Dear Families,

In writing this newsletter it is beginning to dawn on me that it is my last St Mary’s newsletter to the community and that may be a relief to some! Yesterday I was going through my St Mary’s hopes and dreams journal and I was able to tick so many items off. Each tick held many memories and an appreciation of just how much we have achieved, together. Thank you for your support of my more crazy ideas and making them happen. Through this hard work we have continued to build a faith filled community that is welcoming and embraces diversity within our St Mary’s family.

I don’t often sit in my office as I like to be out and about, however as I have been working this week I have heard carols being sung and students preparing to head off to swimming and the Christmas tree being set up in the foyer. Working in education with primary aged children is magical at Christmas time. The students learn about the birth of Christ and wait excitedly for Father Christmas. We can’t wait for our carols next Tuesday. Fingers crossed a special visitor may pop in.

Last night we had our final School Advisor Council meeting. I would like to sincerely thank Jacqui for leading as Chair and to Father Jerome, James Millane, Craig, Ruth, Hywell and Steve for their time, wisdom and discernment as we plan for the future and ensure our every day, gives our students the best learning opportunities possible. We farewell Hywell and Ruth and wish them all the best for their new school journeys. We thank them for their years of service for our community. Please see Around the School for further information regarding applying for the School Advisory Council.

Where would our community be without our amazing P&F team? A huge thank you to Jeremy, Holly and Mel and our class representatives for their energy, passion and sheer hard work. This year we have all enjoyed so many wonderful events, topped off by the St Mary’s Family Fun Day. This week three Interactive Panels are being fitted into classrooms and we are hoping to add three more, early next year. Holly, is stepping down from her role as secretary to have a more relaxing year, as her daughter starts Prep. Holly thank you for the hours you have put in and always with your beautiful smile. We warmly welcome Bec to the P&F Executive team as secretary. Tomorrow night is the P&F thank you drinks and I hope everyone has a great time and can celebrate a year of fun, action and funds raised.

2026 Staff

The 2026 leadership arrangement for the Acting Principal is currently awaiting ratification. This will be communicated to you as soon as it is confirmed. Please see the following staff for 2026.

2026 Staffing at St Mary’s Primary School
Parish Priest	Father Jerome Santamaria
Administration & Finance	Erica Nastopoulos
Deputy Principal	James Millane
Religious Education Leader	James Millane
Learning and Teaching	James Millane
Student Wellbeing	James Millane
eLearning	James Millane
Junior Literacy Leader Assessment & Reporting	Daniela Borgese Daniela Borgese
Senior Literacy Leader Sports Co-Ordinator	Angela Mason Angela Mason
Mathematics Leaders	Catherine Le Hunt
Learning Diversity	Catherine Le Hunt
Prep	Daniela Borgese & Rosemary Perri
Year 1	Jacquie Fleming
Year 2	Ariel Tovey
Year 3	Maureen McDonald & Carmel Vozzo
Year 4	Angela Mason & Stephanie Schultz
Year 5 & 6	Catherine Le Hunt & Anastasia Romios Yr 5/6L
	Lauren Wakefield Yr 5/6W
Art	Rosemary Perri
Italian	Carmel Vozzo
Physical Education	Sharelle Braithwaite
Administration on Friday & Library Technician	Katherine Reade
Learning Support Officer	Justin Buttigieg
Learning Support Officer	Michelle Botwood
Learning Support Officer	Huda Abiad
Learning Support Officer	Katherine Reade

We warmly welcome Sharelle:

My name is Sharelle Braithwaite and I’m delighted to be joining the St Mary’s community as the new PE teacher. Originally from New Zealand, I’m a mum to two primary-aged children and have taught both in NZ and England before spending the past 10 years teaching PE at St Columba’s in Elwood. I’m passionate about sport and physical education and I love helping students discover the joy of being active. I can’t wait to meet everyone, get involved in school life and support our students to thrive through movement and sport.

Stephanie returns to us from maternity leave:

Hi, my name is Steph Schultz and I am very excited to be returning back to St Mary's from maternity leave. I have four beautiful children, Isaac (6), Harvey (4), Sienna (3) and Adam (22 months). I have loved being able to spend so much time with them at home over the last six years. I am very excited to be returning to the classroom and being a part of the beautiful St Mary's community. I look forward to reconnecting with staff, students and families in 2026 and meeting many new faces.

We introduce Lauren:

Hi, my name is Lauren Wakefield and I’m very excited to be joining the St Mary’s Catholic Primary School community. I am currently teaching at Marymede Catholic College and am looking forward to moving into a smaller school with a strong sense of community and connection. Alongside teaching, I am also a qualified ski instructor and have taught in Australia, Japan and Canada, which has strengthened my love for working with young people in different environments. I’m really looking forward to getting to know the students, families and staff in 2026.

We farewell Naomi Raffael, who we have nurtured since her graduate year and are so proud of her, as she joins St Oliver's teaching in Prep next year. We thank her for her care of each student and her dedication to each student’s learning and growing her own teacher knowledge and experience. We wish her all the best.

We farewell Barb Beciric and thank her for her work in Imaginarium and DigiTech. We wish her all the best with her future endeavours.

We also farewell Sarah D’ Mello, who has supported many students in her role as a Learning Support Officer for several years. We wish her all the best as she continues her counselling work and builds her own business.

We also wish Miss Tovey a wonderful January wedding to her partner Ash. He is a very lucky man! We can’t wait for the photos and to hear all about it.

Our Year 5 Leadership Program

We are very proud of our leadership program and this is well underway and I only wish I could have attended each session where our families have kindly shared their leadership journey with our students. The students have heard many perspectives and from people in various roles. Thank you to the work that goes into presenting to our students, as they prepare to lead our community next year. Speeches will be on Monday 8th Dec 9:15am in the Berchmans Building. We know our Year 3 and Year 4 students will be a supportive and respectful audience. We look forward to the announcements of their leadership portfolios next Friday 12th December at 3:10pm.

2026 Planning Day

Thank you for allowing us to meet and plan together as a whole school staff last Friday. Our curriculum leaders' professionalism, engaging presentations and expertise in their fields set a road map for next year with an explicit teaching and learning improvement agenda with students being taught at their point of need and opportunities for all students to grow their hearts, hands and minds. All the staff celebrated our achievements this year and explored the Victorian Curriculum 2.0 for their new year levels. Of course this learning was done in a highly engaging way, with lots of brain teasers and laughter.

Shared Stories

We excitedly await this year's book, which should be any day now. The students showcased in the book should feel incredibly proud of their written and artistic work and celebrate that they are now a published author. These students will be presented with a certificate and a copy of their own Anthology of Celebration next Friday 12th December at 2:45pm in the Flexispace. The families with students involved will be contacted.

Tuesday 9th December 2026 Up Day Session

On Tuesday 9th December from 10.20am - 11.20am our students will be meeting their teachers for next year and some new students. Our Year 6 students will be continuing their preparation for Graduation at this time.

Graduation Mass and Celebration

On the evening of Thursday 11th December our Year 6 students will participate in their Graduation Mass starting at 6pm. This will be followed by the more formal part of the evening. Then the families will gather in the Zen Zone for further celebrations. Thank you to Charmaine, Kasia, Grace and Jon for leading the organisation of this event. Our staff will also be in attendance and we thank them all for their part in the journey of our graduating students.

Final assembly Friday 12th December for 2025 - 2:45-3:30pm

Please join us for our final assembly in the flexispace. We will celebrate Shared Stories, student awards and birthdays and announce our 2026 Student Leaders.

Monday 15th December - Year 6 Day Out

We look forward to hearing all about this day for our departing students. It promises to be a great day, with loads of fun.

Tuesday 16th December - Whole School End of Year Mass

9:15am - Whole School End of Year Mass followed by farewells, thank yous and in our Nano Nagle tradition, we will be announcing the Year 6 winner of the 2025 Nano Award and the Dame Jean Mac Namara Award - an award bestowed upon a Year 6 female student who has demonstrated exceptional excellence in STEM subjects. The Year 6 students will pass on the lanterns of leadership to our Year 5 students in the Ceremony of Lights. This is always such a moving ceremony.

At 12:50pm we will have a Guard of Honour to farewell our Year 6 students

At 1:00pm the students will be dismissed for the end of Term 4 2025

Thank you to each family for their support of our amazing school and our leadership. To our beautiful students, your chats with me around the school, visits in my office to share learning moments and proud achievements, confidently hosting assembly and much more, makes me feel that I have the best job in the world, thank you. St Mary’s will always hold a special place in my heart.

Finally, our prayers and thoughts are with families, who have unwell family members at the moment, who have lost loved ones during the year, and/or have extended families a long way away.

May each of you have the gift of faith, the blessing of hope and the peace of God’s love at Christmas and always.

He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Please find the 2026 dates for the school year on the calendar page.

Take care and wishing God's blessings and peace upon each of you.

Mrs Cathy Ferrari

Newsletter

Issue 21 · 04 Dec 2025

In this issue