From the Principal...

Don’t forget to follow St Mary's on our social media platforms to keep up to date with the wonderful things happening across our school community. Our socials are a great way to see highlights of student learning, special events, celebrations, and the many achievements of our students.

🍎 Happy World Teachers’ Day!

Today we take the opportunity to celebrate and thank our wonderful St Mary’s staff! 💙

Every day, you bring care, energy, patience and passion to your work. You create classrooms where children feel safe, valued and encouraged to be the very best versions of themselves. The impact you have on our children reaches far beyond what can be measured — it is seen in their confidence, their curiosity, their relationships and their growing belief in themselves.

Teaching is about so much more than lessons and learning. It is about knowing each child, celebrating their successes, supporting them through challenges and creating those countless little moments that help children feel that they belong.

St Mary’s is the special community it is because of each and every one of you. Thank you for everything you do for our children, our families and one another. Your commitment, generosity and teamwork are truly appreciated.

I feel incredibly fortunate to work alongside such a dedicated and caring team. Happy World Teachers’ Day — you are amazing! 🌟💙

🌟 Welcome to Leon and Mercy!

We are delighted to welcome Leon and Mercy to our St Mary’s school community! 

Both Leon and Mercy have joined us in Grade 5 and have already begun settling into their new school, making new friends and becoming part of our wonderful community.

We hope they both feel very welcome and quickly come to know what makes St Mary's such a special place to be. We look forward to sharing many happy moments with them throughout the remainder of the year and beyond.

Welcome to St Mary’s, Leon and Mercy! 👋😊

🎄 Special Christmas Date - Monday Dec 14

With Christmas fast approaching, please save the date for some very special St Mary’s celebrations!

🎄 Monday 14 December 5:00pm – Christmas Market

Come along and enjoy our wonderful Christmas Market, with plenty of festive fun, a sausage sizzle, lots of community spirit and a great opportunity to catch up with friends. 🎄🌭✨

🎶 Following the Market at 6:00pm – Christmas Carols in the Church

After the market, we will gather together in the church for our Christmas Carols. This will be a beautiful opportunity for our school community to come together and celebrate the joy of Christmas.

We look forward to seeing lots of our St Mary’s families there as we celebrate the end of another wonderful year together! ❤️💚

Also on Dec 14, we will hold our 🎓GRADUATION ASSEMBLY🎓

Everyone is warmly invited to join us for our Grade 6 Graduation Assembly on Monday 14 December at 2:30pm.

All families are very welcome to attend as we celebrate the achievements of our Grade 6 students and mark this very special milestone in their primary school journey.

A must for all Grade 6 parents and families! 💙🎓

We look forward to celebrating with you!

Yarning Conference

Last week, our Grade 5 students had the wonderful opportunity to attend the Darebin Schools NAIDOC Yarning Conference, hosted by the Darebin Council Education Network. 

The conference brings together students from across Darebin to learn about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and truth-telling, guided by First Nations Elders, cultural educators and community leaders. Through engaging, hands-on workshops exploring activities such as art, music, dance, traditional games and Caring for Country, students deepen their understanding of the world's oldest living cultures. 

The experience encouraged our students to listen, reflect and consider how they can contribute to a more inclusive, respectful and just community. We are grateful for this valuable learning opportunity and for the work of Darebin Council in supporting our students to become informed, respectful and compassionate young people. 

Below is a student reflection on the day written by Leo Latina and Joseph Risicato...

On Tuesday, 20 October, the Year 5 students attended the Yarning Conference at Bundoora Park. The conference provided an opportunity for schools to learn about Aboriginal history and culture.

We participated in a variety of activities, including painting sticks, walking through the park, and taking part in a smoking ceremony. We also listened to songs that shared stories about Aboriginal history, particularly the culture of the Wurundjeri people.

It was a fun and educational experience, and we hope future Year 5 students enjoy it as much as we did.

Here are some photos for you to enjoy.

☀️ Kinder Visit

We had a lovely visit today from the children at Little Sunshine Kinder in Preston! It was wonderful to welcome them into our school and give them a taste of life at St Mary’s.

The children enjoyed completing an art activity and experienced some of the wonderful things that happen at school.

A big thank you to everyone who helped make the morning such a positive and welcoming experience. We look forward to seeing our little visitors again! 💛

MACSEYE - Before School Care Update

Before-School Care – 2027

We don’t have any further news to share regarding MACSEYE at this stage.

As previously communicated, we are determined to offer a before-school care option in 2027, even if this looks a little different from our current arrangement. We are continuing to explore the options available and will keep families informed as soon as we have more information to share.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through this.

2027 Class Preferences

It’s amazing that we are once again at the time of year when we are beginning our discussions for structures for 2027.  An important component of this is the regrouping of our classes. 

When determining new classes, we consider the following: 

❏ a balanced number of students with social, emotional and academic needs 

❏ an appropriate mix of student role models and class leaders 

❏ a balanced number of boys and girls 

❏ student friendship circles. 

Please make an appointment with me if you wish to discuss any concerns you may have that may impact your child/children’s class placement for next year. This may include particular social nuances with other students or any other extenuating circumstances. 

Please be aware that this is not an opportunity for ‘teacher shopping’ or to discuss a preference for a teacher, but rather an opportunity to share genuine concerns about your child’s learning environment for 2027.  

I will shortly be sharing information about our class structures and staffing arrangements for 2027. These decisions have been made carefully, with a strong focus on meeting the learning and wellbeing needs of our students, ensuring balanced class groupings, and making the best use of our staffing resources to support all learners.

If you are not intending to return to St Mary’s in 2027, please contact the office as soon as possible