As Term One draws to a close, we extend our thanks to all children, parents and families for the learning, discussion, engagement and cooperation that has been demonstrated throughout the past term. We particularly thank all St Mary's staff who continually give so tirelessly and generously of their time and effort in ensuring the best educational outcomes for your children.

As the season of Easter approaches, we are reminded of the events that led up to the crucifixion of Jesus. We also look forward to the glory associated with Jesus’ resurrection on Easter Sunday.

Drop-Off Zone Safety

We're delighted to witness the positive impact of our collective efforts in improving traffic flow during drop-off and pick-up times. Your cooperation and patience have been instrumental in making this transition smoother for everyone involved.

It has been raised as a concern that there are some cars moving quickly in front of the school. Please remember the children's safety as you drive through this area.

As a gentle reminder, we kindly ask that you continue to observe the designated areas during drop-off and pick-up. The yellow zones are reserved exclusively for children to safely disembark from vehicles. Your cooperation in refraining from stopping or exiting vehicles in these areas helps ensure a secure environment for all students.

By working together and adhering to these guidelines, we can maintain a safe and organized flow of traffic, ultimately contributing to the well-being of our entire school community.

Thank you for your continued support and cooperation.

Religious Education News

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

Throughout Lent, St Mary’s School has hatched a plan to raise money to help buy chickens for people like Priscilla from Zimbabwe.

Thank you to all who have generously donated. We have raised over $500 so far. This is an amazing effort and will help Caritas Australia help people around the world.

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.

☘️Thank you to the families who celebrated our St Patrick’s Day Family Mass last Sunday.

Thursday March 28 – On this day we will gather as a school community to remember the events of Holy Week; Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday and Good Friday. Parents and friends are welcome to join us for this Holy Week Liturgy at 9:15am in the Library at school. This liturgy will end on a solemn note as we wait for the joy of Jesus’ Resurrection on Easter Sunday.

In the first week back next term we will share in an Easter liturgy together. Our Easter Season in the church goes for 50 days after Easter Sunday culminating in the celebration of Pentecost Sunday on May 19.

If you wish your son or daughter to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation in Term 2 can you please notify your child’s classroom teacher as soon as possible.

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 3/4

In the Grade 3/4 classrooms we have been continuing with our focus of Lent and have been checking to see if our Lenten promises for this season have been achieved.

We have also been out in the garden on a Wednesday afternoon and weeding different areas of our school.

Thanks!

Bridget

We had a lovely visit to Castlemaine Art Gallery on Thursday. A big thank you to our guides Libbie and Chris who shared their time and knowledge about Castlemaine’s ancient and recent history. Lunch in Victory Park made for a happy end to our outing.

Wellbeing

It was great to be able to attend the MACS (Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools) Wellbeing Forum last Wednesday. It was a very informative schedule with some time for networking with other schools. Some of the information we looked at was the High Impact Wellbeing Strategies developed by Monash University with the Department of Education and Training. We at St Mary’s are aligned with these strategies and we use Term 1 to concentrate on the following;

Establishing and re-establishing classroom expectations.
Building relationships - teacher to student and student to student.
Getting to know students’ and their needs and interests.
Helping students to settle into a new year and routines.
Supporting students to adapt to change and to problem solve.

All of these points are a work in progress and we incorporate formal and informal ways to address these.

I also have another request from our community for some donations. We are looking to restock our nature play sensory area down near the rotunda. We used to have about 30 bush poles and over time they have disappeared. We have some permanent structures that allow the students to build cubby type structures. So, if you have two or three metre straightish sticks/poles of about 50 - 100 mm diameter could you please drop them off sometime or let me know? That would allow another option for our students both in class time and at recess and lunch.

Just a reminder about this upcoming talk.

Youth Mental Health First Aid for Parents And Carers – April/May 2024

This 14 hour Youth Mental Health First Aid course will be held over four evening sessions on Monday 29 April & 6, 13, 20 May 2024.

Participants will receive take-home resources, meet other parents and enjoy a dinner at each session. Dinner is provided, catered for by The Dove Cafe.

Course dates/times:

5:00pm to 9:00pm | Monday 29 April & 6,13,20 May 2024

Venue: Civic Centre, Castlemaine

Cost: $75 full / $55 concession

Book: https://mountalexandershireyouth.com.au/ymhfa

Contact: Shannon Lacy | 5471 1826 | youth@mountalexander.vic.gov.au

Please note, you must attend all four sessions.

Deadline for bookings is 22 April.

Hopefully you get a chance to attend and there is also a silent disco advertised for the school holidays that looks like fun too.

I hope everyone has a great weekend and of course, if you would like to come in for a chat or have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me. Don’t forget our Friday coffee mornings too which should be up and running again in Term 2.

Regards,

Mark O’Sullivan

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 8 · 22 Mar 2024

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