Dear Parents and Carers,

As we move past the halfway mark (I know!) of Term 2, there has certainly been a noticeable change in weather across Melbourne. The colder mornings, darker evenings and inevitable run of winter sicknesses have well and truly arrived. We have had numerous staff and students unwell in the past few weeks, our staff Daily Desktop has been packed with changes. This time of year can often feel busy and tiring for families, staff and students alike, so it is important that we continue to look after ourselves and each other.

Building connections with our feeder Highschools

Over the last fortnight, it has been wonderful to welcome visitors from our neighbouring feeder secondary schools including St Aloysisus, Ave Maria College and having our grade 4s visit the Academy of Mary Immaculate and view their 2026 school production. These visits and opportunities are an important part of helping our students begin to think positively and confidently about their future pathways beyond St Mary’s. Our students represented the school beautifully throughout these experiences and should be very proud of the way they conducted themselves.

At St Mary’s we are very fortunate to have strong feeder relationships with St Bernard’s, Ave Maria, St Columbus, St Aloysius, Simmonds College and the Academy of Mary Immaculate. Having strong relationships with these schools helps our families have the opportunity to make informed choices and have a wide variety of options for their children’s high school education. It is always a highlight to have our past students come back to St Mary’s and tell us of their highschool journey so far.

Grade 4 Camp

Another special highlight over the past week was our Grade 4 Camp to Phillip Island. Camp experiences are an important part of school life and provide opportunities for students to grow in confidence, resilience and independence outside of the classroom setting. By all reports, our students embraced every opportunity presented to them, whether that be trying something new, supporting one another or simply navigating time away from home; something that can be particularly challenging at this age. A sincere thank you to the staff who gave up their time to ensure the camp was such a positive experience for our students.

Confirmation

Last fortnight saw our Grade 6 students celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation. Confirmation is a significant milestone in the faith journey of our young people and it was wonderful to see our students approach the occasion with reverence and maturity. A sincere thank you to Fr Des for the support and guidance he continues to provide our community and for celebrating the Mass and Confirming our candidates. Thank you also to our parents who celebrated the mass reverently with our community and helped move things along so smoothly by promptly leaving the church afterwards so we could prepare for our sister school St Margaret’s Confirmation mass. We are fortunate to have such strong parish support surrounding our school community. I look forward to seeing our students live out the gift of the Holy Spirit throughout the remainder of the year.

Divisional Cross Country

This week, in the cold and rain, an amazing group of students went out and represented St Mary's at the Divisional level in Cross Country. They supported eachother, pushed through the tough conditions and competed admirably.

Numerous students made it through to the Regional Championships and we are very proud of all who competed and represented St Mary's.

Building Independent Learners

Developing independence continues to be a key focus for our students at St Mary’s.

This includes students managing materials, getting started on tasks promptly, persisting when learning becomes challenging and taking responsibility for their learning. We are encouraging students to think through problems, try strategies independently and seek support appropriately when needed.

As a parent, I know firsthand how important and challenging this can be. Hendrix has recently become very interested in riding his bike to school, something which Jess finds challenging! Like many children, his first instinct when something becomes difficult can be to look for help immediately. One thing we have been working on at home is encouraging him to stop, think, reset himself and try again before stepping in too quickly. It is often tempting as adults to solve problems for children because it is quicker, easier and makes us feel better. On the contrary, resilience and independence are built in those small moments of persistence and struggle. Hendrix has a decent hill to ride up on the way home and he has worked his way into being able to get all the way up and little by little, with resilience and grit; he got there.

At school, these same principles apply in classrooms, on the playground and through everyday routines. Independence and resilience do not develop overnight, but rather through consistent expectations, encouragement and opportunities to practise.

At home, allowing your child time to attempt tasks independently, and acknowledging effort and persistence, can greatly support this development.

Never See a Need Without Trying to do Something About it

This fortnight’s example of living our 2026 theme comes from the many parent volunteers who have generously supported our school community over the past several weeks.

Whether assisting with excursions, helping at sporting events, transporting equipment, or simply offering their time to help things run smoothly, these acts of generosity never go unnoticed. Schools are strongest when they operate in partnership with families, and St Mary’s is incredibly fortunate to have parents who continually step forward to support opportunities for our students.

Often these acts happen quietly and behind the scenes, but they make a significant difference to what we are able to provide for our children at St Mary’s. Quite simply, our students benefit because members of our community see a need and choose to do something about it.

Thank you for your continued support of St Mary’s and all that you do to support your children and our community.

Stay safe, stay healthy, stay connected,

Denis Johnstone

Principal

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