Dear Parents and Caregivers
At the start of this year, Mrs Sue Haynes decided it was time to retire and spend her time travelling around the country in her caravan with her husband Greg. I would like to thank and acknowledge Sue for the outstanding work she did behind the scenes, working closely with myself and the School Advisory Council, making sure our finances were being managed properly. A lot of the upgrades you have seen over the past few years had direct input from Sue. She also worked closely with the CEWA accountants who were very complimentary about the work she did here. Every improvement we have made at Mary Mac, has been for the benefit of the students first and foremost. I wish Sue every blessing and happiness as she spends her days exploring our great big country. Please note that Mr Steve Tucker, will now work full time as Sue’s replacement. All finance and school fee enquiries should be directed to Steve.
Awareness/Compassion Reflection We are all different. Don’t judge, understand instead.
Tree Top Walk Our students in Years 1-6 got to enjoy the newest addition to our playground this week, and all the feedback was very positive indeed! Once again, I would like to thank our wonderful P&F for their contribution of $25 000 towards the overall cost. The completion of the tree top walk brings our three year project of upgrading our nature playground spaces to a conclusion. I’m sure you will agree that the whole project has been worth every cent and has enhanced the play experiences of our students for years to come.
Family Fun Night Please remember to come along on Friday night from 5.30pm and spend some time getting to know different members of our community, or even reconnecting with others with a picnic on the oval followed by a movie which the students selected. The movie is scheduled to start at 7.30pm. There will be a coffee van, an ice cream van and a food truck for those of you who would like to use them. It promises to be a fun and relaxing evening and I look forward to seeing you there. I would like to thank the P&F members who have organised this event. Please note that our P&F still needs a President, Vice President and Secretary. Currently, we only have a Treasurer and a few members. However, they have planned the year’s events and they all promise to be fabulous.
Ash Wednesday We will be holding a whole school Mass on Wednesday 22 February at 8.45am in our Church which will be led by the Year 4 students. Ash Wednesday signifies the start of Lent, which traditionally has been a time of fasting and penance in our Church. The priests wear purple, which is the colour of penance, throughout the six weeks leading into Easter. One of the first words Jesus mentions in the Bible is “Repent” which doesn’t mean to stop being naughty. It comes from the Greek word, ‘metanoia’ which refers to a change of heart or even a change to the way you think. I ask you to think about that this Lent and explore the possibilities of how you can make this change. One such change could be reaching out to those in need, such as the homeless or the people in other countries who don’t enjoy the same privileges we do. Maybe you could support the people in Turkey or Syria who are doing it so tough as a result of the recent earthquake.
First Reconciliation Retreat During Lent every year, we prepare our Year 3 students to receive the Sacrament of Penance. This is a wonderful opportunity to develop a closer relationship with God. To help prepare our students, we are having a retreat day in the hall on Monday 27 February. It promises to be a great day for them.
School Advisory Council Meeting Our first meeting for the year will be held on Monday 27 February from 6pm in the staffroom.
Netball Registration Day this will take place on Thursday 23 February from 2.30pm in the undercover area. Last year, our teams did really well and I hope they can have just as much fun this year.
Yours sincerely
Laurie Bechelli