Dear Parents, Carers and Friends of St Brigid’s,

What a lovely reset our long weekend provided. We returned to school refreshed and ready for the final four weeks of Term 1. It’s hard to believe how quickly the term has flown by.

Over the past few weeks we have had a number of wonderful events and activities taking place across the school, including our first School Advisory Council meeting, numerous school tours, Year 6 Leadership Day, the Year 5/6 Camp Information Night, District Swimming, Year 5/6 Interschool Sport and our 2026 Foundation Information Night. It has been fantastic to see so many members of our community involved.

School Photo's - TOMORROW

Just a reminder our school photos are on TOMORROW. Foundation students are up first - can we ask that you please be at school on time! All children are to be in their full summer uniform.

School Closure Day

Our recent School Closure Day was dedicated to reviewing our School Improvement Plan as we prepare for our upcoming School Review in Term 3. The review allows us to reflect on what we have achieved so far and identify areas for future growth.

It is an exciting opportunity for schools to celebrate successes while continuing to improve in the following areas:

Religious Education
School Leadership and Management
Learning and Teaching
School Engagement
School Community

We were also privileged to have two of our parents come and speak to the staff about their experiences of racism growing up and with their children at school. They described the stategies they use to help their children understand how to manage and process racism.

This conversation led to a wonderful open dialogue with the staff and how to approach racism in the classroom and school.

International Women’s Day

Sunday 8 March marked International Women’s Day, a day to honour and celebrate the strong, independent and passionate women in our lives.

As a community, we take this opportunity to reflect on the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. May we continue working towards a world that is diverse, equitable and inclusive, where differences are valued and celebrated.

A special thank you to the wonderful female teachers and staff here at St Brigid’s who ensure our students feel safe, happy and supported every day, while encouraging them to work to the best of their abilities.

St Brigid’s Primary School Advisory Council (SAC)

We held our first SAC meeting on Wednesday evening. Thank you to all parents who attended. All parents are welcome to join us at these meetings.

The School Advisory Council provides an important connection between the wider school community and the leadership team. While SAC members do not have decision-making authority, they play an essential role in the governance and operations of Catholic schools within the Archdiocese of Melbourne.

It is a forum for discussion and discernment where parent voices and community perspectives support school leaders when making decisions that prioritise student wellbeing and academic

Our SAC members are:

Alex Saffigna – Chairperson
Marqueax Craney – Secretary
Giselle Saffigna – Social and Fundraising
Joanne Cafery - General Member
Lisa Blumeris - General Member
Wendy Sullivan – Principal
Jodie Marxaino – Deputy Principal
Fr Michael Kong – Parish Priest

Social and Fundraising Wish List

Over the past two years we have invited ideas for fundraising projects. Previous initiatives have included purchasing robotics equipment, contributing to the library refurbishment, our branded marquee and picnic tables (which will be delivered later this month).

We would love to hear your ideas for future projects. All suggestions will be discussed at SAC meetings to determine a realistic goal for the year. While swimming pools and tennis courts may be a little ambitious, we are always open to creative ideas!

Please send suggestions to:

wsullivan@sbmord.catholic.edu.au

Social and Fundraising 2026

Thank you to Giselle for putting her hand up to lead the Social and Fundraising team this year, and to Megan, Zoe and Dilmi for supporting her.

Our current class representatives are:

Foundation – Sinead Senawerra & Shena Rose
Year 1 – Seeking representatives
Year 2 – Megan Kasem (Fundraising) & Zoe Clark
Year 3/4R – Rebecca Papa
Year 3/4H – Dilmi Moses(Fundraising)
Year 5/6D – Larissa Hutchison
Year 5/6F – Seeking representatives

We are currently looking for parent representatives for 1C and 5/6F. If you are interested, we would love to hear from you! Please email me if you are interested:

wsullivan@sbmord.catholic.edu.au

Social and Fundraising Meeting

Our first Social and Fundraising meeting will be held:

Thursday 19 March7:00pm –

School Staffroom

During this meeting we will discuss which classes will take responsibility for special events throughout the year and begin planning a community social event. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Discussing War and Conflict with Children

With the recent escalation of conflict involving Iran, children may be hearing or seeing distressing updates through the 24-hour news cycle, social media and conversations with peers.

Even when events occur far away, repeated exposure to headlines, images and commentary can increase anxiety, particularly for young people who are still developing their understanding of the world.

It is important for parents and caregivers to be mindful of overexposure to news coverage. Reassurance is key. Children need to feel safe and supported as they process complex global events.

Before beginning conversations about these topics, it can be helpful to check in with your own emotions. Children often take their cues from the adults around them. Remaining calm, listening openly and offering reassurance can help your child manage their feelings and maintain a sense of security.

Photo Permissions

To simplify our processes and ensure clarity for staff and families, we are updating our student photography consent process, aligning with other Catholic schools in our Zone.

Photo permissions will no longer be separated for different publications. We will be sending out a consent form via Nforma asking families to provide or decline consent by Friday 20 March.

The consent form will include permission for photographs/videos to be used for:

School newsletter
School social media accounts
School website and promotional materials
Newspaper/media coverage of school activities
Training materials and resources
MACS/CECV promotional or educational materials distributed to Catholic schools across Australia

A decline will mean that your child's photo will not appear in any of the above publications.

Privacy note: Students are never identified by surname in any publication.

If a photo is ever published in error, please contact the school immediately and it will be removed.

District Swimming

Congratulations to Oscar, who placed 4th in Backstroke at Division Swimming. In a field of 16 competitors - 4th was an amazing result! What a wonderful achievement Oscar – well done!

School House Colour Competition

Just a reminder about the ‘Name our House Colours” competition. As a family, think about what reflects our school? What is Mordialloc known for?

Please write up a short submission explaining your choice of names. Entries are open until the end of Term 1.

Enrolment Tours

We have been very busy with our enrolment tours this term and the applications are coming in.

Again we remind all current families to please ensure you submit a sibling application for 2027 prior to Friday 27 March 2026 to ensure a placement in our Foundation intake for 2027.

We still have tours available - please encourage family or friends to book:

Thursday 19 March - 2:00pm
Tuesday 24 March - 9.15am
Monday 30 March - 11:30am

Easter Donations and Raffle

With the end of Term fast approaching we are once again running our favourite event of the year - our annual Easter Egg Raffle. We are asking each child to donate an Easter egg, Easter craft activity or Easter decoration.

Send your donations in - we can’t wait to see if we can fill the foyer and make Tracey disappear behind a sea of Easter goodies. Your donations can start coming in anytime from now!

Raffle tickets were sent home to families this week. If you would like more tickets - pop by the office.

Easter Bonnet Parade - Monday 30 March - 8:45am

Get your thinking bonnets on! We would like you all to create an Easter bonnet to wear on Monday 30 March. We will have an Easter Bonnet parade at 8.45am so the bonnets do not get damaged. Mums, Dads, little brothers and sisters - feel free to come along to our parade in your Easter bonnets too!

5/6 Portsea Camp

Our Year 5/6 Students are very excited about heading off to Portsea Camp on Monday. The weather is looking perfect and we have a great 3 days of activites planned. I am looking forward to joining the students on Tuesday.

St Brigid's Buddies

Briar shared a story with me this week. On a recent visit to Main Street she was so surprised when her Year 6 (2020) Buddy Ella, who is now working at Main Street whilst completing her studies came over to give her a big hug and smile! Both girls were so excited so see each other. I love that these special St Brigid's bonds remain and I'm so proud of our St Brigid's spirit!

St Brigid's Mail

I was given a very special handmade card by Maddie (1C) this week. It made my day and I just had to share it with you. I'm so glad that school makes you feel safe Maddie and I'm always happy to hold your hand!

Yours in partnership.

Wendy Sullivan

Principal

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