Welcome to St Mary's Parish Primary School

Dear Parents and Friends, On Sunday, young people from our Parish will be confirmed by Bishop Terry Curtin. Besides those presenting for Confirmation, there are some students who are not Catholic who will present for a Blessing. These celebrations will take place at 1.30pm and 3.30pm. Confirmation is an important sacrament and one that our young people enter into at a very appropriate time in their lives, as it is in this Sacrament that they make a commitment to live as followers of Christ..... to be people who live their faith in word and action. It is through our Baptism that we are anointed and clothed in Christ, which is again confirmed in the Sacrament of Confirmation. As committed Christians, we are the hands of Christ – we are called to live the Gospel values, bringing hope and justice to those around us. We pray that those who are to be confirmed will be open to the Spirit of God given to them in this Sacrament and that throughout their lives, they will be sensitive to the needs of others, be strong and able to respond to these needs and through their words and actions, bring to others, the face of God. “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun” 2 Corinthians 5:17 Congratulations to all Candidates on the manner in which they have prepared for this Sacrament through the support of their parents and teachers. A special thank you goes to Amelia Morse, Sally Kerr, Rachel Perissinotto and Damian Gilmore for all their work with the students in their preparation for Confirmation. Confirmation - Parking Due to a Deanery Seminar being held at St. Mary’s this Sunday 20 August, parking will be at a premium. Areas allocated for the Seminar attendees will be the staff carpark and the piazza. Please do not park in these areas. You are advised to allow extra time to arrive as you may need to park off site. Those attending the 1.30pm celebration are asked to leave promptly after the conclusion of Mass so those attending the 3.30pm celebration can access parking. Please advise family guests of these arrangements STUDENT VOICE At St. Mary’s, we believe that in supporting our students to be people who have the skills required for the world of the future, that they need to be given opportunities to contribute to discussions, to ask questions, to ponder possibilities, to be problem solvers and to develop the confidence to lead within their community. “Student voice acknowledges that students have unique perspectives on learning, teaching, and schooling, and should have the opportunity to actively shape their own education. Student voice is students actively participating in their schools, communities and the education system, contributing to decision making processes and collectively influencing outcomes by putting forward their views, concerns and ideas. Student voice allows students to engage, participate, lead and learn.” Victorian State Government Education and Training. To achieve this end, there are various opportunities for our students to develop these skills. Being reflective learners, who review, discuss and set learning goals is a means to encourage students to be active participants in their learning journey. Being immersed in inquiry learning where they are given the opportunity to ask questions and co-construct, with their teacher the direction in which learning will take place, is another means of developing confidence, problem solving skills and engagement within a Team environment. We also have more formal structures that allow for student voice and participation. In Yr. 6, our students take on Leadership roles such as School Captains and Vice Captains, Sports Captains and Community Leaders. Last week, our senior students conducted the whole School Assembly, displaying confidence and maturity in the manner in which they planned for and delivered an engaging Assembly. Our Yr. 5 students take on the responsibility for our FIRE Carrier Program. In last week’s Around the Grounds, they presented some of the exciting work that they have been doing in educating and embedding this program into our school culture. Another new development to allow for student voice, has been the Yr. 4 students taking on the role as the Social Justice leaders of our school. This has come about as a response to their inquiry work last Term when some students researched the focus of Social Justice and then put forward a proposal for this initiative. In forming the purpose and direction for the Social Justice Group, the guiding principles are SEE, THINK, DO: SEE – Education and awareness – What is happening in our world that is an issue of justice, why and to whom? THINK – Formation – How do I feel about this? What does my faith and values say about this? DO – Community service and fundraising – What can we do now to help? Students in Yr. 4 will be asked to consider whether they feel that they could contribute to this initiative and respond in writing. The following commitment statement articulates the focus for the Social Justice Team. STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT I undertake a commitment to social justice to become a member of the Social Justice Groups and in doing so I will: • Incorporate our Catholic identity in response to social justice issues • Learn about issues involving injustice • Contribute to the organising of activities that will raise funds and resources for Catholic organisations that work in our community to make a difference in the lives of all people • Contribute to the organising of activities to create awareness around social justice and respond to other social justice issues Helen Principal