End of Term

This is our last newsletter for the term. I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate our dedicated and hardworking students who have put in a huge effort this term developing their skills across many Key Learning Areas. I also thank them all for their help with moving our classes into alternate learning spaces and appreciate their flexibility and resilience.

Thank you also to our supportive and encouraging parent body. Your effort with assisting your children with remote school work, returning to school with changed conditions and keeping unwell children home is truly appreciated. 

To the teachers and staff, your enthusiasm and commitment, during a term that brought forth many changes, is inspirational. I am blessed to work with such an amazing team!

Next term we welcome back Mrs Dorothea Hewitt from Long Service Leave. I would like to thank Mrs Claire McCormack for taking our Library classes in Mrs Hewitt's absence. 

We are also able to welcome our volunteers back into the school next term. We look forward to commencing our volunteer reading and intervention programs in Week 2.

I hope you have a happy and safe holiday break and I look forward to seeing the students back on Tuesday 21 July.

Term 3 Key Dates

Building Update 

This term the builders have been hard a work renovating the Mercy Building. So far, the storerooms have been removed and the openings to the classrooms have been created. The area is looking large and spacious!

Over the holiday break the server and comms room will be moved to our current photocopy room, near the staffroom.

Semester 1 Reporting

Tomorrow your child will receive their Semester 1 report. In response to the changed learning circumstances in Term 1 and Term 2, Semester 1 2020 reporting processes across our Archdiocese have been modified to provide parents with specific information about their child’s achievement and progress. Changes to reporting have occurred in every NSW education sector due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Semester 1 Report 

• Student reports will be sent home tomorrow, Friday 3 July.
• The report covers work completed in both Term 1 and Term 2.
• Student achievement for Years 1 - 6 will be reported as an A-E grade for the three main core areas: Religious Education, English and Mathematics.  
• Student achievement for Kindergarten will be reported using a three-point scale for the three main core areas: Religious Education, English and Mathematics. 
• Other subjects may receive a grade if the teacher has sufficient evidence of learning.  In subjects where a grade is not possible, ‘Not assessed’ will be displayed.  This means that, although the learning throughout the semester has been rigorous, it is not possible to make an overall judgement about the student’s achievement in relation to the reporting Outcomes or Achievement Standards against the Grade Descriptors.
• A new section ‘Engagement with Learning’ has been developed to replace the ‘Personal and Social Capabilities’.  The new statements are based on the Australian Curriculum: General capabilities, and target four key areas of learning engagement: Thinking, Communication, Responsibility, Collaboration. 
• The ‘Engagement with Learning’ statements have replaced the General Comment section of the report this semester; the statements give detailed information on your child’s approach to learning.

Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews

Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews will be offered in Week 2 Term 3 - 27 and 28 July. Bookings will be done online via our Schoolzine platform. You can find the link on our website or via the SZapp app and these bookings are open now. Interviews will be face-to-face, however, if, due to COVID-19, you feel more comfortable with a phone call, these can be arranged through Belinda. If you require further assistance with this, please contact Belinda in the Office.

Thank you 

Thank you to Daria Lawson for keeping our tuckshop running for Friday lunches during the second half of this term.

Next term, from Monday 27 July, tuckshop will resume as normal, with three volunteers. Qkr! transactions are preferred, please. 

Farewell

It is with a heavy heart that we farewell Year 2 student Loralai Ryan, as she moves with her Mum over the holiday break. We wish Loralai the best of luck at her new school. Loralai, her mother, Stephanie, and Grandmother, Jenny, will be missed by our school community. 

Counsellor Visits

We met our new CatholicCare provider, Sharyn Lynch, this week. Sharyn comes with lots of experience and can offer a number of different programs. Sharyn is qualified to run the 'Cool Kids' Anxiety Program. This can be done on a one-on-one basis and has been found to be extremely beneficial for children who experience anxiety.

Counselling sessions are a wonderful chance for you or your child/ren to be able to discuss concerns or worries. They can provide strategies to assist with behaviour management, stress, resilience and anxiety.

Sharyn will be visiting each Monday in Weeks 2, 4, 6 and 8.

If you would like to make an appointment please contact Belinda via telephone or email Office.Stmarysc@cg.catholic.edu.au.

Baby News!

Congratulations to Donovan Francis who has become a big brother to Walker Francis Ross. Congratulations to Casey and Mark, as well!

Southern Health Dentist Checkups Postponed

Dental checks at schools may not continue in 2020 due to COVID-19. All parents and carers are encouraged to arrange a dental check-up for their children. You may want to consider the following options:

• Call the Goulburn Dental Clinic on 1800 450 056. Please note at this stage there is a waiting list
• Contact your family dentist
• Check if you can use your private health insurance with a local private dentist
• Medicare Child Dental Benefits Scheme- your child must be eligible and this may allow for routine treatment at a local private dentist.

School Shoes

Are you needing to buy new school shoes in the holidays? If so, please take note of our school shoe policy.

The expectation is traditional, black, leather or synthetic, lace-up, boots or Maryjane style, polishable school shoes. Suede shoes and black joggers are not acceptable for safety reasons. The sole should be no more than 2 cm high and the heel 3 cm.
Canvas shoes, ballet shoes, cloth shoes and slip-on shoes are NOT permitted.

St_Mary_s_Footwear.pdf

St_Mary_s_Footwear _pdf 580.23 KB

Enrolling Now

Please spread the word about our School Tours. If you know someone who is interested in learning more about St Mary's or who has a child ready to start Kindergarten in 2021, we welcome their visit. Social distancing regulations will be put in place for our tours.

Enrolments can now be placed online. Go to https://enrolments.stmarysc.nsw.edu.au/enrol/ to enrol now.

Enrolments packs are available from our School Office or can be downloaded from our website http://www.stmarysc.nsw.edu.au/enrolment.html

The School Explorers Program

Next term our preschool friends will be visiting each Friday afternoon to participate in The School Explorers, our school readiness program.

Attached below is the amended program dates, please share this around!