St Mary's Newsletter

Term 3 - Week 2 ( 31 July, 2020)

Principal's Message

Dear St Mary's School Community

Matthew 14: 13-21

Sunday’s Gospel highlights to us that God is not only concerned about spiritual things; God wants to provide for our physical needs as well.  God cares when we feel sick.  He wants to help us when we are hungry and lacking in clothes or a home.

Holy Communion Parent Information Evening

Preparation for the Sacrament of First Eucharist is underway with the Parent Information Evening to be held on Tuesday, 4 August at 3.30pm in the Library.

Tree Planting

St Mary’s tree planting day was a huge success!  Thank you to Collgar Wind Farm for funding the project, Shire of Merredin and Dylan Copeland for donating the trees, Chris Brown for ripping the bush area with his bobcat (to enable easier planting), the Millingtons for collecting the tree guards and Mrs McDonald for her organisation and initiative and to all the children, especially the Year 5/6 class, for all their hard work in regenerating the bush play area.  There were over 150 plants and shrubs planted!  Parents, next time you are at school, feel free to take a walk through the bush space and see everyone’s hard work!

Instagram

Are you following @stmarysschoolmerredin on Instagram?  This is a great way to see what the students are doing during the day both as a whole school or in individual classes.

Welcome

Welcome to the Yates-Clements family.  Aaniyah commenced in Year Two at St Mary’s this week.

P&F Meeting

Monday’s P&F Meeting will take place in the Library at 7.30pm.  Please come along to support the P&F who do so much for our wonderful school.

God Bless and have a lovely weekend with your families,

Ms Adriana Coniglio

Principal

Religious News

Welcome back to Term Three! I trust that all families had a refreshing holiday break and are ready for another fun-filled school term!

Project Compassion

Well done, St Mary's School! As a school community, we raised $446.50 for Caritas Australia'a Project Compassion. Thank you to everybody for supporting this worthy cause. 

School Photos

School Photos are on Thursday 6th August. Please remember to wear the full winter school uniform and present neat and tidy for photos. Each student should have already received a sheet with their shoot-key for ordering photos online. Please contact Ms Holmes in the office if you have misplaced yours. Please remember that family photos cannot be ordered online- you need to collect an order form from the school office.

RE Reminders

  • Sacrament Commitment Mass- 1st August 6.30pm, 2nd August 10.30am.
  • Holy Communion Parent Night- 4th August 3.30pm. Parents and Communion candidates to attend.

Mary MacKillop Liturgy

All parents are invited to attend our Mary MacKillop Liturgy which will be held on Friday, 7th August at 10am in the Undercover Area. Come and see our amazing artwork and the learning we have completed about Australia’s first Saint, Mary MacKillop.

Pyjama Dress Up Day

To raise money for the Mary MacKillop Today Organisation, we will be having a Pyjama Dress Up Day on Wednesday, 19 August for a gold coin donation.

Australian Primary Principals Day

Friday 7th August is Australian Primary Principals Day. 

This year we've seen, perhaps more clearly than ever, the true capacity and calibre of our principals as they stepped up to the challenge of leadership through COVID-19. We've realised afresh the real strength and contribution they bring every day to their respective schools, staff members, students, families and the wider community. 

Thank you, Ms Coniglio! Your work is very much appreciated by all of us in the St Mary's community. 

Mrs Zoe O'Malley

Acting Assistant Principal

Class News

Pre Kindy Class News

We have had a wonderful start to the term. We welcomed Nathaniel into our class, so now we have 2 boys and 11 girls. Each week we read a story book together and do an activity based on that book. This term we have started to read books about creatures we find in the garden. These are some photos of the activities the children get to do at Pre Kindy. 

Year Four/Five RE Corner

This semester we have begun preparing for the Sacrament of Holy Communion in Year 4/5. Year Four students have been learning about the key features of celebrations and why celebrations are significant. Year Five has been exploring family and Gospel values and how these values intersect. This week both year levels are exploring the story of the Last Supper. Year Four will additionally investigate the Fraction right and Year Five will discuss how Jesus continues to give himself to us through the Eucharist.

Science/STEM

We are learning about ‘Biological Sciences’ this semester.

The Pre Primary class will be learning about what our plants and animals need to stay alive.

The Year One Class are going to be learning about the characteristics of ‘Living things.’  We will be looking at how to classify according to an animal’s similarities and differences.

The Year Two class will find out what they know about living things and how they grow and change and have offspring similar to themselves.

The Year Three will be observing the features of specimens and how to classify them.  They will identify Living and Non-living things and what makes something Living.

The Year Four and Five class will be looking at how Living things have Life Cycles.  They will be learning about how living things, depend on each other and the environment to survive.

The Year Five and Six class are studying how the growth and survival of living things is affected by the physical conditions of their environment.

National Science Week this term will fall on Week 5.  The theme of National Science Week is Deep Blue:  innovations for the future of our oceans.  We have some exciting activities planned for the classes.

Phys Ed

Preparations for the Faction Athletics Carnival are well under way and everyone is training hard to be ready for the event.

A quick thank you to Matt and Kat White for marking our school oval with some lanes so the students can start practicing for track events.

Notes for parent help will be coming out soon for Jumps and Throws (31/08/20) and the Carnival (4/09/20) so please keep your eye out.

Elisha Criddle

Learning Cooperative Social Skills: Weeks Nine & Ten- "Resolving Conflict"

Pre-Primary:     Thomas Dolton

Year One:    Royce White

Year Two:    Milla Dolton

Year Three:    Blake Wahlsten

Year Four/Five:    Archie Gethin

Year Five/Six:    Jacob Barnett

Other News & Important Dates

Let Us Pray

Lord God,

You provide for us in so many ways.

Teach us to trust in you and to turn to you in our need.

Amen.

Community Notices

Kids Club starting Friday 7th August