Learning Adjustments at St Mary’s.

This year we have been fortunate enough to obtain funding to allow me to have a day a week out of the classroom to focus on Learning Adjustments and Mental Health and Wellbeing for our students. I have, over 2023, completed a training initiative with the Education Department and will; over this year provide information to staff to assist in the Mental Health and well-being of our students. We are focusing on a Whole School Approach to Positive Behaviour that will be consistent across the school with students and staff. Teachers have had discussions with their students and together they have come up with some classroom/behaviour goals that will give each learning space the opportunity to engage and learn in an encouraging and positive environment. The goals that were being suggested by students fit very nicely into our School Wide Expectations of Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be a Learner and Be Safe. The following are examples of what the students wanted as their classroom goals and how they fit under each heading.

Be Respectful

Listen when someone is speaking

Put your hand up if you have something to say

Be considerate when others are concentrating on their work

Be kind to everyone

Be Responsible

Focus on your work during class time

Help other students when they can’t find anyone to play with

Speak nicely to others

Be a Learner

Give everyone the chance to do their work without distracting them

Do your best

Have a positive attitude and a growth mindset

Be Safe

Be mindful when playing games and using equipment

Use equipment correctly

Use technology correctly.Please take the time to reiterate the School-wide Expectations with your child/children to embrace the home/ school connections.

Kind Regards,

Deb Owens

Parent/Teacher/Student interviews will be held from 1:45 - 7:00 pm on  Thursday, 15th February. 

To Book your meeting, Go to:

http://www.schoolinterviews.com.au/code/hkhc3

Or open this link in your browser: www.schoolinterviews.com.au

and enter the code hkhc3

Enter your details

Select the teachers you wish to see

Select the appointment times that suit your family best

When you click FINISH your selected bookings will be emailed to you immediately. If you do not receive your email, please check your junk mail, or enter the event code again and check your email address spelling.

Update your details if the email address is incorrect.
DO NOT DELETE the email you receive. Keep it somewhere safe. You may
need to refer back to it at a later date.

REMEMBER TO ADD YOUR APPOINTMENTS TO YOUR CALENDAR - reminders will not
be sent home.
Bookings must be finalised by Monday, 12th February 2024

If you need to view, cancel, change or print your bookings:
● Click on the link in the confirmation email you received after you made your bookings
● OR return to www.schoolinterviews.com.au and enter the code and the email address you used when making your bookings.

Please keep in mind that interviews are strictly 10 minutes and spaces are limited. If you require more time with a particular teacher, please arrange a separate meeting by telephoning the school on 03 51825659

Dear Families and Friends of St Mary’s

I hope this message finds you well and that you had a restful and enjoyable summer break. As we embark on a new academic year, I am delighted to warmly welcome both new and returning St Mary’s community members.

The start of a school year is always an exciting time filled with promise and potential. Our dedicated team of educators and staff have been hard at work over the summer, preparing for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. We are committed to creating a positive and enriching learning environment where students can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.

A strong partnership between home and school is essential for our students' success. To facilitate this collaboration, we will continue encouraging open communication and involvement from parents and guardians.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for entrusting us with your children's education. Together, we can make this school year a memorable and successful journey for every student.

Wishing you all a fantastic start to the school year!

Maria.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

TERM 1 2024

February

March 2024

TERM 2 2024

April

SCHOOL NEWSLETTERS & INFORMATION

A primary source of communication between home and school is our weekly newsletter. This will be sent home with students and emailed every fortnight on a Thursday. The newsletter is also available on our school website. https://www.stmyarram.catholic.edu.au/

All school information, updates and news are sent home on Class Dojo. 

Calendar events are also updated on our website: https://www.stmyarram.catholic.edu.au/

SCHOOL FEES SCHEDULE 2024

School fees are important for the school to meet its financial commitments. School fees are set annually in consultation with the School Board and Parish Administrator. Families who experience difficulty in paying school fees please do not hesitate to make contact with the Principal or Administration Officer to make alternative arrangements.

All fees and levies for the entire school year will be invoiced in February. Fees are to be paid in full by the end of Term 3. Alternatively, you can pay in equal instalments over 12 months from January to December.

Family Fee Assistance Scheme

All families in which the fee payer holds an eligible health care card or pensioner concession card are eligible to apply for the Family Fee Assistance Scheme. 

This allows for a significant reduction in your school fees. Application forms are available from the school office or click on the following link: School Fees Concession Application

For more information about concessions, please contact the school.

CSEF Assistance
This is a government assistance scheme for families with an eligible Health Care Card. Applications are available at the office or click on the following link: 

CSEF Application Form 2024

Conveyance Allowance
Victorian Conveyance Allowance is available for children who reside in Victoria and are more than 4.8 kilometres from the nearest free school bus service. Please call the office to complete an application form.

Terms of Payment for School Fees Accounts
Fees can be paid in one lump sum, by term, monthly, fortnightly or weekly. At the beginning of the year, you are asked to nominate a payment frequency eg. Weekly, fortnightly, or per term. If no payment mode is nominated it will be presumed that you will pay by the end of Term 3,  Friday, September 20th 2024

There are numerous options available to pay your school fee account. Money can be received via:

• Cash, Cheque or Credit Card at school office
• Direct Debit payments to our account from your bank - direct Debit Authorisation forms are available here:

Direct_Debit_Authorisaiton_Form_2024.pdf

• Centrepay-Centrelink can deduct school fee payments before paying via your Centrelink.

Application forms are available at the school office or click on the following link:Centrepay Deduction Authority

We would ask that you consider all the payment options available to you and make a commitment to one of them. 

2024 SCHOOL FEES

Fees per Family (per annum)  

Family fee - $1120

Capital fee -$ 172.00

Fees per Student (per annum) 

Tuition Fee - $172.00
Swimming - $75.00
Excursion -$75.00        

Camp Fees per Student

Year 2, Excursion $20.00                                                                                     

Year 3 & 4, Karoonda Park - $450 ($300 Camp fees + $150 food component) TBC

Year 5 & 6, Melbourne - $450 ($300 Camp fees + $150 food component) TBC

Additional Fees  

Sacramental Program
$25.00 per student                                                                                              This fee is for Catholic children who participate in the Sacraments.

Please contact Debbie at the school office if you would like to set up a payment plan for 2024 school fees. For families who already have one in place, this will continue for this year. 

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS

Happy Birthday to Zane Medwell-Reiss and Noah Labajo who celebrate their birthdays on 3rd and 4th February. We hope you have a wonderful day.

Liam has painted his helping hands as the Ukrainian Flag.... in his words "If this picture goes to Russia and hopefully Vladimir Putin sees it and goes like "We need to stop this war against Ukraine!"."

On Tuesday, 13th February, we will all be making pancakes in the Mary Mackillop hall from 11:40. Parent helpers are welcome.

HOT LUNCH FRIDAYS!

School canteen lunches are every Friday. All lunch orders are to be in by 9:00 on Friday morning. The price list is the same as last year, please see below for details:

Hot Lunches - Price List 2023

Instructions on placing an order

Please contact the school office if you would like a price list sent home. 

We have changed our bell times for 2024. Please make a note of the new bell times.

The students are to wear their sports uniform on  Tuesdays and Fridays. 

Buses are available to and from school to various locations within the shire. If you would like to organise for your child to travel by bus, please fill out the following form if you have not already done so.

Application for to travel on a bus

Casual bus passes (for an occasional day) can be organised by filling out a pass at least 24 hours before you want your child to travel. These forms are available on request, at the school office.

Religion News: Thursday the 1^st of February

Welcome to Term One.  Each Term at St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School we have a new theme or topic for our Religious Education Studies.  This Term, our Topic is Prayer. Some of the questions and wonderings that have come from our students are; What is prayer? Where can we pray?  How do we pray?  Can anybody pray? Who are we praying to and what are we praying for?  When asked, “What is prayer?’ one of our students simply said, “It is a conversation with God.”  Over the term, I will keep you updated about what we are doing at school on Prayer.

Shrove Tuesday will be celebrated on Tuesday the 13^th of February.  We plan to make pancakes around 11:40am in the St. Mary Mackillop Hall.  If any parent of family member would like to assist us with it will be truly appreciated and welcomed.  Also, if anyone can lend us an electric frying pan, we would be very grateful.

Ash Wednesday will be celebrated on Wednesday the 14^th of February at 10:00 am Mass at St. Mary’s Catholic Church.  Once again everyone is welcome to join us.

In Australia and Britain the day preceding Ash Wednesday is popularly known as Shrove Tuesday. It is also frequently called Pancake Tuesday.   But it is the name “Shrove” that shows its religious origins. Shrove is the past tense of the English verb “Shrive” which means to obtain absolution for the thoughts, actions and decisions that could have been better.

With Shrove Tuesday taking place before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday, it was the day when Christians were encouraged to go to confession in preparation for the Lenten season that would end 40 days and 40 nights later with Easter Sunday.

Dating back to 1000 AD, over the years Shrove Tuesday not only became a day for Confession but a time for Catholics to feast on eggs, sugar and dairy which are traditionally restricted during the Lenten fast.

Ash Wednesday is the first day of the Season of Lent.  Lent is the forty days (excluding Sundays) leading up to Easter. The number forty is significant as it refers to Jesus’ forty days in the desert prior to beginning his ministry of teaching. 

On Ash Wednesday, we receive ashes in the shape of a cross on our forehead.  These ashes are created from the palms used during the previous year’s Palm Sunday Mass. They symbolize penance, which is appropriate as Lent is a season of penance and prayer.  The Season of Lent is one of the most important Seasons in the Church Calendar.

Kind Regards

Sue Benc

CLASS DOJO

Class Dojo is a school communication platform that teachers, students, and families use every day to build close-knit communities by sharing what’s being learned in the classroom home through photos, videos, and messages.

Invitations will be sent to parents of each classroom via Email in the next few days. 

Click on the link below for instructions on how to set up your CLASS DOJO account:

Class Dojo Setup Resources