Principal's News

Dear Families,

 

A big thank you to all the dads who joined us for our Father’s Day breakfast and liturgy last Friday morning, and to the Year One parents who organised such a wonderful Father’s Day stall and breakfast. Thank you to our Year One students who led the beautiful liturgy in celebrations of all the dads and special father figures in our school community.

Congratulations to our team of 80 students who competed at the Dendy Athletics Carnival on Friday 25th August. St Mary's placed 3rd overall. We had 20 students make it through to Beachside Division on October 10th. 

 

Big Congratulations to the following students who broke Dendy Records. 

  • Lucy Dolan - Hurdles and 800m
  • Isla Hastwell - High Jump
  • Jess Taylor - Shotput
  • Jacob Tickner- Hurdles
  • Matilda Worn - Discus

Congratulations also to all our skippers in the Jump Rope for Heart!

Leaderboard

  • Tessa Thompson
  • Jess Taylor
  • Number 1 Grade 1 Skipper - Toby Marinelli

Miss Gooden

Miss Vanessa Gooden (4G Class Teacher) will be commencing her maternity leave at the end of this term. Mr Ronan Meehan has been employed as classroom teacher for 4G for Term Four. Ronan comes from Belfast in Northern Ireland and has been working as a Casual Relief Teacher in Melbourne since arriving earlier this year in Australia, including here at St Mary’s. We wish Vanessa all the best as she commences her maternity leave.

Art Show

As communicated last week, our St Mary’s Art Show will take place on Thursday 26th October 5pm-8pm.

 

Tickets for the event will be as follows:

  • 1 Adult x $15
  • 2 Adults x $25
  • 3+ Adults x $35

All students and children under 18 years of age free entry.

 

Families are able to purchase tickets through CDF Pay. 

 

Tickets allow entry into all art and performance spaces as well as a pack of your child’s artwork which will be packaged and sent home once displays come down. 

 

Please also bring along gold coin donations for our buskers and Prep portrait painters. There will also be a sausage sizzle and refreshments provided by the PnF which can be purchased separately.

 

Simply present your ticket at the main door (printed or screenshot) when you arrive. Families will be provided with a map of the gallery spaces and times for performances throughout the evening. 

 

Thank you to the parents who have generously given their time in helping Mrs M in backing artworks and to the many parents who have been contributing to our raffle hampers for the night.

If each year level could please focus on donating from the following categories:

 

  • Prep-Grade 2: Toys, games, arts and craft:
  • Grade 3 - 4 : Sporting goods, homewares, kitchen and garden
  • Grade 5 - 6: beer, wine and food

Donations can be dropped off at the school office

School-Wide Expectations

Over the past month, our staff have been working with consultant Patrice Wiseman on whole-school Positive Behaviour Support strategies and have developed revised School-Wide Expectations based upon our RICH Values:

 

At St. Mary’s we take pride in our RICH values of respect, inclusion, compassion and honesty.

 

Therefore…

  • We are respectful and responsible learners
  • We move and act safely
  • We follow directions
  • We treat property and our community with care

These expectations were launched at our assembly this week and teachers will be unpacking them with students in classrooms, identifying what these expectations look like, sound like and feel like in classrooms, on the playground and for other school activities.

Battle of the Boots

A big thank you also to everyone involved in the Battle of the Boots on the 19th August, particularly to the organising team and each of the players and also the volunteers at the canteen. Congratulations to our players - while we didn't win this year we are all proud of your efforts, sportsmanship and teamwork. Such a big event is also so valuable in bringing dads from the school together and building connections and friendships. The total amount raised for this year's event was $15,175.28. Of this amount, $2000 is to be donated to the nominated charity One in Five, with each of the two schools receiving $6,587.64. Funds raised along with funds raised by the PnF will enable us to complete the last stage of our playground resurfacing.

End of Term Three

This will be the final newsletter for the term. Please take note of the following key events and dates for the remainder of the term:

 

School finishes for the term next Friday 15th September at 1 p.m. Their Care will operate after-school care from 1 p.m. on the day. Term Four Commences on Monday 2nd October.

 

Year 5 Market Stalls

The Year Five students will be holding market stalls next Wednesday 13th of September, with each class having an opportunity to visit the stalls for 30 minutes of fun. Students are encouraged to bring along gold coins for the stalls on the day. 

 

Footy Colours Day

Students are encouraged to come dressed in their favourite team colours (AFL or other code) on the last day of term. Our year Six students are organising a fun session of ball games for all students to enjoy. The PnF will be holding a sausage sizzle on the day, organised by our Prep parents. Orders can be made through CDF Pay.

 

 

I wish everyone in our school community a happy and safe school holiday period.

 

Matthew Sweeney

Principal

principal@smhampton.catholic.edu.au