Dear Parents and Carers 

Last Sunday marked the first day of Advent in our church. This special day was beautifully celebrated with First Communion at Ulladulla Church for many of our Year 3 and 4 students. It was wonderful to watch the families enter the church with their children ready for this special sacrament when they join in communion for the first time. It was a wonderful parish event which began with the ritual lighting of the first Advent candle marking four weeks of waiting and preparing for Christmas. Congratulations to all of our first communicants and the team who made the mass so meaningful. 

As the year draws to a close, the school year seems to be a hive of activity and events. Our Year 6 students are preparing for the big step into High School and we have been blessed with some orientation visits from our 2022 Kindergarten cohort. So many little faces coming into the St Mary’s gates full of anticipation and excitement. We welcome many new families into our school community, it was so heartening to see our existing St Mary’s families extending the hand of welcome. The ending of a year and the beginning of another brings excitement and also a sense of anxiety to many as they try to imagine what the new class, school, year , teacher will be like. To alleviate some of this anxiety we ensure that our students have had a chance to get to know their new teacher and the classroom environment before the holidays, so it is with great pleasure that I share with you the teaching staff of St Mary’s for 2022. 

• Kindergarten - Mrs Gabrielle Peters, supported by Mrs Julie Valentini and Mrs Jodie Lee

• Year One - Mrs Emily McGregor 

• Year Two -Mrs Ursula Porter

• Year Three - Miss Ashleigh Pace

• Year Four - Mrs Lisa Collins

• Year Five - Mrs Ann-Marie Wilson , supported by Mrs Chloe Cerff 

• Year Six - Mr Brent Harding 

• STEM - Mrs Katy Reid 

• Dance/ Drama / Music - Mrs Daniella Cooper 

• Visual Arts - TBC 

• Special Education Support- Mrs Erin Chard 

• Our Support Staff: Karyn Faust, Glenda Johnston, Kylie Fitzpatrick, Karynne Treweek, Michele Hendricks, Michelle Sparkes, Nichole Shackleton, Louise Hamilton, Anneliese Robinson & Melissa Henry.

• Our New Support Staff: Gus Lang and  Caleb Pearman, we welcome Gus and Caleb to our team for 2022. 

The students will have an opportunity to meet with their new teacher over the next week with a formal Orientation session for the whole school on Thursday 9th Dec. I know that at St Mary’s, we are so fortunate to have teachers that all know their students so well and genuinely care about their learning. Please make some time over the next week to talk your child through these transitions, as change can be confronting for everyone. 

Next Monday you will receive your child’s Semester Two report, this will be a condensed format based on the combined effort in remote learning and face to face teaching. After you have received the report you will be offered a parent teacher Interview early next week to follow up with your child’s teacher. 

We are very excited about the St Mary’s Walkathon this Friday, we will start at 1:30 pm. Please send in a change of clothes, I hear there will be water and a bit of messy fun! Thanks to our P and F for organising this event, your sponsors are helping us to raise our goalposts! 

Next Thursday we will be farewelling our Year 6 at their Graduation Mass and Dinner, always a very special night for our students and their families. We will also be voting for our new school captains next week and Year 6 will be having their Big Day Out next Friday. 

What a busy and wonderful time of the year!

Yours in partnership 

Laurinda Nelson