Principal Announcements

Celebrating the End of Term 3

As we come to the end of another wonderful term, it is a great opportunity to pause and celebrate all that has been achieved throughout Term 3. It has been a busy and rewarding term filled with learning, growth, community events and many special moments across our school.

Now is the time to rest, recharge and rejuvenate. Term 4 is always a busy one as we bring the school year to a close, celebrate the achievements of our students and begin the many preparations for 2027. Before we launch into all that lies ahead, I encourage our students, families and staff to take some time to slow down, enjoy one another and make the most of the holidays.

“Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax.”— Mark Black

Thank you to our students, staff and families for another fantastic term. I hope the holidays provide everyone with the opportunity to rest, reconnect and return refreshed and ready for our final term together.

Welcoming Meg to Prep

We are delighted to congratulate Meg Mulraney, who will be taking on the role of our second Prep teacher from the beginning of Term 4.

Meg is a very well-known and valued member of our St Mary’s community. Over recent years, she has supported many of our classrooms, regularly stepping in to cover classes while teachers undertake their leadership release time. Her knowledge of our students, our school routines and our community, along with her warm and caring approach, makes her a wonderful addition to our Prep team.

We are excited to see Meg take on this new opportunity and know that she will bring enthusiasm, care and a strong commitment to our youngest learners. Please join us in congratulating Meg and wishing her all the very best as she begins this exciting new chapter in Term 4.

Terrific Kids – Term 3

Congratulations to our Terrific Kids for Term 3, who were recognised at this week’s assembly through the Kiwanis Terrific Kids Program.

We are delighted to congratulate Jaxon Torney-Keating, Evie Collins and Michal Zausa on receiving this award. Each of these students consistently demonstrates positive qualities and makes a wonderful contribution to our school community.

A special thank you to Peter from Kiwanis for joining us at assembly and presenting these awards. We greatly appreciate Kiwanis’ ongoing support of our students and the encouragement they provide to recognise and celebrate the wonderful young people in our school.

Well done, Jaxon, Evie and Michal!

Young Picasso 2026 Art Competition Winners!

Congratulations to Seth Bartlett and Ellis Howard on their wonderful achievements in the recent Young Picasso 2026 Art Competition!

It was a fantastic accomplishment to have their artworks selected for display at Scott’s Uniting Church on Fryers Street, Shepparton, alongside the creative work of other talented young artists from across the region.

We are incredibly proud of Seth and Ellis for sharing their creativity, imagination and artistic talent. What a wonderful achievement and a great opportunity to have their artwork celebrated by the wider community.

Well done, to all of the students for their entries! We look forward to seeing where your artistic talents take you next!

Supporting Charlotte’s Fundraising

We would also like to acknowledge the wonderful efforts of Charlotte Ryan, who is raising money to support cancer research while also donating her hair to Wigs for Kids. This is an incredibly generous act that demonstrates compassion and a desire to make a difference to others. If you are able to support Charlotte’s fundraising efforts, please use the QR code provided in the newsletter to make a donation. We are very proud of Charlotte for using her actions to help others.

Learning Support Appreciation Week

During Week 8, we celebrated Learning Support Appreciation Week, taking the opportunity to recognise and thank our wonderful Learning Support Officers for the important work they do each day. Our LSOs play such a valuable role in supporting our students and teachers, and we are very grateful for their care, commitment and contribution to our school. We celebrated together on Friday with some delicious donuts – a small gesture of our appreciation for all that they do.

R U OK? Day – Thursday 10th September 

We also recognised R U OK? Day as a staff community, enjoying some special cupcakes together while highlighting the importance of checking in with one another and asking the simple but important question, “Are you okay?” It was a lovely opportunity to pause, connect and remind ourselves of the importance of looking after the wellbeing of those around us.

New Website

Visit our new online home!

We were excited to launch our new school website, designed to make it easier than ever to access important information, stay up to date with news and events, and connect with our school community.

Explore the new site and enjoy a more streamlined, user-friendly experience for families, students and visitors.

Find information faster. Stay connected longer.

Visit Home - St Mary's Primary School, Mooroopna

Honouring Our Past, Inspiring Our Present and Building Our Future

Celebrating Our St. Mary’s Alumni

Our Alumni Visits have continued this term at each assembly, providing students with a wonderful opportunity to hear from former St. Mary’s students who have gone on to achieve success in a variety of fields.

A heartfelt thank you to Kath Treacy for sharing her wonderful St. Mary’s story as part of our 90 Years of St. Mary’s celebrations at week 9’s assembly. Kath took us back to the days of our school from 1972 to 2008 when she was a teacher. She recalled teaching some of our current parents and staff and how she loved coming to school every day. Kath proudly showed her school badge and the lanyard that she wore.

These personal memories provide a beautiful glimpse into the history of St. Mary’s and remind us of the many traditions, experiences and special moments that have connected generations of our school community. We are very grateful to Kath for helping us Let Our Light Shine through these treasured memories.

St. Mary’s School Advisory Council

Our St. Mary’s School Advisory Council provides a wonderful opportunity for parents and carers to become actively involved in the life of our school and contribute to the ongoing growth and development of our community. The Council works in partnership with school leadership to support the vision, values and future direction of St. Mary’s.

Meetings are held once or twice each term, usually on a Tuesday evening at 7:30pm, and generally run for approximately one hour.

Our next Annual General Meeting (AGM) to vote in new Council members and roles will be held on Tuesday 8th December at 6:00pm. We warmly encourage any parents or carers who are interested in becoming involved to consider joining the Advisory Council.

If you would like more information, please speak with myself, Catherine Dyke, or our current Advisory Council President, Michael De Maria. We would be delighted to discuss what is involved and how you can contribute to supporting our wonderful St. Mary’s community.

2027 Family Intentions

A reminder to families to please complete the 2027 Family Intentions Form recently sent by the Office. The information provided is important in helping us plan our 2027 class structures, staffing and overall school planning.

We kindly ask all families to complete and return the form as soon as possible. Thank you for your assistance in helping us prepare for another successful year at St Mary’s.

2027 Enrolments

📢 For 2027 Enrolments or enquiries, please contact the school office for further assistance. Phone 58252858 or email office@smmooroopna.catholic.edu.au

St. Mary’s Bingo

We are currently seeking support for St. Mary’s Bingo, which generally involves attending on a Saturday evening once a term. With numbers being quite short again at the moment, your help would be invaluable!

Bingo is a wonderful way to connect with our school community while raising funds that directly support student learning and school initiatives. We are incredibly grateful for the regular donations from Bingo which make a significant contribution to the learning, opportunities and growth of our St. Mary’s community.

If you are able to volunteer your time and be part of this valued community group, we would love to hear from you. For more information on how you can get involved, please contact Maree Williams on 0438 084 364.

Thank you for your consideration and ongoing support — every contribution makes a big difference!

St. Mary’s 90 Years Production – From Humble Beginnings – Let Your Light Shine

PLEASE NOTE DATE CHANGE

This year we are having a School Production on Wednesday 25th November. 

Seat bookings are now open and can be made at no cost via the link below. Families can book up to 3 tickets at one timeslot, any unallocated seats will be opened to all families 2 weeks prior to the production. 

https://www.trybooking.com/DLWKO

Gold coin is encouraged upon entry at the event.

Please read the parent/guardian letter sent at the end of term 1 for all the exciting details to celebrate our 90 years. 

Before School Supervision

Please note - all students who arrive at school prior to 8:30am must fill out an application via the link below. 

Before School Supervision

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.

Principal’s Awards

7th Setember – Phoebe Considine

Congratulations to Phoebe, this week’s Principal’s Award recipient! Mia has settled back into St Mary’s beautifully, showing care and kindness towards others. She is also a respectful, quiet and polite learner who consistently helps make our school a safe, welcoming and inclusive place for everyone. Well done, Pheobe!

14th September – Viraaj Gill

This week’s Principal’s Award goes to a student who always shows kindness, respect and responsibility in everything he does. You are always willing to help others and offer assistance, making you a wonderful role model and a valued member of our school community. Great work, Viraaj!

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.

Ms V’s Inspirations

“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.”— Anne Lamott

“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water is hardly a waste of time.”— John Lubbock

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