From Our Principal

Newsletter  ~ Term 1, Week 4, 2025

Principal's Message:

Dear Parents, Carers, Families and Friends of St Mel’s Primary School,

Our busy, yet smooth start of learning continues as we approach Week Five and the end of February. Thank you all for contributing to the very positive commencement of this year's learning journey.

Start of New School Year Mass:

Last Friday we gathered in  our parish church 'Christ the King church'  for a wonderful Celebration of the Eucharist (Mass) for our new year of learning. Fr Ruel celebrated Mass for our gathering of students, staff, parent and carers, parishioners and visitors. A number of our senior students supported our celebration by reading prayers and joining in singing a number of songs written by our special friend Andrew Chinn, who recently visited our school on our Feast Day.

Our Start of School Year Mass was also included the commissioning of our Year 6 School Leaders and presenting their leadership badges. Ou Staff Team were also commissioned during this special Eucharistic gathering. Our children have been commended on the very respectful and reverent manner in which they shared in this special celebration.

Whole School Assembly  (Mondays @ 2:30pm)

We continue to gather as a school community each Monday afternoon in our school hall for our weekly assembly led by our Year 6 Leaders. These assemblies are an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate our First Nations people and their culture, pray together as a school community (with the prayers led by each Learning Unit in turn), share some of our learning from our classrooms, celebrate achievements, be reminded of expectations, receive updates and commendations, cekebrate birthdays and sing our national anthem. Parents, carers, parishioners and visitors are most welcome to join us.

Bishop Rene Rodriguez Celebrated:

St Mel's Parish church was filled to the rafters in celebration and gratitude for the priestly ministry of Bishop Rene during his relatively brief, yet impactful, time as Parish Priest of St Mel's. Parishioners were joined by a large number of diocesan priests, including Bishop Shane Mackinlay, priests from outside the diocese, friends of Bishop Rene, parishioners from St Malachy's Nagambie and visitors. Members of our local Samoan and Filipino communities, along with parish and school representatives contributed to various roles in support of the Eucharistic Celebration. The singing was particularly inspiring.

Bishop Rene is now very busy settling into his role as Auxiliary Bishop for the Northern suburbs of Melbourne. We wish Bishop Rene all the very best as he journeys forward in his new role.

'Magnify Sandhurst' 

Every Student - Every Teacher - Every School - Every Day!

Our children and teachers continue to become more and more familiar with the currently introduced elements of the Magnify evidence-based low variance curriculum. 

Based firmly on the latest research in neuroscience, the elements of Magnify are designed to provide the best learning and teaching approaches, activities, experiences and resources aimed at enhancing the learning, development and growth of our students.

Our Staff Team continue to implement Magnify with fidelity to the initiative and to enhance alignment across Learning Groups (Pastoral Groups), Learning Communities (Units) ans across the school as a whole. We continue to contribute to and receive feedback from the 50 schools and colleges simultaneously implementing Magnify across the Sandhurst diocese.

On Wednesday 2 April (last week of Term One) our Staff Team will gather with the staff teams from St Joseph's PS, Numurkah and St Joseph's PS, Cobram for a combined professional learning day focussed on Student Behaviour Support. This day includes learning around the low variance student behaviour curriculum and will complement our existing school wide positive behaviour framework. There will be no school for students on this day.

Recently staff members Katie Ferrari, Wendy McDonald,  Catherine Whitford and Mary Jo DeRose completed training in MultiLit intervention programs which will be introduced to support students requiring additional intensive learning enrichment. 

Our Staff Team are working incredibly hard to implement the changes to curriculum planning and delivery in support of enhancing outcomes for our learners. 

Apology Breakfast & Ceremony:

A number of our school families and students joined me at the local Ceremony and Breakfast last week commemorating the anniversary of the national apology delivered to our First Nations people by the then Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd. Last week marked the 17th anniversary of the national apology.

This year's keynote address was delivered by local indigenous artist Chloe Jones who spoke passionately about the need for a greater response to the national apology and our country's reconciliation movement. Cr Sam Spinks addressed the gathering on behalf of the Greater Shepparton Council also calling for more to be done in response. 

Foundation Student's Rest Day (Wednesdays):

The energy levels of our newest school starters towards the end of each week of learning indicates the benefit of the Wednesday rest day. Thank you to our parents and carers who are ensuring that Wednesdays are not too active or busy for our Prep students.

We maximise their learning opportunities each day they are at school so the rests each weekend and Wednesday, especially at the beginning of the new year are a great way for our Foundation students to refresh between school days.

Get To Know You Interviews:

Parents, carers, students and teachers will meet for our Term One 'Get To Know You Interviews' now on Monday 3 and Tuesday 4 February.

We have pushed these important sessions back a week from the original dates.

Interview times are booked ONLINE via SIMONEverywhere (PAM). More information on how to book attached below:

Parents and carers who attend Program Support Group (PSG) meetings for students with additional learning needs may elect to forego these additional afterschool interviews. These parents and carers are invited to speak with your child's Pastoral Group teacher or Di Walker our Leader: Pastoral Wellbeing and Learner Diversity if further clarification is needed.

Student Illness:

A reminder to parents and carers, whilst attendance each day at school is important in supporting children's learning journey, children are required to stay home from school when they show symptoms of illness. Not only does this support them recover more quickly, it significantly reduces the possibility of spreading illness to their peers and/or our staff.

Parents and carers will be called to collect children from school who are unwell.

2025 National Assessment Program for Literacy & Numeracy (2025 NAPLAN):

The annual national assessment for Year 3 and Year 5 students commences Wednesday 12 March. Information regarding the 2025 Naplan has been emailed to parents and carers this week.

Parents / carers electing to exempt their children from participating in these assessments are invited to contact their child/ren's Pastoral Group teacher for an exemption form.

Volunteer in Support of our School Community:

Parents, carers, parishioners and members of the broader community wishing to volunteer or become 'volunteer ready' within our school community are directed to visit the St Mel's PS Shepparton Website or School Administration Office for further information and/or to obtain the required documentation.

All new volunteers are required to:

• Read and understand our Volunteer documentation
• Complete a Volunteer Application Form and provide 3 referees
• Obtain and provide a Working With Children's Check
• Read, understand and sign the St Mel's PS Code of Conduct
• Complete St Mel's PS Volunteer Interview and Induction
• Read, understand and sign the St Mel's PS Responsibilities of Volunteers form

Volunteer in Support of our School Community - School Advisory Council:

With the departure of two School Advisory Council members at the end of last year with their last child moving on to secondary education we are currently seeking new council members. Catholic Education Sandhurst Limited provides governance oversight for St Mel's PS. The St Mel's PS School Advisory Council is established under the authority of CESLtd so that the principal might receive information, support and advice from various local community members.

The Advisory Council serves as a consultative and advisory group for the Principal receiving information and feedback from the broader school community and an active forum for parent and local community participation, providing support and advice primarily in strategic planning and school improvement.

For more information about the St Mel's PS School Advisory Council or to nominate parents and carers for consideration as potential School Advisory Council members please contact our Principal, Steve Hicks.

Volunteer in Support of our School Community 

                 - St Mel's Parent & Carers Social Committee:

The St Mel's PS Parents & Carers Social Committee consists of volunteer parents, carers and other members of our community (e.g. grandparents, former parents, staff members, aunties, etc.) whose aims are as follows:

• To cater for the general wellbeing of the school community.
• To liaise and co-operate with the School Advisory Council and the St Mel's parish community as a whole.
• To raise funds to assist with purchase of equipment and resources for the school.  This amount helps keep school fees down. 
• To foster and develop a spirit of community among parents and friends.

In other words... FUNraising, FUNDraising and Social Connection.

All parents, carers and friends are welcome to attend meetings.  Details of time and venue of meetings will be available in the school newsletter.

In 2024 our Parents & Carers Social Committee organised our Annual Student Disco, Mother's Day High Tea and Gift Staff, our Father's Day Breakfast & Gift Stall and very popular Colour Fun Run. Funds raised contributed to: new headphones for our students to use with their iPads, new readers for our students and our new Ga Ga Pit (outdoor play equipment) to be installed in our grounds this year.

For more information about the St Mel's PS Parents and Carers Social Committee or to join please contact our Deputy Principal Danae Napier or Social Committee member Leah Hawker on socialclub@smshepparton.catholic.edu..

Furniture Storage

Due to a reconfiguration and de-cluttering of Learning Area spaces we currently have furniture not required and limited space to store. If any of our parents / carers has a spare storage shed or container we could use as an interim measure we would appreciate the opportunity to store our excess furniture off site for a short, medium or long term.

Please contact the School Administration Office on 5821 3163.

Post Enumeration Review Visit:

On Tuesday of this week we took part in yet another audit process. The Post Enumeration Review checks school data, documentation and proccesses in relation to enrolment, student attendance (including absences) and Nationally Consistent Collection of Data in support of learner diversity support. This revew process involved Karen Myers, Maria Makin, Danae Napier, Di Walker and myself, with support from our Staff Team maintaining fidelity to various forms of data collection and documentation required in support of our student learners. Thank you also to our parents and carers who respond positively and proactively when requests for documentation and information are made in support of initial enrolment and your child/ren's educational journey whilst at school. I commend our Staff Team and our staff who supported this week's review for their dedication to our processes and documentation requirements.

St Mel's Primary School Shepparton FACEBOOK: [Repeat]

Our school FACEBOOK page can be located HERE!

Following a trial last year we have introduced this FACEBOOK presence as a way of publicly celebrating our school community and providing regular updates and information regarding our school. 

The St Mel's Primary School Shepparton FACEBOOK page is not a mode of communicating with our school. Face to face, phone and/or email communication fulfills that role.

A reminder that the school's NEWSLETTER is our main source of updating parents, carers and community, with reminders sent via email and SiMON EVERYWHERE (PAM). 

School Dates:

Please check the Upcoming Dates & Events section of the newsletter regularly.

School Lunch Orders - Lockwood Road Takeaway [Repeat]

Our school lunch order service remains temporarilly unavailable at this time.

Our provider, Lockwood Road Takeaway is currently closed for renovations.

The expected closure is to last a few more weeks.

We will provide further updates, including a resumption of the service, at a future date.

For the time being children will need to bring their lunch each day.

Thank you for your ongoing support of your child/ren's learning journay and our Staff Team.

Stephen 'Steve' Hicks

Principal

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