Term 3 Key Dates

COVID-19 Update of School Regulations

Thank you for your understanding and support of the recently tightened COVID restrictions for schools. For us, this has meant no across stage or across school activities including Peer Support, Cricket Gala Day and St Mary's/CPS Hockey Clinic.

Currently, we are trying to re-imagine new ways to do the things which have been affected that we believe are valuable to our students' development. An example of this was the Northern Region Public Speaking Competition, that we hosted virtually today. We are also trying to develop a virtual plan to involve our new 2021 school starters. 

Thank you for remaining off the school campus, unless the matter is of vital importance, and for being careful with distancing at pick up time. Thank you also for keeping your children home when they are sick and for following the testing procedures. We really appreciate your vigilance.

Northern Region Public Speaking Competition

Today we hosted the Northern Region Public Speaking Competition via Zoom. A huge thank you to our primary staff and Mrs Tarlinton and Mrs Hewitt for coordinating the individual video conferences and to our speakers for their terrific effort in this different landscape. 

Congratulations to the following students for being selected to compete at the Archdiocesan level on 22 October, hosted by St Patricks, Cooma. 

Year 3 - Chloe Bensley (Winner)

Year 4 - Ava Nicholson (Runner Up)

Year 5 - Sethan Grove (Winner) and Lucy Gamble (Runner Up)

Microsoft Teams and Google Classrooms

With the COVID-19 restrictions in place, we are now increasing our use of MS Teams and Google Classroom as places where we can post links, videos and information about events at school. Recent examples include the School Public Speaking Competition and Jump Rope for Heart. Attached below are instructions on how to use MS Teams. You can access Google Classroom directly from MS Teams. You will need each child's log-in details to access both platforms. These details were distributed to parents by email on the 27 March 2020. If you require your child's details again, please contact the School Office.

PARENT_Accessing_MS_Teams_Windows.pdf

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Devices Brought to School by Students

A reminder that if iPod's, iPads, phones, or any personal devices, are brought to school, they must be given into the Office at the start of the day and collected at the end of the school day. The devices are not to be left in the student's bags or taken into classrooms.

Scholarships 

Each year the Country Women's Association of NSW offers Education Scholarships to assist with secondary schooling and the area of the Arts. Application forms can be collected from the School Office and need to be submitted to the CWA State Office, with an accompanying Principal's reference, by 30 September. 

Enrolments closing soon

If you have a child who will be commencing school next year and have not enrolled yet we ask that you attend to this as soon as you are able.

If you are aware of someone who may be interested in finding out more about St Mary's please encourage them to contact Belinda to organise a time for a 'socially distant' tour.

Camp

Please note we have a new date booked in for Year Six Camp to Narrabeen.  We have rebooked for Week 8 Term 4 - Monday 30 Nov - Thurs 3 Dec. This will depend, of course, on COVID restrictions which may still be in place at that time.

Father's Day Stall

Year Six Fundraising for our end of year celebrations involves hosting a Father's Day Stall. This will be held next Friday morning, 4th September.

Gifts will all be $5:00 and will include a BIC A4 Compendium, a Giant Calculator, a Notebook, Mind Puzzles and a Secret Bird House!!! It would be appreciated if you could please send in the correct coins or note so that we do not have to handle the money.

Jump Rope for Heart

Congratulations to all of the students and staff for the fantastic skipping routines that were presented last Friday. The skill development in each student over the past five weeks has been very pleasing and they really enjoyed the program.

Hopefully you have had a chance to watch the performances that have been posted in your child’s Microsoft Teams and Google Classroom drives. Thank you to Mrs Tarlinton for recording and posting the videos.

The school raised $205.00 which ha been donated to the Jump Rope for Heart Foundation. Congratulations everyone!

Cricket NSW Gala Day

Due to the new NSW Guidelines (19/8/20), which restrict students from different schools mixing, we will not be able to participate in the Cricket Gala Day set for this term. We are hoping to hold an in-school visit later in the year.

Sporting Schools- Basketball

Weeks 6-10 Friday sport this term will be focusing on basketball. We were again granted a Sporting Schools Grant to facilitate a basketball program. Due to current COVID restrictions, how we run the program is different this term to previous programs we have delivered. I have completed a registered basketball coaching course and been provided with lesson resources for all grades which teachers will deliver. We have been very lucky in being able to use part of the funds to purchase much needed basketball equipment. 

All students are required to please bring in an old wire coat hanger for their Art Focus Day, thank you.

Kindy: Monday 31 August

Safe on Social- Parental Controls in iOS 12

Home Reading Hints:

• Listen to your child read as often as you can
• Find a quiet time to share reading
• Sometimes bedtime is best, sometimes morning works
• Read to your children

Reading at home should be for fun and it should revise skills. It should not be a chore; reading should not be hard work. Sometimes it is necessary to tell the child the word or read one page to them, rather than create disharmony and lose enjoyment and meaning.

Questions parents could ask their children to support their reading include:

1. Does that make sense?
2. Try to use your sounds.
3. Try that word again.
4. Can you read on (read further in the text) to see if you can work out that word?
5. What letter/sound does that word start with?
6. Can you see any little words in that big word?
7. Can you break that word into parts/chunks?
8. Put your finger over the ending of the word. What does it say?
9. Ask them to think of a similar word, maybe tell them a rhyming word.

A GOOD READER BALANCES 6 COMPONENTS:

• PHONEMIC AWARENESS
• PHONICS -WORD ATTACK SKILLS
• SIGHT WORDS,
• VOCABULARY
• FLUENCY AND
• COMPREHENSION.

REMEMBER AS PARENTS WE MODEL POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE ATTITUDES TO READING. TELL YOUR CHILDREN HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO READ! LET THEM SEE YOU READING!

Is reading a struggle for your child?

If so, remember to have their eyes and hearing checked!

The following link explains how to download an app to do a FREE HEARING CHECK for your school-aged child. Information is also provided on this website about what to do next.

https://www.soundscouts.com/applications/schools/#

Reading problems arise for a variety of reasons. Every child is different and progresses at a different rate. However, ALL children need lots of practice to improve their reading. If your child is struggling, don’t give up and stay positive! Research shows a strong link between reading every day, reading at home and academic performance.

Try using the 3Ps: PAUSE, PROMPT and PRAISE!

1. PAUSE: Give your child time to work out the word before you help or tell them.
2. PROMPT: Offer a prompt to your child, eg. ‘it begins with the sound…’; ‘ends with the sound…’; ‘rhymes with ….’; ‘try that again…’; ‘cover part of the word with your finger and see if you can work it out…; ‘read to the end of the sentence and see if you can work it out…’; ‘read the sentence again…’;
3. PRAISE: Make reading an enjoyable experience and always praise your child for their efforts!

READ EVERY NIGHT!

Teach your children:

It is okay to make a mistake!

Mistakes are how we learn!

Year 4 – Briana Blowes and William Millett

Year 5 - Bryce Foley and Elisha Marcelino

Year 6 - William Heffernan

School Spirit Awards

Kiowa Morning, Max'e Reynolds, Patrick Walsh and Bryce Foley for demonstrating care for our school environment. 

Cattle Committee News

Last week the Walsh family welcomed a new addition to the St Mary's herd, a brand new baby calf. Thank you to all our families who manage the St Mary's stock - your contribution to our fundraising through this committee is much appreciated!

Wood Raffle - Please return your tickets

If you haven't returned your tickets, please do so by tomorrow morning (Friday) as it will be drawn tomorrow.

Thank you to the parents who have offered their labour and wood. 

St Mary's Cookbook

Due to current circumstances with COVID -19 and the resulting restrictions and limitations, we have been unable to carry out a lot of fundraising activities or events this school year.

With kids spending more time at home as a result of cancelled sport and other extra curricular activities, there is always the question of what to feed them...something different, interesting, easy and quick to prepare for those midweek meals, something that even the fussiest of eaters would eat or at least try, or maybe even something slightly more elaborate for weekends or when there is some time to spare.

Wouldn’t it be great to have an easy to use and refer to cookbook of family favourites?

Well, what if we had our own St Mary’s Cookbook? With anything and everything ranging from quick, simple and easy to throw together meals for those days when you just don’t feel like cooking, to more elaborate dishes when you feel like entertaining and impressing.

The book release is planned towards the end of Term 4, just in time for Christmas (Facebook has just informed me that there is only 4 months and 2 weeks till Christmas. Yes, it’s scary how quickly time flies). It would make planning meals during the long summer break just that little bit easier and less stressful. The book would also make a great Christmas present.

If you, or anyone you know, are willing to share your favourite recipe(s) that would be fantastic!!! Please email them to Belinda Tarlinton at Office.Stmarysc@cg.catholic.edu.au

Coordinator's Daria Lawson & Tash McCormack

Tuckshop

Sacrament Program

First Holy Communion preparation for Year 4 will continue for the next 4 weeks.

Weekend Mass times through September will be at 5pm, including the Mass for First Holy Communion on 19 September.

Archdiocesan Women’s Reflection Afternoon 

All women are invited to participate in an Archdiocesan Women’s Reflection Afternoon which will be live-streamed to all corners of the Canberra Goulburn Archdiocese this Saturday 29^th August from 2.00pm to 4:30pm. This event is hosted by the Archdiocesan Women’s Taskforce https://womenstaskforceacg.org/

Gather with friends at home or in the parish to hear inspiring talks and participate in short guided prayer experiences.  Register for free at www.bit.ly/WomensReflectionAfternoon 

More info at https://www.catholicvoice.org.au/event/womens-reflection-afternoon/

Enquiries email catholic.women@cg.org.au or ring/text Lara Kirk on 0429 192 869

Speakers:

1. Clara Geoghegan-  Clara has lectured in Church History and Spirituality. She hopes to inspire the women of the Archdiocese to respond to their baptismal calling to intimacy with Christ and to co-responsibility for the mission of the Church. 
2. Brigid Cooney- Brigid is a 21-year-old native Canberran. She worked on the Youth Mission Team in 2017 and 2018 and hopes to make a difference to young people by teaching history and religious education. She will share her personal journey of discovering her own baptismal calling to intimacy with Christ and co-responsibility for the Mission of the Church. She will also explain why she put her hand up as a delegate for the Plenary Council and what she hopes will be achieved.

Guided Prayer:

As well as these inspiring talks, the Women’s Reflection Afternoon will include short guided prayer experiences lead by the following groups:

• Winniefred Rebello, Women Alive (Indian, Pakistani & Sri Lankan Catholic women’s prayer group)
• Anne Hartwell, Mothers Prayers
• Bronnie Schlager, Call to Connect
• Karen Doyle, Sisterhood National Catholic Women’s Movement
• Vikki McDonough, Christian Meditation

Register for free at www.bit.ly/WomensReflectionAfternoon

Enquiries text Lara 0429 192 869 or email catholic.women@cg.org.au

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)

School_holiday_landcare_1.pdf

Second Hand Uniform for Sale

Jenny Gay has some second hand girls size 6 & 8 winter uniform for sale. If you are interested, please contact her directly on 0438 321 267.

Crookwell 200 Years Celebration Calendar- 

If you would like to buy the Crookwell 200 Years celebration calendar, you can purchase at the school office for $10, cash only please.