PREP

We have loved meeting all of our new Preppies this week! Here is what some of us have had to say about our week!

“I love everything! Especially doing the wiggle dance!” - Rosie Edwards

“I’ve liked playing with my buddies and doing the wiggle dance!” - Jude Downard

“Well I don’t have a favourite, ALL of it was good! I love school, it's one of my favourite words!” - Tate Congram

“My favourite thing to do is play on the playground with my buddies” - Connie Ackerley

Gemma Blake gblake@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

Meg Knight mknight@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

GRADE 1/2

Welcome back everyone.

We welcome our new teachers Matt O’Dowd and Mandy Delorenzo to the Year 2 team. We also welcome our new Year 1 student, Dylan Lumagod. Over the holidays three of our families welcomed new babies - Mirabelle has a baby sister Marabelle, Winnie has a baby sister Clover and Indigo has a baby brother Bass. Congratulations to all these families.

Everyone is settling in well and getting used to our new routines. A reminder that the courtyard is not supervised until 8:30 before school. If students do arrive prior to that time they are to sit on the blue seats on the verandah and wait for the duty teacher.

Our week in Year 1/2:

MONDAY Year 1 PE, Year 2 Auslan & Library

TUESDAY Year 1 Auslan

WEDNESDAY Year 1 Science and Music, Year 2 PE, DDT and Art

THURSDAY Year 1 Library

FRIDAY Whole School Prayer Gatherings (roster to be advised)

First Day of school reflection:

“I really liked meeting my new teachers and we had lots of fun” Charli Cone Year 1.

“I had fun playing with Darcy, Fletcher and Angus. We did some drawing and played with the blocks” Aaron Holt Year 1.

The Year 1 and 2 students need their St Mary’s Reader/Homework Bag at school please. These will be sent home on a Monday with readers and counting goals. They are to be returned each Monday to be restocked. The Year 2 students also require their own headphones for use at school.

We look forward to seeing our families at the Beginning of Year BBQ on Thursday 15th February.

Judy Carr jcarr@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

Jodie Hassett jhassett@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

Paula Parish pparish@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

Emma Roberts eroberts@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

Matt O'Dowd modowd@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

Amanda Delorenzo mdelorenzo@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

GRADE 3/4

Hello and a warm welcome back to 2024!

We are currently in Week 1 of ‘Learning to Learn’ where students are beginning to learn and establish new routines and structures for the year ahead as well as getting the opportunity to build relationships with their new classmates and teachers.

A reminder that if Grade 3 students are wanting to participate in the Athletic Trials parents are to contact their student's classroom teacher as per Class Dojo post.

Some key dates to take note of in the coming weeks:

14/02 Ash Wednesday

15/02 Beginning of year family BBQ @6pm

21/02 Student free day (Staff PD)

22/02 St Mary’s Athletics trials

29/02 Beginning of year Mass

11/03 Labor Day Holiday

13/03 School photos

15/03 St. Mary’s School Sports Day

27-28/03 Grade 3 and 4 Camps (more info to come)

Please read a few first day thoughts from a few of our students:

“I’m happy to be back because what is there to be sad about?” -Will Ro

“I loved seeing all my best friends again!” -Heidi A

“I loved being in a new classroom and seeing all my mates” -Axton B

“I was happy seeing my new teacher!” -Maya D

Elissa Rodger erodger@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

Deb Holland dholland@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

Liza Alexander lalexander@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

Kascha Popping kpopping@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

Matt Absalom mabsalom@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

GRADE 5/6

Welcome to 2024! As always we are beginning our school year with Learning to Learn. This has a heavy focus on learning routines, classroom expectations and getting to know the peers and staff in each year level and classroom. It has been a great way to start and get to know our new people!

Grade 6 welcomed a new student into Dan and Leah’s classroom, James Lumagod, as always it is wonderful to have new families join our school community. On the topic of new families the Grade 6 students have been incredible helpers to their prep buddies and are doing a wonderful job showing them the ropes.

Icy poles start next week, they will be sold by Grade 6 students and cost 50 cents each. We also remind students to bring their hats to school to wear during break times.

Classes have set up their Class DOJOs for the year. If you are having trouble joining please reach out to your child's teacher, their email is below.

As something new this year we will have students from each grade add some information to our Marian News. This week it is Winnie, Jayla and Milly from Grade 6 Maegen.

On Tuesday, we arrived at school bursting with energy ready for Grade 6 & 5! To start off our day we played getting to know you games, which helped us to learn more about our teachers and classmates.

Then the year 6’s went into the library and selected our Grade 6 jumper designs.

Then we went to the Prep room to finally see our buddies. Everyone was so excited! We took them to the playground during break and played with them.

After our snack we lined up our buddies and we went to specialist (which were DDT and Art!)

This week is mostly a Learning to Learn week. We saw our buddies on Wednesday and did our first cold write of the year, about our first day of Grade 6. We also organized our school supplies. We are looking forward to the rest of the school year!

Jade LoRicco jloricco@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

Rachel Downard rdownard@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

Leah Martin lmartin@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

Dan Cannon dcannon@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

Maegen Potter mpotter@smcolac.catholic.edu.au

Miscellanous