A prayer for Mothers 

Loving God, 

You have loved us with an everlasting love  

You have loved us even more as a mother loved her child. 

Today, we give you thanks and praise for the gift of mothers. 

We pray for the mothers-to-be, who are just beginning to be the bearers of new life in them, may they welcome their forthcoming child with loving anticipation and joy. 

We pray for the young mothers, may they cherish their child with tender care and unconditional love. 

We pray for the mothers who are separated from their children, especially in times of war, poverty, conflict, violence and for any other reasons 

Comfort them, strengthen their hope, and let them feel your loving embrace that wipes every tear away. 

We pray for all Mother-figures, those who have loved, surrounded and shaped us with motherly care and compassion. 

We especially pray for our own mothers who have nurtured and cared for us, Their sacrifices and care gave us a glimpse of the extent of your love for us. 

Thank you for them. 

Grant health, blessings, and well-being to those mothers who are still alive. 

We also remember those mothers who are no longer with us. 

While they live forever in our hearts and memory grant them eternal rest and reward for their labours. 

Amen 

How blessed I have felt, particularly over the past week and term, being a part of leading this wonderful STA community. I am very grateful for the opportunities I have had over the weekend to witness how generous our community is by giving their time, energy and joy to others. Thank you for making our fete so spectacular! Meeting and speaking with so many families over the day, I could see and hear just how much they value the community each of you have helped to create here at St Anthony’s. From the bottom of my heart- Thank you to Megan Doherty for her coordination of this event, along with Mr Wigg and the many, many volunteers who made this event possible. The funds from last year's fete allowed us the opportunity to contribute and purchase our spectacular new playground. Again, with this year’s fete fundraising, this will go towards school improvements. More details of what this will look like will be shared once our consultation process is complete with our community. 

FETE FEEDBACK 

We had an overwhelming response from the stall owners that joined our fete this year. More specifically was feedback around the children's manners. I take great delight in listening to just how great our students are, this received from one of our stall holders; all the children were so polite and said please and thank you and she asked if they went to St Anthony's and they said they did and she thought the school was doing a wonderful job with the children. 

From the Art gallery feedback: 

The artworks are amazing 

Some talented young artists, Love the giraffes and magpies! 

Love the variety 

Love the colours everyone chose 

Love the Murrumbidgee rivers, the monkeys, drawings, self-portraits and the aboriginal painting.  

Family portraits are amazing 

Blown away by the variety of art 

Especially loved the bluey portraits 

We are always looking for ways we can improve our practice. If you have any suggestions or ideas for our 2025 school fete, please email me directly so we can coordinate your feedback and ideas whilst it is fresh in our minds.  

Please email: erin.marmont@cg.catholic.edu.au 

Congratulations to our Fete raffle winners: 

1st Prize- Steve Waltman $1500.00 

2nd Prize- Jennifer MacDonald $750.00 

3rd Prize- Phillipa Dunford $250.00

Congratulations to our winners of our Fete Cake competition: 

The entries were judged by ladies from Across the Board Cake Decorating in Tuggeranong 

First prize Aurora S 3A: wins dinner for four at Star Buffet and $150 Squeak Designs voucher  

Second Prize: Lucy W 5 P . She wins $100 Squeak Designs voucher   

Third prize: Azaria D in 5A: she wins a $50 Squeak Designs voucher  

Encouragement Award: Avalyn A from 2P she wins a family pass to Cockington Green 

Professional Learning Day

Our professional learning day last Monday was such a great opportunity for our staff to share in explicit professional development linked directly to our Annual Improvement Plan. 

Our three Key improvement goals for 2024 are: 

• Living out the school mission and values in all that we do at St Anthony’s. 
• V9 Curriculum and cross curriculum perspectives visible across all learning areas and HITP practices used to drive and support teaching and learning. 
• Rigorous data analysis and moderation processes to inform teaching, learning and feedback. 

Last Monday our staff focussed on Goal 1 by looking at implementing Christian Meditation in classes across K-6. Helen Bramanathan joined us from Catholic Education to lead us in how effective this practice can be for our students. From this term, we will be introducing Christian Meditation across the school, where all classes will pause at 11.00am to participate in this stillness. Christian Meditation is a tool that we use in our school as a valuable strategy to provide our students with stillness during their day. These opportunities of stillness not only provide a space for our students to be with God but enable each child to breathe and take charge of their bodies and minds. I encourage you to talk with your child about Christian meditation.  

TRIPLE F PROGRAM- Family, Faith Focus Mass- SUNDAY 26 May 9.00am. 

Goal 1 also explores ways we can develop a faith commitment to Christ. 

This term STA are launching the Triple F program- Family- Faith- Focus which is about attending Mass with us as a community on the last Sunday of each month. This month we will celebrate our Triple F program on Sunday 26 May at 9.00am at St Anthony’s Church. We as a staff will be there to support you and lead our children at Mass in a Children’s Liturgy. This is a wonderful opportunity to re-engage with our Church and develop your faith and commitment to Christ. Father Tom is such a valued leader in our community and has a wonderful, gentle, and comfortable way of drawing us back to our faith in Christ. So come along and join us at Mass on Sunday 26 May. We’ll be there to support you and give you a hand with the kids, we just need you to turn up and be part of something I know each of you will value and enjoy. SAVE THE DATE- Sunday 26 May 9.00am. Mass usually concludes just after 9.30am. If you have time, stay on for a cuppa and a piece of cake with us all afterwards in the foyer of the church. 

Mother’s Day and Special Woman Brekkie and Liturgy FRIDAY 10 MAY 

This Friday we will share brekkie as a community for all of the wonderful woman in our lives. 

Please come along from 8.00am on Friday, followed by our Liturgy in the hall. 

Bacon and egg rolls can be purchased via QKR for $5.00. Please purchase through this app. PRIOR to the day. Booking close on Wednesday 8 May (tomorrow) by 4pm.  For catering reasons, orders cannot be purchased on the day. 

Grandfriends Day 

Save the date- On Friday the last day of term, 5 July- we welcome our Grandfriends of our students to come to the school to celebrate how wonderful we think they are! The schedule of the day (weather permitting) will look like this: 

10.00am- Grandfriends join classes for story reading and activities 

11.00am- BYP picnic- Grandfriends bring along a picnic to share with their children at recess 

11.45am- Dance performance in the hall- Grandfriends all come to the hall to watch performances. 

1.00pm- Farewell to Grandfriends- thank you for coming along. 

Behaviour and expectations  

As we embark on term 2, for some students this can become an increasingly challenging time. Over the past week I have met with some students and families around the expected behaviour of our students. Please be assured, student wellbeing and management is a key priority of STA and addressed accordingly. I thank the parent community for their support and communication.  

Technology is becoming more and more prevalent in our world. Particularly with our children. Some days (or most days!) it is incredibly challenging to capture our children’s attention, when they are more interested in an Xbox, YouTube channel, iPhone, Apple Watch or iPhone! So how can we as Parents and carers educate our children around cyber safety?  

You may have seen in recent media, the damaging effects that digital technology, including mobile phones and sending pictures can have on our children, particularly as they approach their teenage years. Dr Jonathon Haidt is a professor of ethical leadership at New York University’s Stern School of Business and a leading researcher on the risks associated with young people using messaging apps and social media platforms to communicate. Alarmingly, his research has highlighted the increased pressure that young people, in particular young girls, face when communicating with others via messaging apps. He has highlighted the need for reduced access and higher monitoring of young people using mobile devices due to the following: 

• Decreased levels of sleep amongst young people due to constant notifications on their messaging apps. 
• Decreased ability to be and stay engaged with tasks in the classroom. 
• Anxiety linked to FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) if young people don’t constantly message each other. 
• The unstructured nature of communication on messaging apps creates and perpetuates negative social interactions in the real world.  

The site below gives families a foundation to begin these conversations to keep our children safe.  

Young People | eSafety Commissioner 

https://www.thinkuknow.org.au/ along with some helpful links to support parents and carers with Cyber safety for our children. 

Our school values at St Anthony’s encourage our students to: 

• Be a learner 
• Be Respectful
• Be Responsible 

With your support, we hope that we can continue the conversations with our students to best guide and prepare them for their journey ahead. Here are some tips that may assist you in sharing in these conversations: 

Communication is the Key:  

At St Anthony’s, we encourage your child to express themselves clearly and listen actively to others. Teach them to use “I” statements, like “I feel upset when…” instead of blaming or accusing. 

Encourage Inclusivity:  

At St Anthony’s we encourage children to learn that friendships aren’t about exclusion; it’s about inclusion. It teaches to include everyone, even those who may seem different. Emphasize that diversity is what makes friendships so exciting and rewarding. 

Dealing with Conflicts:  

At St Anthony’s friendships are sometimes not always easy; there will be disagreements. Growing up with friends, primary school teaches children conflict resolution skills, such as compromise and taking turns. Let them know that it’s okay to disagree but not okay to be mean or hurtful. 

Digital Kindness:  

In today’s world, digital communication is a big part of friendships. Teach your child about online kindness and the importance of treating others with respect in texts, emails, and social media. Set boundaries on screen time and monitor their online interactions. 

Nurture Social Skills:  

Primary School helps your child develop their social skills by arranging playdates and encouraging group activities. This allows them to practice making friends and working together in a fun and supportive environment. 

Encourage Healthy Boundaries:  

Children learn to make healthy boundaries that it’s okay to say “no” when something doesn’t feel right. Friends should respect each other’s boundaries, and children should feel empowered to stand up for themselves in a respectful way. 

Foster Empathy:  

Empathy is the foundation of kindness. Primary School environment encourages children to feel how others might feel in different situations. This helps them understand and support their friends better. 

MOBILE PHONES 

A reminder to all families that students are not permitted to ring their parents using their own devices during school hours. To ensure the safety and well-being of all students. All correspondence to families is to go through the front office. 

St. Vincent DePaul Sleepout 

I'm helping to break the cycle of homelessness by joining the Vinnies CEO Sleepout for a one-night event held on one of the longest and coldest nights of the year. 

Hoping you can get on board to support such an important cause. 

Please donate if you can by clicking the link below. Thank you. 

https://www.ceosleepout.org.au/fundraisers/erinmarmont 

High school enrolments are now open 

Please ensure that your Year 6 child’s enrolment application is in on time for their potential high school. I cannot stress this enough that enrolment applications need to be in on time. Primary schools do not enrol students into high school. It is the role of the parent/guardian to complete this process. Please note that student reports can be accessed through your child’s Compass portal.  Thank you for your understanding. 

Save the dates: 

• Tuesday 7 May - Confirmation Life Lessons 5:30pm @ the church 
• Friday 10 May - Mother's Day Liturgy- Year 2 @ 9am 
• Friday 10 May - Mother's Day Breakfast 8:00 to 9.00am 
• Friday 10 May - Mackillop 'Have A Go Day' for Year 6 
• Monday 13 May - School Cross Country 
• Thursday 16 May - Year One Excursion to Lanyon Homestead
• Thursday 16 May - Year 6 Confirmation Retreat Day @ St Anthony's Church 
• Friday 17 May - Open School for new and 2025 Enrolments from 4pm to 6pm 
• Friday 17 May - 2P Prayer Focus Assembly 12pm 
• Friday 17 May - National Walk Safely to School Day  
• Monday 20 May - Sacrament of Confirmation 7:00pm @ the church 
• Wednesday 22 May - National Simultaneous Story Time 
• Friday 24 May - Year 4 Grade Assembly 12pm

Wishing all of our wonderful Mums, step mums, grandmums, Dads that are Mums a beautiful Mother's Day weekend!

Erin

Every school has a vital role to play in helping our nation collect the information it needs to better understand and respond to the needs of children and their families.
Since 2009, communities, schools and governments across Australia have used AEDC results to help provide services, resources and supports that give our kids the best start in life.

From May 2024, our Kinder teachers will complete the census for children in their first year of full-time school at St Anthony's. AEDC results for individual children are not reported and individual children cannot be identified.

With the support of parents/carers and schools, we can build a more complete picture of early childhood development in Australia. If parents/carers consent to the collection of their child’s information they do not need to do anything. Parents/carers only need to contact the school if they do not consent to the collection of their child’s information. Please let the school know if you do not content by Friday May 17.

If you would like to find out more about the AEDC and how schools, communities and governments are using the data to help children and families, please visit www.aedc.gov.au.

The perfect Mother's Day gift.  The secret recipes of OOSCA have been published and now available for purchase.

$10 each, payment can been made either by cash, EFTPOS (at OOSCA) or via Qkr!  Get in quick!!!