Dear Parents and Carers,

It is good to be back at St Mary’s!

What a sight it was when our Year 12 students were walking hand in hand with the Foundation students into their final assembly. The Farewell Mass with families was a special time and the Presentation of stoles marked the symbolic end of an era. VCE exams began this week, Year 12 are receiving final revision support from their teachers.

Included in today’s Marian is a letter from MACS Executive Director Ed Simons. The next Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA) for Victorian Catholic school teachers is in current negotiation between the Victorian Catholic Education Authority (VCEA) and the Independent Education Union (IEU) representing non-government teachers. The Fair Work Commission is the ultimate statutory authority that legally approves and activates workplace agreements. Catholic School teachers and staff conditions is considered in relation to what the State government agrees on for State government school employees.

A special message from Dr Edward Simons

Executive Director, Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS)

As schools communicate their fees for the coming year, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for your ongoing support of Catholic education and to reaffirm our commitment to keeping Catholic schooling accessible and affordable for families.

Thank you for choosing to be part of our Catholic education community of more than

120,000 young people across the Archdiocese of Melbourne.

Today, one in five Victorian families choose a Catholic education, and in the past year alone almost 2,000 additional students have enrolled in a MACS school. Together, we share a commitment to providing an education grounded in faith, where every child is known, valued and inspired to flourish.

I would also like to acknowledge the significant work undertaken by principals and school leadership teams across MACS as they finalise plans and budgets for the year ahead.

Their careful stewardship helps ensure our schools continue to provide outstanding learning opportunities, strong wellbeing support and vibrant faith communities for every student.

Like many families, our schools continue to face rising costs. We know that cost-of-living pressures continue to place strain on household budgets, and we remain committed to keeping school fees as affordable as possible. At the same time, we have a responsibility to attract, support and fairly reward the teachers and staff who make such a profound difference in the lives of our students each day, including maintaining pay parity with their colleagues in government schools.

Across MACS, we continue to review the way we operate, seeking efficiencies and making thoughtful decisions so that resources are directed where they matter most: teaching and learning, student wellbeing and the faith formation of young people.

Thank you for the trust you place in your school and in Catholic education. The continued growth in enrolments across our system is a sign of the confidence families place in Catholic education and the outstanding work of our principals, teachers and staff. As we continue to grow, our focus will remain on responsible stewardship, strong partnerships with families and a shared commitment to excellence. In doing so, we can ensure that Catholic education remains strong, sustainable and accessible, offering thriving communities of faith and learning for generations to come.

macs.vic.edu.au

Staffing

Due to Nurse Sarah deciding to undertake further post graduate studies an ongoing 0.8 (4 days a week) position was advertised, closing today.
Interviews have been held for primary teaching positions.
A Defence Schools Mentor role and Learning Support Officers positions will be advertised.
Mrs Gordon will be on Long Service Leave from next week. Mrs Moore will be Acting Deputy Principal during this time. We wish Genevieve and family a wonderful time away.

Capital Works

The Science building is in its prep stage with demolishing of the veranda completed and groundworks in progress. Stage 1 landscaping is also complete. There will still be a significant area remaining closed for grass rejuvenation. The Sacred Heart Centre will be officially opened and blessed in Term 1 2027.

This term St Mary’s celebrated the Sacrament of Holy Communion with a beautiful Mass with students, families, staff and Fr Eugene. Year 9 returned yesterday after their Camp adventure to Tasmania. Our students in representative sport have continued to fly the St Mary’s flag with their results.

This morning at staff prayer, staff came together to pray and reflect on the extraordinary life of dear Year 9 student, Lori Perry. The legacy that Lori has left cannot be explained in these few words and a tribute to Lori will be in a future Marian. Our hearts go out to Lori’s family.

Eternal rest grant unto Lori, O Lord,

and let perpetual light shine upon her.

May Lori’s soul and the souls of all the faithful departed,

through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

Amen.

Best wishes

Wayne Smith

Principal

DipEd (ACU) DipREd (ACU) Bed (ACU) GradCertEdAdmin (Edith Cowan)

GradDipREd (ACU) MEdAdmin (Charles Sturt) MTheoStudies (BBITAITE)

The Marian

Guided by faith * Driven by purpose

Newsletter No. 16 - 30th October · 30 Oct 2026

In this issue