2024 Term 1 Week 11
Dear Parents and Carers,
Today marks the end of Term 1 2024 and so much has happened over the last eleven weeks. We are so pleased to have welcomed our new Kindergarten students and their families, as well as a number of new students in other classes. We hope they have settled in.
This week, our school joined with more than 45 schools across the Lismore Diocese to celebrate Catholic Education Week (CEW). This year’s theme is “Innovation and Faith’. The transforming power of innovation and faith working in unison to ensure our students experience the fullness of life (John 10:10). For many of the great innovators throughout history, their faith motivated them to explore and understand the wonders of the universe. Our Catholic schools walk alongside clergy, parishioners and families to prepare and nurture our future innovators and faith leaders on their journey. This week our students participated in various activities that allowed them to innovate and explore faith experiences.
Emma Ingram will be starting her maternity leave at the end of term. We thank Emma for her hard work and dedication in Kindergarten last year and Year 1 this year and wish Mitch and Emma all the best for the arrival of their little girl. Emma will be dearly missed by us all and we look forward to hearing updates on the new arrival. Best wishes and congratulations Emma and Mitch!
We are thrilled to announce that the teaching position has been filled, and we are excited to welcome Rachel Kay to our teaching team starting in Term 2. Rachel brings with her a wealth of experience, having previously worked at St Edward’s Primary School in Tamworth and taught in various countries around the world. We are confident that her diverse background and dedication to education will greatly enrich our school community. Please join us in extending a warm welcome to Rachel as she embarks on this new chapter with us.
In Week 1 next term staff are undertaking a Professional Learning Day on Monday 29 April and we look forward to welcoming students back to school on Tuesday 30 April. Please note: The office will be closed on Monday.
On Thursday 2 May we have our school photos. A link to purchase the photos can be found on your Compass dashboard. Also in Week 1 a team of students will be competing in the Zone Cross Country Carnival which was postponed in Week 11.
A Parent Assembly conference is being held in Coffs on Saturday 15 June. Please see the flyer below for further details.
Warmest regards,
Jas and Dom
Term 2 Events Calendar
Learning and Teaching
It has been a busy term for staff and students as the whole school is now working with the new New South Wales English and Mathematics syllabus. The teachers have been busy planning and implementing lessons that meet the needs for all of our students to ensure they progress with their learning.
All students should now have their log in details for the Premiers Reading Challenge. The NSW Premier's Reading Challenge (PRC) is an initiative of the NSW State Government. It aims to encourage in students a love of reading for leisure and pleasure and to enable them to experience quality literature. It is not a competition but a challenge to each student - to read, to read more and to read more widely.
In order to complete the Challenge, students must read the following number of books based on their Challenge Level:
|
Challenge Level |
Number of books you must read |
Minimum number of PRC books |
Maximum number of Personal Choice books |
PRC book lists you can read from |
|
K-2 |
30 |
20 |
10 |
K-2, 3-4, 5-6 |
|
3-4 |
20 |
10 |
10 |
3-4, 5-6, 7-9 |
|
5-6 |
20 |
10 |
10 |
5-6, 7-9 |
You can find the booklists on the Premiers Reading Challenge Website.
Our local library has many of these books available to borrow. They also have an extensive eBook collection, the eBooks are available to borrow 24/7 allowing students access to the latest best-selling books for free. They can be downloaded directly onto phones and i pads. Head into the Clarence Valley library and talk to one of the librarians, who will be more than happy to provide support setting this up.
Have a wonderful holiday, I look forward to seeing you all next term.
Warm regards
Jas
Assistant Principal Learning and Teaching
Catholic Education Week
Sacrament of Confirmation
The following information is for parents who would like their child/children to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation in 2024. The Sacrament of Confirmation is for baptised students from Yr 3-6.
If you would like to enrol your child, please complete the Google Form.
If you have any queries, please contact: Dominique Montford (Assistant Principal Mission) dominique.montford@lism.catholic.edu.au
Please note information regarding the Sacrament of First Reconciliation and First Eucharist will be shared in Term 2.
Mother's Day Liturgy
We warmly invite all Mums, Grandparents, Aunts, and Special Women to a memorable Mother's Day breakfast and liturgy on Friday 10 May, from 8 am. Your presence will make this occasion truly special as we celebrate the love and wisdom you bring into our lives. Don't miss out on this heartfelt tribute to you!
Mrs Dominique Montford
Assistant Principal Mission
Zone Cross Country
Zone Cross Country was unfortunately postponed this week. The new date is Week 1, Wednesday 1 May.
Uniforms
St Mary's School uniforms are available to purchase from Lowes in Grafton Shopping World. The sports uniform is worn on Wednesday and Friday each week.
Covid 19
COVID-19 is still present in our community.
Students and staff CANNOT attend school if they are showing any symptoms of COVID-19.
If a student is unwell, displaying any COVID-19 or cold and flu-like symptoms at any time, they CANNOT attend school and should undertake a rapid antigen test.
If the rapid antigen test is positive and the student is unwell and/or experiencing any symptoms, they CANNOT attend school.
If the rapid antigen test is positive and the student is feeling well and not displaying or experiencing any symptoms, they CAN attend school but the school is to be informed of the positive test result.
Attendance
- If your child is arriving to the school after 8:45am please sign them in at the office.
- Please use Compass to record full day absentees. Partial absences are recorded by staff when students are signed in and out of the office.
- Students who leave a school event early will have a partial absence recorded.
- A medical certificate or other documentation may be requested where frequent absences due to illness occur.
- Generally, extended leave (greater than 10 days) during the school term would not be approved. These absences are recorded on the roll as unjustified and a completed Form 01 Extended Leave Notification Travel/Other Greater than 10 Days is required.
- In exceptional circumstances parents may complete an Form 02 Approved Extended Leave Application - Travel/Other Greater than 10 Days for consideration by the Principal, explaining why an absence for extended leave is in the best educational interest of the student. The Principal may decline or accept this application.
Parking in Hoof Street
There are a small number of parking spaces near the Sunrise Shop (corner of Hoof and Turf Streets) for use by their customers. To assist this small business, we suggest parking away from the corner.
Working With Children Check (WWCC)
At St Mary's we are committed to creating and supporting a culture of safety for children and ensuring that children are protected. All employees and volunteers are required to have a current WWCC.
NB - The vast majority of volunteers in schools are parents of a child attending the school at which they are volunteering (eg reading groups, fetes, camps, excursions and canteen) and therefore do not require a WWCC. Exceptions to this are
-
volunteers interacting one-on-one with a child not their own,
-
working with children who have a disability,
-
offering mentoring services,
-
when the volunteer is not a parent or close relative.