Principal Report

Principal’s Report

I would like to begin this newsletter by acknowledging the very sad news regarding the upcoming closure of St Mary’s Primary School. I extend my thoughts and best wishes to all staff, students and families during this difficult time. For around 150 years, St Mary’s has provided Catholic education to generations of local families, and its closure will certainly be felt across the wider community. Schools are such an important part of community identity and connection, and we recognise the impact this news will have on many people.

The past fortnight has been another busy and productive time at our school. Following our recent Curriculum Day, which focused heavily on student wellbeing, I encourage all families to take some time to check in with their children and see how they are travelling. Recently, many students have been identifying as feeling tired, and we all know children are unable to do their best learning when they are fatigued. Simple routines such as consistent bedtimes, limiting screen time before bed and ensuring children are getting enough rest can make a huge difference to their wellbeing and success at school.

I would also like to sincerely thank families for their support of our recent Curriculum Day. We understand these pupil-free days can sometimes be inconvenient for families; however, they provide staff with invaluable opportunities to deepen our professional learning, reflect on current practices and continue improving outcomes for all students.

Our focus for the day was on School-Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS), and I am very pleased to share that we are nearing the completion of the implementation process. Staff have worked incredibly hard throughout this journey, and we are already seeing positive outcomes across the school. Our next focus will be refining and remodelling our behaviour management processes to ensure they align with inclusive practices and continue to support every child to feel safe, successful and connected at school.

We also had a fabulous turnout for Education Week celebrations. It was wonderful to welcome so many families, grandparents and members of our community into the school. Seeing students proudly sharing their learning and families engaging in activities together highlighted the strong sense of community we are so fortunate to have. Thank you to everyone who attended and helped make the day such a success.

A special thank you also goes to Ray from McLean’s Martial Arts, who visited the school to work with our students. Students thoroughly enjoyed learning about self-defence, confidence, resilience and respect. The sessions were engaging, positive and provided students with valuable skills and strategies they can use both at school and in everyday life.

As always, thank you for your continued support of our school community. Working together as staff, families and community members allows us to provide the very best opportunities for our students.