Principal's Update
Dear Parents and Carers,
Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the season of Lent. During the 40 days of Lent we prepare for the death and resurrection of Jesus. It is also a time to reflect and think about our own lives and changes that we can make from the heart.
PRAYER FOR LENT
Jesus, you placed great value on acting with integrity.
Your justice was applied to all, irrespective of who they were and what they did. Everything you did was out of love.
As a community, we seek your guidance to make good life choices.
When we are tempted to fall short of the mark, prop us up.
Lead us to that place that will give us happiness in what we say and do.
Make us strong to choose as you would choose, and to love as you would love.
Amen.
School Transitions/School TV
Please see the link below with some useful information from our School TV site in relation to assisting your child transition to school/new year level.
https://smcolac.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/school-transitions
Beginning of Year Mass/BBQ
Our beginning of the year school Mass will be held on Thursday 5th March at 10am. This is a special occasion to celebrate the beginning of a new year and bless our Preps as they begin their school life. All are welcome and encouraged to attend.
Our beginning of the year BBQ will also be held on this day at 6pm. This will be a great opportunity to celebrate the beginning of the year and welcome new families to our school. The school will provide sausages and hamburgers and parents will be asked to bring a salad or dessert to be shared. Details will be posted on Class Dojo and we would appreciate a response of your attendance for catering purposes.
Meet the Teacher Conversations
On Monday and Tuesday this week Meet the Teacher meetings were held. This was a great opportunity for teachers and parents to meet and share any important information that will support the development of educational goals and expectations for our children. Please read below a poem that is very fitting for this time of the year.
PARENTS AND TEACHERS WORKING TOGETHER
I dreamed I stood in a studio
And watched two sculptors there,
The clay they used was a young child's mind
And they fashioned it with care.
One was a teacher; the tools being used
Were books and music and art,
One a parent with a guiding hand
And a gentle, loving heart.
Day after day the teacher toiled
With touch that was deft and sure,
While the parent labored just as hard
And polished and smoothed it o'er.
When at last their task was done
They were proud of what they had wrought,
For the things they had moulded into the child
Could neither be sold nor bought.
And both agreed they would have failed
If they had worked alone;
For behind the parents stood the school
And behind the teacher, the home.
“Together, learning is our journey.” (a line from St. Mary’s vision statement)
Congratulations
Congratulations to our 2 new teachers in 2026, Bec Gallagher (Gr 4) and Abbey Hayes (Gr 1), who last week graduated from their Bachelor of Education courses at Deakin University. We wish them both a long and fulfilled career in education.
Student Leadership
Votes for our 2026 school leaders were finalised last week. Our school leaders that make up our SRC for 2026 are;
School Captains: Jack Hitchings and Anna Rongdit
Sport & Sustainability Leader: Albert Hanlon
Arts & Culture Leader: Will Robertson
Social Justice Leader: Sophie Marriner
Grade 5 SRC Members: Daniel Darcy and Sydney Borgia
Grade 4 SRC Members: Levi Helder and Nyandeng Dau
Grade 3 SRC Members: Millie Gannon and Max Hall
Congratulations to these students, we wish them well and know they will lead our school admirably in 2026.
Badges will be presented to the students at prayer gathering in the coming weeks.
Prep Information Morning
On Monday 23rd March an information session will be held in the school library from 10.00am-11.00am. The meeting is aimed at prospective new families in 2027, but existing families are most welcome to attend. Topics covered will be specialist programs, mental health and wellbeing initiatives and strategies for helping parents prepare their child for school. If you have any family or friends looking to enroll their child at a school next year, please pass on this information. If you are intending on attending, please inform the school office.
Pupil Free Day
Our pupil free day this term will be held on Thursday 19th March. The focus for the day will be Structured Literacy.
Events Calendar
First term is always a very busy one. On today’s newsletter are all the important dates and events in the coming weeks. Please be sure to read the calendar on the newsletter each fortnight to keep up to date and plan ahead. We also add dates onto the yearly calendar on PAM on a regular basis, so please keep up to date with this also.
Enjoy the rest of your week.
Michael Mahoney
(Principal)