Dear St Mary's Families,

A very warm welcome back to Term 4! It has been wonderful to see everyone back at school after the holidays, and I hope our students and families enjoyed a relaxing and refreshing break. The children have returned ready for what promises to be a busy and exciting final term of the school year. We have so much happening across the next eleven weeks, including our Reconciliation Program, Italian Day and Student Disco, followed by our 5/6 Camp, Year 2 Sleepover, Swimming Program, School Carols, Graduation and House Swimming Carnival. There will also be plenty of opportunities to come together as a community to celebrate with Remembrance Day and our end-of-year liturgies. It is certainly going to be a big finish to the year, and we look forward to sharing it all with our students, families and wider St Mary’s community

Italian Day

Get ready for a fantastic day of Italian culture, food, music and fun at St Mary’s! Our Italian Day on Thursday 15 October will be a celebration of everything we love about Italy, with students rotating through a range of exciting activities including Italian dancing, bocce and creating colourful dance props. After a morning of activities, students will enjoy a delicious pizza and gelati lunch, before an Italian costume "Fashion" parade at 2:30pm. The day will finish with a whole-school Tarantella dance performance at 3:00pm, showcasing all the hard work and enthusiasm of our students. It promises to be a wonderful celebration of community, culture and, of course, a little Italian flair!

A huge thank you to our Italian teacher, Carmel Vozzo, for all her hard work and enthusiasm in preparing such a wonderful day and working with our students in the lead-up to the celebrations. Carmel has put an enormous amount of time and energy into preparing our students, and we are incredibly grateful for the passion she brings to our Italian program. Grazie mille, Carmel! We can't wait to celebrate together!

School Summer Uniform & Hat

In Week 3, we move across to the full summer uniform. Please ensure that your child/children have their hat at school and runners are to be worn with the sports uniform only. Please check the hem lines on the dresses and shorts as many of the children have grown over winter. We thank you for your understanding in regards to this.

Glow Crazy School Disco

Next Friday (16 December) is our School Disco, from 5:30–7:30pm at the Specialist Campus, and it is always a fantastic night! Our Prep families are very welcome to drop in and have a look, while for families from Year 1 to Year 6, we encourage parents to drop their children off at the back gate of the specialist campus. School staff will be there to mark students off before they head inside for an evening of dancing and fun.

Don’t miss out grab your tickets now using the link below and get ready for an evening full of smiles, music, and memories!

Disco Tickets

In terms of parking, we ask that parents enter via the drive way in Westbury St and drop children off at the roundabout near the Presbytery before driving through to Dandenong Road. Please note that parking is not permitted on the Basketball Courts.

Beachside Athletics

We congratulate the students who have progressed from our HOLT Athletics competition to the Beachside Division Athletics Carnival. We are incredibly proud of their achievements and wish them all the very best as they compete against students from across the division.

2026 BEACHSIDE DIVISION ATHLETES

Madison – 9/10 Girls Shot Put & Discus

Austin – 9/10 Boys Shot Put

Sunday – 9/10 Girls Long Jump

Kayla – 9/10 Girls Triple Jump

Orion – 11 Boys 100m & 200m

Bela V – 11 Girls 200m & Triple Jump

Pearl, Bela, Amelia & Alyssa – 11 Girls 4 x 100m Relay

Pearl – 11 Girls 800m

Isla – 11 Girls Shot Put

Gabbi – 12/13 Girls Shot Put

Marko – 12/13 Boys Discus

Well done to all of our athletes — we are very proud of you and wish you every success on the day!

Connect to Prep

Our Connect to Prep program has been a wonderful addition to the school calendar, and it has been fantastic to see our youngest prospective students becoming such a familiar and happy part of the St Mary’s community. Across each session, the children have explored, created, played and learnt together, while getting to know our teachers, our school and, most importantly, beginning to feel a sense of belonging at St Mary’s. We have loved welcoming so many new families and sharing a little of what makes our school such a special place. We are now looking forward to our final Connect to Prep session on Italian Day, where our little learners will join us for a fun-filled celebration of Italian culture, dance, music and community. We can’t wait to finish the program on such a joyful note!

Prep 2027

Next week beginning on Thursday evening, we welcome our Prep 2027 families as they begin their Orientation journey and prepare to commence school next year. It is always a wonderful opportunity to welcome our newest families into the St Mary’s community and give them a glimpse of the warmth, care and sense of belonging that makes our school so special. A huge thank you to Father Jerome, Jacqui (Chair of the School Advisory Council), Jeremy, Bec and Mel (P&F Executive), Mrs Perri and Ms Erica for supporting this evening and helping our new families feel so welcome. We look forward to watching our newest students grow in confidence, independence and a love of learning as they begin their St Mary’s journey in 2027.

Sacrament of Reconciliation

Our prayers are with our Year 3 students as they continue to learn about Reconciliation. We look forward to working in partnership with our families throughout this important stage of their faith journey and, for those registered for the Sacrament, to gathering together for our Family Faith Night next week. We acknowledge and sincerely thank Father Jerome, Mrs Mensen and Mrs McDonald for their wonderful faith leadership and for supporting our students as they deepen their understanding of God’s love, forgiveness and mercy.

P&F Leadership 2027 on beyond

After two fantastic years, Mel and Jez will be stepping down from their P&F leadership roles at the end of the year, and we’re looking for the next parents to join Bec and help lead our P&F into 2027. It’s a great way to connect with our school community, help shape events and fundraising, and make a real difference for our students. No special experience is required — just some enthusiasm and a willingness to get involved. If you’re interested in finding out more, please reach out to the P&F for a chat.

Get ready to turn back the clock and dust off your dancing shoes! The P&F are bringing the good times with their Retro Vibes Parent Night on Saturday 24th October. Expect great company, plenty of laughs, nostalgic tunes and a night of fun with the St Mary’s community. It’s the perfect chance to let your hair down, catch up with friends and enjoy a well-earned night out!

BOOK TICKETS FOR RETRO VIBES

Puberty Family Program: Growing and Changing (22 October)

We are pleased to invite families to a special Puberty Family Program: Growing and Changing, presented by experienced young-adult educator Cath McCallig. This engaging one-hour online workshop is designed for students in Years 4, 5 & 6 and their trusted parent/carer to attend together, providing an opportunity to learn about the physical, social and emotional changes that come with puberty in a positive and supportive environment.

The session will be hosted live via Zoom, with at least one parent or carer required to attend with their child. The cost is $25 per family, with a minimum of 10 families required for the session to proceed. See the attached flyer for more information.

https://www.trybooking.com/DQABG

Term 4 Learning Overviews

Each classroom teacher has prepared a Term 4 Learning Overview, outlining the key learning areas, focus topics and special events for the Term ahead. These overviews provide families with a clear picture of what students will be exploring across all curriculum areas. They will be sent out tomorrow and I encourage parents to take some time to read through them and discuss the learning focus with your child.

Take care, and may God’s blessings and peace be with each of you as we journey through the year together.

James Millane

TheirCare