Dear Parents and Carers

Last week we began to introduce our newest members of our St Mary’s community, Kindergarten 2023. The Transition to School Playgroup Program is an extraordinary way to assist our students to become familiar with the school, the staff and their new friends. The smiling faces and the joyful interactions are always such a pleasure to experience. We are welcoming many new families to our school this year and already they are able to see the great community they are quickly becoming a part of. I am pleased to share the news that Mrs Jodie Lee will continue on as our Kindergarten teacher in 2023. 

Many families had a busy night on Monday ‘Trick or Treating’, this tradition comes from the celebration of All Souls and All Saints in the Catholic tradition. Rather than being a scary concept it is about remembering those we love that have died, and praying for them as a special way of remembering them. These faith rituals are so rich and help us to centre our lives spiritually beyond the everyday hustle and bustle. 

It was wonderful to be able to spend a night with our Stage Three students and teachers on Camp last week. Camps provide an opportunity outside of school grounds for children to be themselves and experience a little more independence with their peers. There were a few tears on the first night, a few calls home but that is a testament to home being a lovely place to miss when you are away. It was great to see the group developing as a team and really enjoying the company of their peers with a sense of fun and excitement. An enormous thanks to Mrs Wilson, Mr Harding, Mrs Gruosso and Mrs Pauls who all went above and beyond the call of duty, they all looked quite weary on arrival at school. 

Yours in partnership

Laurinda Nelson