Friday 5th September 2025 ~ Issue 27
PARISH PRIEST: Fr Patrick Mugavin PRINCIPAL: Mrs Terrielynn Groves
SAC CHAIRPERSON: Mrs Joyce Nedziwe CHILD SAFETY OFFICER: Ms Tania Stevens
Child Safety Statement
School Values
Treat others the way you would like to be treated.
Respect Our School - Hormati Sekolah Kita
Do Your Best - Lakukan Yang Terbaik
Help Others to Succeed - Bantu Teman Untuk Berhasil
Important Dates
TERM 3
Monday 8th September - Learning Showcase and Learning Conversations
Tuesday 9th September - Gr 3/4 Hooptime
Friday 12th September - Gr 5/6 Hooptime
Friday 12th September - Assembly
Wednesday 17th September - St Mary's School Concert at Hamilton PAC
Thursday 18th September - Last day of Term 3 - 3.15pm finish
TERM 4
Monday 6th October - First day of Term 4
Thursday 16th October - Catholic Social Teaching Day - details to come
Friday 17th October - Mission Day - details to come
Tuesday 4th November - Melbourne Cup Holiday
PUPIL FREE DAYS IN 2025
Friday 19th September - Structured Literacy
ADVANCE NOTICE
Wednesday 17th December - Last day of the school year for students
From the Principal
Dear Families,
Just when I was congratulating myself on not catching any of the illnesses going around, I've gone down with RSV! I am feeling okay, just a very annoying and persistent cough but I should be back at school on Monday. Thanks so much to Tania and the team for ensuring my absence is not even noticed!
I am very sad to have missed our Father's Day celebration today. It is such a joyful gathering! We wish all the precious men in our lives a wonderful Father's Day and thank them for all they are for us.
Have a wonderful weekend, shared with those you love,
Terrielynn
Season of Creation
The Season of Creation is marked through the Christian world from September 1st (World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation) through to October 4th (Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi) and celebrates the joy, awe and wonder of creation as well as encouraging awareness-rising initiatives to protect the natural environment.
This year’s Season of Creation has as its theme
“Peace with Creation”
inspired by the passage from Isaiah 32:14-18:
“My people will abide in a peaceful habitation,
in secure dwelling, in quiet resting places.
For the palace will be forsaken, the populous city deserted;
the hill and the watchtower will become dens forever,
the joy of wild asses, a pasture for flocks;
until a spirit from on high is poured out on us,
and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field,
and the fruitful field is deemed a forest.
Then justice will dwell in the wilderness,
and righteousness abides in the fruitful field.
The effect of righteousness will be peace,
and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.
My people will abide in a peaceful habitation,
in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.”
Catholic School Culture
MASS TIMES – 2025
Hamilton: Saturday 6pm and Sunday 10.30am
Dunkeld: Sunday 8.30am
Glenthompson: Sunday 8.30am
Penshurst: Sunday 8.30am
Welcome!
It is with great excitement that we welcome Cara Hadden to our staff. Cara will replace Renee Perriman in the Prep area on Tuesday afternoons and Thursday and Friday. We are so pleased to have her join our team!
Sacramental Program
Last Sunday we celebrated the Sacrament of First Eucharist. It was a wonderful celebration and we congratulate all the children who have particiapted in this program this year and have received all the Sacraments of Initiation into the Catholic Church.
Congratulations to Marlee Brown, Selena Brown, Austin Emmanuel, Naithan Joemon, Amelia Joseph, Mason Moyle, Jonty McKenzie, Olive Perriman, Indiana Perriman, Sophie Uebergang, Audrey Black, Samuel Parkinson, Selina Perera, Jed Rook, Mila Sebastian, Jet Storan, Jayda Storan, Nate Storan and Mya Storan.
Learning and Teaching
School Wide Positive Behaviours
School Wide Positive Behaviour Support is: A multi-tiered framework for establishing the social culture and behavioural supports needed for a school to achieve behavioural and academic outcomes for all students.
For the next two weeks at St Mary’s, we are working with our students on the following:
RESPECT - speak to everyone with respect
SAFETY - play safely with our natural environment eg: sticks
RESPONSIBILITY - learn all you can
Learning Showcase & Learning Conversations
On Monday the 8th September at 2:30pm you are invited to attend our Learning Showcase. This was something we started last year as a way for our families to pop in and see their child in their learning space. You are welcome to come in to your child's homeroom, any time between 2:30 until the end of the day, to celebrate the learning that your child has been doing here at school. Straight after our Learning Showcase, we will be offering optional Learning Conversations with homeroom teachers. These will be 10 minutes long and the booking form is available on PAM. A reminder that these are optional. If you will be attending a PSG meeting later in the term, you don't need to book a Learning Conversation. Thank you.
Concert
Our concert is almost here! We will be performing on Wednesday 17th September at HPAC (Hamilton Performing Arts Centre) with two shows; our matinee at 11am and our evening performance at 7pm. Drop off time for the evening performance and other similar details will be sent home next week.
Tickets have SOLD OUT for the evening performance, but there are still plenty of tickets available for the matinee. Click on this link here to purchase your tickets. Please remember that you do not have to buy a ticket for your child/ren if they are performing. They will remain with their homeroom teacher for the whole show. No tickets will be sold at school - they are only available via this link. Tickets are $10 each. If you have a child under 2, who can sit on your lap and does not require a seat, you do not have to purchase a ticket for them.
We are aware that we will have many family and friends who will want to come along and support our concert. However, to ensure that everyone has the chance to attend the concert, we have capped the tickets at 5 per family. This is across both shows, not 5 per show! This is to make sure that everyone can come along. If there are unsold tickets next week, we will let you know. We thank you for your understanding with this.
Sports Catch Up
Netball Victoria School Championships
We have a team heading off to the Netball Victoria School Championships Finals. This will be held on Tuesday 9th September at the State Netball Centre, Parkville. We wish Johannah, Nina, Navvi, Alani, Libby, Bella, Marlee, Charlie, Lola and Lucy all the very best as they compete in this event.
A heartfelt thank you goes out to the parents who are supporting the team’s journey to Melbourne. Your commitment and very early start are truly appreciated.
We would also like to extend our sincere gratitude to Roxanne Holmes, who has offered to coach the team. Your time and expertise are immensely appreciated.
Let’s go, St Mary’s.
HoopTime
The Grade 3/4s will take the courts on Tuesday 9th September. We have one All Star Boys Team, one All Star Girls team, three Future Stars teams and a Rookie team. The students are very excited for the day to arrive! An updated team note came home this week as well as the much anticipated draw. If neither of these notes made it home, please let us know. We thank Tenai, Lauren, Emily and the Dunns who have offered support for scoring.
The Grade 5/6s will compete on Friday 12th September. We have one All Star Boys Team, two All Star Girls teams, two Future Stars teams and a Rookie team. An updated team note came home this week. We are still awaiting the draw for this event. We thank Simone, Renae, Dallas, Tanika and Megan who have offered support for scoring.
For all students attending please ensure you come to school on time as the buses will depart at 9.00am. If you are taking your child directly to HILAC please ensure you have informed us. Your child will need to wear their sports uniform, they will then be given a basketball singlet to wear over their t-shirt or without their t-shirt. Students will need to wear shorts that do not have pockets, please note that this is a rule of basketball that is enforced by the referees. Please ensure your child has enough nutritious food and water for the day.
Go St Mary’s!
Table Tennis Team Challenge
The 2025 WHP Division Table Tennis Tournament takes place on Thursday 11th September. We have been able to fill both a girls team and boys team, which is wonderful. The event is hosted by the Warrnambool Table Tennis Association at the Warrnambool Table Tennis Stadium. It is a round robin team challenge competition, with no progression to further finals.
We have 8 students attending and we thank the parents who are supporting the team to attend. Thank you to Trudie Uebergang, who is our school supervisor for the event. Your passion, time and expertise surrounding this event have been invaluable.
WHAT A WEEK TO COME!
We have a wonderful week of sport to look forward to. It is amazing to provide such a diverse range of sporting opportunities at St Mary’s. Thank you to our community who make this possible by supporting our students in a range of ways. I am proud we can encourage our students to engage in as much sport as possible during these formative years to foster lifelong participation.
Dates for your Diary
TERM THREE
September
Tuesday 9th September - Grade 3/4 Hooptime @ Hamilton
Tuesday 9th September - Netball Victoria School Championships @ Parkville
Thursday 11th September - WHP Table Tennis
Friday 12th September - Grade 5/6 Hooptime @ Hamilton
TBC Primary Golf
Elise Gordon
egordon@smhamilton.catholic.edu.au
Wellbeing
Child Safety - Cybersafety from SchoolTV
Following on from my previous newsletter posts in regards to Cybersafety, here is some information - both articles and videos - from SchoolTV on this important topic. Below is an outline of the topic, as well as links to access it.
In today's digital world, young people are more connected than ever, using technology for education, social interaction, and entertainment. While the internet offers incredible opportunities, it also presents significant risks, including cyberbullying, online predators, exposure to inappropriate content, and excessive screen time. Cybersafety is about equipping children and adolescents with the skills and knowledge to navigate the digital landscape responsibly. This includes fostering open communication between parents and children, implementing appropriate parental controls, educating young people about privacy and online etiquette, and encouraging a balanced approach to technology use. By promoting digital wellbeing and responsible online behaviour, we can help young people harness the benefits of technology while staying safe in an increasingly connected world.
"We must equip young people with the skills and knowledge to navigate the digital world safely. A comprehensive approach-incorporating cybersafety education in schools and empowering parents to guide responsible digital behaviour-is essential." Michael Carr-Gregg
Here is the link to this important topic of Cybersafety.
Tania Stevens
Wellbeing
SPECIAL REPORT: Celebrating Father's Day ~ SchoolTV
For many years now, the role of fathers has changed and evolved. During the industrial revolution, fathers were often considered detached and distant due to working long hours in factories. However, today things have changed dramatically with many dads being celebrated for being sensitive, caring and more hands-on.
Recent studies have shown that children benefit greatly from having fathers who are present and interacting in everyday activities. This has transformed the understanding of how fathers shape children’s lives from the start, challenging conventional ideas of parenthood and gender.
Research also suggests that fathers influence their sons and daughters in different ways, which is especially true during their transition to adolescence. Engaging in regular physical activities can play a key role in influencing children to learn self-control, face challenges, regulate emotions and take manageable risks.
In this Special Report, fathers will learn about the positive impact they can have on their child’s mental health and wellbeing, whilst also ensuring they indulge in a little self-care.
Here is the link to the Special Report
R U OK? Day
R U OK? Day is Thursday 11 September 2025 and is the National Day of Action, providing an ideal opportunity to engage students, staff and the wider school community with the values of R U OK?
Learn more about the 4 steps of a RU OK ? conversation
- Ask R U OK?
- Listen with an open mind
- Encourage action
- Check in
Here are some resources you may like to access for R U OK Day:
Leadership and Stewardship
Kitchen Garden
Today some delicious chow mein and spinach and cheese pie (similar to a spanakopita) was whipped up in our kitchen garden. It's so great to see the children enjoying the cooking and the eating! Thanks again to Lyn and Judy for leading us!
Catherine Egan
Kitchen Garden Week 7
Community Engagement
Father's Day at School
What a wonderful afternoon we had today with our dads, pops and other special visitors. The weather was very kind to us and it was so good to see how excited our students were to welcome their special visitors to school. Enjoy Sunday and thank you for all that you do for your children.
Father's Day Celebration
St Mary's Christmas Parade
This year our annual Christmas Parade will be held on Friday 5th December.
We have been thinking of what we can do for our raffle - perhaps something big?
We are also looking for lolly donations to make lolly bags to sell at the parade. If you are able to donate, can they please be pre wrapped like chuppa chupps, or lollies in little bags.
If you have any ideas please let us know.
Later in the year we will ask for helpers to assist the coordinators in the above roles and keen bakers to make gourmet gifts to sell (Christmas cakes, biscuits, rum balls etc) at our Gourmet gift stall.
If you have any questions regarding the Christmas Parade please contact Shannon at school.🎄
Assembly
Our next assembly will be on Friday 12th September at 2.55pm.
