Principal's News - Term 2 Week 10

Dear Parents and Friends,

Leadership at St Mary's School starts at an early age. Students in Years Kindergarten to Year 6 are elected to the Student Representative Council and invited to give a voice into making their school a better place. Students experience leadership by being involved in Liturgies and School Masses, public speaking and special events for the St Mary's community. Our leadership program encourages students to become confident and articulate and to see service to others as an opportunity to make a difference in the community.

Our Year 6 students are developing their leadership skills in a variety of ways, enabling them to become confident, dedicated and positive students who are prepared to guide and inspire others. I am grateful to our Year 6 student leaders for their positive role modelling and willingness to give their time and effort to others in their first semester of Year 6.  They are true models of the spirit of St Mary's. Congratulations!

School Liturgies
Last Sunday our Year 3 students received the Sacrament of the Eucharist for the first time. We congratulate these young people and their families at this special time. I would also like to thank our celebrant Fr. Michael, and the many staff members who supported our students and families at the Masses.

Celebration of Learning
Congratulations to our students who work hard each day to do their best. This has been celebrated in the school report and parent/teacher interviews this week. Thank you parents for supporting us at home. It is when the school and family work in a partnership that great gains are made by the students.

Student Performance
Today our Junior Band students performed a number of songs under the creative direction of Mr. Rod Herbert at our morning assembly. This was a most entertaining finish to the school term and a tribute to our hard-working students.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you a restful, happy and safe holiday and enjoy this special time with your children. I look forward to greeting you again next term.

School Building Update
We are anticipating that the builders will be on site from Week 3 in the next term to commence the Stage 2 Building Project. Students who will be housed in the demountable classrooms will move across at the end of Week 2 after the preparation work is completed. A more detailed report will accompany this bulletin.

Staff News
We say farewell to Mrs. Sarah Lewis our Y 1 teacher, who is taking maternity leave until 2017. We wish Sarah and her husband Jed, much happiness for the coming weeks.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you a restful, happy and safe holiday and enjoy this special time with your children. I look forward to greeting you again next term.

May God bless you all,
Beverly

Term 2, Week 8

Dear Parents and Friends,

The weekly merit and principal awards are given to students to encourage and challenge them to try their best in all facets of school life. I have noticed that a number of our students are responding well to the award for Mercy.

As you are aware Pope Francis announced a Jubilee Year of Mercy for 2016 which ends on the Solemnity of Christ the King on November 20 this year. Mercy, if pondered, could profoundly and mysteriously influence the way we live our daily lives. Using Pope Francis' words as a springboard can help us examine the call and challenge to be disciples of Jesus. In doing so, we too witness to the divine love that God has for us as proclaimed by Jesus Christ. Mercy is the force that reawakens us to new life and instils in us the courage to look to the future with hope. I congratulate our students who are showing mercy in their relationships with others and being the face of Jesus.

The Athletics Carnival last week was also a wonderful display of our students and their ability to try their hardest in team sports and individual events. Their ability to be resilient as well as encouraging others were positive traits on the day. I congratulate them all!

Creative thinking skills are always listed as desirable characteristics for 21st century learners. Last week, four of our Year 6 students participated in a creativity project with the advertising agency Clemenger BBDO as part of the Vivid exhibition. I was most impressed with Niamh S, Lucy, Niamh O and Isaac in their clever responses and project work around the topic of Drought as part of real-world solutions and outcomes implemented by the students. Well done students!

This coming weekend will see the demountable classrooms installed on site. Builders will need a couple of weeks to install them and make the area surrounding safe and secure. We are planning to move the classrooms across during the second week of the school holidays and have them ready for occupation at the beginning of next term. Further updates will be given next week.

Best wishes for a positive week ahead
Yours in peace,
God bless,
Beverly