Term 2 Week 2 Newsletter 2025

Important Dates

Character Virtue:   H O N E S T Y
What it looks like:  Honesty is like a strong and clear mirror.  It reflects the truth and helps people trust you because they know you won't deceive them.
What it means:  Honesty means telling the truth, even when it's difficult.  It's like being a trustworthy friend who doesn't lie or cheat.
Why it is important:  Honesty builds trust and strong relationships.  When you're honest, people believe in your words and actions.

From the Principal

Dear Parents,

Thank you to Year 2 teachers and students for presenting a wonderful Easter Liturgy on Thursday. We have a busy week with Athletics Skills Sessions, Netball NSW Schools Cup and Coolah Cross Country. PSSA for students in Years 4 to 6 commences this Friday.

Kindergarten Enrolments 2026
Enrolments for Kindergarten 2026 are open. Parents wishing to enrol their child are asked to contact the school to receive a copy of St. Mary’s Enrolment Policy and the current Enrolment Application Form. Forms can also be accessed via our school website. A copy of your child’s Birth Certificate, Baptismal Certificate, Immunisation Record, and any other supporting documentation will be required to process your enrolment application. Enrolment interviews for all new families will commence on Monday, 26th May.

Our little brothers and sisters of current students commencing Kindergarten next year should have submitted their enrolment application by now. 

Annual School Improvement Survey
This is a reminder that the Annual School Improvement surveys will be distributed to all families this Thursday, 8th May.
These surveys enable all members of the school community to have a voice. We take note of all comments written as they are valuable insights from the school's key stakeholders. The comments and data provide information about how well the school operates, highlighting areas of strength and those that may need revision. Overall, the data collected from the surveys provides highly valuable information that directs the school's future planning for continual improvement. 

Winter Uniform
Officially, the children are to wear their formal winter uniform after the June Long Weekend, but if your child is feeling cold, they may wear their winter uniform from the commencement of Term 2.

Sport

Athletics Skills/Trials & School Athletics Carnival (Years 3-6)
Our School Athletics Carnival will take place at Barden Park, Dubbo, on Monday, June 23. In preparation for this carnival, students in Years 3, 4, 5, and 6 will attend the Athletic Field Event Skill Session and Athletic Trials in various field events. The Skill Sessions took place at Barden Park today, and the Athletic Field Event Trials will take place next Monday, 12th May. For these skill sessions and trials, students in Years 3 and 6 will commence at approximately 9.30 am and conclude at approximately 12.05 pm, while those in Years 4 and 5 will commence at 12.05 pm and conclude at approximately 2.40 pm. All students in Years 3 to 6 will wear sports uniforms on these days.

The Field Events are long jump, high jump, shot put, and discus. Students compete in the Junior, 11 years, or Senior events for boys or girls.  Students in Years 3 & 6 will need to bring their morning tea to the Oval, while students in Years 4 & 5 will need to bring their lunch (no lunch orders on these days for Years 4 & 5). We will use these trials to select the best eight to ten competitors in each event, who will be selected to compete at the Athletics Carnival on Monday, 23rd June.

Diocesan Cross Country
Our Cross Country team travels to Coolah to compete in the Diocesan Cross Country Trials at Coolah tomorrow. Thank you to our parents for providing transport and support. Best of luck to the following students:

PSSA Competition
The Dubbo District Primary Schools Sports Association (PSSA) Winter Sports Competition will take place in Term 2 and involve our students in Years 4-6. This competition involves students from the various government primary schools in Dubbo, St Pius X School, and our school. Games are held from 11.30 am - 1.00 pm each Friday at various venues throughout Dubbo. Nomination notes will be sent home this week.
The aims of the Dubbo District PSSA competitions are for the children to:
* Enjoy sports.
* Develop a positive attitude.
* Develop skills in various sports in a competitive situation.
* Attain higher standards of behaviour.
* Mix with students from other schools through sports.

Religious Education

Meet 4 Mass
Our Term 2 Meet 4 Mass has been scheduled for Sunday, 18th May 2025. Mass will commence at 9 am at St. Brigid’s. We would love to see you all there. 

2025 Sacraments
Term 2 will see us start off our 2025 sacramental programs with Confirmation registration as well as preparation sessions ready for Confirmation early in Term 3. Please refer to the email sent from our parish regarding dates and if you have missed out on registering your child for one of the sacraments, you need to contact Rosie Hosking, St. Brigid’s Sacramental Coordinator via email at sacraments.dubbo@cdob.org.au

Thursday Night Dinner
Year 6 Students from St. Mary’s are rostered on to volunteer at the second Thursday of the month dinner for our local parish this month. On Thursday, 8th of May, we are looking for some of our Year 6 leaders to come along, help set up the hall, help to serve dinner, and clean up for our local parishioners. This is an annual event and a great opportunity to give back to our local community. If your Year 6 child would like to volunteer, can you please email one of the Year 6 teachers this week.

Catholic Schools Week is a time to celebrate the incredible value our schools bring to students, families, and the wider community. It’s a moment to reflect on our rich history and embrace the exciting journey ahead - a time for connection and celebration.

The combined theme for this year’s celebration embodies who we are and what you can expect from a Catholic school - Guided by Faith, Inspired by Hope, and Committed to Learning.

Guided by faith, Catholic schools instil core values that inspire young students to grow into compassionate and responsible individuals. Our students understand and take action to support others with care and respect, recognising their duty to protect and uplift those in need. Following Christ’s example, every student is supported and valued as part of a caring school community.

Inspired by hope and in honour of the 2025 Jubilee, we are called to reflect on challenges facing our world - war and conflict, the lasting effects of the pandemic, and the urgent need to address climate change. Hope is more than optimism; it’s a spiritual force that gives us the strength to endure, the courage to rebuild, and the resilience to address the challenges that we face. As Pope Francis reminds us, “Hope is a gift from God that fills our hearts with joy.” By embracing this gift, our school communities are beacons of positive transformation.

Committed to learning, our highly qualified and dedicated teachers nurture individual student gifts and potential, inspiring a love for learning that lasts a lifetime. Catholic Schools Week is a special time to celebrate this commitment - honouring our dedicated educators, the inspiring curiosity of our students, and the invaluable partnership of families who support learning as a lifelong endeavour.

ST. BRIGID'S PARISH - MASS TIMES:  (Please note change of Mass times for evening Masses)
St Brigid's:  Saturday - 5pm, Sunday - 9am and Sunday - 5pm
St. Laurence's Church:  Sunday - 7.30am

Awards

STUDENT OF THE WEEK:

HOUSE AWARDS:
Congratulations to the following students for gaining 10 points for
their Sports House for exemplary behaviour:

Attendance

School Fees

Community News

BIRTHDAYS:
Celebrating their birthday this week are:
Lillian, Emily, Peter, Nadia, Kieran, Ivie-Mae, Rocco, Slater,
Tenley, Stella, Harvey and Amelia.
We hope you enjoy your birthday!

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TERM 2 BOOK CLUB...
For cash orders please send the form back to school with your child's name and class.  To pay by credit card, please use Book Club LOOP at scholastic.com.au/LOOP
or use the LOOP app.

ORDERS ARE DUE:  MONDAY, 12th MAY

Canteen

MunchMonitor - We encourage all families to use the MunchMonitor online program for lunch orders. 

School Uniform