Public Speaking Competition

Congratulations to all the students from Years 3- 6 who have presented their speeches to their class this week. I have heard reports of confident and clever content that has been delivered to a high standard.

On Monday 12 August at 9:45am parents and carers are welcome to join us as the successful speakers present their speeches to the school. From this event, two students per class will be chosen to represent us at the Northern Region Competition on Friday 23 August.

The speech topics are as follows:

Year 3 - If kids ruled the world - 2 minutes

Year 4 - Australian stories- 2 minutes

Year 5 - Learning from the past - 3 minutes

Year 6 - Our voices- 3 minutes

Mackillop Golf 

Henry Galland - St Mary's, Crookwell

Police and Community Engagement

Local Police Officers, Sergeant Kissell and Sergeant Lincoln along with Sergeant Fitzgerald from Goulburn PCYC joined us last Friday for a BBQ lunch. They cooked and served sausage sandwiches to lots of hungry students. The Officers then joined the students for games of soccer and league tag. As part of the Hume Police District's Community Engagement Program, officers are attending local schools to speak and answer questions and talk about policing in the local area.

We enjoyed our visit a lot and look forward to it happening again.

My Body, My Life - Years 5/6

On Tuesday 13^th August 2024, the Archdiocesan Healthy Relationships Team will be working with the Year 5 and 6 students from St Mary’s Primary School to run the
My Body, My Life puberty and personal development program.

As a Catholic school, St Mary’s Primary School is keen to ensure that parents and carers are fully engaged in this very important aspect of their child’s development. Research also shows that despite any awkwardness you and your child might feel, children prefer to hear this information first from their own parents or carers.

To that end, the Archdiocese has created 60 minutes of online video content and a few activities for you to access at home with your child. You can watch all 6 short videos in one sitting or over a few nights, whichever works best for your family.

Please take the time between now and Tuesday 13^th August, to watch the online units that were emailed to you in Week One.

The topics covered in the videos include:

• Changes during puberty: physical, emotional, social
• Personal hygiene: skin, hair, cleanliness
• Reproductive systems: growth, development, changes and experiences
• Human conception
• Mood changes, mental health and wellbeing
• Respecting yourself and others
• Talking to trusted adults

In the classroom follow-up, presenters will recap information from the videos, then move on to a few activities on self-image, respect for others, healthy friendships & dealing with peer pressure.

Please note the Archdiocese has also created a ‘For the Parents’ page with videos and resources on how to talk to your child about online dangers (content and interactions).  This page is permanently available at:
https://cgcatholic.org.au/my-body-my-life/parent-resources/.

Tell Them From Me

The 'Partners in Learning' Parent Survey is based on a comprehensive questionnaire covering several aspects of parents' perceptions of their children's experiences at home and school. It is based primarily on Joyce Epstein's framework for fostering positive school and community relations. Successful schools foster greater communication with parents, encourage parental involvement in their child's
schoolwork, and enlist parents to volunteer at the school and participate in school governance. The survey also provides feedback to schools about how parents feel the school supports learning and positive behaviour and promotes a safe and inclusive environment.

The survey includes seven separate measures, scored on a ten-point scale. A score of 0 indicates strong disagreement; 10 indicates strong agreement; 5 is a neutral position (neither agree nor disagree).

The data gathered from this survey helps us form our Annual Improvement and Strategic Plans. Of course, we welcome a conversation at any point in time about concerns so that we can address these immediately. 

The data is also provided to the Catholic Education Office, and we would love them to hear about the wonderful things happening at St Mary's. Hence, we encourage all parents and carers to participate. The more responses we receive, the more accurate our data is.

A link to the survey will be emailed to you this afternoon. The survey closes on 23 August.

NSW PSSA Boys Netball

Next week, Year Five student, Harley White will participate as a member of the Western Plains team and compete at the PSSA Netball Comp in Cambridge Park.

Thank You

A big thank you to Sabey and Sidney Bush, with their family, for the kind donation of a new special Olympic and Australian flag.

Important dates to note:

Mon 12 Aug - School Public Speaking 9:45am

Tues 13 Aug - School Community Council Mtg 6pm

Wed 14 Aug - School Photos

Tues 20 Aug - P&F Working Party Mtg 7pm

Tues 20-Thurs 22 Aug - Book Fair (coinciding with Book Week 2024). Yr 6 will host an afternoon tea on Wednesday 21 in the Possum Magic theme

Fri 23 Aug - Northern Region Public Speaking

Fri 23 Aug - CWA Projects due

Tues 26 Aug - CECG Athletics at the AIS

Wed 28 Aug - Stage Two Canberra Excursion

Fri 6 Sep - St Mary's Feast Day

Wed 11 Sep - Whole school visit to GPAC for ARC experience

Fri 13 Sep - Yrs 3-6 at CHS Careers Day Expo

Fri 27 Sep - Kinder/Year One Showcase assembly

  

The School Explorers  - School Readiness Program

Is your little one starting school in 2025? Help them embark on an exciting educational adventure with "The School Explorers" commencing this term on Friday, 16th August.

"The School Explorers" is a comprehensive school readiness program designed to familiarise children commencing school in 2025 with our caring staff, friendly students, state-of-the-art facilities, and the exciting world of the NSW curriculum key learning areas. This program aims to make the transition to primary school smooth, enjoyable, and filled with confidence!

All preschool-aged children are invited to attend regardless of school choice. Come along to all or as many sessions as suits you. Parents are welcome to stay for the session, leave your child in our capable hands, or a combination of both.

To register or for more information, don't hesitate to get in touch with Belinda on 48321 592. We can't wait to welcome your child to St Mary's!