Dear Parents

Welcome to Term Three. Thanks for your understanding in our late start to Term Three. While everything checked out to be fine after testing we were still obliged to have an environmental clean of the school. Please note that we have had no positive cases of COVID-19 in our school with students, teachers or builders / sub contractors. In regards to Term Three the following points need to be remembered:

• No camps or excursions in Term Three
• Social Distancing will continue to be regular conversation in the classroom
• St Mary’s will continue to be provided regular updates from Industrial Relations in the Diocese of Sale
• Water taps outside will continue to be covered
• Winter Sport and all sporting activities outside of the school have been cancelled
• Children will not be able to attend mass until further notice
• Children who are due to receive a sacrament will be given information when it is made available
• Regular cleaning will continue at St Mary’s
• Hand sanitiser is well stocked at our school
• While face masks are not mandated in Wellington Shire they are, however, available at school if required or needed
• Parents are to drop students off at either Gibney or Laura Streets
• Children have worked together to establish with teachers protocols and rules for when they leave school at the end of the day

The following is information regarding our building refurbishment:

• Stage 1 will be completed by Friday, 7th August
• Students in Foundation, Grade 1, Grade 5 and Grade 6 will be the first grades to move into the new POD Centre. This will be known as learning POD A and POD B
• Work is underway on Stage 2 and this includes a brand new POD C (Grade 2, Grade 3 and Grade 4) as well as a Art Room and storage facilities
• New furniture, TV’s and technology has been purchased for all POD’s
• A feature of the refurbishment is security and child safety. This will enable the school to upgrade security measures and general safety requirements
• Heating and cooling is upgraded in the refurbishment
• Administration areas, meeting rooms for teachers and parents, upgraded entrance and first aid areas are included in Stage 1
• All buses are now dropping students off on Laura Street
• The Duke Street entrance and exit is closed during Term Three

Thanks to everyone for working together during these unprecedented times. We hope we all stay safe and healthy during the term.

Have a great weekend.

Jason

2020 Sacramental Program

This year, children in Years 3, 4 and 6 indicated that they would like to receive a sacrament in 2020.  We started off the year well, with the Year 3 candidates and parents preparing for the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  They were all set to receive the sacrament at the end of Term 1 but unfortunately this did not go ahead due to the Covid-19 restrictions that were placed on parishes and schools.

These restrictions are still in place, which affected the Sacrament of Confirmation in Terms 2 and will impact on the Sacrament of First Eucharist this term.  There are currently restrictions of no more than 20 people permitted at any Masses, which still presents challenges for the sacraments to take place.  Fr Siju and I have reviewed the Sacramental Program and developed a timeline for the sacraments for the remainder for the year.  The adjusted Sacramental Program is as follows:

Sacrament of Reconciliation

Wednesday, 12th August at 11:30am. 

Sacrament of First Eucharist

Postponed until 2021

Sacrament of Confirmation

Either Friday, 23rd October or Saturday, 24th October.

More details to come.

A letter went out today to all of the families impacted by these changes.  Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. 

Dianne Austin
REL

Every Day Counts – School Attendance:

 We all want our students to get a great education, and the building blocks for a great     

 education begin with students coming to school each and every day.

 Missing school can have a major impact on a child’s future – a student missing one day a 

 fortnight will miss four full weeks by the end of the year. By Year 10 they’ll have missed

 more than a year of school.

 There is no safe number of days for missing school – each day a student misses puts them 

 behind, and can affect their educational outcomes.

 Coming to school every day is vital, but if for any reason your child must miss school, there 

 are things we can do together to  ensure they don’t fall behind:

 Speak with your classroom teacher and find out what work your child needs to do to keep 

 up.

 Develop an absence learning plan with your teacher and ensure your child completes the plan.

 Remember, every day counts. If your child must miss school, speak with your classroom teacher  as early as possible.

 If you’re having attendance issues with your child, please let your classroom teacher know so we can work together to get    your child to school every day.

In Grade 2/3 we are studying poetry, with a focus on limericks this week. A limerick needs to have 5 lines with the first, second and fifth lines rhyming and containing 3 beats. The 3rd and 4th lines need to rhyme and have 2 beats. A limerick usually contains humour. The final word of the first line is often a noun. 

We have followed the rules to write our own limericks. Here are some examples:

WEEKEND MASSES:                                 

Heyfield:                                                   

Saturday      6:00pm                                 

Maffra:                                                        

Sunday        9:00am & 4:30pm             

Newry OR Cowwarr:

Sunday        11:00am

WEEK DAY MASSES:  

Heyfield:

Tuesday        9:30am

Maffra:

Wednesday    9:30am

Thursday       9:30am

Friday           9:30am