Principal Announcements

Final 2024 newsletter

As we reach the end of the school year, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the staff, students, and wider community for the warm welcome I’ve received as the new Principal this term. 

It has truly been a joy to join this rich and vibrant community, where every day is an opportunity to support one another to 

‘Let Their Light Shine’. 

Thank you for your kindness and encouragement throughout this term. 

I wish you all a very safe, blessed, and merry Christmas filled with love, laughter, and the chance to enjoy some well-deserved relaxation (and food) with your families. God bless!

2025 Classes

Please find the class teachers for 2025 below:

Prep (2 classes) – Kym Cox and Georgia Gattuso

Grade 1 (2 classes) – Ann Margaret Carroll and a new teacher

Grade 2 (2 classes) – Fi Dowling and Ange Brown

Grade 3/4 - (3 classes) - Jacci Mulraney, Jodi Cox and Carmel Hutchinson

Grade 5/6 (4 classes) – Gary Woodward, Tayla Junor, Jessica Clarke and a new teacher

Thank you for your patience and understanding in this space as we actively continue to recruit and appoint new staff for 2 classrooms. Once this is finalised the school community will be advised.

IMPORTANT - Not returning in 2025

We understand circumstances can change, so to assist us with planning classes for 2025, if you know your family or student is not planning to return to St Mary's in the new year, we ask you to please let the office know in writing as soon as possible. 

This will help us when we are looking at classes for 2025 and working out class sizes and groupings.

Local Parliament Christmas Card Competition

Congratulations to Ella for successfully being a finalist in the Grade 4 – 6 community competition. Well done Ella!

School Ground Access

Please access the following message sent via email on Wednesday 23rd October, regarding school ground access and the opening and closing of gates. Thanks for your support in ensuring the safety of all at St. Mary’s. 

These arrangements also apply when attending Monday afternoon assemblies. Parents/Guardians/friends all need to access the school through front reception and sign in. A sign-in page will also be available at the Marian Centre. Thanks again for your understanding.

Healthy Eating

We have made some updates to our breakfast program to ensure we are providing students with a healthy and nutritious start to their day, as per the Healthy Eating Guidelines. These changes aim to support students’ wellbeing and prepare them for a successful day of learning. 

A heartfelt thank you to Maree Williams and the dedicated staff who generously volunteer their time to make this program possible — we are truly grateful for your support.

Lunch Arrangements

We are so fortunate to offer our students the convenience of lunch orders from Subway one day each week, providing a fresh and healthy option right here at school. As this is a coordinated service, we kindly remind families that we are unable to accept other lunch deliveries from other take-away or food outlets. Unfortunately, we do not have the staff capacity to manage the hand delivery to classrooms or collection from the office. Thank you for your understanding and support in keeping this process simple and seamless for everyone.

Uniform Reminders

At St. Mary’s, we take pride in our school uniform and expect all students to wear it correctly, paired with neat and tidy hairstyles. For safety and consistency, hair longer than shoulder length must be tied back, and hairstyles should be natural in colour and style. These guidelines ensure fairness and help maintain a unified, respectful school environment. We thank families for supporting this policy and reinforcing our shared values.

Knowledge Society Classroom Mastery

CES has informed us that an additional student free day will be allocated in 2025. This additional day will be focused on Knowledge Society Classroom Mastery, providing our school staff with the necessary tools and strategies to effectively integrate the new behaviour curriculum into their teaching practices. 

The professional learning sessions will be designed to enhance classroom management skills, promote positive behaviour, and support the overall well-being of our students. We believe that this dedicated time for professional development is crucial for the successful implementation of the new curriculum and will ultimately benefit our students by creating a more supportive and effective learning environment. 

Once the date for this additional student free day is communicated with us, we will also inform you.

Codes of Conduct

At St. Mary’s, we are committed to creating a positive and safe environment that reflects our core values of love, forgiveness, understanding, and respect. 

To support this, we ask all parents, carers, and students to uphold our Parent and Student Codes of Conduct, which outline expectations for respectful and supportive behaviour within our school community. 

By working together to embrace these principles, we ensure the safety, wellbeing, and dignity of every individual, fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment where everyone can thrive. 

Please find the links to the codes of conduct below.

Attendance matters!

For every minute a child is at school they learn. For every minute they are absent they not only miss out on they are absent they not only miss out on learning, but they also lose some previous learning. 

Health Care Card and School Fee Arrangements

Catholic Education Sandhurst Ltd (CESL) is pleased to inform Primary School families holding a valid Health Care Card (HCC) that you are eligible for a significant reduction in school fees for the upcoming year including all fees and levies. The discount will be automatically applied to your school fee account once you provide a copy of your HCC to the school office, complete a CSEF form, and set up a direct debit or centrepay arrangement. If you've already submitted a copy of your HCC for 2025, completed the CSEF form, and have a direct debit or centrepay arrangement in place, no further action is needed — the discount will be applied automatically.

We understand that many families have varying circumstances and in response to the rising cost of living expenses, we are committed to supporting those who need additional assistance.

Please be assured that this support is provided to ensure all students have the opportunity to thrive in our school community. If you have any questions or need further clarification, please contact the school office.

Click on the PDF File below for further information -

We will make available any further relevant information and appropriate application forms as this becomes available.

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 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 reach out to the current Bingo team as detailed in the information letter recently sent home. 

For further information please contact Maree Williams on 0438 084 364.

Thank you for your consideration, Your support makes a big difference.

St. Mary’s School Advisory Board

We invite new members to join the St. Mary's Mooroopna School Advisory Board! 

This is a great opportunity to contribute to our school community. Meetings are held once a term, usually at 7:30 PM for about an hour. If you're interested in making a difference, please consider joining us! 

Expressions of interest can be sent to the Principal principal@smmooroopna.catholic.edu.au

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.  I appreciate everyone's understanding and cooperation regarding this.

Before School Supervision

Assembly 2nd December

Assembly 9th December

Principal’s Awards

18th November - Ayoola Sijuade

Ayoola consistently excels academically, setting an outstanding example for her peers. 

Her kind, quiet, and thoughtful nature shines through as she supports both classmates and staff with genuine care. 

Her dedication and humility make her truly deserving of the Principal's Award. Well done Ayoola!

25th November - Oscar Pearson

• Oscar has shown remarkable growth and resilience in his first year of school, embracing challenges with enthusiasm and a smile that brightens the classroom. He has gained confidence in participating in discussions, engaging in hands-on activities, and taking pride in his work, sharing kind stories with everyone. Oscar's love of learning always shines through. Congratulations Oscar!

Final Student Day

The final student day for 2024 is Tuesday 17th December at 2:15pm. 

Bus travellers will be supervised until normal school finish time by staff.

School Resumes for Term 1 2025, for Grades 1-6 on Thursday 30th January.

Preps will commence their learning journey on Friday 31st January. 

Ms V’s Inspirations

"What feels like the end is often the beginning." – Unknown

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." – Nelson Mandela

Elaine Vertriest

Principal

"Let Your Light Shine before others, so they may see your good works." Matthew 5:13