Principal Announcements

Staffing Update

Congratulations to Gary Woodward

We are delighted to congratulate Gary on his appointment to a Wellbeing role at St Anne’s, commencing in 2026. While Gary will be greatly missed at St Mary’s, we are excited for him as he takes on this new opportunity. Recruitment is currently underway for a new Wellbeing Leader to continue the important work in this area. We thank Gary for his dedication and wish him every success in his new role.

Congratulations to Josh Harrison

We are pleased to share that Josh Harrison has expanded his role to include ICT Coordinator and Learning Diversity Administration. Over the coming weeks, Josh will be shadowing Ann-Margaret Carroll and will officially take up the role in Term 4.

We take this opportunity to sincerely thank Ann-Margaret for her tireless efforts in the ICT role, balancing this alongside the significant demands of Religious Education leadership and classroom teaching. Her commitment and dedication have been greatly appreciated.

Farewell Elaine Crittenden 

We would like to sincerely thank Elaine Crittenden for her valuable contribution in supporting our students with literacy intervention this year. Elaine has worked closely with students in the MacqLit program, and her dedication and care have been greatly appreciated by both staff and students. We wish Elaine every success and happiness in the future. We are also actively working to find a suitable replacement so that the great support and intervention work already underway can continue.

Best Wishes to Coby

We thank Coby for her wonderful work with both our Prep and senior classes this year. As she now begins her maternity leave, we wish her all the very best for this exciting new chapter and every happiness for the future. We look forward to lots of visits and cuddles!

Positions Vacant

An exciting opportunity exists for a Fulltime Ongoing Wellbeing Leader and Generalist Primary Teacher to join our positive, supportive and close-knit school environment. Position will commence in 2026. 

Learning Support Officer/MultiLit Support - Part Time

This position will support the Teaching Staff with the MultiLit program and help foster a positive learning environment, whilst inspiring students to reach their full potential. Position will commence in Term 4 or earlier as negotiated.

Assistant Maintenance Officer

This position will support the Maintenance Manager in ensuring the school grounds and facilities are well-maintained, safe, and clean for students, staff, and visitors. This role involves general maintenance tasks, cleaning, and gardening to uphold the school’s high standards of presentation and safety.

Position will commence in Term 4 or earlier as negotiated.

If you meet the criteria and interested in any of the above positions, or know of anyone who may be, please visit the following website link and search 'Mooroopna'

Careers | Catholic Education Sandhurst

100 Days of Prep Celebration

Congratulations to our Prep students on reaching the wonderful milestone of 100 days of learning! The enthusiasm and excitement shown throughout the celebrations was outstanding. The children’s costumes were a delight, bringing plenty of colour and joy to the day. Classrooms were filled with engaging activities that made the occasion a real treat for all involved.

A special thank you to Kym and Georgia for their wonderful organisation and creativity in planning such a memorable day for our youngest learners. 

Well done, Preps—we are very proud of you!

Classroom Mastery Visit – Thursday 21st August and MultiLit Visit – Tuesday 26th August

Recently, we welcomed specialist educators and coaches from Catholic Education Sandhurst (CESL) who visited our school to observe and provide feedback on a number of important programs. Their focus included the implementation of MultiLit and literacy intervention programs in Prep to Grade 2, as well as the new Classroom Mastery Routines being introduced across the school.

These routines are designed to create calmer classrooms and to maximise safety and wellbeing for both students and staff. The feedback provided was very positive and will continue to guide us in strengthening our teaching and learning practices.

Book Week Parade – Book Your Adventure 

A big thank you to all our students for their wonderful participation in the Book Week Parade. It was fantastic to see so many creative and inspiring costumes that brought favourite characters and stories to life. Your enthusiasm made the event a real celebration of reading and imagination.

We also extend our thanks to Phil Crowe for ensuring the library steps were beautifully decorated in time for our celebrations, adding a special touch to the day.

ORIMA Survey - Student and Parent Involvement

The School Engagement Surveys comprise three separate surveys of senior school students, school staff, and families of students. Families will be selected at random. The surveys will be open to complete anytime between Monday 18th August and Monday 15th September.

If you receive notification with the opportunity to participate, we would appreciate your time and effort in the survey completion. This feedback from the school community will inform us of possible directions for the future ensuring we continue to provide the best possible learning settings and outcomes.

Remember to let the office know once you have completed the survey so we can enter you into the raffle for a $50 K Mart voucher. Good luck and thank you to all!

Learning with Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath

Earlier this year, Sandhurst schools engaged in three days of professional learning with Educational Neuroscientist, Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath, exploring the latest insights into how we learn and how modern technology impacts both adults and young people.

To extend this learning to families, Dr. Horvath has prepared three video sessions especially for Sandhurst parents and carers:

1. Stress, Tech and Sleep – understanding the role of stress, technology and sleep in learning and wellbeing.
2. Surviving Study – practical strategies to support memory, focus and effective study habits.
3. Brain Development – insights into brain growth, adolescence, and maintaining brain health

We encourage you to access these informative and helpful sessions. All dates, times and links for the sessions are in the following letter. 

Thanks to Gary Woodward for coordinating these opportunities for the St. Mary’s community over the next few weeks.

Whole School Athletics Day – Parent Collection

Our Whole School Athletics Day will be held on Monday 1st September 2025 at the Shepparton Athletics Track. Students will return to school by bus at the end of the day unless collected by a parent/guardian.

If you wish to collect your child from the track, please complete the Parent Collection Slip below

 and hand it directly to your child’s supervising teacher on the day. Please note that children cannot be collected by other parents unless written permission is also provided using this slip.

We look forward to seeing you there to cheer on our students!

Empowering Our Future Leaders – Student Leadership 2026

At St Mary’s, we are committed to nurturing leadership in all students. In 2026, we will introduce a refreshed student leadership structure that provides meaningful opportunities for senior students to lead with confidence, compassion and responsibility.

New leadership positions will include School Captains, Vice Captains, Faith and Justice Captains, and House Captains. These roles are designed to reflect our school values and give students a voice in shaping school life, from faith and service to house spirit and school representation. Our existing leadership groups will also continue to run.

To support this renewed focus, we will unveil a new whole-school leadership banner and formal House banners to celebrate our leadership culture and inspire students daily.

Applications closed last Friday, and we are currently shortlisting for interviews with the Grade 5 candidates.

We look forward to seeing our future leaders grow and shine in 2026!

Parking Safety Reminder

We kindly remind all families to please ensure you are parking safely and legally during school drop-off and pick-up times. A concerned community member has observed an increasing number of cars parking in non-designated areas and obstructing others who are doing the right thing.

This not only causes frustration but also creates significant safety risks for our students and families. Please:

• Use only designated parking bays
• Avoid parking in no-standing zones or driveways
• Be patient and respectful during busy times

Thank you for your continued cooperation in helping to keep St. Mary’s a safe and welcoming environment for everyone.

Principal’s Awards

18th August – Charlotte Armstrong

This week’s Principal’s Award goes to Charlotte Armstrong for consistently living out our PBIS and school values of love, understanding and respect.

During the recent Winter Sports netball competition, Charlotte showed outstanding sportsmanship by helping her opponent—who had never played before—learn the game. She took the time to explain positions, court movement, and share skills and techniques, all while playing herself. This was entirely Charlotte’s own initiative and a wonderful example of leadership and kindness. Our team was even commended by the visiting school chaplain for the way they represented St Mary’s with such great spirit and sportsmanship.

Congratulations, Charlotte—we are very proud of you!

11th August – Piper Campbell-Secchi

This week’s Principal’s Award goes to a Piper Campbell-Secchi for consistently demonstrating our PBIS expectations and the school values of love, forgiveness, understanding, and respect. Piper has earned an outstanding 130 PBIS tokens this term for her exceptional efforts at St Mary’s, always letting her light shine. 

Great work Piper!

Assembly 18th August

Assembly 25th August

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.

St. Mary’s Bingo

We are currently seeking support for St. Mary's Bingo, which would generally involve your attendance on a Saturday evening once a term. With numbers being quite short again at the moment, your help would be invaluable! Bingo is a fantastic way to engage with our school community while raising funds for various programs. For more information on how you can get involved, please contact Maree Williams on 0438 084 364.

Thank you for your consideration, your support makes a big difference!

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

“Children must be taught how to think, not what to think.” – Margaret Mead

“Every child is a different kind of flower, and all together make this world a beautiful garden.” – Unknown

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