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Dear Parents and Carers,
This Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week, traditionally known as Palm Sunday, it reminds us of Jesus’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem on a donkey. Jesus is surrounded by his friends and adoring crowds who grab branches from the palm trees and wave and welcome Jesus as a hero. Jesus then gathers his friends for a meal which was ‘The Last Supper’, this is where our central Catholic tradition of Eucharist begins. During the supper, Jesus reveals his humanity and love for others by washing the feet of his friends before he is betrayed and taken to his death.
As Christians, the miracle of the Resurrection is central to our belief in the person of Jesus, it is through his actions and words that we come to understand his true humanity and love for us. So many times in our lives we can look beyond the people around us for answers, often they are standing right there with us in our community just like Jesus was for his community. My prayer for Easter is that we appreciate those around us and the joy and comfort they bring to our lives. Please join our Parish community for the rituals and traditions commemorating Holy Week, beginning with Palm Sunday Mass, the Stations of the Cross on Thursday at 10.15am, then the re-enactment of the Stations for the wider community on Friday at 10am against the beautiful backdrop of the Milton church.
This year is a year of reflection and renewal as we enter into a Cyclic Inquiry, which involves looking closely at many aspects of the school celebrating our strengths, and setting our future direction. For this process to be authentic and have a significant impact on the learning opportunities for our students, we are asking you to help by providing feedback on aspects of the school from your parental perspective. One of the ways that you can do this is by completing the ‘Tell Them From Me Survey’, this is a survey that has been developed to allow parents, students, and families to respond to questions, this information will be collated to provide feedback in several specific areas. This survey is anonymous and confidential, and you can complete it multiple times if your responses are different for each child. I thank you for supporting our school by providing open and honest feedback. The survey can be found on the following link:
Tell Them From Me Parent Survey
At assembly today, several Stage Three (Years 5 and 6) students were presented with a MacKillop Award, this award is a significant annual award presented to students who have displayed in the previous twelve months, exemplary behaviour. The award reflects our school's Vision and Mission:
‘A community of learners living Christ’s love through faith in action.’
By nurturing the head, the heart, and the hands of every student we:
- ensure quality learning
- create a sense of joy and belonging
- contribute to a just and sustainable world.
When a student has received achieved three years of exemplary behaviour they will be presented with the Head, Heart, and Hands Badge, which can be worn with their uniform as a sign of recognition for their efforts. Congratulations to these students on achieving this significant honour.
I look forward to seeing you at school,
Yours in partnership
Laurinda Nelson
| Principals Award | |
| Ayla A (K), Leeyana M (Stage Two C), Clay C (Stage Two P) | |
MacKillop Awards |
|
| Year 5 | Chace F, Daisy D, Jay B |
| Year 6 | Arabella B, Arlo D, Audrey P, Isabella O, Delphi S, Henry K, Imogen H, Jackson L |
Class Merit Awards |
|
| Kindergarten | Alby C, Jasper C |
| Year 1 | Olivia S, Obie M, Gemma W |
| Year 2 | Genevieve L, Jack T |
| Stage Two C | Goldie D, Lily L |
| Stage Two P | Emilia R, Spencer V |
| Year 5 | Jerry N, Bryn S |
| Year 6 | Imogen H, Mila L, Audrey P, Louis R |
We Care for Learning Awards |
|
| Kindergarten | Alara K, Liam K |
| Year 1 | Everley V, Jacqueline M, Olive S, Banjo S, Charlotte P |
| Year 2 | Ari L, Sophie H, Thomas G |
| Stage Two C | Leeyana M, Isabella B |
| Stage Two P | Henry Ha, Henry He, Jacob M, Olivia T |
| Year 5 | Chace F, Madeleine G, Benjamin K, Lachlan W |
| Year 6 | Lexi L, Max C |
Library Merit Awards |
|
| Mia L (Stage Two C), William N (Stage Two C) | |
|
This year, our school is participating in a Cyclic Inquiry into our current practices. We are looking forward to reflecting on all of the wonderful opportunities that our students have at St Mary’s, and are excited to set new goals for the future. In order for this Inquiry to be successful and authentic, we require feedback from our community. Over the next two weeks we will be inviting students, teachers and parents to provide feedback on their experience of our school using an online survey. We would like to invite you to complete the Tell Them From Me (TTFM) Partners in Learning survey. As we value the role of parents and carers within our school community we would greatly appreciate your feedback. The information you provide will be used to maintain our commitment to working together in partnership to further improve student learning and wellbeing at St Mary’s Star of the Sea, Milton. The survey is anonymous and will take approximately 20 minutes to complete. You are able to access the parent survey on your computer or mobile device by using the URL below: www.tellthemfromme.com/sosm2024 Thank you for your time and support. |
School Bus Travel
Students travelling on a School Bus to and from school are required to have a valid school bus pass for the school service they are catching. If a valid school pass cannot be shown a fare CAN be charged. In the event the school bus pass is lost, some form of student ID is to be shown whilst obtaining a replacement pass (fee applies). You can help make your child’s school bus journey more pleasant by ensuring your child has a valid school bus pass and presents it to the driver in the morning AND afternoon. Parents are reminded that the School Free Travel is only valid between home and school as per the conditions on the back of the pass. Fares will be charged for all other journeys including travel to sport. Skateboards/Scooters/Bicycles are not permitted on the bus.
Annual Consent Requirements
We have recently sent out information via Compass regarding 2024 consent requirements for the following:
1. Consent for the use of Student Image and/or Work
2. Acceptable Use of Technology
These annual requirements and are now available online via Compass Insights.
| WEEK 9 | |
| Monday 25 Mar |
Stage One (Years 1 & 2) Excursion to Mick Ryan Park |
| Wednesday 27 Mar | School Dental Visit |
| Thursday 28 Mar |
Holy Week Liturgy, School Hall, 10.15am Easter Hat Parade, School Hall, 12noon |
| Friday 29 Mar | Good Friday, Public Holiday Stations of the Cross, Milton Church |
| WEEK 10 |
|
| Monday 1 Apr | Easter Monday, Public Holiday |
| Tuesday 2 Apr | Prayer Liturgy Resurrection (Year 6), School Hall, 9.30am |
| Wednesday 3 Apr | Stage Two (Years 3 & 4) AFL Gala Day |
| Thursday 4 Apr | St Mary's Cross Country Carnival |
| Friday 5 April | Stage Three (Years 5 & 6) NRL Legends Gala Day Assembly (Kindergarten), School Hall, 10.00am School Canteen |
| Sunday 7 April | Family Mass, Church, 5.00pm |
| DATES TO REMEMBER | |
| Monday 8 Apr | Mass - The Annunciation, Milton Church, 9.30am |
| Friday 12 Apr | Pupil Free Day, Last Day of Term 1 |
| Monday 15 Apr - Friday 26 Apr |
School Holidays |
| Monday 29 Apr | Term 2 Commences |
Year 1 learnt about St Joseph and how he was a very important person in Jesus’ life just like our dads are important to us. We thought about what they have taught us and how they show us they love and care for us. We drew our dads too.
Stage Two C are having lots of fun participating in the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden program. We have made some wonderful things including yoghurt flat bread, pasta and banana bread. We have planted passion fruit along the fence and have seedlings ? growing in our classroom.
Cross Country
Save the Date!! The St Mary’s Cross Country Carnival will be held on Thursday 4 April at 12pm on the school grounds. Students who place 1st, 2nd and 3rd, from 9 years to 12 years will progress to the Diocesan Cross Country Championships to be held on Tuesday 7 May at Willandra Cross Country Course (near Nowra). Kindergarten will complete 1 lap of the course (500m) and Year 1 will complete 2 laps (1km). Students turning 8, 9 and 10 this year will run 4 laps (2km) and students turning 11 and 12 this year will complete 6 laps of the course (3km).
K-2 AFL Skills Day
Our recent AFL Skills Day for our Kinder to Year 2 students was a fantastic event, and the children had a great time while also learning new skills.
It was great to see our youngest students engage with the sport and develop their AFL skills. The event was a wonderful opportunity for our students to get active and try something new, and we are proud of all their efforts.
We would like to give a special mention to our Year 6 students who ran the stations during the day. Their leadership and commitment were outstanding, and they did a fantastic job in guiding the younger students through the activities and providing them with valuable tips and encouragement.
We would like to take this opportunity to remind our parents and students about the upcoming AFL Auskick program, which will run every Thursday at 4.30pm at the Ulladulla Sports Park. The program is open to all boys and girls aged 5-7, and it's a fantastic opportunity for children to learn the skills of the game in a fun and safe environment.
The program is run by experienced coaches and focuses on developing children's skills, teamwork, and sportsmanship. It's a great way for children to get active, make new friends, and develop a love for the game.
Our school choir is in full swing, rehearsing for the Shoalhaven Eisteddfod in May.
Choir is an optional activity for St Mary’s students and the expectation is they come to rehearsal at second break each Monday. Those attending rehearsals will be invited to come and represent our school at the Shoalhaven Eisteddfod in Nowra. So far we have learnt the song ‘Dona Nobis Pacem’, which is a difficult song involving harmonies. Students are beginning to get the hang of it and are sounding beautiful! We will begin rehearsing our second song over the next few weeks and aim to give a trial performance to the residents of Sarah Claydon nursing home soon!
