Welcome back to all the St Martha’s families and a very warm welcome to all the Kindergarten and all other new families.

25 Ways To Ask About Your Child's Day

Sometimes when we ask our children “How was your day?” their reply is shorter than we would like it to be.

Here are some other questions that we could ask our children:

What made you really happy today?
What wasn't so good about today?
What did your teacher do that was nice?
Who made you laugh today?
Who did you sit next to in class?
Did you make any artwork?
Did you play any games?
Can you tell me an example of kindness you saw/showed?
Where is the best place to play at school?
What did you do that made you feel proud today?
Who did you help today?
Who helped you out?
What was your favourite thing you ate today?
What was something interesting you learned today?
What was the hardest thing you learned today?
Did your teacher read you any books today?
Which new word/s did you learn today?
Was it anyone's birthday in your class today?
Who did you hang out with at Lunch 1?
Who did you play with at Lunch 2?
Tell me about a time you felt confused in class today.
What did your teacher do that was funny today?
What would you like to thank Jesus for?
What was something that challenged you today?
What was the highlight of your day?

We, as parents, cannot wait to hear everything about our children's day, but it is often better to let them eat, rest and play a little before we ask them about all the exciting things they have learnt.

Women's Lenten Retreat

Saturday 29 March 2025 at St Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney

Who do you say that I am? (Mt 16:15)

Women of all ages are invited to join a Women Lenten Retreat Day on Saturday 29 March 2025 at St Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney. The day will include all day Eucharistic Adoration and Confessions, keynote talks by the Dominican Sisters, breakout sessions, morning tea and lunch.

Ticket price is $50 per person and includes morning tea and lunch. A group discount is on offer – buy 4 tickets for $180

Register here

The Jubilee Prayer

Father in Heaven,

May the faith You have given us in Your Son, Jesus Christ,

And the flame of charity enkindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit,

Reawaken in us the blessed hope for the coming of Your Kingdom.

May Your grace transform us

Into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel.

May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us,

Pilgrims of Hope,

A yearning for the treasures of Heaven.

Amen.

Places of Pilgrimage for the 2025 Jubilee Year

Please click here to access the Jubilee Decree from the Sydney Archdiocese.

Here below are the Places of Pilgrimage where full Jubilee Indulgences may be obtained, under the usual conditions:

St Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney;
St Patrick’s Church, Church Hill;
The Shrine of St Mary of the Cross, North Sydney;
The Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Waterloo;
St Brigid’s Church, Coogee;
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church, Randwick;
St Anne’s Church, Bondi Beach;
All Saints Catholic Church, Liverpool;
Holy Spirit Church, Carnes Hill;
St Joachim’s Church, Lidcombe;
St Brigid’s Church, Marrickville;
St Catherine Labouré Church, Gymea.

Parenting Websites

Here below are some websites that you might find helpful:

Free Learning Opportunities for Families in Term 1

The Catholic Council of School Parents NSW/ACT are hosting the following free webinars for parents:

SchookSpeak 101

A free online webinar for Parents and Carers.

Presented by: Mary Ryan, Head of Professional Learning, CSNSW

Dates of two sessions offered:

25 February, 12.30pm – 1pm

26 February, 7.30pm – 8pm

Learn the basic language of school so that you can better engage with your child’s school and learning:

Learn the lingo so you can talk the talk – handy definitions
Find out what’s new in the new curriculum K-12
Ask questions and chat with Mary

Algorithms and Adolescents

A free online webinar for parents and carers of upper primary and secondary school-aged students.

Presented by: eSafety Commissioner

Date: Wednesday 19 March 2025

Time: 7.00pm – 7.30pm

How young people are using some of the popular social networking apps and games
The role of algorithms and recommender systems in influencing how children and young people experience the online world, including potential harms and impacts
Strategies to have better conversations with your children about social media use, managing content and reporting negative online experiences

Dream Big

A free online webinar for parents and carers of primary school-aged students.

Presented by: Beyond

Date: Wednesday 5 March 2025

Date: 12.30pm – 1.00pm

Help your child find their passion and pathway:

How to encourage curiosity, creativity and confidence in your child
Practical tips on introducing the idea of careers early
Helpful resources

Please email elena.razzoli@syd.catholic.edu.au if you would like to receive any further information, and the registration links, for any of the above mentioned webinars.

Prayer Intentions

If you have any special intentions that you’d like the St Martha’s Community to pray for, you can email your prayer requests to elena.razzoli@syd.catholic.edu.au and we will include them in our next School Newsletter so the whole community can pray for them.

Upcoming Family Initiatives

All Parents, Carers and Grandparents are warmly invited to:

Tomorrow: Friday 14 February: Opening School Mass at St Martha’s Catholic Church at 11:40am;
Monday 17 February: - Playgroup in the St Martha’s School Hall from 8:50am to 10am;
Rosary at 2:35pm in the St Martha’s Church;

Thank you to the Parents who came and prayed the Rosary this past Monday at 2:35pm. It was wonderful to have new Mums joining in praying the Rosary for all the intentions of the St Martha’s Community.

This coming Monday (17 February) I look forward to seeing all babies / toddlers / preschoolers with their Parents, Grandparents and Carers at Playgroup in the St Martha’s School Hall, and I look forward to praying the Rosary at 2:35pm in the church.

Please feel free to join in praying the Rosary even if you have never prayed it before. Rosary booklets and beads will be provided to all families.

Please do not hesitate to email me at elena.razzoli@syd.catholic.edu.au at any time if you have any questions, comments or requests.

Many thanks.

May God bless you and your families always,

Mrs Elena Razzoli

Family Educator

elena.razzoli@syd.catholic.edu.au

Open Day - Holy Cross College Ryde