2024 Term 2 Week 5
Dear Parents and Carers,
Thank you for the support given to the Pyjamas day last Friday. We raised valuable funds - $270.00 - for the Winter Appeal.
National Reconciliation Week (NRW) is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements and explore how we can contribute to reconciliation in Australia. During the week of Monday 27 May - Friday 31 May, our students will have the opportunity to engage in a variety of cultural immersion activities designed to deepen their understanding and appreciation of Indigenous cultures and histories. These experiences aim to promote respect, trust, and positive relationships within our community.
Yesterday staff attended the Diocesan Proclaim Spirituality Day at St John Paul College in Coffs Harbour. Thank you for supporting our staff in this important event.
Some of our students will be participating in the Grafton Eisteddfod, taking place on 4-5 June. If you have not yet done so we ask the parents of students who are involved in the Eisteddfod to visit the event in Compass to give their permission. This event is a wonderful opportunity for our students to showcase their talents and for us to support and celebrate their achievements.Warmest regards,
Jacki, Dom and Jas
Term 2 Events Calendar
Mini Vinnies Pyjama Day
On Friday 24 May, our students participated in a fundraiser for St. Vincent De Paul's Winter Sleepout. A huge thank you to everyone who wore their pyjamas and supported this wonderful cause.
Sacrament of Confirmation
Our Year 3 students have been learning about Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit in their Religious Education unit this term, while our Year 4 and 5 candidates will begin lessons next week with Mrs Montford to help prepare them to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation in the coming weeks.
Our students will participate in a Confirmation Retreat on Friday 7 June, to celebrate their learning and deepen their understanding of what it means to be confirmed.
Mrs Dominique Montford
Assistant Principal Mission
Premiers Reading Challenge is now on.
We encourage our students to keep reading!
SORA
Sora is our Lismore Diocesan school digital library. It houses eBooks, magazines and audiobooks suitable for Kinder through to staff (including professional reading).
Sora will work on any platform. You will need internet access to locate and borrow, but you can download to read and listen offline. Sora is available for all staff and students in the Lismore Diocese. The ability to borrow a resource is determined by date of birth to ensure appropriate content. (Juvenile - Kinder - Year 6, Young Adult - Years 7 +, Adult - Year 9 +). Visit "Getting started with Sora" for more information.
Warm regards
Jas
Assistant Principal Learning and Teaching
National Reconciliation Week
This week, we celebrated National Reconciliation Week, focusing on the rich history and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Isaac from Year 6 shared what Reconciliation Week means to him: "This year's theme is 'Now more than ever.' For me, this means connecting with the country, protecting it, and preserving our land and culture. With so much lost throughout the years, it's up to us to maintain what we have and ensure it thrives for future generations."
Today, our Aboriginal students led a school assembly, emphasizing the importance of unity and honouring our shared culture, history, and customs. They then presented the school with a beautiful artwork they created this week, representing the two tribes and the three clans within each tribe and the river that runs through both.
We were privileged to witness the McAuley Dance Group perform a traditional cultural dance, and the whole school enjoyed tasting traditional bush tucker, making Mook Mooks, and decorating boomerangs.
A huge thank you to our Aboriginal Education Worker, Matt and our Aboriginal students for leading this wonderful initiative in our school. We are so privileged to have you share this cultural opportunity with all of us here at St Mary's.
Let's carry the spirit of reconciliation with us, not just this week, but every day.
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.
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
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volunteers interacting one-on-one with a child not their own,
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working with children who have a disability,
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offering mentoring services,
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when the volunteer is not a parent or close relative.
Transport NSW Position Vacant
Transport NSW has a position available as a School Crossing Supervisor - Clarence Valley/ Casino LGA. We have shared the link below: