Dear Parents and Carers

As we begin Term 2, it's essential that we all continue to uphold the values and expectations that make our school a safe, inclusive, and respectful place for learning and play.

Respect is the foundation of a positive school environment. In the classroom, this means listening attentively, following instructions, and supporting each other in our learning journey. On the playground, it means treating peers with kindness, playing safely, and being mindful of personal space and boundaries. Let’s work together to create an environment where everyone feels valued and respected.

All students are expected to wear the correct school uniform each day. This includes ensuring all clothing items align with our school dress code. Wearing our uniform with pride reflects our commitment to unity and school spirit.

Safety is a priority, and all students must use the designated school crossings when coming to and leaving school. Always wait for the teacher on duty, look both ways before crossing, and follow instructions. Please do not cross the road outside the designated areas.

The Sacrament of Confirmation will be held on Sunday, May 11th, at 9 am. We pray for Macy and Mia as they prepare and keep them in our thoughts during this important time in their faith journey. May they feel guided, supported, and strengthened as they take this meaningful step.

Maria

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

TERM 2 2025

MAY

Mother’s Day Celebrations at St. Mary’s

Mother’s Day Breakfast and Stall

St. Mary’s Mothers' Day breakfast is on Thursday, 8th May at 8.00 am in the Mary MacKillop Hall.

All Mothers, Grandmothers and Special People are welcome. 

Please let the school office know the numbers attending for catering purposes.

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: 5:30 PM - 6:30 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!

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS

Happy Birthday to Cian Hobson, who celebrates his birthday on 10th May, and to Jairo Febin, who celebrates his birthday on  May 12th.

We hope you have a wonderful day. 

SCHOOL PHOTOS

Order forms have been sent home, if you have not receied an order form, plese contact the school office. 

Thank you to all our staff members who decorated our float for the Tarra Valley parade. It was so wonderful to see all our students and parents get into the spirit of the festival and dress up with us, all of you looked fabulous!

Mental Health and Wellbeing News

Dear Parents and Carers,

This week in our Empathy lesson, we explored the positive benefits of helping others and acts of kindness for both the helper and recipient. We engaged in dramatic play, crafting and creating comic strips, and discovered that we can look for opportunities to help others in need wherever we go. Developing empathy helps us to identify, understand and feel what another person is feeling. When we practise empathy by doing something kind for someone else, our brain releases oxytocin. This results in an increase in our self-esteem, confidence, energy levels, positivity and overall happiness.

These are some activities that you can do at home to continue to promote being empathetic.

Junior Activities-P/1/2

As you are sitting around as a family, discuss the different ways you could help each other out at home (this could be helping to set the table, making your own bed, helping to cook dinner, etc).

• Have each family member trace around their hand on a blank piece of paper.
• On each finger, invite them to write a way they could help around the house. This means each person would have five things they could do to help around the house.
• On the palm of the hand, have each person draw how they would feel when helping each other around the house.
• As a family, make a pledge to carry out these tasks for the week (or beyond).

Senior Activities-3/4/5/6

Gather together as a family and have a discussion about what it means to be empathetic. Some discussion may be:

» Identifying others’ feelings and emotions.

» Identifying our own feelings and emotions when we observe how another person is feeling.

» Acts of empathy/kindness (a time when you have shown empathy or kindness).

• After this discussion, talk about what characteristics or character strengths you need to be empathetic.
• As a family, design an ‘empathy superhero’. Label your superhero with the different characteristics it needs to be empathetic.
• Don’t forget to create a name and a motto for your superhero!
• As a family, make a pledge to carry out these tasks for the week (or beyond).

Confirmation

Confirmation will be celebrated during Mass on Sunday, 11th May 2025. 

Please keep Mia Labajo & Macy Sampson in your prayers as they confirm their faith in front of their families, friends and parish.

"Every one of us has the Spirit within us. The Spirit is in our heart, our soul" - Pope Francis