Principal's News

Dear Parents, Carers and Friends of St Brigid’s,

A Calm and Happy Start to 2026

The children have enjoyed a calm and happy start to 2026. Not even a full three weeks into the school year and it feels like we have been together forever! We sincerely thank our parents for supporting and preparing their children as they returned to — or began — school.

Our classrooms and learning areas are organised, clean and fresh, with bright and engaging displays. Thank you to our staff for maintaining such high standards and expectations while continuing to create caring and kind environments.

It has been wonderful to see the children coming together with such a strong sense of belonging and pride — pride in the way they learn, the way they listen, the way they present themselves and the care they take with their bookwork.

Get to Know You Meetings

Yesterday and today we held our Get to Know You meetings. These meetings continue to prove time well spent in forming positive relationships, easing back into school life and capturing where each student is in their learning journey — and where they need to go next.

At St Brigid’s, we continue to prioritise relationships, connection, kindness and giving our very best.

Year 6 Leaders

It will come as no surprise that our Year 6 students have hit the ground running, responding beautifully to the high expectations and responsibilities of senior leadership.

Our leadership groups have already written their first newsletter report, run the Welcome afternoon activities, met with their buddies, supported Box Club and Lego Club, assisted with school tours and will run our first assembly this Friday.

We look forward to watching our senior students continue to shine in the weeks ahead. May 2026 be a year filled with opportunities for our students and families to connect and for friendships to continue to grow.

Foundation

We have taken great joy in welcoming our 24 Foundation students to St Brigid’s. Each year our “Foundies” bring a delightful sense of excitement and enthusiasm to our community.

Our beautiful Foundation students have managed their first three weeks with calmness, confidence and an eagerness to embrace all that school life offers. The feedback from staff has been overwhelmingly positive — they have adjusted quickly and confidently.

Supported by Miss Eccles, Sigi and Erin, their readiness to embrace the full school experience has been exceptional.

Child Safe Standards – 11 Months, 11 Standards

Each month, all MACS schools will focus on one of the 11 Child Safe Standards. This includes staff professional learning and a parent letter outlining each standard.

This month we focus on Child Safe Standard 1: “Organisations establish a culturally safe environment in which the diverse and unique identities and experiences of Aboriginal children and young people are respected and valued.”

Please click here to read more about this standard.

Student Safety Online

As we begin a new school year, we would like to address a growing concern relating to large online group chats and the games children are accessing.

We know our students increasingly engage with technology and online communication. While we value the friendships within our community, we must also ensure these interactions promote inclusivity, kindness and respect.

Large group chats, particularly for younger children, often present significant challenges, including:

• Risk of cyberbullying
• Unkind or impulsive messages
• Pressure to constantly check and respond
• Feelings of anxiety or exclusion

At St Brigid’s, we are committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment where every student feels valued and connected. Large online chat groups can undermine these efforts, and for this reason, we do not endorse or encourage their creation. We ask families to help reinforce the importance of in-person friendships and open circles of connection.

We strongly encourage parents to actively monitor online interactions. In line with advice from the Australian eSafety Commissioner, please consider:

• Are you aware of what your child is posting?
• Have you discussed safe and responsible online behaviour?
• Is the group size manageable and inclusive?
• Are conversations respectful and aligned with your family values?
• Does your child understand what is safe to share online?
• Do they know how to manage and report negative experiences?

Safer Internet Day took place on Tuesday 10 February — a timely reminder for us all.

Please note:

• Children under 13 are not permitted to access social media platforms such as Facebook, Snapchat or TikTok.
• We also strongly encourage families to investigate the potential risks associated with platforms such as Roblox, particularly the behaviours reported in breakout rooms.

Inform and Empower

Our Inform and Empower Information Night will be held next Wednesday and will provide further insight into the risks associated with certain games and platforms. We strongly encourage families to register and attend this informative evening.

Thank you for working in partnership with us to nurture a community that is kind, inclusive and connected.

Places are filling quickly, so please register today using the link provided or the QR code on the flyer.

Prospective Parent Information Evening

Do you have friends or neighbours with children starting school in 2027 or 2028.  We are holding a Prospective Parent Information Evening on Wednesday 25 February at 7:00pm. All are welcome and we would love you to help us spread the word.  Feel free to share our advert on Instagram and Facebook.

Welcome Picnic

It was so lovely to see our students and families enjoying time together Friday afternoon at our Welcome Picnic. The weather was perfect. Thank you to our Sports Leaders and Miss Richards for organising the fun activities.  A BIG thank you to the TheirCare team for cooking 300 sausages - there were only a few left over!

Assembly

We are looking forward to Assemby tomorrow at 2:15pm in Brigid Hall.  At this Assembly we will be presenting our Year 6 Leadership Badges, Wellbeing Leader Badges, Foundation Buddy Bears, Aussie of the Month and the February St Brigid's Light the Way Awards.  All families are welcome to join us.

Foundation 2027  Enrolments

While we are enjoying welcoming our 2026 Foundation students, we are already receiving strong enrolment enquiries for Foundation 2027 and beyond.

All current families are required to submit a sibling application for 2027 prior to Friday 27 March 2026 to ensure placement in our 2027 Foundation intake.  Please see Tracey for an enrolment pack.

The enrolment application form can also be found on our website. 

To book a school tour, please register via our website - click here or contact Tracey or Fiona in the office. If the advertised tour times are not suitable, please call to arrange an alternative time.

School Advisory Council

Our SAC meetings will take place each term in Week 7. Our first meeting will be on Wednesday 11th March at 7.00pm - all welcome to attend.

Thank you again to Alex S (Juliette, Pip and Theo’s mum) for taking on the Chairperson role and Giselle (Ari’s Mum) for taking on the Fundraising role.

Father Michael Visits

We welcomed Fr Michael to school on Wednesday. He thoroughly enjoyed spending time with the children and they asked such interesting questions. 

Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday

Next week we begin the season of Lent.  On Tuesday we celebrate Shrove Tuesday otherwise known as Pancake Tuesday with all children being given a pancake with jam for morning tea.  Parents please make sure you have given permission for your children to have a pancake via the Nforma notification.  The following day is Ash Wednesday. Our Year 3 to Year 6 students will be walking to St Louis de Montfort Primary School to celebrate the Ash Wednesday Liturgy with Father Michael in the St Louis School Hall.  All families are welcome to join us.  The Liturgy will commence at 12 noon. Our Foundation to Year 2 students will celebrate Ash Wednesday with a Liturgy in Brigid Hall at 2:15pm.  Families are most welcome to join us.

Walking School Bus

Come and join us for the Walking School Bus, Christine and I walk each day (weather permitting) and we would love to see lots of children walk with us.

Medical Management Plans

Melbourne Archdiocese of Catholic School (MACS), have updated their Medical Management Policy. We are no longer permitted to adminster over the counter medications (Panadol, Neurofen, Claratyne, etc.), without a Medical Authority Form that is signed by a parent/carer and a Medical Practitioner or Pharmacist. If you require one of these forms, please let us know. If your child has regular medication please esure you return the paper work that was handed out at the end of last year. 

Feedback

This was a lovely piece of feedback from a Relief Teacher who worked for us last Friday.

Thanks for having me  Wendy, I had a lovely day! Those Year 6 kids who ran the rotations in the afternoon were fantastic. They all explained the activities so well and were great with the little kids. I was super impressed! 

Direct Debit Forms

Families are reminded to complete and return Fee direct debit forms at your earliest convenience.  If you have any  queries please contact our Finance Manager - Fiona Blair - finance@sbmord.catholic.edu.au.

Yours in partnership.

Wendy Sullivan

Principal