Dear Parents,

 It is Reconciliation Week and we marked the event today by gathering around the aboriginal flag created from all our handprints, wrapped by a banner of this year’s slogan, In This Together 2020. Thank you to all families who contributed their own cut out handprint. Each class also completed an activity in their classroom and discussed the meaning of National Sorry Day. National Sorry Day (26 May) isn't about apologising for something we personally did. It's about acknowledging someone else's pain. It can be likened to attending a funeral and saying to a friend, I'm sorry for your loss. It builds empathy which brings us together to build respectful relationships with First Nations people. 

School Wide Positive Behaviour

Now that we are fully back into face to face learning our students are returning to the four principles of our School Wide Positive Behaviour-Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be a Learner and Be Kind. We had only started this system just prior to our move to remote learning. It needed to be put on hold as students attendance changed. Our four principles support students in navigating the 'life' of school both inside and outside the classroom. Some students have attained a gold token for their consistent approach to behaviour including Bianca Roberts from Kindergarten who gained her Gold token just yesterday. Gold tokens are accumulated within each class at the top of the whiteboard and contribute to a class reward. It is a simple system of reward, which is also high profile. It rewards individuals, but also rewards the group. If you would like to know more please refer to the token system below or contact your child's teacher or myself.

Student reports will be modified this semester due to the impact of the COVID 19 emergency on learning programs. Students will be assessed in English, Maths and Religious Education on the A-E common grade scale, and no comment will be written. Kindergarten students are assessed on a three point scale in their first year of primary schooling (Competent, Developing, Experiencing Difficulty) Reports will go home Friday Week 9. Parent/teacher interviews will be offered in Week 10 and more detail can be provided on student progress at this time. 

Student Attendance

Student attendance on every school day is expected and teachers are required by law to mark the roll accordingly. If your child is unable to be at school for any reason, then parents must notify the school in writing as soon as possible by either sending in a note to the classroom teacher or emailing the front office. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.

On a final note, please know that Ms Anne Saunderson is still very unwell and will not be able to continue with us here at St Mary's in her full time role and she has made a decision to resign from her position. Please keep Anne in your prayers as she rebuilds her strength. We hope to see Ms Saunderson back with us in a casual capacity later this year. Until then, Ms Pribilovics will continue as LNAP Coordinator and REC. 

God bless and have a lovely week. 

Jannine

This week also marks an important anniversary in our Catholic calendar. On 24 May 2015 Pope Francis signed Laudato Si’, the watershed encyclical letter that called world’s attention to the increasingly precarious state of our common home. Five years on, the encyclical appears ever more relevant. The multiple “cracks in the planet that we inhabit” (LS, 163), from the melting ice caps in the Arctic to the raging wildfires in the Amazon, from extreme weather patterns around the world to unprecedented levels of loss of biodiversity that sustain the very fabric of life.  

Pope Francis’ prophetic words continue to ring in our ears: “What kind of world do we want to leave to those who come after us, to children who are now growing up?” (LS, 160) The poor communities around the world are already the early and disproportionate victims of the current ecological degradation and we cannot remain indifferent any longer to the increasingly desperate “cry of the earth and the cry of the poor” (LS, 49). The fifth anniversary of the encyclical comes in the midst of another watershed moment - a global pandemic - and Laudato Si's message is just as prophetic today as it was in 2015.

The encyclical can indeed provide the moral and spiritual compass for the journey to create a more caring, fraternal, peaceful and sustainable world.

Our School Prayer:

Dear Lord,

In everything that we think say and do today, may others see that you live in each one of us. Please help all of us at St Mary’s to show care, concern and mercy towards others. Mary our Mother look after us. Mary MacKillop pray for all our sick. Amen

Year 2/3 in Spelling activities this week are using the THRASS chart and hands on manipulatives to learn their list words.

Next Tuesday 2nd June Jade and Zayn will be St Mary's radio presenters. Tune in to 96.3FM Sounds of the Mountains at 1.45pm.

As we are back to face to face learning please remember that it is a legal requirement that ABSENTEE notes need to be submitted for any student who is away from school.

Please do this through the Schoolzine App on the absent section.

SHOES - PLAIN BLACK SCHOOL SHOES are to be worn Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. JOGGERS preferably white or navy to be worn Monday & Friday.

HATS - NAVY SCHOOL FLAP OR BUCKET HATS WITH LOGO are to be worn. NO coloured hats.

TRACK PANTS - PLAIN NAVY are to be worn for sport MONDAY and FRIDAY ONLY. Boys are to wear GREY pants and girls NAVY pants or TUNIC for winter on Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday.

The uniform shop is fully stocked with winter uniform (payment is required at time of purchase) and we also have some good quality seconds for a donation.

Please see the updated price list below. 

Thank you for your support with students wearing the correct uniform as per our uniform policy.

Last week we had some parents contacting us regarding lost clothing.

Could families please check students clothing to see if you have an extra navy or red jumper that is not your childs. 

PLEASE put your childs name on ALL clothing so it can quickly be identified and returned to the owner. 

Please ensure that pop top WATER bottles are bought to school each day. Bubblers are not to be used in line with COVID-19 health and hygiene recommendations. Bottles will be refilled by staff if required.

The Premiers Reading Challenge for 2020 is well underway.

We remind students to keep reading and recording your books.

Church services will recommence at St Mary's Church on Sunday 7 June at 8.30am.

Due to the Covid-19 restrictions of only 10 people, parishioners will be invited to attend Mass at this stage. Mass will only be on the first and third Sunday's in BATLOW and NO LITURGIES or MORNING TEAS will be held until restrictions have been lifted.

Fr George thanks everyone for your support during these trying times and hopes we will be back to some normality soon.

During this time of isolation the Church has been having some roof repairs, new gates and painting done to freshen up the entry, annexe and sacristy areas.

As we are now back to face to face learning, could you please check to see if all resources that were sent home for remote learning have been returned to school.