A Message from the Acting Assistant Principal

Lunchtime at St Martha’s

Lunchtime can be a mixed bag for students; while some look forward to it, others experience anxiety, especially when navigating the bustling chaos of the playground. 

To create a more inclusive and enjoyable experience for everyone at St Martha’s we have introduced an alternative passive play area. This space on the playground is designed to be a quiet, low-energy zone for calmness, relaxation, social connection, and sensory or imaginative engagement, rather than high-intensity physical activity.

What are the benefits for children;

• Emotional Regulation: Gives overstimulated or introverted children a safe place to decompress during loud or busy recess times.
• Inclusivity: Offers accessible, comfortable spaces for all children of varying needs who may find traditional active equipment challenging.

• Balanced Play: Complements active zones to support overall well-being and calmer transitions back into the classroom.

By offering this space, alongside other options like library club during the week, we strive to make lunchtimes a comfortable, joyful experience for every student. 

Book Week 2026

We have been thrilled to celebrate Book Week 2026 this week! Centred on this year's theme, Symphony of Stories, we reflect on how various characters, genres and styles intertwine like instruments in an orchestra to form the vibrant world of children's literature. Just like musical compositions, stories evoke many emotions—they can be calm or energetic, humorous or thoughtful, traditional or surprising—and express themselves through writing, speech, song, dance, drawing, or performance.

Throughout the week, our students have been actively involved in a variety of engaging storytelling sessions, classroom activities, and reading experiences. Monday's Book Week Parade was a highlight, as students arrived dressed as their favourite book characters. The playground came alive with vibrant costumes, cherished storybook figures, and happy smiles. We sincerely thank you for supporting the students in preparing for this special celebration.

Our Whole School Read Aloud yesterday offered a wonderful chance to foster K–6 collaboration. Students loved stepping into different classrooms, hearing a new story read by another teacher, and completing activities alongside peers from across the grades.

Today, our students took part in St Martha’s Great Book Swap. This event was designed to raise funds for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, while also encouraging a lifelong love of reading for pleasure, exposing students to a wide range of books, and instilling the importance of recycling. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the St Martha’s community for your generous support and donation. Together we raised $250 for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation. 

Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL)

As we reach the middle of the term, we continue to remind our students of the value of making positive daily choices and living out our school expectations: to be safe, responsible, and respectful. In particular we are reinforcing the importance of using our hands appropriately, engaging in safe and respectful interactions and using words to communicate and verbalise emotions and feelings. Students are encouraged to seek help from a teacher (on the playground or in the classroom) when needed in order for their concerns to be addressed appropriately. Working together as parents and educators, we can support our students to contribute to a safe and caring school community.

Our PBL focus for the next coming fortnight is: The Office

We encourage you to discuss the fortnightly focus with your child to help us reinforce the PBL message.

Chelsea McKeown

Acting Assistant Principal