St Mary's Parish Primary School Ararat eNewsletter

From our Principal

Dear families,

This month we celebrate The Season of Creation. It is a time to renew our relationship with our Creator and all of creation. During the Season of Creation, we join our ecumenical family in prayer and action for our common home. It is an invitation to stop and notice. A time to be truly aware. Aware of the living and non living earth community. What do we see when we stop?

Franciscan theologian, Ilia Delio, explains that for Catholic Christians, the presence of the risen Christ is experienced in the living of life and through all creation. Maybe this happens best when the time is taken to stop and notice. He explains it in the following way.

Where is this risen Christ? Everywhere and all around us—in you, your neighbour, the dogwood tree outside, the budding grape vine, the ants popping up through the cracks. The whole world is filled with God, who is shining through even the darkest places of our lives.

Let’s take the time over the next four weeks to stop and notice the world in which we live as it springs into life as the weather warms.

To that end, the ‘Right to Disconnect’ is a new piece of legislation designed to support teachers by establishing boundaries between their professional and personal lives. The intent is to promote a healthier work-life balance and prevent burnout among educators. Under the legislation, teachers will have clearly defined working hours during which they are expected to perform their duties. Outside of these hours, they are not obligated to respond to work related emails, messages or calls. This is important because the wellbeing of our teachers directly impacts the quality of education our students receive. By allowing teachers to disconnect from work after hours, we are helping to reduce stress and prevent burnout. This not only benefits our educators but also enhances their ability to provide a positive and effective learning environment for our students. We encourage parents to support this legislation by respecting teachers’ boundaries. If you have concerns or need to discuss matters related to your child’s education, please consider how and when you are contacting them. Thank you for your continued support and cooperation. Together, we can contribute to a more balanced and positive environment for both our teachers and students.

Every blessing for the week ahead.
Roxanne

JLC Excursion - "I Wish"Performance

This week, our junior students attended a theatre production called I wish in Horsham. The ecursion supported our classroom learning around emotional regulation. Many thanks to our parent helpers Emma, Annie and Zach. We all had a wonderful day!

Well done to our squad of 23 Year 4, 5 and 6 students who competed in the Black Ranges Athletics Carnival last week in Stawell, in very miserable conditions. The students competed tremendously and should be proud of their achievements. Of the 23 students who competed, 9 individuals across 13 events, plus one relay team, were able to qualify for the next level of competition.

Congratulations to Scarlett, Libby, Isabel D, Ella, Zebina, Pat H, Harry, Jack, James and our 12/13 boys relay team who have all qualified to participate at the Greater Western Region carnival, to be held in Ballarat, on Friday October 11.

Well done on your achievements and good luck at regional level.

Bush Dance Raffle

Tickets are $2 each, or 3 for $5. There are lots of great prizes to win! Prizes are being displayed in the foyer of the office area in the MPR.

Please ensure you use both sides of the raffle books with name & phone number written on both. Raffle tickets are drawn by name, not by the raffle ticket number.

Tickets & money are due back on Monday! There are also spare books available at the office.

Raffle tickets will also be sold on the night.

RAFFLE PRIZE POOL INCLUDES:

St Kilda triple centurions print valued at $295
Milwaukee inflator tool valued at $259
Kings stand up inflatable paddle board valued at $219
2 x ProLine V2 dirt scooters valued at $219 each
Torker power plant scooter valued at $159
Nitro Circus camo skateboard valued at $79
10 visit child pass to Ararat Fitness Centre indoor pool
Basketball, netball, face footy and other mini footballs
Lego, plus many more prizes and more to come!

Bush Dance Schedule

It was previously advertised that the Bush Dance would conclude at 7pm.
We have now extended that time by 30 minutes, so the Bush Dance will now finish at 7.30pm.
Please see below the schedule for the evening:

Important Notice

Whooping cough

The incidence of Whooping cough cases is continuing to increase across Victoria, particularly among school-aged children.

Whooping cough is a very contagious infection, mostly spread through coughing or sneezing.

Symptoms include:

blocked or runny nose
tiredness
mild fever
severe bouts of coughing, often followed by a ‘whooping’ sound on breathing.

Whooping cough can lead to life-threatening infections in babies.

If your child is unwell, they should not attend school. Please see a doctor if you or your child develops whooping cough symptoms. Early diagnosis and treatment will help reduce the spread of the infection.

Students diagnosed with whooping cough must not attend school

If your child is diagnosed with whooping cough, they must not attend school for 21 days after the onset of the cough, or until they have received 5 days of antibiotic treatment.

You must notify the school if your child is diagnosed with whooping cough.

To further reduce the spread of infection to your child and the school community, the Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2019 require that some students who were in the same classroom as a student diagnosed with whooping cough should not attend school.

Your child should not attend school for 14 days after they were last exposed to a person diagnosed with whooping cough, or until they have taken 5 days of a course of antibiotic treatment if they are:

aged less than 7 years; and
not fully vaccinated with 3 doses of whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine.

This exclusion is required by law – refer to the School exclusion table for primary schools and children’s services.

If your child is diagnosed with whooping cough, please contact the school to let us know.

Your support in keeping our students safe and well is greatly appreciated.

For more information about whooping cough, refer to Whooping cough on the Better Health Channel.

Vaccination is the best way to reduce the risk of whooping cough. The Department of Health recommends staying up to date with immunisations, including booster doses. A free booster dose of the pertussis vaccine is covered under the national immunisation program for students aged 12 to 13. If you are unsure about your child’s vaccination status for whooping cough, please discuss with an immunisation provider, such as your doctor.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY
to the following students for this week:

Henry F, Millar B, Remy B, Joel M & Hudson H

UPCOMING DATES

TERM 3

WEEK 10
Monday 16th September
Bush Dance raffle books & money due
Thursday 19th September
Billy Tea Bush Band incursion
Bush Dance from 5pm - 7.30pm
Friday 20th September
Footy Colours Day
Last Day for Term 3

Whole School Prayer @ 10am at the Church
Led by JLC2
Early finish @ 2.15pm