Dear Parents,

This newsletter is our final one for 2021! 

We have a very busy week ahead with swimming lessons and end of year functions. 

This Thursday, we farewell our Year 6 students Liam, Ryley, Zayn and Annabelle who all started with us in Kindergarten in 2015. The Thanksgiving/ Graduation Mass will start at 10am and parents/grandparents of Year 6 students are permitted to attend with COVID measures in place.

At 11:30am we will gather again for our 2021 Awards Day. No parents are permitted to be onsite unfortunately. We will record the class awards and upload them to a private You Tube channel for your viewing at a later time. A link will be forwarded via Compass.

Staff 2022

Our staff remains relatively unchanged for next year however, we will be saying a fond farewell to Ms Hotham who will take up her role as Principal at St Joseph's, Grenfell in 2022. We will also be saying a fond farewell to Ms Maddison Crozier who has accepted a position at Mater Dei Primary School in Wagga next year. Both Ms Hotham and Ms Crozier have been valued staff members and their contribution to St Mary's has been both positive and encouraging. Staff and students will miss them both. Interviews are being conducted over the next week for a new classroom teacher. The new appointment will be announced in the parent letter I will forward in early January, 2022. Our staff for 2022 are:

• K/1/2 Ms Amy Buckmaster (REC) 
• 3/4   Ms Sarah Collins
• 5/6   To Be Appointed
• CST Ms Justine Hughes
• Librarian Ms Elizabeth Murray
• Classroom Assistants  Ms Kate Dobbie and Ms Kelly Brown
• Front Office Ms Patricia Marsh and Ms Tracee Holland

Other important dates for your information are:

• Semester Two reports will be released via Compass this Wednesday 8 December. The reports are quite straightforward and do not contain comments as in Semester One. Parents may seek a parent teacher interview if you would like more conversation around your child's progress and achievement. Please contact your child's teacher to arrange an appointment.
• Pool Celebration Day Monday 13 December-consent to be provided via Compass.
• Final Day for students Tuesday 14 December-children to bring a gift to the value of $10 for a girl/boy or gender neutral to share in a special Xmas gift giving celebration with their class in the morning.

Class Requirements for 2022 please see further in Newsletter.

On a final note, I wish all families a very safe, happy and Holy Christmas. St Mary's will be having our special Christmas Eve Mass at 6pm. I hope I may see you here to share God's blessings with you all.

Jannine

Thanksgiving Mass

This Thursday we will celebrate our Thanksgiving Mass. Due to Covid restrictions, students have been unable to celebrate Mass together since early term 3, so it is a joyous occasion for us. We look forward to thanking God for the year we have had, despite its trials, and also for our Year 6 students as they graduate from primary school and begin their next journey.

Unfortunately due to level 3 Covid restrictions, we have strict protocols we must follow and therefore only the parents of Year 6 students are able to attend this event. However, we look forward to the future when we can gather together again as a whole school community. 

The Wonder of the birth of Christ

"When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us." And they went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they saw it they made known the saying which had been told them concerning this child; and all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them."

Luke 2:15-20 

Ponder God’s glory. How often do we let each day pass us by? Do we have eyes to see God? What looms over you? How easily do you stop, take notice, detach and surrender to God?

Jesus, draw me into your presence.

Reveal your glory to me and lead me to ponder your love.

You are good and worthy of worship and praise.

Amen

And finally….

Thank you to the beautiful students, families and staff who have embraced me once again during my time at St Marys this year. It has been a wonderful year and I will miss everyone dearly. 

I wish you all a joyous Christmas, spent with family and friends. 

Melissa Hotham - Religious Education Coordinator

The BRADFIELD family will be our final cake raffle family for the year. 

Thank you to all our families who have supplied the cake this year. 

Two volunteers are needed for HOME COOKING this Friday. 

Thank you to those home cooks this year. 

The Christmas raffle will be drawn this THURSDAY. 

Get your tickets & money in by Wednesday for a chance to win one of four great prizes.