Newsletter - Friday, 6th June, 2025
Prayer
God, please bless my school. Thank You for all of the teachers that work so hard to help us learn. Thank You for recess and lunchtime, when we get to play with our friends. Thank You for providing a place where we can learn more about the world You created for us to live in, and how it works. Please keep my school safe. Protect all of the grown ups and kids that come to school everyday. Protect us from harm, and help us to be kind to each other. - - Amen
(Not) From the Principal
Dear Parents,
With John enjoying some Long Service Leave, the school has ticked along nice and quietly this week with Sherryn taking the wheel and steering the ship supported by the staff.
Winter has arrived and so do the coughs, colds and illnesses. If your child is unwell, please do not send them to school; this helps minimise the spread and to keep us all safe and well. There have been some students complaining of rumbly tummies and not feeling well; the guidelines from the Education Department with vomiting or diarrhoea "exclude until there has not been vomiting or a loose bowel motion for 48 hours...".
Kids helping Cockies Project - Tree Planting: Next Thursday, all students will travel by bus to Charam to participate in the planting of 300 trees which grew from seed we collected last year. Students will need gumboots. We will only be out of school for a couple of hours, returning at recess time.
Enjoy the long weekend and let's hope the promised rains arrive.
- Barb
Lights, camera, action - the production returns!
We’re thrilled to announce that the St. Malachy’s School production is back for another exciting year! Our 2025 show has been chosen by the Year 5/6 class and we are diving into the magical world of King Arthur and the Sword in the Stone.
The Year 5/6 students are currently busy preparing and learning their lines for auditions taking place next week. We’ve already seen great enthusiasm, creativity and courage as they step into the roles of legendary knights, powerful sorcerers, and royal characters.
Meanwhile, the other three classes have also jumped into the spirit of the production. They have begun learning their first dances and the school is already buzzing with music, movement, and plenty of excitement!
We can’t wait to see this wonderful show come to life and we look forward to sharing more behind-the-scenes moments as the journey continues.
From the sports desk
Winter sports @ Horsham
On Wednesday, we went to Horsham to participate in winter sports. We played soccer and participated in 4 games. The first was against Horsham West, our second was against Horsham Primary and on both of these occasions, we sadly lost and didn't shoot any goals. In our third game, against Lutheran College, we got two goals but unfortunately still lost. We thank Mr. Brennan, Geoff and Ms. Bird for helping us enjoy our day.
- Jade, Connor & Elena
Last Wednesday, we played Aussie Rules football. We combined with Edenhope College, Balmoral College, Apsley and Goroke to make a team. The teams we played against were very experienced, but we knew some faces from our weekend competition. Our opposition included the Lutheran College, Horsham West & Haven school, and the Southern Mallee School. We loved the opportunity to go and thanks Mr. Wearne for coaching us. Can’t wait for next year!
- Felix & Archer
At the home ground of the Horsham Saints, we played in an Aussie Rules football competition. There were two Kowree teams playing in a modified AFL 9’s ( 9 players on the field at a time). Sadly, we didn't win a game but we had fun getting coached by Ed Ferguson and helped by Ms. Burgess.
- Finlay, Thomas, James & John
Last Wednesday, some of the Year 5 & 6 girls played netball in combined teams with our Kowree schools. We had two teams and both teams played four games each. Kowree 1 team was made up of Edenhope College, Balmoral and St. Mal's students, the Kowree 2 team was made up from Apsley, Goroke and St. Mal's students. Both teams scored lots of goals and had a great time. We thank Ms. Hinge, Kaddie, Ms. Simpson and Ms. Beatie for helping on the day,
- Maggie, Lily, Milly, Lizzie & Rhianna
From Carine - Mental Health & Wellbeing
Give advice or listen?
Often when our children tell us of a distressing incident or a problem they have, we want to jump in and ‘fix’ it – a natural reaction as caring parents/caregivers. However, our children might feel dismissed or not listened to when we do that and it was not what they really wanted from us.
The Scenario: Your child tells you about a friend who has excluded them from play during recess at school.
The Insight: We all have different “support languages”. Some people offer comfort through action, others through presence. But when those styles do not match in the moment, it can create a disconnect that feels like rejection.
The Strategy: Teach your child to ask what they need before you jump in with "fixing" it.
Ask them: Do you want to vent, brainstorm, cry, or be distracted? This will help guide the conversation and teach them to be able to advocate for themselves from a young age instead of stomping away (especially as teenagers) with a statement such as “You don’t understand!” when you really thought you were supportive.
Why It Matters: Relationships are not built on mind-reading, they thrive on mutual understanding. Teaching someone how to advocate for themselves is a form of emotional maturity, not confrontation.
What it is: Emotional reasoning is the mental habit of treating feelings as facts. If you feel anxious, unloved, or inadequate, your brain assumes it must be true, even when there is no objective evidence. It is like handing your inner critic a megaphone and taking its every word as gospel.
What it sounds like:
“I feel like a bad mother/father, so I must be one.”
“I feel overwhelmed, so I probably can’t handle this.” – also relevant for our child/ren
“I feel alone, which means no one cares.” – also relevant for our child/ren
Why it’s a trap: Emotions are valid, but they are not always accurate reflections of reality. When we let them dictate our conclusions, we reinforce false beliefs and ignore other data, like evidence of progress, support systems, or past resilience.
Over time, this distortion can deepen anxiety, depression, and even contribute to disordered behaviours by convincing us that negative feelings are the truth.
Try this instead: Start separating your feelings from your facts. (You can also do this with your child/ren.) When a strong emotion hits, pause and ask:
- "What am I feeling?"
- "What's the story I'm telling myself because of that feeling?"
- "What evidence supports or challenges that story?"
You’re not invalidating the emotion; you are just making space to challenge the conclusions it is pulling you toward.
Example:
Original thought: "I feel like a failure, so I must be one."
Challenge: "I'm feeling discouraged right now, but that does not define my worth. I've handled tough days before, and, I will figure this one out too."
A subtle shift turns a downward spiral into a grounded pause, one that makes room for logic, resilience, and self-trust.
(Source: TheDailyWellness)
Dental Van - Australian Smile Group
The dental van from Australian Smile Group made the long trek from Melbourne leaving @ 4.30 a.m. on a cold, frosty and foggy Thursday morning. 38 students visited the van and after their visit, they received a bag full of "dentist stuff" when a student was asked what was in the bag. Thank you Jess and Shrey for visiting our school and thank you Mrs. Munn for helping.
Child safety
Thank you to all families for returning their signed Acceptable Use and Cyber Safety Agreement and thank you to the students for signing their Digital Technologies Agreements.
If you'd like to keep conversations continuing, below is the link where you can sit down with your family and create a family tech agreement. Check out the website esafety.gov.au and you'll find many more resources.
Cultural Fusion
Come and join in on 12th June and see dance performances by the students and enjoy a Filipino banquet lunch. For catering purposes, please text through your pre-order to 0409 215 696 by 10th June.
Mum's cuppa
The next Mum's cuppa will be held on the last week of the school term so Monday, 30th June @ 2.10 p.m. is pencilled in on the calendar. With these cold, frosty morning, it's hard to get out of bed and be organised so the next one will be held in the afternoon and you can take your child/ren home at the end of the day if you want.
Feel free to bring a friend or someone who might be thinking about enrolling at St. Malachy's for 2026 and they can join us when we do Sneak a Peek.
What's coming up this Term?
- Monday, 9th June - King's Birthday public holiday
- Thursday, 12th June - tree planting
- Thursday, 26th June - reports go home
- Friday, 27th June - Jump Off Day
- Friday, 4th July - end of Term 2 @ 2.20 p.m.