Deputy Principals' Report

Dear Families,

Welcome back to everyone! We hope families enjoyed the July break. Term 3 promises to be another action-packed term.

Thank you to the many families who have provided kind words and support for the school upon the sad news of Mr Tim Noonan’s passing. As mentioned on the Principal page, the funeral will be held on Thursday 31st July at 2:00pm. We wish to advise families that the school will remain open on this day with regular classes occurring up until an earlier lunchtime of 1:00pm. Following lunch at 1:40pm, the school will remain open on a modified program by consolidating classes, which will allow some staff to attend. Thank you for your support and understanding in this matter. The school will be dismissed at the regular time of 3:15pm. Parents wishing to collect their children early on this day may do so.

Warm Regards,

Deputy Principals: Joelle Diakrousis and Anthony Speranza

Release of 2025 Year 3 and Year 5 NAPLAN reports

We are pleased to advise that the Year 3 and Year 5 NAPLAN reports have become available, and have been issued to families this week. A guide to reading the reports as well as a helpful video can be found on the Acara NAPLAN website. An understanding of the proficiency level descriptions is also recommended. 

Please note that the NAPLAN reports are only one aspect of a child’s assessment and reporting. It does not replace ongoing assessments made by teachers about student performance, but it can provide families with additional information about students’ educational progress. The school will use aggregated NAPLAN data, along with other assessment data, to continuously monitor the growth of each individual and cohort in the school.

Labelling of uniform 

As the colder weather sets in, we’re noticing an increasing number of jumpers and jackets being misplaced or left around the school. To help us return lost items promptly and ensure no child is left cold during the day, we kindly ask families to clearly label all uniform items, especially outerwear.

A quick check to ensure your child’s name is on their jumper or jacket makes a big difference!

Smart Watches at School

We kindly remind families that smart watches are not permitted at school. These devices can be a distraction to learning and may pose privacy concerns. If a student is wearing a smart watch, they will be asked to remove it and store it in their bag for the duration of the school day. We appreciate your support in helping us maintain a focused and respectful learning environment for all students.

Resilience Groups Year 3 & 4 (Formerly Bounceback)

Mrs Diakrousis has resumed her small group Resilience sessions. At this stage, the groups will be offered to Year 3 and 4 students only.

These sessions will explore a range of strategies designed to support the development of resilience through small group activities and discussion. Our first focus will be on worry—what it is, how it affects us, and what we can do about it.

During the sessions, students will:

• Develop an understanding of what worry is and how it feels in the body
• Learn strategies to manage worry, such as Worry Time and mindfulness
• Build resilience through strengthening emotional literacy and self-regulation
• Recognise what makes us worried and match our worry with helpful strategies.                

The program will run as an eight-week block, with sessions held once a fortnight in the afternoon.

We look forward to supporting our students as they continue to grow in confidence and emotional wellbeing.

Seasons for Growth – Grief and Loss Support Program

We would like to let families know that Mrs Diakrousis will resume the Seasons for Growth program this term.  Seasons for Growth is a small-group program designed to support children who have experienced significant change, loss, or grief—such as the death of a loved one, family separation, or other major life changes.

The program helps students explore their feelings in a safe and supportive environment through age-appropriate discussions, stories, creative activities, and personal reflection. It aims to build emotional resilience and equip students with strategies to cope with change.

The program will be available for students from Prep to Year 6, and groups will be organised by level: Junior (Prep–Year 2), Middle (Years 3–4), and Senior (Years 5–6).

If you feel your child would benefit from being part of this program, please contact Mrs Diakrousis at jdiakrousis@spmentonecatholic.edu.au.

The program will begin in Week 3, Term 3

Random Acts of Kindness 

We would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to the following students for their outstanding display of kindness and compassion towards others. Your willingness to support, encourage, and uplift those around you has set a wonderful example for our entire school community. It’s incredibly inspiring to see students across different year levels go out of their way to make others feel valued, included, and respected.

Your acts of kindness—whether through small gestures or significant efforts—are powerful reminders of the positive impact we can all have. Thank you for embodying the values that make our school a welcoming and caring place for everyone. Keep up the amazing work!

Term 3, Week 1

Jasper O. (1CL) For being so kind and generous with his time an d his words. Thank you for the courtesy you show to others. 

Mary N. (6NM) For keeping our school environment clean and tidy and for doing so without prompting.