From the Acting Principal 

Dear Families 

It has been a joyful and reflective start to this season in our St Mary’s community, with many opportunities to gather, celebrate and strengthen our connections with one another.

Shrove Tuesday and our Pancake Breakfast was a wonderful way to come together as a community prior to the beginning of Lent. A heartfelt thank you to our incredible Parents & Friends volunteers who prepared batter, cooked and served the delicious pancakes so generously. Your time, effort and community spirit are deeply appreciated. Events such as this remind us of the strength of partnership within our school and the warmth that defines St Mary’s.

The next day we celebrated a meaningful Ash Wednesday Mass, marking the beginning of Lent. Thank you to our students and staff for the reverence shown throughout the celebration. We are grateful to Father Jerome for reminding us that Lent invites us to make small but meaningful changes finding extra time to pray, putting others first through acts of kindness and service and tuning into other's needs by giving something up ourselves. These simple commitments help us grow closer to God and to one another.

Thank you also to the many families who attended our recent Parent Information Nights. These evenings provide such a valuable opportunity to connect, discuss each child’s learning journey and ensure that home and school are working closely together. We greatly value your engagement and the trust you place in us.

Our School Advisory Council met recently for its first gathering of the year. I extend sincere thanks to Jacqui for once again taking on the role of Chair and for her thoughtful leadership. We also warmly welcome Molly (Year 1 Ezra) who joins the Council this year. We are grateful for the commitment of all SAC members as they support the strategic direction and stewardship of our school.

It was a pleasure to welcome back Drew Lane, who worked with students to begin crafting the lyrics for our new school song. The creativity, collaboration and pride shown by our students were wonderful to witness. We look forward to Drew returning later in the Term to continue this exciting project, which will become a special part of our school’s story.

Last Monday, Ms Tovey and Mrs Le Hunt attended Mathematics Professional Development and we look forward to hearing about their learning at next week’s staff meeting. Ongoing professional growth ensures that we continue to strengthen teaching and learning practices for the benefit of all students. Their learning further enhance our staff conference on Thursday 5th March and Friday 6th March.

We also enjoyed a fantastic day at the District Swimming Trials at the Prahran Aquatic Centre. Thank you to Mrs Mason and Mrs Braithwaite for their organisation and support and to the parents who came along to encourage our hopeful swimmers. Our students represented St Mary’s with enthusiasm, determination and excellent sportsmanship.

Tomorrow, we look forward to Hot Cross Bun sales at recess, with gold coin donations supporting initiatives led by our Faith & Social Justice and Community Leaders, supported by the P&F. Thank you to all involved in coordinating this Lenten initiative. We are also very much looking forward to our Welcome Drinks this Friday evening a relaxed and enjoyable opportunity to continue building strong connections within our community. I hope to see many of you there.

New Principal Appointment Process (from MACS)

The Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) advertising for a new Principal for St Mary’s School has begun. The Principal Appointment Panel will work through a MACS designed selection process to provide advice for the MACS Regional General Manager as to who is the best applicant to lead your school into the future.

The panel consists of:

• Parish Priest – Father Jerome Santamaria
• Experienced, current Primary Principal – Marty McKenna, St Cecilia’s Primary School, Glen Iris
• School Parents – Jacqui F and Claude L
• MACS Senior Manager School Leadership - Jennifer Hawkins

School Advisory members and staff met with the MACS Senior Manager to provide their insights into the knowledge, skills and expertise of a new principal. It's a highly confidential and thorough process that will see a new principal being appointed to the school in 2026.

The position will be advertised widely. It is not uncommon that the position is re-advertised, for example, not enough applicants applied or the applicants didn’t meet the specific requirements as per the process guidelines.

We pray for the panel in all their deliberations and may the Holy Spirit guide their discernment and enrich their discussions.

As we continue our Lenten journey, may we remain mindful of the ways we can live out our values of Respect, Integrity, Compassion and Justice in our daily actions and relationships.

Take care, and may God’s blessings and peace be with each of you as we begin the year together.

James Millane