Dear Families,

So much has happened in the last fortnight. We all thoroughly enjoyed St Mary’s Got Talent and we congratulate everyone who tried out and performed on the day. The support the students and families gave each other was superb. Whilst the weather tried to dampen our spirits our Carols evening was one of celebration and joy and Father Christmas was most impressed with our students and their singing!

As our Year 6 students prepare for graduation this evening, it is my delight to announce the 2023 Leadership Teams. We are very proud of our student leadership model at SMPS. Each student learns to lead has a mentor and has many opportunities to authentically practise leadership skills. Mrs Mason and Mr Scott designed a leadership unit that has been most successful. Many parents, carers, including Father Jerome came in and talked to the Year 5 students about their own leadership journey. We look forward to being led by our 2023 Year 6 students next year.

2023 Student Leaders

School Community Leaders: Anthony S, Christos VD, Matilda P, Josie M

Sports Leaders: Brie T, Hayden S, Wilson M, Carmen W

Sustainability Leaders: Ramona ER, Georgia S, Harriet L, Alecsandro G

Faith and Social Justice Leaders: Poppy M, Amelia S, Haruka C, Hayden GK

Technology Leaders: Nicky C, Nicholas L

Curriculum leaders: Jack S, Isabella VD, Spencer G, Indie F

Wellbeing Leaders: Gabriel E, Isabelle MP, Leo B

2022 - What a Year . . .

We, as the St Mary’s Primary School family have achieved so much this year and should feel immensely proud. There have been too many highlights to list each one, but each of you will remember your favourite(s). The success of this year can be attributed to everyone helping. I would like to thank everyone for supporting our community in so many varied ways and this has all contributed to giving our students the best opportunities that we can.

I would like to thank Father Jerome for working with us and for being my constant support and colleague as we traversed this year together. Mr Speranza has already brought so much to our community and I can't believe that we have only worked together for a year. I thank him for his wisdom, work ethic and care for each student and their family and each staff member. Mostly I thank him for laughing with me each and every day and for his culinary skills. I look forward to all that we will achieve in 2023.

To our Leadership Team, you are the best! Catherine, Daniela and Paula, each of you have guided your curriculum area with professionalism and hard work. Paula, we wish you an amazing retirement and look forward to hearing about all your adventures. We wish Ruth Callery all the best as she commences working at another school next year. We thank Clare Curtis for her years of service and care for her students and wish her the best as she takes a break from teaching. To Sandra Renehan, Kieran Mc Guinness, Kate Rafferty and Ian Scott, we wish you all the best with your new endeavours and thank you for all that you have brought to SMPS.

Erica, it is my pleasure working with you and your calm and gentle manner each day. Thank you for your support and guidance. Janelle is in the office on a Friday, and these days have a very different beat and we manoeuvre through each one smoothly, for which I thank you.

To the staff, each of you makes working here a delight. We constantly push each other to do our best and be our best for the students and their families.

To Donna, our retiring School Advisory Council Chairperson, Claude, Angela(resigning), Richard(resigning) and Ben, thank you for the hours you have given the school and myself as we steer the school. Donna, Angela and Richard we wish you all the best on your journey and our school is all the better for having you as a part of it.

To the amazing P & F gang! To each of the class reps and those who supported the reps, you make each event the success that they have been. Thank you to Kasia, Louisa, Lynn and Rian for the loads that you have carried to make our school the great place that it is. I also thank your families, who have supported home life, freeing you up to assist at school.

Finally, I thank each student and family for their support of our school and my leadership. It is great hearing your feedback about our events and your appreciation for the work that goes into them. We look forward to many more fun filled activities next year.

As we finish our final week at school, we are proud of our Year 6 students graduating this evening and our final Mass and assembly tomorrow. We congratulate these students for the growth and confidence they have shown from February to now. To see each of them host our weekly assemblies and speak about their team and lead an idea or project with the school community is a credit to them, their teachers and mentors.

We farewell some of our Year 6 families, who are finishing their St Mary’s journey this year. I am aware that each of you have done much over the years and thank you for this. We farewell the following families and wish them all the very best:

The Angel family

The Grebe family

The Kaldor-Bull family

The Kalloniatis family

The Little family

The Megas family

The Bright family

The Domingo family

The Haritidis family

The Kokeh family

The Navarrete family

The Nguyen family

The Pallares Norato

The Razmovski family

The Ristevski family

The Shurgold family

The Smith famility

The Lewis family

The Thomas family

The Xu family

The Yanes family

Finally, our prayers and thoughts are with families, who have unwell family members at the moment. Our prayers are also with the families, who have lost loved ones during the year.

May each of you have the gift of faith, the blessing of hope and the peace of God’s love at Christmas and always.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Cathy