Every Week 

Monday 3-6 Group C Sports Uniform

Tuesday 3-6 Group A Sports Uniform

Tuesday Canteen

Tuesday Japanese with Janine - @ 1.45pm 

Wednesday 3-6 Group B Sports Uniform

Wednesday K-2 Sports Uniform

Thursday Canteen

Friday K-6 Sports Uniform

Friday Piano with Victoria

Week 8

Refugee Week 

Tuesday 18th - no Japanese today

Wednesday 19th - Hockey with Ellie

Wednesday 19th - Lantern Making cancelled

Week 9

First round offers for Kindergarten this week

Monday 24th - Bellingen High School Rep meeting with Year 6

Wednesday 26th - Hockey with Ellie

Wednesday 26th & Thursday 27th - Peer Support Training

Thursday 27th - Mini Vinnies Pyjama or Winter Woolies Day

Friday 28th - Coffee & Connect 9.00am

Friday 28th - Careers morning Year 6 @ Bello High

A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew 25:35-40

I was hungry, and you gave me food. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was alone and away from home, and you invited me into your house.  I was without clothes, and you gave me something to wear. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’

“Then the good people will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and give you food? When did we see you thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you alone and away from home and invite you into our house? When did we see you without clothes and give you something to wear?  When did we see you sick or in prison and care for you?’

“Then the King will answer, ‘I tell you the truth. Anything you did for any of my people here, you also did for me.’

Thank you for the generous donations that have come in so far - they are very much appreciated and I will deliver our first load to Pete's Place on Friday.

We are collecting….

Blankets and sleeping bags (in new and clean condition)

Small tents

Warm socks (new)

Tea and coffee bags

Hot chocolate

Chocolate

Hand cream and lip balm

Thanks so much for supporting Mini Vinnies in reaching out to those in need.

Carmel Dagger

Leader of Pastoral Care and Mission

Having an open dialogue about bullying with your child is crucial for fostering trust, understanding, and resilience. You could use this video from Bullying No Way as a conversation starter.

Here are some tips for initiating and maintaining this important conversation:

• Ensure that your child feels comfortable and safe discussing sensitive topics like bullying. Choose a quiet, private setting where your child feels relaxed and free to express themselves without fear of judgment or reprisal.
• Be ready to manage your reactions.
• Start the conversation by asking open-ended questions that invite your child to share their thoughts and experiences. For example, you could ask, "Can you tell me about what's been happening at school lately?" or "How are things going with your friends?"

Practice active listening by giving your child your full attention and demonstrating empathy and understanding. Avoid interrupting or dismissing their feelings, even if you disagree with their perspective. Reflect back on what they're saying to show that you're truly listening and validating their experience.

• Let your child know that their feelings are valid and that it's normal to feel upset or worried about bullying. Reassure them that they're not alone and that you're there to support them every step of the way.

• Focus on empowering them with knowledge and strategies for dealing with bullying.

Help your child to brainstorm possible solutions or strategies to manage the situation. If your child is experiencing bullying or if the conversation reveals other issues, contact the school.

By fostering an open and supportive dialogue about bullying, you can help your child feel empowered, resilient, and equipped to navigate challenging situations with confidence.

Starting the conversation about this topic should be grounded in your family's beliefs and values. Make sure you have early, regular conversations with your child about the values you have as a family regarding respect and care for others and the dignity of each human person.

What are your family values? How do you as a family provide healthy opportunities to grow in mutual love and respect?

Catholic School Parents Australia has developed free resources to strengthen the home-school partnership! The new video workshops help guide primary and secondary parents, principals, and school staff to take a holistic approach to their children’s well-being and educational experience.

The resources also include guides for local facilitators to run through the video workshops in collaborative sessions with principals, staff and families. Insights from experts like Andrew Fuller, John Hattie and Donna Cross inform the workshop’s research-backed strategies.

The resources can be found on the Gearing Up for Parent Engagement website.

Please reach out if your family is struggling with school attendance.  We have resources and strategies that can help.  We are addressing a variety of possible issues in the newsletter each fortnight.

A big thanks to our Sport Coordinator Lucy Ellis for organising a successful Athletics Carnival. Congratulations to our age champions.

Students have been enjoying hockey for the past 2 weeks and we have 2 more to go.

Week 7

Kinder - Vera Farrugia & Kohan Phoenix

Year 1 - Jaxon Fitzgerald & Benjamin Mills

Year 2 - Malkia Wamara & Layla Shinfield

Year 3 - Noa Kfir & Lauchy Hogarth

Year 4 - Banjo Baylis

Year 6 - Ryley McKay

PBS - "I help others"

Kinder - Safiah Andrews & Jed Ravell

Year 1 - Florence Leslie

Year 2 - Daisy Tarrant

Year 3 - Faye Lane

Year 4 - Aaliyah Gale

Year 6 - Claire Bailey

Premiers Reading Challenge Update

Updated Book Lists can be found here

Digital library including decodable readers and quality texts.

Year 6 have had a very busy Term 2 both in and out of the classroom. In English we have been learning about the important historical event of the Wave Hill Walk-Off which saw Vincent Lingiari lead 200 stockmen on an 8 year strike. This event famously set the precedence for the land rights movement which saw sacred lands handed back to the traditional owners. The year 6 class have used their sharp research skills to create a historical report about Gough Whitlam who was a key figure in handing the land back to the Gurindji people.

Outside of the classroom, Year 6 have been enjoying themselves playing field hockey. A number of students have picked up the game quickly and it has been great to see everyone learning new skills. A special mention must go to Jonah Kfir, who despite having a broken collarbone has shown such attention and eagerness to learn about a new game. Who knows, maybe some of our students will be representing Australia at the 2032 Brisbane Olympics. 

Mr O’Shea

Our school is moving from paper-based enrolment applications to online enrolments using Compass.  As an existing user of Compass, you will find a new tile in the Compass app called Family and Enrolments, found under the “More” icon in the Compass app or under the Cog icon in your preferred browser.  As a parent, you can update your contact details at any time. We strongly encourage you to log in to confirm your details. 

Applications for 2025 can now be completed online.  See our website for more details on how to enrol and where to get assistance if you need it; https://www.stmarysbellingen.nsw.edu.au/enrolling-at-st-mary-s 

Dates for Kindergarten 2025 enrolments are as follows

Information session: Tuesday, 7th May.

Enrolment Period Opens: Monday, 29th April.

Starting Date for Interviews: Monday, 6th May.

Proposed Date for First Round Offers: Monday, 24th June.

Proposed Date for Second Round Offers: Monday, 5th August.

If you know of anyone in the community who is looking at enrolling their child for Kindergarten 2025, please direct them to the website or encourage them to make contact with the school as soon as possible.

Some of the helpers on Market Day

Come along and meet some other families.  Everyone is welcome.

Police School Liaison Officer -  Bernadette Snow - 0437774483

Police Youth Liaison Officer - Jo Brooker - 66910799 -

Kids Help Line - 1800551800 http://www.kidshelp.com.au/

Cyber Safety  - Incredible resource for parents and children  www.esafety.gov.au

Piano = Victoria Christie 6655 8782

Brass/Piano = Kate Butcher 0419 789 078

Guitar = Katie Crane 0431 151 987