Principal Announcements
Newsletter 5 Term 1
Exciting Holiday Maintenance Works at St Mary’s
Over the holiday break, St Mary’s has been a hive of activity with a number of exciting maintenance projects taking place across our school grounds. We’re thrilled to share that we now have new permanent bins installed around the school, making it easier for everyone to keep our environment clean and tidy. Our students will also benefit from enhanced shade structures, providing more comfortable outdoor learning and play spaces, especially during the warmer months.
In addition, new shedding has been installed to improve storage, and synthetic turf works are all complete, transforming our play and recreation areas into safer, more vibrant spaces. Importantly, we’ve also upgraded internal door locks to ensure they are compliant with emergency lockdown procedures, helping to keep our school safe and secure.
A huge thank you to Phil Crowe for his expert coordination of these works—his efforts have ensured these improvements were completed smoothly and efficiently. Our students and staff will all enjoy the benefits of these upgrades.
Staff Professional Learning Days – Deepening Our Understanding of Learning
During the first week of Term 2, from April 22 to 24, our staff engaged in three enriching Professional Development Days alongside educators from across the Sandhurst Diocese, led by renowned cognitive neuroscientist Dr Jared Cooney Horvath. The sessions were part of the CESL Magnify Program, focused on the Science of Learning.
Over the three days, staff explored:
- The Foundations of Human Thinking and how our brains truly process information
- The role of stress, relationships, and technology in learning
- Practical learning principles to enhance retention and engagement
- The transfer dilemma—why it's challenging for students to apply learning in new contexts
- The importance of memory and how strategies like spaced learning and interleaving can boost understanding
- How to support creativity within the classroom while maintaining academic rigour
We were also introduced to Steplab, a new platform for Instructional Coaching that will support consistent, high-quality teaching practice across our Diocese.
The final day focused on synthesising the key ideas and planning how we can continue to embed these insights into our teaching at St Mary’s.
We are grateful for this time to reflect, grow, and prepare, and we’re excited to bring these insights into our classrooms to support every student’s learning journey.
Thank You for Honouring ANZAC Day
A heartfelt thank you to all the students, families, and staff who represented St Mary’s with such respect and pride at the ANZAC Day March and Ceremony in Mooroopna on Friday 25th April.
It was wonderful to see our school community come together to honour the service and sacrifice of our veterans and current service personnel. Our students were outstanding in their conduct and participation, helping to keep the spirit of ANZAC alive through their presence and reflection.
Lest we forget.
Staff Update – Farewell to Mr Preston
We wish to inform our school community that Mr Josh Preston has accepted a new position at Notre Dame as a Health and PE teacher, beginning in Semester 2.
Josh has been a valued member of the St Mary’s team for the past eight years, and we sincerely thank him for his dedication and contribution to our students and school. We will be advertising for a new PE teacher shortly, aiming to have the position filled for the start of Semester 2.
We know you will join us in congratulating Josh and wishing him all the best in this exciting new chapter.
In Loving Memory of Pope Francis
It is with deep sorrow that we acknowledge the passing of Pope Francis, a beloved shepherd of our global Catholic community. His papacy was marked by humility, compassion, and a tireless commitment to social justice, care for creation, and love for all people — especially the poor and marginalised.
Pope Francis led the Church with a gentle strength, always pointing us toward mercy, unity, and hope. His words and actions have inspired millions and will continue to shape our faith and mission for generations to come.
As a school community, we offer our prayers for the repose of his soul and give thanks for his remarkable life of service. May he rest in peace in God’s eternal embrace
Exciting Events Ahead in Tm 2!
Term 2 is shaping up to be full of wonderful opportunities for connection, celebration, and learning at St Mary’s. We’re looking forward to welcoming families and new faces at our Open Day, along with engaging Kinder visits as we build strong links with our future learners. We look forward to celebrating Catholic Education week with the focus from Pope Francis where we are all called to be “Pilgrims of Hope”.
Our Mother’s Day Breakfast is always a special highlight—an opportunity to honour the amazing women in our school community. We’re also thrilled to announce a performance by Mitch Tambo, which promises to be an uplifting and culturally rich experience for all.
Students preparing for the Sacrament of Reconciliation will take part in both preparation sessions and the celebration itself—an important milestone in their faith journey.
As we continue to deepen our understanding and respect for First Nations cultures, we’ll be commemorating Sorry Day, and marking Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week with a range of meaningful activities across the school.
We can’t wait to share these enriching experiences with our community throughout the term!
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.
🌟 New families 🌟
You're Invited to Our Open Day!
📅 When: Thursday, 1st May
⏰ Time: 11:45am – 1:30pm
📍 Where: Marian Centre, St. Mary’s Mooroopna
Discover all that St. Mary’s has to offer!
Join us for a warm welcome and presentation by our Principal, followed by guided tours of our school led by our amazing student leaders.
See our vibrant learning spaces, meet our dedicated staff, and experience the wonderful St. Mary’s community first hand.
📢 Enrolments for 2026 close Friday, 30th May – don’t miss this opportunity to secure your place!
We can’t wait to welcome you to St. Mary’s Mooroopna!
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
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.
Assembly 28th April
Principal’s Awards
No Principal’s award this week due it being the first student day of learning for the term.
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. Being social forms an important tool in their learning process.
Toolamba Rd Upcoming Works
As part of the GV Link Enterprise Park Stage 1, development has commenced. The works will run from Tuesday 22nd April through to december and may affect traffic flow around the Simson / Toolamba Road Intersection, Alexander St, Ann St, Morrell St & OBrien St's during this time.
Please see the attached letter for further information.
Ms V’s Inspirations
"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire."— William Butler Yeats
"The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you."— B.B. King
“Let your light shine before others.” – Matthew 5:16
