|
|
SCHOOL NEWSLETTER
|
3rd December 2021| Week 8
|
|
|
|
|
|
Important Dates
|
- 6th to 8th of December: Life Education visiting St Mary's
- 9th December: School Carols Evening - Carols Around the World!
- 13th December: End of Year Mass and Awards Presentation
- 14th December: Student Step up Day, Welcome to our School Liturgy & Parent Information Session for 2022 Families
- 15th December: Year 6 Big Day Out
- 16th December: Last day for students
- Wednesday, 2nd February 2022: Students return for 2022 school year
|
All Term 4 events and details are published on SchoolStream. Please check the EVENTS tab to add event details direct to your calendar!
|
|
|
|
Principal's News
|
|
|
Week 8, Term 4, 2021
|
|
|
|
Dear Parents and Caregivers,
|
Year Six Graduation: Last night, we bid farewell to our Year Six graduating Class of 2021. We are very proud of you all and wish you every success in the future. No doubt the lessons you’ve learned in your time at St Mary’s will stand you in good stead as you move onto middle school and beyond. Thank you to the parents and families for the wonderful way the children presented and conducted themselves last night. The Spirit of St Mary’s is very obviously present amongst you all.
|
We were privileged to have Bishop Charles, Bishop Eugene and Fr Ched lead our school and parent community in a beautiful Mass of tribute to the Year Six children.
|
|
Thank you to Miss Clare Nolan for the preparation of the beautiful Mass and music.
|
I especially acknowledge the work of the Teaching staff behind the scenes with the children, especially the Year 5/6 class teachers Mrs Belinda Hicks, Mrs Tara Venn and Mrs Rachita Jain.
|
Special mention also to Mrs Shannon Feldtman, Mrs Dee Cois and those teachers at St Mary’s who have taught the children over the past seven years, your commitment and dedication toward the children is admirable.
|
|
St Mary’s 2021 Award winners were announced at the conclusion of Mass.
|
|
Academic Excellence - Nicola Fallon
|
Awarded for outstanding achievement and performance across all academic areas and displaying exemplary learning.
|
|
Excellence in the Arts - Balin Waterhouse-Crittle
|
For outstanding participation and skills in the area of Music and Performing Arts.
|
|
Excellence in Physical Education - Shamah Gabriel Yak
|
Demonstrating outstanding participation, skill and sportsmanship across all athletic endeavours.
|
|
Excellence in ICT - Evan Bould
|
For outstanding participation and skills in the area of Digital Technologies and Information Communication Technologies.
|
|
Spirit of St. Mary’s - Matilda Forgie-Liddle
|
For being a model for other students in the way they live out our school Making Jesus Real Philosophy and Positive School-wide Behaviour Approaches.
|
|
Marian Perpetual Award - Harjaap Singh
|
The Marian Perpetual Award is presented to a Year 6 student who is judged by the School Staff to have best exemplified Mary’s love for Jesus, not only her love for Him as a Mother loving her Son, but her love for Jesus shown by her willingness to follow what Jesus asks of every human person, whether female or male.
|
We farewell Mrs Lisa Di Donato from our support staff this week as she moves across to St John’s in an administration role next year. Lisa has been an amazing support to students mainly in the Room 5 classroom this year and will be sorely missed by the staff and students here at St Mary’s. We still get to keep her in our school community for another year - but just as Vincent’s Mum.
|
We also farewell Lani and Neve and family and Luis and family who leave our school community this week.
|
Welcome to Jovan and family who joined our school community this week.
|
Staffing Update - 2022: Below are the positions which have been finalised to date:-
|
|
Principal Ms Rosie Harrison
|
|
Deputy Principal Mrs Christine Ferreira
|
|
Religious Education C Miss Clare Nolan
|
|
Curriculum Leader - Maths Mrs Shannon Feldtman
|
Inclusion Support Coordinator Miss Sinead Walsh
|
|
Inclusion Support Coordinator Ms Sinead Walsh
|
|
Inclusion Support Practitioner Mrs Jacqui Krek
|
|
Literacy Intervention Mrs Casey Frew
|
Numeracy Intervention Mrs Shannon Feldtman
|
|
New Teaching Staff appointments
|
|
Teachers returning in 2022:
|
|
Our enrolment numbers are sound and we have developed a class structure for 2022 which will allow for the school’s continued growth.
|
|
We have two very small Transition class groups of less than 15 students in each class.
|
Next week I hope to be in a position to inform you of the class teachers for each Year level.
|
|
|
|
Uniform Reminder
|
|
Please ensure that your child has the correct uniform requirements including the correct footwear, socks and school hat. Please support us in our endeavour to adhere to our uniform guidelines, which can be found in our Parent Handbook or school webpage.
|
|
|
|
|
Classroom News: Room 16
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Advent: As mentioned last week, we have begun the season of Advent. Children have been learning about Advent and the importance of this time of year. The most significant tradition of the Advent season is the Advent Wreath. The wreath and candles are full of symbolism tied to the Christmas season. So what does the Advent Wreath symbolize? The wreath itself, which is made of various evergreens, signifies continuous life. The circle of the wreath, which has no beginning or end, symbolizes the eternity of God, the immortality of the soul, and the everlasting life we find in Christ.
|
In the second week of Advent we light the second candle, the candle of peace. This week let us remember to find peace from turmoil and chaos. Regardless of our circumstances or our situations, we are encouraged to find inner peace and peace with others. God has called us to be peacemakers in our world.
|
|
May I be aware of my true nature.
|
|
May I be a source of healing to others.
|
|
May I dwell in the breath of God.
|
Carols Evening Nativity: On December 9th we will be celebrating our Carols evening as a whole school. To begin the evening, some students from across the school will participate in a short nativity play.
|
St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal: We continue to invite you to send in your donations for the annual Vinnies Christmas Appeal. The last day to send items in will be Friday 10th December.
|
|
|
|
Thursday, 9 December (Week Nine) Carols evening and Nativity play in the courtyard.
|
|
Monday, 13th December (Week Ten): End of School Year Mass 8:30am in the Cathedral.
|
Tuesday, 14th December - Welcome to New families Liturgy 8.30 am.
|
|
Religious Education Co-ordinator
|
|
|
|
Farewell Grade 6 Class of 2021
|
|
Yesterday evening we celebrated the graduation of our Year 6 class for 2021. We are very proud of you all and wish you every success in the future. Be sure to pop back in and say hello whenever you can, you will always be welcome at St Mary's!
|
|
Students are now counting down to their Year 6 Big Day Out occuring on the second last day of school - Wednesday 15th December.
|
|
|
|
|
Start of the 2022 School Year
|
The 2022 school year begins on Wednesday, 2 February 2022 at 8.15 am for all students. Children are asked to be at school at least ten minutes before classes begin in order that they may find their classrooms and be ready to begin classes at 8.20 am. Please remember to pack lunch and recess separately as lunch goes in a container in the cool room. The children are also able to have a water bottle in the classroom with them each day.
|
The school book and uniform shop will be operating from Thursday, 27 January 2022 from 9 am to 3 pm each day. All uniform and book packs can be purchased from the office from this date.
|
|
Please note, book packs can be paid for at this time and will be distributed to teachers for use in the classroom.
|
|
|
|
21st Century Dance Concert USB
|
|
Re-live the fun of our 21st Century Dance concert!
You can order your copy of the concert which was professionally recorded by Dreamedia. To order now online, click the button below or complete the "Concert USB Order Form" found in the FORMS tab on School Stream.
|
|
There are only a handful of remaining USBs available - please order soon to avoid disappointment!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Healthy Harold is visiting St Mary's!
|
|
We are so excited that Educator Suzi Spedding and Healthy Harold will be visiting our school next week! Many parents may have memories of visiting the giraffe Healthy Harold in the Life Education Van when they were at school. This is a highlight that we look forward to each year at St Mary's. Unfortunately due to Covid-19 restrictions, our visit was pushed back this year, and Harold cannot bring his van either - however this won't stop the interactive program from going ahead!
|
Students from our Preschool, right through to Year 6 will engage in an interactive lesson, which focuses on age appropriate content. The program covers topics including; drugs and alcohol, personal safety, cybersafety, food and nutrition, physical activity, social and emotional wellbeing and the human body. Each student will receive an activity booklet to accompany the unit with follow up activities that will be completed in class.
|
|
Below is an overview of the units that each year level will be covering:
|
|
Preschool: Harold's Healthy Play Day - The importance of becoming healthy: helping children with food, drinks, physical activity, hygiene and rest.
|
|
Year T/1: My Body Matters - Focus on hygiene, nutrition, physical activity, and safety at home, school and in the community.
|
|
Year 1/2: All Systems Go! Inside a futuristic machine 'The Venture', the Captain and his crew take the class on a tour of the human body.
|
|
Year 3/4: bCyberwise - Encouragin positive digital citizenship in children. Equiping students to be safe, respectful and considered online.
|
Year 5/6: Think Twice - Exploring a range of issues around the social, legal and physical consequences of alcohol consumption.
|
|
Life Education have a range of online resources to help support parents and carers continue the learning at home. Visit the link below to learn more!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Looking after each other on the bus
|
|
|
|
Parents & Friends Christmas Raffle
|
|
|
We are so excited to announce 6 AMAZING prizes for this year’s Parents and Friends Christmas raffle:
|
|
F45 Gym 1 Month Membership voucher
|
|
Dometic 33L Esky and party starter pack
|
|
Bluegum Photography Location Family Photo Session Voucher
|
The raffle will be drawn at our Carols Event on 9th December. Winners will select their own prizes on the night!
|
|
We are so grateful to all our sponsors who have very generously donated prizes for our raffle.
|
- Bridge Toyota Darwin
- F45 Training Gym Darwin
- Blue Gum Photography
- Our local doTERRA Wellness Advocate - Lisa Di Donato
|
Additionally, we extend a thank you to two St Mary’s Families who donated prizes and wish to stay anonymous. We greatly appreciate your very generous donations and for sponsoring our raffle this year!
|
|
Tickets for our Parents and Friends Christmas Raffle have been sent home with families this week and cost $2 each. Additional tickets are available from the school front office.
|
|
|
|
BYODD Program
|
|
|
Technology is an educational tool to support learning... it does not replace the learning of key fundamental skills!
|
|
Devices can still be ordered for our BYODD - Bring Your Own Designated Device program. To ensure delivery for Day 1, Term 1 the order cut off date is 6th January 2022. Ordering is made easy via our dedicated online portal.
|
Additionally, we know of an 'as new' second hand designated device, which a family is looking to sell - price negotiable. If interested please contact our Deputy Principal Christine Ferreira via email christine.ferreira@nt.catholic.edu.au.
|
|
Ordering is made easy via our dedicated online portal. All information can be found in the BYODD Parent Information and device specification guide, which was sent home to all Year 3/4 students and those without a designated school device in Year 5. We encourage you to learn more about our device supplier Edunet by watching the short video linked below.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Outstanding School Fees
|
Thank you to the many families who have already finalised their school accounts for 2021. To those families who still have fees outstanding please be aware
that payment is now due and fees need to be paid assoon as possible.
|
If you believe that that you will not be able to pay your school fees account by the end of the school year (16th Dec, 2021) or are having difficulties making payments, please contact the office and make an appointment to arrange a payment plan. Payments can be made at the School office by cash or EFT. Credit Card payments can be made over the phone or electronic payments can be made directly to the school.
|
Our account details are as follows:
Account Name: St Mary's Catholic Primary School
Branch Number: 085-933
Account Number: 39 686 0268
Reference when processing your payment:
|
|
School Fees: Please quote your Family Ref (at the bottom right of the statement).
|
|
Out of School Hours Fees: Please quote your Family Name and OSHC
|
Community of Learners: Please quote your Family Name and COL
|
|
To request an updated statement for School Fees please contact our finance officer Louise Higgins on louise.higgins@nt.catholic.edu.au.
|
|
OSHC and COL statements are processed and sent out weekly by our Bookkeeper Kathy Zerafa.
|
|
|
|
Christmas Carols Evening
|
|
The classes have started rehearsing their Christmas Carols for our upcoming Christmas Around the World! On the night students come dressed in their best Christmas outfit - a Christmas t-shirt, Santa hat or accessary - be as creative as you like! A big thank you to our Parents and Friends Committee for running our BBQ Dinner on the night. Please see the flyer below for items and prices available for purchase.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Enrolments for 2022
|
|
|
Help spread the word! Enrolments for 2022 are now open
|
If you would like an enrolment package, please contact the school office. If you have already received an enrolment package for your Transition 2022 child, please complete and return to the school office as soon as possible so your enrolment interview can be scheduled. If your child is currently enrolled in the St Mary’s Community of Learners Pre-school program you will still need to complete a School enrolment form for Transition.
|
As a result of our current enrolment numbers for Transition in 2022 we are delighted to share with our school community that we will have two small Transition classes of around 15 students. This will give 2022 Transition students an optimal learning environment for their first year at school.
|
|
Please note, that until enrolment paperwork is received at the school office, we cannot hold places for Transition 2022. Therefore, if you currently have a child at St Mary's and have a younger sibling starting Transition next year, please let the school office know as soon as possible.
|
|
|
|
In the Event of a Cyclone
|
As we are now in the cyclone season in the Top End, families are reminded of our school procedures in the event of a cyclone. School closures are announced by the Department of Education and are broadcast to the public on the local TV and radio stations. In the event that government schools are closed, Catholic schools will also be closed. Please listen to the radio or TV for updates in relation to school closures and reopening. We will endeavour to keep families informed via our school app – school stream, facebook and email, but this will be dependent on the availability of power and personnel.
|
|
|
|
December Kindness 2021
|
|
Acts of Kindness
|
Please see above December’s Action for Happiness calendar. This month’s theme is ‘Kindness”. This time of year is a particularly busy time at school and at home as we near the end of the year and manage the build-up weather. This has been another difficult year of uncertainty and ups and downs for many of us. Kindness is contagious, and helping others has been proven to make us feel better too. As we approach Advent season we are encouraged and to focus on being generous with our time and attention. Small acts of kindness can make a big difference.
|
In a recent study researchers synthesized results from 88 experimental studies involving over 25,000 participants to measure how much our own altruism increases after witnessing someone acting “prosocially”—for example, comforting someone who is crying, donating to charity, or acting cooperatively in a competitive game. In the studies, people would read about or see someone act in a kind and helpful way, and then have the opportunity to be kind and generous themselves. Their analysis showed a moderately strong effect, where people witnessing altruism tended to follow suit themselves. That means that when people model kind and helpful behaviour, it has a healthy impact on spreading goodness in a community.
“People resonate when they watch someone do something good,” says the study’s lead researcher, Haesung Jung. “The message that these prosocial behaviours are quite contagious is a really important message that people should know.”
|
|
As Catholics, kindness is living the Gospel values or ‘Making Jesus Real’.
|
"We must rediscover the concreteness of little things, small gestures of attention we can offer those close to us, our family, our friends. We must understand that in small things lies our treasure," he (Pope Francis) said. There are small acts of kindness, affection and compassion that often go unnoticed in daily life, "but they are nonetheless decisive, important," he said. "For example, a hot meal, a caress, a hug, a phone call. They are familiar gestures of attention to the details of everyday life that make life meaningful and that create communion and communication among us," he said. "Listening to each other is important because that's how we can understand the needs, efforts, desires of the other. This language made of concrete gestures must be safeguarded. In my opinion, the pain of these days should open us up to this concreteness," he said.
|
|
|
|
|
Download our School App
|
|
|
|
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!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Canteen Online Orders
|
|
|
To streamline processes across the school, this term we will be phasing out paper bag lunch orders from our canteen.
|
|
We encourage families 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.
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Final playgroup session for the year will be on Friday 10th December
|
|
Thank you all so much for making our first year of Playgroup sessions at St Mary's a huge success! Please continue to spread the word... we look forward to seeing you all back in 2022.
|
|
|
|
St John's Catholic College, Darwin
Year 7 2022
|
|
Information regarding Year 7 2022 at St John's Catholic College.
|
|
|
|
|
What is happening in Darwin
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
  
|
|
|
|
|
|
