Newsletter Term 1, Week 8 2024
Monday 25th March- Easter Bonnet Parade and Raffle 8.45am
Thursday 28th March- Combined Schools Day and last day of term. 1 pm finish.
Dear Parents and Carers,
Welcome to our last newsletter for this term.
Last week marked Catholic Education Week (CEW), offering an opportunity to celebrate our dynamic parish school. We hope you caught our full-page feature in the local Star newspaper, and please keep an eye out for the follow-up article next week. Throughout the fortnight, we welcomed numerous families for tours and received numerous requests for enrollment packs. We also hosted a successful Foundation 2025 information night, with special acknowledgment to parents Andrew (SAC) and Claire (FSG) for their engaging and positive advocacy for our school. Visitors also express their admiration for our articulate and proud school captains, Pia and Cullum.
Last week our Year 6 school captains and liturgy captains, accompanied by teachers Anne A and Kath N, attended the MACS CEW mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Friday the 15th. Once again, our leaders represented our school admirably, and they enjoyed the beautiful mass, an opportunity to interact with other schools, and celebrate with Archbishop Peter Comensoli.
Please note that students will resume classes next term on Tuesday, April 16th. Monday, the 15th, will be a student-free professional development day for our staff. On this day, we will be focusing on the implementation of the new mathematics curriculum. Additionally, our teachers will undergo induction into the Science of Learning Literacy program, InitiaLit, during the first four weeks of Term 2.
InitiaLit is an evidence-based whole-class literacy program aimed at providing all children with essential core knowledge and strong foundations to become successful readers and writers. It spans a three-year period, covering the first three years of school (Foundation to Year 2). InitiaLit operates as a Tier 1 program, designed to be delivered to entire classes by classroom teachers. This comprehensive evidence-based program complements the existing interventions (Mini-lit, Junior, Mac-lit, Middle/Senior) used at St. Margaret Mary’s for children requiring further support.
In preparation for processing 2024 enrollments, we kindly request all families with potential sibling enrollments for 2025 to contact Genevieve via office@smmspotswood.catholic.edu.au. An electronic pack will be promptly emailed to you or feel free to pick up one from our office. Please inform family and friends who may have a potential 2025 enrollment to either collect / email for an enrollment pack or schedule a school tour, as Simon and I will begin meeting with families early next term.
Our parish community gathered to remember our patron saint, St. Joseph, on Sunday, March 17th, with a mass followed by lunch, fostering connections among parishioners. Last Tuesday, as a school, we continued our observance with special prayers and reflections. Looking ahead, we eagerly anticipate our annual combined schools’ day with Sacred Heart on Holy Thursday, further honoring our parish saint. All students will commence and conclude the day at their respective schools, with teachers organising activities from 9 am to 12:30 pm for juniors from both schools at SMM and middle and seniors at Newport.
Students throughout the school sported vibrant, mismatched socks for Lots of Socks Day on Thursday, rallying support and raising awareness for Down Syndrome. Their colorful display echoed the spirit of Harmony Week, also celebrated this week, emphasising the importance of inclusion, kindness, and celebrating diversity in our community.
Upcoming student and community events include Easter activities for the last week of term. Please take note of the Easter Bonnet parade, Easter egg raffle, and our Junior, Middle, and Senior Easter liturgies. The last day of term falls on Thursday, with students being dismissed at 1pm.
Take care,
Colleen McCambridge
Principal
Cash For Cans
We have been learning with the children about looking after our environment. We encourage everyone to participate in our recycling initiative by collecting uncrushed cans and plastic bottles. Not only does this benefit the environment, but it also contributes to our fundraising efforts. When you donate to Victoria's Container Deposit Scheme, consider nominating SMM as the recipient for the funds from cans collected.
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 7
Week 8
Middles Camp
It was the grade 3 and 4 students turn to go to Sovereign Hill last week and what a busy two days they had! There was gold panning aplenty from both students and teachers and even a gold pouring demonstration. Mrs McCambridge made a special trip up to visit our campers and reported that everyone was having a fantastic time. There were some pretty tired students and teachers on return but we made it and are looking forward to the next adventure.
2024 Athletics Carnival
NAPLAN Testing
Students in years 3 and 5 finished their NAPLAN testing this week. Most of the tests are now completed online and this should speed up the delivery of the results. We are very proud of the effort put in by our students and know they tried their hardest.
Cybersafety Sessions
Thank you to all of our families that attended or registered for the Inform and Empower “Raising Kids in a Digital World” livestream. If you or someone you know missed out, please click the link below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yziib4jiyCw
Parent & Carers Toolkit (all the info, links and resources from the webinar):
CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE TOOLKIT
You're invited to join our Facebook group for parents & carers:
Lots of Socks Day
It was great to see our students wearing their coloured and odd socks for Lots of Sock’s Day. Students participated in various activities in their classes to improve their understanding of Down syndrome. We had some of our staff receive further training and look forward to hearing about their learning in term 3. Thanks to our Mini Vinnies for helping to organise the day.
Student Wellbeing & Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHiPS) at SMM
Are my child’s emotions & behaviours usual or is more investigation required? A child health poll study (Royal Children’s Hospital) indicated that a lot of the time parents did NOT feel confident that they know how to spot the signs of a mental health problem in their child or where they would go for help. Parents often experience unpredictable changes in their child's emotions & behaviours. This can range from joy to times of sadness, anger, anxiety or irritability. Sometimes it is hard to know the difference between behaviours & emotions in the average range & behaviours & emotions that might indicate a deeper issue.
Children’s diverse emotions & behaviours can be influenced by developmental phases, however, “mental health difficulties can occur in children of all ages, & can result in social, emotional & behavioural problems. Babies & toddlers can have mental health difficulties for similar reasons to older children & adults. They learn about emotions & how to manage them by watching & copying grown-ups who are important to them. The exact cause for most mental health problems is not known. Many factors combine to affect a child’s social & emotional wellbeing, including factors from their environment & factors they inherit from their family. It’s important to remember that difficulties with mental health in children are no-one’s fault, & no-one is to blame.”(Royal Children’s Hospital-RCH).
Recognizing signs of potential mental health issues requires paying attention to behavioural cues. These may vary depending on the child’s age & the specific condition. Some signs may include:
persistent irritability,
excessive worrying or fear
drastic changes in diet or exercise
self-harm
academic difficulties or decline in academics
physical complaints like headaches or stomachaches without a medical cause
frequent tantrums
low energy
loss of interest in activities they previously enjoyed
restlessness, inability to sit still, constant fidgeting
withdrawal from social interactions/not interested in playing or socialising with peers
engagement in risky behaviours
disrupted sleep patterns with either too much or too little sleep
verbal expressions of wanting to hurt self or harm others
Distinguishing between average behaviour & potential mental health concerns requires careful observation. Partnerships are important because parents know their child & staff at school are a great source of information for parents in terms of child development stages & age-appropriate behaviour. A useful way to determine if further professional help, support or evaluation is necessary is to use the following as a guide:
the behaviour significantly disrupts your child's daily functioning (home, school, with peers)
causes distress to them or others (home/family, teachers or peers)
poses safety risks or harm to self or others
Is triggered by specific things
persists for an extended period, or
worsens over time.
If you are still unsure about whether the behaviours or emotions are within normal developmental range, talk to us at school for an indication of how your child is functioning outside of the home environment or talk to a doctor. A doctor can also provide a referral to a paediatrician who can investigate the behaviours & emotions in more depth & provide advice & next steps.
“Intervening early with professional help will give kids the best chance of a good outcome” (Dr. Anthea Rhodes RCH). This is a proactive way to ensure a child can be equipped with the appropriate support & strategies they require to flourish & thrive & provides a good foundation for positive mental health later on.
More information
A Royal Children’s Hospital National Child Health Poll in 2017 (prior to the pandemic) found that the majority of Australian parents were NOT confident in identifying or responding to signs of a mental health problem in their child. Click on the link for key findings & a useful video by Dr Anthea Rhodes outlining the next steps to take, including making time everyday to connect with your child.
Child Mental Health problems: Can parents spot the signs?
Read this Royal Children’s Hospital article to find out: what good mental health involves, signs & symptoms (0-4years) & (5-11 years), how you can help, when to see a doctor & further information & help.
Kids Health Information:Mental Health-Infants and young children (Royal Children's Hospital)
Kath (Student Wellbeing Leader)
Combined Schools Day
St. Margaret Mary's Primary and Sacred Heart Primary are coming together for a special combined schools day on Thursday, March 28th! 🎉 We'll focus on St. Joseph, the patron saint of our parish, with a liturgy and activities. Preps to Year 2 stay at St. Margaret Mary's, while Year 3-6 students head to Sacred Heart at 9am.
St Joseph’s Corner
Dear Friends of Joseph’s Corner
Please join us for High Tea to help raise much needed funds to support families affect by addiction. Joseph's Corner continues to provide counselling free to those in need.
Our guest speaker is Joseph's Corner Counsellor, Marie Bourke. 'Reaching Those in Need, from Africa to the West'. Marie has spent her life, as part of the Franciscan Order, supporting and helping the most venerable members of communities through Africa before knocking on our door at Joseph's Corner in 2023.
From Africa to the West, Marie's experiences will keep you captivated.
Tickets includes a selection of classic High Tea favourites including savouries and sweets to enjoy with a traditional cup of tea or coffee. Dietary Requirements will be catered for.
This is a fundraiser so come prepared to bid in our silent auction, main room auction and purchase raffle tickets. Cash and card both welcome.
Please find attached the invitation with the Where, How Much, and How to Book or click on link to book your ticket now https://www.trybooking.com/CPWVG
I look forward to welcoming you to our Annual High Tea on the 21st April 2024.
Should you have any queries or would like to know more about this event, please do not hesitate in contacting me on 0409 901 899.
Kind Regards
Ann Hudson
CEO
Easter Raffle
Thank you to all of our families for donating Easter eggs, crafts and baskets for our Easter Raffle.
Prizes are drawn after the AMAZING Easter Bonnet Parade on
Monday 25th March
Thanks you for your support – SMM FSG
Colour Fun Run
We now have over $12,000 raised by our community! What a fantastic effort. Thank you to all of our students and families for registering. We currently have 147 students with a profile. There is just under 4 weeks left to fundraise before the big day. As we have reached a milestone of over $10,000, two lucky teachers will have the honour of being slimed on the last day of school. Stay tuned to find out who it will be.
Family Social Night - Tonight!
Come along with your family and friends to celebrate Term 1 and being a part of our fantastic school community. There will be a sausage sizzle (donation), drinks at the bar and you can bring your own dinner, or even order it to be delivered. The kids always have a fabulous time running around together. Why not organise a table of families from your class to have a catch up? We look forward to seeing lots of people there.
Footy Tipping is Back!
We’re back! And with 32 members it’s promising to be bigger than ever. Team Huds has got out to a lead on his margin, but TigerArmyTrue, the Millar Girls and Team G 22 aren’t far behind.
We are currently looking for prize donations and if you know anyone who can help out please contact Simon at sdevlin@smmspotswood.catholic.edu.au
Remember to pay your $25 entry fee and stay tuned for updates in the coming weeks.
$25 entry fee with prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place.
Click the link below:
https://www.footytips.com.au/comps/2024_SMM_Footy_Tipping?p=stmm3015
Holiday Care
Please note that Westgate Vacation Care is offering a holiday care program. Please see the flyer below for more details.
Hobsons Bay Play Group
2025 Prep Enrollment Evening
It was wonderful to have our year 6 school captains Callum and Pia speak on behalf of our community at the 2025 Prep information evening. The spoke wonderfully about their school and did themselves and our school proud.
A special thank you to our parents Andrew and Claire for speaking on behalf of our parent community. They spoke beautifully about our school and it was a credit to them and our community.
If you know of anyone looking for an amazing school, please let them know about our little hidden gem. Tours can be arranged by appointment via our website.
Emmanuel College News
Year 7 2026
Do you have a child in Year 5 this year? Applications for Year 7 2026 close on Friday 16 August 2024.
If you would like to apply, a prospectus can be obtained:
- Via the College website under the Enrolment Information tab or by following this link:
- By registering and joining us at a College event
- Or by coming in to see our friendly staff at reception of either campus
We look forward to seeing you at a College event soon.
Yours sincerely
Jenny Hendricks