NEWSLETTER. PRINCIPAL: Mr James Quigley. Mission Statement

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1 St Mary MacKillop School NEWSLETTER PRINCIPAL: Mr James Quigley 10 Bagot Street, Wallaroo South Australia 5556 PO Box 16, Wallaroo South Australia 5556 Telephone: (08) Facsimile: (08) Outside School Hours Care: Telephone: Term 1 /Week 3 Wednesday, 14 th February 2018 We begin the season of Lent with pancakes and prayer, our community is asked to gather for an important meeting, we offer vital safety messages for all and I ask for your support as we near a State election. This is Week 3! LENT: Today is Ash Wednesday the first day of the season of Lent. Lent is a period of forty days leading up to the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday. Traditionally it is a time where we are asked to do three things; To FAST or to give something up, to GIVE perhaps our time to support a worthy cause or money to a charitable organisation (like Project Compassion) and to PRAY more and connect more readily with God. It is a time for prayer and reflection on the way we live our lives, and the way God wants us to live our lives. It is a message we give to our kids on a daily basis. This may be simply in the way we treat those around us. Our words and our actions. Jesus taught us how to be compassionate and how to be true peacemakers. This Lent our challenge is to live our life as compassionate peacemakers. What a great place, school, community and world we would live in if this was our reality. DO YOU WANT TO FAST THIS LENT? In the words of Pope Francis Fast from hurting words and say kind words. Fast from sadness and be filled with gratitude. Fast from anger and be filled with patience. Fast from pessimism and be filled with hope. Fast from worries and have trust in God. Fast from complaints and contemplate simplicity. Fast from pressures and be prayerful. Fast from bitterness and fill your hearts with joy. Fast from selfishness and be compassionate to others. Fast from grudges and be reconciled. Fast from words and be silent so you can listen. IMPORTANT DATES FEBRUARY Fri 16 Year 6/7 Assembly 9.00am Mon 19-Fri 23 Swimming Lessons Tue 20 Mini Macs Playgroup 9.00am Parents & Friends meeting 7.00pm Sat 24 Parish Mass for Sr Shirley 7.00pm Tue 27 Mini Macs Playgroup 9.00am MARCH Thu 1 Year 1/2 attending Parish Wallaroo 9.30am Fri 2 National Schools Clean Up Day Year 4/5 Assembly 9.00am Thu 8 Reception/1 attending Parish Wallaroo Mon 12 PUBLIC HOLIDAY Tue 13 PUPIL FREE DAY Thu 15 SACPPSA Swimming Magill Pool School AGM 7.00pm Fri 16 Year 3/4 Assembly 9.00am Parish Weekend Mass Times Star of the Sea, Wallaroo Saturday 7.00pm St. Francis of Assisi, Moonta Sunday 8.30am Sacred Heart, Kadina Sunday 10.30am Mission Statement Inspired by our Catholic faith and in partnership with families and our wider community, St Mary MacKillop School creates opportunities for encountering life in all its richness.

2 From the Principal ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING: Our Annual General Meeting (A.G.M) will be held on Thursday, 15 th March, in the MPLA. The A.G.M is an invitation to all parents to hear about the school s achievements in the previous year and its goals and aspirations moving forward. Without going as far as saying this is one of those compulsory school events, your attendance at this event would be greatly appreciated. We will have some wine and cheese ready for the night. One of the key parts of the A.G.M is the election of School Board members. A Catholic School s Board is a significant position of leadership in the school community. In this week s Newsletter we are calling for nominations from interested parents in becoming members of our School Board. Each School Board member serves for a period of two years and the main responsibility is to be involved in monthly Board meetings at the school. Many people don t consider themselves suitable or qualified to serve on the Board, when in truth, all that is required is that you are parent in the school AND have a passion and enthusiasm to see our school succeed. Please consider your nomination or someone else in the community who you think would make a good Board member. If you need any further information about becoming a member of the School Board, please see myself, Charlotte Gross (current Board Chair) or any current member of the School Board. ENSURING OUR SCHOOL IS A SAFE PLACE FOR ALL: As the school year commences I want to assure all parents and carers of our absolute commitment to ensuring that St Mary MacKillop is a safe place for all. Our staff are committed and trained to protect the children and young people in our care. All staff and regular volunteers have current police checks. We teach our children age-appropriate strategies to keep themselves safe through South Australia s Keeping Safe Child Protection Curriculum. Staff complete certification and undertake regular updated training in Responding to Abuse and Neglect in Education and Care Settings. We also promote strategies to minimise bullying and help students stay safe online. We have included in today s newsletter a copy of our S.A.F.E anagram which is unpacked with students about ways in which we deal with students who feel they have been bullied. Additional information about the broader protection policies of Catholic Education SA can be found on their website. The website also includes links to online resources for parents and students on a range of topics including anxiety, depression, bullying and how to support your child. If you have any questions or concerns about child safety please contact me. FAIR FUNDING FOR CATHOLIC SCHOOLS As we head towards a State Election, I strongly encourage you to consider how each political party is promising to support our Catholic schools when deciding which way you will vote. Until recently Catholic schools in South Australia received the lowest level of funding in the country. In November, the State Government announced that it would increase recurrent funding to our schools. This equates to a $14.3 million increase in 2018 and brings us into much closer alignment with the amount Catholic schools receive in other parts of the country. The State Government also announced a capital grant of $5.5 million indexed annually to CPI. While this is good news for our schools, there is much more that can be done to ensure our schools receive adequate support. I have recently written to Fraser Ellis (Liberal), Sam Davies (SA Best) and Doug Milera (Labor) to ask them about their policies and support for Catholic Schools in our electorate and I look forward to sharing their responses with you. You can read more at: WATER SAFETY LESSONS: Each year our students are involved in a week long immersion of Water Safety lessons. Last year our normal Term 1 sessions had to be moved to Term 4. As such, although it only seems like we just completed our water safety lessons recently, these will take place again next week (week 4). Attached to this Newsletter today is important information about your child s swimming requirements and timetables. We would ask if you haven t already that you return the Aquatic consent form sent home last week. These lessons take place at Office Beach for our all classes.

3 From the Principal As always, these lessons are an important and compulsory part of our curriculum, so all students are expected to attend the lessons. If you have any queries or questions about the program, please see your child s class teacher. STAFF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AND FORMATION DATES FOR 2018 (PUPIL FREE DAYS): At our Board meeting last night, our School Board ratified our 2018 pupil free days. These will be: - Tuesday, 13 th March (day after Adelaide Cup public holiday) - Tuesday, 12 th June (day after the Queen s Birthday public holiday) - Friday, 21 st September (day after the School Concert) - Monday, 19 th November - Friday, 14 th December OSHC facilities will be available for all of these days. A booking form for Tuesday, 13 th March, can be found in today s newsletter. Kind regards James The St MM Parents and Friends want you! First meeting Tuesday 20 th February at 7.00pm in the Board room. An energetic, welcoming, fun committee which is always looking for new members. Not a lot of work but great reward! Come along to our first meeting to find out more! Notice is given of the St Mary MacKillop School Annual General Meeting to be held on Thursday, 15 th March at the school (MPLA building). All Executive positions and 4 Board positions are up for nomination. If you or someone you know would like to nominate for a Board positon, please fill out and return the Board nomination forms available with today s Newsletter.

4 The Vine Shrove Tuesday Thank you to all families who contributed so generously to our Shrove Tuesday Pancake celebration yesterday. We certainly did not run out of pancake mix or maple syrup, even with the ravenous appetites of our students! Thank you to Lisa Cabrera, Karen Miers, Lauren Russack, and Khyati Vadher who cooked our most delicious pancakes, non-stop, until the students gave up! There were enough left for OSHC to enjoy in the afternoon. Your efforts were most appreciated. Ash Wednesday Several parents and members of the parish joined us at the Ash Wednesday Liturgy today, marking the beginning of Lent and our journey to Easter. The school community viewed and heard the story of Janaki from Nepal. They discovered how finance from Project Compassion has been able to support Janaki to take charge of her life so that she can become self-sufficient. We want our students to understand that we can successfully support people, who we might not even know, to live a life of greater fairness and justice through sharing more justly in the world s resources. Project Compassion Caritas Australia is an international aid and development organisation of the Catholic Church which delivers long-term development programmes, helps people regardless of their ethnicity, religion, or political beliefs. It works with the poorest of the poor and helps people so that they can help themselves. Caritas Australia s annual Lenten fundraising and awareness-raising appeal is Project Compassion. It brings thousands of Australians together in solidarity with the world's poor to help end poverty, promote justice and uphold the dignity of every person regardless of where they live or how much money they have. Project Compassion is a school and parish community action for Lent. It runs for the six weeks of Lent, leading up to Easter. A small Project Compassion collection box and information pamphlet for each family is included in the Newsletter envelope today. Lent is a time of action for self and others. This is a wonderful opportunity for our families to create some familycentred social justice activities in order to share our good fortune with those who have less and need some help. Some family ideas may include having less take-away, giving up an ice-cream or a food treat and placing the money saved in the family Project Compassion collection box to enable those with less to have a fairer share of our world food resources.

5 The Vine Sacraments Sacramentality is recognising and encountering God in all parts of our daily life through our creation, our humanness, relationships with others, events and experiences. The Sacraments are acts of bonding with God, through rituals and everyday symbols to point to deeper meaning and sharing in the grace and action of God through personal relationship with God. The celebration of the Sacraments of Baptism, Reconciliation, First Eucharist and Confirmation will be offered this year. Baptised Catholic students from Year 3 are invited to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation which will take place on Thursday 22 March at 7pm in Star of the Sea Church, Wallaroo. Students from Year 4 (and 5) are invited to celebrate First Eucharist. The Sacrament of Confirmation, is conferred on those students in Year 6 and Year 7 who have already celebrated the Sacraments of Baptism, Reconciliation and First Eucharist. Any enquiries about the Sacrament of Baptism can be directed towards Bernie Thomson. If applicable, please complete and return the Sacraments form in this newsletter, indicating that you would like your child/ren to be involved in the Sacraments Preparation programme which is offered through classroom teaching. An information evening for parents of candidates for all the sacraments which will be celebrated this year will take place a little later in Term 1. More information later. Our parish priest, Fr Adrian Noonan, will also be part of the gathering. Any families who wish to seek baptism for their children are invited to contact Bernie Thomson, who will help families to make contact with Fr Adrian as well as help them prepare for that celebration. Please fill in any relevant forms below and return to school as soon as possible or contact Bernadette Thomson if you receive the Newsletter in form. Bernie Thomson APRIM and Pastoral Care Support Sacraments Form I would like to consider (name of child) celebrating the Sacrament of Baptism in I wish to receive more information. Signed Date I would like (name of child) to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation in 2018 Signed Date I would like (name of child) to celebrate the Sacrament of First Eucharist in 2018 Signed Date I would like (name of child) to celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation in 2018 Signed Date

6 STUDENT ACTION PLAN for Dealing with Bullying and Harassment: Be S.A.F.E ACTION PLAN STEPS ACTION EXPLANATION Step 1 S Step 2 A Step 3 F Step 4 E S = Speak up Ignore it or speak to the person. A = Ask a friend to support you Discuss it with someone. F = Find a teacher and report it Report the matter to a staff member. E = Extra help go to the Principal Go to the Principal and report what has happened. Show that it does not affect you - the behaviour may stop. Or tell them that their actions are not ok and you want it to stop. Let them know you will tell a teacher if they do not stop. If it does not stop Continue to try to ignore the behaviour and tell the person to stop the behaviour. Ask a friend to be with you when you do this. Talk to a trusted friend, teacher or parents, they may be able to help and offer other ways of dealing with the behaviour. If it does not stop Report the matter to a teacher/eso or staff member and discuss with them any further action that might take place. Remember to tell the teacher EVERYTHING you have done and EVERYTHING the other person has done. If it does not stop Discuss what has happened with the Principal and a decision will be made about further action to stop the bullying from occurring.

7 Shrove Tuesday Yesterday we celebrated Shrove Tuesday. Students enjoyed pancakes cooked by our parent volunteers Lauren, Lisa, Khyati and Karen for recess. Thank you ladies for your assistance. Thank you also to families for the donations of pancake mix and toppings. Students loved the pancakes with lots of yums being heard whilst eating them. Library News Please find included in this week s newsletter envelope, Issue 1 of the Scholastic Book Club catalogue. Please return your orders with payment to the front office by Friday, 23 rd February. All orders are very much appreciated as they earn reward points for the school and enable us to purchase new books for the library. Parent Borrowing The school has a collection of Parent Help Books from authors which are available for parents / carers to borrow anytime. Parents / Carers may borrow the books under their child s name for a two week period. A small display is located at the front of the MPLA. Sharon Steer Library Technician Guitar Lessons Once again Paul Boakes is offering guitar lessons at the school on Wednesday and Thursday for any students who are interested in learning a musical instrument. The lessons go for 30 minutes at a cost of $ Students need to supply their own guitar. Please contact Paul on if you wish your child to participate in guitar lessons.

8 P & F Friday Lunches Parent and Friends Friday Lunch Volunteers Thank you to the following parents for assisting with Friday lunches. Your support is greatly appreciated. Friday 16 th February Time- 11am-1pm Chelsea Donald Friday 23 rd February Time- 11am-1pm Narissa Markellos Friday 2 nd March Time- 11am-1pm Karen Miers Friday 9 th March Time- 11am-1pm Karen Miers Friday 16 th March Time- 11am-1pm Sam Iveson Friday 23 rd March Time- 11am-1pm Chelsea Donald Friday 6 th April Time- 11am-1pm Sam Iveson Friday 13 th April Time- 11am-1pm Karen Miers Miranda Giles Lunch Co-ordinator Years3-7 Connection Day On the 10 th February, the Year 3 to 7s went to the Wallaroo football oval for some games for Connection Day. There were five activities but we only got to do four. For lunch we had sausage rolls, pies and pasties, they were really good. After the lunch we got a Zooper Dooper and went back to school for a movie and some popcorn. We watched Racing Strips. After we went home. Edward Gross & Callum Sanders Year 5

9 Port Power Visit Yesterday we were very fortunate to have a visit from Port Power players Brad Ebert and Karl Amon. Brad and Karl shared their journey to the AFL and gave great advice on how to live a healthy lifestyle by eating healthily, exercising and getting a good sleep at night. Students then enjoyed kicking the footy with them on the oval. OSHC Pupil Free Day Tuesday, 13 th March, will be a Staff Professional Learning and Formation Day (Pupil Free Day). Outside School Hours Care will be available from 8.00am to 6.00pm with morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea provided. Child Care Benefits will be paid accordingly and the cost will be $60.00 per child. Please return the reply slip below by Thursday 8 th March, if your child/ren will be attending. Leah Stock OSHC Director OSHC BOOKING FORM PUPIL FREE DAY TUESDAY, 13 th MARCH Family Name: Signed: Children requiring OSHC Year Year Year

10 OSHC OSHC hours 3pm-6pm Vacation Care hours 8am-6pm Welcome back to OSHC. This term we have some exciting activities and cooking experiences to add to the program. As it is a new year, we have started to redecorate the OSHC hall. We have created a multicultural display to help celebrate Chinese New Year. Children helping to prepare afternoon tea. We had cheese and bacon, vegemite and cheese scrolls. Just a reminder, if your child is booked into OSHC and not attending, or is absent from school, you need to inform OSHC staff before 1pm or you may be charged. You can either call or send a text to

11 HAPPY BIRTHDAY NEWSLETTER INSERTS Mrs Murphy Aadi Year 1/2 Shann Year 4/5 Tyrell Year 2/3 Mr Sherriff 15 th February 19 th February 19 th February 23 rd February 27 th February 1. Class Curriculum Letters 2. Swimming note 3. AGM Nomination form 4. Project Compassion box and leaflet 5. Scholastic Book Club catalogue If you have not received any of the above handouts, please write a note in your child s diary for a copy to be sent home. Community News KAREN LEE DANCE ACADEMY ENROL NOW!! Creative Dance, Tap, Classical Ballet, Contemporary. Kadina, Wallaroo and Moonta. Classes offered for age 2 years and up. Free dance pass for new students klda@dodo.com.au WALLAROO ROYALS NETBALL CLUB Registration night, 1 st March at 6.00pm. BBQ area across from Wallaroo (John Tce, Wallaroo) BBQ tea provided for all registering players. Deposit to be paid on registration - $10 juniors, $20 seniors. Club AGM to follow at the Sonbern Motel. Enquiries to Sue or Janine SOS Copper Coast Suicide Prevention Network presents premiership player, all Australian WAYNE SCHWASS. Hear the candid, honest and inspiring story about his 14 year struggle with depression, suicidal thoughts and his road to recovery. WALLAROO COMMUNITY SPORTS CLUB, Cornish Tce, Wallaroo. Wednesday, 21 st February at 7.00pm. Open to all. Bar available. Get your FREE tickets from Kadina Newsagency, Moonta Newsagency and Wallaroo Newsagency. All tickets entered in draw for a door prize.