Term 4 Week 6 2024

Principal's Message

‘We do whatever it takes to lead the way in Love, Learning, Faith, School Spirit, Sport & Community’

Dear families and friends,

2025 Staff

In 2025, we have a very stable, dedicated and passionate staff. Next year will be my 11th year at SMP as our principal, and our crew is as strong as we have ever had.  We welcome Brooke Parker and Alison Llewellyn onto our teaching staff. We welcome Kasey Cowan as a Student Support Educator and Yasmin Mouftakir as another counsellor. We welcome back Laura Lynch, Abby Watson and Stacey Forrester from maternity leave. We have a great mix of youth and experience, male and female staff members to target holistic learning for your child here at SMP.  Below is our draft plan, knowing things can often change at the last minute.

• Leader of Learning - Support:  Paula McIntyre supported by Marianne Bullpitt
• Leader of Learning - Instructional  Leader Yrs K-2:  Karen Faber 
• Leader of Learning - Instructional  Leader Yrs 3-6:  Kristie Irvine
• Leader of Sport:  Cohen Parrish
• Leader of Love & Community:  Nicole Hammond
• Leader of Faith:  Karen McDonald
• Specialty Subjects and Coordinator Release:  Michelle Bratti, Laura Lynch, Stacey Forrester, Abby Watson and Sarah Flocchini
• Secretaries:  Fran Gilmour, Louise Gallagher and Bec White
• Counselors:  Lia Masman and Yasmin Mouftakir
• Family Connect:  Jimmy Farnham-Fry
• Speech Therapy:  Karla Carey
• Wellbeing:  Paddy Wilde
• Groundsman and Cleaner:  Jai White
• Library:  Betty Schuhmacher
• Student Support Educators: Danny Parsons, Gail Burley, Vicki Gardner, Janet O’Brien, Patrice Ramsay, Kristy Smith, Michelle Kent, Bec Transton, Ella Roberts, Tara Freeburn, Katie Berry, Samantha Olive, Alex Richards, Sam Coggan, Kasey Cowan and Helen Sjostedt
• Aboriginal Education Workers: Sarah Flocchini and Tara Freeburn
• Assistant Principal Mission: Sam Irvine
• Assistant Principal Teaching and Learning: Felicity Wilde
• Principal:  John O’Brien

I am so happy with my crew, it just keeps getting better. We will not be changing classes drastically like we have done in the past. We will be using student learning data again, so most classes will be very similar. We will then be choosing the grade teacher to best suit this class.  So the class lists will be very tight, with little wiggle room. Our classes in 2024 have never been so engaged and settled, enhancing your child’s learning. Some teachers will go up with their class in 2025. This is an initiative we are looking forward to seeing how our students benefit from this. Students will find out their teacher and class for 2025 on Monday 9 December and will spend time with them and their 2025 class on Friday 13 December. We spend considerable time putting this together.  I will consider special circumstances if presented to me regarding the placement of students, but I’m pretty reluctant to grant requests for teachers or friendship groups and am pleased with how these students thrive after checking in with them the following year.

• Student Free Day: Friday 29 November (day after Christmas Concert)
• Last Day of school for 2024: Wednesday 18 December
• First Day of School 2025 Years 1-6: Tuesday 4 February
• First Day of School 2025 Kindergarten: Thursday 6 February

Take care
John O’Brien

Assistant Principal's News - Mission

Socktober

Last Friday we celebrated Socktober at school by wearing our Summer PJs and Crazy Socks. All money raised from these donations, plus our many stalls that were held, went to support the work of Caritas who help the poor and vulnerable children and families around the world. Incredibly, this year we raised $1438.10 - a new record! A big thank you to Miss Mac for organising the students with the stalls - this was a big job!

3:16 Youth Group

The last one for 2024 will take place on Friday 6 December from 3:10pm-5:00pm. This will be our 3:16 Christmas Party.

Student of the Month Assembly

We will have our only Student of the Month Assembly for Term 4 on Friday 6 December from 2:10pm-3:00pm.

Church Visits

Kindergarten - Friday 22 November @ 1:00pm in the Church

Years 3, 5 & 6 - Friday 6 December @ 1:00pm in the Church

School Jackets - 2025 Orders

We are now taking new orders for school jackets for 2025. The price is $65 per jacket.

To make an order, please follow the steps:

1) Fill out the order form link below

2) Make payment for the jacket at the school office.

Please note - only orders that have been fully paid for in the school office will be processed.

Orders and payments close on WEDNESDAY 11th DECEMBER. They will take 6-7 weeks to arrive after ordering.

KIDS and ADULTS sizing guides are in the order form.

2025 School Shoes Information

Please use this guide when shopping for school shoes for 2025.

Sam Irvine
AP - Mission

Assistant Principal's News Teaching & Learning

Conversations about Bullying

Having an open dialogue about bullying with your child is crucial for fostering trust, understanding and resilience. 

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.

Felicity Wilde
AP Teaching & Learning

Leader of Faith

Socktober at SMP

What a wonderful day we all enjoyed last Friday dressed in our pyjamas and wearing our crazy socks!

At lunch we had so many of our students setting up stalls to support our fundraising event for Catholic Missions, in particular the people of Mongolia. We had fairy bread, cupcakes, lollie bags, slices, ice cups, brownies, super doopers and then all these fantastic games set up by the students. You could pop a balloon, throw a wet sponge, throw the footy through the hole, correctly identify where the hidden object was as the cups were moved around and then the famous ping pong ball into cups.  And that wasn’t all … then we had many ‘guess the lollies’ in the jar competition. Lunch in the Cola and on the turf was buzzing with excitement and a great success due to the generosity of the students and their families. We raised an amazing $1491.05.  Thank you to everyone who supported the day.

Karen McDonald
Leader of Faith

Sport News

SMP Swimming Carnival 2024

Our annual Swimming Carnival will take place this Monday, 25th November, for all students in Years 3 to 6. The carnival will run from approximately 9:15 am to 2:30 pm, with students travelling to and from the pool by bus.

Competitive Events

Students participating in the 100m freestyle or 50m butterfly events must arrange private transport to arrive at the pool by 8:00 am for an 8:30 am start to ensure all events fit within the schedule.

Once the competitive events conclude, we’ll transition to the 25m races, shallow water novelty events, and relays.

Student Participation

• Years 3 to 6 students assessed as competent swimmers (able to swim 50m) are expected to participate in competitive events.
• Students preferring shorter distances will swim in the 25m races and join in fun, shallow water activities.
• All students are encouraged to get involved and actively participate.

This is a compulsory school activity for students in Years 3 to 6. Kindergarten, Year 1 and 2 students will remain at school for a regular school day.

Sports House Points

Both competitive and non-competitive events will earn Sports House points, with additional Cultural Points available for family members dressed in House colours.

Important Details

• Date: Monday, 25th November
• Time: 9:15 am – 2:30 pm (early events at 8:30 am)
• Venue: Casino Memorial Pool
• Transport: Bus departs at 9:00 am, returning at approximately 2:30 pm
• Cost: $5 pool entry (consent and payment via Compass)

What to Bring

• Rash shirt (not required for races)
• Swimmers
• Sunscreen
• Towel
• School hat
• Change of clothes
• Goggles (optional)
• Lunch and recess (canteen available)

Sign-Out Procedures

If you plan to collect your child from the carnival, please follow the school’s sign-out protocols:

• Use the QR code at the sign-out table near the pool entry.
• Only individuals listed as emergency contacts can sign out students on the day.

We look forward to a fun-filled day of competition and camaraderie! Thank you for your support in making this event a success.

Nikki Hammond

Leader of Sport

Leader of Love and Community

2024 SMP Christmas Concert
Our annual Christmas Concert is on next week, Thursday 28 November from 5.00pm until 7.00pm at St Mary's College, grass area. The college basketball gates will open at 5.00pm, with our Junk Drummers and music students performing from 5:30pm and the Nativity Play commencing at 6.00pm.  

We will be holding the performance on the concrete steps of the Mercy building at the College. We invite parents to bring a picnic blanket or deck chair to use to watch the performance.

We encourage students to dress in Christmas colours/clothes to get into the spirit of Christmas. Casino Rotary will also be on site with cold drinks, hot chips and a sausage sizzle. Payment by cash or card.

Please be aware that the students will be remaining with their cohort and their teachers whilst not performing as this is a Child Protection measure we put in place to make sure we can safely account for all students on the evening in our care. The students will remain together until the collection by parents at the end of the evening. 

We look forward to celebrating Christmas with you all!

Hannah de Silva
Leader of Love & Community

Birthdays

Happy birthday t0 Iyliah Scofield Maliah Beaumont Carter Darragh Gracie Robinson Beau Darragh  Mackenzie Parker Maggie Llewellyn Arlia Bultitude Chloe Yates Clancy Rippon Lilly-Grace Armfield Pippa Randall Archer Chelman Zac Willows Holly Transton and Xander Hill who have recently celebrated their birthday, and to Kai Larsson who celebrates tomorrow.