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Upcoming Events

Mission Day - tomorrow!

Our annual Mission Day is an opportunity to raise funds for Catholic Missions - a fantastic charity that supports families in third-world countries with food, clothing, shelter, clean water and education.

Our students all contribute to Mission Day by donating goods, organising activities, providing morning tea and lunch, and by participating in a fun selection of things to do.

Please see the schedule details in Mrs Skelly's section in this newsletter.

Refurbishment Opening and Blessing

Next Thursday 23 November, we welcome Senator Deborah O'Neill, Mr Ross Fox Director of Education and the General Vicar Fr Richard Thompson to Bless and Officially open the refurbished Mercy Building.

The building work was funded by the Catholic Education Office, the Australian Government and St Mary's Primary School.

Other special guests include our Parish Priest Fr Joshy Kurien, Mr Brad Gaynor, CECG Senior Officer, Sr Rosemary Hart, St Mary's Parish Associate, the Chairman of our School Board Marty Reynolds and our former Chairman Andrew Pursell, Reané Strode on behalf of the Parents and Friends Association, and Sister Gabrielle representing the Sisters of Mercy.

2024 School Fees

We are very conscious of the current cost of living pressures and have worked hard to keep fees to a minimum.  However, we are not immune from rising costs and unfortunately need to pass on some of these costs in the form of increases in school fees.

The annual school fees for 2024 are shown in the table below.  The school fee in 2024 will include the tuition fee and all school-based levies (except for excursions). Catholic Education has also reviewed and updated the arrangements for family discounts, which are also set out in the attached table.

Your school fees are used to support the delivery of high-quality education and maintain and improve facilities, including the funding of all staff and the maintenance and improvement of facilities at the school.

Our students continue to benefit from a high-quality educational experience and a wide range of learning and co-curricular opportunities. We continue to see improvement in academic achievement of students, particularly in literacy and numeracy. This commitment to learning combined with knowing each child continues to nurture the growth and development of every child.

We are very mindful of the impact that any fee increase can have on families. We have carefully considered these impacts in setting the 2024 school fees and have attempted to keep the increases to a minimum. If you have any concern that fees in 2024 may cause hardship for you and your family, I encourage you to contact me for a confidential discussion on the assistance available to support your child.

We value your partnership and we sincerely thank you for your continued support of our school. If you have any questions about school fees or require assistance on any other matter, please do not hesitate to contact the school.

Change to Travel Arrangements

The School Explorers Program

Tomorrow, we welcome back our preschool friends for the fifth The School Explorers session. This week, the children, accompanied by their Year 5 friends, will participate in the 'Swipe-It!' educational technology session.     

Last week, the students had a wonderful time with the art, craft and construction activities. 

St Mary's Mission Day- Catholic Mission  

Tomorrow is our Mission Day where we raise funds for Catholic Mission and those in great need in our world. We begin the day with Mass where we pray for peace and justice for all people, especially those who don’t have what they need to live a full life.

It is up to us to do as Jesus’ asks us and REACH OUT AND GIVE LIFE. We are all called to be Missionary Disciples who reach out and help others with “Heart, Head, and Hands”.

• know, in our minds that we are all God’s beloved children
• desire in our hearts to show compassion
• Work with our hands to seek justice and peace for everyone; (to serve others as Jesus did to bring about God’s Kingdom on earth where all are equal, and all HAVE ENOUGH)

Our older students have been busy preparing a range of activities and novelty events for the afternoon. Whilst our Mission Day is always great fun, may it also remind us how blessed we are in our lives and how little others have. May it remind us that we are called follow in Jesus’ footsteps and serve the poor…

Matthew 25:35-40

³⁵ For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

You are welcome to join us tomorrow for Mass, lunch, and the activities in the afternoon if you are able.

MUFTI day

Students may wear casual clothes to school tomorrow.

Activities:

• Years 5/6 –Novelty activities/games
• Year 1 – Cake Stall
• Year 2 – Lucky Dips
• Year 3 –Ice-creams
• Year 4 - White Elephant Stall

Students will need money for:

• Recess- 1 Cake Stall (50c) Ice creams ($1)
• Lunch - Sausage sandwich ($2), Poppers ($1), 
• For students in lower grades, it would be a good idea to have lunch money ($3) in a separate, labelled bag/envelope.
• Ice creams/Spiders (fizzy drink with ice cream) ($1) 
• Mission Day Activities - ranging from 20c to $2

On Friday the 10th of November, Year Four and Three went on an excursion to Fitzroy Falls on the Bigga bus. 

The classes got split into two groups, Year Four and Year Three. Year Four got to go on a walk around the park with Deidre while Year Three got to see the weapons that Aboriginals used to use.

On the walk, we got to learn about bush tucker and medicine, we also got to learn about termite mounds and that goannas lay their eggs in active mounds.

After we finished the walk, Year Four and Year Three swapped activities. When we got back from the walk, Brendan showed us a lot of cool weapons and kangaroo fur coats.

After he showed us the tools and coats, he put out  two bits of Mangi branch on each bench, one was smaller than the other. He put them out so we would have the chance to make fire.  

While we were doing that, Brendan got out some Ochre so that he could paint us. After that we got to pat a bird. We did not know what bird it was so we asked Brendan. He said that it might have been sick

At the end everyone sat down to say thank you Brendan and Deidre.

On the way back I thought, “I AM DEFINITELY ASKING MUM AND DAD TO TAKE ME THERE AGAIN.”

By Flynn Reeves

Book Club orders are due next Thursday 16 November, via Loop.

Upcoming trials

Tuckshop Roster

If your date doesn't suit, please work out a replacement/swap date and let Belinda know to update the roster.

Christmas Carols and BBQ

Christmas Gift Idea

Want to get some early Christmas gifts sorted? Why not buy some of the St Mary's Recipe books? Now only $10 each!!

Books can be paid for using Qkr, under the P&F payment section or cash to the School Office.

Sticky Beak Bag Use

Please remind your child to put their sticky beak lunch bags into the baskets on tuckshop days. The ladies in the tuckshops are finding a big increase in having to use paper bags, which results in extra rubbish on the playground. 

RDA Goulburn Centre winners of the 2023 RDA NSW Musical Drill Ride Led. They kids dressed up as Trolls and rode to "Can't Stop the Feeling: by Justin Timberlake featuring a Thelwell pony!

Well done to Harley, Harper and Owen for being part of this winning team! They will receive a rosette from the RDA state office. 

Thanks to Jo Grove for her continued support of our students attending.

Parish Office

Thank you!

Cathy and Rob Hunt, Tressa Mattox and the team at Loving Care Babies’ Home would like to sincerely thank Mrs Lowe, all the staff, children and their families for your incredible support for our recent mufti day fundraiser. It was very much appreciated, and we hope to do some FUN fundraisers next year.

Well done to Elle Reeves

Well done to one of our mums, Elle Reeves, who recently travelled to New Zealand to compete at the Crossfit Masters League. Elle came 3rd, which means she was the 3rd fittest woman in her age group ad division worldwide! (Excerpt from Upper Lachlan Gazette)

Leider Theatre Company presents Roald Dahl's The Witches

Girls in Rugby

Go4Fun