Tag: Hay

REACH FOR THE STARS KINDERGARTEN TRANSITION PROGRAM 2021

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Is your child ready for school next year? Is school ready for your child next year? Set your child up for success in 2022 by enrolling her or him in the St Mary’s ‘Reach for the Stars’ Kindergarten Transition Program. 

When? Each Tuesday from 8.50 am to 3.10 pm for 10 weeks, starting Tuesday, August 17th and running until Tuesday, November 2nd. 

 ‘Reach for the Stars is based on the latest research around Play-based learning and is being led by Kindergarten Teacher, Felicity Kew, along with a Teacher Assistant.  

Please contact the school office on 6993 1775 to book a place for your child.

St Laurence O’Toole Parish Forbes

ST LAURENCE O’TOOLE PARISH FORBES

For parish details – click here

St Laurence’s Parish School encourages the involvement and participation of the parish and the wider community.  It also establishes and maintains positive communications within the school and wider community; and will deepen the relationship between students, staff, parents, parish and wider community.

Our Parish Community is:

  • invited to school celebrations such as liturgical celebrations, concerts, presentation evenings, social activities, and sporting events.
  • updated on school news by way of weekly school newsletters being placed in the Church foyer.
  • kept informed of school information through the Principal attending Parish Meetings and important dates being placed in the church bulletin.
  • made aware of the school’s religious program through the Religious Education Co-ordinator and Principal meeting with the Parish Priest.
  • invited to speak at different school events, for example, members of Parish Committees.

Wider Community:

  • The school is featured in the local newspaper regularly with current issues and events that have been happening in the school community.
  • The Staff attend joint inservice opportunities offered by the Diocesan Office and other sources.
  • Updated on school news by way of weekly school newsletters being placed in the local shops.
  • The wider community is invited to support the school community by providing specialist services such as guest speakers and use of venues for special occasions.
  • The school plans excursions within the Wider Community to appropriate venues.

THE DIOCESE OF WILCANNIA-FORBES

The Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes is geographically large and diverse. The diocese includes twenty-two parishes in an area occupying half of New South Wales.

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St Mary’s Parish School Hay

Where Wellbeing for Learning is at the heart
of everything we do.

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Principal’s Message

I extend the warmest of welcomes to you. The purpose of this website is to inform you of some aspects of school life here at St Mary’s and help you appreciate the flavour of our school. 

At St Mary’s we develop quality relationships built on respect, inclusiveness and a strong sense of welcome. We look upon ourselves as a family and we pride ourselves in knowing each child and family.

St Mary’s, a small school with a big heart, continues to be a vibrant part of the town life in Hay since it first opened its doors in 1837. To this day we continue to provide an outstanding Catholic education for students from Kindergarten to Year 6.

Since arriving at this school I have come to love it and my spirits are constantly lifted by the warmth of the students, staff and families and our parish priest, Fr Peter Neivandt, who loves to spend time in the school with us. I don’t think I would find this level of warmth anywhere else. 

Our teaching and support staff are highly skilled, passionate professionals and are committed to ensuring that every student receives the best possible opportunities.  In 2021 we are developing a strong focus on building positive classroom and school environments with an intentional focus on the innate character strengths that each child and staff member has. This focus on the positive is at the very heart of the school’s emphasis on wellbeing for everyone which is the very foundation for the learning that takes place here. 

At St Mary’s we are inspired by the message of Jesus and believe that each child is unique, loved by their parents, cared for within their community and most importantly, loved by their God. With our small number of students here, we aim to capitalise on our unique family atmosphere and strive to focus on delivering engaging and powerful learning experiences and personalised learning to challenge the needs of each of our children.

As principal, I am committed to working in partnership with everyone within the community for the wellbeing and learning of our children and I welcome visits to the school from any prospective families who may be considering St Mary’s for their children’s education. 

Appreciatively

Vince Campbell

Principal  

Wellbeing for Learning

At St Mary’s we believe that Wellbeing is the foundation of Learning and we are committed to the building of a school community where the wellbeing of each student is given the same priority as academic achievement. We believe that an emphasis on Positive Education and a focus on individual character strengths helps everyone in the school community to feel good, do good and function well. 

Celebrating Childhood

St Mary’s truly aspires to be ‘the small school with the big heart.’ Our small class sizes together with a high level of classroom support mean that no child falls through the cracks and that individual student needs can be met. Our teachers are highly skilled, passionate and enthusiastic educators, committed to ensuring that each child is both supported and challenged to be a confident, collaborative and successful learner. 

We believe that great learning takes place when there are strong partnerships with parents, carers and the community. I warmly invite you to contact the school to visit us and consider being a part of our St Mary’s family where every member has a voice and where childhood is celebrated every day. 

Nurturing Spirituality
and Contemplation

At St Mary’s we gently foster the spiritual dimension of each child by providing opportunities for the children to experience quietness and peace within the busyness of their lives. A focus on meditative prayer, gratitude, kindness, love, hope and forgiveness is emphasised in each classroom. 

Children from a range of faith beliefs participate in an innovative religious education program, Educating in Christ, which is based on the Montessori teaching principles and promotes a hands-on approach that develops a sense of awe and wonder in God’s creation and the Gospel message within a respectful and loving Catholic school. 

Celebrating Cultural Diversity

At St Mary’s we encourage a positive sense of cultural identity, harmony and inclusion for all our families. We acknowledge the Wiradjuri people past, present and emerging on whose traditional land we work, live and learn. 

We believe in the potential of each child and strive to create a learning community that supports each one of them to be the best version of themselves and to fulfil their dreams, hopes and goals. 

Innovative Learning and Teaching

At St Mary’s we promote a strong focus on using our school site as a teacher. Students engage positively with their environment, connecting knowledge that they learn online and in the classroom in such areas as sustainability, ecological awareness and environmental stewardship with a range of hands-on and real-world learning experiences in the school outdoor learning areas.

Each child is equipped with an individual technology device, a Chromebook. While technology devices are valuable learning tools we believe that the true pathways towards powerful learning and living a good life are found through a focus on the range of children’s positive human qualities including kindness, creativity, curiosity, persistence, gratitude, playfulness and leadership.

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We would like to acknowledge that we live and work on the traditional lands of the Nari Nari and Wiradjuri people and their many custodians. We pay our respects to both present and past elders and the continuing custodians of this land. May we listen with great care to the heartbeat of Aboriginal lands and to its people who have cared for it so well and for so long.