Welcome back!

Welcome back to Term 2! We hope this message finds you well and that you had a restful and enjoyable break.

We are excited to start this new term with our students and continue to provide a safe and engaging learning environment. Our dedicated teachers and staff are committed to supporting your child's growth and academic success.

We have planned various student activities and events this term, including excursions, guest speakers, and sporting events. We encourage you to stay up-to-date with our school newsletter and calendar so you know when these events are on.

We understand that some students struggle to transition back to school after a break. If you have any concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to contact your child's teacher, our Classroom Support Teacher Rachael Croker, or me.

We look forward to working with you this term to ensure your child has a successful and fulfilling experience. 

Finance Transformation: Notice of Finance System Changes

In partnership with Catholic Education, Archdiocese of Canberra & Goulburn (CECG), St Mary's is migrating to a new finance system that will integrate with the Compass Parent Portal and Compass App. We are expected to begin to use this system from next Monday, 1 May 2023.

The move to the new system will increase the integration of the school finances into Compass, with parents/caregivers also having visibility of financial transactions within Compass.

There will be changes to the design of fee statements, including a newly assigned BPAY Biller Code and Customer Reference Number (CRN) that will be issued to you once the system has migrated next week. This information will also be provided on your Term 2 fee statements.

The payment of school fees directly into a school bank account will no longer be possible in the new system, and the school bank account is being centralised across CECG. If you make regular payments of school fees via Direct Debit, please note that these will be cancelled on 28th April 2023, and you will need to ensure that you move to an alternative payment option.

From 1 May 2023, BPAY will be the preferred payment method for student tuition fees and levies. Most banks allow for a regular recurring payment to be made via BPAY. For more information on how to enable ongoing payments using BPAY, please speak to your bank.

Payments can also be made online using CompassPay or cash at the school office. The following payment methods are no longer able to be accepted:

· Direct debit

· Direct bank deposit

· Qkr! (except for tuckshop and uniform shop payments)

To assist with a smooth transition to the new system, please ensure that the school is aware of any updated contact details for your family.

We appreciate your support during this transition. If you have any questions, please get in touch.

Compass App

A reminder that we are now utilising the Compass App for communication, absence notifications as well excursion and sporting consents. There is a link to the 'Change to Travel Arrangements' there as well.

If you are having any problems with the app, please see Belinda.

ANZAC Day

Thank you and congratulations to all of our students who participated in the 2023 ANZAC Day Commemorative Services.

St Mary's had a large contingent at the Crookwell, Taralga, and Grabben Gullen services. I estimate that over half of our school participated in some way.

By marching and participating in the commemorative services, our students demonstrated a deep respect for the sacrifices made by our servicemen and women. 

I want to thank all of you who participated, you have made our school and community proud, and we are grateful for your contributions.

School Police Liason Talk

On Thursday, 11 May, our School Police Liason Office, Senior Constable Barbara Beard, will visit St Mary's to talk with the students. The Kindergarten, Year One and Year Two students will have a session on Community Safety, and Years 3/4 and Years 5/6 will each have a session on Cyber Safety. After the Year 5/6 session, Year 6 students will stay behind and be provided with additional content about the laws related to sending inappropriate images. Please let me know if you do not wish your child to participate in this additional session.

Toys at School

Yesterday, some Year 3 boys enjoyed unpacking the new farm toys available for all students. There is now a dedicated farm corner on the playground, suitable for imaginative digging, construction, carting, mustering and much more!