Term 4 Week 4 | 23 October 2024

Principal - Ms Katrina Dunne

A big thank you to all the parents and community members who contributed their time and effort to make our biennial school fete a resounding success! I would like to extend a special mention to Mrs Vanessa Alexander for her exceptional coordination of the fete this year. We look forward to sharing the financial success of the fete in next fortnight's newsletter.

As we approach the end of the 2024 school year, I also want to express my gratitude for your continued support throughout this year. Your involvement plays a vital role in making our school a vibrant and nurturing environment for our children.

We have many exciting events coming up! Please also refer to the save the dates at the bottom of this newsletter piece.

World Teachers’ Day - Friday, 25th October

This Friday, we celebrate World Teachers’ Day, an opportunity for us to intentionally thank our teachers for the wonderful work they do. Their dedication and passion for education are truly inspiring, and I encourage everyone to take a moment to show appreciation for their efforts.

Day for Daniel

On Friday, we also acknowledge Day for Daniel, a day dedicated to raising awareness about personal safety. Parents, carers, and educators are encouraged to start conversations with children and young people about staying safe. We invite everyone to wear red on this day to show support and raise awareness.

Swimming Lessons

Swimming lessons commence this week, and it is imperative that all students participate. We have made adjustments and modifications to ensure that every student has access to swimming during their PE lessons. Additionally, we are in need of parent helpers at the pool. If you are available and willing to volunteer, please contact the school office to nominate yourself.

Thank you once again for your support and involvement. Have a fabulous fortnight ahead!

Cheers, 

Katrina 

AP M & I - Mrs Kirsty Lines

Congratulations Imogen Hunt AP: M&I 2025

By now you will have been informed our Assistant Principal: Mission and Identity for 2025 is Imogen Hunt.  It’s been my pleasure to work with Imogen over the last four years.  Imogen is currently in the process of finishing a Graduate certificate in Religious Education and has shown great initiative as a classroom teacher in the area of Religious Education; designing rigorous assessments, displaying a deep understanding of the curriculum content.  Imogen brings a fresh perspective to the role and I’m sure you will join me in supporting her in 2025.  Congratulations Imo!

Prayer Assemblies

Thank you to Year 1 for a fantastic prayer assembly about Mary last week, on Friday October 18.  We look forward to the Year 3 prayer assembly this coming Friday, October 25.

Parish Children’s Mass

Thank you to all who supported our Parish and attended our Children’s Mass on Saturday, October 19.  Please see picture below.  This will be the last children’s Mass during the school year.  Thanks to all who have attended in 2024.

All Saints Feast Day – November 1^st

We’d love to see you at our All Saints Feast Day liturgy at 8:30am, in the church on Friday, November 1^st.  Well done to Year 5 for stepping up and showing wonderful leadership skills in leading this liturgy.  After the liturgy, Year 5 will attend their leadership retreat at Graham Andrews' Park.  During this retreat we discuss and reflect on servant leadership; what this means and how this looks at St Mary’s.  We will be joined by a special guest speaker, a leader in our community.  Parents of Year 5 students are welcome to join us for a BBQ lunch from 12:30pm.  Further information will be communicated through parent portal in the coming week.

Wishing you all a blessed and peaceful fortnight,

God bless,

Kirsty Lines

AP:M&I

Library - Mrs Michelle Sheehan

It is that time of year again and we are all getting very excited about Book Fair!

Parent helpers are required.

If you can help, please pop your name on the Parent Roster in the office.

Students will take home a Book Fair Flyer next week.

If you are unable to pop into the Fair, an online Book Fair Payment Portal is available and allows you to pre-pay for titles from the Fair.  A receipt number will display so you can complete the Payment Form. Your child can then hand the form to us, and we can organise the items. Further details will be available on the Parent Portal and the take home flyer.

See you at Book Fair in Week 6

Health - Ms Susan McInnes

Welcome to Term 4! This term, we’re excited to have ambassadors from the Deadly Choices Program visiting to deliver a variety of programs to students from Prep to Year 6. The Deadly Choices initiative is all about educating and empowering our younger generation, helping them build the confidence and knowledge they need to make healthy choices.

With a strong focus on supporting our younger people, Deadly Choices covers key topics like identity, healthy relationships, nutrition, physical activity, the dangers of tobacco and e-cigarettes (vapes), regular school attendance and keeping up to date with regular health checks. The aim of the program is to progressively build upon each other and help provide students with the tools they need for a bright and healthy future, grounded in positive values.

As part of the initiative, there’s an exciting opportunity for students to win prizes, including two Fitbit Watches! To enter the draw, students need to have a health check completed at one of the local clinics in town. The Deadly Choices educators will collect names of the eligible students from the clinics and include them in the draw.

I hope you enjoy the photos from the sessions so far. It is wonderful to see our students engaging in a program and taking steps towards a healthier future.

Take care,

Ms Mac

Year 3 - Miss Katherine Spalding

Welcome to Term Four! We’re excited to share what we’ve been up to in class.

This term, we have been diving into a novel study of "The Iron Man." The story has sparked wonderful discussions and creativity among the students. In science, we’re exploring insulators and conductors of heat, which ties in perfectly with our reading as we learn about the Iron Man’s fascinating adventures.

In math, we’ve been investigating symmetry in both natural and man-made environments. Students have enjoyed finding symmetrical patterns in their surroundings and creating their own symmetrical designs!

We have our prayer assembly performance this Friday, and we hope to see all of you there! It promises to be a meaningful event as we come together as a community.

Year 4 - Mrs Madisen Flaherty

Welcome back to everyone for the final term of the year!

The start to this term has been great for year four with the students settling back into our classroom routine nicely. The students had been working on their art pieces to get ready for the fete, so I hope you all enjoyed seeing their artwork on display. They were all quite proud of their efforts.

The students have also completed ‘Gratitude Hearts’ at the start of this term, where they discussed the meaning behind the word gratitude and what this means to them. It is so lovely to see the students work maturely and with thoughtfulness regarding their learning.

One of our focuses this term in year four is working with and recapping time and the elements involved. We are looking forward to a great final term in year four and achieving success in our learning! 

Mrs Flaherty.

Year 5 - Miss Holly Price

Term 4 is off to a busy start! A big congratulations to the Year 5 class and Prep class for being the best borrowing class in term 3 – students could enjoy the wonderful resources in our library to celebrate for our first library lesson back.

A big thank you to Mr. Kupper for engaging our Year 5 class with his ‘Friendology’ program!

Looking forward to a wonderful end to our year. I have included our Term 4 learning outline below:

English: persuasive writing and War Horse novel study.

Math: decimals, factors and multiples, statistics.

HASS: Economics – wants and needs.

Science: light science.

Religion: Excellence and Mary Mother of God.

Year 6 - Miss Taylor Morrison

Hi families,  

We are thrilled to welcome you back for the final term of the year! Term 4 is packed with exciting events and activities, and we can’t wait to share them with you. 

Week One was filled with recapping our routine/expectations and jumping straight into curriculum!  

In Week Two, our Year 6 students attending Charleville State High School had their second transition day. This transition day is designed to help them feel more comfortable and prepared for the next big step in their educational journey. Our students who will be attending schools outside of Charleville have also attended orientation days, sleepovers, etc.  

Also in Week Two was our St Mary’s Fete! We had so much fun! Here’s what our Year 6 students had to say: 

• “The games were my favourite.” 

• “I liked the laser tag.” 

• “The music from the band was great.” 

• “The slushies and chook races were the best.” 

On Friday this week, we will participate in Day for Daniel - an important day to promote child safety and awareness. Students are encouraged to wear red and will engage in activities that highlight the importance of staying safe (Awareness March and Red Colour Run).  

This term, our Year 6 students will participate in an outreach program at Waroona. The visit to Waroona Nursing Home will allow our students to engage with the residents through various activities such as reading, playing games, cooking, gardening and sharing stories. This interaction is designed to benefit both the students and the residents, promoting empathy, communication skills, and a sense of community. We are super excited!!!!! 

Additional Events this Term: 

• November 15th Shrek the Musical: Our talented students have been working hard on this year’s musical production. Come and enjoy a magical evening of music and laughter as they bring the beloved characters of Shrek to life. 

• November 29th Swimming Carnival: Get ready for a splash-tastic day at our annual Swimming Carnival. Students will compete in various swimming events, showcasing their skills and sportsmanship. 

• December 2nd Graduation: As we approach the end of the term, we will celebrate the achievements of our Year 6 students at their graduation ceremony. This is a special milestone, and we look forward to honouring their hard work and accomplishments. 

We are excited for all the wonderful experiences this term will bring and look forward to sharing them with you. Let’s make Term 4 a memorable one! 

Warm regards, 

Miss Morrison and the Year 6 Crew  

St Mary's Fete - Mrs Vanessa Alexander

St Mary’s Fete Success: An Evening to Remember!

We are thrilled to announce that our recent St Mary’s Fete was a resounding success! The event was filled with joy, laughter, and a sense of community that made it truly special.

Kids Zone Highlights: Our Kids Zone was a hit with activities that kept the young ones entertained all evening. The Lions’ Jumping Castle was a bouncy delight, while the Blue Light Laser Tag brought out the competitive spirit in many. Our dedicated Face Painters added a splash of colour to the evening, and the QLD Ambulance display was both educational and exciting. Putt Putt Golf, the Soccer Shoot Out, and the Footy Throw provided endless fun and challenges for all ages.

Delicious Food: No fete is complete without delicious food, and ours did not disappoint. The BBQ was sizzling with mouth-watering options, the Thai food brought exotic flavours to the table, and the hot chips were a crowd favourite.

Incredible Music: The highlight of the evening was undoubtedly the performance by Geed Up Music. Their incredible tunes had everyone dancing and singing along, creating an electric atmosphere that resonated throughout the event.

Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to making this St Mary’s Fete a memorable one. A special thanks to our volunteers for sharing their valuable time and energy to make this year’s fete successful. Your support and enthusiasm are what made this event such a success.

Wash-Up Meeting: We will be holding a wash-up meeting on Wednesday, 23 October at 4:30pm to discuss the event and gather feedback. We hope to see you there!

Vanessa Alexander

October Birthdays

Tuckshop - Mrs Alice Short

Flyers