2024 Term 1 Week 7

Dear Parents and Carers,

Thank you for your engagement in our student-led interviews over the past few weeks. We are sure that you are as proud of your children as we are! These student-led interviews are a powerful way for students to advocate for their own learning. When the students lead their own learning, they can set meaningful goals and work towards achieving them in partnership with parents and teachers leading into their end of semester reports. Parents as partners in learning are a great way for us to work together to achieve our school vision - Quality Christ-centered learning for all. 

This week our students in Year 3 and 5 have commenced The National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). NAPLAN is a crucial tool for evaluating our students' progress in key areas of literacy and numeracy. This standardised testing provides valuable insights into individual and collective strengths and areas for improvement, helping us tailor our teaching to better meet the needs of every student.

While the word 'test' can sometimes evoke anxiety, we encourage our students to see NAPLAN as an opportunity for growth and development. It's a chance for them to showcase their skills and for us to celebrate their achievements.  We wish all the students the best for the remainder of their assessments and know that they will do exceptionally well. 

On Thursday 7 March, our choir visited St Catherine’s Residential Care to perform at the centre's official opening, presided over by the Most Reverend Gregory Homeming, OCD, Bishop of Lismore. The students enjoyed performing ‘Hearts on Fire’ for all the special guests and residents. A very big thank you to Mr Peter Tonkin, who worked with the choir and led their performance on the day.  

The Easter Egg guessing competition is being run each break at school and has been very popular with students.  Guesses cost 50c each and the competition is open to all students. Thank you to those families who have contributed to the Easter raffle - either by buying the raffle tickets or donating Easter ‘goodies’.  We are happy to receive additional donations for the raffle which will be drawn on Tuesday 26 March.  

Parent Talk

Parent Talk newsletter aims to provide parents and carers with relevant and timely information about parenting, education, wellbeing, upcoming CCSP events and webinars for parents, and significant Catholic news and events.

The Council of Catholic School Parents NSW/ACT represents all parents and carers of students in our Catholic schools. We value and promote the critical role that parents play in the education of their children, and provide leadership, advocacy and support for parents and carers of children in almost 600 Catholic schools.

Parents and carers are invited to subscribe to CCSP’s Parent Talk newsletter to receive future editions and keep up to date with how our Council supports Catholic school parents to support their children’s wellbeing, faith journey and academic outcomes.

Click here to subscribe.

On 2 April at 10am Kate Thomson, Principal of McAuley Catholic College, will visit our Year 6 students. An Open Evening will be held on Tuesday 9 April from 4pm, for prospective and current families at McAuley Catholic College. This is an opportunity to showcase the College’s facilities, students, and staff. Please register by using the QR code on the flyer.

Just a reminder that Monday 29 April is a Staff Development Day and students commence Term 2 on Tuesday 30 April. 

Warmest regards,

Jacki

Upcoming Events at St Mary’s

• Friday, March 22, students in Kindergarten to Year 6 will attend the Cross-Country carnival at Junction Hill. After the Attendance Roll is marked at school, students will travel to Barnier Park, Pine Street, by town bus. Please remember to pack a picnic lunch, big drinks, hats, and sunscreen. Payment and permission can be given on the Compass App. Parents are welcome to attend.
• Tuesday 26 March, students from Kindergarten to Year 6 will attend Dion Drummond’s performance. During the performance, he will share tales, language, and artifacts from both of his cultures, teaching students about the different traditions of his Torres Strait Island and Aboriginal Indigenous heritage. 
• Thursday 2 May is School Photos. In the coming weeks, MSP Photographers will add a link to your Compass dashboard to assist in purchasing photos. 

Proclaim Lismore Religious Education Program receives glowing reviews. 

Religious education that develops student discipleship has been a top priority over the last decade for our Bishops, clergy and schools of the Diocese of Lismore. This has been recognised twice in recent feedback. A review by Br Michael Callinan FMS stated the program has proven to be 'highly committed over the last decade in response to the international, national and local directions provided by the Catholic Church regarding young people'. The Melbourne Archdiocese's Haldane Review of Religious Education Curriculum commended the Diocese of Lismore and its resources as being of 'very high quality for this area which formed part of a project that ran from 2013 to 2020 called Proclaim Lismore'. Proclaim Lismore Staff will be focusing on re-engaging lay people post- COVID in the lead up to the Jubilee Year in 2025. 

Sacrament of Confirmation

Information regarding the Sacrament of Confirmation will be sent out via Compass in the coming weeks for those who wish to register their child to receive this Sacrament. The Sacrament of Confirmation is for baptised students in Years 3,4,5 and 6. 

Outlined below are the key dates for the Sacrament of Confirmation. 

• 4 June, 6 pm- Confirmation Information Evening at St Mary's Church, Grafton
• 7 June- Confirmation Retreat Day for students
• 18 June, Time TBA- Sacrament of Confirmation conferred by the Bishop at St Mary's Church, Grafton 

Please note information regarding the Sacrament of First Reconciliation and First Eucharist will be shared in Term 2. 

Change to Parish Mass Times

Please be aware that there has been a slight change to weekday Mass times on Wednesday and Thursday – NEW Times are:

Wednesday 8.00am at St Patrick’s Church, South Grafton.

Thursday 9.15am at St Mary’s Church, Grafton.

Privacy_Collection_Notice_for_Parents_Address_Collection_2024.pdf

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Health Screening

Parents who have concerns about their child's vision, hearing or speech can have an assessment completed by contacting the following:

Vision Difficulties: Testing is available at all local optometrists without a referral.  Fees may apply, please clarify at the time of booking.

Hearing Difficulties:  Free hearing clinics at Grafton Community Health on 66418702 and Maclean Health on 66400123.

Speech Difficulties: Referrals can be made by parents/carers by phoning the ASpeech Pathology Department at Grafton on 66418745 or Maclean Community Health Centre on 66400123.

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.

Covid 19

COVID-19 is still present in our community. 

Students and staff CANNOT attend school if they are showing any symptoms of COVID-19. 

If a student is unwell, displaying any COVID-19 or cold and flu-like symptoms at any time, they CANNOT attend school and should undertake a rapid antigen test. 

If the rapid antigen test is positive and the student is unwell and/or experiencing any symptoms, they CANNOT attend school.

If the rapid antigen test is positive and the student is feeling well and not displaying or experiencing any symptoms, they CAN attend school but the school is to be informed of the positive test result.

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.

Getting to school by bus in 2024 - Bus passes

• All students catching the bus in 2024 will need a school travel pass.
• Under the School Student Transport Scheme (SSTS), eligible students can apply for free or subsided travel between home and school.
• For more information about the School Student Transport Scheme and how to apply for a school travel pass, visit https://apps.transport.nsw.gov.au/ssts/#/ from a desktop computer.

Kiss and Drop Zone in Turf Street

Just a reminder that the Kiss and Drop Zone is currently signed as a one minute parking zone. This means that you cannot park your car in the kiss and drop zone for an extended period. The students arrive at Kiss and Drop at 3pm and are supervised in this zone until 3.20pm. Please consider arriving closer to 3pm for collection.

The Kiss and Drop is designed for you to stay in your car while your child enters the car. If your child cannot open the car door and secure their own seatbelt, you need to park your car in the designated parking areas and walk to the gate to collect your child.  Please drive through as far as possible to allow sufficient space for other drivers in the zone. The Kiss and Drop Zone does not function effectively and becomes congested if there are any hold ups or delays.

The school does not request the presence of the Grafton Police to manage traffic at the front of the school. However, there is a regular police presence on Turf Street monitoring the safety of the school zone. Please ensure that you adhere to all traffic signs in the area to avoid fines. 

Please check out our school Safe Travel webpage that details all the processes for travel to and from school.

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.