End of Term 3

Thank You and Happy Holidays!

As we come to the end of Term 3, I would like to extend a special thank you to all our staff, students, and families for your wonderful efforts and support. We have very successfully completed what has been a busy but short 9-week term, and I am so proud of everything we have achieved together.

Congratulations to our students for their hard work and growth, and to our staff for their dedication and care in ensuring St Mary’s continues to be a place where we all learn, grow, and shine.

This is our final newsletter for the term, and we wish everyone a safe, happy, and restful break. We look forward to welcoming you back for Term 4, filled with new learning, opportunities, and celebrations as we finish the year together.

Enjoy the holidays!

Child Protection Week

This year’s Child Protection Week theme is 'Every conversation matters: shifting conversation to action'.

At St. Mary’s, we are committed to creating safe, supportive spaces for children and young people. This Child Protection Week, we’re reminded that every conversation has the power to protect, encourage and heal. The documentary Seen - The Film is a moving reminder of how being truly present with our children – even for just a few minutes – can change their sense of safety and belonging. We encourage all parents and carers to watch Seen - The Film and reflect on how the simple act of listening can shape a child’s future. Together, let’s turn our conversations into lasting action.

https://seenthefilm.com/

Start the conversation - online safety at home

Launching a regular series for parents, this first flyer below helps families start regular chats about respectful online behaviour, privacy, app age restrictions and where to find trusted advice from the eSafety Commissioner.

Download flyer

Celebrating Creative Achievements

We are very proud to share the wonderful creative achievements of two of our students.

Theo Howard created a stunning piece of artwork that will feature in Andrew Chinn’s soon-to-be-released song “Litany of Saints.” His creativity and talent have shone through in this work, and we are so excited that his artwork will be shared so widely.

We also congratulate Madelyn Pearce for her thoughtful and well-written piece about Mary. Her ability to capture her ideas so beautifully in words is a real credit to her effort and skill.

Well done to Theo and Madelyn—you are both letting your light shine brightly through your creativity.

Congratulations to Our First Eucharist Candidates

Last weekend and this Sunday, our parish and school community come together to celebrate a very special milestone in the faith journey of our students. We warmly congratulate all of our First Eucharist candidates who receive Jesus in the Eucharist for the first time.

This is a beautiful occasion of prayer, joy, and reverence, made even more special by the support of families, staff, and parishioners who walk alongside the children in their preparation. We are so proud of the way our candidates have approached this sacrament with faith and commitment.

May this sacred moment continue to inspire them to grow in love, kindness, and discipleship as they share the light of Christ with others.

Congratulations Rose Earl, Madisyn Leask, Zara Vigliaturo, Alex Nioa, Sinno Roces, Zach Vigliaturo, Charlotte Salsone, Boston Ferrari, Charlie Walsh, Samuel Koum.

Congratulations to Our Netball Champions!

We are delighted to celebrate the outstanding achievement of five of our students – Sophie Church, Evie Lowe, Bella Walsh, Bella Nagle and Harlow Young – who recently played in the 13U Primary Mooroopna Cats Pink team.

The girls showed incredible teamwork and determination in the Grand Final, securing victory against Kyabram Gold with an impressive score of 29 – 17. Adding to the celebration, Sophie Church was awarded MVP of the Grand Final, while Evie Lowe was recognised with the Section 1 Best and Fairest Award.

Congratulations girls on your fantastic success – we are so proud of you!

Learning with Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath

Earlier this year, Sandhurst schools engaged in three days of professional learning with Educational Neuroscientist Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath, exploring the latest insights into how we learn and how modern technology impacts both adults and young people.

To extend this learning to families, Dr. Horvath has prepared three video sessions especially for Sandhurst parents and carers:

Stress, Tech and Sleep – understanding the role of stress, technology and sleep in learning and wellbeing.
Surviving Study – practical strategies to support memory, focus and effective study habits.
Brain Development – insights into brain growth, adolescence, and maintaining brain health.

Sessions 1 and 2 have now been shared with our community, and we are pleased to provide the link for Session 3: Brain Development. Parents and carers are invited to watch this final session at a time that best suits them.

Session 3 – A tour through your child’s brain (30 mins) https://vimeo.com/1102069365/c7ab744186A big thank you to Gary Woodward for coordinating these opportunities for the St. Mary’s community.

Father’s Day Celebrations

We hope all our families enjoyed a wonderful Father’s Day, celebrating and spending special time together. It was a joy to see the children selecting gifts for their dads and father figures at our Father’s Day Stall. A big thank you to our Parent & Friends Committee for their organisation and efforts in making this such a success.

We also extend our thanks to our Advisory Board for their planning and preparations for the Father’s Day Breakfast. It was a beautiful way to gather as a community and honour the important role fathers and father figures play in the lives of our students.

Foundation – Grade 2 Swimming Program

Well done to all our Foundation to Grade 2 students for their fantastic participation in last week’s swimming program. It was wonderful to see the children so enthusiastic and engaged as they developed their skills and confidence in the water.

A special thank you to our staff for their support and encouragement of the students throughout the week. This program provides such an important opportunity to build water safety skills, and we are proud of the way our students embraced the challenge.

New St. Mary’s Beanies and Scarves

We are excited to share that our St. Mary’s beanies and scarves have arrived – just in time to keep us warm during the final week of winter!

A big thank you to our Parents and Friends Committee for organising this wonderful initiative for our school community. Your efforts ensure our students and families can stay cosy while proudly showing their St. Mary’s spirit.

St. Mary’s Athletics Day – A Day to Remember!

What a fantastic day we had celebrating our St. Mary’s Athletics Day! Even the weather was on our side as students showcased their skills, spirit, and sportsmanship.

Congratulations to Archer House for their overall victory and to all our age champions for their outstanding achievements.

A big thank you to our staff for their support throughout the day, and a special mention to Troy for his excellent organisation and leadership in making the event run so smoothly.

Student participation across all year levels was exceptional, and the encouragement shown between peers was truly inspiring.

Thank you to everyone for helping our students “Let Their Light Shine!

ORIMA Survey - Student and Parent Involvement

The School Engagement Surveys comprise three separate surveys of senior school students, school staff, and families of students. Families will be selected at random. The surveys will be open to complete until Monday 15th September.

If you receive notification with the opportunity to participate, we would appreciate your time and effort in the survey completion. This feedback from the school community will inform us of possible directions for the future ensuring we continue to provide the best possible learning settings and outcomes.

Remember to let the office know once you have completed the survey so we can enter you into the raffle for a $50 K Mart voucher. Good luck and thank you to all!

Empowering Our Future Leaders – Student Leadership 2026

At St Mary’s, we are committed to nurturing leadership in all students. In 2026, we will introduce a refreshed student leadership structure that provides meaningful opportunities for senior students to lead with confidence, compassion and responsibility.

New leadership positions will include School Captains, Vice Captains, Faith and Justice Captains, and House Captains. These roles are designed to reflect our school values and give students a voice in shaping school life, from faith and service to house spirit and school representation. Our existing leadership groups will also continue to run.

To support this renewed focus, we will unveil a new whole-school leadership banner and formal House banners to celebrate our leadership culture and inspire students daily.

Applications closed last Friday, and we are currently shortlisting for interviews with the Grade 5 candidates.

We look forward to seeing our future leaders grow and shine in 2026!

Parking Safety Reminder

We kindly remind all families to please ensure you are parking safely and legally during school drop-off and pick-up times. A concerned community member has observed an increasing number of cars parking in non-designated areas and obstructing others who are doing the right thing.

This not only causes frustration but also creates significant safety risks for our students and families. Please:

Use only designated parking bays
Avoid parking in no-standing zones or driveways
Be patient and respectful during busy times

Thank you for your continued cooperation in helping to keep St. Mary’s a safe and welcoming environment for everyone.

Principal’s Awards

8th September – Isaac Lagana

This week’s Principal’s Award goes to Isaac Lagana for consistently demonstrating our PBIS and school-wide values of love, forgiveness, understanding, and respect.

Isaac has shown remarkable growth in his leadership this term, embracing new experiences and truly letting his light shine.

Well done, Isaac – we are very proud of your achievements!

Assembly 8th September

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 learning, but they also lose some previous learning. Long term, this can have an effect on students' future outcomes.

St. Mary’s Bingo

We are still seeking support for St. Mary's Bingo. This would generally involve your attendance on a Saturday evening once a term. With helper numbers being quite short at the moment, your help would be invaluable!

Bingo is a fantastic way to engage with our school community whilst raising funds for various programs.

For more information on how you can get involved, please contact Maree Williams on 0438 084 364.

Thank you for your consideration, your support makes a big difference!

End of 2025 School Dates

From Sandhurst Diocese advice, our last school days for 2025 for students and staff will be as follows:

Friday 12th December – Last day for students
Monday 15th December – Staff Planning/Professional Development Day (Student-Free)
Tuesday 16th December – Staff Planning/Professional Development Day (Student-Free)
Wednesday 17th December – Friday 19th December – School Closure Days

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

Ms V’s Inspirations

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” – Benjamin Franklin

“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” – William Butler Yeats

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

Prep / 1 / 2 Swimming