A Message from the Principal

Together We Learn, Together We Flourish

Welcome to the 2026 school year and a special welcome to all new families. I hope you and your families enjoyed a restful and refreshing holiday break, filled with time to reconnect, recharge and enjoy being together.

As we begin the year ahead, I want to take a moment to reflect on how we continue to walk this journey together as a school community.

In this Jubilee Year of St Francis of Assisi, we are reminded of the call to live peace in practical, everyday ways. Pope Leo speaks of the “courage to build bridges where the world raises up boundaries”. In a school community, this courage is shown not in grand gestures, but in how we speak, listen, respond and work together — especially when things are challenging.

This call aligns closely with our 2026 school theme: Together we learn. Together we flourish. It reminds us that learning, wellbeing and growth are never achieved alone — they are built through strong relationships, shared responsibility and a strong sense of belonging.

As part of preparing for the year ahead, our staff are spending this week engaged in professional learning focused on:

our Student Wellbeing and Management Policy, ensuring consistent, fair and compassionate approaches to supporting student behaviour and wellbeing.
high-potential learners, exploring ways to identify, challenge and extend students so every child can grow and thrive.
mandatory annual training, which ensures we meet our responsibilities in areas such as child protection, safety and compliance.

This work supports our shared commitment to high expectations, care and consistency for every child.

As we move into the year, building bridges means choosing relationship over assumption, collaboration over isolation, and understanding over judgement — values that guide how we partner with students, families and one another.

As we step into the year together, we remember that our shared purpose is greater than any difference. We are united by our commitment to the flourishing of every child and the strength of the community we build together.

Thank you for the many quiet ways you already build bridges each day — through kindness, trust and partnership. The year ahead will bring both joy and challenges, and we move forward with confidence knowing we do this work side by side.

Together we learn.

Together we flourish.

Thank you for being such an important part of our school community.

Kind regards

Grace Carlo-Stella

Principal

St Margaret Mary's School Newsletter

Love the Truth

Term 1 Week 1 · 29 Jan 2026

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