Principal Announcements
Newsletter 3 Term 2
Bishop Shane
On Thursday 19 June, Pope Leo XIV appointed Most Reverend Shane Mackinlay, currently the eighth Bishop of Sandhurst, as the new Archbishop of Brisbane. Bishop Mackinlay will replace Archbishop Mark Coleridge, who is retiring after 13 years as the Archbishop of Brisbane and 51 years as a priest. We warmly congratulate Bishop Shane and offer him every blessing in the weeks ahead as he farewells the Sandhurst Diocese and prepares to take on his significant new leadership role in the Australian Catholic Church.
St Mary’s Master Plan – Have Your Say!
We’re excited to announce that St Mary’s will be working with B3 Architects to develop a comprehensive Master Plan for our school over Terms 3 and 4.
This important process will begin early next term, with the goal of finalising the Master Plan by the end of 2025. This timeline will allow us to apply for potential funding grants in 2026 to bring our vision to life.
Our aim is to create facilities that support and enhance the learning and wellbeing of all members of our school community — students, staff and families. We look forward to sharing this journey with you.
We warmly invite your input as we begin this exciting planning phase. Please share your thoughts and ideas via the following link:
Staff Professional Learning – Calmer Classrooms and Positive Behaviour Strategies
On Tuesday 17th June, staff participated in a valuable professional learning day focused on developing calmer classrooms and strengthening positive behaviour routines. Together, we explored new entry and exit routines, as well as effective cues to support smooth transitions and focused learning. These strategies, along with others discussed on the day, will begin to be implemented in Term 3 to enhance the learning environment and support the wellbeing of all students. This work also supports our ongoing commitment to developing our school-wide values of love, forgiveness, understanding, and respect, which underpin all that we do at St Mary’s.
PBIS Rewards – Promoting Our School Values
We are excited to launch a new promotion to support and celebrate our PBIS school-wide values of love, forgiveness, understanding, and respect. All students now have the opportunity to work towards earning a Free Subway Lunch order each week by receiving PBIS awards for doing their best in class and out in the yard.
Subway vouchers will be drawn at each assembly, with one lucky winner from the junior, middle, and senior areas of the school. At the end of each term, there will also be a major prize draw for a community store voucher such as Kmart or Rebel Sport.
Good luck to all students—and well done for continuing to Let Your Light Shine!
Congratulations Sophie Church!
We are incredibly proud of Sophie Church, who has been selected from over 700 netball players across the state to be part of a final squad of 25 athletes in the running for the Victorian Schools Netball Team. This is an outstanding achievement and a testament to Sophie’s dedication, talent, and hard work. We wish her all the very best as she continues in the selection process—well done, Sophie!
Welcome Maya Howe – a new LSO
We are pleased to warmly welcome Maya Howe to the St Mary’s community as a new Learning Support Officer. Maya brings enthusiasm and dedication to her role, and we look forward to the positive impact she will have supporting our students and staff. Welcome, Maya!
Thank You and Happy Holidays!
As we come to the end of Term 2, I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all our staff and the wider school community for your continued support, dedication, and care throughout the term. Your efforts make St Mary’s a truly special place for our students to learn and grow.This is our final newsletter for the term, and we wish everyone a safe, happy, and restful break. We look forward to welcoming you back for Term 3, filled with new learning, exciting opportunities, and continued growth here at St Mary’s.Enjoy the holidays!
Winter Uniform Reminders
With the onset of very cold mornings, a reminder that school jackets and long-sleeved tops are available as part of the winter uniform to help keep students warm.
Please ensure that all uniform items, especially jumpers, are clearly labelled with your child’s name. This helps us return lost items quickly and easily. Lost Property is located near the door leading out to the courtyard from the office.
Please remind students they are not to help themselves to the secondhand uniforms in the office area, they need to ask the office staff first.
A reminder also about our jewellery expectations: students may wear one earring in each ear, and any additional earrings must be clear studs only.
Thank you for your support in keeping our students comfortable, safe, and in line with our school expectations.
The School Uniform Policy can be found under the Office News Tab.
New Disability Parking
We are pleased to announce the addition of a new disability parking space at the carpark entry to the Marian Centre. This designated space, along with the existing disability park in front of the church, ensures that students and visitors who require accessible parking can do so safely and conveniently. We kindly remind parents and guardians to use only the other parking bays, leaving these spaces free for those who need them at all times. Your ongoing cooperation helps us support all members of our school community.
Thank you for your understanding and support in making our school an inclusive space for everyone.
St. Mary’s Bingo
We are still seeking support for St. Mary's Bingo, which would generally involve your attendance on a Saturday evening once a term. With numbers being quite short at the moment, your help would be invaluable! Bingo is a fantastic way to engage with our school community while raising funds for various programs. For more information on how you can get involved, please contact Maree Williams on 0438 084 364.
Thank you for your consideration, your support makes a big difference!
End of 2025 School Dates
From Sandhurst Diocese advice, our last school days for 2025 for students and staff will be as follows:
- Friday 12th December – Last day for students
- Monday 15th December – Staff Planning/Professional Development Day (Student-Free)
- Tuesday 16th December – Staff Planning/Professional Development Day (Student-Free)
- Wednesday 17th December – Friday 19th December – School Closure Days
Before School Supervision
Please note that all students that arrive at school prior to 8:30am must fill out an application via the link below. For new and casual before school arrivals, please complete prior to 4:00pm each day to enable student lists to be updated for the following morning. Before school supervision is for early bus travellers and parents/guardians who must attend work earlier than 8:30am. A reminder that students are not to arrive or be at school before 8:00am as they are not actively supervised.
I appreciate everyone's understanding and cooperation regarding this.
Assembly 16th June
Assembly 23rd June
Principal’s Awards
16th June - Ryder Wadeson
Congratulations Ryder for your exceptional ability to live out our Gospel values of love, understanding and respect with his exceptional leadership skills. Well done for letting your light shine, really stepping up and being an excellent role model to others.
23rd June – delayed until week 11 due to student sickness
Attendance matters!
Every minute matters. This is a simple statement, but a true one. For every minute a child is at school they learn. For every minute they are absent they not only miss out on learning, but they also lose some previous learning.
"Attending the Early Years = Greater chance of success!"
Ms V’s Inspirations
“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning.”— Fred Rogers
“Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.”— John Dewey
“Let your light shine before others.” – Matthew 5:16
