Dear Parents and Carers

Mr Nielsen is unwell and will be away for another week.  We keep him in our prayers and hope he is feeling better soon to join us all back at school.

The term is moving along quickly and there has certainly been lots of learning taking place inside and outside the classroom.  It is such a pleasure as I move around the classrooms each day to see the children actively engaged in a variety of activities that their teachers have taken such time to prepare.  St Mary’s is so blessed to have such dedicated and committed teachers who provide quality education and incredible care for their students.  Last week in MJR the focus was Gratitude.  We have so much to be grateful here at St Mary’s.

This gratitude extends to all the non teaching staff and volunteers who work in our school.  Without you our school cannot function.  Our front office staff Mrs Buttenshaw and Mrs Ramsay not only take care of the school's every day administration but they are nurturers who help our students, parents and staff with their various needs.  Mrs Loudon moves between our infants classes assisting the students with their learning in her caring manner.

We give thanks for our St Mary’s Community who provide quality education for our students.  In keeping our education quality here at St Mary’s we pride ourselves on keeping our staff up to date with the latest  Professional Development. Mrs Haworth, Mrs McPake and Miss Parker will be engaging in 2 days of Initial lit training on Wed and Thursday this week.  Our K-2 Inital Lit Program is an evidence based, whole class direct instruction literacy program that provides the students with the essential core knowledge and strong foundations to become successful readers and writers. 

This week we have Rae and the Life Education Van visiting.  Healthy Harold complements our Personal Development and Health Curriculum and is another way of teaching our students to keep their bodies and minds healthy.

On Friday our Year 5/6 students were part of the World Prayer Day hosted by St Mary’s Parish in the Church. This was a wonderful ecumenical experience for our students and another example of students working with our parish.

To all the wonderful women in our school and wider community - happy International Women’s Day!  The world is a better place because you are in it! 

Enjoy the week everyone.

Mrs Scott

Faith calls us to accept the truth and testify to it before God and all our brothers and sisters.

In this Lenten season, accepting and living the truth revealed in Christ means, first of all, opening our hearts to God’s word, which the Church passes on from generation to generation. This truth is not an abstract concept reserved for a chosen intelligent few. Instead, it is a message that all of us can receive and understand thanks to the wisdom of a heart open to the grandeur of God, who loves us even before we are aware of it. Christ himself is this truth. By taking on our humanity, even to its very limits, he has made himself the way – demanding, yet open to all – that leads to the fullness of life.

Fasting, experienced as a form of self-denial, helps those who undertake it in simplicity of heart to rediscover God’s gift and to recognize that, created in his image and likeness, we find our fulfilment in him. In embracing the experience of poverty, those who fast make themselves poor with the poor and accumulate the treasure of a love both received and shared. In this way, fasting helps us to love God and our neighbour, in as much as love, as Saint Thomas Aquinas teaches, is a movement outwards that focuses our attention on others and considers them as one with ourselves (cf. Fratelli Tutti, 93).

Lent is a time for believing, for welcoming God into our lives and allowing him to “make his dwelling” among us (cf. Jn 14:23). Fasting involves being freed from all that weighs us down – like consumerism or an excess of information, whether true or false – in order to open the doors of our hearts to the One who comes to us, poor in all things, yet “full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:14): the Son of God our Saviour.

Message of the Holy Father Francis for Lent 2021

“My tempted Lord,

You allowed Yourself to endure the humiliation of being tempted by satan himself.

You did so to show me and all Your children that we can overcome our own temptations through You and by Your strength.

Help me, dear Lord, to daily turn to You with my struggles so that You will be victorious in me.

Jesus, I trust in You.”

Happy Birthday to

Adele Jones and Ella Patton

who celebrate their birthdays in the coming week.

We hope you enjoy your special day.

The Paul Kelly Cup is the largest AFL primary school competition in New South Wales and the ACT and is open to students in Years 5 and 6. The Paul Kelly Cup consists of 12 player teams competing in round robin gala days.  Games are played on a smaller field using modified rules.

Our Year 5/6 students are competing in Wagga on the 17th of March, starting at 9.30am.

All students are required to participate in this sporting competition, there is no choice involved regarding participation.

Please return the form sent home to the school before Friday the 10th of March and indicate if you need help finding a lift for your child.  We are happy to help arrange transport.

Our school cross country will be held on Wednesday 10 March 2021.

Students in Years 3 to 6, plus Year 2 students who turn 8 in 2021 will compete at the West Wyalong Showground.

Kinder, Year 1 and Year 2 students who are 7 in 2021 will participate in cross country games at the school.

Cyber Safety Workshop for 5/6 Parents

Technology is changing rapidly and St Mary’s is committed to ensuring ongoing support to our parents and carers to keep their children safe when online.

We will be hosting a Cyber Safety workshop for our Year 5 & 6 parents to attend WITH THEIR CHILD/REN on Monday 15^th March from 5.00 - 6.30pm in the school hall.

The evening will be facilitated by the Canberra/Goulburn Child Protection Officer Mr Lachlan Ellis. Lachlan will also work with the Year 5/6 students on Tuesday morning 16^th March at school.

We strongly recommend that parents/ carers attend this  workshop on Monday 15th March in the evening.

Save the date for this event and we will keep you updated in the meantime.

eSafety Webinars for Parents and Carers

The eSafety commission is running free webinars for parents and carers at lunchtimes (12:30-1:30pm) and in the evenings 7:30-8.30pm on various dates.

Currently running: “Parents guide to cyberbullying and online drama”

For available dates and to register go to:

Assembly

Archdiocesan Swimming  

World Day of Prayer

On Friday morning our Year 5/6 students assisted our parishioners in delivering the World Day of Prayer Service which was prepared by the Christian Women of the Republic of Vanuatu. 

The students listened to voices of some of the women in Vanuatu as they told them about their lives and how God has been a source of strength. They also learnt that students in Vanuatu can walk very long distances to get to school and equal access to schooling for boys and girls is still a work in progress.

Despite the poor living conditions in Vanuatu, the people are still very thankful for life, family and their environment.

This was a wonderful way for our students to interact and pray with the women of our Parish and other Christian women in West Wyalong. Thank you Mrs Cuthbertson for helping organise this opportunity with the ladies from our Parish.

Year 6 Kinder Buddies

Please see below some lovely pictures of our Year 6 students with their Kinder buddies.

The following events are in next weeks calendar.

To see the school's full calender check out the SZApp or our website.