Religious Education News

This year our school theme is taken from the Book of Psalms and based on Psalm 42.

Please keep the following dates in mind and opportunities to participate in the season of Lent:

Wednesday March 13 - As part of Catholic Education Week, St Mary’s School will be hosting an Open Morning from 10:00-11:00, for families and friends who may like to visit our classrooms. This will be followed by a simple morning tea on the playground and our final fundraiser for Lent, a money line. Please start collecting any loose change to send to school for our Project Compassion boxes and money line.

Throughout Lent, St Mary’s School has hatched a plan to raise money to help buy chickens for people like Priscilla from Zimbabwe. Watch the office space as our plan unfolds!

Thank you to all who have donated. We have raised $150 so far.

If you would like to add a donation to our school donation page at

Caritas Australia (which is tax deductible) use the following QR Code.

☘️Sunday March 17 – St Patrick’s Day Family Mass at St Mary’s Church at 10:30am. Come dressed in green and enjoy morning tea after Mass.

Sacramental Dates:

Reconciliation

Preparation - Term 2 Religious Education unit

Celebration on Thursday June 27 from 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm.

First Eucharist

Preparation - Term 3 Religious Education unit

Mass of celebration on Sunday August 18 at 10:30am.

Confirmation

Preparation - Term 3 Religious Education unit

Retreat Day for candidates on Thursday November 15 followed by Parent Information Session from 3:30-4:30.

Mass of celebration on Sunday November 17 at 10:30am.

Julie Cotter

Religious Education Leader

Year 4/5/6

In literacy this term we began reading Wind In The Willows. It is a fictional story based on the main character Mole, who goes on adventures with his new found friend the water rat. The story was written in 1908 by the famous author Kenneth Graham.

During Math, we have been learning a variety of card games that include HI-LO, Hit The Deck and Card Conundrum. As well as that we have been working on our addition and subtraction skills by completing worksheets and trying different strategies.

Another subject we have been focusing on is Inquiry, where we have been learning about culture and the history of Australia. Our culture is full of music, dance and of course food, for example vegemite and snags.

Last week we had our first buddies session, we really enjoyed spending time with each other and learning about our buddies interests and hobbies.

Our first activity with our buddies was colouring in and reading books. This week we are looking forward to a fun game of fruit salad with our buddies

Last week Diana introduced us to media, a new subject we are excited to learn. There are lots of different types of media, that includes, broadcast media, written media, printed media and many more.

The end.

By Charlotte and Frankie

Year 2/3

Year 2/3 are enjoying a busy, happy start to 2024.

Our school inquiry unit, cultural diversity, where we are asking the question 'what makes a culture?', has seen us investigating different foods, languages and uniforms particular to different cultures. We look forward to finding out more when we ask our families this question.

In RE we have been talking about the steps we are taking towards Easter on our lenten journey. Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday were our first steps. Thank you to the generous people adding to our project compassion box. We are excited about the chance to help others with their livelihoods through the purchase of chickens!

Wellbeing

The Wellbeing space in the art room has been working really well at recess and lunch with drawing, jigsaw puzzles, reading and Jenga being popular lately. Our numbers have steadily grown with a peak of 26 on Thursday. It was pretty hot outside. Some pre-loved Lego would be appreciated if you have some to donate.

Our sessions with Jess and Digby the horse have also been going well. Last week most groups worked on being able to self regulate with some very successful sessions. I think the students involved are gaining some valuable insights into how this benefits both themselves and their classmates and helps facilitate quality learning for all. Each week we are learning a bit more about ourselves, others and how to be good leaders.

I have included some information below taken from the eSafety Commissioner’s website. This is a great resource for both teachers and families. Online habits and the issues it creates are becoming more prevalent for both school and families and we at St Mary’s can attest to this. It is never too early to start thinking about this as parents and opening the lines of communication with your children around this topic. Please take the time to click the link below and start exploring the website.

https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/issues-and-advice/good-habits-start-young

Also here is a flyer for a talk from Bron Grieve. Bron always does an amazing job and the information provided and discussed is invaluable.

Upcoming Events:

Don't forget to mark your calendars for the upcoming events on the Calendar.

As always, we encourage parents and guardians to stay updated with school news and events by regularly checking Seesaw and following us on social media.

Thank you to everyone for your continued support and involvement in our vibrant school community!

Warm regards,

John

St Mary's School, Castlemaine

Respect, Resilience, Responsibility

TERM 1, WEEK 4 · 23 Feb 2024

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