Principal Announcements

Welcoming Winter at St. Mary’s

As the crisp air settles in and winter officially begins, we’ve been treated to a stunning display of nature’s beauty across the school grounds. The changing colours of the trees have transformed our courtyard gardens into a warm tapestry of red, orange and gold.

Our students have been soaking up every moment of this seasonal shift, delighting in the simple joys of autumn. Laughter fills the air as the children admire the falling leaves, gather them in bunches, and enjoy playful moments among the swirling colours.

It’s a lovely reminder of the wonder each season brings—and how even the smallest changes in nature can spark such joy and curiosity in young hearts.

Letting Their Light Shine – Sorry Day & Reconciliation Week

We are incredibly proud of our Fire Carriers and Grade 6 leaders who recently represented St. Mary’s with such respect, pride and maturity at two significant events—Sorry Day in Shepparton and the Reconciliation Mass in Benalla.

Their thoughtful presence, leadership and willingness to stand in solidarity with others during these important moments was truly heartening. They not only represented our school beautifully but also lived out our values of love, respect, understanding and forgiveness.

Well done, leaders—for truly letting your light shine! 

Book Fair Brings the Joy of Reading to Life!

There was a wonderful sense of excitement and energy around the school as our Book Fair opened! Students eagerly explored the colourful displays, sharing their enthusiasm for books and discovering new stories to enjoy. It was heartwarming to see such genuine joy and curiosity sparked by reading.

A huge thank you to our fantastic volunteers — Maree, Nerissa, and several of our dedicated student leaders — for their time and effort in bringing this event to life. Your organisation and support made the day a great success for all involved.

Happy reading to all our book lovers!

Italian Incursion – Singing, Dancing and Cultural Fun!

Last week, our students were treated to a vibrant and engaging Italian incursion with a special visit from Nadia of Cavallo Capers. Nadia brought Italian culture to life through music and dance, teaching students traditional Italian songs and the lively steps of the Tarantella – a folk dance full of rhythm and energy!

Laughter, clapping, and music echoed through the school as students enthusiastically joined in the experience. It was a joyful celebration of language and culture, offering our students a hands-on opportunity to deepen their understanding of Italian traditions in a fun and memorable way.

Grazie mille, Nadia, for sharing your passion and helping us embrace the spirit of Italy!

Planting for the Future – 'One Tree Per Child'

Last week, our students braved the chilly weather to take part in a meaningful and hands-on environmental experience as part of the ‘One Tree Per Child’ program. Guided by Kylie and Emily from the local council, the students rolled up their sleeves and helped plant native trees and shrubs in our local area.

Despite the cold, the students were thoroughly engaged, showing great enthusiasm and care as they worked together to make a lasting difference for the environment. The activity sparked valuable conversations about sustainability, stewardship, and the importance of protecting and restoring natural habitats.

A big thank you to Kylie and Emily for leading this wonderful initiative and supporting our students in becoming active and responsible caretakers of the land. We’re proud to be growing a greener future — one tree at a time! 

AFLW Stars Inspire Our 3/4s on the Footy Field!

Our Grade 3/4 students were thrilled to welcome special guests from the AFLW for an exciting footy workshop! With big smiles and plenty of energy, the players ran a series of fun, skills-based activities that had students kicking, handballing, and working together as a team.

The visit was not only a chance to sharpen footy skills, but also an inspiring opportunity to learn from strong role models who spoke about teamwork, resilience, and staying active. The students showed fantastic enthusiasm and sportsmanship throughout the session.

A huge thank you to the AFLW players for taking the time to connect with our students and share their passion for the game. It was a day to remember!

Assembly Focus – Turning Mistakes into Learning Opportunities

At last week’s assembly, our students explored a powerful message: mistakes are not failures—they are opportunities to learn and grow. Using a helpful guide from Making Caring Common, we looked at how our mindset and language around mistakes can shape our learning and confidence.

Through examples and reflections, students were encouraged to shift their thinking from negative self-talk like 

“I’m such a failure” to more constructive statements such as “I just made a mistake; as long as I learn from it, there’s no failure.”

We discussed how making mistakes is a natural and important part of learning, and how owning our actions and showing resilience helps us become stronger, more capable learners.

This message ties in beautifully with our school values, and we’re proud to see our students putting these ideas into action both in and out of the classroom.

Let’s keep celebrating progress—not perfection! 

New Disability Parking

We are pleased to announce the addition of a new disability parking space at the carpark entry to the Marian Centre. This designated space, along with the existing disability park in front of the church, ensures that students and visitors who require accessible parking can do so safely and conveniently. We kindly remind parents and guardians to use only the other parking bays, leaving these spaces free for those who need them at all times. Your ongoing cooperation helps us support all members of our school community.

Thank you for your understanding and support in making our school an inclusive space for everyone.

St. Mary’s Bingo

We are currently 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

Sacrament of Reconciliation

We ask our school community to keep Evie Collins, Charlie Walsh, and Daniel Sibio in your prayers as they prepare to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

This is a special step in their faith journey, and we pray that they experience God’s love, forgiveness, and peace during this important time.

May the Holy Spirit guide and bless them in their preparation.

Winter Uniform Reminders 

With the sudden 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.

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.

Before School Supervision

Assembly 2nd June

Principal’s Awards

2nd June

Sienna Lines received the Principal’s award in week 7 with her exceptional ability to live out our Gospel values of love, understanding and respect. Well done for letting your light shine and displaying beautiful manners and being an excellent role model to others. 

Well done Sienna!

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 learning, but they also lose some previous learning.

"95% is the attendance target!"

Ms V’s Inspirations

"Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all."— Aristotle

"Children are not things to be moulded, but are people to be unfolded."— Jess Lai

“Let your light shine before others.” – Matthew 5:16