From the Principal
Hi all,
Welcome to the 2026 school year. The students have settled in wonderfully and we are looking forward to another great year of learning and fun.
I hope you all managed to have some rest over the break and your batteries are recharged and ready to go for another big year at school. I managed to get away for a few weeks, we went up to Cairns with my mum and my brother (and his family). It was a great few weeks after the business of Christmas and New Year.
Improvements around the school:
Over the break the school was still a hive of activity as we had lots of jobs going on. We had plumbers, electricians, carpet layers, door framers and so on. Lots of improvements which all look amazing. The major improvements include the new door in the office, the new surface on the small basketball courts and also new carpet in the upstairs classrooms. Big thanks to Mrs Hiosan, who was in and out of the school as tradies came and went.
STM Swimming Carnival:
I have sent a permission slip home for our STM Swimming Carnival. This event will be held at Belgrave Outdoor Pool on Friday, 13th of February. More information is provided in the permission form.
Any parents interested in helping on the day must hold a current Working With Children Check and a copy must be provided to the school office. Declan will then send these parents a copy of our Child Safety Induction.
Working Bee:
We will be holding our first Working Bee of the year on Saturday, 14th of February starting at 9:00am. Jane Morgan will be leading the day and will have lots of jobs set up for all to do. Families who attend a working bee will have $100 taken off there school fees via the Maintenance Levy.
Emergency Management:
Just a note for all parents, as per our Emergency Management Plan the school will be closed when the BOM list the Local Government Area of the Yarra Ranges is listed as Extreme or Catastrophic Fire conditions.
Drop off and Pick up Procedure:
NForma Parent Portal:
Please make sure you are on the Parent Portal and have updated all of the relevant medical information and emergency contacts. This app can be downloaded from the app store. The guides can be found in SchoolStream from late last year.
There are also a large number of families that have not updated medical information on the NForma Portal. This information has not crossed over from Operoo and will need to be done by parents / carers ASAP. Thanks you to the parents who have already done this!
Writing Assessments for Year 1-6 students:
Our school is using No More Marking, an online writing assessment program that helps teachers assess student writing more fairly and consistently.
As part of using this platform, limited student information is securely stored on the digital platform. This includes:
- Student name
- Date of birth
- Year level/grade
Gender
The platform also stores digital copies of students’ writing, so teachers can review progress over time and compare work against age-appropriate standards. No More Marking is widely used by schools and follows strict data protection and privacy requirements. Student information is used only for assessment and reporting purposes and is not shared for marketing or non-educational use.
If families would like more information about the program or how student data is protected, please contact our Deputy Principal, Danielle George, on 9754 4444 or via email dgeorge@smbelgrave.catholic.edu.au
School Contacts:
Declan McDermott - Principal - dmcdermott@smbelgrave.catholic.edu.au
Danielle George - Deputy Principal - dgeorge@smbelgrave.catholic.edu.au
Marcia Janky - School Leader, Year 3/4 Teacher - marcia@smbelgrave.catholic.edu.au
Emily Biddle - Year 3/4 Teacher - ebiddle@smbelgrave.catholic.edu.au
Belinda Saville - School Leader, Year 4/5 Teacher - bsaville@smbelgrave.catholic.edu.au
Donna Anderton - School Leader and Art Teacher - danderton@smbelgrave.catholic.edu.au
Jess Jones - Year 6 Teacher - jjones@smbelgrave.catholic.edu.au
Katherine McLoughlin - Year 3/4 & 6 Teacher - kmcloughlin@smbelgrave.catholic.edu.au
Grace Hiosan - Year 2 Teacher - ghiosan@smbelgrave.catholic.edu.au
Joanne Piaser - Prep/1 Teacher - jpiaser@smbelgrave.catholic.edu.au
Jeanette Wicks - Sport and Performing Arts Teacher - jwicks@smbelgrave.catholic.edu.au
Kaori Bawden - Japanese Teacher - kbawden@smbelgrave.catholic.edu.au
Tarnia Hiosan - Office Admin - office@smbelgrave.catholic.edu.au
Declan McDermott
Principal
