Principals News

Dear Parents,

This term has flown by with the term a short one with only nine weeks. Term One is always a busy one and this year has been no different. 

As we approach Easter, it is a time to reflect on its true meaning and why it is such an important event in the Church’s year. We remember that Jesus died on the cross on Good Friday and rose from the dead on Easter Sunday. Holy Week was a period in Christ’s life, in which he, from a human point of view, would have welcomed an end. With all our attention focused on Easter Eggs, the Easter Bunny and taking time off over the Easter holiday period, we may forget the true meaning of Easter.

What is the meaning of Easter?

Easter is one of the most important events on the Christian calendar; it is the time when the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is remembered. According to Christian belief, Jesus was crucified and then rose from the dead three days after his crucifixion. As is true of many Christian Festivals, the origins of Easter are Pagan. The word 'Easter' comes from the name of Estre, an Anglo-Saxon goddess who was strongly linked with Spring, fertility and the beginning of new life.

Easter Church Services

Today, Christian churches in the Western World mark the Easter festival with an Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday – beginning in darkness and involving the blessing of the Easter fire, the lighting of a candle and readings from the Old Testament – and a service on Easter Sunday. Easter Church Services are preceded by 40 days of Lent (a time of repentance and fasting) and followed by a 50-day Easter season.

The days of Easter are:

Palm Sunday – The Sunday before Easter, when Jesus entered Jerusalem triumphantly

Good Friday – The day Jesus was crucified on the cross

Holy Saturday – The final day of Holy Week

Easter Sunday – The day of Christ's resurrection, now a traditional day for baptism

Feast of the Ascension – The day marking Christ's ascension to Heaven

Pentecost – Seven weeks after Easter Sunday, celebrating the visitation of Christ to more

than 100 followers.

Around the walls of every Catholic Church can be found fourteen plaques or pictures depicting Christ’s journey to Calvary – these are known as the Stations of the Cross. The Second Station tells the story of Christ receiving the cross onto which he is to be nailed.

Children Arriving to School On Time

I have noticed that there are a number of children who are arriving late for school. I am asking parents to make a special effort to have their children at school well before the bell rings at 8:45am. Children who arrive late at school miss out on much of the important instruction that takes place first thing in the classroom each morning and this can be detrimental to the child’s learning. Students arriving after 9 need a parent to sign them in at the office and not take them straight to the classroom. It is a requirement for schools to keep records of children who are late or leave school early.

Main Cast For Frozen

At Monday’s assembly, the Year 5 and 6 children were all given their roles for the school production which will take place in September. Perhaps the highlight of the term for me has been witnessing the amazing auditions for our school production,

Frozen JR. We congratulate the Year 5 and 6 students who have auditioned for a small number of lead roles; they took a risk, pushed through their comfort zone and had the courage to have a go.

The confidence and courage to sing and act in front of the staff was inspiring. For some of the students, it was their time to shine, and believe me, they did! The decision-making process was even more difficult and lots of children were called back for a second or even third time.

Should your child miss out on their desired role, we sincerely hope they apply a growth mindset and continue to put themselves forward when the opportunity presents in the future.

Congratulations to our following Main Cast! Students will be performing in their roles for both evenings except the role of Weselton. 

Winter Uniform 

When the children return in Term Two they may commence wearing their winter uniform and all children must be in full Winter Uniform by the 1st May. The uniform is available for purchase from PSW Cheltenham and some items may be available at the Second Hand Uniform Shop.

Following is a list of the uniform requirements for Winter:

BOYS WINTER

• Long Navy school trousers or Navy shorts with Navy socks
• St Mary's Long Sleeved School Shirt
• St Mary's Navy Blue woollen jumper
• Black leather school shoes
• Navy Socks
• St Mary's School Jacket with Logo

GIRLS WINTER

• Navy Blue tunic 
• St Mary's Long Sleeved School Shirt
• St Mary's Navy Blue woollen jumper
• Black leather school shoes
• Navy tights or navy long socks
• St Mary's School Jacket with Logo

Please Note: The St Marys Sports Jacket is only to be worn with the Sports Uniform. The St Marys Formal Jacket must be worn on all days the children wear the formal uniform. 

Regional Swimming Championships

Congratulations to Lucy Dolan who finished second in the regional championships yesterday. She was beaten by the smallest of margins. This is a great effort to achieve this result. 

Principal’s Conference

Last week I attended the Victorian Catholic Principals conference where there were high-quality speakers. Over 250 principals were in attendance. I have included some information relating to a few of my favourite speakers from the conference. 

Our first speaker was  Ashley Fell who is a Social Researcher and Director of Advisory at the internationally recognised McCrindle. Her expertise is in training and equipping leaders and teams on how to lead across generational divides; particularly Gen Y (popularly known as millennials), Gen Z and now the newest generation, Generation Alpha.ad Our next speaker was Craig Foster is probably best known for being part of the  SBS Sport team. He is a former Socceroo captain who played 29 times for the country and is one of the most respected broadcasters, commentators and contributors in the history of the game in Australia. Craig also works in the sphere of social justice through programs with refugee and indigenous children; using football to provide life opportunities. He recently created a global movement successfully campaigning to free a young player from Bangkok Remand Prison, Hakeem al-Araibi. Craig continues to advocate for vulnerable people, gender equality in sport as a driver of change, indigenous rights and social justice. A lot of his talk was based about biases around minority groups and the impact that the media has on some of these minority groups.

The story of Saroo Brierley is fascinating,inspiring and one of perseverance. . Saroo was the subject of the Academy Award nominated film, Lion. He was born in a small Indian town. In 1986, aged only 5, he lost all contact with his family when he was at a train station waiting for his brother. He never saw his brother again. After living on the streets of Calcutta for 3 weeks by himself, Saroo was placed in a local orphanage and went on to be adopted by an Australian family. He grew up with his new parents in Hobart, Tasmania where he spent the next 25 years. But he was unable, and unwilling, to forget the land of his childhood. Determined to rediscover his past after many hours poring over Google Earth, armed only the images that were etched into his brain as a 5 year old, he managed to recognise his home town – and track down his mother. Their reunion in 2012 made headlines across the world, and his full story is recounted in his #1 international bestselling autobiography, A Long Way Home. The film Lion, based on his autobiography, was released in November 2016. Saroo’s is a remarkable story of survival and sheer determination culminating in an intensely moving reunion with his mother. 

Jelena Dokic is a living testament to resilience. Beyond the world of the grand slams and the stadium lights lies a narrative of unparalleled courage and perseverance. She had much adversity in her life but her most daunting battle unfolded within the confines of her own home—a harrowing ordeal of abuse endured at the hands of her father for over 15 agonising years, starting at the tender age of 6. The scars of this traumatic past left a shadow on her mental health. Despite her setbacks and mental health issues, Jelena has become an influential voice. She graces screens as a key figure in NINE’s coverage of the Australian Open and other grand slams. Jelena’s story is a testament to the unbreakable human spirit and the undying power of finding one’s voice, transcending the past, and thriving against all odds.

School Athletics Carnival

Last Friday's Athletics Carnival was a big success with all the children enjoying their involvement in the different events.  Thank you to Sam Sullivan, our Sport coordinator for organizing such a fantastic event!  To all the staff, thank you for your enthusiasm, adaptability and participation on the day and prior to the event. It was wonderful to see all the parents and volunteers there on the day and generously giving their time and support. It really encouraged our students to perform to their best and also created an atmosphere of camaraderie and sportsmanship that was evident throughout the entire day.

Completion of Naplan Testing for Years 3 and 5

Congratulations to our Year 3 and 5 students on completing their NAPLAN tests! Thank you to Bridie kelly  for organising and running each session and all staff involved preparing our students. It is expected that parents will receive their child’s Naplan report in July. 

St Patrick’s Day Mass 

On 15th March our Social Justice and Friendship leaders joined the leaders from Catholic schools in the archdiocese to celebrate St Patrick’s Day and the role of Catholic education in today’s society. 

Tony McMahon

Principal

principal@smhampton.catholic.edu.au