Principal Announcements

Welcome to Term 2

Welcome to Baby Reginald (Reggie) James Taylor

We warmly congratulate Lincoln Taylor on the safe arrival of his beautiful baby boy. 

We are delighted to share that both Mum and baby are doing very well. 

We wish Lincoln and his family every blessing as they begin this exciting new chapter together.

Exciting Holiday Maintenance Works at St Mary’s

Over the holiday break, St Mary’s has been a hive of activity with a number of exciting maintenance projects taking place across our school grounds. We’re thrilled to share that we now have curtains installed in the Marian Centre for our end of year production and other school events in the future.

We have planted new plants behind the basketball court after the paperbark trees were removed earlier this year. After student request, we have a new chair under the shelter near the Toolamba Rd gate, so students have more access to sit in the shade. We also now have a school trailer to assist with so many maintenance requirements. We have added more soft fall to both playgrounds for child safety.

A huge thank you to Lincoln Taylor and Wes Stanley for their expert coordination of these works—these efforts have ensured these improvements were completed smoothly and efficiently. Our students and staff will all enjoy the benefits of these upgrades.

Staff Professional Learning Day – Authentically Sandhurst – Learning Made Easy

On the first day of Term 2, our staff engaged in some enriching professional learning alongside educators from across the Sandhurst Diocese, led by renowned cognitive neuroscientist Dr Jared Cooney Horvath, a lead educator, Dr Nathaniel Swain and Teach Well representatives.

The day provided a valuable opportunity to strengthen our collective capacity and continue working towards our shared goals for teaching and learning.

Staff engaged in a structured program that built understanding from theory through to classroom practice. We began by exploring how learning works and what this means for our students. From there, we examined what effective and equitable instruction looks like across all year levels. The day concluded with a strong focus on the practical strategies and teaching approaches that have the greatest impact in the classroom.

This professional learning ensures that our approach to teaching remains consistent, evidence-informed, and focused on achieving the best possible outcomes for every student

We are grateful for this time to reflect, grow, and prepare, and we’re excited to bring these insights into our classrooms to support every student’s learning journey.

Thank You for Honouring ANZAC Day

A heartfelt thank you to all the students, families, and staff who represented St Mary’s with such respect and pride at the ANZAC Day March and Ceremony in Mooroopna on Saturday 25th April.

It was wonderful to see our school community come together to honour the service and sacrifice of our veterans and current service personnel. Our students were outstanding in their conduct and participation, helping to keep the spirit of ANZAC alive through their presence and reflection.

Lest we forget.

Staff Update 

We are pleased to welcome Ms Fulvia Curtis to our school community as our new Italian teacher for Grades 3/4 and Grades 5 and 6. We look forward to the rich learning experiences she will bring to our students and the enthusiasm she brings to language learning.

We also acknowledge that Angus Cole, one of our valued Learning Support Officers, finished with us at the end of last term. We thank Angus for his contribution to our school and the support he provided to students and staff. We wish him all the very best in his future endeavours.

New Bishop for the Sandhurst Diocese

We are pleased to share wonderful news from the Vatican that Pope Leo has confirmed Bishop René Ramirez as the ninth Bishop of Sandhurst.

Bishop René is known to many within our community from his time serving in several Goulburn Valley parishes. More recently, he has been serving as an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Melbourne. It is a great blessing to have someone so familiar with our Diocese appointed to this important pastoral and leadership role, and we look forward to warmly welcoming him.

Due to existing overseas commitments, Bishop René’s installation will take place at the end of July. In the meantime, Fr Brian Boyle will continue in the role of Diocesan Administrator.

St. Mary’s Open Day – Wednesday 29 April

We warmly invite families and members of our community to attend our upcoming Open Day on Wednesday 29 April, beginning at 11:45am.

The day will commence with a welcome in the Marian Centre, followed by guided tours of the school led by our wonderful Student Leaders, who will proudly showcase our learning spaces and share what makes St. Mary’s such a special place to learn and grow.

As 2026 marks 90 years of St. Mary’s, we also extend a special invitation to our alumni to join us for this occasion. It will be a lovely opportunity to reconnect with the school and celebrate the rich history of our community.

We look forward to welcoming families, friends, and past students as we celebrate all that makes St. Mary’s a vibrant and thriving school.

📢Enrolments for 2026 close 31st May – don’t miss this opportunity to secure your place!

Cross Country

Our recent Cross Country event was a fantastic success, held in beautiful weather that added to the enjoyment of the day. We were delighted with the high level of participation across all year levels and the wonderful team spirit on display. It was particularly pleasing to see students encouraging one another and striving to do their best—truly letting their light shine.

We extend our sincere thanks to our supportive school community who came along to cheer on the runners. Your presence and encouragement helped create such a positive and memorable atmosphere.

A special thank you to Troy Watts for his organisation and dedication in coordinating the event. His efforts ensured a smooth and enjoyable day for all involved.

School Haircut Service Update

Unfortunately, due to child health and safety requirements, we are unable to provide haircuts at school anymore. We appreciate the understanding and support of our parents and guardians regarding this matter.

Other Exciting Events Ahead in Term 2!

Term 2 is shaping up to be full of wonderful opportunities for connection, celebration, and learning at St Mary’s. We’re looking forward to welcoming families and new faces at our Open Day, along with engaging Kinder visits as we build strong links with our future learners. 

Our Mother’s Day Breakfast and Mass are always special highlights—an opportunity to honour the amazing Mothers and Mother figures in our school community. 

Students preparing for the Sacrament of Reconciliation will take part in both preparation sessions and the celebration itself— an important milestone in their faith journey.

In early June, we are involved in a full school review with ACER. This process will assist us with determining our strategic goals for the next 3 to 4 years in order to ensure the best learning outcomes for the students.

As we continue to deepen our understanding and respect for First Nations cultures, we’ll be commemorating Sorry Day, and marking Reconciliation Week with a range of meaningful activities across the school.

We can’t wait to share these enriching experiences with our community throughout the term.

School Uniform

A reminder to all families about the importance of students wearing the correct school uniform each day, particularly in relation to footwear. Students are expected to wear black school shoes or plain black sneakers as part of their daily uniform.

We understand that many students enjoy wearing more colourful sneakers; these are welcome to be worn on designated PE days or special sports days.

Thank you for your ongoing cooperation and support in helping us maintain a consistent and respectful school uniform across the community.

St. Mary’s 90 Years Production – From Humble Beginnings – Let Your Light Shine

This year we are having a School Production on Thursday 26th November. Please read the parent/guardian letter sent at the end of term 1 for all the exciting details to celebrate our 90 years. 

St. Mary’s Alumni

As part of our celebrations for this year, we would love to hear from St. Mary’s Alumni – past staff, community members and students. We would love to hear about your past experiences of St. Mary’s. If you are willing to be involved, please contact the school office on 5825 2858 or email at office@smmooroopna.catholic.edu.au

Before School Supervision

Please note that all students that arrive at school prior to 8:30am must fill out an application via the link below. For new and casual before school arrivals, please complete prior to 4:00pm each day to enable student lists to be updated for the following morning. Before school supervision is for early bus travellers and parents/guardians who must attend work earlier than 8:30am. A reminder that students are not to arrive or be at school before 8:00am as they are not actively supervised. I appreciate everyone's understanding and cooperation regarding this.

Before School Supervision

Principal’s Awards

20th April – no awards to due student free day

27th April – Theo Natalizio

This week’s Principal’s award goes to a Theo who has achieved something amazing. He has managed to win the cross country every year since Prep and he is now in Grade 6. What a fantastic achievement. Also, after winning he stepped in straight away to help clean up. 

Well done Theo!

Reminder's

2027 Prep Enrolments & Open Day

We held our Open Day today with a large number of families attending.  

The day started with a welcome and information session in the Marian Centre, followed by guided school tours led by our wonderful Student Leaders. All the studnerts were amazing and proudly showcased our learning spaces and shared what makes St. Mary’s such a special place to learn and grow.

As 2026 marks 90 years of St. Mary’s, we also extended a special invitation to our alumni to join us for this occasion. 

All 2027 Prep enrolments and any new enrolment for 2026 are to make an application following our new online process via our school website -

St Mary's, Mooroopna - Enrol Now

Applications will close on 31st May – don’t miss this opportunity to secure your place!

Attendance matters!

Every minute matters. This is a simple statement, but a true one. For every minute a child is at school they learn. For every minute they are absent they not only miss out on they not only miss out on learning, but they also lose some previous learning.

Ms V’s Inspirations

"Holiness doesn't mean doing extraordinary things, but doing ordinary things with love and faith." - Pope Francis

“Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later.” — Og Mandino

“Let your light shine before others.” – Matthew 5:16