Principal Announcements

End-of-Year Thanks and Christmas Blessings

As we come to the end of another wonderful year at St Mary’s, we extend our thanks to our students, staff, parents, guardians and the wider community for your support, partnership and commitment to our school. Together, we have shared a year filled with rich learning, meaningful community connections and strong relationship building, all of which continue to make St Mary’s a truly special place.

We wish everyone a restful and enjoyable break, and a blessed, very merry Christmas surrounded by family, joy and peace. We look forward to welcoming you back in 2026 and continuing our work together in the new year.

To our families who are leaving St Mary’s, we offer our warmest best wishes as your children begin their secondary school journey. May it be filled with growth, opportunity and success.

Congratulations to Catherine – Aedificare Leadership Graduate 

We are delighted to congratulate Catherine on successfully completing the Aedificare Leadership Program with the Sandhurst Diocese this year. This achievement reflects her dedication to professional growth and her commitment to strengthening her leadership within our school community. We are incredibly proud of Catherine and grateful for the skills, passion, and insight she brings to St Mary’s.

Grade 6 Graduation Celebration

This week, we proudly celebrated our Grade 6 students at their Graduation Celebration. It was a wonderful occasion that recognised their achievements, growth, and the special role they have played in our school community. We congratulate each of our graduates and wish them every success as they begin their secondary school journey.

A heartfelt thank you goes to all staff involved in preparing for this event. Your hard work ensured a meaningful and memorable celebration for our students and their families. We would especially like to acknowledge Tayla Junor for her outstanding effort, creativity, and dedication in bringing this event together.

Thank you for helping make this milestone so special for our students.

Grade 6 Reflection & Fun Day

Our Grade 6 students enjoyed a memorable Reflection and Fun Day on Wednesday, celebrating their primary school journey and the many milestones they have achieved. The day provided valuable time for students to look back on their growth, friendships and experiences at St Mary’s. A big thank you to the staff involved for organising meaningful reflection activities and creating such a positive, enjoyable day for our graduating class. It was a wonderful way to honour their final weeks of primary school.

Christmas Concert & Family BBQ

What a fantastic evening we shared on Wednesday at our Christmas Concert and Family BBQ at John Gray Oval. Families gathered to enjoy the festive atmosphere, coming together to watch the students shine in their end-of-year performances. The joy, excitement and community spirit were clear to see, and the warm weather made for a perfect celebration. Thank you to everyone who attended and helped make the night so special as we celebrated a wonderful 2025 school year.

Orientation Day – A Positive Step Toward 2026

On Tuesday 9th December, our students took part in Orientation Day, a wonderful opportunity for them to spend time in their 2026 learning spaces and meet the teachers who will guide them next year. The day was filled with curiosity, excitement and plenty of smiles as children explored new environments and connected with classmates. Orientation Day plays an important role in easing transitions, and it was fantastic to see students embracing the experience with confidence. We look forward to supporting each of them as they continue their learning journey into the new school year.

2026 Classes

We are excited to introduce the following dedicated and talented educators who will be leading our classrooms next year:

• Prep: Kym Cox; Georgia Gattuso
• Grade 1: Ann-Margaret Carroll; Katherine Mirabella
• Grade 2: Fiona Dowling; Angela Brown
• Grade 3/4: Jodi Cox; Carmel Hutchinson; David Maskell
• Grade 5: Jacqueline Mulraney; To be Confirmed (TBC)
• Grade 6: Tayla Junor; Courtney Bailey/TBC

We are farewelling Gary Woodward who is moving to St. Anne’s Kialla, and we also say goodbye to Jessica Clarke who has accepted a position at St. Augustine’s Kyabram. Susan Stanley has accepted a Learning Support Officer position at Notre Dame and Dan Menezes is finishing his year contract as a LSO. We thank them all for their dedicated service to St. Mary’s and wish them well in their new positions.

Learning Support Officer allocation to each of the classes will be shared once this is confirmed.

We appreciate your patience as we have worked diligently to finalise these arrangements. Our team has been committed to recruiting and placing the very best educators to support your children’s learning, growth, and development in the new year.

Master Plan Progress Update

We are pleased to share that our Master Plan development with B3 Architects is progressing well. Together, we are thoughtfully exploring and refining draft design options that will best support the future growth and learning needs of our school.

At this stage, our focus is on carefully considering a range of possibilities to ensure that the final design provides modern, flexible, and engaging learning spaces for our students and staff. These plans will help us continue to create an environment that reflects our school’s values and supports the vibrant learning culture at St Mary’s.

We look forward to sharing more details as we move toward the final design stage and to realising our vision for outstanding facilities that will benefit our entire school community for years to come.

Animal on School Grounds Policy

St. Mary’s School values the positive impact animals can have on learning and wellbeing but must also ensure the safety and comfort of all students and staff. Our new Animals on School Property Policy outlines clear expectations for when and how animals may be brought onto school grounds.

In general, pets are not permitted on school property unless approved by the Principal. Registered assistance or therapy animals, and approved educational visits, are welcome under specific conditions.

You can read the full policy at the link below: 

Student Safety at Afternoon Pick-Up

A reminder to all families that the front of the school is extremely busy at the end of the day with buses and other vehicles arriving for pick-up. For the safety of all students, please ensure children enter your car from the curbside rather than the roadside. Thank you for helping us keep our students safe during this busy time.

Principal’s Awards

1st December – Anesha Bhatti

We are delighted to announce this week’s Principal’s Award recipient, a student who consistently shines within our St Mary’s community. Anesha Bhatti has shown a wonderful willingness to help in the classroom, always ready to take on extra tasks with a positive attitude. Throughout the year, she has made great progress in her reading and writing, demonstrating that her dedication and hard work truly make a difference. Anesha is kind, friendly and respectful to all, greeting staff and peers with warmth every day.

Congratulations, Anesha, on this well-deserved recognition!

8th December – Lucca Polwarth

This week, we are pleased to congratulate Lucca Polwarth as the recipient of our Principal’s Award. Lucca consistently shows exceptional respect and kindness in all his interactions at school. Each time he visits the office, he greets staff warmly, addresses us politely, and always uses his manners.

Lucca’s thoughtful and courteous behaviour sets a wonderful example for others. 

We are very proud of him—well done, Lucca!

 Assembly 1st December

Assembly 8th December

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. Long term, this can have an effect on students' future outcomes.

End of 2025 School Dates

From Sandhurst Diocese advice, our last school days for 2025 for students and staff will be as follows:

• Friday 12th December – Last day for students
• Monday 15th December – Staff Planning/Professional Development Day (Student-Free)
• Tuesday 16th December – Staff Planning/Professional Development Day (Student-Free)
• Wednesday 17th December – Friday 19th December – School Closure Days

Before School Supervision

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

Before School Supervision

Ms V’s Inspirations

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 under trees… listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.”— John Lubbock

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