Dear Parents and Carers,

As Term 1 comes to an end, we reflect on the incredible learning, growth, and achievements across our school. We congratulate our students for their hard work, our staff for their dedication, and our families for their ongoing support. It has been a fantastic term, filled with learning, collaboration, and community spirit.

We also extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who participated in and contributed to the Easter Play. Your creativity and enthusiasm made this celebration truly special.

As we enter Holy Week and Easter, may this be a time of reflection, renewal, and joy for all. We encourage everyone to rest, relax, and rejuvenate during the school holidays, embracing the message of hope and new beginnings that Easter brings.

We farewelled Sue Benc on Wednesday with a special morning tea. After many years of dedication and service to education, 30 of which years have served St Mary’s school and parish community. Sue, your passion, kindness, and commitment have left a lasting impact on so many lives. While we will miss you dearly, we celebrate this new chapter with you and wish you a retirement filled with happiness, health, and new adventures.

Happy Easter, and best wishes to all for a restful break!

Maria

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

TERM 1 2025

APRIL

TERM 2 2025

MAY

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS

Happy Birthday to Teige Hobson, who celebrates his birthday on April 6th and to Stev's Cassidy, who celebrates his birthday on  April 11th.

We hope you have a wonderful day. 

Yesterday, students, staff and families came together, to wish our beloved teacher, Sue Benc a fond farewell as she has decided to retire. Sue has been a beloved part of St. Mary's for many, many years and we wish her the very best.

You will be missed, Sue!

Thank you to all our wonderful families for bringing so many delicious treats, your constant support and generosity are truly appreciated.

ST. MARY’S EASTER RAFFLE

Thank you to all our families for your donations to our Easter Raffle and for buying tickets, these fundraisers enable our school to organise excursions, sausage sizzle lunches and fun events like the school colour fun run.

Our 1st, 2nd and 3 prize winnders were: Phil Abi, Ashlee McKenzie and Stev's Cassidy, congratulations.

We wish you a Blessed Easter and hope you have a relazing break.

Our students presented a beautiful Easter Liturgy. It was wonderful to see so many parents as well.

March 26th was Purple Day, an international epilepsy awareness day, aiming to raise awareness and reduce stigma surrounding epilepsy.

Our students worea splash of purple with their school uniform to show their support for this important day.

Thank you to all who can participate in the Tarra Festival Parade on Saturday, April 19th, at 11:00 am.
The theme for this year's parade is "Back to the Future." Inspired by the movie, our inspiration is to have our Grade P/1 students lead the parade dressed as delightful centenarians (100 years old). They will be followed by Grades 2-6, dressed in fabulous '80s costumes.
We will have a decorated trailer to walk behind and music to get us in the groove. I ask that all students have a parent or carer to walk with, and I invite those parents walking to dress up with their child/children.
We will gather at 10:30 am at the Mary MacKillop Hall to organise ourselves and wait for the marshalling.
We ask that students arrive dressed in costume, ready for this fun experience together.
If you haven't sent in a permission note and want to participate, don't hesitate to contact the office.

Parent Information Session on Neurodivergence

We are excited to invite all parents and guardians to an informative session on neurodivergence, to be held on

Whether you're familiar with neurodivergence or are just starting to explore the topic, this session will provide practical information and resources to help support your child’s unique needs.

Date: 7th May 2025
Time: 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Location: Mary MacKillop Hall

We encourage all parents to attend and take advantage of this opportunity to learn more about how we can work together to foster an inclusive environment for all students.

We look forward to seeing you there!

 Mental Health and Wellbeing News

Dear Parents and Carers,

This week in our Resilience Project lesson we looked at Emotional Literacy. Emotional Literacy is the capacity to identify, name, and express emotions effectively, both in oneself and in others. We discussed how different emotions can be felt in our bodies such as butterflies in our tummy. We also discussed facial expressions associated with different emotions.

 Why it's important:

Working on our emotional literacy skills provides us with opportunities to enhance our understanding and expression of various emotions. As we improve our emotional literacy skills, we can better recognise our own feelings and enhance our ability to manage them. This equips us to navigate diverse experiences, including handling conflicts, forming friendships, coping with challenging circumstances, and maintaining resilience when faced with change.

A great game to play with your children is Feelings Charades from The Resilience Project.

 What to do:

Sit around the dinner table as a family. Take turns to make a 'feelings face'. For example, a sad face, an angry face, an excited face, etc. You can also use body language, such as moving your hands or jumping up and down to show excitement. 

Invite other family members to guess the feeling. When the feeling is correctly identified, have a family discussion about a time when you felt that emotion.

Engaging in discussions about emotions and why we are feeling the way we do is extremely important for children, so they learn to recognise and express their emotions in a healthy way.

If you would like further information or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Deb Owens

Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader

SCHOOL PHOTOS

SPECIAL REPORT: Social Media & Comparison Culture

In today's hyper-connected world, young people are constantly exposed to carefully curated snapshots of other people's lives - from picture-perfect holidays and academic achievements to the latest fashion trends and fitness goals. This relentless stream of comparisons, often amplified through social media, creates what is known as comparison culture.

Comparison culture fosters a mindset where individuals constantly evaluate their own worth by measuring themselves against others. This leaves many young people feeling as though they're falling short. For children and adolescents who are still developing their sense of identity, this environment can be especially harmful - contributing to feelings of inadequacy, self-doubt and anxiety.

It's important to understand how comparison culture shapes the way children see themselves and their place in the world. When young people constantly compare their appearance, achievements, or social lives to their peers or online influencers, they can develop unrealistic expectations and a distorted sense of self-worth. This can lead to low self-esteem, perfectionism, and a constant need for external validation.

However, through open conversations, positive role modelling, and proactive support, families can empower young people to build the resilience and confidence needed to navigate today's comparison-driven world. Encouraging an environment that values individuality, personal effort, and growth - rather than constant comparison or external validation - helps foster a stronger sense of self that allows young people to embrace their unique strengths and identity.

Click this link to access the special report