Newsletter Term 4, Week 8 2023
Monday November 27 - School Closure
Dear Parents and Carers,
Welcome to our second last newsletter for 2023, and what a fantastic year it has been! As we prepare for the upcoming holidays and look ahead to 2024, there are a few exciting updates and important information to share.
Please join us this Sunday at 10am for our Parish mass and annual Parish forum celebration straight after this event.
It is a welcoming and inclusive way to catch up with friends and make some new ones while finding out more about the dynamic work of our Parish Council! Pop in, and find out more, even for a little while to say hello!
This coming Monday 27th November, is a pupil free day so please remember not to send your children to school. On this day our dedicated staff, both new and existing, will be working to ensure a smooth transition for our students into the new school year.
Thank you to all families for your support with this day as I know many of you need to work this around other commitments.
The start of December sees the beginning of Advent, an important season in the Catholic year. We join together to read, reflect, pray and prepare for the birth of Jesus, the coming of our Saviour on Christmas Day, December 25th. Please mark this special time with your children by attending mass and through daily discussions about the true meaning of Christmas. Please mirror your child’s learning at school by the lighting of the four advent candles and the meaning behind these. I include the following prayer, said at at the lighting of the first candle:
Indeed, our Catholic Faith emphasises the preparation for Christmas is about the giving of ourselves, our time, our kindness, our attention and awareness of others. How wonderful is this for one and all regardless of faith traditions.
FOR YOUR FORWARD PLANNING - Important: We will have scheduled "Get to Know You" student-teacher assessment meetings for the first two days of Term 1, 2024.
Tuesday, 30th January, (Foundation – Year 6)
Wednesday, 31st January, (Foundation – Year 6) 2024
This important plan was communicated in last Tuesday's Operoo message. The next newsletter will inform you of your child’s teacher for 2024. In that newsletter will be a link so that you can book your child in on one of these days. This will afford all children the opportunity to benefit from these student – teacher chats and assessments. Each student will have a half-hour appointment. Foundation interviews will continue on each Wednesday, as previously communicated.
Camp Australia has an "Expression of Interest" survey to gauge parent interest in holiday care at SMM. Your input is vital, so please take a moment to fill out the survey because as you can imagine, this service will be expanded only if it becomes viable for Camp Australia. St Margaret Mary's Primary School - Vacation Care Expression of Interest Survey (surveymonkey.com) This survey closes 1st December.
Alternatively, School holiday care may be available at Sacred Heart, Newport, at certain times. This is another avenue worth investigating for families, should camp Australia decide not to proceed with holiday care. Before and after school care will continue at St. Margaret Mary’s in 2024.
A big thank you to our families for reducing outstanding fees from $155,000 to $95,000 this term. If you have outstanding fees, please consider popping in for a chat. We understand the financial commitment fees pose and have partnered with Edstart to provide a safe payment portal, allowing families to focus on positive learning community relationships. Please see my letter below.
Exciting plans are in place for the Year 3/4 and 5/6 camp experience in 2024, linked with our curriculum focus on inclusion, resilience, tolerance, and diversity. Details about the camp at Sovereign Hill will be shared soon.
Important events over the next fortnight include:
Our third and final Foundation Transition morning is this Tuesday, welcoming caregivers and young learners to SMM in 2024.
This Wednesday the Year 6s will lead us through our second Advent paraliturgy on Wednesday at 10:30 am, connecting us to the important Catholic season of Advent that we enter into in December.
Important dates are approaching:
Foundation excursion,
Step Up Day, when children will get to meet their new teachers.
The end of Year Mass, and
Year 6 Graduation Mass and Celebration. Stay tuned for more details!
We all wish to extend some special congratulations to Simone Laurie, who has accepted an ongoing, Deputy Principal role at St. Francis of Assisi Tarneit. As Simone is now officially leaving SMM, we celebrate and thank Simone for her ongoing commitment to Catholic education, student learning, and parish – school community building. We will bid farewell to Simone at the end of year mass and bush dance picnic. As this is quite recent news please keep an eye out for a special newsletter article on Simone next week. Simone has been an invaluable part of this learning community for many years and I’m sure we will continue to see Simone at mass and school events. Congrats Simone!
Our 2023 FSG has been hugely successful with the raising of just on $13,000 this year. Thank you to everyone for your ongoing support with fundraising. The Chocolate drive raised $2,300, All parents and carers please mark your calendars for the FSG online meeting, this Wednesday, 29th November at 7:15 pm. Please use this link to join the meeting. All parents and carers welcome, especially those who have not been so far this year! https://whereby.com/smmfsg
Being a part of SMM FSG is a great opportunity to stay connected, share ideas, and offer support to your child’s education through fundraising and forming connections through the planned social events for 2024.
Wishing you all a joyful fortnight ahead and safe travels to those families fortunate enough to make the most of the SMM long weekend due to the student free day this Monday.
Warm regards,
Colleen McCambridge
Principal
Important Information regarding fee payments in 2024
St Margaret Mary’s is always on the lookout to improve services for our families. We recognise that for many of our families, school fees can represent a significant portion of your family budget and many of our families would welcome greater flexibility around the management of these payments.
We are therefore pleased to announce that St Margaret Mary‘s has partnered with a specialist provider, Edstart, to make managing your school fee payments easier.
Edstart offers an easy, flexible and zero-cost way for you to pay your St Margaret Mary’s school fees in periodic instalments that suit your family budget, with no credit checks.
This new payment method will allow you to spread your fees into weekly, fortnightly or monthly payments over 12 months, with the ability to choose your preferred day for when payments are made.
Families will also have the ability to pay annually or termly through Edstart, also at no cost to you.
With your child’s outcomes at the heart of what we do, parent fees are crucial to St Margaret Mary’s sustainability. While we put our resources into striving to deliver the very best in learning, teaching, pastoral care and formation for our students, Edstart are here to assist as the experts in their field and are best placed to assist our families moving forward.
From Term 1 2024, we are pleased to share that all school fee payments will be made via Edstart. Our admin. staff are available to assist you with joining this payment portal.
Please check your inboxes from today as Edstart will be contacting all of our families via email with details and a link to set up your account.
If you have any questions or require assistance please do not hesitate to contact Edstart directly on 1300 139 445 or contact@edstart.com.au
We are also here to support you to set up your Edstart account if you can pop in to the office or phone or email.
Colleen McCambridge
Principal
Follow our socials for the latest learning posts from the classroom
St Margaret Mary’s students are independent life-long learners inspired by Gospel values and empowered with a sense of purpose and responsibility. They confidently engage with others and are equipped with skills to adapt to an ever changing world.
Each week, students who embody our values, apply the school mindsets to learning, work hard to improve or persevere to deliver on learning objectives are awarded a class award. The students who earned an award in the past weeks are:
Week 6
Week 7
Keyboard Assembly
Students were treated to a fabulous keyboard assembly last week. From our youngest students to our most experienced pianists, there was something for everyone to enjoy. Thank you to our piano teacher, Kate T, for all the work you put in for our students.
Victorian State Champion, Milla G!
On the 1st of November, Milla competed at the State Primary Track and Field Championships at Melbourne Sports Centre-Lakeside Stadium in Albert Park. Milla competed as a multiclass athlete and came first in both her events, the 100m sprint and long jump. Milla is now a Victorian State champion. Milla’s classmates were able to cheer her on as we were fortunate enough to watch her compete via livestream of the race on Youtube. A big thank you to Mrs Ablinger for attending on the day. Congratulations again Milla, St Margaret Mary’s is very proud of all of your achievements this year.
Kristine Messig
PE and Sport
W is for Wellbeing over the holidays!
As we rapidly head toward the holidays, this is a good time to recap some actions that support student wellbeing, learning & mental health. Parents & caregivers provide the environment that can significantly impact a child’s physical, mental, social & emotional wellbeing. Here are some things to keep in mind over the holidays.
Exercise boosts mood. Encourage active time outside to exercise.
Reduce screen time. Discourage the use of devices as ‘babysitters’. Provide alternative activities or share care with other families or extended family for more opportunities for face to face interactions & physical activity.
Sleep has an enormous effect on emotions, mood & our ability to cope with daily events. Experts recommend maintaining the sleep routines you have in place for children rather than allowing late nights & long sleep ins during the holidays. It takes the body some time to adjust back as the school routine for the new year approaches. According to the National Sleep Foundation primary aged kids need 9 -11 hours of sleep per night, & secondary students need 8 – 10 hours. Without adequate sleep kids will be grumpy & lethargic & the first weeks back at school, as they readjust, will be more difficult than they need to be.
Clean up. Holidays are a great time to clear cluttered spaces. The field of neuroscience & related research is filtering through to influence educational practices. Research shows that our physical environments can significantly influence our cognition, emotions & subsequent behaviours, including our relationships with others. Setting up & involving your child in personalising a clear area for a study space can prime students to be prepared to return to school.
Connect with others. Strong social connections are a protective factor contributing to mental health.
Spending time with other trusted adults & families helps your child see that not all families are the same. Children learn there are many different values, routines & ideas in the world. Play dates & sleepovers with grandparents provide kids with the chance to practice social & emotional skills & manners & can boost their confidence as they learn to cope with new & unfamiliar surroundings.
The Australian parenting website, raisingchildren.net.au spells out the benefits of connecting to extended family, friends & people in their neighbourhood & community.
Spend time in nature. Studies show that children who spend time in nature are more likely to have better physical health & suffer from fewer mental health problems. Try to get out at least once a day.
Make time to engage in fun activities together as a family. Having fun together generates positive emotions. In later years, kids will often refer to past activities they remember that generated positive emotions. Often the inexpensive things are the most treasured. Some ideas include:
Exploring an unfamiliar park
A family picnic
Camping in the backyard
Walking around the block & engaging the senses (seeing, hearing, touching & smelling)
Family games night (or join with another family)
Play games that also develop motor skills such as totem tennis, hookey, ‘Finska’ or quoits & support your child with skills around winning & losing
Family drive to a ‘mystery place’
Treasure hunt
Explore the activities on offer at the local library
Gardening, planting seeds or potting up a plant to look after
Stargazing, watching sunrises or sunsets can inspire wonder and awe
Watching the local wildlife come out at night (possums, bats, owls, minibeasts)
Learning a new skill together such as skipping, hula hooping or juggling
Kath
Advent Liturgies
Well done to our year 1 and 2 students for performing the first of our four advent liturgies. Next week we our Year 6’s will present, followed by our Preps and finally Grade 3 and 4 students.
Make sure to look at the important dates section to find out when they are on.
Dates when Choir will sing at mass
Sacred Heart: Sunday 3/12
St Margaret Mary's: Saturday 16/12
Calling All Kind Hearts! Join Our Ministry of Welcome!
Feedback from our community consultations indicated a need to ensure that all people coming to Mass feel welcome.
We are seeking compassionate volunteers to join our Welcoming Ministry! Be a beacon of warmth and love, ensuring every parishioner feels embraced in our faith community.
Please consider joining this important team - your role could include coming to Mass 15 minutes earlier and greeting people as they arrive. You might be able to assist every week, or less frequently.
If you are interested in becoming a part of our Ministry of Welcome please speak to us or contact us at the presbytery, or via StJosephVicPPC@gmail.com. Your presence matters!
A big thank you to all our families for returning your chocolate boxes. We made just over TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS and have now raised over 13 THOUSAND DOLLARS in total this year.
We recently had an Audio-Visual specialist visit our school, and he is confident about installing an amazing system in our hall. A few students got a sneak peek of how big the screen will be, and there were a lot of 'WOWs.'
We have one more fundraiser coming up this year. As a bonus of the Cadbury Fundraiser, we received a 10KG block of chocolate that we will be raffling off in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!
All parents and carers please mark your calendars for the FSG online meeting, this Wednesday, 29th November at 7:15 pm. Please use this link to join the meeting. All parents and carers welcome, especially those who have not been so far this year! https://whereby.com/smmfsg
The FSG
School Fees Information
Essential Components:
School fees, levies, strong staff recruitment, and a positive community learning culture are essential elements.
The new enterprise agreement, particularly regarding staff being given time in Lieu, has added costs to school camps
Significant rise in costs in teaching and learning materials and utilities
Infrastructure Concerns:
Former principal Andrea, has long highlighted the critical subsidence of the north wall of our administration building. This time critical project, along with some classroom refurbishment, will begin early 2024.
Financial Success:
SMM successfully secured a Supplementary Grant of $480,000 from MACS which will be paid for 10 years, $48.000 per year, to support our repayment of the estimated $1,300,000 loan required for Master plan stage 1.
This support was secured after a robust formal submission and my persistent contact with key members of the MACS team.
Strategic Opportunities:
Dr. Edward Simons, our Executive Director's recent visit, was further testament to the positive MACS and SMM relationship. This visit to SMM provided an excellent opportunity to showcase our school's strengths and share our collective vision for enhancement of facilities.
Future Plans:
Restoration of the Administration building is scheduled for next year.
The new master plan, (as communicated through September consultation of parents, students, staff) includes rebuilding student toilets, adding three classrooms, and installation of soft turf on the playground.
Transparency for Parents & Carers:
We have present this information to provide insight into our dedication, to advocating for increased financial support for our thriving school.
This information aims to give parents and carers an understanding of our commitment to minimising school fees, levies, especially the building levy, and how these amounts are decided and will be used.
Hobsons Bay Big Summer Read
Chromebooks in 2024
Thank you to our current year 2 families that have ordered their Chromebooks for next year. If you have not ordered, please do so as soon as possible, to ensure delivery in December. Late or unpaid orders will be delivered next year.
Orders can be placed here.
Grandparents Play Group
Do you provide care for a little person under 5 years?
Are you looking for a fun way to spend time together?
Would you like to connect with other grandparents?
Then join us at our Grandparent Playgroup!
Runs each Monday from 9.30am – 11.30am during school terms at
Newport Baptist Church (26 Mason St, Newport).
This playgroup will be activated by Council who will support the group to
run independently with a community member volunteer.
For more information and to register, contact the Playgroup Team
at Hobsons Bay City Council:
Phone: 1300 179 944
Email: playgroups@hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au
Giving thanks can be the greatest gift of all
Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) is excited to be launching a Christmas campaign in December. The focus of the campaign will be on giving the biggest thanks possible to our amazing teachers.
To make the campaign more special, students have the chance to be part of it. MACS has created an online form at www.macsbiggestthanks.com, where students can write a message of thanks to the teacher who has helped them to flourish, whether by igniting their passion in a certain subject or by inspiring them to believe in themselves.
Not only will the messages of thanks be shared with teachers, but some of the students’ messages will appear on billboards around Melbourne and in future communications. We need parent/carer/guardian consent in the online form to give students the chance of having their message used in this way.
The form will be open until Friday 1 December. We look forward to seeing the messages of joy and positivity from students as we celebrate our wonderful teachers this Christmas.
Emmanuel College News
At Emmanuel, we believe in students being a part of our College community for life. This last week is a perfect example of this, with some of next year’s Year 7s visiting and our full Orientation Morning happening next week. On Thursday evening we will gather for the Celebration of Excellence at Flemington Racecourse, where we celebrate students achieving their personal best.
YEAR 7 2024 Orientation Morning – Tuesday 28 November 2023
We look forward to welcoming our Year 7 2024 students at Orientation Morning on Tuesday 28th November. Students can be dropped off at the campus that they are enrolled to attend – by 8:30am and will be ready for parents to pick them up at 1:00pm. All they need to bring with them is a drink bottle, healthy snack and wear their Primary School sport uniform and a hat.
St Pauls Campus McCoy Hall, Chambers Rd, Altona North
Notre Dame Campus Quiroga Hall, Dunnings Rd, Point Cook
St Paul’s Reunion
If you or someone you know attended St Paul’s in the classes of 1973, 1983, 1993, 2003 or 2013 we warmly welcome you to come along to the upcoming reunion; renew friendships, enjoy the refreshments, and reminisce with staff about your time at school. It is on Friday 1 December 2023 from 6:00pm to 8:30pm, McCoy Hall, St Paul’s Campus. Registration is available by one of the following:
Eventbrite: Reunion Friday 1 December 2023 - Register here
Email: alumni@ecmelb.catholic.edu.au
Call: Michael Pichner on 8325 5197
Our experience events and tours have finished for this year and will recommence in February 2024; if an urgent tour of the College is required, please contact: marketing@ecmelb.catholic.edu.au.
We look forward to seeing you at the school soon.
Yours sincerely
Jenny Hendricks
Community Engagement
