School News

Swimming and Gymnastics 

Next Friday will be our final swimming and gymnastics session for the year, which has formed an important part of our Physical Education program. We are very proud of the skill development, confidence and teamwork students have demonstrated throughout these sessions. 

Beginning in Week 8, PE lessons will return to their regular timetable on Thursdays. Please ensure students are wearing their full PE uniform each Thursday from Week 8 onwards so they are ready to actively participate. Thank you for your support in helping students come prepared for their learning.

NAPLAN 2026 

NAPLAN 2026 – Year 3 & 5 Students 

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is an annual assessment that students in Years 3 and 5 at our school participate in each year. It is the only national assessment undertaken by all Australian students. 

NAPLAN assesses the essential skills of reading, writing and numeracy. It is just one part of our school’s broader assessment and reporting process. While it does not replace ongoing classroom assessments made by teachers, it provides valuable additional information about students’ educational progress. 

This year, the NAPLAN test window begins on Wednesday, 11 March 2026 and concludes on Monday, 23 March 2026. 

Easter Egg Raffle 

St Mary's will be running an Easter Egg Raffle. We are asking for donations to bulk up the prize pool for our raffle prizes. Please drop off your donated eggs, bunnies or treats to the front office by Friday, 27th March. 

Raffle tickets have been sent home with your child. Each book will be $20 worth of tickets. Please write the name and phone number on each ticket, both sides of the tickets are to be used. The raffle will be drawn on the last day of term, Thursday, 2nd April.

Volunteers Needed

We are looking for volunteers to support our school with the following events:

• Cross Country/Junior Fun Day: Wednesday the 22nd of April (Working with Children Check required) Please contact the school for assistance, it is free for volunteers.

Last Thursday, we had our first Student Led Assembly of the year, and what a wonderful turnout of families we had. We were lucky enough to be joined by the Deputy Director of Catholic Education Sandhurst Ltd, Darta Hovey, who complimented how inviting our school community is and how welcoming our students are. 

We launched our Caritas Project Compassion Campaign, during which our two faith leaders, Lucy and Nakodah, shared their experience from their trip to Bendigo on Shrove Tuesday for the official launch. They proudly represented St Mary's Primary School on stage in front of everyone. Lucy and Nakodah shared some upcoming fundraiser ideas to keep an eye out for. 

Foundation - Grade 2: 

Alex: For showing a strong understanding of maths and using reasoning to explain his answers in counting and place value. 

Grade 3 - Grade 6:

Emmett: For continuing to develop his fluency and comprehension through reading every night. 

The Resilience Project Award:

Edmund: For consistently spreading kindness by offering to help younger students and inspiring others to do the same. 

Nano Nagel Award: 

Lucy: For enhancing recess and lunch time for others by providing and assisting in arts and crafts activity – even bringing in her own resources for others to use.   

SunSmart 

Terms 1 and 4, we encourage the message and importance of being SunSmart. This includes wearing hats each time we go outside. At present, our current policy stipulates that children are to bring their own sunscreen to school and apply it themselves. I aim to review this policy with the School Advisory Council so that each classroom also has access to sunscreen and has a sunscreen station set up. During Term 1 and 4, students will be encouraged by staff member to apply sunscreen before breaks. 

We are celebrating Harmony Day on the 19th of March. 

Harmony Day is a day dedicated to promoting inclusivity, respect, and a sense of belonging for everyone, regardless of cultural or linguistic background. One of the most recognisable ways to show support for Harmony Day is by wearing orange, a colour that symbolises social communication and meaningful conversation. 

Invitation to Afternoon Tea – Meet & Greet

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

We warmly invite you to join us each Wednesday at pick-up time for a relaxed Afternoon Tea and Meet & Greet at school.

This is a wonderful opportunity to connect with other families and staff and enjoy a friendly chat over tea and light refreshments. Whether you can stay for five minutes or a little longer, we would love to see you there.

When: Every Wednesday (from the 11th of March)

Time: At school pick-up

Where: St Mary's School

Building strong connections between home and school helps create a supportive and welcoming environment for our children. We hope you can join us!

St Mary's Fundraising

Thank you for your support of our AFL Football Tipping Competition in 2026. This is one of our major fundraising events and we hope you will all enjoy a fun year of tipping with St Mary's. Thank you to The Australian Eucalyptus Co for again donating a Gift Basket for our Early Bird Prize winner who pays their entry fee by Round 2. The winner will be announced by Round 3.