From the Principal...

MARGARET MARCIANO

It is with mixed emotions that I share the news that St Mary's beloved Office Manager, Margaret, has retired after 26 years of dedicated service to our school. Her last day at St Mary's was Tuesday this week.  Margaret has truly been the heart and soul of St. Mary's, and her presence has been a constant source of care, kindness, and warmth to all who have walked through our doors (I know this personally, as many of my family have passed through these school doors).

Over the years, Margaret has touched the lives of countless families, with many generations passing through the school, all benefiting from her gentle care and unwavering support.  Her dedication and personal touch have helped make St. Mary's feel like home for so many, and she will be deeply missed by all.

To honor Margaret and celebrate her remarkable career, we will be holding a special school assembly on Thursday, April 03.  We invite all members of our school community, past and present, to join us in recognising her outstanding contribution to our school.

As Margaret embarks on this next phase of her life, we wish her every success and happiness. While we are thrilled for her on her retirement, we know that St. Mary's will never quite be the same without her. We are losing a piece of what makes this place so special.

Margaret, thank you for everything you’ve done for St. Mary's. You will be incredibly missed.  

Here are some snaps from her 'retirement lunch' last Tuesday

SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL

I am excited to invite you to an important information session as we embark on an exciting new chapter for our school community. 

In this session, we will be discussing the establishment of our School Advisory Council, and I would love for you to join us.

Date: Thursday March 27

Time: 7:00pm

Location: School Hall

This is a wonderful opportunity for parents to get involved and have a voice in shaping the direction of St. Mary’s. During the session, we will share details about the role and structure of the School Advisory Council, its purpose, and how we can work together to continue growing and thriving as a school community.

This session is open to all parents, your input and support will be invaluable as we take this exciting step forward.

I look forward to working with you all and establishing a strong partnership to ensure the continued success of our school.

PARENT INFORMATION SESSION

I warmly invite all parents and carers to an information session on Tuesday, March 18 at 7:15pm.

Sarah Parry, General Manager of the Northern Region at MACS (Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools), will be presenting on my new role as Lead Principal and will be available to answer any questions you may have.

This is a wonderful opportunity to connect, gain insights, and ensure our community is well-informed moving forward.

We look forward to seeing you there!

NAPLAN

This week, our year three and five students began the NAPLAN tests.  I have provided some great information for families about NAPLAN, (and how to manage what might be a tricky time for some of our students) on the Learning and Teaching page of this newsletter.  

Ms Phokos, Mr Caruana, Ms Simi and Ms Riley have all worked towards 

de-escalating any anxieties our children may have towards completing these tests.  We encourage all of our students (regardless of NAPLAN) to focus on what their strengths are, to focus on their individual growth as a learner, and to focus on the special qualities that make them the unique and wonderful person that they are.

Next week is Harmony Week!  It is a week to celebrate all the different cultures that are a part of Australia.

Orange is the colour chosen to represent Harmony Week. Traditionally, orange signifies social communication and meaningful conversations. It also relates to the freedom of ideas and encouragement of mutual respect.  

WEAR A SPLASH OF ORANGE

On Monday, children are invited to wear 'a splash of orange' (with their school uniform) on this day - 'a splash' being orange...  

🧡 shoelaces – orange shoelaces or ribbons as makeshift laces.

🧡socks,

🧡hair ties

🧡bandana

🧡ribbon

🧡scarf

or anything else you can be inventive with...

ICE CREAM TREAT

Another Harmony Week treat for our children will be an ice cream treat on Monday, organised by the P&F.  Thank you to our wonderful parent volunteers for organising this!

BRACELET MAKING

On Wednesday, Ms Tania has organised a 'bracelet making' activity in the hall.  In staying with the theme - the children bracelets will, of course, BE ORANGE!

NATIONAL RIDE2SCHOOL DAY

National Ride2School Day coincides with Harmony Week! This fantastic initiative, run by the Bicycle Network, encourages students to get active on their way to school while promoting a safer, healthier community.  This is important because we know active kids are happy, healthy and resilient kids.  Active kids are also active learners.

On Friday 21st March, we encourage all students and their families to leave the car at home and give riding, public transport, walking or scooting to school a go.

An Operoo notice has been sent out with further details about where to leave bikes/scooters on the day. 

Everyone who rides, walks or uses the scooter or public transport will receive a raffle ticket and will go in the draw to win some great prizes donated by the Darebin Council.

To top it off, our wonderful P&F committee will be providing delicious ORANGES (in theme with Harmony week 'splash of Orange') will be available for everyone at the gate when the riders, scooters, and skaters arrive!  We thank our P & F committee for providing fruit on that morning as students enter the yard.

For more information about the day and its benefits, visit the National Ride2School Day website.   

PARKING and ROAD SAFETY

We’ve received a few concerns about traffic around the school, particularly during drop-off and pick-up times. Several parents have noticed dangerous driving habits, including U-turns in front of the gates and random cars running red lights on High Street.  These behaviors, which have been observed frequently, pose a risk to both drivers and our children.

Please be mindful when dropping off or picking up your child, especially near the Mansfield gates.  It's important to wait patiently and avoid any quick maneuvers like U-turns.  

For our students who walk to school, it’s important to remind them to cross roads carefully, especially where there is no crossing guard. The crossing supervisor is only available on the school side, so students crossing from the other side of the street need to be extra cautious.

Let’s all do our part to ensure the safety of everyone in our school community. Thank you!

SCHOOL ATHLETICS CARNIVAL

I would like to sincerely apologise for the need to reschedule our School Sports Day, which was originally planned for today. We understand how much excitement and anticipation this event brings to both students and families, and I deeply regret any inconvenience this change may have caused.

Please rest assured that we are working to confirm a new date, time, and venue as quickly as possible. Once these details are finalised, we will share them with you immediately.

Thank you for your understanding and continued support. I will keep you informed with any updates as we move forward, and I look forward to celebrating this exciting day with all of you soon.

VISIT MY CLASSROOM - & chat with Mary!

GRADE 3/4s - March 17

GRADE 5/6s - March 19

PARENTS & FRIENDS

A huge thank you to everyone who helped organise this year's Pancake Tuesday!  It was a fantastic success, and the children absolutely loved it – they had such a wonderful time, and the pancakes were absolutely delicious!

To those who shopped and cooked, your efforts truly made the day special for everyone, and we appreciate the time, energy, and care that went into making it such a fun and tasty event.

Please see the P&F page in this newsletter for more P&F news.

GOVERNMENT SECONDARY SCHOOLS ENROLMENT

If your child is in grade 6, and you intend to pursue an enrolment for year 7 at a Government Secondary School please click on the link below for important dates and timelines.

https://www.vic.gov.au/moving-primary-secondary-school-information-parents-and-carers

STORY TIME is up and running again...

SCHOOL LUNCH ORDERS - Classroom Cuisine

Just a reminder that lunches can be ordered every day except Tuesdays via Classroom Cuisine.  See the page on this newsletter for more information: https://newsletters.naavi.com/issue/50bavPJ/edit/N3nDwd5 

Have a great weekend!!

Mary.