Principal

Mr Wayne Smith

Dear Parents and Carers,

Staffing Appointments 2025

Following recent interviews Henrich Galam has accepted a teaching position at St Mary’s as from 2025. Henrich studied at ACU Melbourne (Bachelor of Teaching & Bachelor of Humanities) and since graduating in 2016 he has taught in Catholic Colleges at Del Salle College, Malvern; Whitefriars College, Donvale and currently at Siena College, Camberwell. Henrich's subject areas are English 7-12; 7-10 Humanities; Unit 1/2 Modern History; R&S; VCE English Language & Australian History. He also enjoys being a House Mentor and has experience in curriculum leadership. Henrich is looking forward to moving to Seymour or nearby.

Paul Grattan an experienced teacher and in VCE has accepted a position at St Mary's as from 2025. Paul has been teaching at Assumption College for 18 years and is highly regarded for his teaching skill and his collegial nature. Paul is excited to be a part of St Mary's returning to Year 12. He wants to be part of St Mary's and share in our journey for our students to be aspirational. Before teaching Paul had a successful Cabinet Making business in Seymour and there would be local business owners who did their apprenticeships under Paul. Paul is well known and a highly regarded member of the Seymour and local community. Paul's teaching areas are Product Design and Technologies; VCEVM (VCAL); Visual Communications & Design and RE.

We look forward to welcoming Henrich and Paul to St Mary’s.

St Mary’s Future Entrepreneurs

Our Year 6 classes are studying a topic, ‘Creating a Business.’ A few weeks ago, I met with Nash Webster and Jack Brook to listen to their ideas. As Nash and Jack explained Year 6’s plans we covered the whiteboard in my office with dot points on the Learning Intentions and Success Criteria……………the why – the how – the outcomes.

-Some background from Year 6 Teacher & Primary NumeracyLeader Mrs Grant-

Year 6 has been working in groups to create a business. Within the topic, we have studied needs vs wants, services vs goods, costs (including ethical costs) and how to be an entrepreneur. The children have followed an immersive curriculum to get them excited and ready for their business ventures:

1. After learning the initial theory, they worked within small groups (2-4s) to create a business plan, considering the feasibility of their business, direct competition, target audience, price, initial startup cost and profit.

2. Year 6 parents have been given pre-warning and have been explained how initial costs will work.

3. Allocated a budget, get receipts & be reimbursed from their profit (like a normal business).

4. Students worked with Miss Jade to create logos & websites to advertise their businesses.

5. They have learned techniques used to persuade people, analysing adverts and their effectiveness, and writing sample adverts for products/businesses they have invented.

6. Children have allocated specific roles within their groups and confirmed these with parents.

7. They have confirmed they can get the stock to start, and parents are happy to support this.

8. Children will set up their business in their groups. This will take 15 minutes per day.

9. Their stalls will run at the beginning of lunch. Children have decided (with adult support) where to set up their stalls to prevent too many children in one area as well as their target audience.

10. The 'accountant' for each group will count the money after lunch. This will be added to the tracker to evaluate profit/loss, etc. and evaluate the success of our business week.

Congratulations Year 6 at last count Year 6 had turned over near $3000 and minus costs will have the funds to purchase seating at the gaga pit. Better still, the experiential learning from the start to the end will live long in the student’s memories. Thank you to Mrs Grant, Mr Falls and Mrs Holt………………. fantastic teaching and hands on learning for our senior primary students.

The new workplace ‘right to disconnect’ for workplaces is a sensible move for Australia. I heard once, ‘other countries work to live, in Australia we live to work.’ There may be a lot of truth in that view. Our St Mary’s staff already have in place, we do not send emails to staff after 6.00pm unless it is absolutely necessary. Working in a school environment can be all consuming and the importance of switching off must never be underestimated. The same would apply for parents who have their own businesses, switching off can be very difficult because the demand to give instant communication and or be present is often unrealistic.

All principals are reviewed during the time of their contract. My contract as Principal of St Mary’s College began in 2019. At the end of my contract, I may/will be considered past the used by date. The review was conducted and led by MACS. The panel for my review was Teresa Lincoln, Senior Manager School Leadership and Christopher Houlihan recently retired Executive Officer of Mercy Education. All staff were confidentially surveyed, a number of staff and parents met face to face or via a phone call with Teresa or Christopher. There were also student leaders who met with the panel.

Back in 2000 when I was appointed to my first principalship I was asked by Bishop Pat Power to look for a creed, a statement that I would endeavour to live by. For the past 24 years, that creed still drives me forward each morning when I enter the High Street gates. Leadership is vision, service, empowering others to lead and showing courage when difficult decisions are required. Leadership is also standing on the shoulders of those who have gone before us, especially the early founders who sacrificed so much to bring Catholic education to rural Australia. I have always taken the view that in leadership you are only as good as your last week. ‘That as soon as you receive a pat on the back, watch out for an uppercut.’ In other words, never get full of yourself. A Step Along the Way, the prayer for Saint Oscar Romero who led the Catholic Church during the volatile years of military rule and brutality in El Salvador keeps me grounded.

A Step Along the way

It helps, now and then, to step back and take the long view.

The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is beyond our vision. . . .

This is what we are about: We plant seeds that one day will grow.

We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.

We lay foundations that will need further development.

We provide yeast that produces effects beyond our capabilities.

We cannot do everything and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.

This enables us to do something, and to do it well.

It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for God' s grace to enter and to do the rest.

We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker.

We are workers, not master builders, ministers, not messiahs. We are prophets of a future not our own. Amen.