Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope you have managed to stay cool in the recent heat wave we have undergone in Melbourne. It seems that summer is creeping later and later each year, with December staying cooler and February becoming hotter.

It was lovely to parents in classrooms and the buzz of excitement as our students showed their mums and dads around our school at the Parent Meet and Greet on Tuesday. We hope that you enjoyed the experience and were able to meet and begin your relationship with your child’s educator for 2024.

We had our beginning of school mass on Thursday and I would like to thank Michael Dwyer for his organisation, Father Desmond for a beautiful celebration and our grade 6 Leaders for taking on the various key roles in the mass. You all did a wonderful job in what was a great way to begin 2024 for our school.

Be Ready 2024

My Be Ready example in this newsletter edition is from the aforementioned mass. Our Foundation students attended their very first Mass celebration as a student of St Mary’s. In order to assist them to Be Ready for this event, their grade 6 buddies spent time with them, walked them to mass and sat with them during the celebration. This allowed them to feel safe and supported in what was a new and potentially daunting environment for them.

I love this example of our 2024 theme - Be Ready. I love it because it is a great reminder that sometimes we need the help and support of others in order to Be Ready for new experiences in life. Sometimes we need the help and support of others for things we have already done in the past too. Seeking and receiving help from others is a great way we can be prepared for the experiences in life that may present us with challenges.

Roles and Teams at St Mary’s

Since I began at St Mary’s last year and into this year, myself and the Leadership team have been working to establish procedures and structures that allow St Mary’s to thrive. This includes setting up teams and delegating responsibilities across the many facets of school life to ensure we are responsive and agile in our daily operations.

In this section, I will write to you about some of those structures and give you key personnel to contact should you have a query that relates to that area. For example, should you have an enquiry regarding Sacraments it should be addressed with Michael Dwyer (REL) or should you have any questions regarding our English Curriculum it should be addressed with Dot Crowley (English Leader) or Olivia Hodgetts (Deputy Principal - Leaders of Learning, Innovation and Improvement).

School Leadership Team

The Leadership Team is responsible for the ongoing operational and educational running of the school. The team enacts the educational mission of St Mary’s, ensuring community engagement and staff cohesion. The team comprises of leaders in key areas of the school and meets weekly to ensure the smooth and successful operations of St Mary’s. They are responsible for the implementation of the School Improvement Plan.

Members

Principal - Denis Johnstone Principal@smascotvale.catholic.edu.au
Deputy Principal: Learning, Innovation and Improvement - Olivia Hodgetts ohodgetts@smascotvale.catholic.edu.au
Wellbeing and Learning Diversity Leader - Carlie Rake crake@smascotvale.catholic.edu.au
English Leader - Dorothy Crowley dcrowley@smascotvale.catholic.edu.au
Mathematics Leader - Nicola Toney ntoney@smascotvale.catholic.edu.au
Religious Education Leader: Pedagogy and F - 2 Learning Enhancement - Genevieve Trevaskis gtrevaskis@smascotvale.catholic.edu.au
Religious Education Leader: Liturgy and OHS Leader - Michael Dwyer mdwyer@smascotvale.catholic.edu.au

The Curriculum Team

The Curriculum Team is responsible for ensuring that all students at St Mary’s are provided with the highest quality education possible. They monitor student progress and data, implementing curriculum initiatives and interventions where appropriate to ensure all students experience success. Importantly, the team connects with current evidence based practice and ensures St Mary’s pedagogy is fit for purpose and our students are equipped with the necessary knowledge, skills and dispositions to be successful. The team meets weekly to ensure the smooth implementation of the school's curriculum.

Queries regarding curriculum should be directed to the appropriate leader:

Members

Chair: Deputy Principal: Learning, Innovation and Improvement - Olivia Hodgetts
Principal - Denis Johnstone
English Leader - Dorothy Crowley
Mathematics Leader - Nicola Toney

The Wellbeing Team

The Wellbeing Team is responsible for the ongoing wellbeing of students at St Mary’s. They meet weekly to triage support for students in the welfare and academic support space. The team’s mission is to let no child slip through the cracks.

Queries regarding student wellbeing and additional student support should be directed to Carlie:

Members

Chair: Wellbeing and Learning Diversity Leader - Carlie Rake
Principal - Denis Johnstone
Deputy Principal: Learning, Innovation and Improvement - Olivia Hodgetts

The Administration Team

The Administration Team is the face of the school, providing the St Mary’s community with logistic, operational and administrative support. They are responsible for the smooth operations of non academic aspects of school life including communication, financial transactions and liaising with MACS in regards to operational matters.

All general school or operational enquiries should be directed here:

adminstration@smascotvale.catholic.edu.au
Administration Officer (Accounts Receivable and Front Office) -Lauren Caratoli
Administration Officer (Accounts) - Nola Davies
Administration Officer - Kylie Collier
Administration Officer - Connie Mallinson

This year we have been able to add additional layers of support into our classrooms with the addition of two teachers in Learning Enhancement roles. Sharyn Hynes is working in years 3-6, supporting the teaching of English and Mathematics and acting as the third teacher between the two classrooms. Genevieve Trevaskis is conducting this role with years F-2.

I am very pleased to have been able to add this layer of teaching support into St Mary’s in 2024. Seeing these teachers taking targeted teaching groups of students during literacy and mathematics blocks has brought me great joy as principal. I thank both Sharyn and Genevieve for their work this term and look forward to the impact they have on our students over the year.

School Drop Off/Pickup

As school has returned, we have unfortunately seen the return of incorrect use of the Drop Off/Pickup zones along Roseberry St and St Leonards Rd. Please note, there is no parking in the pink zoned areas.

Foundation Enrolments open

Enrolments for Foundation 2025 opened on Monday 19th Feb 2024. Families are welcomed to come for a school tour at St Mary's on open mornings on Friday 1st March 2024 and Friday 15th March 2024 from 9am until 10am.

Enrolments close on Friday 26th April

at 4.00pm

If you are an existing parent with a child due to start Foundation in 2025 please ensure you fill out an enrolment form for your child at your earliest convenience. If you know of families wanting to enrol their child for 2025, please pass this information onto them.

Stay safe, stay healthy, stay connected,

Denis Johnstone

Principal

SMFASS