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Upcoming Dates
- 10th - 11th August: Year 4 Camp
- 11th August: Assembly Room 8 - 8.30 am; Transition celebrating 100 days of school
- 15th August: Feast of the Assumption of Mary
- 15th and 16th August: Parent/Teacher/Student Goal Setting Interviews
- 18th August: Assembly Room 14 - 8.30 am
- 21st - 25th August: National Book Week
- 22nd August: Marty Ogle visit for Making Jesus Real
- 25th August: Assembly Room 11 - 8.30 am
- 31st August: P&F Father's Day Stall
- 8th September: Pupil Free Day - Staff Professional Development
- 9th September: Save the date, Bunnings Sausage Sizzle Fundraiser
- 14th September: School Concert
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Event details will be updated on SchoolStream closer to the event date.
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Please check the EVENTS tab regularly and add event details directly to your calendar!
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Principal's News
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Week 4, Term 3, 2023
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Dear Parents and Caregivers
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Emotional Children, Emotional Parents
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At St Mary’s we strive to create an environment which empowers staff and students to make the best of their learning and life opportunities by establishing a calm classroom culture that recognises learning anxiety and how to manage stress. One of the best tools we can give students to help manage how they feel and react to stress is by helping them learn to self-regulate. What is self-regulation? It is the skill of understanding how you are feeling and being able to manage those feelings/emotions and responding appropriately.
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Why is this important? For our students it is necessary for them to guide their thinking to ultimately engage in effective learning. If a student is dysregulated, they can’t control their emotions or apply strategies to self-regulate and ultimately, engage in effective learning. Have you ever tried to ask your child to do something when they are having a meltdown? What type of response did you get? From my experience as a parent, when one of my children were having a meltdown if I tried to engage with them in a conversation this made it worse. As a parent I always wanted to fix the problem for my child, but I began to wonder if this is inhibiting their own development in solving problems and self-regulation?
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One of my biggest learnings as an educator and a parent is that every child is unique and needs different approaches and skills to help them regulate their emotions. What works well for one student will not necessarily work for another. For us at St Mary’s we encounter the same issues and that is why it is so important for us to continually develop our skills and understanding within this space so that our students can be ready to learn because they are emotionally regulated. “How do I stop my children from upsetting me?” is a question Wilson McCaskill founder of the Play Is the Way program for social emotional learning talks about the importance of emotional security from parents – how children need security and rational thought over emotional parenting. Bottom line: be the adult in the relationship between your child and you. Be rational with your decisions and parenting. Don’t let irrational emotions drive you as a parent. emotional parents emotional children
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A reminder of the survey – Tell Them From Me – that has been shared with you all. This is a wonderful opportunity for you to provide us with valuable feedback on our school. All survey responses are confidential. The survey can be accessed at the following link: http://tellthemfromme.com/smpcsparent
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School closure is scheduled for Friday 8th September for purpose of staff professional development in Catholic Identity.
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OSHC is available for bookings as required and Community of Learners remains open. Program of events to be sent out soon to all families. Where service is required, please make your bookings to secure placement.
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A reminder that to make a booking for OSHC, as per our school policy, all fees are to be up to date.
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We are currently taking enrolments for 2024 across all year levels, including Community of Learners (3-5 years). Over the past few weeks, I have been meeting with many new families coming to our school.
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If you know of anyone who is looking at enrolling their child for next year, please be sure to let them know we are available for interview or a tour of our school. All information about our school can be found on our website
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In faith and love,
Rosie Harrison
Principal
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Prayer for Friendship
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Almighty Father, I give thanks today for the friendships in my life.
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I am grateful for the people who walk alongside me, supporting me,
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loving me, and encouraging me.
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Help me to be more aware and gracious to my friends,
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appreciating them and accepting their help.
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Help me to be a better friend, too, supporting, loving, and encouraging others.
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Lord, lead me to find and cultivate deeper friendships
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and be a good friend in all that I do.
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Parent-Teacher-Student Goal Setting Interviews
Parent - Teacher - Student Goal Setting Interviews are scheduled for
Tuesday 15th and Wednesday 16th August 2023.
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For Students in Rooms 5, 8, 11, 13 and 16
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For Students in Rooms 6, 7 and 14 interviews will be Tuesday 22nd and Wednesday 23 August 2023
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The event code is nfc92
Bookings will close at 3pm on Monday, 14th August 2023.
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Alternatively, you can select the "School Interview Bookings" Tab in our School Stream App.
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Please contact the front office if you require any assistance booking a time. The allocated time is 15 minutes per interview. Please contact your child's teacher directly if you cannot attend during the designated interview times to arrange an alternative.
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Interviews will take place in your child's classroom. We ask that you please be prompt and arrive early to your designated interview time, to ensure that we run on time. Please enter the school via the coded pin lock gate or the gate on Lindsay Street.
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We look forward to meeting with you!
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Religious Education News
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Feast Of The Assumption of Mary
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The Feast of the Assumption of Mary is a special celebration in the Catholic Church that honors the belief that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was taken up to heaven after her earthly life ended.
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It is believed that Mary was so special and close to God that she didn't experience death like most people do. Instead, she was taken directly to heaven to be with God.
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This feast is celebrated on August 15th every year. During this time, people gather in churches to pray, sing songs, and remember Mary's special place in the Christian faith. It is a joyful occasion where people show their love and respect for Mary.
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As a school we will be attending the midday parish Mass. All are welcome to come and celebrate this feast with us. Mass starts at 12:10pm on Tuesday 15th August.
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Feast of the Assumption - Week 5 on 15th August (School to attend Parish Mass)
Father’s Day Liturgy - Week 7 on 1st September (Room 7)
School Feast Day Mass - Week 8 on 7th September (Year 6 students)
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Clare Nolan
Religious Education Co-ordinator
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News from Room 5
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PE News
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Pokemon Cards and Other Toys
Please remember that students should not bring toys to school. We have a growing problem with toys being brought in backpacks that end up being lost, broken, or are creating a distraction in the classroom and inequity in the playground. This includes trading and gaming cards (such a Pokémon cards). These should not be brought to school. Please talk to your child’s classroom teacher if you believe they need to bring an item that assists them to transition into school each morning.
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Thank you in advance for your help with this.
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100 Days of Transition
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Tell Them from Me
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Kiss and Go
As we strive to ensure the safety and efficiency of our daily drop-off and pick-up routines at St. Mary's Catholic Primary School, I am writing to remind you of the "Kiss and Go" rules and the importance of adhering to them.
The Kiss and Go Zone, located on Cavenagh Street, plays a crucial role in maintaining a smooth flow of traffic during these busy periods. It allows parents to drop off or pick up their children quickly and safely, minimising congestion and ensuring the well-being of all students. Please take the time to review our school Kiss and Go video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=7&v=8p3NoK0xSFU&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.stmarysnt.catholic.edu.au%2F&source_ve_path=Mjg2NjY&feature=emb_logo
To reiterate, the Kiss and Go Zone operates during the following times (please refer to signage):
Morning Drop-off: 8:00 am - 8:30 am
Afternoon Pick-up: 2:35 pm - 3:05 pm
During these designated times, it is essential to observe the following guidelines:
No Parking: Please remember that parking is strictly prohibited within the Kiss and Go zone during its operational hours. This is enforced by Darwin City Council and is in place to maintain a steady flow of vehicles and ensure the safety of all students. Stopping briefly to drop off or pick up your child is permitted, but please refrain from parking, entering the school and leaving your vehicle unattended. Please note that vehicles left unattended are subject to parking fines.If you prefer to park and walk your child to the school gate, please use the Lindsay Street student entrance.
Efficient Drop-off/Pick-up: When using the Kiss and Go zone, we kindly request that you pull up as far forward as possible to allow other parents to access the area efficiently. This simple gesture helps prevent unnecessary congestion and delays.
Stay Alert and Patient: As the Kiss and Go zone can become busy, it is crucial to exercise caution and remain patient while waiting for your turn. Be mindful of pedestrians, other parents and ensure the safety of all students and staff members. If the zone is full, do a lap around the block until you are able to safely enter the line.
By adhering to these rules, we can collectively create a safer and more streamlined drop-off and pick-up experience for everyone involved. We deeply appreciate your cooperation in helping us maintain an environment that prioritises the well-being of our students.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the Kiss and Go zone or any other matter related to St. Mary's Catholic Primary School, please do not hesitate to contact the front office.
Remember to always "choose safety, over convenience".
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Thank you for your continued support and cooperation.
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Playgroup
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School Canteen Services Update
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We are excited to announce a new update to our school canteen online ordering and services that will make ordering your favorite foods during recess easier than ever before. Starting this term, our canteen will offer a new "Recess" ordering service that will allow you to pre-order your child's snacks and fruits for the recess break.
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To accommodate this change our existing "2nd Break" service has been updated to "Lunch" service.
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Like our existing service orders need to be placed before 8:40 am each day via the Flexischools platform (see instructions at the end of this newsletter). The menu options will be available on the school app and will include a range of healthy and delicious options that cater to all tastes and dietary requirements. Once the orders are received, the canteen staff will prepare the food and have it ready for students to pick up during the designated recess eating time at 10.40am.
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We believe that this new service will help reduce waiting times at the canteen and ensure that students have more time to enjoy their recess break. By ordering ahead of time, students will also have a greater selection of food options to choose from, and can rest assured that their preferred meals and snacks will be available when they arrive at the canteen.
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Throughout Term 2 we will be aiming to phase out all window cash sales.
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As always, we welcome your feedback and suggestions. Please feel free to share your thoughts with us, and we will do our best to incorporate them into our future plans.
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Music News
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2023 School Terms
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Term 1, 2023 Monday, 30 January 2023 - staff return
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Wednesday, 1 February 2023 - students return
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Thursday, 6 April 2023 - last day term one
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Term 2, 2023 Monday, 17 April to Friday, 23 June 2023
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Term 3, 2023 Monday, 17 July 2023 - staff return
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Tuesday, 18 July 2023 - students return
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Friday, 22 September 2023 - last day term three
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Term 4, 2023 Monday, 9 October 2023
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Thursday, 14 December 2023 - last day for students
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Friday, 15 December 2023 - last day for staff
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Download School Stream
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Why download the App?
- Receive instant notifications for important news and classroom updates.
- Complete permission and absentee forms.
- Keep up to date with events and save event details directly to your own calendar.
- Order from our school canteen.
Don’t forget to turn your notifications on – so you don’t miss any important notices!
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Want to avoid fees when topping up your Flexischools account?
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Click below to download a step-by-step guide on how to top up your Flexischools account without a surcharge via Electronic Bank Transfer
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To streamline processes across the school, in 2023 we are only accepting online orders for lunches.
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All families need to set up an account for online ordering through Flexischools, which is linked directly in the School Stream App. Details on how to set up an account can be found in the “CANTEEN” tab of School Stream. There is no need to download the Flexischools App, it can all be accessed from the School Stream App.
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You can find the Canteen menu in School Stream. Please note daily orders close at 8.40am. Any orders received after this time, will be fulfilled subject to availability of stock and may be substituted for a basic sandwich.
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What is happening in Darwin
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