Dear Parents and Carers 

This Friday, will be a Pupil Free Day for our students as our St Mary’s staff gather for our Spirituality Day, last week Simon Kinch, Father Michael and I travelled to North Sydney to Mary MacKillop Place to reconnect with the Josephite Sisters who founded St Mary’s School and supported our school for many years. As a school we are seeking to connect with the values or Charism of our school in the past to understand our identity and purpose in our current society. Sr Monika Barlow shared with us the belief that the Josephite tradition was always to ensure the dignity of every person whilst  contributing to the community in ways that the government or society at the time does not. In the past, this was particularly service to the poor in the community, as a Catholic school we still see this as an important aspect of what we do and who we are. In the 21st century, we also look to the protection of the environment that in our current society is of imminent concern. We look forward to working with some of the Josephite sisters to begin the journey to develop our school Vision and Mission statement. 

Last week we were so pleased to welcome our Kinders 2020 and their parents to our Transition To School Playgroup. This initiative familiarises our new students with each other, our school environment and the staff. It helps to build community with our parents getting to know each other as their children play together. Playgroup will happen every Monday afternoon and Wednesday morning until next term.  A big thank you to Julie Valentini, Chloe Cerff and Karynne Treweek for making playgroup possible. 

We are having school photos this Tuesday, these photos will be taken in full winter uniform, including school ties and polishable black leather shoes. Uniform is a clear indicator of belonging and I urge you to ensure that your children are in full uniform everyday including a school hat. As the warmer weather arrives, I am happy for students to move to summer uniform after our photo day on Tuesday. Full Summer uniform will be expected at the beginning of term 4 for all students. 

 We are looking forward to the P and F Trivia night on Friday night at the Mollymook Surf Club. The committee have worked really hard to make this night happen so I ask you to join in the fun by coming along. A big thank you to our P and F for working to raise funds for our Nature Playground and a class set of Robotics. We look forward to seeing you there.

For the first four weeks of Term Four, I will be taking leave to support my son through the HSC Exams. I am pleased to announce that in my absence Mr Anthony Kenna will be Acting Principal. Mr Kenna is a very experienced Principal who currently works within the Catholic Education Office. I assure you, Mr Kenna is an approachable and professional leader and I have every confidence in his leadership in my absence. I know our school community will make him feel very welcome next term. 

Good luck to our very own Eden Sakora who today is competing at Homebush today in the MacKillop Athletics Chamionships. Eden is an astoudingly talented athlete, who always gives 100% effort and always displays a wonderful sense of sportsmanship. Congratulations Eden, we are so proud of you. 

This will be the final Newsletter for Term 3, and the next two weeks promise to be full of opportunities for our students to experience many varied learning experiences beyond the curriculum. We will celebrating Grandparents Day on Friday 27th September, inviting grandparents/ special visitors to share a picnic lunch with their children in the school grounds then join us for a special performance of our school play. The premiere of our school production “The Bee Musical’, will premiere on Wednesday night 25th at 5:30 with a matinee performance then on Friday as part of our Grandparents’ Day Celebration. Many hours of hard work have gone into making this production a reality for our students, our staff team consisting of Ann Marie Wilson, Erin Chard, Chloe Cerff and Daniella Cooper providing guidance and support to our budding actors. Please try to make one of these performances, I guarantee it will give you a ‘BUZZ!’ 

Have a great week, I hope to see you at school.

Yours in Partnership 

Laurinda Nelson

NEW TO COMPASS

Parents can enter school absences via the Compass Portal.  If entered on the portal there is no need to phone absences in each morning.

School excursion notes are only available on the Compass Portal (we have now moved to totally online - no hard copy of notes).   In Compass, in the EVENTS tab you must except or decline your child/rens attendance for excursions,  you do not need to print note and send to school.   If there is a charge for the excursion it will not let you approve the excursion without adding the payment.

Thank you for your patience while we are all learning the new system.  In the long term it should be quick and simple and save everyone time.

Tuesday 17th September 

School Photo's

Wednesday 18th September

ICAS English and Maths

Thursday 19th September

Year 3 and Year 4 Milton Town Walk Excursion

Friday 20th September

Pupil Free Day (staff spirituality day)

Trivia Night Mollymook Surf Club 6.30pm

Monday 23rd September

Bee Musical Whole Cast Dress Rehearsal

Tuesday 24th September

Year 3, Year4, Year 5 and Year 6 attending Ulladulla School Play

Wednesday 25th September

St Mary's Bee Musical Students 5pm Performance 5.30pm

Friday 27th September 

Grandparents Day

Liturgy 9.30am school hall followed by morning tea

Open classrooms 10.30am-1110am

Bee Musical Matinee at 12.00pm

Term 4

Monday 14th October

PUPIL FREE DAY ( Staff CPR/Anaphlaxsis/Asthma)

We all understand the enormous role that Anneliese Robinson plays in our school community in her Pastoral Care position. The time has come for us to reapply for the  National School Chaplaincy Program for 2020 to 2022 and request your assistance to attain this program by completion of a 30 second survey.  This is your way to support the ongoing nature of Anneliese's role into the future at St Mary's.

Pastoral Care Workers support the wellbeing of our students and our school community. They deliver a range of non-therapeutic welfare, spiritual and emotional support to students, families and staff at our school.

Some of these beneficial activities may include:

Grief and loss programs
Individual support
Mindfulness
School community support initiatives
Social justice groups
Social skills groups

Please note as applications for the Chaplaincy Program are due by the end of September and we will need time to collate information,  the survey link will be only be available until Thursday 19 September, 2019.

Please click here to complete the 30 second survey

So please take the time to complete this survey, it literally only takes 30 seconds. Thank you!

Stage One went on an excursion to Mick Ryan Park on Monday 9th September. The students looked at the natural and man-made features of the park. They identified ways the park is looked after and what we can do as Milton residents to look after our local environment. We had lots of fun!

Back in the classroom year 1 completed a fact finding activity here are our top 10 facts about Mick Ryan Park:

1. Mick Ryan Park was created in 1968 to protect the fig tree
2. The fig tree is so big it”s area is nearly one acre.
3. The fig tree is over 190 years old
4. The park is named after a dairy farmer, Mick Ryan  
5. There is a BBQ and picnic area
6. There is a slide, fort and swings
7. New houses are being built near Mick Ryan Park
8. There is a path and gardens
9. New trees are being planted in the park
10. There is exercise equiptment

Year 3 has been working on Poetry throughout Term 3. We have been practising poetic devices such as onomatopoeia, metaphor, rhyme and alliteration.

We have put these devices into three styles of poetry:

•  A ballad, a poem that tells a narrative 
• A structural poem, a poem that forms the image of its subject  
• Haiku, poems that uses syllable beat to describe its subject.
  
  

Peyton MJ, Parker MJ, Summer L(Yr4), Austin G,Lillie P, Ila H, Ben W, Beau A, Tex L, Samuel S, 

St Mary’s students have enjoyed experimenting with various media, techniques and tools over Term 3. Kindergarten have been learning about our local Bower Bird and have created a Bower nest installation made of clay, sticks and blue plastic pieces. 

Stages 1, 2 & 3 have been learning drawing techniques focused on shape, line work and shading. They have drawn fantastic garden animals such as bees, robins and ladybirds which will be used in the set design for the school play. 

Stage 3 have been working on their Christmas Art competition entries which have 

further developed the students' drawing skills. This has been absorbing work and we are seeing some very creative artworks. 

The annual Lions Club Peace Poster Prize was held on Wednesday September 4 and selected students from Year 5 and 6 were once again invited to a dinner hosted by the Lions Club. Maddi R won the overall competition for 11 year olds and Jasper T was Highly Commended. Congratulations to our students for their fantastic artistic efforts.

On Wednesday night, students from year 3, 5 and 6 will attend the Lion’s Club meeting and dinner and will participate in a Public Speaking Competition. We wish them every success.

Our Shoalhaven Bush Poetry Competition on Saturday 7th September, was a huge success. Many St Mary’s students performed and thoroughly entertained the audience and judges.

1st place went to Zara C with her recitation of Mulga Bill’s Bicycle. Max C won 2nd place and Tess W won 3rd place.

Arabella B won the Jim Grahame Performance Award award with her recitation of the poem, The Secret Song. Every student who entered went home with a poetry book as a prize.

A big thank you to John Davis for organising and supporting the event.

Ray Lonsdale and his team spoke to our students about boat safety in and around our water ways.