From Our Principal

Newsletter ~ Term 3, Week 6, 2026

Principal's Message:

Dear Parents, Carers, Families and Friends of St Mel’s Primary School,

Yesterday our school received another visit from one the Classroom Mastery Coaching Team, who have been supporting our school's introduction and  implementation of the Classroom Routines which underpin our calm, predictable and focussed learning environments.

These coaches have been supporting our school Executive Leadership Team (Di, Danae and I) , in turn, support our teachers and Learning Support Staff implement these important routines which enable our Staff Team to create and maintain learning environments conducive to enhancing learning, development and growth of our students.

I am extremely pleased with the feedback from our Classroom Mastery Coach, after another round of observing our teachers and students in action, in classrooms, engaged in our MAGNIFY low variance, knowledge rich curriculum. As an important element of our St Mel's Framework for Positive Behaviour, these Classroom Mastery routines and teacher skills are being implemented with fidelity in classrooms and greater alignment across our school. I commend our Staff Team on their dedication to our students and their continued improvements in growth as learners and members of our community.

Magnify Sandhurst' 

Every Student - Every Teacher - Every School - Every Day!

Farewell and Thankyou Fr Ronald:

Unexpected news earlier this week with the announcement of Fr Ronald Masilang's return to the Philippines at the end of next week. Fr. Ronald who was formally appointed Parish Priest of St Mel's last year and in the months following, Parish Priest and Administrator of our local FIVE parishes and SEVEN schools, and after much reflection and contemplation, has answered another calling in priestly ministry.

Fr Ronald has been a wonderful supporter of our school community and we are sad to see him leave us. Bishop Rene Ramirez RCJ, confirmed Fr Ronald's news in a letter to our parishes at the beginning of this week and is seeking a new Parish Priest for our local area. Our combined parishes will continue to be ministered to by our team of Rogationist priests (Frs Ruel and Addin), Fr John Paul and priests from the Rogationist community serving the Madestone Parish.

We look forward to expressing our gratitude to Fr Ronald next week, prior to his last Mass in St Mel's Parish at 9:30am on Sunday 30 August. I encourage members of our school community to come along and celebrate the Eucharist with Fr Ronald as he prepares to bid us farewell.

2027 Foundation Enrolments:

We are approaching capacity for Foundation enrolments for the 2027 school year with new enrolments this week. 

Families still yet to present for enrolment and/or complete the required documentation are reminded to do so by completing ONLINE enrolment forms via our school website now:

www.smshepparton.catholic.edu.au

2027 St Mel's Kinder Enrolments: [REPEAT]

Parents and carers with children to commence at St Mel's Kindergarten are advised to enrol now for next year. Independently judged as best local kindergarten, the St Mel's Kindergarten offers a wonderful early years program for pre-school children. Places will fill quickly and parents and carers are advised to contact Kinder Enrolment Officer Leah via:

                    Phone: 0439 336 014

                    Email: scececenrolment@ceosand.catholic.edu.au

                    Website: www.stmelskindergarten.weebly.com

Bullying! No Way!! Day!!!

Our students have been focussing on bullying, bullying behaviour and pro-resilience strategies in age appropriate ways across this special week devoted to discouraging and preventing bullying in our nation's schools. Of course, as part of our ongoing implementation of St Mel's Framework for Positive Behaviour, these themes are woven into our curriculum and school-wide practices. Our three School-Wide Expectations: 'Do Your Best, Help Others Succeed and Respect Our School' are continually referred to across the school day, week, term and year.

Book Week 2027 ~ 'A Symphony of Stories'

What a wonderful celebration of books, literacy, stories, creativity and language with the annual Book Week focus now here!

Monday and Tuesday of next week, our students will enjoy online presentations in their Learning Suites as part of this special week.

Our Book Fair will be operating from our wonderfully decorated and arranged library, with Maria Makin, working her wonderful Book Week magic again this year. Times will be announced when students, parents, carers and parishioners can visit the Book Fair and purchase from a large range of quality books. A percentage of the sales enables Maria to re-stock our library with more books for children to borrow when they visit the library each week.

On Friday 28 August our children, Staff Team, parents, carers and even parishioners, if they wish (!) can come dressed in the theme 'Symphony of Stories' or as book characters.

             8:30am Just like in 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' our GATES OPEN!

             9:00am Book Parade around the basketball court (or in our Hall if needed!)

Parents, carers, parishioners, brothers and sisters are MOST welcome to join us for the parade and to also dress in the theme! We look forward to the great excitement of the 2026 Book Parade Day!

ORIMA School Improvement Annual Survey:

These surveys have gone out to a cross section of parents and carers this week as part of our continual school improvement agenda. Feedback from our broader community is most welcome as part o fthis annual survey period. In addition to our parents and carers, children from Year 4 to Year 6 will be surveyed during class sessions and our Staff Team surveyed across a number of areas of school life. 

For the past three years we have analysed the survey feedback at School Advisory Council and Staff meetings, using the feedback as part of our Strategic and Annual goal setting for ongoing school renewal and improvement. As a multifaith, multicultural Catholic school community we are seeking a cross section of responses from our school community.

If you have received a survey please complete it promptly to provide our School Advisory Council, Executive Leadership Team and Staff Team important feedback in relation to our school community.

Friends Ingniting Reconciliation through Education (F.I.R.E.)

As an important continuing focus on Aboriginal Perspectives in our curriculum and school culture, our Year 5 students recently participated in a F.I.R.E. Carrier Workshop to learn more about this initiative of Aboriginal Catholic Ministry operating within our Catholic Education Sandhurst schools and colleges.

F.I.R.E. Carrier students and staff commit to continuing to promote reconciliation within our classrooms, school community and broader community. In effect, they champion the continued respectful learning in, and promotion of, our nations rich Aboriginal culture, lore, languages, history, tradition and story.

In term Four our next cohort of F.I.R.E. Carriers will be commissioned in a special whole school gathering at 2:30pm on 14 September.

Staff Cultural Learning Day (School Closure Day) - Advanced Notice:

Plans are currently underway for our next staff professional learning day to occur on Monday 5 October (first day of Term 4). Our Staff Team will travel to the recently opened Dharnya Centre in the Barmah Forest to deepen our knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal culture, tradition, story, history and truth telling. A significant part of the focus of the day will be background in relation to the 'Cummeragunja Walk Off' and journey of poorly treated Aboriginal families at 'Cummeragunja Mission' to resettle on the river flats between Shepparton and Mooroopna. This is a most significant and important local historical series of events which underpins so many individual family stories and our local community. Our school will be closed on this day, with St Mel's Uniting Outside School Hours Care operating from our OSHC room and hall.

Staffing Update

• The 'Winter Illness Season' has continued with members of our Staff Team (and a great number of students) experiencing illness. We also have some longer term continuing illness in members of staff which we have coninued to manage with the teaching support of part time staff, leadership staff and Classroom Relief Teachers (CRTs). Looking forward to the approaching season of Spring!

St Mel's Uniting Outside School Hours Care - Vacation, Student Free Days and Before School Care: 

NOTE: Registering your child/children in St Mel's Uniting Outside School Hours Care can take up to a week to process, given the documentation required.

Parents and carers are recommended to register NOW if there is a possibility of using this service at any time this year. Once registered, children are booked in via the registration app.

Parents and carers seeking more information or wishing to register children for Vacation Care are directed to contact Uniting Vic Tas directly by:

             Phone: 1800 183 103

             Email: earlylearning@unitingvictas.org.au

St. Mel's Uniting School Holiday Care:

The St Mel's Uniting Outside School Hours Care service offers an exciting and interesting program for the school holidays. Students can be booked in from one day through to all days of the program. Further program information will be available closer to the next holidays.

School Dates:

Please check the Upcoming Dates & Events section of the newsletter regularly.

Did you know? ~