Mrs Ryan's Fortnightly Reflections

Welcome to Term 4, everyone! It is both challenging and exciting to recognise that we are at the fun and busy conclusion of our school year. It has been a true joy to see so many of our St Mary’s learners return to the schoolyard, each expressing their happiness to be back! 

Term 4 is always bittersweet as we graciously begin to close out our year while feeling a bit apprehensive about the upcoming new school year. We have become so comfortable in our classes and with our teachers that this time can be overwhelming. Please know that the entire leadership team, in collaboration with Catholic Education Sandhurst, is working diligently to ensure we provide the highest level of education while ensuring our transition to the new school year is as successful as possible. I apologise for the length of this newsletter; however, with our final term ahead, I hope the information below provides clear communication.

Under the section on school information, I have included the staffing structure for St Mary’s for 2025. Our classes will maintain size comparable to those in local schools, and having the best possible educators in front of our learners remains a priority. Our class sizes continue to remain within expectations of our CEMEA 22 employment agreement and will not be dissimilar to this year. We consistently strive to employ dedicated teachers who fully commit to our learners and community. St Mary’s will continue to be well-staffed with educational support staff, maintaining a child-to-educator ratio of 10:1 throughout the school.

Teachers for 2025 classes will not be confirmed or shared with the community until Community Step Up Day on December 10th. The teachers for Foundation 2025 will be announced soon as they prepare to support our Foundation learners in the Transition program.

Currently, I am deeply involved in the recruitment process for the 2025 school year. We are fortunate to have exceptional teachers; however, the teaching profession has become transient, and we are facing a noticeable teacher shortage. Some staff will bid farewell to our community this year to welcome new babies, relocate, or explore different educational settings. Despite this, we have received a promising number of applications during the first stage of recruitment. Interviews will take place over the first two weeks, and we will advertise for specialist and part-time roles following this phase.

As we commence a new term, all staff will reinforce our classroom routines, structures, and school-wide expectations. Our daily hope as educators is to nurture the growth and development of children in all aspects. Primary-age children are learning socially, emotionally, and academically every day. In alignment with our positive classroom environments, we adhere to our St Mary’s Behaviour Management Policy. This policy, endorsed by Catholic Education, encourages us to be solution-minded, accept that children may make mistakes, and work collaboratively with families and learners to restore relationships. The policy outlines the agreed expectations and partnership among our school, learners, and families. It is available on our website, and I encourage parents to review it if needed.

When an incident or concerning behaviour occurs at St Mary’s, staff will initially work with all those involved through restorative justice. They will explore the causes and consequences, fostering emotional literacy, remorse, and empathy, all in a supportive manner. Consequences are often co-created or determined by the teaching staff. St Mary’s tracks, monitors, and explicitly teaches behaviours according to the needs throughout the school. Behaviour is considered part of the curriculum and, similar to an individual’s academic plan, can be personalised to address specific needs.

I ask that our families trust the educators who are supporting all children during these times and have confidence that our processes are being followed to promote the development of emotionally literate children. We are hopeful that before the end of the year, St Mary’s will publish an infographic for families as a reference to our behaviour management. When parents have concerns regarding behaviours or incidents that occur in the school environment, we encourage them to inform classroom teachers for support and guidance.

At St Mary’s, all children have the right to feel safe at all times.

As the teachers establish school routines and expectations, we hope our families are also getting back into sleep and school readiness routines at home. Across our school, we conduct ‘Circles’ every day to check in, and we observe that many children express how tired they are on Monday mornings. This can significantly impact their learning and social and emotional well-being. I hope that the recent change to daylight savings has not negatively affected families too greatly, and I encourage families to prioritise sleep and school routines for a successful term of learning.

At this time of year, some families may make changes to their family dynamics and often switch schools as a result. If any family is leaving and has not yet informed the office, please complete the attached form before the Melbourne Cup weekend. Thank you in advance.

We have 11 weeks ahead and I wish us all a truly happy and successful term! I look forward to seeing many of you at our multiple events and learning experiences throughout the term. 

Take Care & God Bless, 

Jasmine Ryan 

Principal