Principal's Update
Dear Parents and Carers,
This Saturday 1st November, we celebrate All Saints Day. On this day we remember all those who made significant contributions to the Church and society in God’s name.
Lord,
You have given the saints in Heaven eternal happiness and they now live in the fullness of Your glory. Thank You for the gift of their holy lives. During this time, we also remember family members and loved ones in our local parish and community who have passed and left behind wonderful, long lasting gifts and memories.
Amen.
Prep orientation sessions for 2026
Prep orientation sessions for our 2026 students will be held after school hours on Monday 17th November, Tuesday 18th November and Wednesday 19th November. Information has gone out informing you of which of these sessions you are invited to attend. The children will be back on the mornings of Wednesday 26th November and Tuesday 9th December.
Grade 6 Camp
On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 2 weeks ago, our Grade 6 students attended a camp in Melbourne. It was a great opportunity for the children to experience life in the city. They had a variety of educational experiences including history, art, sport, multi-culturalism and modes of transport around the city.
I was fortunate enough to attend the camp and share in all these wonderful experiences. I have to say that I was extremely proud of all the children in the way they behaved and conducted themselves throughout the camp. As parents you should be very proud of them also. They were very respectful and cooperative and did everything that was asked of them. Thanks to Jodie, Janelle, Jess and Katie for all the hard work they put into making it such a memorable experience for the children.
Learning Expo
Last night we held our Learning Expo at the school. It was a wonderful opportunity to put the amazing work our children have completed on display. It was great to see so many parents and grandparents attend. A big thank you to all staff, in particular Lynne Richardson who put so much time and effort into the preparation of the evening.
A big thank you also to Amy and Chris Cone for donating the temporary fencing from Colac Hire, which was used to display the children’s work around the school grounds.
New Staff Appointments
In 2026 we will have 2 new classroom teachers join the St. Mary’s family. Abbey Hayes from Colac and Bec Gallagher from Geelong will take on full time teaching positions. We look forward to Bec and Abbey joining the team.
Classroom teachers and other specialist positions will be announced in the coming weeks.
Welcome to our 2026 Prep parents
This week our 2026 Prep parents have been added to the mailing list and will be reading our Marian News for the first time. We have done this so new families can keep up to date with what is happening in this busy 4th term. On behalf of the St. Mary’s family we welcome you and look forward to having you join our school community in 2026.
A reminder that Monday November 3rd is a pupil free day and Tuesday is a public holiday
Enjoy the rest of your week.
Michael Mahoney
(Principal)