Principal Announcements
Newsletter 3 Term 2
Thank You for Your Support
I would like to sincerely thank our St. Mary’s community for the kind words, prayers, and thoughtful gestures following the recent passing of my mother. Your support, understanding, and compassion during this time have meant so much to me and my family.
In moments of grief, it is the love and strength of a community like ours that truly brings comfort. I am so grateful to be part of such a caring school family.
Thank you for your continued support and understanding.
Holiday Maintenance Works at St. Mary’s
Once again, over the holiday break, St Mary’s has been a hive of activity with a number of maintenance projects taking place across our school grounds.
Our submission to council about the trees on the nature strip contaminating the multi-purpose courts with fine fibers has been resolved with removal of the trees.
Certain break out rooms in the library have been refreshed with repainting.
New painted caterpillars will assist with the Preps routine of lining up safely and efficiently.
All air conditioners have been serviced and all electrical items have been checked and tagged.
Thank you to Phil Crowe for his outstanding coordination of these works. His expertise and dedication ensured the upgrades were completed smoothly and efficiently. Both our students and staff will greatly enjoy the benefits of these improvements.
Staff Updates – Welcome to Troy Watts - Our new PE teacher
We are excited to welcome Mr Troy Watts to St. Mary’s as our new Physical Education teacher. Mr Watts brings with him a wealth of experience and a strong passion for promoting active and healthy lifestyles among students. We look forward to the energy and expertise he will bring to our PE program. Please join us in making Mr Watts feel warmly welcomed as he begins this new chapter with our school community.
Learning Support OfficerPlacement – Welcome Chloe Pigram
We are pleased to welcome Chloe Pigram to St Mary’s as she begins her Learning Support Officer placement with us. Chloe is currently undertaking her studies in education support and will be working alongside our staff to support student learning in the classroom. We look forward to having Chloe as part of our team and warmly welcome her to our school community.
Welcome to Fr Ronald Masilang
We warmly welcome our new Parish Priest, Fr Ronald Masilang, to the St Mary’s community. We look forward to his spiritual leadership and the blessings of his presence and guidance as he joins us on our faith journey. Fr Addin will still continue as our Assistant Priest. A welcoming mass for Fr Ronald was recently held at St Mel’s in Shepparton.
Congratulations and Farewell to Bishop Shane
We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Bishop Shane Mackinlay on his appointment as the Archbishop of Brisbane. It was a privilege to be present at his recent Farewell Mass in Bendigo, where the Sandhurst Diocese gathered to give thanks for his leadership, warmth, and service. We wish him every blessing as he takes on this new role in the Church.
Exciting Events coming up in Term 3!
Term 3 is shaping up to be a busy and exciting one, filled with many special events and learning opportunities for our students and school community. Key events this term include:
- First Eucharist preparations and celebrations
- Grade 5/6 Winter Sports
- Grandparents' Day
- Master Plan Briefing
- Evacuation to the Park Drill
- Bullying No Way Week
- CESL Spirituality Day – Wednesday 13th August – Student Free Day
- Book Week Parade
- School Athletics Day
- Father’s Day Stall and Breakfast
These activities run alongside our ongoing Magnify Schedule to continually support and enhance student learning across the school.
Our major focus for Term 3 is Classroom Mastery, which includes the introduction of our new Positive Behaviour Curriculum. This involves consistent classroom routines such as entry, exit, cue to start, and student participation expectations. We also continue to promote and celebrate our school values through our PBIS awards.
We look forward to a productive and positive term ahead!
St. Mary’s Master Plan Parent/Guardian Briefing
As part of our initial Master Planning with B3 architects, briefings with the school community begin on Tuesday 5th August with all staff, students and parents/guardians.
Opportunity to provide your thoughts and initial ideas was provided in a newsletter last term via this link (survey closes on 5/8/25):
In addition, or alternatively, you may like to meet directly with B3 architects on Tuesday 5th August from 3:00pm to 3:30pm. Please register at the office and they will direct you to the consultation space.
Empowering Our Future Leaders – Student Leadership 2026
At St Mary’s, we are committed to nurturing leadership in all students. In 2026, we will introduce a refreshed student leadership structure that provides meaningful opportunities for senior students to lead with confidence, compassion and responsibility.
New leadership positions will include School Captains, Vice Captains, Faith and Justice Captains, and House Captains. These roles are designed to reflect our school values and give students a voice in shaping school life, from faith and service to house spirit and school representation. Our existing leadership groups will also continue to run.
To support this renewed focus, we will unveil a new whole-school leadership banner and formal House banners to celebrate our leadership culture and inspire students daily.
All grade 5 students were briefed on the new leadership opportunities last week and provided with a detailed information package for them to consider applying for these positions.
We look forward to seeing our future leaders grow and shine in 2026!
Parking Reminder for the Safety of All
We kindly remind all families to please ensure you are parking safely and legally during school drop-off and pick-up times. A concerned community member has observed an increasing number of cars parking in non-designated areas and obstructing others who are doing the right thing.
This not only causes frustration but also creates significant safety risks for our students and families. Please:
- Use only designated parking bays
- Avoid parking in no-standing zones or driveways
- Be patient and respectful during busy times
Thank you for your continued cooperation in helping to keep St. Mary’s a safe and welcoming environment for everyone.
Term 2 Rotary and Terrific Kids’ awards
Terrific Kids – Award Winners:
Congratulations to our Term 2 Terrific Kids award recipients, proudly sponsored by Kiwanis. These students have been recognised for their positive attitude, kindness, and consistent efforts:
- Prep to Year 2: Georgia McCann
- Year 3/4: Roohani Singh
- Year 5/6: Ethan Goodger
Well done to each of you for being such terrific role models in our school community.
Rotary Quiet Achiever – Award Winner:
Congratulations to Lachlan Goodger
Lachlan is our Term 2 Rotary Quiet Achiever award recipient. Lachlan has been recognised for his consistent effort, positive attitude, and humble approach to learning.
Well done, Lachlan, on being a quiet achiever and a valued member of our school community.
Principal’s Awards
30th June – Cristina La Gamba
Cristina was awarded the Principal’s Award this week for her outstanding display of our Gospel values—love, understanding, and respect. Her strong leadership and positive example truly shine. Congratulations, Cristina, on being a wonderful role model and letting your light shine so brightly!
27th July – Hayley Oliver Wallace
Hayley Wallace was awarded the Principal’s Award this week, for the wonderful way she has transitioned into St. Mary’s this year. Hayley shows genuine care and concern for others, always brings a bright smile, and is happy to have a friendly chat with anyone. We are so lucky to have her as part of our school community! Congratulations Hayley.
Assembly 27th July
Attendance matters!
Every minute matters. This is a simple statement, but a true one. For every minute a child is at school they learn. For every minute they are absent they not only miss out on they not only miss out on learning, but they also lose some previous learning.
Winter Uniform Reminders
With the onset of very cold mornings, a reminder that school jackets and long-sleeved tops are available as part of the winter uniform to help keep students warm.
Please ensure that all uniform items, especially jumpers, are clearly labelled with your child’s name. This helps us return lost items quickly and easily. Lost Property is located near the door leading out to the courtyard from the office.
Please remind students they are not to help themselves to the secondhand uniforms in the office area, they need to ask the office staff first.
A reminder also about our jewellery expectations: students may wear one earring in each ear, and any additional earrings must be clear studs only.
Thank you for your support in keeping our students comfortable, safe, and in line with our school expectations.
The School Uniform Policy can be found under the Office News Tab.
St. Mary’s Bingo
We are still seeking support for St. Mary's Bingo, which would generally involve your attendance on a Saturday evening once a term. With numbers being quite short at the moment, your help would be invaluable! Bingo is a fantastic way to engage with our school community while raising funds for various programs. For more information on how you can get involved, please contact Maree Williams on 0438 084 364.
Thank you for your consideration, your support makes a big difference!
End of 2025 School Dates
From Sandhurst Diocese advice, our last school days for 2025 for students and staff will be as follows:
- Friday 12th December – Last day for students
- Monday 15th December – Staff Planning/Professional Development Day (Student-Free)
- Tuesday 16th December – Staff Planning/Professional Development Day (Student-Free)
- Wednesday 17th December – Friday 19th December – School Closure Days
Before School Supervision
Please note that all students that arrive at school prior to 8:30am must fill out an application via the link below. For new and casual before school arrivals, please complete prior to 4:00pm each day to enable student lists to be updated for the following morning. Before school supervision is for early bus travellers and parents/guardians who must attend work earlier than 8:30am. A reminder that students are not to arrive or be at school before 8:00am as they are not actively supervised.
I appreciate everyone's understanding and cooperation regarding this.
Ms V’s Inspirations
"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire."— William Butler Yeats
"The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education."— Martin Luther King Jr.
“Let your light shine before others.” – Matthew 5:16
