Return to Face-to-Face

It has been wonderful to have our classrooms nearly full again this week, with a 93.5% attendance rate. Staff and students are trying hard to maintain distance and cleanliness in our school setting. Thank you for your support with minimising your entry into our school buildings. When social distancing regulations are lifted for adults we will be able to relax our approaches and welcome back our parents and volunteers into our learning spaces.

Until further notice, we ask that all students continue to enter the school via the Office area each morning. The students will sanitise their hands and have their temperature checked before heading onto the playground for morning play. The students can play in the MP Hall, on the concrete areas on the top playground and the Library is also open for students needing a quieter space.

This week we have seen our students enjoying making up new games to play that do not involve touching or 'tip'. The boys photographed below at the bottom playground created 'Social Distancing Nests' out of bark and leaves.

Semester 1 Reporting

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 

• 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 inclusion of the ‘Engagement with Learning’ statements means that the General Comment section of the report is no longer required; the statements give detailed information on your child’s approach to learning.
• Student reports will be sent home at the end of this term, on Friday 3 July.
• Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences will be offered in Week 2 Term 3 - 27-28 July.

The street directly out the front of St Mary’s is a Bus Zone from 8.30am-9.30am and 3.00pm-4.00pm. Please be aware that occasionally parents dropping their children off in the mornings in this bus zone have been fined by the police.

We recommend that in the afternoons if you have come to collect your children by car that you walk with your child to the crossing on Wade Street to cross safely out of the Bus Zone. Students will not be permitted to cross the road by themselves  - you will need to come and collect your child from the schoolyard.

Morning Club

At this stage, we ask that only families requiring this service to support their work send their children. It will resume for all families when all social distancing regulations are lifted. 

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!

All students should now be wearing their full winter uniform.

Items can be purchased from the Uniform Shop via Qkr or picking up in person on Tuesday and Thursday's only, 12-1pm

Boys Winter Uniform
Grey trousers*
Grey long sleeve shirt*
Grey school socks with gold stripe*
Necktie*
Bottle green V neck jumper*
Black school shoes (No joggers or sandshoes. Shoes must be plain,lace up, fully enclosed or black elastic sided boots)
Bottle green jacket/coat*
School Hat* or bottle green beanie

Girls Winter Uniform
Fawn long sleeved blouse*
Bottle green gabardine pants*with black socks OR
Bottle green tartan pinafore* & black tights
Bottle green V neck jumper *
Necktie*
Black school shoes (No joggers or sandshoes. Black plain, lace up, fully enclosed or Mary-Jane style)
Bottle green jacket/coat*
School Hat* or bottle green beanie

* Correct style available only at the St Mary’s School Uniform Shop.

The Ascension of Jesus into Heaven

In the Scripture reading for this Sunday, Jesus tells his disciples what to do as he was about to leave them.

He puts before them (and each of us) the lifelong task of keeping God’s commandments.

Gospel Reading: John  14:15-21

Jesus said to his disciples:

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows him.

But you know him, because he remains with you,and will be in you.

I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live.

On that day you will realise that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you.

Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me.

And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”

Keeping the Lord’s commandments means loving the Lord and loving our neighbour. Love is the mark of Christians. When one accepts Jesus and his commandments, one will be filled with love and live in the faith and hope that they are truly loved by God.

Jesus assures that  even though his earthly body is no longer here on earth to guide and help us, the Holy Spirit will always be with us.  All of us are loved by God. Have you felt it? The fact that one experiences love, one shares that very love of God. Do you demonstrate your concern and care for others with love? Do you choose and select whom to love?

The love of God is beyond restrictions and boundaries. One shall not only love the person of his or her choice but everyone. Even those whom one does not like. More than ever, one is compelled to love anyone without “ifs or buts,” including one’s enemy. This is what the good news is all about, the love of God is shared, thus, our turn to love others like God is our task. This is not always easy.

Followers of Jesus are called not simply to believe in His resurrection and the promise of new life, but to live it through the quality of their daily lives, through how they treat each other and speak to each other. Actions will speak louder than our words.

As St John of the Cross reminds us, ‘at the end of our lives, God will not judge us on our earthly possessions and our human achievements but on how much we have loved.’

Let us strive for excellence in taking up Jesus’ call to truly love one another – as He loved us!

Mini Vinnies

Our Year 6 Mini Vinnies students launch the Vinnies Winter Appeal next week!

Every year the St Vincent de Paul Society runs its Winter Appeal to collect items to assist people through the coldest time of the year.

A study titled “Poverty in Australia 2018” which was released last year showed that more than 3 million Australians are currently living in poverty. This figure includes more than 739,000 children aged 12 and under. The St Vincent de Paul Society is able to provide not only emergency assistance to these people – but also a hand up to a better life.

By supporting the 2020 Vinnies Winter Appeal, you are helping provide support to more than 40,000 people from the Canberra/Goulburn region who are currently living in poverty.

Donation of the following items would be greatly appreciated:

• New thick socks
• New gloves/mittens
• Coats and scarves
• Sleeping bags
• Blankets/doonas    (please make sure any used items are in reasonable condition)

Many thanks from St Mary’s Mini Vinnies Team

Volunteers

Please be advised that until the social distancing regulations are relaxed, unfortunately, our volunteer-run programs will be on hold. This is to support the health of everyone. Thank you for your understanding.

NDIS Links

No Maths Club

Please be advised that Maths Club is on hold until further notice.

Year 4 – Tahlia Anderson and Sophia Galland

Year 5 - Olivia Pursell and Phoebe Selmes

Year 6 - Sienna Charnock, Dylan Greenwood and Marnie McCormack

School Spirit Award

William Fraser for striving for Excellence in all areas

Saxon Greenwood for showing Service to others

P & F Left-Over Food Sale- DUE TOMORROW

Tuckshop

Due to the current situation, the tuckshop will remain closed until further notice.

Kindergarten Fundraiser- 100 Club

With the current Covid-19 guidelines, fundraising is particularly difficult at this time. With all other Term 2 fundraisers cancelled, we would appreciate your support in buying a ticket in the 100 Club, run by Kindergarten.   

Tickets will be available for sale on Qkr.

Trinity Catholic College are hositng an online Year 7 2021 Parent Information Session via ZOOM next Wednesday 20 May from 5.00pm – 6.00pm.

Information has been sent to Year 6 parents by Szapp and email, however if you have had trouble receiving this, please contact Belinda.

Message from Commonwealth Bank

The health, safety and wellbeing of our communities and our people remains our highest priority. Due to the ongoing uncertainty surrounding coronavirus, the School Banking program will remain on hold. We will continue to monitor the situation and keep you informed with any updates including how we will be managing Dollarmite tokens for students. 

In the meantime, here are some handy online resources for parents who wish to maintain momentum with their child’s financial education: 

• Start Smart: these resources have been created to improve children’s money management skills, and is aligned to the Australian Curriculum and the National Consumer Financial Literacy Framework. 
• The Beanstalk: offers videos and fun activities for children to learn about money.

St Mary's Church closed

St. Mary’s Church is now closed with all masses cancelled.

Fr Joshy will be doing Mass on line.  It can be accessed through our facebook page- "St. Mary’s Church Crookwell". Masses can also be accessed through the Catholicvoice.org.au  

All Sacraments and Baptisms are on hold for now.

If any enquiries please contact Parish office

Parish Office

For Parish and Sacramental matters please forward your enquiries to Parish Secretary, Janet Haynes or Pastoral Associate Sr Rosemary via email or call into the Parish Office at the Old Convent Building on Tuesdays or Thursdays.

Email: Crookwell@cg.org.au

Website: http://cg.org.au/crookwell/Home.aspx 

Phone: 48321 633 

Address: 55 Wade Street (the Old Convent Building)