Mrs Ryan's Fortnightly Reflections

What another magical Book Week! Huge apologies, yet again, for our inability to sink and execute the use of our speakers. The music and flow of our parade far outweighed my commentary! Thank you to every family member who brought their child's 2026 Book Week vision to life! The sheer effort, creativity, and some of the construction was hugely impressive. I always love the fact that every learner at St Mary's takes part in this event. It has been a joy visiting classrooms and seeing the sea of characters in every room. Thank you to many of the families who attended as their last Book Week parade; I am sure it was a bittersweet experience. To our 2027 Foundation learners and families, it was lovely to have so many of you attend. The follow-on story time and literacy task were fun, creative, and calm! These children are clearly ready for school! We look forward to our Book Week celebrations continuing next week with activities, story time, and a love of literature! 

On Friday 4th September, we are hosting a St Mary's trivia night! This is the first time that we are excited to be sharing this event with our community. Please get a group together, or simply buy a few tickets and leave the rest to us! Mrs Lloyd and Mr Howgate have planned a great night of games and trivia for us all! Your ticket will include nibbles, so feel free to bring your own drinks! There will be raffles, prizes, and fun to be had! I look forward to seeing many of you there! 

In October, St Mary's is collectively taking part with our learners competing in Sweat Vs Steam. All families received the link for discounted participation, and the staff will attend alongside many of your children. We thought this was a great way to support a local event, connect with the community, and share that teachers are active too! An opportunity to connect outside of the classroom! Please be sure to register your child if they are interested, and once numbers are finalised, we will start some basic training and support. 

This week, some of the staff, community, and parishioners came together to hear and support the strategic plan of St Mary's Parish. Father Novie and the many ministry teams that support our parish shared their collective purpose, actions, and objectives for the next five years. The parish is dynamic, well served by the community, and passionate about what lies ahead. St Mary's and St Joseph's partnered together to share and reflect on opportunities for future collaboration. Keeping our learners' Catholic identity alive, rich, and relevant was a key theme. 

Many of you may have noticed that our new sign has been constructed and is awaiting to be switched on! It looks great, and this coming week, the electrical connection will be finalised so we can integrate reminders and moments of celebration with you all as you attend drop-off and pick-up. Behind the scenes, we are continuing to plan and progress with our additional carpark and drop-off zone! Exciting times ahead in improving our grounds and facilities! 

This week, our learners in their classrooms focused on aspects of 'Bully No Way' week! On Monday, we will conclude the week with dressing in purple. All learners are welcome to wear purple to advocate for their understanding and support of acting against bullying! 

Thank you all for another busy week that has quickly passed us by... I hope you all enjoy the weekend ahead. 

In faith, trust & love. 

Jasmine Ryan  

Principal