Principal's News

Term 3, Week 3

It is hard to believe we are already in Week 3 of the term! Time certainly flies when our students are so engaged in learning and the many opportunities school life provides.

This week we are looking forward to our Parent-Teacher Interviews, which will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday. Each interview is scheduled for 10 minutes, so we kindly ask families to arrive on time to ensure every parent has the opportunity to meet with their child's teacher as planned.

These interviews are a valuable opportunity to discuss your child's Semester 1 report, celebrate their achievements, and share an update on both their academic progress and social and emotional growth. Strong partnerships between home and school are an important part of supporting every child to thrive, and we appreciate you taking the time to meet with our teachers.

We look forward to seeing many of you over the next two afternoons.

Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL): Showing Respect Through Our Words 

At St Mary's, one of our core Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) values is Respect. Respect is more than simply being polite—it is about the way we speak to and treat others every day. This is a skill that will help every person in our community be a part of the wider Hastings, Mornington Peninsula and World communities.

Throughout this term, our students are learning that respectful language helps to build positive relationships, create a safe learning environment, and ensure everyone feels valued and heard. This includes speaking kindly to classmates, using good manners, listening when others are talking, and choosing words that encourage rather than hurt.

An important part of showing respect is the way we speak to adults. Whether talking to teachers, support staff, volunteers or family members, we encourage students to use a calm and respectful tone, respond politely, and avoid arguing or answering back. It is okay to disagree or feel frustrated, but we teach students that there are respectful ways to express their thoughts and feelings.

At school, we are explicitly teaching and modelling respectful communication by encouraging students to:

• Speak kindly and use courteous language such as "please", "thank you" and "excuse me".
• Listen when others are speaking without interrupting.
• Respond respectfully to instructions, even when they may not agree.
• Ask questions or express concerns in a calm and appropriate manner.
• Use words that solve problems rather than create conflict.

As a school, we have zero tolerance for disrespectful or defiant behaviour towards staff. While we understand that children can become frustrated or dysregulated, speaking disrespectfully, answering back, refusing reasonable instructions or engaging in defiant behaviour towards adults is not acceptable and does not align with our school values.

When these behaviours occur, families will be contacted so that we can work together to support the student in making more appropriate choices. If a pattern of repeated defiance or disrespect towards staff continues, parents or carers may be asked to collect their child from school. This consequence is intended to reinforce the seriousness of respectful behaviour and allows the student time to reflect and reset before returning to learning.

We greatly appreciate the support of our families in reinforcing these expectations at home. When children receive consistent messages about respectful communication and appropriate ways to express disagreement, they develop the confidence, resilience and social skills needed to thrive both at school and in the wider community.

Together, we can continue to build a culture where every member of our St Mary's community feels respected, valued and safe.

Congratulations, Ethan!

A huge congratulations to Ethan M, who proudly

represented St Mary's at the State Cross Country Championships. Reaching the state level is an outstanding achievement and reflects Ethan's dedication, perseverance and commitment to his training.

We are incredibly proud of the way Ethan represented both himself and our school. Ethan's running journey continues, as he has now been selected to represent the Westernport Little Athletics team at the Australian Cross Country Championships in Ballarat later this year. This is an incredible achievement, and we know he will represent his team, family and St Mary's with pride.

Congratulations, Ethan, and best of luck at the Australian Championships! We will all be cheering you on.

Cheering on Alyssa Polites!

The St Mary's community is excited to cheer on one of our extended school family members, Alyssa Polites, daughter of Mrs Polites, as she competes in the track cycling events at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Representing Australia on the international stage is an incredible achievement, and we are so proud to have such an inspiring athlete connected to our school community. We wish Alyssa every success in her events and will be cheering her on all the way from Hastings. Make sure you look out for her on the TV!

We look forward to welcoming Alyssa back to St Mary's after the Games and hope she can visit our students to share her amazing experiences and inspire the next generation of athletes.