I was having some flash backs to COVID times when it was thought we may have needed to get ready for some online learning - fortunately it didn't come to that!

At the moment, we are very mindful of students needing to be away as they are unwell but also needing to be at school for their learning. It is a real balancing act! Some students are down to just 75% attendance which means that if this continues over the whole year, they will have missed the equivalent of one term! While we are grateful that sick children are not at school, we do ask families to be aware of the late starts and early finishes to days, as well as a day off just because - they all add up and impact student learning!

Only two weeks until school holidays!

Have a wonderful weekend, shared with those you love,

Terrielynn

Catholic School Culture

MASS TIMES – 2025                                                 

Hamilton: Saturday 6pm and Sunday 10.30am                                  

Dunkeld: Sunday 8.30am                  

Glenthompson:  Sunday 8.30am

Penshurst: Sunday 8.30am

Peg Collery Awards

At last week's assembly we awarded our Peg Collery Scholarships to three students, from P/1/2, 3/4 and 5/6.  The very well deserving recipients are Teresa Alex Kavil, Jaxon Wilson-Watt and Marcus McRae. Their homeroom teachers told us of their many amazing attributes and we can certainly see why they were chosen. Congratulations!

Tinnies For Vinnies

For the last two weeks of term we will have a focus on donating tins of food for the St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal. If you are able to buy an extra tin of food in your grocery shop or have some spares at home, we'd love you to donate them. We will have tubs set up near the office. Thanks so much!

Then, on the last day of term, the children have decided that they will wear their warmest winter clothes with a crazy hair do! Each child is also invited to bring along a gold coin to donate to the winter appeal.

Diocesan Strategic Plan...continued

The Diocesan Plan has Catholic Identity at its heart, supporting our high performing system of Catholic schools. Here there is a focus on engagement, belonging, safety, respect and pursuing fullness of life for all through the ispiration of the person of Jesus.

Learning and Teaching

School Wide Positive Behaviours

School Wide Positive Behaviour Support is:  A multi-tiered framework for establishing the social culture and behavioural supports needed for a school to achieve behavioural and academic outcomes for all students.

For the next two weeks at St Mary’s, we are working with our students on the following:

RESPECT - care for the people in our school

SAFETY - keep hands and feet off others

RESPONSIBILITY - seek help when needed

First Nations Project

Under the watchful eye of our Wellbeing Leader, Bec Sherlock, we are about to begin a First Nation's art project. This will involve working with Saige Bell, a Gunditjmara artist and former St Mary's student, to produce an artistic representation of our Acknowledgement of Country. We will keep you updated on our progress and when we will unveil the piece.

Staffing

At the end of Term 2, Teagan Wishart will be taking Maternity Leave until the beginning of 2026. Leroy Perez will move into her role and we are very grateful to him for providing continuity of learning for the 5/6s. We are now in the process of appointing a part time teacher to join Chris Minney.

Nationally Consistent Collection of Data

Wellbeing

Child Safety ~ Child Safe Standards

The new Child Safe Standards (eleven in total) came into effect in July 2022 and are a
vital part of what we do here at St Mary’s. But, what do these standards look like in practice? Each week, we will look at a standard in closer detail.

Standard 10 - Implementation of the Child Safe Standards is regularly reviewed and improved. At St Mary’s we can see this standard in action in a variety of ways. At the beginning of each year, as part of our Learning to Learn curriculum, the children go through the child safety slides (as mentioned last week). These slides are then put into a prominent place in each homeroom. We have also broken down child safety and reportable conduct scheme posters over a few weeks as part of our weekly check in assembly. These posters are now also displayed in learning spaces. Child Safety and how the standards are implemented are a standing item on all of our staff agendas. Another way that we have been meeting this standard is giving you a weekly breakdown of them in our newsletter!

More information can be found on the Commission for Children and Young People (CCYP) website - the link to this website is below.

Tania Stevens
tstevens@smhamilton.catholic.edu.au

Leadership and Stewardship

School Advisory Council AGM

Our School Advisory Council (SAC) AGM was on Wednesday 11th June. We are very grateful that Joyce Nedziwe will continue in her role as Chairperson with Rhassell Mhasho taking on the Vice-Chairperson role.

Kitchen Garden Green Light!

We are so excited here - our Kitchen Garden program began today! 

Under the watchful eyes of Lyn, Judy and Monique, ten Grade 5/6 students harvested produce from our garden and then cooked a delicious cauliflower soup, focaccia and a fresh garden salad. We have included the recipes that the students used, so that you are able to cook these delicious recipes at home too.

There is much education that goes with a program like this, both for leaders and students. So, when it is your child’s turn to cook, make sure you ask them all about it! We will have another group of Grade 5/6 students in the kitchen next Friday.

We also had the Hamilton Spectator here today, so look out for a story all about our Kitchen Garden program, coming up very soon. We have also included some photos of the students cooking today - the smiles say it all!

Catherine Egan

Kitchen Garden Week 1

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School Beanies

We have navy blue school beanies the students are allowed to wear (they have our school name on them) here for sale at the office for $15 each.  If you would like to purchase one for your child, please come to the front office. You can pay cash or card.

Community Engagement

Assembly

Our next assembly will be on Friday 27th June at 2.55pm.

Community Events

Vacation Care OSHC

VAC bookings are open on Monday 16^th of June, please book in ASAP if you require care as we have limited places available. VAC Bookings must be booked through your Xplor app, contact the service if you have any difficulty. I have attached the flyer for your information.*If your child is attending on an excursion day please ensure you complete the correct permission form for your booking to be accepted. ThanksReminders:

• We are a Nut Free & Seafood Free service, please do not pack sushi, fish fingers, fried rice, peanut butter or Nutella in your child's lunchbox.
• Strictly no unhealthy foods, these will be required to stay in your child's bag until collection, we as a service provider are required to meet healthy eating guidelines.
• Please ensure you pack enough food for fruit, morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea, if your child does not have enough healthy food you will be called to collect them as we are unable provide food over VAC care.
• Ensure children have a bag that is large enough for their belongings, bring a full change of clothes, and bring a jumper for outside play.
• Please DO NOT send your child in thongs and crocs.
• All children MUST bring a drink bottle, those who do not have a drink bottle will not be able to stay for excursions.
• Our VAC fee is $95 per day before CCS reductions (regardless of what hours your child attends).
• Please note we close earlier during VAC Care and our service hours are 8:30am-6pm.
• Once bookings are accepted we CANNOT accept cancellations, if your booking is confirmed and you no longer require care your child will be marked absent and you will be charged an absence fee.