Principals Message
A Time of Waiting… A Time of Preparation.
We have entered a special time of reflection ~ ADVENT!
Amidst the commercialism and great excitement of decorations, bargain shopping, gifts, tinsel, wrapping paper and cards we are also exposed to and challenged by images of the baby Jesus, manger scenes, Christmas carols and great religious symbolism of this special time of the year.
The advent wreath itself is symbolic. The circle of evergreen in which the candles are placed represents everlasting life. The seedpods, nuts and cones used to decorate the wreath are symbolic of the resurrection, and fruits represent the nourishing fruitfulness of the Christian life.
Over the next three weeks preceding the great celebration of the Nativity of the Lord Jesus, Christians are invited to prepare, to "get ready", to make a place for the Lord in our lives and in our homes and to anticipate His coming.
During the weeks of Advent each class has prepared a reflective prayer service. Grade 4AB began last week and F/1TP prepared yesterday’s prayer and 23HD will prepare a Prayer for Friday Dec 9th at 8.50am. Next week we will have 5/6BB prepare a prayer on Thursday 15 December at 8.50am.
As this is our final newsletter for 2022, I would like to express my thanks to our school community and especially our parents and students for their loyal support of me as principal and our teachers. We have had 3 years of challenges through COVID and floods and I am very proud of the way in which you have supported your child/ren throughout this uncertain time. Our children have developed a new sense of battle and resilience and they are ready to stand up to the challenges presented to them. They still need your strong support and engagement to ensure that they succeed.
As the holidays approach, I hope each family takes time out to have little adventures together, to laugh and play together, to work your differences out together and most of all to relax, reflect and renew.
Many thanks to you all and God bless you as you celebrate the Christian celebration of Christmas.
END OF YEAR MASS AND SAUSAGE SIZZLE
This Friday, December 9th is our Annual End of the Year Mass and a time to celebrate the positive aspects of the 2022 school year. It will also be a time to recognize our year 6 students who will be graduating from St Mary’s and moving onto their chosen Secondary school.
Our Mary MacKillop Awards, the Bendigo Bank Community Spirit Award, the St Vincent de Paul Award, and the Friendship Award will be given out at the conclusion of Mass.
GRADE 3/4 CAMP
Next week our grade 3/4 students will join the students from St Joseph’s Nagambie for their school camp. Whilst this camp is very late in the school year we are pleased that our students will be able to experience the challenges and fun of being away from home and trying new skills.
KRIS KRINGLE:
Kris Kringle is a German tradition of choosing another person to give a gift to without them knowing. During the two weeks it is encouraged that you are kind to that person and that you make some handmade gifts (ie. a card or a drawing) to leave for them. Yesterday our students chose their KK and on Thursday December 15 they will give their gift ot their KK. The cost of the gift is to be $5. The teachers will have a list of who is giving to who so if your child forgets who their KK is you can email your child’s teacher. Please encourage your child to keep the name a secret to add to the fun on Giving day.
STATE ORIENTATION DAY
Next Tuesday is State Orientation where all our four 2023 foundation students will attend St Mary’s for the morning (8.50am – 1.35pm) . Our grade 6 students will attend their chosen Secondary College as they prepare for the 2023 start to their Secondary education.
SWIMMING CARNIVAL
This Thursday December 8th all students will travel by bus to Stanhope Swimming Pool to participate in the Annual Swimming Carnival. The junior students will compete in various relays and races in the junior pool while the senior students will compete in the big pool.
The bus will leave St Marys’ at 9.30am and leave Stanhope Pool at approximately 1.00pm.
Please complete the permission note on PAM.
ART, SCIENCE & AUSLAN
This week will be the last week for Art, Science and Auslan. Next week the specialist teachers will give the teachers some release time.
CLEAN UP DAY
Next Wednesday December 14th we invite students to wear casual clothes suitable for cleaning. At some time during the day they will be cleaning their tables and chairs. They will need some plastic bags or a large bags to take their books home.
CLASSES FOR 2023
Grade F/1/2: Mrs Thea Parry and Mrs Kerry Morse as Plus 1
Grade 3/4: Mrs Bianca Brook
Grade 5/6: Mrs Angela Brockett
Science/Art: Mrs Katherine Jamieson
Auslan: Ms Chris Marshall
Respectful Relationships: Mrs Prue Barlow
Intervention: Mrs Kerry Morse & Mrs Katherine Jamieson
ESOs: Jennie Hayes, Kate Stewart, Laura Martin
School Services: Simon Fraser
Admin Office: Georgia Francis, Peta Williams
Principal: Catherine Fraser
School for our students commences in 2023 on Monday January 30th.
Term dates:
January 30 – April 6 (10 weeks)
April 24 – June 23 (9 weeks)
July 10 -September 15 (10 weeks)
October 2 -December 20 (11.5 weeks)
THE RESILIENCE PROJECT
Next year St Mary’s School will participate in “The Resilience Project”. We have been successful in sourcing funding through Coles Ltd for this project and we will be blessed with having the co-founder of The Resilience Project, Hugh van Cuylenburg, as our online presenter. The focus of these sessions will be on the key areas of positive emotion; gratitude, empathy and mindfulness (GEM) and will provide practical evidence-based mental health strategies to build resilience and happiness.
While our students have developed fabulous coping skills ove the past 3 years of COVID and floods, we believe that this project will be a positive for our families and students to help them to flourish as young citizens.
RUSHWORTH CHRISTMAS MASS TIMES:
Christmas Eve: Saturday December 24th, 7.00pm St Mary’s Church Rushworth
Christmas Day: Sunday December 25th, 9.00am Sacred Heart Church Cornella
New Year’s Day: Sunday January 1st, 9.00am Sacred Heart Church Cornella and 10.30am St Laurence’s Church Stanhope
Catherine Fraser