Dear Parents,

This week our thoughts continue to be with our Year 5 student Thomas Korn and

his mother, and staff member, Tracee Holland. Thomas is in Westmead Hospital with significant complications to his heart. We hope and pray that he will recover soon and be back with us as his usual chatty self. Tracee will continue on leave whilst looking after Thomas.

A big congratulations to Ryley and Zayn Bartlett who trialled for the Archdiocesan cricket team last Friday in Gundagai. Both boys were selected for the team and we look forward to hearing about the next level of competition.

Tomorrow is our school photo day! It seems like we have only just had 'photo day' because we did them late last year in October due to Covid restrictions. We usually have them in Term 1 so we are now back on schedule.  Students need to return their envelopes tomorrow, if they haven’t already. All students will have their photo taken but parents are under no obligation to purchase them. Full summer uniform is required.

This Saturday is the Batlow Show. St Mary’s will have our fantastic display of student work set up in the pavilion once again. We hope you enjoy our students showcase of art, writing and various work samples.

And finally, St Mary’s K/1/2 class are singing the Happy Birthday tune on Sounds of the Mountain every morning at 7:45am. We hope you can tune in and enjoy our little voices brightening up the morning.

Have a lovely week everyone.

Jannine

Kirsty Robertson from Project Compassion tells us: “In challenging times, it is often our instinct to pull back and withdraw into ourselves. It can feel especially hard to help others when we are struggling to satisfy our own needs, unsure what tomorrow might hold. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has stirred this feeling of unease in many of us and we hope for a more stable and positive 2021. But it is when life is toughest and most demanding that the gospel calls us to ‘dig deeper’ and to go further. In Matthew five, Jesus says “if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.” 

Your support allows us to step out into the neediest communities, expressing love and compassion for the most vulnerable. This year, Caritas Australia takes the theme of ‘Be More’ for Project Compassion 2021. It challenges us to venture into a new experience of compassion, and is taken from the invitation of St. Oscar Romero, to “Aspire not to have more, but to be more.” This message invites us to step up and step out for those who do not have the essential resources they need for their survival. Those whose needs at this time are far beyond ours.”

During R.E lessons and Whole School Prayer, the students of St Mary’s will be learning what it means ‘to be more’ this Lent. Please encourage your child to share this message at home with you.

The Galvin family are asked to supply the cake for the cake raffle this Friday 26 March.

No nut products please.

The Bartlett and Bradfield families are our home cooks this Friday 26 March.

No nut products please.

Week 8 - Student of the week.

School photos are TOMORROW.

Full summer uniform and black polished shoes please.

If you haven't already returned your envelope, please bring in tomorrow.

Harmony Day was celebrated at St Mary’s last Friday. Students dressed in bright colours, completed activities in class and played games in the afternoon as a large group.

Harmony Day celebrates Australian multiculturalism. It is about inclusiveness, respect and belonging for all Australians, regardless of cultural or linguistic background, united by a set of core Australian values.

A big thank you to Anglicare and Joanne Murrell for bringing Dave Tabain, children’s author, motivational speaker and two time world Kettle bell champion to St Mary’s last week. The students listened to his anti bullying message and did some exercise with Dave. We will have his books on our library shelves very soon.  You can read more about Dave in this ABC article.