MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Dear Parents,
Swimming and water safety have been the focus at St Mary’s this week, with the students participating in four 1-hour lessons at the Yarram Pool. Despite the mornings and the water being a little bit fresh, everyone approached these lessons with great enthusiasm and a commitment to do their best. I was fortunate to work with a couple of groups and I was amazed at the progress they made over the four days. I had one child in my group that was very nervous and not overly confident putting his face in the water on the first day. It was amazing to see the sheer joy on his face, on the third day, when he stood up after moving unassisted through the water for about 5m, and announced “I can swim now!” I was also really proud of another student who was a little bit upset as she crossed the crossing on Wednesday morning because she didn’t want to go swimming. She spoke about how swimming makes her feel nervous and gives her butterflies in her tummy. After speaking with her and her mum for a few minutes about the importance of learning how to swim, I still wasn’t sure if we would get her in the pool. To her credit however, she showed great courage and resilience and decided that she was going to give it another go. She participated fully on that day and the final day and did a fantastic job. Whilst I have highlighted these two situations, I am really proud of all of our students. The growth that they have shown both in their confidence and skill level over the past four days has been outstanding. As parents, you too should be proud of what they have achieved!
Family Picnic Dinner
Tomorrow night, Friday, 12th February, we have our St Mary’s Family Picnic Dinner from 5pm – 7pm. Due to COVID restrictions, you will need to bring along your own dinner to share as a family. Please check into school when you arrive using the QR code. Your child’s classroom will also be open so that they can take you through and show you some of the work that they have completed so far this year. I encourage all families to come along and celebrate a successful start to the 2021 school year and enjoy time together as a school community.
Assembly/Liturgy
This year we have decided to alternate our Friday afternoon Liturgy with an assembly. This Friday, 12th February at 2:45pm in the Foundation & Grade 1 classroom, we will be having our first assembly for the year. At the assembly, we will celebrate birthdays, hand out awards to students that have been recognised as following our school wide expectations, showcase what has been happening in the rooms and during specialist classes, and discuss any other important events. Please come along and join us as we provide a little insight into what’s happening in and around St Mary’s.
Parent/Teacher Interviews
This Wednesday, 17th February from 2pm – 7pm, we will have our Term 1 Parent/Teacher Interviews. These interviews are a great opportunity to meet your child’s teacher, discuss how your child has started the year and help build a positive connection between home and school. Please make an appointment to see your child’s teacher, however if Wednesday is not a suitable time for you, please arrange a time on a different day.
School Advisory Committee Annual General Meeting
Our 2021 School Advisory Committee Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held on Tuesday, 16th March at 5:15pm. At the AGM we will be forming a new committee with the roles of chairman, secretary and general committee members all up for renewal. The role of the School Advisory Committee is to act as an advisory body to the principal and discuss matters concerning education in the school. Nomination forms for the positions will be forwarded to you shortly and I encourage you all to consider joining the committee. Please put the date in your calendar now so that you are free to attend.
Kind regards,
Joel
