School News
MOTHER'S DAY VIDEO - If the video is unavailable, please see our Facebook page.
Welcome to new and old staff to St Mary's
We wish Ruby McLean all the best as she commences her three-week teaching placement at Maiden Gully next week. While Ruby is away, we’re fortunate to welcome both familiar and new faces to St Mary’s. Louise Murray, a well-known and experienced educator at our school, returns to support in a Learning Support Officer capacity and will also assist where needed. Louise previously worked as our Arts teacher and brings a wealth of knowledge and care to her role. We also welcome Declan Stevenson, who is in his first year of the Master's of Education. Declan will be supporting students in the classroom during Ruby’s absence.
Garden Progress
Our garden is thriving! Our students have loved caring for it, including watering during lunchtimes. We're also looking forward to cooking with the veggies we've grown.
We want to give a special thanks to Shane Maxwell for laying the foundations of the new fox-proof chook shed and Jamie Toogood for all his volunteer work to get this up and going over the holiday period
Please join us next Wednesday, the 14th of May, at 2:30 pm for our Garden Launch.
A special thank you to Narelle Bickford from Loddon Healthy
Understanding how our Brain works (INSERT PHOTO)
At the beginning of Term 2, our staff engaged in three days of rich professional learning through Catholic Education Sandhurst's (CESL) initiative, led by renowned education expert Dr Jared Cooney Horvath and leading educator Ollie Lovell.
A key part of our recent professional learning was understanding how the brain processes and stores information—and how this can be used to improve how children learn in the classroom.
Here are a few insights that are shaping our teaching:
🧠 Memory is Built Through Experience
The brain forms two main types of memory:
Episodic Memory: This is tied to personal experiences, like a specific lesson or moment that stands out.
Semantic Memory: This is factual knowledge (like maths facts or spelling rules), built by repeatedly recalling and connecting experiences over time.
To move learning from short-term to long-term memory, students need multiple exposures, opportunities to recall, and time to sleep and rest between learning sessions.
🔁 Repetition and Recall Are Essential
Every time we ask a student to recall what they’ve learned, the memory becomes stronger. That’s why regular review and brief practice over several days (rather than cramming) is far more effective for lasting learning.
⚠️ Stress Impacts Memory
A small amount of stress (like preparing for a test or performing in front of a group) can boost focus and performance. But ongoing or intense stress does the opposite—it can prevent the brain from storing new information. That’s why emotional safety, supportive relationships, and manageable challenges are key in our classrooms.
🎯 Attention Drives Learning
We only remember what we pay attention to. This means it’s vital for teachers to help students focus on the right things—using visuals, routines, breaks, and engaging storytelling to guide attention where it matters.
🧩 Making Mistakes Matters
When students make mistakes and receive timely, clear feedback, the brain recognises the error, reflects, and grows. This helps shift learning from performance (trying to be perfect) into growth (trying to improve). Creating a classroom where students feel safe to take risks is essential to this process.
