Principal News

Welcome

Welcome to a new school year at St Mary’s! As I step into my role as Principal, I want to thank the students, staff, and families for the warm welcome I have received. It has been a fantastic start to the year, filled with smiling faces, eager learners, and a wonderful sense of community. Walking through the classrooms and playground, it is clear that St Mary’s is a place where students feel happy, supported, and excited to learn. I look forward to working together to make this year a rewarding and enriching one for all.

I hope you enjoy our first newsletter of the year. It will be distributed fortnightly and will include updates on exciting events happening around the school, as well as important information for families.

Welcome to our new Students!

We are excited to welcome our new students to St Mary’s! Our new Prep cohort has settled in beautifully, and it has been wonderful to see their learning journey begin. A special thanks to Mrs. Ewelina Santana (Prep teacher) for her dedication and hard work in preparing our Prep students and their families for a successful start.

In addition to our new Prep students, we are also delighted to welcome several new students who will be joining St Mary’s in 2025:

Lucy F - Year 1

Carter W - Year 1

Mila W - Year 1

Mollie W - Year 2

Oliver G - Year 3

Dante S - Year 4

Remzi C - Year 5

Evelyn I-B - Year 5

And students returning to St Mary's

Ellie F - Year 3

Gemma W - Year 3

Archie W - Year 6

Parent Teacher Chats

The Parent-Teacher Chats will take place on Tuesday, 11th February, from 1:30 pm – 7:00 pm. Please refer to email communication regarding how to book these sessions

Please note that school will finish at 1:00 pm on this day.

The Parent-Teacher Chats are a great opportunity for you to update your child’s teacher on any important information you feel needs to be shared. Here are some guiding questions that may help you prepare for the discussion:

What are your child’s interests and strengths?
How do they learn best?
What would you like them to work on/improve? How might they do that?
What is something you want the teachers to know, eg. wellbeing?

Sibling Enrolments & School Open Dates

We are now accepting sibling enrolments for Prep 2026. If you have a child due to start school in 2026, please complete an enrolment form and return it to the school office by Friday, 28th February 2025. Forms are found online or can also be collected from the school office if needed. Submitting enrolments by this date will assist us in planning for new students.

We also invite prospective families to attend one of our upcoming school tours to experience our learning environment firsthand. Tours will be held on the following dates, and interested families can drop in anytime between 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM:

Tuesday, 25th February
Wednesday, 5th March
Friday, 21st March
Thursday, 3rd April

If these times are not suitable, bookings for alternative times can be made via our website.

Please feel free to share this information with family and friends who may be considering schools for 2026. We look forward to welcoming new families and showcasing what makes our school a wonderful place for learning.

Swimming Trials

A huge thank you to Miss Sam Sullivan for organising our fantastic swimming trials, as well as to the many parent helpers who generously gave their time to support the event. Most importantly, well done to all the students who participated and gave their absolute best in the pool!

Congratulations to those who have been selected to represent our school at the Dendy Swimming Carnival on Monday, 17th February. We wish you the best of luck—go team! 🎉💙💦

Class Newsletters

Year Level Newsletters will be sent via SeeSaw next week. Please take the time to read them carefully as they will contain important information specific to that year level.

Moving forward, these newsletters will be sent at the end of the prior term, allowing families the holiday break to prepare for the upcoming term.

Assembly - New Time

Please note that we have made a slight change to the start time for our Whole School Assemblies moving forward. These will now begin at 2:30pm. We hope this will allow more parents to attend as it is closer to the end of the school day.

The Year 5s will be presenting at this coming week's assembly, along with the presentation of badges for the 2025 Semester 1 SRC Reps. Class teachers will be in touch with parents of students elected into this special role.

School Advisory Council

A huge thank you to our School Advisory Council for a fantastic first meeting of the year! It was great to see such robust discussion on how we can continue to enhance our already amazing school. Your insights, dedication, and collaboration are valued highly by the whole community. The council members this year are:

Paula Cunniffe
Anna Marinelli
Rachel Imbesi
Katie Slade
Karina O’Brien
Hamish Mogan
Evelyn Whatmore

P&F 2025

Thank you to the many parents who have stepped up to be part of the Parents & Friends (P&F) team for 2025! Your willingness to give your time and energy makes a real difference to our school community.

A special thanks to Sarah Kavanagh for once again taking on the role of President. Her dedication and leadership continue to bring great things to St Mary’s.

Being part of the P&F is a fantastic way to connect with other parents, support our students, and help shape the vibrant community we all love. If you're keen to get involved, there’s always room for more!

Thanks again to all our wonderful volunteers we appreciate you!

Lunch Orders

For families wishing to place orders for student lunches this year, the following options are in place:

Monday & Thursday - Fun Fresh Foods https://www.funfreshfoods.com.au/st-mary-s-primary-school

Friday - Classroom Cuisine https://classroomcuisine.com.au/

School Calendar

Finally, please subscribe to the St Mary's Parent Calendar HERE

Steele Anderson

Principal