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Term 2 Week 6 - Friday 24th May 2024

From our Principal

Dear families,

Every year the Catholic Church marks the anniversary of Pope Francis’ landmark encyclical Laudato Si’. From the 19th – 26th of May we celebrate what it means to care for our common home. This year the theme of Laudato Si’ Week centres around ‘seeds of hope’. We are called to consider how we can plant and nurture seeds to be the hope that the world needs during this time of suffering for our planet.

Creator God,

You fill the earth with life,

Lead us to live in harmony with the earth you have created.

May we respect all life from the smallest of plants to the tallest of trees, the vastness of the oceans to the majesty of mountains and the tiniest insects to the wildest beasts.

We ask this in Your name.

Amen

I wish to thank our incredible staff that we are blessed to have at St Mary’s. Late last week I injured my back and have been off work for the best part of the week. We have had other staff illnesses including COVID, pneumonia and cold and flu-like illnesses - all seemingly happening at once. Coupled with this has been 3/4 Water Safety programme, 5/6 Inter School Winter Sport and National Simultaneous Story Time. The staff have pulled together ensuring learning, safety and rigor continue across all learning areas despite the staff shortages. We certainly have an amazing community that I am most grateful to work with each day.

In some exciting staff news, Georgie, Matt and Tommy Peel will be welcoming twins into the world in November! We are all thrilled for the Peel family. Georgie currently works Wednesdays in 3/4 and teaches a senior PE class. At this stage we are expecting Georgie to take leave in Term 3.

I am pleased to announce that Georgia Flemming will be joining our team from the beginning of term 3. Many of you would know Georgia from her time at St Mary's in an Learning Support Officer role before completing her studies in Education. She then worked as a classroom teacher at St Patrick's in Stawell before starting a family of her own. Georgia is very keen to start back with us at St Mary's after hearing so many positive things about the growth we have made in recent years. We certainly welcome her enthusiasm, passion for learning, ability to collaborate with staff, students and community and the rigour around academic success that she expects for all students.

Every blessing for the week ahead.

Roxanne

Black Ranges Winter Sports

Yesterday, our year 5 and 6 students travelled to North Park in Stawell to compete in the Black Ranges Winter Sports Carnival. St Mary's had 1 team represented in netball and 2 teams represented in soccer.

RESULTS
SOCCER
St Marys 1:
vs. Ararat West 6-0
vs. Stawell West 9-0
vs. Ararat Rural Cluster 6-3
Grand Final vs. Gramp. Small Schools 3-0

The boys soccer team will now progress to the Greater Western Region competition to be held in Ballarat in the coming weeks. Well done!

St Marys 2:
Won all 4 games that they played. Congratulations!

NETBALL
Unfortunately the girls lost all 4 games for the day, but gave their best effort all day long!