All are welcome to join our school P&F Committee. If you would like to be involved this year, come along to our next meeting of 2026. This will be held on Wednesday 18th March at 7pm in the library if you would like to join! Please meet at the school office. All most welcome! A link will be organised and released on the day for those who would like to join remotely.

Our main focus of this meeting will be on our school fair, taking place at the end of term one, on Friday 27th March.

If you are unable to attend our monthly meetings due to work or other commitments, please feel free to email and you will be added to the group so that you can contribute and stay connected.

Term 1 Student Special Lunch Day: Salad Roll/Wrap or Bowl

Date: Next Wednesday 18th March

Bring along: A gold coin donation for lunch and a reusable bowl (& spoon) or plate/container for your lunch.

Students will have the choice of lettuce, tomato, cucumber, carrot, cheese, egg, ham and mayonnaise.

Thank you to our parent helpers who are joining us on this day to help prepare and serve this special lunch!

Please note – if your child would prefer not to have this lunch, they can bring along their own packed lunch as per usual.

St Mary’s Community School Fair – Term 1 2026: Friday 27th March

It is getting closer! Final arrangements are being made behind the scenes.

A very big THANK YOU to all of those who were able to attend our meeting this week either in person or via zoom – it was a great turn out resulting in some wonderful collaborative planning – what a supportive and proactive community we have. It is shaping up to be a fabulous event indeed!

We need your help please - Volunteers Required To Help Run Stalls: Add your name to the stall shifts pages if you are able to give half an hour of your time (located in the school foyer).

All funds raised at our school fair will go towards resources and activities for our students!

A huge THANK YOU to local real estate agency PRD who are sponsoring all of our major attractions at the fair and helping promote our major fundraiser for this year.

We are so appreciative of your generous support of our school!

SEEKING DONATIONS: Please drop off any donations to the office that you may be able to contribute to help ensure the stalls are a success:

Grade F/1 Mystery Number Jars Stall – Jars of different sizes, items to go in jars for example, lollies, lego, stickers, beads for jewellery making, chocolates, easter eggs, stationary. This will be a guess the number in the jar activity stall with the correct guess/closest guess winning the jar!

Grade 2/3/4 Ice Cream Stall & Cupcake Stall – Ice cream tubs (vanilla), cones, icing, toppings, sprinkles, lollies, m&m’s or smarties.

Grade 5/6 Face Painting, Temporary Tattoos, Coloured Hair Spray and Lucky Dip Stall – face paint, stencils, temporary tattoos, coloured hair spray, lucky dip items eg, stationary, fidgets, card games, key rings etc.

Hand Made Items Stall - knitted items, hand made items

Accessories Stall – jewellery or hair accessories.

THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE WHO HAVE ALREADY DONATED ITEMS, OFFERED THEIR TIME TO WORK SHIFTS AND HELPED ORGANISE STALLS AND ATTRACTIONS! IT IS SHAPING UP TO BE AN AMAZING SCHOOL FAIR!

Our next meeting to discuss the school fair is taking place on Wednesday 18th March at 7pm in the library if you would like to join! Please meet at the school office. All most welcome! A link will be organised and released on the day for those who would like to join remotely.

Toast

Toast is available each morning from 8:30am until 8:45am for all students who would like some extra fuel before they begin the school day. Thank you to all of our wonderful volunteers who prepare and serve the toast each morning and to those who collect the bread as well as top up the supplies!

If you are available and would like to join the roster this year, please let me know via email or you can pass your name onto Krystal in the office. We require a Tuesday morning helper…If you are able to assist, your support will be greatly appreciated and will enable our students to access this service each day of the week!

THANK YOU to Baker’s Delight, Castlemaine for donating bread each week!

THANK YOU also to Castlemaine Fresh, our local fruit and vegetable store, who donate a box of fresh fruit per week to our school. Some will also be available if needed for those students who require it during the school day, particularly at fruit snack time in the mornings.

Easter Raffle

Raffle Tickets Due to office: Friday 27th March 2026

Raffle Drawn: Wednesday 1st April (last day of term one for students)

*Wrapping of Prizes: Monday 30th March after morning drop off – please meet at the school office if you would like to help! Thank you!

SEEKING: donations of any Easter themed items, edible or non-edible, to be made into prizes for our raffle. These can include chocolate eggs, chocolate, mugs, stationary, plush toys, art and craft etc and can be dropped off to the office – there is a basket for donations in the foyer. Thank you!

This is a great mini school-based fundraiser and a fun and joyful way to finish the term for our students!

Sushi Lunch Orders

Every Friday, students have the opportunity to have a sushi lunch order provided by Lunch Box Sushi Castlemaine. If you would like to organise this for your child/ren, please jump online to School lunch online to organise ordering. Orders need to be placed prior to 5pm each Thursday afternoon.

Second Hand Uniforms

Second hand uniforms are available from the school office should you require any. Please also donate any uniform items you may no longer need for others to use. Thank you! (New uniform items can be purchased from Hip Pocket Castlemaine).

Sensory Garden

A huge thank you to all those families who were involved in this project last year and this year! It was wonderful to have some families attend and assist at the working bee recently…the area is looking beautiful and it is a popular play space at break times.

Final sensory engaging accessories and finishing touches are being added this term!

St Mary’s Parents and Carers Catch Up

It was a lovely opportunity to gather together last Friday evening at the Five Flags Hotel to connect with some of our school community over a nice meal! Stay tuned for our term two catch up – details out early next term.

Parents of St Mary's Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/share/g/14Fws3874w/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Clare Grainger

P&F Committee President

c-majella@hotmail.com

St Mary's School, Castlemaine

Respect, Resilience, Responsibility

Term 1 Week 7 · 13 Mar 2026

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