TERM THREE

Teaching and Learning

In line with our school goal, High impact teaching strategies will be visible in every classroom, and following on from our Kindergarten to Year Two literacy initiative, our primary classes (Years 3 - 6) have commenced a new literacy program this term. Reading Mastery Transformations is a detailed and explicit program that supports our evidence-based teaching practice. Importantly, it teaches students the phonological features of the language.

In the Reading Mastery Transformations program, the students are taught the following foundational skills:

Academic Language
The students learn to respond to instructional words as they relate to oral and written directions, by decoding words, or by learning new vocabulary that appears in their daily reading selections.
Students engage in activities and discussions that support the use of inferential language. These conversations occur during teacher and student read-alouds of various text types, including narrative, poetry, and informational. Students learn speaking and listening rules to help them learn classroom routines. In addition, they participate in language exercises to learn homonyms, opposites, classification, and problem-solving skills and are asked to recall the events of a story.

Awareness of Segments of Sounds in Speech
Students develop awareness through carefully sequenced activities of increasing difficulty that include:

• Recognise and manipulate syllables, onsets and rimes, and phonemes
• Identify letter-sound relationships, including letter names
• Blending and segmentation of phonemes

Decode Words and Analyse Word Parts

Students engage in daily word-reading activities to practice sounding out sound-spelling patterns. Gradually, instruction focuses on word parts including prefixes and suffixes. Ample opportunities to practice these patterns occur in every lesson through word lists and connected text.

Read Connected Text to Increase Fluency and Comprehension
Students read connected text every day with teacher feedback. Specific correction procedures ensure students are accurate and learn to self-monitor. They read a variety of text, including decodable narrative and informational text using words based on recently taught sound-spelling patterns. Opportunities to build fluent and accurate reading occur through repeated story readings and daily partner readings.

Term Three Clubs

This week the students have been enthusiastically participating in our Term Three interest clubs. Due to popularity, the clubs are scheduled on a rotating roster. If your child has put their name down for a club but has not had their turn yet please assure them their turn is still coming. Students are notified each morning if they have a club to attend that day.

Enrolling Now

Enrolments can now be placed online. Go to https://enrolments.stmarysc.nsw.edu.au/enrol/ to enrol now.

Enrolments packs are available from our School Office or can be downloaded from our website http://www.stmarysc.nsw.edu.au/enrolment.html

The Term 3 school fees were sent out via email to families on Wednesday and paper copies of the statements will be sent home today with the eldest student in a family.

If you have any questions regarding your account, please do not hesitate to contact Belinda.

Prompt payment of your fees (if you do not have a direct credit in place) is highly appreciated.

School Value- Compassion

Students and staff at St Mary’s are continuing to reflect on how we can make our world a better place through living the value of COMPASSION. We are working to show God’s compassion by first being on the lookout for those who are in need and then by trying to do something about it.

Some ways we can act with compassion are:-

• Asking others who appear to be in trouble if they need help
• Listening attentively to someone’s problems
• Trying to understand another’s problems
• Comforting others who seem sad or troubled
• Forgiving someone who has done the wrong thing
• Reaching out in friendship to others who are alone
• treating others with kindness

Our school celebrated Mass today to welcome in TERM 3. The focus was on answering Jesus’ call to love one another; and on following in his footsteps in always acting with compassion. 

Mini Vinnies Winter Appeal ends in August

Many thanks to those who have donated. It is still not too late.

Donations of the following items would be greatly appreciated and can be dropped to the school.

• Thick socks
• Gloves/mittens/beanies/scarves
• Coats
• Sleeping bags
• Blankets/doonas
• Non-perishable food items

(please make sure any used items are in reasonable condition)

MacKillop Girls Football

Best of luck to Year Six Sport Captain Ava Nicholson who will compete at the Girls Football PSSA in Bathurst next week. Ava has been selected as a striker and has had a successful local soccer season so far this year. We will be keeping an eye on the team's progress and will share live links if available.

NSWCPA Golf Tournament- all of NSW

Best of luck to Year Four students, Henry Galland and Jaydan Costello, who will be competing at the NSWCPS Golf Tournament next Monday, 1 August. The Tournament is to be held at Blackheath Golf Course. We are very keen to have our students compete at this sport and we eagerly await their results.

Archdiocesan Athletics Carnival

The Archdiocesan Carnival will be held at the AIS on Tuesday 23 August (Week Six).

A reminder you must register your child on the CSNSW Sport Website https://csnsw.sport/help/help-guide-for-parents which will include the cost of $20.00 to be paid at the time of registration via the CSNSW website

Book Club     

Book Week

Book Week will be celebrated this term in Week 6.

This year we are holding a Book Fair in the Library on Tuesday 23th, Wednesday 24th and Thursday 25th August.

On Wednesday 24^th August, we are participating in a Theatre Performance/Live Show based on the CBCA Notable 2022 Picture Book, “The Imagineer” by Christopher Cheng.

Over the coming weeks we will be exploring the themes and becoming familiar with the text.

ALSO, on Wednesday 24^th August children are encouraged to wear their onesie, Pj’s, Oodie, etc to celebrate the theme for Book Week “Dreaming with Eyes Open”.

Parish Office

For Parish and Sacramental matters, please forward your enquiries to Goulburn Parish Secretary, Sharon Cashman, via email. Alternatively, call into the Parish Office at the Old Convent Building. Sharon is available in Crookwell on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month from 11.30am-3.30pm

Parish Associate: Sr Rosemary Hart

Email: Crookwell@cg.org.au

Website: http://cg.org.au/crookwell/Home.aspx 

Phone: 48321 633 

Address: 55 Wade Street (the Old Convent Building)

Student of the Week Awards

The Student of the Week Awards go to...

Kindergarten: Pepper Reeves, Sullivan Stephenson, Nicholas Wye

Yr. 1: Henry Elsley-Mattox and Riley Plumb

Yr. 2: Joe McCormack, Aria White

Yr. 3: Spencer Charnock, Harley White

Yr. 4: Sophia Foran, Lucas Plumb

Yr. 5: Chloe Bensley, Angus Foley

Yr. 6: Tahlia Anderson, Toby Charnock

Japanese Award

The Japanese class award of the week goes to... Kindergarten

Performing Arts Award

Caitlyn Hogan for a great start in Performing Arts

School Spirit Awards

Sidney Bush  for showing compassion and inclusion

Certificate of Appreciation

Awarded to Adrian in Kindergarten and Thomas in Year 4 for wearing our St Mary's Primary School uniform with pride.

Goulburn Art Gallery- position available

Jeans for Genes Day