Term 4 Key Dates

Thank you for your generous donations of items and money for the Good Samaritan Operation Christmas Child gift boxes. We reached our goal of seven full boxes and we received enough money to cover the postage as well. 

Thank you very much!

InitiaLit

Next year we will adopt a new literacy program into our Kindergarten, Year One and Year Two classrooms. InitaLit is an evidence-based whole-class literacy program providing all children with the essential core knowledge and strong foundations to become successful readers and writers. InitiaLit is a three-year program, covering the first three years of school (Foundation to Year 2). It has been developed by Macquarie University and is in keeping with the MiniLit and MulitLIt Programs, small group interventions used at St Mary's.

InitiaLit is a reading program that incorporates a synthetic approach to the teaching of phonics alongside a rich literature and vocabulary component.

It ensures consistent instruction across classrooms in a year level, and a reduction in the number of children needing support in higher grades and it provides an evidence-based approach to reading and spelling.

This term five of our staff members will be trained in how to effectively deliver the InitiaLit Program. This will occur on 5/6 November and 19/20 November. 

Sheep Muster

As you will read in the P&F section, if any families have a sheep they are able to donate to raise funds for the P&F to be sold at SELX on Wednesday 11 November, please contact Catherine Culley. We appreciate any assistance you can provide with this fundraiser! P&F funds this term will be contributing to our new Mercy Building furnishings. 

The final school fees for 2020 were sent out last week. Please check to ensure you have received yours.

We would like to have all families with a $0 balance by the end of 2020, so if you need information on how to achieve this, please see Belinda. Please remember we rely on these fees being paid to cover our basic utilities costs such as electricity and gas.

ALL SAINTS DAY - 1 November  

The Catholic Church celebrates ALL SAINTS’ Day this coming Sunday.

What is a SAINT?  The Church does not CREATE saints. Human beings make the conscious choice to do that for themselves. Catholics believe all are called to try to be saintly each day; to live lives according to God’s commandments to love God and love one another. Mary, Jesus' mother and Patron Saint of our school, was the first saint. Mary Mackillop – our very own Australian saint – is another great example for us to follow. She led her life striving to be like Jesus – her motto was: ‘Never see a need without trying to do something about it.’

The initial reason for creating a common feast day for ALL of the SAINTS was the desire to honour the great number of martyrs who had died because of their unwavering faith in Jesus and their good deeds in His name.

The designation of November 1 as All Saints Day occurred over time, after Christianity became legalised in A.D. 313.

On this day, we give thanks for the many men and women who chose to live lives of faith, hope and love, and in doing so, helped lead others into God’s loving embrace.

Christians ask the Saints to pray for them today, that they may follow Jesus and experience God’s mercy and love.

Our Years 3,4,5 and 6 students will be attending Mass to celebrate ALL SAINTS tomorrow at 9:30am.

ALL SOULS DAY – 2 November

The Church prays for, and remembers, those who have died throughout the entire year. However, All Souls is the general, solemn, day of commemoration, when the Church remembers, prays for, and offers special masses up for the faithfully departed. We pray that our loved ones and all of those who have died enter into the loving presence of God in Heaven. We will hold a special ALL SOULS DAY prayer at school next Monday November 2 at School.

CATHOLIC MISSION

The Lord has told us what is good.

What he requires of us is this:

to do what is just, to show mercy,

and to live humbly with our God. (Micah 6:8)

PRAYER – join us in praying for the poor and marginalised.

DONATIONS – each classroom has a box for money donations for the poor. Please help us with this if you are able.

WHITE ELEPHANT–Please send any unwanted items (but in reasonable condition) into school. Items may be left on the stage in the School Hall. (Items may include things like: toys, kitchenware, clothes/drawing/sketching materials, books, jewellery etc.)

ODD SOCKS – please send in your odd/old socks for our special mission activity.

Day for Daniel is Australia’s largest day of action to raise awareness for child safety, protection, and harm prevention. Held annually on the last Friday of October, Day for Daniel honours the memory of Daniel Morcombe. The theme is ‘Wear Red, Educate and Donate’.

Parents, carers, and educators are encouraged to start a conversation with children and young people about personal safety. Day for Daniel is the Daniel Morcombe Foundation’s biggest fundraiser of the year. Fundraising helps us continue our free education programs, resource development, and support for young victims of crime.

Why do we wear red?

We ask people to wear red on Day for Daniel in remembrance of Daniel Morcombe. Daniel was wearing a red t-shirt on 7th December 2003 when he found himself in an unsafe situation. Wearing red links Daniel’s very real story to the importance of safety education. It provides a message of strength and hope that together we can make the world safer for all children as a legacy to Daniel and his family.

How can I educate my child?

The key child safety message on Day for Daniel encourages children to Recognise, React, and Report if they ever feel unsafe. Child safety education does not need to be scary or risk-focused, but should highlight topics such as recognising body clues, understanding body ownership, naming private body parts and identifying adults who can help if a child feels unsafe. It’s important to ensure the information you are sharing is age and developmentally appropriate. Using everyday opportunities (such as a situation a character on a TV show may find themselves in) to reinforce personal safety messages is a great strategy to ensure you keep communication open and demonstrate you are willing to talk about being safe.

For children

There are lots of things our bodies do to let us know we might not be safe. These are called body clues. It’s important we can recognise our body clues. Things like feeling sick in the tummy, our hands sweating, or our heart beating faster are all clues we might not be safe. If we ever find ourselves in an unsafe situation, we need to be able to react. This means to find a way, if possible, to become safe again such as, saying ‘NO!’, running away, or screaming ‘help’. Sometimes we even need to break a rule to become safe again. If we ever feel unsafe it is really important to report it to a safety helper. Keep telling an adult in your safety network until someone helps.

How do I answer questions my child may ask about Daniel?

During Day for Daniel, many children and young people may be curious about Daniel, what happened to him, and why we have a Day for Daniel. It is important children learn about Daniel without getting overwhelmed, scared, or sad. Day for Daniel is a day to be positive about learning to be safe. For children Daniel was a 13-year-old boy who felt safe every day. One Sunday at the start of the school holidays he went to catch a bus. Unfortunately, the bus broke down and by the time the next bus turned up Daniel was gone. Daniel’s situation went from safe to unsafe very quickly. Luckily, what happened to Daniel doesn’t happen very often and there are lots of things we can talk about to help you stay safe. Daniel’s family want to make sure all children know what to do if they ever feel unsafe at home, school, online, or while in public. We have Day for Daniel so children all over Australia can learn what to do if they ever find themselves in an unsafe situation. Even though you might feel safe all of the time, it’s important you know how to recognise when something isn’t safe, how to react to find a safe place, and once you are safe again you need to report, that means to tell someone why you felt unsafe. You should also make a plan for things that could happen, like having a meeting place when you go shopping in case you get lost or making a family password, so you know which adults it is safe for you to go with. This is why we have Day for Daniel. We all have the right to feel safe all the time.

What should I do if a child makes a disclosure of harm?

Whether you are a parent, carer, or professional your initial response in the moment with the child should be the same. Listen and believe. Stay calm and let the child speak at their own pace, don’t ask leading questions, or make promises you cannot keep. Remember your reaction to a disclosure can make all the difference to a child or young person and their ability and confidence to seek future support, talk to others, and process their experience/s of harm. All disclosures of abuse should be reported to the relevant state or territory child protection agency.

Donations can be made to the Daniel Morcombe Foundation via our website via credit card. The Daniel Morcombe Foundation also accepts direct bank transfers or deposits, as well as cheques. Please visit the donate page on the website to make a donation or to find out more information. All funds donated to the Daniel Morcombe Foundation contribute to harm prevention activities and improving outcomes for children and young people who have been impacted by crime. Donations also support the Daniel Morcombe Foundation to continue providing free of charge educational resources to parents, carers, and educators across Australia to teach young people how to stay safe in their physical and online environments. Your support, no matter how big or small helps to keep kids safe.

Judo Program

There was a great deal of excitement last Friday when all students from K-6 had their first Judo session with Craig from the Goulburn Martial Arts Academy. The focus for Week 1 was on agility and basic co-ordination skills.

If your child has expressed interest in taking part in a program such as this outside of school please contact Craig via details on the website; https://goulburnmartialartacademy.squarespace.com/

Photos to come in next weeks newsletter.

Athletics Carnival

We have had discussions about holding a potential Athletics Carnival towards the end of the Term. The format would be slightly different from our normal carnival routine, with there being no individual or house points allocated, and the focus being on modified athletics activities.

Further details regarding this will come as they are finalised.

Sheep Muster

The P&F have decided this year to hold a Sheep Muster. This gives our farming families, that do not already run St Mary's cattle, the opportunity to donate a sheep. This could be a sound lamb, old ewe, wether or ram. The stock can be collected or dropped to the Crookwell showground on Tuesday 10 November for sale at SELX (donated by Daniel Tarlinton Elders) on Wednesday 11 November.

If you would like to donate a sheep to support our great school please contact Catherine Culley on 0458 367 251.

    

Tuckshop Term 4 Roster

There have been a few changes already, so please check below to see if your date doesn't work.

Helping in the tuckshop is not scary at all and you won't be left alone without any training or assistance. If you would like to have a look at how it works before actually having a go, please contact Daria.

Year 4 – Sophia Galland and Sommer-Lee Gann

Year 5 - Bryce Foley and Elisha Marcelino

Year 6 -  Sienna Charnock and Ethan Whittle

School Spirit Awards

The School Spirit Award recipients this week are:

Sommer-Lee Gann for showing compassion on the playground

Marli Selmes for showing compassion on the playground

Patrick Walsh for exemplary care and compassion towards younger students

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)

Mens Health- Lets Blue Up Crookwell!

Support Mens Health by going Blue this October

CADS Performance- The Vicar of Dibley

Australian Government Mobile Service Centre visit to Crookwell

Crookwell Garden Festival Calendar- REDUCED TO $5.00!

Available at the School Office. Cash only please.