Principal's Update
As Term one comes to an end, it is important to acknowledge what a great start to the year it has been at St Margaret’s. It has been a wonderful time of settling into class routines and getting to know teachers and new friends. A highlight was definitely seeing our new Prep’s settle into school so well. The joy on their faces as they come to school each day is a constant reminder of how lucky we are at St Margaret's. Other highlights for me have been Year 6 Camp, seeing our school student leaders embrace their roles with such enthusiasm and positivity, the excursions and hands on learning experiences that all of our students have been a part of and the excellent overall behaviour of our students. I know that our Parent / Teacher meetings on Thursday will be an excellent opportunity to celebrate the achievements of our students in Term 1.
Grade 4 Holy Communion: Congratulations to our Year 4 students who made their first Holy Communion last Saturday night. It was a beautiful celebration and service that marked a special moment in our students faith journey. I hope that this special occasion is just the beginning of a lifelong journey with Jesus. Well done also on the reverence displayed by our students and families throughout the mass, this really contributed to the holiness of the evening. A heartfelt thank you to Father Desmond for leading this celebration and guiding our students in their faith. To Ms Alison, our Religious Education Leader, and our Year 4 teachers—Ms Oxley, Ms Grace, Ms Daperis and Mr Nicholl —your dedication and hard work in supporting our students has been invaluable. Finally, I would like to thank our families for their love, support and encouragement of our students. Thank you and Congratulations children.
Year 1/2 Family Mass: A huge thank you to the families and students for their support of the Year 1/2 family mass on Sunday morning. I am continually so impressed by the student readers at every mass that we celebrate and Sunday morning was no exception. The reverence and respect that our students show for mass and a Catholic faith tradition is something that is very special at St Margaret’s.
Echidna Sighting: Last Friday night after school, students and families were treated to an amazing sight outside of our school with a rare occurrence of an echidna, making its way across the road and onto our school oval. The amazing scenes, right at school pick up time, was a reminder of the animals and creatures that we share our neighbourhood, school and local environment with. Advice from Wildlife Authorities was to let the echidna roam free and not to try and capture it. I am told that echidna’s possess excellent directional sense and are able to find their way around and back home when needed. It certainly made for a memorable end to the week so keep an eye out for our spikey friend in the future!
Interschool Sport Year 6 - Last Week our Year 6’s and some Year 5 students represented our school at the district Summer School Sports cup competition. Sports that were represented were soccer, tennis and cricket. I was pleased to see our students being active and enjoying themselves whilst participating in these sports. Importantly our students also demonstrated excellent teamwork and grace both when they were winning and also when they were not. In my opinion these skills are even more important than the physical skills needed to play the games. I was extremely proud that all of our students upheld our school values through their participation. Well done to our senior students and leaders!
Teacher Painting class: Who says our Art classes at St Margaret’s are just for our students? This week a group of teachers channeled their creative talents after school and participated in a painting class run by our Art teacher Ms Iannello. Having seen some of the Art pieces created by our teachers, I can say that we have some very talented Artistic teachers on staff! A big thanks to Ms Iannello for running this experience for our staff.
First Aid Training and Berry Street Education model learning: All staff will this week participate in some really important professional learning to ensure that staff are continuing to grow their capacity to support our children. On Tuesday evening all staff will complete their yearly First Aid and CPR training, this is really important to ensure that we are trained if ever these skills are needed in an emergency situation.
On Friday staff are participating in a day of professional learning relating to the Berry Street Education Model. The Berry Street Education Model (BSEM) is a teaching approach designed to support children to feel safe, engaged, and ready to learn at school. Many children face challenges that affect their ability to focus and succeed in school. The BSEM provides teachers with strategies to create a positive and supportive learning environment. It focuses on building strong relationships, teaching emotional regulation, and helping students develop resilience. Because it is a trauma-informed model, it understands that children’s behaviour is often a response to past experiences. Instead of punishment, the approach helps children feel secure, valued, and capable, so they can thrive academically and personally. For parents, this means that schools using BSEM are committed to nurturing your child’s wellbeing while supporting their learning journey.
2026 Prep enrolments: A reminder to all families that 2026 Prep Enrolments are now open. Over the last few weeks we have been conducting tours for families of students who will be starting school in 2026. Enrolment demand remains very strong, so I encourage all families with a child starting Prep next year to submit an enrolment form as soon as possible to secure their place. Enrolments for Prep 2026 close on Wednesday 30 April. Offers for Prep 2026 will be made mid-June.
Looking ahead to Term 2: St Margaret’s will undergo a formal review in Term 2. Every four years, Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Melbourne undergo an external review to ensure they are meeting important standards and planning for future improvement. This review has two key parts. First, it checks that the school is compliant with the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) requirements, ensuring that we meet all the necessary standards as a school and a place of learning. Second, it helps us reflect on our strengths and set strategic goals for improvement over the next four years. The review is a valuable opportunity for our school community to celebrate what we are doing well and identify areas where we can continue to grow and improve. Students, families, staff and Parish representatives will all have a voice in providing feedback throughout this process. Keep an eye out for opportunities to be involved.
School Holidays and Easter: As we continue our Lenten journey and prepare for Easter, I would like to wish all of our families a wonderful break over the school holidays and Easter period. I hope you are able to spend precious time with each other and enjoy a great break and a happy and holy Easter.
Congratulations to everyone, we have started the year really well. Enjoy the break and rest up in preparation for what is to come in Term 2.
God bless,
John