Dear Families,

As we approach the end of Term 3, I want to take a moment to celebrate the incredible events and activities that have taken place at our school over the term. It has been a busy and rewarding term, filled with joy, learning, and community spirit!

Our students have shown remarkable talent and sportsmanship during the athletics carnivals, where they competed fiercely and cheered each other on. The Hoop Time basketball competition showcased the skills and teamwork of our budding basketball stars, while our winter sports teams demonstrated dedication and perseverance in their respective sports. We were also fortunate to host the Maffra cricket clinics, where our students learned essential cricket skills and had a blast!

This term, we took the time to honour our fathers and father figures with a heartwarming Father’s Day breakfast and Mass. It was wonderful to see so many families come together to celebrate this special day. Our Grandparents Mass and classroom visits were equally delightful, providing a precious opportunity for our students to share their learning experiences with their loved ones. The Mary MacKillop Feast Day Mass and related activities reminded us of the importance of faith and community, reinforcing our values and connection as a school.

Our dress-up days were a hit, with students embracing creativity and fun! Book Week inspired many to dress as their favourite characters, while Olympic Day had everyone in the Olympics spirit. Pyjama Day was a cosy success, bringing smiles and comfort to our classrooms whilst raising over $180 for children in out of home care.

A huge thank you to our Parents and Friends Association for organising a fantastic Movie Night! It was a wonderful way for the children to come together, enjoy some popcorn, and connect with one another in a relaxed setting.

As we look forward to Term 4, we remain excited about the opportunities ahead. With the end of the year approaching, let’s continue to support our students in finishing strong, both academically and socially. We have more activities planned, and together, we can make this year one to remember!

Thank you for your ongoing support and commitment to our school community.

Have a great weekend with your families.

Kind regards,

Julian

Congratulations and well done to all students who were nominated this fortnight for their wonderful choices in the classroom or on the playground.  This is a weekly award and all nominted children should be very proud of themselves.  

Congratulations to the following students who were drawn out of a box of nominees for this fortnights Positive Behaviour Awards.  St Mary's have introduced this reward system to acknowledge the wonderful behaviour of students who regonise our school values of Respect, Act and Learn.

6/9/2024

Roy Wilkinson

Maddie Nicolaci

Max Osborn

6th September ~ Hudson Stubbs

Congratulations to Hudson who recently had his first snow ski lesson.  Hudson travelled to Mt Hotham where he took on the challenge to get out of his comfort zone and try something new.

Hudson learnt how to slow down, stop and do the "pizza'' move.  He has shown great determination and courage to try something new.  He loved it so much he went for a second lesson.

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.

Congratulations to the 26 students who represented St Mary's Maffra at the Wellington Division Athletics today in Sale.  Our students represented our school to a high standard and they should all be extremely proud of their efforts as the competition was tough. 

Thank you to family and friends of our community who were able to come along and supports our children today.  Although a little windy, we were fortunate with the weather and it was a beautiful day.  Thank you to the staff who also attended, without their support, these days can not run smoothly and are not possible.

Those who have progressed to Regional Division will compete next term on Tuesday 15th October.  We wish them the very best of luck.

Mindfulness 

Working on mindfulness gives us opportunities to develop our ability to pay attention to the present moment and our thoughts. Practising mindfulness daily can help us stay focused on set tasks and reduce stress and anxiety.

Whole Family Activity:

Mindful Walk

• As a family, go on a walk outside in nature. This might be around your local walking track, at your local park, or just around your streets.
• While walking, tune into your senses and observe what you can see, hear, and feel. Or you might choose to focus on one of the senses. Eg: Hear: what are all the noises you can hear on your walk?
• On your way home or when you return home, share what each person saw, heard, or felt.

Family Habit Builder:

Each night at dinner, ask everyone to take one mouthful of food more mindfully than the rest and think about the flavours they can taste and how it makes them feel. (They can also thank the chef!).

For mental health resources and support information, visit The Resilience Project’s Support Page.

If you have any questions regarding the program please reach out.

Thanks

Charmaine 

Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader

St. Mary's Maffra 

--

Charmaine Wilson 

Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader

STEM Teacher 

St Mary's Primary School 

Maffra

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: (during Winter presbytery)

Wednesday to Saturday  9:30am

**  Please note:  Father is away for In-Service from 24th September till 27th September.  No Masses that week in both Heyfield and Maffra.   

TERM 3

SEPTEMBER

TERM 4

OCTOBER

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

Please be advised assembly will be held at 9:10am next Friday, 20th September, as we have 2:20pm early finish.

TERM 3

16th July - 20th September

TERM 4

7th October - 18th December