Mission
Harmony Day Celebrations - Friday 21st March
Harmony Day is just around the corner, on Friday, March 21st! We're excited to embrace our school's rich diversity during Harmony Week, by recognising and celebrating the many cultures that make up our community.
The core message of Harmony Week is simple yet powerful: Everyone belongs. It's a chance for us to learn from one another, and to appreciate our differences.
A big thank you to the families who have already contacted us to share something special from their culture! We're so grateful for your involvement. If you would like to contribute by sharing your cultural background, or if you know someone who might, we'd love to hear from you! Please reach out to Hannah Gorman hannah.gorman@lism.catholic.edu.au or Katherine Davies at katherine.davies@lism.catholic.edu.au.
To mark this special occasion, students are invited to wear something that represents their cultural heritage or the colour orange, the official colour of Harmony Day. Further details for the day will be shared via Compass.
Family Parish Mass
On Sunday 2 March a beautiful celebration of community was held at St Mary’s Church when staff, students and parishioners gathered for Mass and a shared morning tea.
Father Joe, along with many parishioners, commented on the beautiful way both Freya Kroehnert & Freya Thompson read and participated in the service. They were also deeply touched by the strong presence of our families, staff, and students joining together in the Church.
Shrove Tuesday
Shrove Tuesday was a truly delicious day at St Mary’s! We celebrated with a mountain of pancakes, thanks to the incredible generosity of our parent volunteers who spent their morning cooking up over 300 of these tasty treats. A huge thank you to them for their time and effort!
We also extend our gratitude to our Year 6 Mission leaders who did a fantastic job serving the pancakes to everyone. It was a wonderful community event, bringing us all together for one last feast before we begin our Lenten journey.
Not only did we enjoy a delicious treat, but we also raised money for Project Compassion! Thank you to everyone who contributed. It was a great way to celebrate Shrove Tuesday and support a worthy cause.
Ash Wednesday
Even amidst the flurry of preparations for the school closure, we were able to pause for a moment of peace and unity to mark Ash Wednesday with a beautiful school liturgy. We were delighted to be joined by a number of parents, carers, and community members, as well as Sr Jenny, and Sr Maureen.
Ash Wednesday is the first day of the Lenten season, which is a time of reflection and renewal. During this sacred season, we remember Jesus' final days on Earth and his great sacrifice. On Ash Wednesday we received a little cross on our foreheads with ashes made from old palm branches, the ones from last years’ Palm Sunday. They remind us that even when things seem old or gone, there's always new life! They are symbols of hope.
Foundations of Religious Education (FiRE)
Congratulations to St Mary’s teachers Mrs Samantha Ford & Ms Katherine Davies who were two of the ten teachers selected from the Clarence Region to participate in the Foundations of Religious Education (FiRE) course. This is such a wonderful opportunity, and we wish them all the best with their studies!
Bishop Greg’s Lenten talks
The first of Bishop Greg’s Lenten talks was given on Monday, 10 March. It is available to view on the Lismore Diocese YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@LismoreDioceseAU
Student Expectations & Values: The St Mary’s Way
This week, our school leaders again chose to focus on one of the most important aspects of the St Mary's Way: respect. Respect is shown in many ways, but one of the most fundamental is how we speak to one another. Our goal is simple: to remember to use school-appropriate language at all times, even when we might be feeling angry or frustrated.
It's easy to let our emotions get the better of us sometimes, but at St Mary's, we strive to create a kind and supportive environment for everyone. We can all contribute to this by making a conscious effort to use kind words and good manners in all our interactions, whether in the classroom, on the playground, or anywhere else on school grounds.
Wellbeing
It's been fantastic to see so many students enjoying active play on the playground during breaks! A big thank you to the Sport Leaders, who have been supporting this by providing sports equipment. It's creating a more energetic and fun environment for everyone.
We've even had some budding bowlers showing off their skills, and a few very creative techniques. Landing the ball on the ‘green’ is always the goal! We love seeing the kids so engaged and active.
Best regards,
Hannah Gorman
Assistant Principal Mission