Dear families,

I have taken part of an article written Jim Quillinan to assist us in our Lenten preparation, it is titled Not Lent Again!  

“Many years ago, when I was studying to be a teacher we had to wade through a large and very boring tome but one thing stuck with me. It was the term ‘entering behaviour.’ In other words, find out what the students already know and can already do and build on that. Always start with the positive. The same applies to life – we don’t get anywhere much by focussing on the negative, on how wrong or inadequate we or others may be but rather on how we have been gifted and blessed, then build on that.

• During Lent, Joyce Rupp, author of ‘Jesus, My companion in My suffering: Reflections for the Lenten Journey suggests that we do much the same: So I focus on the fruits of the Spirit and their potential to be deepened and strengthened in my life. This motivation is much more effective for making a change. 

The author of Psalm 139 wrote: 

When I was being made in secret, fashioned in the depths of the earth,

 your eyes could see my unformed substance. 

You knit me together in my mother’s womb. 

Nothing about me, from beginning to end was hidden from your eyes.

For so many marvels I thank you. 

You have made me to be so wonderful.

 I praise you for you fill me with awe.

 I wonder whether we actually do see ourselves as being made to be so wonderful, as a ‘marvel’, blessed by God and gifted with grace, that we are in the mind and heart of God from beginning to end. In Matthew’s Gospel we find the parable of the weeds among the crop. Don’t pull them out now, the farmer tells his workers – wait until the harvest time when the crop has fully grown, then pull them out. That is a reminder that we are a mixture of light and darkness, selflessness and selfishness, virtue and vice, grace and sin, we can be sincere as well as two faced. Like the farmer, tend the crop, make it grow to harvest time – in other words focus on the positive, count your blessings, build on them and make them grow. Eventually sincerity will weed out insincerity, selflessness will weed out selfishness, and grace will weed out sin.

The following has been used by many famous people, not the least of them Nelson Mandela. “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light not our darkness that frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.

We are born to manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us. It’s in everyone, As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” We do not have to make God present, but to make ourselves present to God, to make ourselves sensitive to the richness of God’s grace that is already present and active in our lives if we let it.”

I hope everyone has a great weekend with their families.

Kind regards,

Julian

23rd February ~ Hudson Teese

Congratulations to Hudson who recently learnt how to knee board behind a boat.  Hudson has shown great dedication and persistance to learn such a challenging activity.  With qualities such as perserverance and patience he has been able to master a tricky skill.  His determination allowed him to succeed and I'm sure will give him many hours of satisfaction and fun in the sun for many years to come.   What great qualities to have through his life journey.  Hudson was extremely proud of himself when he finally suceeded.

Well done Hudson!!

To celebrate student's achievements, we will be presenting children with Star Of The Week awards.  This is a self nominated award of something a student is proud of.  It could be something academic, sports related, or a personal achievement. Have you learnt to ride a bike?  Won 1st place in a dance competition?  Read a book by yourself?  Anything that makes you proud!

Forms can be found on the link below.

As we continue to prioritise the safety and well-being of our students, staff, and community, it is imperative that we address certain concerns regarding traffic and pedestrian safety around our school premises.

1. Speeding is Not Acceptable Near Schools: Speeding vehicles pose a significant threat to the safety of our students and pedestrians. We urge all drivers to adhere to the posted speed limits, especially in school zones. Excessive speed reduces reaction time and increases the likelihood of accidents, particularly in areas where children are present. Please be mindful of your speed and drive cautiously, especially during peak drop-off and pick-up times.

2. Correct Use of School Crossings at All Times: Our designated school crossings are in place to provide a safe passage for students and pedestrians. It is crucial for everyone to use these crossings correctly and responsibly. Students should be instructed to cross only at designated areas and to wait for the crossing guard’s signal before proceeding. Drivers must also be vigilant and yield to pedestrians at all marked crossings.

3. Crossing the Street Safely: Teaching children proper pedestrian safety is essential for their well-being. Parents and or guardians, please take the time to educate your children on safe pedestrian practices, including looking both ways before crossing the street, using crosswalks whenever possible, and making eye contact with drivers before stepping onto the road. Additionally, encourage older students to serve as role models by following these safety guidelines themselves.

By working together as a community and prioritising safety, we can create a secure environment for everyone.

Let us all remain vigilant and committed to ensuring the well-being of our students both in and around the school premises.        

Please be mindful when dropping children off to school of a morning along Duke Street.  The bus zone is clearly marked, there is NO PARKING in this zone from 8-9am and 3-4pm.  This zone is for BUSES ONLY and for the safety of everyone.  Thank you.

On Friday 16th February students from Grades 1-6 participated in our school Swimming Carnival.  The event held at the Maffra Pool was a great success, with amazing weather and all students partaking in so many events.  Well done to Curran House on winning the swimming sports shield this year.

Thank you to all parent helpers and staff for your assistance on running a successful event.  It was also so wonderful to see so many parents and grandparents come along on the day.  It is occasions like this where we are able to see how great our school community is.

VAUGHAN WINNERS ~ Johnni Bramich & Chilli Batalha

CURRAN HOUSE CAPTAINS (1ST PLACE) ~ Evie Stobie, Sophie McQuillen & Jack Bates

1st CURRAN House (red)

2nd MACKILLOP House (gold)

3rd CORBETT House (green)

We’d like to congratulate all the students who participated in the district swimming yesterday in Sale. Students represented the school and showed great respect and resilience throughout the day, putting in 100% effort into all their events. We would like to thank all the parents and guardians who helped on the day and made it a successful day for students.
Overall, St. Mary’s came third out of 8 schools, fantastic effort by all. As a school we are very proud. We wish the folloowing students who are going on to the Wellington Swimming Carnival on the 6th of March the best of luck.  These students are Alby Bramich, Luella Horsford, Lexi Lawless, Emily Murphy, Edith Heinrich, Chevy McMahon, Ben Murphy, Max Roberts, Tex Morgan, Mack Howard, Elke Horsford, Emilyn Knight, Chilli Batalha, Olivia Simpson, Evie Stobie and Johnni Bramich.

Did you see the good news?

A huge thank you to all the volunteers at Maffra Triathlon who put in a huge amount of work for the benefit of our community.

Thank you to all our wonderful students and families for participating in this great event and supporting the Maffra Triathlon and our school.

We already can't wait until next year!

The votes have been counted and the winners for the most entries to represent a school, club or charity are:

St Mary's Primary School Maffra  $500

Boisdale Consolidated School  $350

Maffra Football Netball Club  $150

Please remember St Mary's has a 'No Hat - No Play' policy.  All children must wear hats until 30th April.  If they do not have a hat they will have to spend recess or lunchtime under the shade of the gazebo.  

Hats can be purchased from Stobie's Land & Surf, Maffra.

CAMPS SPORTS EXCURSION FUNDING (CSEF)

Camps, Sports and Excursion Fund (CSEF) is provided by the Victorian Government to assist eligible families to cover the cost of camps and sporting activities.  If you hold a valid means-tested concession card, you may be eligible for CSEF.

The closing date for Camps Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) applications is 15th April 2024.

Please pick up an application from the school office if you believe you are eligible.

No need to complete a new application if you previously held an eligible concession card.  

TERM 1

MARCH

APRIL

MAY

JUNE

**  Please go to our school website for the full year of calendar dates.

TERM 1

1st February - 28th March

TERM 2

16th April - 28th June

TERM 3

16th July - 20th September

TERM 4

7th October - 18th December 

WEEKEND MASSES

Heyfield:

Saturday    6:00pm

Maffra:

Sunday    9:00am 

Cowwarr:

1st and 3rd Sunday   11:00am

Newry:

2nd and 4th Sunday  11:00am

Dargo:

5th Sunday   12:00noon

WEEKDAY MASSES

Heyfield:

Tuesday      9:30am

Maffra:

Wednesday   9:30am

Thursday      9:30am

Friday          9:30am

Saturday      9:30am

1st Friday of the month Healing Mass 11:00am

The exciting Wellington Tracks & Trails project aims to encourage people to explore the many beautiful outdoor tracks and trails in The Middle of Everywhere and engage with nature.

We ask people to walk a track or trail in the months of February and March, scan the QR code and complete a survey for a chance to win prizes – great prizes!

Participating locations include Lake Guthridge & Guyatt Parklands, Sale River Heritage & Wetlands Trail, Flooding Creek Linear Park, and many others.

We hope that this initiative helps people rekindle their love of the outdoors and to try a new trail.