A warm welcome back to school for 2025. It has been so nice meeting so many of you all and hearing about the wonderful adventures shared with family over the summer break.

I look forward to catching up with more of you at the Beginning of School Mass on Sunday (5.30pm) where our school leaders and SRC leaders will receive a blessing and their badges.

Easing into the School Routine – Tips for a Smooth Start

Adjusting to the school routine after a break can take some time for both students and parents. Establishing a consistent daily schedule, including a good night’s sleep, can make a big difference. Well-rested students are more focused, engaged and ready to take on the day’s learning challenges.

Encourage your child to develop responsibility by arriving at school on time between 8:30am and 8:45am. All students should be on school grounds by 8:45am to ensure they are ready for the day’s lessons and don’t miss essential morning routines.

A nutritious lunch is key to staying energised throughout the day. Encourage healthy eating habits by packing a well-balanced, wrapper-free lunchbox and involving your child in meal preparation. All students require a water bottle to keep them hydrated throughout the day.

Lost items can easily pile up during the school day. To help keep track of belongings, please label your child’s uniform and personal items with their name.

To maintain a focused and respectful learning environment, we remind all families of our mobile phone and smart watch policy. If your child brings a mobile phone to school, it should remain on silent and stored in their bag throughout the day. Smart watches and fitness trackers are allowed but must also be on silent and not used during class time.

Thank you for your cooperation in helping create a positive and organised start to the school year!

SRC Leaders 2025

Congratulations to the following students who have been selected to represent their class on the student representative council for Semester One.

Class	SRC	SRC
Prep B	Pippa A	Ezra K
Year 1R	Lisa D	Luca H
Year 2F	Anika K	Cooper P
Year 3T	Doyeon L	Mason G-K
Year 4M	Olivia R	Joseph C
Year 5/6M	Vihaana B	Aashvi K
Year 5/6L	Annie R	Maylissa R

Community Calendar

The 2025 community calendar can be found on the Calendar page but we encourage all families to connect to the School’s Google Community Calendar.

Please also see link to our Google Calendar.

If you wish to add this calendar to your personal device, you can use the following ical link:

https://calendar.google.com/calendar/ical/c_c8el163bek1cvane44i0pm23eo%40group.calendar.google.com/public/basic.ics

Seesaw App – Stay Connected in 2025

We’re excited to have the Seesaw app up and running again for 2025! This platform is essential for keeping parents informed, providing important updates and sharing insights into your child’s learning journey.

To stay up to date, we highly recommend enabling notifications in your account settings. If you need help accessing Seesaw or would like to connect a second parent or carer, please reach out to me or your child’s classroom teacher for assistance. Thank you for staying connected and engaged in your child’s learning!

“Meet The Teacher” Interviews on Wednesday 12th February and Thursday 13th February.

Information and a booking link was sent out via Seesaw earlier this week for our annual Meet The Teacher interviews. Thank you to families who have already made their bookings. Please ensure all bookings are made before 8pm on Tuesday 11th February.

https://www.schoolinterviews.com.au/code/ausjj

The interviews are an opportunity to meet your child’s classroom teacher and discuss how they have settled into the year, as well as share information with your teacher about the needs of your child. An effective partnership between the home and school is key to the education of your child and we appreciate your time to make this conversation happen.

Online interviews via videolink will be taking place on Wednesday 12th February from 3:45pm to 4:45pm

Face-to-face interviews in your child’s classroom will be running on Thursday 13th February from 1:30pm to 6:30pm. Please note that students will be dismissed at 1:00pm on this day, and Theircare afterschool care is available on this day.

Extra Curricular Clubs at St Mary's

Art Therapy 2025

Weekly Art Therapy workshops are being offered in Term 1 after school at St Mary’s beginning on Thursday 20th February (3:30pm-5pm). Places are limited so please be in touch with Hywell (see below) if you would like to take up this opportunity. See attached flyer for further details.

Hi, my name is Hywell and I've been lucky to have run crochet club at St Mary’s Primary School the past couple years. I am currently undertaking a BA in Arts Therapy through Ikon Institute to become a qualified Creative Arts Therapist. I am focused on using art therapy practices to create a sense of connection and encourage young people to express their thoughts, emotions, and dreams, especially in today’s changing world, shaped by screens and the pressures of a complex environment.

I'm facilitating a small group workshop after school in term 1 2025 available to St Mary's students on Thursdays, from the 20th February until the 27th March.

Chess Club 2025

Thursday 11:10am (all year levels)

During-school program for all year levels, to join please contact Nicolette below or online.

admin@chessideas.com.au

Next Athletics 2025

Next Athletics has returned to St Mary’s in 2025. Well done to all the students who participated on Tuesday this week!

Term 1 2025 at St Mary’s PS

Tuesdays, 3:45-4:45

Tuesday 4 February through to Tuesday 1 April

Taekwondo, returns Term 1 2025

Taekwondo will continue next year, same day and time of each Wednesday at 3:30pm after school dismissal. For registrations please contact Sofia on 0419 876 187 or fx.fitness@internode.on.net

We look forward to a demonstration at next week's Assembly (14th February)!

Private Music Program 2025

Enrolment for our music program is now open! If your child is interested in joining our program to learn a new instrument, I encourage you to sign them up today! Our program provides students with an enriching and engaging experience, where students have fun and learn a new skill with their peers. To enrol or find out more, please contact Musicorp at 1300 858 911 or visit the website at

https://rent.musicorp.com.au/tuition_online_eoi/.

Thanks, Ian McCulloch

Instrumental Music Tutor