Dear Parents and Carers

As we are entering the Season of Advent, please take the time to reflect on the coming of Jesus into our homes, this is often a difficult concept for children. Wondering 'Was Jesus born every year?’, this of course is a time of remembering and reflecting on the mystery of the King of Creation being born in a stable, the lowest of the low. Please take time to prepare your hearts for this great celebration. 

I hope everyone has remained safe and dry under the extreme weather conditions that prevailed this week. I understand that many people in the area were again faced with the ravages of mother nature and were flooded or without power for significant periods yesterday. It was so lovely to see the sunshine this morning, drying out the earth and allowing our Swimming Program to continue, enormous thanks to Mrs Katy Reid for her organisation of the program involving many staff members and timetabling changes. 

As our Year 6 students are preparing for their transition to High School, we are so pleased to be able to officially launch our new MacKillop Award for Exemplary Behaviour across the school. This award is named after St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, the founder of the Sisters of St Joseph who started our school. This award will be presented to students in Years 3-6:

Who show contribution to our community of learners by living Christ’s love through action. Working to the best of their ability. Bringing a sense of joy and belonging to all. Contributing to a just and sustainable world. This award is presented to an exemplary leader who lives the school motto. ‘Help one another’

This award will be presented to students in each stage group once a year, students will be eligible for this award if they meet the data rule of no major behaviour incidents over the previous 12 months, and show evidence of living our school Vision and Mission statement as listed above. If a student receives three of these awards in consecutive years they will be eligible to receive the MacKillop Badge representing the ‘Head, Heart and Hands’ of the student’s development at St Mary’s. There will also be a Junior (Infants) Award launched in 2024. We look forward to seeing our exemplary students proudly wearing their badges. 

We were informed last week that we have been successful in applying for the Roger O’Sullivan Memorial Award, this award is awarded on behalf of the Council of Catholic School Parents. Our application was based on furthering the work of our ‘Kitchen Garden‘ Project, providing resources to support our garden and kitchen program. We are so grateful for this financial support of $1000, it is also wonderful to see our community initiative recognised so highly among Catholic Schools in NSW and the ACT. Congratulations to our team for a great submission. 

I look forward to seeing you over the next two weeks as we prepare for the Christmas Season.

Yours in partnership
Lindy Nelson

Principal Awards

Olivia S, Seave D, Evie P, Louis R

Class Merit Awards

Kindergarten: Gemma W, Leander B
Year 1: Theo A, Oliver S
Year 1/2: Grace P, Ruth A, Xavier S
Year 4: Parker G, Bryn S, Jerry N, Jamison W
Year 5: Arlo D, Lexi L
Year 6: Amber R

We Care for School

Olivia S, Obie M, Seamus H, Thomas G, Charlie K, Jack T, Sunny G, Isla P, Patrick T, Parker G, Benjamin K, Daisy D, Alexander B, Evie P, Fleur C, Madeleine G, Lara N, Torin D, Andie M, Aurelia R, Alexandra W

All Stars Award

MacKillop

Please join us as we celebrate this very special time in our Parish starting with a Family Mass this coming Sunday, 3 December at St Mary’s Milton. Mass will be followed by a very special treat – a Christmas feast (see below information). Please come along with your family for a blessed evening. 

There are many options available for Mass over Christmas and January – a special outdoor children’s celebration on Christmas Eve and the beautiful Christmas “Midnight” Mass, 9.00pm Christmas Eve, starting with Carols from 8.30pm - both at Holy Family Church Ulladulla, beach Masses every Sunday in January, 5.00pm Mollymook Beach, and a variety of other special celebrations at Milton, Sussex Inlet, Bendalong – as well as the usual scheduled Masses. Please join us as we celebrate this very special time!

Payment of School Fees by Instalment

Existing Families in our school WITH Instalments

If you are currently paying by instalments there is no need to complete another Request to Pay by Instalment as your request carries over from year to year unless you wish to amend the frequency of your payments eg Weekly to Fortnightly

Existing Famlies in our school WITHOUT Instalments

If you would like to pay school fees by instalments in 2024 and have previously not taken up this option for payment, please complete a Request to Pay by Instalment Form which is available on the school’s website or from the school’s administration office. On completion of the request either email it to instalments@dow.catholic.edu.au or submit at the school office. Following receipt of the request, instalments will be generated on your school fee account during the process of invoicing 2024 school fees. Your school fee statement will provide a list of scheduled payments and their due date depending on the frequency you have chosen eg Fortnightly, Monthly, etc.

IMPORTANT: Please note that if you currently have a child or children at another school in the Diocese and you are paying by instalments at this location, you will not need to complete another Request to Pay by Instalment. The instalment request carries over from school to school with the same frequency of payment eg Weekly, fortnightly, etc.

As many of you know, the St Mary’s School Choir becomes very busy this time of year! So far we have sung at the opening of our new playground, as well as an evening performance at St Mary’s Church at the celebration of St Cecilia’s feast day. Our little choir is in high demand and below are the upcoming dates the choir will be performing:

• Monday 4 December - Sarah Claydon walking excursion
• Saturday 9 December - Ulladulla Civic Centre carols by candlelight, 6.30 start
• Thursday 14 December - End of year Mass - time tbc
• Thursday 14 December - St Mary’s end of year concert - time tbc (afternoon)

If students who are not a part of our choir are in the audience at the public events, please encourage them to jump up and join us! ‘Tis the season of fun and joy, and Mrs Cooper has been practising songs with the whole school so any child is able to join at any event they are at!

Please keep an eye on the P&F facebook page for any last minute community events we may be invited to.

Mrs Cooper and I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all of our choir students and their families. Our wonderfully talented singers rehearse and perform brilliantly each and every time. We have enjoyed their talent, personalities, and the joy they bring to our tight knit group. The students are supportive of each other, adapt well when there are last minute changes beyond our control, and their interest in making music means time spent by their families organising their children for excursions during the day and bringing them along to events in the community outside of school time. For this we are so very thankful for you support of our school choir for 2023!

Mrs Erin Chard

On Tuesday 7 November Stage One went to Narrawallee Inlet to observe the natural and ‘man-made’ features of our local environment. We observed animals in their natural habitat and discussed how we spend time in local areas. We made bird nests in small groups and thought about what birds need in their habitat.

We broke into 3 groups learning about: the importance of the mangroves, the effect the tide has on animals and plants at the inlet and the beach environment. One group was lucky enough to see an echidna, while another saw 3 black cockatoos in their natural environment.

Thank you to Bec and Nadja who met us down there and helped on the excursion.

Year 4 have spent lots of time in the Kitchen and the Garden this term, learning new skills in gardening and cooking.

Some of the foods we have prepared include blueberry muffins, calzone, samosa and gozleme. 

We also prepared food for our guests who attended the Blessing and Opening of our playground.

Last week the class engaged in Christmas cooking making a class gingerbread house and gingerbread cookies. 

“Really fun, I learnt new kitchen skills” Bryn

“You get a lot of time to participate and make yummy food” Jacob

“It was fun and you get to eat the food” Alexander

“Fun cooking and eating the food” Ben

“We got to plant seedlings, which grew into produce that we used in the kitchen to make delicious food that everyone shared” Fleur

“Year 4 got to eat food that was grown from plants in the garden” Molly

“All the new skills and yummy recipes I have started to use at home” Jemima

Congratulations to St Mary's Paul Kelly Cup Regional Champions!