Principals Report

Dear Parents, Families and Friends, 

I want to thank the families who completed the School Satisfactory Survey this year. This survey was designed to assist our school in gaining an understanding of your perceptions,  as parents, of your child’s experience at St Mary’s. The feedback from this survey is very valuable in providing us with ways to improve our school. Once again, thank you all for your support with this.    

I would like to provide families with an update on Cath Williams. Cath has recently undergone surgery and is now beginning her rehabilitation journey. With the complexity of her Achilles injury, Cath will return to the classroom only when she is fully fit and ready. When the time comes, she will begin with reduced hours to ensure a smooth and sustainable transition back into her teaching role.

We extend our thanks to Louise Murray, who has taken the Year 3–6 class throughout Term 3. Louise has been a passionate and dedicated member of our staff, engaging students in meaningful learning and building strong connections with each child. Her ability to challenge and support students to achieve high standards has been invaluable. We are very grateful for her care, commitment, and professionalism during this term.

Looking ahead to Term 4, we are fortunate to welcome another familiar face, Carly Bannan, into the role of classroom teacher for Years 3–6. Carly will be pausing her MHiPS role for the term to focus fully on the classroom, supporting the students and ensuring continuity of learning while Cath eases her way back into the workforce.

With the end of term three, our sights now turn to term four and further on towards 2026. We are currently in the process of looking at staffing, budgets and school priorities for the 2026 school year. Parents with any requests or changes in family circumstances are asked to contact me. This is also a good time to remind friends and community members that we’re still taking enrolments for the 2026 school year. If fees are a concern, I urge any parents or prospective families to contact me, as we can cater to all families in our community. Feel free to share our website or YouTube video below with your friends and colleagues. I have also placed the orientation dates for new foundations in the School News section.  

EBT Training Support

This year, St Mary’s is excited to participate in the Energy Breakthrough Program (EBT) in Maryborough during Term 4. This event is a fantastic opportunity for our students to engage in a meaningful and enriching experience, and it promises to be one of the highlights of the school year.

To prepare for the big event, EBT training will take place on Mondays from 4:00–5:30 pm during the first six weeks of Term 4 at the Bendigo Kart Club in Maiden Gully. The school has covered the cost of hiring the track so that our students can train safely and effectively. As this is a parent-led initiative with some staff support, a roster will be emailed out shortly. We kindly ask families to nominate where they can assist, with names finalised by the end of this term.

Your support is vital in ensuring our students have the best possible experience, and we thank you for your continued partnership.

Finally, we look forward to our whole school excursion next Wednesday. Please see the permission note regarding the early and late start to teh day, which will impact bus travellers. We hope to see families and friends on our last day of school for our Awards Assembly at 2:00 pm, with a special guest from the Bendigo Bank to hand out some awards. A reminder that school finishes at 2:20 pm.