From Our Principal

termNewsletter  ~ Term 3, Week 3, 2025

Principal's Message:

Dear Parents, Carers, Families and Friends of St Mel’s Primary School,

The end of Week Three already in a nine week term and our students and staff well and truly engaged in the learning and teaching program for our new term. We have many activities on in addition to the usual learning and teaching programs offered across the school, including the excitement building around Book Week.

Please find following our newsletter for this fortnight.

Parish Moves:

Closely following the appointment and installation of Fr. Ronald as Parish Priest of St Mel's Parish Shepparton, St Mary's Parish Mooroopna and St Malachy's Parish Nagambie, the near future retirement of Fr Joseph Taylor from St Brendan's Parish Shepparton has provided further opportunity and additional restructure of the clergy appointments in our area.

Bishop Shane Mackinlay has recently announced the three Rogationist priests living locally will move into the St Brendan's Parish House following the retirement of Fr Joe Taylor. The Rogationist Order of priests live in community as part of their ministry and the St Brendan's Parish House is large enough for them to reside together. Fr Ronald, Fr Ruel and Fr Adi will reside and work out of this location. Fr Adi Indra, who currently resides at St Brendan's will take up residency at St Mel's Parish and Fr Saji Thomas, the Chaplain of St Alphonsa Syro-Malabar Mission in Shepparton, who also currently resides at St Brendan's Parish will move to St Mary's Parish Mooroopna.

The four priests will share ministry to St Mel's Parish Shepparton, St Brendan's Parish Shepparton, St Mary's Parish Dookie, St Mary's Parish Mooroopna and St Malachy's Parish Nagambie.

We wish Fr Joe Taylor all the very best as he approaches his retirement in late September after 51 years faithful service in parishes here and in Papua New Guinea, including thirteen years at St Brendan's.

Magnify Sandhurst' 

Every Student - Every Teacher - Every School - Every Day!

Engaged Learners / Engaged Learning: 

Our students and staff continue to embed the new low variance, knowledge rich curriculum approaches with fidelity and alignment across the school. 

As recently announced two new school-wide routines will be introduced, with children and staff quickly revising and applying the four school-wide routines introduced in Term Two. These SIX routines are an integral component of our whole school Framework for Positive Behaviour and Support:

• Cue to Start - to gain student attention before providing direction / instruction.
• Classroom Entry 
• Classroom Exit
• Classroom Exit (End of Day)
• Movement Routine (How we move within our Learning Suites) and,

• Voices - Silent Voice, Quiet Voice, Partner Voice, Group Voice, Class Voice

         (The different voices we use for certain activities).

Student Free Day - Wednesday 13 August 2025

As previously advertised, there will be no school for students on this day. 

Our Staff Team will join Catholic Education Sandhurst staff across our diocese for an online Staff Spirituality Day. The staff teams of St Anne's College (Kialla) will join our staff for this day. The staff of St Joseph's PS, Nagambie are remaining in Nagambie on this day.

Foundation & Year 5/6 Specialist Program Moved to Friday Next Week:

Due to the Catholic Education Sandhurst Staff Spirituality Day on Wednesday the Specialist Program for children in Foundation and Year 5/6 will have their  Physical Education, Visual Arts, Performing Arts and STEM sessions on Friday 15 August.

NOTE: Children in these year levels will need to wear their St Mel's PS Sports Uniform on that day. 

Outside School Hours Care Option - Wednesday 13 August 2025

Families who have made use of the recently St Mel's Uniting Outside School Hours Care provision this term have been informed of a temporary option to book students into 

Outside School Hours Care for the Student Free Day next Wednesday 13 August 2025 at two locations: St Brendan's Primary School & St Luke's Catholic Primary School.

School families who do not currently use the service, who wish to make use of this service are invited to contact Uniting Vic Tas:

As previously advertised,  the St Mel's PS Outside School Hours Care service is now managed and operated by Uniting Vic / Tas. This is an exciting development for our school community with potential for the service to expand and offer a school holiday program from Term Three onwards. The service is currently exploring the possibility of further school holiday programs and operating here onsite for Student Free Days.

Foundation (Prep) Enrolment Interviews:

As previously announced, interviews for families seeking enrolment for Foundation (Prep) in 2026 have commenced. 

A reminder for parents/carers yet to enrol via our ONLINE ENROLMENT PORTAL 'Enquiry Tracker' so now to ensure you are in the 2026 Foundation Enrolment Interview List.

Please spread the word amongst other families and kinder parents so that families are registered for our available places for Foundation in 2026. We are also taking enrolment enquiries for higher grades via the Enquiry Tracker system.

Enrolment Enquiries & Applications ONLINE:

A reminder for parents and carers with students to commence Foundation in 2026 to go 'online' and complete the relevant Enrolment Application Form.

If you are aware of other members of the broader local community seeking enrolment please direct them to the ONLINE forms.

The NEW enrolment enquiry and application portal 'Enquiry Tracker' can be accessed via our St Mel's PS Website at: www.smshepparton.catholic.edu.au 

OR by clicking the following live link: https://www.smshepparton.catholic.edu.au/enrolment-application

We are continuing to accept enrolments for 2026.

Book Week ~ Book Fair ~ Book Launch ~ Book Performance:

How wonderful the excitement around the recent launch of our Leader: Learning Diversity, Pastoral Wellbeing & Mental Health, Di Walker's latest book 'SECRET KEEPER'!

We received word today Di's new offering has reached Number One sales at our local Collin's Book Store, here in Shepparton.

Next Thursday we look forward to the opening of our Book Fair this coming Thursday, to be held in the St Mel's Hall up until Book Week Parade Day to be held Friday 22nd August.

This year's theme: 'Book an Adventure!' We look forward to our children, parents, carers and families visiting our Book Fair and purchasing from the exciting range of books on offer.

This coming Monday, we gather in the St Mel's Hall for a special visiting performance 'Treasure Hunt' which will launch our celebrations in the lead up to Booke Week 2025.

Many thanks to Maria Makin for organising our Book Fair, Book Performance and Book Week celebration again this year. As always, we look forward to the children and staff dressing up for Book Week on Friday 22nd August along the theme of 'Book an Adventure!', or / and their favourite books, stories, authors and tales. Maybe someone will come dressed as our very own acclaimed author 'Di Walker!'

Annual ORIMA School Survey: [Repeat]

The annual survey period will commence Monday 18 August and conclude Monday 15 September. Students in Year 5/6, Staff and a sample of families will be involved in the survey period. The surveys provide useful information in support of forward and strategic planning for ongoing school improvement. Information to follow.

Staffing Update:

Danae Napier and Lauren Calder, will attend a two-day professional learning day next week as part of their Step Lab Coaching roles. Danae and Lauren, experienced and exceptional teachers in their own right, have been selected to participate in this important training as part of the Magnify Sandhurst initiative. As Step Lab Instructional Coaches, Danae and Lauren will be available to further support our Staff Team continually finetune and enhance their learning and teaching skills.

Kelly Cox, Learning Support Officer, who joined our Staff Team during Term Two has decided to finish her time within our school community. We are grateful for the relatively short time Kelly worked in our school community and wish her well as she continues to pursue her teaching studies.

I am grateful for the support of our school leaders, Staff Team and available Classroom Relief Teachers who have continued to support our students, one another and usual school routines given the continuance of staff absences due to illness.  

St Mel's Athletics Carnival:

Our students with support from their respective Physical Education teachers, Chris Munari, Natalie Witchen and Lily Beer, have been preparing for our approaching Athletics Carnival to be held at the Shepparton Athletics Track on Monday 25th August. We look forward to travelling to the Aths Track for this annual day of track and field events. In the first week of Term Four our students from Years Three to Six will also participate in the District Schools Athletics Carnival, with a day devoted to each year level.  

School Dates:

Please check the Upcoming Dates & Events section of the newsletter regularly.

Thank you for your ongoing support of your child/ren and our Staff Team.

Best wishes for the coming weekend.

Stephen 'Steve' Hicks

Principal

Did you know? ~