2025 Term 1 Week 5 and 6

Dear Parents and Carers,

We want to take a moment to sincerely thank you for your support, patience, and understanding regarding the decision to close the school from Thursday 6 March to Tuesday 11 March. These decisions are never made lightly, and we truly appreciate the way our school community has come together during this time.

Your cooperation ensures that the safety and well-being of our students, staff, and families remain the highest priority. We understand that school closures can present challenges, and we are grateful for your flexibility and commitment to working with us as we navigate these circumstances.

Year 3 and Year 5 are commencing NAPLAN on Monday.  We wish them every success.

St Mary's Primary School parents enrolling children in Kindergarten 2026 are reminded that completed applications are required by Monday 17 March.

Thank you again for your ongoing support, resilience, and partnership. Our school community is incredibly strong, and together, we will get through this.

Warm regards

Jacki Moore

Principal

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

Upcoming webinars

Relay for Life

Opening of Clarence Regional Aquatic Centre

Clarence_Regional_Aquatic_Centre_2025_Grand_Opening.pdf

Clarence_Regional_Aquatic_Centre_2025_Grand_Opening _pdf 1.08 MB

CANDO.pdf

CANDO _pdf 126.23 KB

FEES

Fee Payment Plans

From 2025, school fees and levies are billed annually and statements have been sent out to families.

Start the School Year Safely: Tips for 2025

As children return to school, it's important to prioritise their safety on the journey to and from school. Take time to discuss these key safety tips with your child:

Getting In and Out of the Car:

• Always use the door closest to the curb to prevent stepping into traffic
• Make sure your child waits until the car has completely stopped before exiting.

Walking Safely:

•  Encourage distraction-free walking by asking your child to remove headphones and put away devices while crossing streets.
• Teach your child to stay alert, follow traffic signals, and use designated pedestrian crossings.

Using the Bus Safely:

• Wait at the bus stop together, standing at least one step back from the edge of the road.
• Always meet your child at the bus stop on the same side of the road—never call them across from the opposite side.
• Wait for the bus to leave before crossing the street, ensuring it is safe to cross.

Using Wheeled Transport:

• Remind your child that helmets are mandatory when riding a bike in public—it’s the law.
• Encourage helmet use and protective gear for other wheeled activities, such as scooters, skateboards, and rollerblades.

Never sacrifice safety for convenience, source: https://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au

CVCON 2025 enrolment forms

2025_Enrolment_form.pdf

2025_Enrolment_form _pdf 420.72 KB

Bricks4Kidz Northern Rivers

Here is the link to the Lismore program however Bricks4Kidz will be in other centres as well.

Uniforms

St Mary's School uniforms are available to purchase from Lowes in Grafton Shopping World. The sports uniform is worn on Wednesday and Friday each week.

Attendance

• If your child is arriving to the school after 8:45am please sign them in at the office.
• Please use Compass to record full day absentees.  Partial absences are recorded by staff when students are signed in and out of the office.
• Students who leave a school event early will have a partial absence recorded.
• A medical certificate or other documentation may be requested where frequent absences due to illness occur.
• Generally, extended leave (greater than 10 days) during the school term would not be approved.  These absences are recorded on the roll as unjustified and a completed Form 01 Extended Leave Notification Travel/Other Greater than 10 Days is required. 
• In exceptional circumstances parents may complete an Form 02 Approved Extended Leave Application - Travel/Other Greater than 10 Days for consideration by the Principal, explaining why an absence for extended leave is in the best educational interest of the student. The Principal may decline or accept this application.

Parking in Hoof Street

There are a small number of parking spaces near the Sunrise Shop (corner of Hoof and Turf Streets) for use by their customers.  To assist this small business, we suggest parking away from the corner.

Overseas Visa Details

Reminder:  Parents and Carers are to keep the school informed of any change in residency/visa status during the course of their child's enrolment, with evidence of new visa status provided. Parents should be made aware that the school must be informed of any change in residency status.

Working With Children Check (WWCC)

At St Mary's we are committed to creating and supporting a culture of safety for children and ensuring that children are protected. All employees and volunteers are required to have a current WWCC. 

NB -  The vast majority of volunteers in schools are parents of a child attending the school at which they are volunteering (eg reading groups, fetes, camps, excursions and canteen) and therefore do not require a WWCC.  Exceptions to this are 

• volunteers interacting one-on-one with a child not their own, 

• working with children who have a disability, 

• offering mentoring services, 

• when the volunteer is not a parent or close relative.

Child Safeguarding Statement

The Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools (DLCS) is wholly committed to the safety and wellbeing of children and young people.

As school communities and as individuals, we commit to fostering communities of safeguarding that recognise and uphold the dignity and rights of all children and young people. Our commitment is drawn from the teaching and mission of Jesus Christ, in love and justice, whereby the dignity and sacredness of each child is respected.  Additional information may be found on the DLCS website or by using this link: Child Safeguarding Policy.