Dear Parents and Friends,

This week we ask all families to reflect on the importance of the season of Lent. As educators we talk to the children about the special ways they can show compassion towards each other and how love is a vital component in their lives, just as Christ made it the basis of His whole message to us.

Lent is a time that we focus on our relationship with God. It is a time for letting go of what prevents us from being the person we want to be. During His public life, Jesus faced temptation. He suffered hunger and thirst, betrayal and the agony and humiliation of crucifixion. He did not face these things so that we could be exempt from them but that we could approach our difficulties in life with dignity.

Recently, I read this reflection from a 14 year old girl: "I give up things for Lent, such as bread or lollies, to symbolise the sacrifice Jesus made during his 40 day fast. I am tempted each day by the things I gave up just as Jesus was."

Of course adults can still give up the equivalent of "bread and lollies" as external gestures of focus on the season of Lent, but more important are the internal matters which, if faced up to in a determined manner, will have lasting effects on the type of person we are beyond the 40 days of Lent.
God you are the focal point on our horizon. Give us the strength to follow the path that leads to you.

Vision for 2016

It has been a delight to meet with so many parents at the information night and the "meet and greet" occasion and communicate our vision for 2016. With a population of 326 students and 236 families we are confident of continuing to develop an excellent environment for learning and teaching. As explained at the parent information evening our vision for improvement in 2016 will focus on the following four strategic areas.

1. Catholic Identity and Mission: Curriculum differentiation in teacher's Religious Education programs to ensure that every student is engaged and learning successfully.

2. Learning and Teaching: Student learning is improved through a revitalisation of the Voice Learning Principles, flexible pedagogies and design of the learning spaces.

3. Learning and Teaching: Strengthen a culture of improvement through a systematic, reflective and evidenced based approach to learning and teaching through the Newman Project for gifted learners and personalised learning for all students.

4. Student and Staff Wellbeing: The safety and support of our school environment is strengthened through the implementation of the resource Kids Matters.
You will find further details on the school website for your perusal.

Parent Engagement

We encourage all parents to take part in the many social activities and information sessions that are scheduled for 2016. We commence next week with the first P&F Meeting for the year. Come along and hear about ways you can contribute to the school community which will benefit your child in their education.

This coming Wednesday February 24th between 8.00 am and 9.00 am Mr Tim Butt will give an overview of the school website and how to access particular information when using the Blogs. Tim will also give an update on the BYOD program in the school.

May the week ahead be a peaceful one.

God Bless,
Beverly

Welcome to the 2016 School Year

Dear Parents and Friends,

Happy New Year!

May I wish you a very warm welcome back to the 2016 school year. I trust that you have enjoyed a relaxing summer holiday with your families and now feel refreshed and energized for the busy year ahead.

A special welcome to the new families who join our school for the first time. We hope that you quickly feel part of the great spirit that is alive in our growing community. I would also like to welcome our new staff members and wish them a smooth transition into their new learning environment.

This year is designated to the Year of Mercy. The motto “Merciful Like the Father” (taken from the Gospel of Luke, 6:36) serves as an invitation to follow the merciful example of the Father who asks us not to judge or condemn but to forgive and to give love and forgiveness without measure (cfr.LK 6: 37-38). We are fortunate to have Pope Francis as our leader of the Church with his warm smile, positive message and great compassion for all, especially the poor. His influence is enormous and his leadership a great model for all leaders at this time.

I wish all staff and families God’s blessing for 2016.

Yours sincerely,

Beverly

Dear Parents and Friends,

This is our last message for 2015 so I sincerely thank you for your support and generosity in everything that you do to make the community of St Mary’s so unique and special. This year has seen us celebrate together as a faith community in many eventful ways forming partnerships and recognizing the variety of talents we share.

I congratulate members of our staff who have worked together as a cohesive and dynamic team always dedicated to the vision of creating an excellent school where children love to learn. To our teachers who leave us this year may I wish you success and happiness in your new roles for 2016 and thank you for celebrating the journey within the faith community of St Mary’s.

A special thanks is also given to our Parish Priest Fr. Andy Bullen and the other Jesuit Priests of Our Lady of the Way Parish who very generously support our school community with their guidance and spiritual formation.

May the peace and joy of the Christmas season be with you and your families and may you enjoy a relaxing and safe summer holiday.

May God bless you all.

Beverly Coffey

Dear Parents and Friends,

Last week we welcomed our new Kindergarten families for 2016. It was a delight to meet with our new Mums and Dads as they shared their hopes and dreams for their child's education at St Mary's School along with their keen desire to make new friendships as part of our growing faith community. They are looking forward to their first social event at the Meet and Greet Night for all parents next February 19th. Be sure to mark this in your diaries for a special occasion to start the year.

We have a total of 68 kindergarten students enrolled for next year with several still on the waiting list. All classes now have students wait listed as the population on the lower North Shore continues to grow placing pressure on local Catholic schools. In 2016 we will have 10 classes consisting of two streams in Kindergarten, Year One and Two and a single stream of Year Three, Four, Five and Six classes. Announcements of teachers for each of those classes will be included with the end of year student reports which are timetabled to be distributed on Friday December 11th.

Staff News

We shared some very happy news from our teacher Laura Hatherly who gave birth to her first child last week. Laura and her husband Ben are the proud parents of baby Harriet pictured on our website for her first official photo! Congratulations!

Also we farewell our much loved teacher-librarian Gayle Smyth who will be retiring at the end of this year after ten years teaching at St Mary's and many years within the Catholic education system. We wish Gayle many happy years of retirement and look forward to welcoming her back to the opening and blessing of the new school buildings in 2017.

This week we honour our wonderful students in Year Six as they prepare to graduate from primary school into their respective secondary colleges next year. A special Graduation Mass and Dinner will be celebrated for our students this coming Thursday December 3rd where we will have the opportunity to reflect on the achievements of all boys and girls from the class. Our students should be proud of their many successes at school throughout the seven years of primary education and we ask that you keep them in your prayers as they venture out into life's journey.

The next few weeks will see our school community involved in the end of year Mass on Thursday December 10th and the swimming carnival on Tuesday December 15th. Our final school assembly will be held on Friday December 11th with a delightful performance from the school band and choirs. We hope that you can attend and then stay for a morning tea as a token of our appreciation for the many generous parents who have helped us throughout this year.

Lord we pray for all who support St Mary's School. We give thanks for their willingness to share their time, talents and resources so that present and future students can enjoy the rich blessings of an education that inspires them to make their own contribution to society. Lord Hear Us.

Enjoy the week ahead.

Yours in peace

Beverly

Dear Parents and Friends,

Congratulations to all on the wonderful success of our 2015 Musical! Indeed it was a pleasure to be entertained by our highly motivated and energetic students last night and I'm sure that it was one of the best days of our lives!

The inspiration and power of the arts play a vital role in enabling our students to enhance their creative talent and develop their artistic skills. By engaging in these experiences within the expressive arts, children learn to recognise and represent feelings and emotions, both their own and those of others. The expressive arts play a central role in shaping our sense of our personal, social and cultural identity. Learning in the expressive arts also plays an important role in supporting children to recognise and value the variety and vitality of culture locally, nationally and globally.

A musical production of this scale would not have happened without the dedication and commitment of the teaching and support staff of St Mary's School. Our parents have also given their time and energy so generously to making this production possible. Thank you!

We are also appreciative of the mentoring support that has been offered by the Catholic Schools Performing Arts (CaSPA) team and the Principal and staff from Marist College for sharing their facilities on this occasion.

A special congratulations is given to our very creative and talented teacher Meghan Bassett, for her outstanding direction of our Musical Live Louder and for her encouragement always given to the students to let their colours shine. Well done to all.

Dear Parents and Friends,

St Mary's School is buzzing with activity this week as we prepare for the 2015 Musical. With just over two weeks to go we have many teachers and parents preparing for this special community event which will showcase the talents of our students within a contemporary performance. We encourage all families to support the school musical and purchase tickets online through Qkr as detailed on the school website. We look forward to enjoying this wonderful event.

Thank you to the many parents who attended the Parent Forum last week. This Forum provided an opportunity to relate my experiences from the International Confederation of Principals' Conference in Helsinki during August this year. Some of the Key Topics from the conference were as follows:

• What are the future trends in education for the world?
• What are the latest educational ideas to allow students to perform at their best?
• What directions are schools heading?
• What are the best practices in education?
• What can we learn from each other regarding educational policies?
• What are the new learning and motivational environments like?
• What are the biggest challenges in the world of education?

Some valuable discussion took place concerning the future trends in education that are affecting the world and how these might impact on what's happening at St Mary's School.
Some of these insights are as follows:

• Relationships are a key to developing students so that they become independent learners.
• Developing a truly catholic school culture.
• Encouragement and feedback is a focus in schools and provides rewards for success.
• Quality teachers and teacher professional development.
• Setting agendas to drive change for higher student success.
• Be inclusive.
• Respect for all in schools.
• Developing strong leadership teams in schools.
• Establishing forums for strong student voice.
• Looking at the scientific research into motivation and the development of a growth mindset in students.

If you would like to visit the website you can download the presentation from the parent forum and read the summaries.

Also we would like to invite you to participate in a Parent Survey to gather your reflections and ideas for a way forward for St Mary's School. The link will be provided at the end of this newsletter.

Best wishes for a positive week ahead
God Bless
Beverly

Welcome Back to Term 4

Dear Parents and Friends,

Welcome back to Term 4.

What a joy it has been to see the children in all year levels return to school with great enthusiasm ready for all that this term brings in terms of completing the year and transition.

Provision of the best facilities for our students continues to be a priority so we appreciate the work that our parent Anni Austin completed on the play areas during the holidays.  Having the creative play areas makes a difference to the student’s broader learning and assists in their social, emotional and physical development.

This term we offer support to our Year 6 students as they prepare for their secondary schooling.  As they work hard and continue to give of their best in so many ways, we remain very proud of them, and of all that they have achieved and contributed to St Mary’s school.  As a faith community, we ask for God’s blessing upon each one of them and pray for them as they prepare for the end of year assessments and concluding functions.

Next Tuesday evening will see the inaugural ‘Voices of St Mary’s’ event take place in the Independent Theatre, Miller Street, North Sydney.  This special event has been organised to showcase the learning that has taken place in public speaking this year.  A number of students from Year 3 to 6 will perform as well as the Concert Choir.  The event commences at 6pm.  We look forward to celebrating this event with our school community.

Staff News

This term we welcome Mrs Joyce Eide as secretary in the school office.  Joyce will be replacing Laura who has secured secretarial employment closer to her home in the Sutherland Shire.  Laura will be in the office for a couple of days over the next few weeks until she finishes in November.  We thank Laura for her dedication, friendship and great school spirit throughout his year and wish her every success in her new employment.

We also welcome Mrs Stephanie Powling who will be working in Years 3 and 4 as an intervention teacher for a couple of days each week throughout this term.

School Building Update

Pre DA:  The Pre DA material was lodged with Council in September, and the Pre DA meeting with Council has been held.  The CEO and architects are now waiting for written feedback from the Pre DA meeting.

A Pre DA is a standard Council process, offered by most Councils, wherein an applicant can lodge DA documents with Council for review, so that Council has a formal and early opportunity to review a proposal and make comment and suggestions before it is formally lodged and exhibited.  Documents are generally lodged 10-14 days before the Pre DA Meeting, for circulation within Council.  The meeting is then held and minutes are taken.  It generally takes Council 10-14 days to issue the minutes of the Pre DA meeting.

DA:  Once the minutes of the Pre DA Meeting are received, these will be reviewed and actioned, and then the Formal DA will be lodged.

Temporary Classrooms:  It is currently intended to locate the temporary classrooms at the back of the old Presbytery.  This will require the reassignment of car spaces, and this is being worked through.

To install the temporary classrooms, the demolition of the older (non heritage) garages and other buildings will be required.  The timing of these works is currently being considered.

Every blessing,

Beverly Coffey

Principal