Term 4, Week 1 Friday 18th October 2024

Volunteering at St Margaret Mary’s School

Being a registered volunteer is a great way to be involved in your child’s school life and the wider community.  We regularly require volunteers for school excursions, sports carnivals, and school events such as the disco.

Being a volunteer requires some paperwork.  We can help you with this through the front office, just pop in and we will send you a pack or give us a call and we’ll send a pack home with your child.

All volunteers are also required to attend a volunteer induction session.  These only take about 20 minutes and you can attend in person, or via TEAMs.  School board members will have their WHS induction at the next board meeting.

Current volunteers and those wanting to volunteer can book one of the following this term:

Thursday 24^th October 8.45am
Wednesday 30^th October 5.30pm
Thursday 31^st October 2.30pm
Monday 11^th November 8.30am
Thursday 21^st November 3.20pm

To book, please email angela.curthoys@smms.catholic.edu.au and let us know if you’ll attend in person or via TEAMs.

2025 Class Structures
Each year, we review our class structures to ensure that we have the best structures to support student learning and wellbeing.  We take into consideration curriculum needs, class sizes, learning needs, support requirements, space availability and general balance of classes.  In 2025, we will have the following classes:

Preschool       2 session groups
Reception       3 classes          Mid Year Reception (Foundation)       1-2 classes TBC
Year 1             2 classes
Year 2             2 classes
Year 3             2 classes
Year 4             2 classes
Year 5/6          3 classes

If we have fluctuations in enrolment numbers, these may change.  We have some limited spaces available in some year levels.  If you know of anyone who is interested in finding out more about St Margaret Mary’s School, please ask them to contact the office.

Please notify the office (via email angela.curthoys@smms.catholic.edu.au) ASAP if your child is not returning to SMMS in 2025, as this impacts our class and staff planning.

Thank you for your continuing support,
Kelly Campbell

Dear Parents/Caregivers

Welcome back to Term 4! I hope that you were able to have some time off during the holiday break.

Preservice Teachers
We welcome six Preservice Teachers from UniSA to St Margaret Mary’s this term: A warm welcome to Yibo You in 2NW, Linh Do in ROV, Nicoletta Mihelios in RML, Rama Muhanna & Taylah Jeffree in 3KR and Grace Pepicelli in 6CH. We are thankful to the teachers and staff for supporting these preservice teachers as they gain valuable experience working with our wonderful students, staff and community.

Term 4 Events
Term 4 will again be a busy term with many different events happening in our school community. A copy of the school calendar for Term 4 can be found here: https://www.smms.catholic.edu.au/news-events/our-calendar 

Please remember to check SeeSaw and our fortnightly newsletters.

Multicultural Festival – Mid-Autumn & Diwali
We will celebrate a Multicultural Festival on Friday 8 November at 11:45am on the courts (weather permitting). This festival will bring together special elements of Mid-Autumn Festival and Diwali, as well as recognising and celebrating the cultural diversity of families in our St Margaret Mary’s school community. Children from different classes will be creating cultural decorations/art, performing dances and our ceremony will include prayers and introductions in different languages. Children are invited to dress in cultural clothing or Autumn colours. It is such an enjoyable event and always one of the highlights of our school year, so please join us! More information about the festival will be sent home to families next week. We will also be looking for donations and volunteers to help with the event.

Community Event – Save the Date
Our end of year Community Event will take place in the evening of Thursday 5 December. Please put this date in your calendar. All students will be involved in a ‘Christmas Around the World’ performance that they are currently learning and rehearsing in their weekly Performing Arts lessons with Mrs Selina Roper. More information will be sent home to all families very soon.

Children’s University - Graduation
Students who have been involved in Children’s University learning and have accrued more than 30 hours will be receiving their Graduation Invitation to the graduation ceremony this week. This year the graduation ceremony is on Monday 18 November and is during the school day, and so we will be taking the children on a bus to and from Bonython Hall (University of Adelaide). Parents are welcome to meet us there. More information will be sent home to all relevant families this week.

Volunteers
If you would like to attend an excursion with your child or help out on the day of school events you are required to have completed the relevant volunteer clearances.  This is not difficult, but it can take a few weeks to receive the clearances. Please contact Angela at the Front Office for more information.

Attendance
Just a reminder that school and preschool day starts at 8:45am each morning. It is important that your child is here before 8:45am. Please ensure your child is attending school and preschool regularly, unless they are sick. If your child is sick and will be absent for the day or arriving late at school, please call the absentee line on 8245 5855, SMS 0497 901 493 or email absent@smms.catholic.edu.au.

I’m looking forward to a great Term 4 – I have no doubt it will go quickly!

I hope to see you at one of our events this term.

Belinda Elliott

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Welcome back to Term 4!

Today, the students of Margaret House showcased their team spirit, by wearing something blue. This is the first year, each of our Houses has celebrated the important saint or person that their House is named after. It was great to see so many students from Margaret House proudly wearing their team colour. To mark the occasion, we gathered for a Margaret House photo on the school oval.

Feast of Saint Margaret Mary
On Friday 18 October, we celebrated the feast of Saint Margaret Mary with a Foundation to Year 6 Liturgy of the Word in the Parish Hall.  As always, our classes actively participated by singing the songs and performing actions to the lyrics. Each of our class representatives read with confidence. The student slide operators and technical crew were also instrumental in creating a prayerful experience.  A special thank you to our staff for supporting the students in their preparation.

As a treat, students in every class were offered a Zooper Dooper icy pole after second play as part of our school and parish celebration.

Outreach Day Meeting
Each year, our school leaders prepare treats and activity stalls to raise funds for Catholic Charities. This event is called Outreach Day. This week, the students gathered in their Houses for a meeting. In each House, the Year 6 leaders shared a presentation of the stalls they will be running for our 2024 Outreach Day Catholic Charity fundraiser on Friday 25 October.

Outreach Day Tickets
From Monday 21 October to Thursday 24 October, we are inviting students to purchase tickets to use at the stalls. Starting Monday, Year 6 students will visit each classroom to collect money and record the amount of tickets purchased. The Year 6 students will record 2 tickets for every $1.00 donation up to a maximum of 10 tickets for $5.00 donation.

Then, on Friday 25 October, the recorded tickets will be distributed to each student who has donated between $1.00 and $5.00.

Outreach Day Stalls
The stalls will be available during first play on Friday 25 October, for students to use their tickets on delicious treats or fun activities.

Outreach Day Charity
Please note, money will not be accepted on the day, by students running the stalls. Our generous fundraising will be tallied donated to ‘Mary MacKillop Today,’ as our nominated Catholic Charity.

Mary MacKillop Today
As a Josephite school community, we are proud to support the good works of Mary MacKillop Today. Mary MacKillop Today, is an organisation working in Australia and overseas. The organisation partners with marginalised children, women and men to transform lives with dignity, an offer an education as well as practical life skills to help people realise their potential so that can participate fully in community.

Term 4 Liturgies and Masses
In Term 4, we will celebrate the following Masses and Liturgies in St Margaret Mary’s Church. Each year level will host their own celebration and also take part in our Thanksgiving whole school celebration.

For families who are able, we warmly invite you to join us for these gatherings.

Have a good weekend everyone.

Matthew Harrison

Apologies for the confusion caused at the beginning of this week when our SMS system broke down.  Please note that you can text us on 0497 901 493 at any time to advise of absences or to send us a message.  If you receive an absentee text from us you can respond to that number on the day of absence (but only on that day).

Alternately, you can call to leave a voicemail on 08 8245 5855 or email absent@smms.catholic.edu.au anytime.  

Yoga and Mindfulness continues this term. We continue with yoga poses and breath work.

Every Thursday at first play in the Emmaus Centre. 

Namaste
Gina Armiento 

Book Club Issue 7 is out now!

Due date for orders is 29^th October.

ALL orders done online via Book Club LOOP.

Find out how on Page 39 of your magazine (payments will not be accepted at school).