Principal's Announcements
Departing Staff Members
It is with regret to inform everyone that Elley Drummond and Sarah Langley will not be teaching at St Mary's next year. After 5 years of service, Elley has taken up a position at St Mel's Shepparton and Sarah is taking a year off to pursue other interests. I thank them both for the contribution they have made to St Mary's and wish them every blessing next year.
Cyberbullying
Unfortunately children get caught up in different levels of cyberbullying from time to time. I have had to speak to children and parents this week after inappropriate material has been posted on social media (Tik Tok, Instagram, Snapchat are commonly used). I urge all parents to keep a close eye on social media and report anything inappropriate to myself or classroom teachers. Cyberbullying can have devastating effects on children and we all must be vigilant to ensure it is stopped.
St Mary's T20 Champs!
Well done to all the children who took part in the GV T20 competition last Friday. All teams competed in great spirit and did particularly well. Congratulations to our Gr 5/6 T20 Cricket team who took out the Goulburn Valley title last Friday. They won all their games and defeated Orrvale PS in the final by 72 runs. Thank you to Mr Preston for his outstanding coaching of the team!
St Mary's Athletics
Congratulations to the students who took part in the Regional Athletics recently. Jade Wyhoon came 4th, Amani Issell 2nd Hurdles and Rowan Ratcliffe 1st in Hurdles. Amani and Rowan went on to compete in the State Finals and did very well last week. What a great achievement!
Bingo Donation
Thank you to the St Mary's Bingo team who passed on another $3000 to the school this week. These much needed funds assist our school with classroom resources and maintenance around the school. I would also like to thank all the parents who volunteer their time on the bingo roster. Without your help, our school would not benefit from this financial input that has continued now for over 40 years!
Parent Survey
All parents and carers have been contacted via Care Monkey to complete our Annual School Board Survey. I know a number of you have already completed the survey which is greatly appreciated. The responses provide us with some valuable data that assists us in identifying areas of school operations we can improve. The surveys will close this Friday.
Freaky Friday Disco
It was fantastic to hear everyone had such great time at the Freaky Friday disco! Thank you to the P&F for organising the night which the kids enjoy so much.
Gr 3 Camp
The Gr 3's had a fun time in Bendigo on their camp. They visited Scienceworks, the Bendigo Pottery, the gold mine and went for a ride on the Talking Tram. I was thrilled to get reports on how well the children represented St Mary's and that their behaviour was exemplary. Thank you to the teachers for organising the camp and spending time away from home to ensure the camp was such a success.
Principals Award
Week 2 Ava Prygoda.
Ava is a very conscientious worker in the classroom and goes about her work in a quiet and efficient manner. She loves a chat with the teachers and greets us all each morning with a warm greeting and a beautiful smile. Ava shows great initiative at school, often completing tasks without being prompted by her teacher.
Week 3 Riley Moreno. Riley is a genuinely caring and gentle student who has been a great friend to his Prep buddy this year. He is also an exceptional artist and I have used his artwork on the Family Advice page of each week's newsletter. Thank you Riley for being an exemplary student at St Mary's!
New Defibrullator
The school and parish have purchased a new defibrillator which has been installed in the Marian Centre foyer. Merv Fernando kindly organised the purchase through his business Indigenous Medical Supplies.
Mr Butts' Jokes of the Week
Q: What did the policeman say to his bellybutton? A: You're under a vest!
Q: What does a cloud put on first in the morning?
A: His Thunderwear!
Long Weekend
I hope everyone enjoys the long weekend with your families and let's hope the warm weather continues. See you all when we return on Wednesday.