School News

NAPLAN 2026 

NAPLAN will take place Week 7, 8 & 9 this term for students in Years 3 and 5 and will be conducted over a three-week period. The students will be engaging in some NAPLAN familiarisation lessons in the lead up to this assessment.  

Families with a child in Year 3 or Year 5 will receive further detailed information directly, and additional updates will also be shared in the newsletter in the weeks leading up to testing. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s classroom teacher. 

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 Monday 23rd March. 

$20 raffle ticket books will be coming home with your child in the coming weeks. The raffle will be drawn on the last day of term, Thursday, 1st April.

2026 Fee Concessions

St Mary’s School is pleased to announce that Catholic Education Sandhurst Ltd will significantly reduce school fees and levies for families with a valid Health Care Card (HCC). The total annual fee will be reduced to $540 per student in 2026. The discount will be automatically applied to your school fee account once your Health Care Cards have been validated and set up a direct debit arrangement. If you've already submitted your HCC, completed the CSEF form, and have a direct debit in place, no further action is needed the discount will be applied automatically.

The CESL understand that many families have varying circumstances and in response to the rising cost of living expenses, 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.

School Uniforms

A supply of school uniforms are available at school at all times. Please let the office know if you would like any additional uniform. The charge can be added on to your school fee account and cash payment is also accepted. 

SIMON Everywhere

Web access to both the SIMON platform and PAM has been restored with strengthened security measures. Enhancements to the SIMON Everywhere mobile application have also been made as part of the restoration work. SIMON Everywhere is now onboarded at St Mary's. Please ensure to connect the app on your devices. Download instructions were sent home to families this week. 

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.

Footy Tipping Competition

We warmly invite you to join our 2026 footy tipping competition. This season kicks off on Thursday 5th March, so don't delay.

Click on this link;

https://footytips.espn.com.au/comps/SMPS2026

Sign in to your ESPN account (if you don't have an ESPN account, sign up first)

Use the password: SMPS2026

Accept the new Terms & Conditions

Pay your entry fee.

That's it! You are in.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE - CAMPS, SPORTS AND EXCURSION FUND (CSEF)

The Camps, Sports and Excursion Fund (CSEF) is a Victorian Government program that assists eligible families to cover the cost of school trips, camps and sporting activities. Any parents/carers who hold a valid means-tested concession card, a Gold DVA card or are a temporary foster parent, may be eligible for CSEF. The allowance is paid directly to the school to use towards these items. 

The CSEF form is attached to this newsletter. If you did not receive a CSEF payment in 2025, have had a new child start, or are a new family, please fill in and return the application form to the office as soon as possible. If you are unsure whether you are eligible, whether you need to reapply etc, please see the office. 

CONVEYANCE ALLOWANCE PROGRAM (CAP)

The Conveyance Allowance is a form of financial assistance from the Victorian State Government to assist families in rural and regional Victoria with the cost of transporting their children to their nearest appropriate school. The allowance is available to parents who are required to –

• drive their child more than 4.8 kilometres to school (if there is no school bus)

• or drive their child more than 4.8 kilometres to meet the nearest school bus to the school

• the child must attend their closest government or non-government school (Catholic)

• the allowance is based on kilometres travelled and not based on any financial eligibility                   

Distance is calculated by the shortest practical route from home to the school or from home to meet the nearest school bus to the school. Distance can be calculated by using Bing Maps. Application and Authority to Pay Forms required to be completed by a parent are available from the school office.

Parents who received the Conveyance Allowance in 2025 do not need to complete a new form in 2026 unless their children enrolled at St Mary's in 2025 have changed (i.e. Gr 6 student left at the end of 2025 or a Foundation child commenced in 2026).  If your family circumstances have changed, a new form needs to be completed in 2026. 

If you have recently changed address, please advise the office if you are no longer eligible. Application and Authority to Pay forms need to be completed and returned to the office by 27th February 2026 please. 

Further information can be found at: https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/conveyance-allowance/policy  If you are unsure if you may be eligible, please do not hesitate to contact the school office.

Parent Concerns Procedure 

Our school has both a desire and a responsibility to ensure that high standards of conduct are maintained by staff, parents and students at all times, and that issues are managed and resolved fairly, efficiently. By following these procedures, we continue to build a strong partnership between parish, family and staff.

Procedure

Any issue which arises needs to be addressed in the first instance directly with the party concerned. The following procedure needs to be followed:

1.   Arrange to see the appropriate class teacher or appropriate staff member.

      (In the event of the issue being unresolved at Stage 1 then proceed to Stage 2)

2.   Arrange to see the Principal. (Appointments can be made by contacting the office)

3.   Arrange to speak with Catholic Education Sandhurst Ltd personnel. 

Implementation

·  Issues will be dealt with as quickly as possible.

·  Issues that are unresolved or those requiring follow-up, will be documented by staff.

2026-2027 Fire Season 

As part of our commitment to keeping our community informed and prepared, we are sharing part of our updated Fire Safety Policy well in advance. St Mary’s is rated as a Category 3 school under the Bushfire At-Risk Register (BARR), which requires us to follow specific procedures as outlined in our Emergency Management Plan.

Please refer to the attached document for further information

Understanding Allergic Reactions in Children

St Mary's Allergies and Anaphylaxis Policy and Procedures promotes awareness and effective management of allergies, including the risk of anaphylaxis, in line with Ministerial Order No. 706 and the Department of Education’s Anaphylaxis Guidelines.

Allergic reactions occur when the immune system overreacts to normally harmless substances. Reactions can range from mild to life-threatening. Anaphylaxis, the most severe form, requires immediate treatment with an adrenaline injector (e.g. EpiPen® or Anapen®).

Common allergens in schools include peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, milk, wheat, soy, sesame, and insect stings.

Prevention starts with knowing which students are at risk and reducing exposure to known allergens. This involves strong partnerships with parents, clear risk minimisation strategies, and ongoing staff training.

While a completely allergen-free environment isn't possible, St Mary's is committed to providing a safe space where students with allergies can fully participate in school life.

Our policy includes procedures for:

• Individual Anaphylaxis Management Plans
• Storage and use of adrenaline autoinjectors
• Emergency response and communication plans
• Staff training and briefings

All staff must be able to recognise and respond to allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, to ensure student safety.

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. 

Thursdays are our lunch order days

Orders to be a school on Wednesday's please