Dear Parents and Carers, 

This week, we see the end of our first semester, as the winter weather settles on us with its blustering winds, cool temperatures, and a little more rain. I thank many of our parents who have braved the cool mornings and cooler nights to attend Parent Teacher Interviews. Attending interviews and developing a positive relationship with your child’s teacher supports your child’s education. When you received your child’s report last Friday on Compass, you will have noticed that the reports were quite different from past years. The new reports reflected the new English and Mathematics Syllabus’, we hope the reports have given you insight into your child’s learning. 

The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Showcase was a great success this week, with Year 6 students actively involved in preparing and serving a variety of products. The range of items available for purchase, from frittatas to honey jumbles, dried citrus, herbs, flowers, relishes, and jams (especially made by Kitchen Guru Jodi's mum), highlights the whole ‘paddock-to-plate’ experience. The enthusiasm and pride of the students in assisting customers was evident in their big smiles, showcasing their involvement and enjoyment in the event. Our Kitchen Garden fosters a great sense of service and sense of community. Enormous thanks to our Kitchen Garden team; Jodi Donnelly, Anneliese Robinson, and Anna Sim, we are so lucky to have such a dynamic and clever team working with our students. 

Last Monday we had a panel of colleagues from the Sydney and Parramatta Diocese to complete the Cyclic Inquiry Process at St Mary’s. The panel was astounded by the beautiful grounds and facilities we are so blessed to enjoy every day, they were impressed by the sense of welcome and belonging and the strength of the school community. A big thank you to our parents who spoke to the panel on the day, sharing their views and experiences of being part of our school community.

Part of that wonderful sense of belonging is showing you belong to our team by wearing our school uniform with pride. Often we see students wearing something they feel like rather than the uniform that has been agreed upon by the school community. Sometimes our students do not fully understand how fortunate they are to be attending school, and to have a school uniform. The following story was shared by a teaching colleague recently:

‘When I worked in Tanzania, the day the students received their uniforms was literally the happiest day of the year. These families live way below the poverty line with no electricity or running water and their homes barely have the basics. Yet the children march out in uniform singing, proud of what it stands for and the parents are in tears as they envisage the future for their little treasures.’ Please share this video with your children, it may help give some perspective on just how fortunate they are. School of St Jude 

Next semester we welcome back Mrs Ashleigh Hedger, who is returning part-time from leave. We are pleased to share the news that Mrs Hedger will be teaching in the Year 2 class on Mondays and Tuesdays, with Miss Tegart teaching the rest of the week. Miss Tegart will also be teaching Performing Arts - Music on Tuesdays for all classes, in addition, Mrs Collins will be teaching the Dance and Drama Syllabus. These classes will support our school production next term.

Next week is NAIDOC Week across the country, “Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud” is this year’s theme honouring the enduring strength and vitality of First Nations cultures – with fire a symbol of connection to Country, to each other, and to the rich tapestry of traditions that define Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. 

NAIDOC Week is an invitation for all Australians to learn about First Nations cultures and histories and participate in celebrations of the oldest, continuous living cultures on earth. It also celebrates the unyielding spirit of our communities and invites all to stand in solidarity, amplifying the voices that have long been silenced. We are so blessed at St Mary’s to have Uncle Phil Butler walking with us and sharing culture, please join us on Thursday 25 July at 9:45am for our own school NAIDOC Celebration.

Please stay safe over the holidays and we look forward to welcoming everyone back on Tuesday 23 July 2024. 

Yours in Partnership,
Laurinda Nelson

Yesterday we received the sad news of the passing of a past Principal of St Mary's School. Jean Ubrihien was Principal for over 10 years from the mid 1980s to the mid 1990s. There are many in our local Parish and wider community who would have wonderful memories of Jean and her leadership in our school.  She will be particularly missed by her sister Enid. Please remember Jean in your prayers, may perpetual light shine upon her, may she rest in peace. Amen. 

Last Wednesday 26 June, our Year 5 and 6 AFL team made us all proud by competing in the AFL Paul Kelly Cup Final against schools from the South Coast. The team showcased exceptional skill and determination, going undefeated in the preliminary rounds.

In the Grand Final, St Mary's faced St Patrick's Primary School from Bega. It was a nail-biting match, with both teams giving their all. St Mary's managed to stay one goal ahead for most of the game, displaying excellent teamwork and strategy.

In the end, our team emerged victorious, bringing home the Paul Kelly Cup for the second consecutive year! Congratulations to all the players, coaches, and supporters for their hard work and dedication. Go St Mary's!

Year 1 has been learning how materials can change. We have learned that materials can change when heated or cooled, twisted or cut. Sometimes these changes are reversible, other times they are not.

We have been reading about explanations and learned that when cake batter gets hot the molecules in it jump around and air bubbles rise which make the cake change and rise in the hot oven. 

We tested this by making Lemonade Scones with Mrs Robinson. 

They worked and they were delicious! 

Thank you Mrs Robinson!!

Book Club: The first Year 6 book club group met last week to discuss the book they read. This is what they said.

We got to choose the book and the food it was YUM. At our afternoon tea we mostly talked about the book…It was a good first book to read, it was funny and light and we are now ready for a more challenging read. Max, Louis, Arlo, Torin and Tara.

Stage Two: Thanks to Stage Two C and our volunteer Sally Hepples we now have some indoor plants for our Library Wellbeing Space.

Author Visit: Angelique McCabe a former St Mary’s student came along to our Library lesson this week to share her published book Throwing my Boomerang and to talk to Year 5 about being an author and sharing her culture. The money raised from the sale of her books goes back to supporting remote communities in reading and literacy.

Author Talk: Thank you Luke (Stage Two C) for introducing us to one of your favourite authors Joseph Delaney known for his children's fantasy series, Spook's.

NAIDOC Festival: If you are free during the holidays make sure to visit and support St Mary's Reading Corner on Saturday 13 July at our local NAIDOC Festival (see further details in this newsletter).

Mrs Lisa Collins
Library Teacher

Administration of Medication at School

St Mary’s Star of the Sea Primary School has a duty to take reasonable care for the safety and welfare of our students.  This care extends to assisting students manage their medical condition that requires medication, where medication cannot be administered outside of school hours.

If your child requires staff to administer prescription or over-the-counter medication at school, you will need to complete a Request to Administer Medication Form. 

School staff will only administer prescription medication that:

• Has been prescribed by a qualified medical practitioner (e.g. doctor, dentist)
• Is in its original container
• Has an attached pharmacy label to the container
• Has been delivered to the school by the parent/ carer and is accompanied by a completed Request to Administer Medication Form

School staff will only administer Over-The-Counter medication that:

• Is in its original container
• Has been delivered to the school by the parent/carer and is accompanied completed Request to Administer Medication Form including the signature and stamp from a qualified medical practitioner

If your child requires more than one medication, you will need to complete a form for each medication.

ASCIA Anaphylaxis Action Plans / Asthma Management Action Plans 

If your child is at risk of anaphylaxis, asthma or an allergic reaction, it is important that the school is provided with a current ASCIA Anaphylaxis Action Plan / Asthma Management Plan completed by a doctor.  This plan provides up-to-date information for the school regarding the medical management of your child’s condition. 

If there are any changes in your child’s health care needs, please inform the school as soon as possible.