Photo Gallery & Classroom Learning

Kindergarten 

English

We are learning to say the sound /r/. 

We are learning the tricky word me.

We are learning to stretch words to hear each sound.

We are learning to read words using the sounds we know. /s/ /m/ /t/ /a/ /p/ /i/ /f/

E.g tap, sat, map

We are learning to write words with these sounds. E.g sat, map, at, am, Sam, pat 

Mathematics

We are learning to give and follow simple directions.

We are learning to describe the position of an object using words including in, on, in between and under.

We are learning to describe the place of an object using the words first, second and third. 

We are learning to describe the proximity of objects using here or there. 

We are learning to describe objects next to us as either left or right.

-Practice using the words left and right. Ask your child which hand they write with.

-We will be using positional words including in, on and in between. Ask your child to answer where things are using these words (Where is your hat? On my head. Where are your feet? In my shoes).

Religion 

We are learning to retell the Bible story named The Last Supper.

We are learning our parts for the Easter Assemblies. 

Geography

We are learning to identify places we belong to.

We are learning to find different ways that people look after special places. 

Year 2

Religion

Fr Paul's visit

Almsgiving: Responding to Project Compassion - Coin Line

Students lead prayer as part of our daily routine.

Maths

Whole Number - representing a large set of objects by systematically grouping in tens and hundreds.

History

Students walking around the school and the Cathedral to identify 'artefacts'.

Some artefacts from 

Creative Arts

Students have completed their first piece for the St Mary's Art Show. Who am I?

Golf

Cross Country

Awards

I am Safe, I am a Learner, and I am Valued, Respected and Cared for

Year 4

As we come to the end of a busy and rewarding term, we would like to take a moment to thank you for your continued support and involvement in our Year 4 classroom. It has been wonderful to see the students grow in confidence, develop new skills, and show such enthusiasm for their learning.

This term has been filled with many highlights, from our Cross Country last Friday to our beautiful Easter Prayer Assembly this week just to name a couple. We are very pleased with the way the students have been engaging in classroom activities and the way students have supported one another and worked together. We are incredibly proud of their efforts and the positive attitude they bring to school each day.

Thank you also for the role you play at home—whether it’s helping with homework, encouraging reading, or simply supporting your child’s wellbeing. Your partnership makes a real difference.

As we head into the Easter break, we hope this time brings rest, joy, and special moments with family and loved ones. Wishing you all a happy and holy Easter, filled with peace and renewal.

We look forward to seeing everyone refreshed and ready for another exciting term ahead after the holidays.

Year 5

Religion

In Religion, we have been learning about the importance of Holy Week in the Catholic Church. Students have explored the key events of Jesus’ Passion, Death, and Resurrection, and reflected on what these mean for us as followers of Christ.

We have also been busy practising for our Easter assembly, with students showing great reverence and respect as they prepare to share the story of Easter. Parents and carers have been invited to attend, and we look forward to presenting this meaningful reflection with our school community.

English

In English, students have been actively engaged in our reading rotations, developing their comprehension, fluency, and vocabulary skills through a range of meaningful activities.

In Writing, we have been exploring how to create newspaper articles. Students have been learning about the structure and features of a news report, including headlines, introductions, and key facts. They have enjoyed taking on the role of reporters and presenting information in a clear and engaging way.

Math:

In Mathematics, we have been learning about fractions, focusing on halves, quarters, thirds, and eighths. Students created fraction strips by folding paper into equal parts, helping them to see and understand how a whole can be divided in different ways.

They also explored how fractions can look different depending on the size of the whole. Through hands-on activities, students created posters to show that one half or one quarter is not always the same size, it depends on the size of the whole that is being divided.

It has been wonderful to see students engage with these concepts in such a practical and visual way. We are very proud of their effort and creativity!

Commendation Recipients:

Students are commended for being a standout Learner, being Safe, or showing Respect and kindness toward others. 

Living Well, Learning Well Framework Unpacked: 

To deepen our understanding of the Living Well, Learning Well (LWLW) framework, Year 5 students recently collaborated to 'unpack' our core values. Together, we brainstormed exactly what it looks, sounds, and feels like to be Safe, Valued, Cared for and Respected, and a learner. To really understand the weight of our words, Ms. Shamley led a powerful, hands-on demonstration. She held up a crisp, clean piece of paper to represent a student’s heart.

As we brainstormed examples of hurtful language, Ms. Shamley crumpled the paper with every negative word mentioned. By the end, the paper was a messy ball. She then tried to smooth it back out, but even when flattened, the creases remained. The lesson was crystal clear: while we can always say "sorry," those words don't automatically erase the impact of hurtful actions. It was a profound reminder that we must choose our words carefully to keep our classroom "heart" smooth, strong, and whole.

History:

Year 5 is diving deep into the history books—and playing detective! We are currently brushing up on our investigation skills by distinguishing between primary and secondary sources. Our journey has taken us to the gritty, smog-filled streets of the Industrial Revolution to understand the sparks that led to the colonisation of Australia. We’re putting the pieces together by conducting a major research task on Captain James Cook and uncovering the real stories of the people sent over on the First Fleet.

We aren’t just looking at dates, though; we are exploring the daily lives of the early colonial inhabitants and the profound, lasting impact this period had on our land and its traditional owners, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It’s a fascinating look at how our environment was shaped and how our modern story began.

CAPA - Creative Arts:

In Year 5 we’re kicking off our latest artistic endeavour, mastering the fine art of drawing the perfect Poppy flower with precision and focus. Once the sketches are looking sharp, things get a little bit wild. We’re ditching the standard colouring-in routine—instead, we’re busting out the fine-tipped markers for some serious outlining, followed by a science-meets-art experiment. Using nothing but straws, food dye, and the sheer power of the wind, we are blowing vibrant colour across our pages to create some truly mesmerising, ANZAC-inspired masterpieces! We’re aiming to have these artworks front and centre on the walls at the St Mary’s Art Show coming up in Term 2. Get ready to be blown away! 

Year 6

Kindergarten/Year 1 Cross Country

On Friday 27th of March Kindergarten and Year 1 had their cross country.  They all went over to the paddock and ran 1 lap around the whole thing.

All of Kindergarten and Year 1 raced all the way around the paddock. They had a heap of fun running with all their friends and racing.  While they were running all of Year 6 went over so they could make a path for them  to follow all the way around. Year 6 was also over there to make sure they didn't trip over tree roots or sticks that are all over the path.

They all tried their hardest and had a heap of fun.  

Hopefully they all try just as hard next year.

Hopefully the Year 1 next year when they’re in Year 2 have fun running at Harris Park.

By Hailey

Leadership Day

On Tuesday, my dad and I walked towards the ICC ( International Convention Center) wondering what would await us. The building was humungous, nevertheless to my surprise it turned out to be the building beside it, the TikTok entertainment center! Thousands of people, mainly students, were there from a variety of schools around the state of NSW. Most of them were lining up to go in and I wondered how I would find the other 2 St Mary’s students in all this chaos.

Even if the other 2 were there I suspected they would have already gone inside. We found them and entered the building which was the size of Godzilla. We went up to the 4th floor and entered the gigantic stadium.

The stadium could fit more people than a football stadium! We began by copying a group’s dance moves which was boring ( I am not a big fan of dancing myself.) There was a dance video at the top but half of the time they were all doing random dance moves.

We played a game after that. It was called Australia wins! You had to guess if it was true they had won or lost. It was an elimination game and there were about 3000 kids. Somehow I got every one right. There were only about 17 kids by the end of the quiz. The first speaker was the live actor Moana Catherine Lagaʻaia! She was not the voice actor but the live actor in the future movie (coming soon and featuring the rock!). She had learnt leadership skills from the Rock and she told us about them. She slapped Dwayne Johnson in the face! But the Rock just continued with the play like he had not felt a thing. Finally it was the first break.

The third speaker was a creator of an app and his name was Nick Hudson. He created an app called the pushup challenge and it was interesting. He had confronted multiple problems with his; heart, hackers and the app that he made not working one day. He gave me a very important lesson… DO NOT DRINK COFFEE!!! You will need heart surgery!!! One day he drank coffee and he had to have some disgusting surgery. So I am living off chocolate milkshakes for the rest of my life.

By Luke

Netball Winter Trials

This year's Winter Trials were amazing. It was set at UNE netball courts on the 6th March. It was fun but exhausting. When we arrived many people just stuck with their schools and began warming up. There were so many people there flooding the courts, however we were all separated when they put us into teams. They mixed EVERYONE up, no one was with their own school, but I think it was a smart thing to do so people could make new friends. 

When I tell you we played lots of games, we played lots of games. We started with a 25-minute game, followed on with another two games. Then lunch came around, when we just hung out with our friends from our own schools, however no one really wanted to eat. Then the last games came right around the corner; people gathered with their team to have a chat and plan. Now these last games were the important ones, whoever played the best the judges would put all of them into two separate teams for them to play against each other, it was called: Possibles and Probables. Whoever won that would go to the next stage of netball trials. Unfortunately no St Mary girls ended up making the teams, which was okay because we all knew we played well and can improve. 

That was the netball winter trials of 2026!

Thank You!

By Jade Kenny

The Catholic Chrism Mass 

The Catholic Chrism Mass is a major Holy Week liturgy where three holy oils, the Oil of Chrism, the Oil of Catechumens, and the Oil of the Sick are blessed to be used for sacraments throughout the year. Held in cathedrals in Holy Week, it highlights Church unity as priests renew their vows before the bishop.

On the 31 of March 2026, Year 6 went to the Chrism Mass to experience the three holy oils being blessed. We started to sit as the entrance hymn played, we prepared to listen to the mass and the blessing of the oils. The Priest started to say Gloria then the first reading. Soon after, the three oils were brought, the oil of chrism, the oil of catechumens, and the oil of the sick, these oils are used for sacraments throughout the year. We were honoured to head to the cathedral to witness the oils be blessed.

The oil in the Holy Chrism is used in the Sacraments of Initiation and Holy orders, 

as well as for special actions of dedication. As the “Christ oil”, it brings communities focus upon Jesus, and invites us to pray to God. Another oil that was used is called “Oil of the Sick”,  it lets the sick receive remedy for the illness of mind and body, so that they can get the strength to bear suffering and resist evil and gain the forgiveness of sins.

By Augusto