St Mary’s Primary School 4-12 Duke Street, Maffra, Vic 3860 Phone: (03) 5147 1334 Fax: (03) 5147 2642 principal@stmmaffra.catholic.edu.au

Week 4 Term 1: Issue 3 Friday 23rd February 2018

Dates 2018

Term 1

Week 5 Wednesday 28th February - HDSSA Swimming Carnival - NO PREPS TODAY Thursday 1st March - Parent Communication Meeting 9am & 4pm in School Library Friday 2nd March - School Fete 4pm to 8pm

Week 6

Tuesday 6th March - Wellington Swimming Carnival

Week 7 Monday 12th March - Labour Day Public Holiday Thursday 15th March - Gippsland Regional Swimming Carnival

Week 8 Tuesday 20th March - Parent Teacher Interviews 3.30pm to 6pm Wednesday 21st March - Parent Teacher Interviews 3.30pm to 6pm Thursday 22nd March - Parent/Child Workshop For Reconciliation

Week 9 Monday 26th March - Grade 4 Licola Camp Tuesday 27th March - Grade 4 Licola Camp Friday 31st March - Last Day of Term 1

Dear Parents

Over the last two weeks the Social Justice Group have been busy fundraising for the Not for Profit Charity One Planet Classrooms. With this project St Mary’s is fully supportive of a Ugandan Education project where we have raised $1000 to allow five children to attend a school for a year. One Planet Classroom Director (based in Gippsland) , Kerryn Vaughan addressed the children this afternoon about the positive effect student sponsorship can have on child.

This initiative has been very well received by the children and families and we hope that forming a link today will last to the future generation of students at St Mary’s. As many of you would know this was covered in the Gippsland Times and on local radio. The crew at WIN TV also completed a News report today at School which will be televised tonight on WIN (6pm News with Jo Hall). Thank you to everyone who has made a difference to some great kids who unfortunately have not had the best start to life and live a life of poverty in a dangerous part of the world.

As this newsletter is being written we have some excited bike riders who this afternoon will ride from school to Tinamba along the Rail Trail. Thank you to the parents who have offered to ride with the children. We hope to complete a longer ride in the coming weeks and hopefully have a family get together at the conclusion of the ride. More details will follow in the coming weeks.

As you know the our School Fete is next Friday, 2nd March commencing at 4pm. We are starting to see the organisation full into place and together with favourable weather and a large turnout the event will be a success. Please remember any help on the night would be most appreciated if you haven’t already put your name down on a stall or activity. All money raised on the night will be directly put back into student learning for some of our extra - curricular subjects.

Our first Parent Communication Meeting will be next Thursday, 1st March at 9.00am and repeated again at 4pm. Topics to be discussed include our Assessment Criteria, School Reporting, NAPLAN and Question Time. The meetings should last approximately one hour in duration.

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend.

Jason

Our Mission: At St. Mary’s School Maffra, we are a Catholic School that strives to be authentic to the teachings of Jesus and the teachings of the Church. We aim to be an inclusive and nurturing community that respects, values and empowers each person to fulfil their dreams and potential. We envisage a School that provides challenging, relevant and child-centred learning experiences. We believe that the social, emotional, moral, spiritual and physical wellbeing of our students is pivotal to student health, safety, learning and success.

Stranger Danger: An incident has happened at a School within our area, as a result of this we have a “Stranger Danger talk at today’s assembly. Please refer to www.safety4kids.com.au or www.istaysafe.com.au if you would like to discuss this further with your family. Items Needed for Fete: We are requesting items in preparation of our School Fete. Parents are asked to bring in the following items: Books We are after good quality 2nd hand books, in all genres and age ranges. Soft Toys We are after good quality 2nd hand soft toys. Donations We are after all types of donations for our spinning wheel - so raid your gift cupboard and send in what you no longer want! All items must be new. There is a box near the staffroom, please leave all donations there. St Mary’s Mardi Gras Float: Our P & F Committee are organizing a float for this year’s Mardi Gras on Saturday 17th March. The theme is “Green”, please Narelle Day on 0419 620 509 if you would like to help or if you have any ideas.

Camps, Sports & Excursions Fund (CSEF): If you applied for the CSEF at your child's school in 2017, you do not need to complete an application form in 2018 unless there has been a change in your family circumstances. You only need to complete an application form if any of the following changes have occurred: new student enrolments; your child has started or changed schools in 2018 or you did not apply in 2017, changed family circumstances; such as a change of custody, change of name, concession card number, or new siblings commencing at the school in 2018. See Page 5 of this week’s newsletter for further details or contact the School Office.

Working With Children Checks: All workers and volunteers at any Catholic School in our Diocese are required to have this check as a minimum safety measure. We strongly encourage all parents to obtain their WWCC card. To apply, please log on to http://www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au, Volunteer cards are free. Please include St. Mary’s in your details when applying. We keep a record of your WWCC at school and notify classroom teachers so that they are aware of who has their check and can participate in the classroom program. Absences: A review of attendance guidelines was undertaken by the Victorian Minister for education in Term 4 2017. As a result we have had a new directive that we must advise parents/guardians of unexplained absences on the same day as soon as practicable. A written note or phone call/email/absentee app form is required to be sent to the class teacher or office if a child is absent from school. Please call the office or send an email/ school app form by 9:15am if your child will be absent from school on that day and the classroom teacher has not been notified previously. The note or communication should state the date of the absence and the reason for the absence. This information is required for the school attendance roll, which is a legal document. In the event of long term absences, due to illness or holidays, a note is to be sent to the principal outlining the dates and reason for the absence. The principal will then inform the classroom teacher. This process will guarantee that children are accounted for and avoid unnecessary concern.

Happy birthday to the Following

children who have celebrated

birthdays so far this year! February 19th Charlotte Nikolajew 3/4E 20th Jasmine Daly 1/2C Boyd Tappenden 3/4D 21st Charlie Gellie 5/6F 22nd Bridie Daly 5/6G 23rd Lilly Boulton 5/6G

Swimming Carnival Dates:

Wellington Zone Swimming Sports: Tuesday March 6th

Gippsland Regional Swimming: Thursday March 15th

Our Social Justice Group meeting with One Planet Classroom Director, Kerryn Vaughan

Parish News: WEEKEND MASSES: MAFFRA: Sunday 9.00am HEYFIELD: Saturday 6.00pm COWWARR: 1

st & 3

rd Sunday 11.00am

NEWRY: 2

nd & 4

th Sunday 11.00am

DARGO: 5

th

RECONCILIATION: Maffra: Saturday – For Half Hour after 9.30am Mass (And any other time by request). Heyfield: 5.20pm-5.45pm prior to Saturday evening Mass

WEEKDAY MASSES: Maffra: ** MONDAYS: availability will be announced at Masses the Sunday prior. ** 28

th Feb: Wed 5pm. followed by ½ hour Adoration

& Reconciliation 1

st Mar: Thur. 9.30am.

2nd

Mar: Fri. 10.15am with Father Siju

3rd

Mar: Sat. 9.30am Heyfield 27

th Feb: Tues. 9.30am

SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT This Sunday, we celebrate the second Sunday of Lent. Lent is a time of 40 days when we take the opportunity to listen to God’s Word revealed to us by his Son, Jesus. When we think about Jesus’ message for us, we can learn how to live lives that include others and help them to feel loved and accepted. We pray for strength so that we have open hearts and minds. In Mark’s gospel, we are told about the Transfiguration of Jesus. For the disciples, this was a sacred encounter in which they were encouraged to listen to Jesus and to not be afraid. Transforming love calls us to listen to Jesus. Jesus speaks to us and invites us to listen carefully. We hear Jesus speaking to us through our families and friends, through stories, through the priest, and through the things that happen to us in our daily lives. There are many messages that Jesus shares throughout his ministry that we can bring to our life today..

Blessed are the peacemakers.

Do to others as you would have them do to you.

Forgive each other every time.

Do not judge others.

Love God, and love your neighbours.

Be full of mercy as your heavenly father is merciful.

Do not hide your light away in a cupboard.

As a family, talk about each of these messages and think about how Jesus is asking us to behave. It is by listening to Jesus’ words and following his ways, that we will be happy. Take a few minutes this week to pray silently in our hearts asking God to help us listen and live Jesus’ words.

Eternal and loving God, who wants us to be happy,

strengthen our minds and hearts so that we are always ready to listen to your Son

and live his ways.

We ask this prayer through Jesus, your Son. Amen.

SACRAMENTAL PROGRAM Our Sacramental Program has commenced for those children receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation. If you would like for your child to receive either the Sacrament of Eucharist (First Communion) or Sacrament of Confirmation, please see the

front office for a letter and Enrolment Form. God Bless

Dianne Austin

Community News:

Maffra Junior Football Club REGISTRATION/TRAINING NIGHT

Wednesday, March 7th at 5pm MJFC Morison Street Maffra

Come along and meet the coaches as we embark on

the 2018 season. All Welcome!

Enquires: maffraeaglesjfc@gmail.com Lisa McMahon 0400 056 275

Brad Coridas 0408 421 959

*Keep up to date with MJFC by logging onto the MJFC team app.

Project Compassion

Second Week of Lent

Rattanak is a skilled young barber, living an independent life in rural Cambodia. But it wasn’t always that way. As a child he contracted polio and also became deaf. Like many people who are deaf or hard of hearing, Rattanak faced isolation, with a lack of opportunity to escape poverty. After joining the Deaf Development Program run by Caritas Australia’s partner, Maryknoll Cambodia, his life was transformed and he is now supporting himself, his wife and baby.

Please donate to Project Compassion 2018 and help deaf youth in Cambodia to build a just future, and

live in communities that uphold everyone’s dignity.

A Just Future starts with your support! You can donate through Project Compassion boxes/envelopes, visit www.caritas.org.au/projectcompassion or phone 1800 024 413.