A note from the Principal
Dear Parents & Caregivers
Developing resilience and determination, and living a life of purpose are vital in overcoming mental health challenges.
Having purpose provides direction and meaning, anchoring individuals during difficult times.
Resilience acts as a shield against negativity, empowering individuals to bounce back from setbacks and adapt to change.
Determination fuels progress, motivating individuals to persist in their journey toward mental wellness.
Together, these qualities form a lifeline, guiding individuals through the darkness of mental illness toward a brighter future filled with hope and healing. They remind individuals of their capacity to triumph over adversity and empower them to take small steps towards recovery, fostering inner strength and resilience along the way.
St Mary’s, along with the support of the Shire of Donnybrook-Balingup and the Community Resource Centre, are hosting Phil Britten for a one-off free Men’s Mental Health Night on Friday 22nd March from 6-8pm in the Soldier’s Memorial Hall. Phil is a Bali bombing survivor, international motivational speaker, martial artist, entrepreneur, husband, father and mate, whose story of purpose, resilience and determination has influenced and inspired many people around the world. The event is open to all men in our community. To book your spot, visit St Mary’s Facebook Page, scan the QR code and register.
On this day, Phil will also be visiting our school and meeting with our students from Years 4-6.
Swimming Carnival
Tomorrow, Friday 15th March, our students will compete in our annual Years 3-6 Swimming Carnival at the Donnybrook Rec Centre. We wish all our competitors an enjoyable and fun filled competitive day. Thank you to Mr Skehan for his efforts in organising the carnival and to our staff and parents who are supporting on the day.
Easter Bonnet Parade and Easter Raffle
Our Easter Bonnet Parade and Raffle Draw will be held on Wednesday 27th March at 9am. Tickets will be available for purchase from Monday 18th March (.50c each or 3 for $1).
Thank you to IGA who has sponsored our class prizes and to Jodie Hanns MLS who has again donated a scooter for the major prize.
On this day there will also be an Easter craft stall available with $5 from each purchase going towards the school camp.
This Saturday, 16 March, our Year 6 students will be holding an Easter Raffle at IGA with all money raised going towards their camp being held in November. Please get down there and support them.
Station of the Cross
The Stations of the Cross are a 14-step Catholic devotion that commemorates Jesus Christ's last day on Earth as a man. The 14 devotions, or stations, focus on specific events of His last day on earth. On Thursday 28th March at 2.30pm, St Mary’s will be offering a Stations Reflection opportunity for students. Parents are also invited to attend.
RULER Parent Workshop
Unfortunately, we had to cancel our recently planned RULER parent workshop. We will endeavour to host another one later in the year. More information will be shared with parents soon.
NAPLAN
This week, our Year 3 and 5 students commenced their NAPLAN assessments. NAPLAN is a national assessment that all student across Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 complete each year. NAPLAN assesses students’ ability and growth across Literacy and Numeracy and provides schools with important information that can be both used for strategic whole school decision making and to support the learning of individual students.
Interim Reports and Parent Meetings
Term 1 Interim Reports will be sent home tomorrow, Friday 15th March. Follow up parent meetings will be held on Wednesday 20th March between 1:30-4pm. These reports, and subsequent parent meetings, will give you information on your child’s school behaviours and social and emotional development, as well as progress across the main learning areas.
Parent and Friends
Our next P&F Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday 19th March at 9am in the staffroom. It would be great to have many parents at the next meeting supporting our executive team, so please come along.
ANZAC Day Holiday
Please note, that St Mary’s will be closed for ANZAC day on Thursday 25th April and also Friday 26th April. As a school, we will be recognising our ANZAC’s with a service on Wednesday 24th April at 1.30pm. Parents are invited to join us.
AEDC
The Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) is a population-based measure of how children have developed by the time they start school. It looks at five areas of early childhood development: physical health and wellbeing, social competence, emotional maturity, language and cognitive skills (school-based), and communication skills and general knowledge. St Mary’s will be involved in this process in April next term. More information will be sent home to parents shortly.
School Website
Our school website is live, updated regularly and able to be accessed at http://www.stmarysdbrk.wa.edu.au/. Please look here for all school related parent information.
Parent Information
An updated parent information pack, including teacher email addresses, can be found on our school website under the school information tab or by clicking HERE
Term Calendar
The term calendar can be found on our school website or by clicking HERE
3-Year-Old Kindergarten
In Term 2, Thursday 2nd May, St Mary’s will commence its first ever 3-year-old program. These classes will be held each Thursday from 9-12:30pm with Mrs Nina Fiumano in the Kindergarten room. There are limited places available so please share this information with potential families and ask them to call 97324700 as soon as possible to book their place in the program.
Enrolments
We are still taking enrolments across all years for 2024. If you know of anyone who may be interested, please ask them to contact 97324700 and I will give them a personal tour.
Term 1 Concludes
Please not, there will be no school on Good Friday, 29th March. School returns for Term 2 on Monday 15th April.
I wish everyone and safe and enjoyable Easter and holiday period with your loved ones.
Thank you
Andrew Gammon
Principal
St Mary's School Donnybrook
Email: admin@stmarysdbrk.wa.edu.au
Website: www.stmarysdbrk.wa.edu.au
Location: 30 Bentley St, Donnybrook, WA, 6239
Phone: 08 97324700
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/St-Marys-Catholic-Primary-School-Donnybrook-1835840293345149/