Dear Parents,

I welcome everyone back for Term Three. I especially welcome three new families that have joined St Mary’s and the wider Young community. They are the Sofo, Sibanda and Silva families.

NAPLAN Reports

Today we received students individual NAPLAN reports to be distributed to parents who have students in Year Three and Year Five. These will be sent home with your child today. Please contact the school if you do not receive your child’s report.

Overall the results across both year levels was very pleasing with St Mary’s well above the National average across all aspects of Numeracy and Literacy.

As a school we will make a deeper analysis of our results and share our findings with parents.

Tell Them From Me Survey

Last term parents had the opportunity to provide feedback to both the school and the system on various aspects of life at St Mary's, its culture and the opportunities afforded to students. During the holidays I received the findings of the survey and we will share these with families via our website.

This year we had a greater number of responses than last year. We had fifty two parents completing the survey this year compared to twenty three last year. This gives us just under 30% of families participating in the survey which while a small sample size, does provide some worthwhile information.

In the survey there was an opportunity to make a general comment on any aspect of St Mary's School. There was a range of comments, both positive and negative. These will not be shared with parents but will be examined by the school executive and the Community Council.

One message from the survey is the strong concern from parents regarding homework; what is given and how it is monitored. This also featured in last year’s survey.

In Term Four I will send a survey to parents, along with current research and homework guidelines from various education authorities to gauge parents' views on what homework should consist of across the different grades. This will then be discussed by both staff and the school’s Community Council, so a consistent homework policy can be implemented across the school.

NAIDOC Mass for the Western Region and NAIDOC Reconciliation Awards. 

Today I attended the NAIDOC Regional Liturgy for our CECG schools in Cootamundra. Throughout our Archdiocese we have many students, teachers and schools who are acting as excellent role models in their communities by actively involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in education across the Archdiocese.

Each year the Archdiocese presents Reconciliation awards to those individuals or groups who are judged to have made a significant contribution to Aboriginal Education in their communities.

St Mary’s Young had four students selected for NAIDOC Reconciliation Awards and it was a very special moment to witness St Mary’s Young receiving 4 of 6 awards. Tyler Malkav, Kathryn Robinson, Jonathan Eastwood and Levi Clark are very worthy recipients who have made a contribution to their local community and are excellent role models for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people across the Archdiocese.

Mrs Roberts, who is our Aboriginal Contact Teacher, put forward the nominations and below is a summary of what was announced today for each of the awardees.

Tyler Malkav Year 5: Academic Award

Tyler has consistently achieved A’s across most KLAs. He has an inquisitive mind and self-motivation to research and pursue areas of interest. Tyler has a strong mathematical mind enthusiastically engaging in extracurricular maths activities like the AMT Maths Challenge and Maths Enrichment programs. He is an example to his peers through his perseverance and strong worth ethic he displays.

Kathryn Robinson Year 5: Arts Award

Kathryn is a committed and dedicated artist, actor and dancer who expresses herself through these creative outlets. She is an original member of the St Mary's Dance Group who aims to compete in upcoming eisteddfods. Kathryn enjoys painting and expresses her culture through her brush strokes. She is very enthusiastic in art to try new techniques and extend her skills. Kathryn has been working on her line drawings at home. She has produced several mixed media pieces with a high level of detail. Kathryn is also excited to be starring in our upcoming whole school play in a main royal and is a fabulous mentor to her younger peers.

Jonathan Eastwood Year 3: Sports Award

Jonathan is an enthusiastic and determined sportsperson. He gives everything a go and will always include others. Jonathan proudly represents his teams, the Young Cherry Pickers, in rugby league and the Young Yabbies in rugby union. At school he participates in all school sporting events. His inclusivity and sportsmanship are to be commended as Jonathan represents his culture proudly in how he conducts himself on the playing field. He participates in the St Mary's stage 2 soccer tournament and recently received an award for best and fairest. He is also currently writing a book about our First Nations rugby league players, showcasing their heritage and success both on and off the field.

Levi Clark Year 6: Leadership Award

Levi is a proud year 6 leader of St Mary’s. He embraces his culture and identity and is a role model to his peers. As a year 6 leader he helps run our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander group with our Aboriginal Education Worker and relishes in helping the younger students connect with their culture. He proudly leads our school community in the Acknowledgement of Country and does so with the respect and reverence it deserves. He actively serves not only our school community but the broader community as well. He currently volunteers his time at lunch to referee school soccer games and to help at the local St Vincent de Paul. He is an inspiration to his peers who often look to him for guidance and support.

We congratulate Tyler, Kathryn, Jonathan and Levi and thank Mrs Roberts for her support of our ATSI students. We appreciate her efforts to continue making St Mary’s a culturally inclusive community, where awareness and involvement in our indigenous history and culture is understood and celebrated.

Mrs Katie Thompson

That same day, Jesus left the house and sat by the lakeside, but such large crowds gathered round him that he got into a boat and sat there. The people all stood on the shore, and he told them many things in parables. He said, 'Listen, a sower went out to sow. As he sowed, some seeds fell on the edge of the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Others fell on patches of rock where they found little soil and sprang up at once, because there was no depth of earth; but as soon as the sun came up they were scorched and, not having any roots, they withered away. Others fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Others fell on rich soil and produced their crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Anyone who has ears should listen!' Then the disciples went up to him and asked, 'Why do you talk to them in parables?' In answer, he said, 'Because to you is granted to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven, but to them it is not granted. Anyone who has will be given more and will have more than enough; but anyone who has not will be deprived even of what he has. The reason I talk to them in parables is that they look without seeing and listen without hearing or understanding. So in their case what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah is being fulfilled: Listen and listen, but never understand! Look and look, but never perceive! This people's heart has grown coarse, their ears dulled, they have shut their eyes tight to avoid using their eyes to see, their ears to hear, their heart to understand, changing their ways and being healed by me. 'But blessed are your eyes because they see, your ears because they hear! In truth I tell you, many prophets and upright people longed to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it. 'So pay attention to the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom without understanding, the Evil One comes and carries off what was sown in his heart: this is the seed sown on the edge of the path. The seed sown on patches of rock is someone who hears the word and welcomes it at once with joy. But such a person has no root deep down and does not last; should some trial come, or some persecution on account of the word, at once he falls away. The seed sown in thorns is someone who hears the word, but the worry of the world and the lure of riches choke the word and so it produces nothing. And the seed sown in rich soil is someone who hears the word and understands it; this is the one who yields a harvest and produces now a hundredfold, now sixty, now thirty.'

REFLECTION

This week I’ve decided to look at the gospel through the lens of the world behind the text. 

CONFIRMATION PARENT INFORMATION EVENING

The Confirmation parent information evening has been rescheduled for next Wednesday,  26th July at 6pm. A representative from each family is required at the meeting. Father Jiss will be attending to talk with everyone. It has been decided that Confirmation will be celebrated for all students on Saturday 9th September at 6pm. If you have any questions regarding Confirmation, please see me and I will assist to the best of my ability. 

God Bless,

Warren Ziebowski

(Religious Education Coordinator)

Harden Trent Barrett Legends Gala Day - Year 3 & 4

Students in Year 3 & 4 are invited to participate in this Gala Day on Thursday 10th August (Term 3, Wk 4). This year’s draw will feature:

• Students from Years 3/4 Rugby League Tackle Division A (Experienced) and Division B (Inexperienced)
• Years 3/4 League Tag
• All Tackle & League Tag divisions will be 7 a side

Nominations for the day are now available via Compass. Students in Year 3 & 4 have been invited to attend. Please access the invitation via the Events page on Compass (click on the More button to access Events) please ensure you answer all the questions and confirm the permission by clicking the green button at the bottom of the page.

Nominations for this event will close TODAY. We cannot accept late entries once the teams are full.

Basketball at St Mary’s

We are very excited to announce we were successful in our School Sporting Grant for Term 3 and will be hosting Young Pacers Basketball to run skill sessions with our students.

Year 1, Year 2 & Year 3 will have their sessions on Wednesdays for three weeks in Week 2, 3 & 4. During these weeks the sport days for Year 1, 2 & 3 will change slightly.

Please see below:

Weeks 2, 3 & 4 Sport Days

Year 1 - Monday & Wednesday

Year 2 - Monday & Wednesday

Year 3 - Tuesdays & Wednesday

From Week 5 onwards their sport days will revert to normal.

Other class sessions:

Kindergarten - Weeks 5, 6 & 7

Year 4 - Weeks 5, 6 & 7

Year 5 & 6 - Weeks 8, 9 & 10

                                 

Please see the link to the St Mary School Calendar located on the St Mary's school website. This calendar also populates the COMPASS calendar on the COMPASS parent portal. 

The NRL are pleased to announce we will be running our afternoon Leagues Stars 8 week program in Young! The NRL League Stars program is safe, inclusive and educational. Our professionally trained Rugby League Development Officers ensure every participant has equal opportunity to laugh and learn in a non-contact, organised and safe environment.. 

The afternoon League Stars Program will be held at Cranfield Oval, Young starting on Wednesday the 02/08/2023 until the 20/09/2023.

Costs of the program is $99 and the Active Kids Voucher can be used for registration.

 To Register please follow the below Link

https://bit.ly/3PZAqM6LeagueStarsYoung

For more information contact Emma James on 0448756818