Principal's Report

Prayer for the Faithful - St Patrick

Dear Parents and Carers

I have shared with you St Patrick’s prayer for the faithful as his feast day - 17 March will roll around before our next newsletter. As an O’Donnell I feel particularly connected to St Patrick and this year I am taking our Yr 6 liturgy leaders to celebrate Mass at the cathedral with Fr Pat.

This fortnight our kindergarten students have really settled into school life. The teachers have reported an increased sense of calm in the classrooms and on the playground that is optimal for learning. 

Yesterday we invited you and a number of new families into the school for the first of our Open Days and I was again reminded of the wonderful sense of community that exists at Saint Margaret Mary’s. Our school leaders were excellent guides as they expertly showcased the ‘little school with the big heart.’ We had students and teachers who stayed back at school until 6.00 pm to ensure working parents could still take a tour. We will open our gates again on Saturday from 9.30 - 12.00 and I am encouraged to see the increase in interest from last year's Open Days. Once again I remind you of the importance of ‘word of mouth’ testimonials and  recommendations and thank you for the support you provide in this space.

NAPLAN

Next week all students in Year 3 and Year 5 will be participating in the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy commonly referred to as NAPLAN. This week the school and the students have been preparing for the actual testing days and we are in great shape for next week's testing window. We will keep our Year 3 and 5 students in our prayers as NAPLAN results are important, however it’s equally important to remember, one test on one day will never fully capture what a child can or cannot do. For further details on the NAPLAN, please see Miss Frost’s Assistant Principal’s report.     

Family Mass

Thank you to our Kindergarten and Year 6 families who were able to attend our Term 1 Family Mass last Saturday night. I had the pleasure of meeting Fr Phil for the first time as he stayed back for a hotdog and a chat after Mass. Although our STMM parish is only small, I know the regular parishioners love the life the students breathe into the Church when we join them to celebrate the weekend Mass.

International Women's Day 

On Friday morning I hope to join our Year 6 girls at St Brigid’s Parish Hall for breakfast and a panel discussion facilitated by Dr Majorie O’Neill to celebrate four generations of inspirational women. If anyone is free and would like to join us details can be found here.   

I leave you this fortnight with the good news story of the Eastern Suburbs Roosters triumph in Las Vegas. Joey Manu was outstanding considering he really didn’t want to leave Sydney with the birth of his baby daughter only days before the match. 

The tricolours look set for a terrific 2024 season!