CALENDAR OF EVENTS

TERM 1 2023

March

TERM 2 2021

April

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
3rd	4th	5th	6th  12 pm Easter Liturgy End of Term 1	7th
24th Pupil Free Day - Start of Term 2	25th ANZAC DAY - Holiday	26th Term two begins for students	27th	28th

May

JUNIOR CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

We have been learning all about the weather and what to wear in different weather. Check out our colourful weather wall!

Thank you to our dynamic helpers, who worked so tirelessly to help dig our sandpit in preparation for our athletics program. Great teamwork; Blake, Leeroy and Jasper.

Bowls Australia has an exciting universal introductory product called Rookie Rollers, aimed at bringing the sport of bowls to audiences of varying ages and abilities.

At its core, Rookie Rollers is designed to enable school children to participate in an engaging format, which is both fun and inclusive.

We have 15 boxes of chocolates still up for grabs, if you would like an extra box, please let us know.

Please remember to hand your money, along with any unsold chocolates to the school by 24th March 2023.

Religion News: Thursday, March the 16th

Known as the Patron Saint of Ireland and the Apostle of Ireland, Patrick was instrumental in bringing the Roman Catholic beliefs to Ireland and in subsequent years, Saint Patrick's Day became a day to commemorate Catholicism in Ireland.

Who was St. Patrick?

He was born in Roman Britain in the late 4th century, he was kidnapped at the age of 16 and taken to Ireland as a slave. He escaped but returned about 432 CE to convert the Irish to Christianity By the time of his death on March 17, 461, he had established monasteries, churches, and schools.   Many legends grew up around him, for example, that he was responsible for getting rid of all the snakes in Ireland.  Ireland came to celebrate his day with religious services and feasts and this continues on today.  There is much celebrating in Ireland and around the world.

How did the Shamrock become associated with St. Patrick?

St. Patrick was a Christian missionary who used a clover to explain the Holy Trinity of Christianity, which is God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. He said the three leaves stand for the three beings of God, and the stem shows how they are united into one.

Easter Liturgy

Today our children began filming our Holy Week enactment, which, will be presented on the last day of Term One, Thursday,6^th of April at 12:00 midday in the St Mary Mackillop Hall.  This is an excellent way for our students to learn and reflect on Jesus’ final hours. Everyone is invited to our presentation on April 6^th at 12:00 midday.  Please come along and watch our amazing children.

Harmony Day Tuesday the 21^st of March 

We celebrate Harmony Day on 21 March. Created in 1999 to celebrate unity and diversity, Harmony Day was originally an Australian celebration but is now marked worldwide by many.   Be a better friend with your neighbour regardless of their background or stand in the shoes of one another.  In Matthew’s Gospel, we read that Jesus said to the people that the second greatest commandment is to love your neighbour as yourself. Imagine a world where everyone could do this.

A Prayer for Harmony

O’ God You create all people in your image.

We thank you for the astonishing variety of races and cultures in this world.

Enrich our lives by ever-widening circles of friendship and show us your presence in those who differ most from us,

until our knowledge of your love is made perfect in our love for all your children;

Through your son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

School Mass

Whole School Mass will be celebrated next Thursday the 23^rd of March at 10:00 am.

Sacramental News

Sacrament of First Holy Communion will now be celebrated on Sunday the 21^st of May at St. Mary’s Catholic Church at 11:00 am.

Sacrament of Confirmation will be celebrated on Sunday the 23rd of July at 11:00 am Mass.  Bishop Greg Bennet will celebrate this special Sacrament with us and the Parishioners.

Kind Regards

Sue Benc

A REMINDER TO PLEASE FILL OUT YOUR SURVEYS

The process of school review is an important element of the ongoing improvement of
schools in the Diocese of Sale. This survey tool is a way for your school to examine its
practices and shared understandings as a way of identifying practices to be maintained
and strengthened, and opportunities to be addressed moving forward.
As a parent, you have an important perspective to share. Please answer each question,
rating your response on the five-point scale. Responses are anonymous and will assist
the school in its school review.
The link for your survey is:

St. Mary's Parent Survey 2023

St. Mary's Primary School will be electing new committee members at our School Advisory Committee Annual General Meeting on Tuesday, 21st March 2023 at 5:00 PM.  We would like to encourage you to consider joining the committee.

Nomination Forms are also available at the school office. 

Please click to download form

St Mary's will be holding a lucky jar stall at the Yarram Easter Carnival on Saturday, 8th April 2023.

To make this a success we need help from our St Mary's Community to help fill jars.

Here are some suggestions:

Lollies

Toys

Hair ribbons 

Pencils, erasers

Stickers

Beads 

Help Required prior and on the day of the Carnival:

• help on the day at the stall
• numbering the jars
• purchasing products to make extra jars (schools expense)
• making up extra jars as we are hoping to have 200 or more lucky jars on the day.
• donation of empty jars.

Please contact Debbie at the school office if you can help with any of the above.