|
|
|
|
|
|
Upcoming Dates
|
- 16th to 19th May: Naplan catch up testing period
- 13th May: Defence Family Gathering afternoon
- 19th May: Parents and Friends meeting 3 pm in the Library
- 20th May: Assembly led by Year 1/2 Room 5
- 23rd May: Athletics Carnival (Years 3-6)
- 31st May: School Photo Day
|
|
Please refer to School Stream for full event details. Please check the EVENTS tab to add event details directly to your calendar!
|
|
|
|
Principal's News
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dear Parents and Caregivers,
|
|
|
Next Friday 20 May is Walk Safely to School Day. Now in its 23rd year, National Walk Safely to School Day (WSTSD) is an annual event when all Primary School children are encouraged to walk and commute safely to school. It is a Community Event seeking to promote Road Safety, Health, Public Transport and the Environment.
|
This is quite timely for our school community as we are currently advocating for the installation of a Children’s Crossing to be installed on Lindsay Street so our students can access the school safely each morning and afternoon. St Mary’s would be one of the few schools in Darwin without a designated school crossing for children to access their school. Coupled with the fact that we are located in the heart of the Darwin CBD, bounded by four streets which are main thoroughfares for traffic coming in and out of the city during the day, we feel that a Children’s Crossing and improved signage indicating vehicles to slow down should be prioritised by local government.
|
Our own Road Safety - Kidsafe NT speak of the importance of prioritising safety for children over convenience on our NT roads. Walking is an important part of children’s lives. It is important for their health and fitness, and their ability to get around their neighbourhood and community independently. Being a pedestrian can be a risky business, especially for children in busy areas. Roads are designed with adults in mind, but children are not ‘little adults’. They are less developed physically, cognitively and in terms of their traffic experience.
|
How can we be Kidsafe near traffic and crossing the road?
|
- Supervise children at all times near traffic, particularly when crossing roads.
- Hold hands when near traffic, especially when crossing the road.
- Teach children to use the ‘safety door’ to get in and out of cars. This is the door on the kerb side behind the passenger seat.
- Teach children to use footpaths, but make sure they know to watch out for cars when passing or crossing a driveway.
- Explain words like “fast”, “slow”, “near” and “far”.
- Talk about signs and traffic lights and the safe places to cross.
- Point out dangerous places and where not to cross – near curves and where things might hide children from view.
- If you are picking children up from school, have a safe meeting place, then cross the street with them. Never call them over from the opposite side of the street.
- Teach children to “Stop, Look, Listen and Think” before crossing the road and make sure to explain what this means.
- Teach children about safe places to cross the road including crosswalks and traffic lights.
|
Correct School and Sports Shoes: A reminder to all families that plain black runners are to be worn with Sports Uniform. Information is in the Parent Handbook and the School Uniform Policy. Please make sure students wear the correct uniform (including correct shoes) every day.
|
|
|
Staffing: Ms Nikolah Kenny has given notice of her intention to resign from her teaching position at St Mary’s at the end of Term 2 this year. Nikolah and family will be relocating to Adelaide due to a work transfer. Nikolah has been a much loved and valued member of the St Mary’s Teaching Staff for the past five years and will be sorely missed by the students and families of Room 5. Families of Room 5 were each sent a letter from Nikolah earlier this week to let them know of this upcoming change. Advertising for a replacement teacher will commence next week and we will endeavour to keep Room 5 families informed of the decisions made during the recruitment phase. We wish Nikolah and her family the very best for their relocation to Adelaide and for the future.
|
Transition 2023: SIBLING ENROLMENT PAPERWORK Due by 31 May 2022.
We are now in the early stage of planning for the 2023 school year and the class structures across the school. We are requesting for any of our existing families (including our Community of Learners) who may have a child eligible for Transition in 2023 to ensure their enrolment application paperwork has been submitted to the school by the 31st May.
|
An enrolment pack is available on line from our website or alternatively from the front office in Lindsay Street. Children who are born between 1st July 2017 to 30th June 2018, are eligible for entry into the 2023 Transition class.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Prayer
|
Praise to You Lord, God of all creation.
|
|
For through your goodness, we live with the different creatures of the Earth community, to grow in abundance and reach fulfillment.
|
|
We pray that we may have a mutually enhancing relationship with other creatures and the natural world.
|
|
|
|
Religious Education News
|
The schoolyard and classroom play an important role in nurturing core ecological values. Environmental education is particularly vital, as it shapes how our younger generation care for our common home. In Laudato si’, Pope Francis highlights the important role that education plays: There is a nobility in the duty to care for creation through little daily actions, and it is wonderful how education can bring about real changes in lifestyle. Education in environmental responsibility can encourage ways of acting which directly and significantly affect the world around us, such as avoiding the use of plastic and paper, reducing water consumption, separating refuse, cooking only what can reasonably be consumed, showing care for other living beings, using public transport or car-pooling, planting trees, turning off unnecessary lights, or any number of other practices. (211)
|
Let us remember all the little things we can do at school and at home to help the world around us.
|
This theme of Laudato si’ carries throughout our school and will be a focus during our Art Show this year.
|
|
|
Reconciliation celebration will be on Tuesday 24th May at 6pm in the Cathedral. All are welcome to help celebrate this special occasion.
|
Confirmation lesson will be Thursday 19th May at 3 - 4 pm in the library. Children will need to be collected from the library at 4 pm and enter the school via the coded gate.
|
First Communion first lesson will be Thursday 26th May at 3-4pm in the library. Children will need to be collected from the library at 4 pm and enter the school via the coded gate.
|
|
If you have any questions about the Sacramental Program or wish for your children to participate please contact clare.nolan@nt.catholic.edu.au for more information.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Please return all Project Compassion boxes and envelopes to the school office by Friday 27th May or donate online via the Caritas website at lent.caritas.org.au.
|
|
|
|
Confirmation next lesson - Thursday, 19th May 3 - 4 pm
|
|
Reconciliation Celebration -Tuesday, 24th May 6 pm at the Cathedral
|
|
First Communion next lesson - Thursday, 26th May 3 - 4 pm
|
St John's Catholic College Feast Day Mass - Friday, 10th June 9 am - Students from Years 3-6 will be attending at the Cathedral. Families are also welcome to attend.
|
|
Religious Education Co-ordinator
|
|
|
|
News from Room 14
|
|
Hello and welcome to 3/4 Room 14 with Miss Nakita!
|
|
It’s week 4 and we’ve been extremely busy! This Term, room 14 are working on spreading kindness, trying things outside our comfort zone and working as a team.
|
Here’s a look at some of the many things happening this term…
|
|
Literacy: We have been focusing on persuasive writing. Students have been looking at how persuasive text can inform our decision making and why. Students have created a persuasive text looking at ‘what Superhero power is the best and why?’ As a class, we have discussed the language used in persuasive text and shared our ideas within our class.
|
|
Students had a visitor this week too! Students enjoyed a visit from Author Phil Kettle and Illustrator Marc McBride who encouraged students to use their imagination and draw pictures of a dragon!
|
Numeracy: In Numeracy, students have been working on number patterns, ordering multi-digit numbers as well as area and perimeter. We enjoyed making conjectures and explaining our mathematical thinking with each other.
|
|
Visual Arts: In Visual Arts, Room 14 has been looking at a variety of art such as; Picasso, pop art and Vincent Van Gogh, but we are especially proud of our perspective drawings displayed on the office wall.
|
Hass: In Hass we are looking at the units forces and functions. We are looking at designing and experimenting through discovery. This includes building our own balloon powered car!
|
Our classroom plants have grown so much! We enjoy taking turns watering them, putting them out into the sunshine and watching them grow. Room 14 takes responsibility in working as a team to make sure our class plants are happy and healthy - just like us!
|
|
We are excited to see what the rest of this Term looks like!
|
|
|
|
|
Catholic Education and the Federal Election
|
|
|
|
|
|
St Mary's Parents and Friends
|
|
The St Mary's P&F will be meeting again this Thursday, 19th May from 3pm in the school library.
|
All parents and friends of St Mary's are welcome to attend and raise issues, offer ideas, ask questions or contribute to the discussions at our meetings. We would love to hear your ideas and new perspectives so we can continue to support our wonderful school.
|
Our P&F team thrives on the energy and generosity of our parents volunteers. You can participate as little or as much as you like with roles for one off events or ongoing activities. So if you have ever thought about coming along to a meeting there is no better time than now! We have a few events coming up on the calendar and many hands make light work.
|
|
|
|
Naplan Testing
|
|
|
NAPLAN: We are so proud of our Year 3 and 5 students and their engagement this week in NAPLAN testing. Students completed 4 assessments against the domains of Writing, Reading, Conventions of Language and Numeracy. The students showed a wonderful growth mindset and gave their best effort to each test. Catch up tests will be scheduled next week for those students who have been absent this week.
|
|
Please remember that NAPLAN does not define your child as a learner nor do NAPLAN results impact their school reports. While it gives us some information, it does not tell us about their remarkable sense of humour, their independence, their resilience, the way they get along with others, their artistic and sporting abilities or their delightful manners – everything that makes them unique. At St Mary’s we know and appreciate your whole child.
|
|
|
|
School Photos
|
|
School photo day is 31st May
Order your photos using the link below
School code is: 1QT CAX BQ2
|
|
|
|
|
CathCroc
|
|
|
|
Annual Athletics Carnival Years 3-6
|
|
The annual St Mary’s Athletics Carnival is to be held on Monday 23rd May, 2022 at Arafura Athletics Stadium, Marrara. This event is only held for students in Years 3-6. The carnival will run from 9.00am to 1.30pm and is being held as an inter-house carnival for all students. The results from the carnival will also assist in the selection of the St Mary’s Athletics Team for the Darwin Region Inter-School Carnival held later in Term 2.
|
The students will be travelling to and from the venue by bus and will therefore require your permission to be transported by chartered coach. The buses will be ready to depart at 8.30am sharp and it is important all students are ready to leave at this time. Students from Year 3 – Year 6 will be picked up from the venue at approximately 1.30pm and returned to school.
|
All students will need to bring:
|
- Hat
- Drink bottle/s
- Recess & Lunch – please ensure you pack food with a freezer pack to keep cold as no refrigeration will be available
- Sports Uniform / House colours – sun smart clothing
- Runners
- Sunscreen
Parent Volunteers will also be needed on the day to assist in the running of the carnival, if you are available to help and have a current OCHRE card, please email zara.pearson@nt.catholic.edu.au. We encourage families and parents to come along on the day and help cheer teams on!
|
|
Permission forms for the Athletics Carnival will be collected online through the School Stream App. Please select the ‘Athletics Carnival Permission Form’ under the FORMS tab on the homepage. Alternatively, you can complete the form by following this link: https://smcps.myschoolstream.net/athletics-carnival-permission-form/ If prompted the school code is smcps.
|
|
We appreciate you completing the form by Thursday 19th May, 2022.
|
|
|
|
Pastoral Care and Wellbeing News
|
|
|
Interoception is an internal sensory system in which the internal physical and emotional states of the body are noticed, recognised/identified and responded to. Interoception skills are required for a range of basic and more advanced functions such as knowing when to go to the toilet, being aware that you are becoming angry or upset and being able to manage your emotions proactively. When children and young people have not yet developed interoception skills they may find it challenging to focus, regulate and can impact their socialisation. If students don’t quite know what their bodies need it can make everyday activities more challenging and hinder independence.
|
Interoception has a strong connection to emotional processing because of the physical way that we experience emotions. Our muscles clench when we are angry, we get butterflies in our tummy when we are excited or nervous, and our muscles relax when we are calm. Without interoception, labelling emotions can be challenging and understanding what our bodies needs to help regulate those emotions can be even more challenging.
|
At St Mary’s we are rolling out a whole school approach and using the Zones of Regulation to help our students develop their interoception and regulation skills by noticing how their bodies physically respond to their emotions and giving them strategies to identify the emotion and a strategy to deal with the emotion when it becomes overwhelming or they feel like they are losing control.
|
All children and adults have varying levels of interoception and most often those on the spectrum have a-typical interoception skills. However simple daily mindful awareness activities can help develop interoception skills. There are ideas in this month’s Mindful May calendar. For more ideas see the websites at the bottom of this article.
|
Further resources for interoception:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Spirit of St Mary's Update
|
Our Spirit of St Mary’s goal for this term is: 50,000 points!
|
|
Week 4 point check: 26,161 points!
|
|
Shout out this week goes to Room 5 who have 5700 points!!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Meaningful May
|
|
|
|
Year 7 - 2023
|
|
|
|
|
Download School Stream
|
|
|
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 & Update
|
|
|
To streamline processes across the school, in 2022 we are now only accepting online orders for lunches.
|
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.
|
For those with an existing account, you will need to update your child's class and room number for 2022 before placing your first order. Please refer to the instructions in School Stream.
|
You can find the updated 2022 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.
|
|
Please note that at this time our school canteen has been impacted by supplier shortages. Some items may be temporarily unavailable and will be marked as 'out of stock' when ordering. Thank you for your understanding.
|
|
|
|
|
|
What is happening in Darwin
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
  
|
|
|
|
|
|
