Term 2, Week 1 Friday 3rd May 2024

Dear Parents/Carers,

Welcome back to Term 2.  I hope you were able to enjoy some time off in the holidays and that your children had a restful break, ready for another term of learning.

There were some improvements made in the school yard over the term break, with new surface laid in the undercroft and new fencing around the playground and oval area.  The undercroft has been popular, and students are enjoying this space to sit and chat.

Safety Around School
Traffic Engineers from the City of Port Adelaide Enfield Council recently visited us to discuss on-going safety concerns around our school during school drop-off and pick-up times. The engineers reviewed our signage and line marking to ensure they meet Australian Standards. The PAE Council is continuing to work with us to monitor safety around our school. Parking inspectors will be present in the streets surrounding St Margaret’s Mary’s School, and we encourage all parents to ensure they are following all road rules and parking signage to avoid a fine. A ‘Safety Around Schools’ brochure will be sent home to all families soon.

Uniform
As the weather gets cooler, please check your child/ren’s uniforms.  We have long-sleeved tops, jackets, and tracksuit pants available. We also have beanies for sale.  ONLY school beanies are to be worn at school and extra clothing such as visible skivvies, t-shirts, vests or jackets should not be worn at school, unless they are St Margaret Mary’s uniform items.

Our uniform shop is open on Tuesday afternoons from 2:30-3:30pm and Friday mornings from 8:30-10:00am. Rosie will be able to assist you with the uniform items your child needs to keep warm this Autumn/Winter.

Mother’s Day Stall
Next Thursday 9 May we will be setting up a Mother’s Day Stall for students to purchase something special for their mum. Your child’s teacher will take the class to the stall during the school day and so students need to bring $2-$5 cash with them to school. Most gifts are $5 each, and include a great range of earrings, necklaces, candles, stationery, mugs and much, much more. We will have the gifts for sale again on Friday 10 May for students who may have missed the opportunity to purchase a gift on Thursday.

🌸🌷🌸 Wishing all our Mums a wonderful Mother’s Day on Sunday 12 May 🌸🌷🌸

Catholic Education Week & School Tours
It is Catholic Education Week coming up from 13 – 17 May.  To celebrate our wonderful Catholic School Community at St Margaret Mary’s School, we are offering 2 school tours for families who may be considering a Catholic education for their child/ren. Principal, Kelly Campbell, will be hosting school tours on Monday 13 May at 9.15am and 5.15pm. If you know anyone who may be interested in finding out more about our educational and wellbeing programs, they can book a place on a school tour by contacting Angela in the office 8245 5800.

Transition – Term 3 Receptions (Foundation)
On Wednesday we welcomed our first group of Term 3 Reception (Foundation) students and families for their transition program.  Each Wednesday 8:45am - 2:45pm they come along to the ‘big school’ to work in their classroom with Ms Ann Lang. There are 2 groups who will attend on a fortnightly basis. Miss Julia Vassallo will also visit the students, as Ms Lang and Miss Vassallo will be the mid-year Receptions teachers, with 2 classes starting in Term 3. We still have some places available in our Term 3 Reception classes, if you know anyone who has a child turning 5 years of age before 31 October 2024, they can contact Angela in the office for more information.

Today I conclude my time as Acting Principal as we welcome Kelly Campbell back on Monday. I have enjoyed the experience of being the Acting Principal for the past 6 weeks and am thankful of the support I received from staff, students, and families. Thank you.

Wishing you all the best for the weeks ahead.

Belinda Elliott

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

I hope as a family you were able to enjoy some time together over the holiday break. This week is the fifth week of Easter. The Season of Easter continues for two more weeks, with The Ascension of Jesus on Sunday 12 May and then Pentecost Sunday on 19 May.

2024 Caritas Australia Efforts
We would like to acknowledge the overwhelming generosity of our St Margaret Mary’s School community. Thanks to the efforts of our families, we have been able to send $964.10 to support the work of Caritas Australia. The contributions received from Project Compassion Boxes totalled over $370, the Easter raffle donated over $440 and the House Walk Event at Sports Day raised over $150. Congratulations everyone, we look forward to announcing and celebrating these efforts at our Year 2KB assembly on Monday.

2024 Sacramental Program
The Sacramental Program continues this term with a Confirmation Information Meeting on Wednesday 8 May (Week 2) at 7.00pm at Whitefriars School (45 Beaufort Street, Woodville Park) in the Mary MacKillop Hall.

The parish requests that students receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation attend the information meeting with at least one or both parents. Students will receive a Confirmation pack, containing information and a book with activities to help families prepare for the sacrament. Please be advised that you will be required to sign in on arrival to confirm your attendance. 

Term 2 Masses and Liturgies

Please note that all Masses and Liturgies are held in St Margaret Mary’s Church. Families who are able, are welcome to join us for these celebrations. Should any changes occur, these will be communicated through Seesaw and upcoming newsletters. If you have any questions regarding Masses or Liturgies, please contact me via the front office or email matthew.harrison@smms.catholic.edu.au .

Have a good weekend everyone.

Matthew Harrison

Book Club Issue 3 is on the way! Magazines will be sent home next week.

Due date for orders is 19^th May.

ALL orders done online via Book Club LOOP.

Find out how on Page 31 of your magazine (payments will not be accepted at school).

Did you know the 2024 Wheelchair Rugby NAtional Championsips is being held here in Adelaide thie weekend?

Some of the sport's greatest athletes from across the world are here to compete, with the Gold Medal Final on Sunday from 12-3pm.

We have been offered hald price tickets, so if you would like to attend, please click here:  

50% Discounted Ticket Offer: https://www.ticketmaster.com.au/artist/3104034?did=50offer

How to watch link: https://www.wheelchairrugby.com.au/news-archive/2024/5/1/how-to-watch-the-2024-santos-wheelchair-rugby-national-championship