Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope all of our families enjoyed the King's Birthday long weekend. The extra day provided a welcome opportunity to slow down and spend quality time together before what is always a busy finish to the end of term.

The Johnstone’s certainly enjoyed the break. There was plenty of family time, a few attempts at perfecting my pizza dough recipe (Refined through many saved reels on Insta!), and the opportunity to spend time with both my mum and mother-in-law. As our lives become increasingly busy, these moments remind us of the importance of connection, relationships and simply being present with the people who matter most.

With only a few weeks remaining in Semester One, there is still plenty happening around St Mary's as we continue to support our students in their learning, faith and personal growth.

Semester One Reports

Across the school, teachers are currently finalising Semester One Reports.

The biannual reports provide an important opportunity to communicate student growth, achievement and progress to families. While reports provide a valuable snapshot of where students are at in their learning journey, they are only one part of a much bigger picture. Every day, our students demonstrate persistence, resilience, kindness, curiosity and growth in ways that cannot always be captured by a grade or comment alone.

I would like to sincerely thank our staff for the significant time, care and professionalism that goes into preparing reports. They represent many hours of assessment, reflection, moderation and thoughtful consideration of each student's progress throughout the semester.

We look forward to sharing these reports with families in the coming weeks and celebrating the growth that each child has made throughout Semester One.

Learning in Action at St Mary’s

This week I was visited by some amazing grade 3 learners who were keen to showcase the learning they had been undertaking in their Inquiry unit on Food Design Technology. I was blown away by the quality of the presentations and level of technical detail that went into communicating the recipes and methods these students had learned. Special shot out to Hugh West for the delicious Gingerbread man and the terrific effort he put into his project.

St Mary's 2026 Fiesta

Preparations for the 2026 St Mary's Fiesta are underway, with Sponsorship being a major focus currently.

A huge thank you to our current sponsors who have come on board so far:

And a special thank you to Jellis Craig for coming on board as Platinum Sponsor for Fiesta.

This wonderful community event is not possible without the generous support of sponsors, so please get on board if you can and spread the word to any business that you think might be a good fit.

Friendships, Relationships and Growing Up

As we move towards the end of the term, it has been pleasing to see the continued growth of our students not only academically, but socially as well.

One of the most important parts of primary school is learning how to build and maintain positive relationships. Friendships provide children with a sense of belonging, support and connection, while also presenting opportunities to learn important life skills such as communication, empathy and conflict resolution.

At St Mary's, we regularly support students to navigate friendships, include others, manage disagreements respectfully and understand different perspectives through our Positive Education curriculum and daily teachings. These skills take time, practice and guidance to develop.

As parents, it can be difficult to watch our children experience friendship challenges. However, many of these situations provide valuable opportunities for children to develop resilience, independence, problem-solving skills and confidence. When school and home work together to support children through these experiences and allow students to problem solve independently, we help them build the foundations for healthy relationships throughout their lives.

Feast of the Sacred Heart

This Thursday, our school community came together to celebrate the Feast of the Sacred Heart. Our students have been learning about this special feast and celebrating Jesus’ love and the lessons that go along with it. As a child, we always had a framed picture of the Sacred Heart up in our living room and it still hangs up in mum’s house to this day.

The Feast of the Sacred Heart reminds us of Jesus' love, compassion and commitment to serving others, particularly those who may be experiencing hardship or disadvantage. It challenges each of us to look beyond ourselves and consider how we can respond to the needs of those around us; just like our 2026 St Mary's theme.

I would like to sincerely thank our families for their outstanding support of our food collection for St Vincent de Paul. Once again, the generosity of our St Mary’s community was on full display, with an incredible response from students and families who donated food and essential items for those in need.

Every donation, no matter how small, sends a powerful message that we are a community that cares for others and seeks to put our faith into action.

Never See a Need Without Trying to Do Something About It

This fortnight's example of living our 2026 theme comes from the afore mentioned dedicated volunteers of St Vincent de Paul Ascot Vale.

The volunteers of St Vincent de Paul quietly and consistently support individuals and families within our local community who may be experiencing financial hardship, loneliness, housing and food insecurity or other challenges. Much of their work happens behind the scenes and often goes unseen, yet it has a profound impact on the lives of many.

The volunteers don't wait for someone else to act. They see a need and they respond with generosity, compassion and dignity. Through their actions, they remind us that making a difference does not always require grand gestures. Sometimes it is simply about showing up, offering support and being present for another person.

As a school community, we are proud to support the work of St Vincent de Paul and grateful for the example they provide to our students about what it means to live a life of service.

Stay safe, stay healthy, stay connected,

Denis Johnstone

Principal

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