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- A Message from our Principal
- St Mary's Prays
- Class Mass Times Term 1, 2025
- Reconciliation Information 2025
- Caritas 2025
- Around the school this week
- Happy Birthday
- School Sport 2025
- School Cross Country 2025
- Harmony Week 2025
- St Mary's Community Council 2025
- Staff Changes Week 7 - Term 1
- IMPORTANT DATES IN THE COMING WEEKS
- Canteen News
- Community Notices
Dear Parents/Carers,
Welcome to Week 7, we have another busy week ahead of us at St Mary’s. The week began with the school dressing up in green to celebrate St Patrick’s Day and will conclude with all students wearing a tinge of orange for Harmony Day. Don't forget to drive past the front of the school to see our fabulous Harmony Garden on Friday!
Last week, Year 3 and Year 5 completed various NAPLAN tests. These were conducted on Wednesday to Friday. Congratulations to the students who completed the tests so superbly and to the teachers for preparing the children.
Many thanks to those who attended the first reconciliation preparation lesson last Wednesday, and many thanks to those who were present at Mass on Sunday. A reminder the second preparation afternoon is on Wednesday in the Parish centre.
Last week the executive of the Community Council met and appointed a new Secretary and Parent Representative. Congratulations and welcome to both Jessica Green and Emily Watts. Their enthusiasm and professionalism has already benefitted the community council and we look forward to their ongoing support. Attached to this newsletter is the who’s who of the St Mary’s Community Council. The executive would also like to let everyone know of who to contact if they ever need to ask the council to address an aspect of the school. For any overall leadership, direction or feedback for the community council please see Fiona Hague. For any large school wide operational questions or coordination of activities see Jessica Green. For the development of the council’s budget and ensuring the equitable distribution of funds from grants or large projects in the school please see Stacey Smith. Any fundraising ideas or thoughts please contact Emily Watts. For anything else related to St Mary’s please see either myself or Nickey Harland.
A reminder about birthday buckets. It is lovely to share birthday buckets with siblings, cousins and buddies, however, can we please just keep them to your child’s class. It is hard for the children to understand and for teachers to explain if someone in their class is receiving an ice cream and others are not. Many thanks for your assistance.
There are several families at St Mary’s whose school fees are overdue. If this is you, you may need to increase your direct debit payments. If you are experiencing hardship or financial difficulty, please organise a time to come in and discreetly discuss your options.
Remember my door is always open.
Principal
Damian Collins
The focus this week at St Mary’s is Confidence. Confidence means that we believe we have lots to offer others, even though we’re not perfect. This helps us trust our ability to do things well, even in hard situations, and not question ourselves when making decisions. Confidence shouldn’t be confused with being boastful or arrogant, which is off-putting because it makes other people feel bad or annoyed.
A Prayer for Confidence
Term 1, 2025 Class and Whole School Mass Timetable
|
Date |
Class |
|
Week 7 Wednesday 19th March |
Year 5 & Year 1 @ 12pm. Parents and friends are more than welcome. |
|
Week 8 Wednesday 26th March |
Year 6 and Kinder Kind @ 12pm. Parents and friends are more than welcome. |
|
Week 10 Wednesday 9nd April |
Year 2, Year 3 & Year 4 @ 12pm. Parents and friends are more than welcome. |
There is no class Mass during Week 9 due to the Mid Western Primary Schools Rugby Union Gala Day.
Reconciliation Information
The Sacrament of Reconcilition is being held on Wednesday 9th April at 5pm in the Church. To prepare the children, there are 4 weekly sessions being held each Wednesday afternoon at 4pm. Further details can be found in the Principal's message.
Project Compassion is a demonstration of the faith, empathy and generosity of our supporters. It is the lifeblood of Caritas Australia – without it, we could not do the vital work we do. Thank you for helping transform lives today and for all future generations.
Caritas boxes will be sent home this week. Students will be seeing which class can raise the most money!
|
Lara Cloete |
Sierra Guia Musa | Evie-Lorraine McKinnon |
|
Henry Pursehouse |
Jack Connellan | Luna Kelly |
| Arlie Orr | Alicia Otaegui |
Clancy Blampied |
| Martina Uiva | Emily McCoullough |
Lilly Robertson |
| James Curry |
Rose Hague, Stella Murrells, William McDonell, Annabelle Brose, Reuben Ridley, Abbie Blampied & Lucy Browne
who celebrate their birthdays during this week.
We hope you enjoy your special day.
Mid Western Primary School 10's Gala Day
The gala day will be held at West Wyalong's Rugby Union Grounds on Wednesday 2nd April 2025 (Week 9).
Thank you to Brent Morton, Will Dean, Sam Weir and Woody Maslin for giving up their time to train the students and coach them on the day.
Trainings will commence this Thursday 20th March. Could all Year 3, 4, 5 & 6 students please wear their sports uniform this Thursday and next Thursday.
A Compass event has been sent out. Please action this as soon as possible.
No transport is provided, parents must transport their own child.
Paul Kelly Cup 2025 - Wagga Wagga
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 Friday 9th of May (Week 2, Term 2). We will field a boys team and a girls team in the non-competitive competition.
We would love to have coaches for the teams. If you know of anyone that would be willing to give up their time, please contact the school office or email wendy.connellan@cg.catholic.edu.au
A Compass event will be sent out in the near future.
Canberra Goulburn Archdiocese Trials
If your Year 5/6 child has the ability to compete at a representative level in the following sports - Netball, Rugby League, Football (Soccer), Softball, Touch Football and Rugby Union - you are able to nominate them for the Archdiocesan trials.
Please note that the Archdicocesan representative sport trials are highly competitve and there is an expectation that children nominating for these trials have extensive experience in the sport and currently compete at a high level.
If you would like to nominate your child to trial for a sport please go to https://csnsw.sport
Rugby League Trials are being held on the 31st March. Please get nominations in by the 18th. Girls Netball trials are being held on Thursday 27th March. Information is below.
Cross Country 2025
Our school Cross Country will be held on Friday 4th of April (Week 9).
Students in Years 2 to 6 will compete at the West Wyalong Showground from 9am.
Kinder and Year 1 will participate in cross country games on the school oval from 9am.
All students can wear house coloured shirts to school on Friday 4th April.
We are looking for parent volunteers at the showground. If you can help please call the school office or email wendy.connellan@cg.catholic.edu.au
Parents are welcome to attend.
A Compass event has been sent out. If you have not actioned this yet please do so.
Th arrangement for the morning is as follows:
8.55 Bell for Assembly
9.00 Students have fruit break
9.05 Toilet, students take water & hat
9.15 Buses to Showground
9.30 Walk track
10.00 11 & 12 year olds run 3000m
10.05 8 & 9 year olds run 2000m
10.10 10 year olds run 2000m
11.30 Buses back to school
Harmony Day and Harmony Week
Harmony Week is all about celebrating the amazing cultures that make up our country. Australia is one of the most multicultural countries in the world – from the oldest continuous culture of our First Australians to the 49% of Australians who were born overseas or have a parent who was.
Our cultural diversity is a great strength and brings with it a whole host of traditions, religions, languages and of course, food! It helps us to do things in different ways, reduces discrimination and lets us accept difference. Despite this, being anything other than Anglo can sometimes be challenging in Australia. It can feel like there’s nobody else like you and people’s lack of understanding sometimes leads to conflict.
You might know this event as 'Harmony Day' – it's been renamed 'Harmony Week' to recognise the diversity and inclusion activities that take place during the week e.g. at schools and workplaces. Harmony Week includes March 21, which is the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. We’ve put together some tips for how to make the most of Harmony Week.
- Share a meal
- Check out a local Community Event
- Share your story
- Watch/Read/Listen
- Ask others about their culture
Week 7
Date and Day |
Teacher on Leave or PD |
Class |
Relief |
| Monday 17th March | Mrs Harland | n/a |
n/a |
The following events are in the calendar in the next few weeks.
The Compass Calendar is updated to show Mass times, sporting events, important events.
|
Day |
Event | Location |
|
Wednesday 19th March |
 Year 1 & Year 5 Class Mass @ 12pm
|
St Mary's Church |
|
Wednesday 26th March |
 Kinder & Year 6 Class Mass @ 12pm
|
St Mary's Church |
|
Wednesday 2nd April |
 Mid Western Primary School Rugby Union 10's Gala Day
|
West Wyalong Rugby Union Grounds |
|
Friday 4th April |
 St Mary's Cross Country
|
- Infants at School - Primary at Showgrounds |
|
Tuesday 8th April |
 St Anne's Taster Day
|
At St Anne's, Temora |
|
Wednesday 9th April |
Year 2, Year 3 & Year 4 Class Mass @ 12pm
|
St Mary's Church |
|
Wednesday 9th April |
 Sacrement of Reconciliation @ 5pm
|
St Mary's Church |
|
Thursday 10th April |
 Last Day of Term 1
|
|
|
Friday 11th April |
 Staff Development Day
- Pupil Free Day
|
