Message from Leadership

As we move into the second half of Term 1, please have a look at the Year level pages to see what everyone has been up to. As always, it’s been a busy fortnight at St Mary's. 

Below are a few upcoming events we would like the school community to be aware of.

Catholic Education Week 

Catholic Education Week will run from Sunday 16 March to Sunday 23 March.

Catholic Education Week is an opportunity for St Mary's to celebrate our Catholic identity and showcase our learning and what we do. We will be doing this by leading our current and prospective families on guided learning walks through classrooms and specialist subject classes (Science and Music). Please use the QR code to RSVP your attendance. 

NAPLAN

Next week students in Years 3 & 5 will take part in the 2025 National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). Please see the below schedule for NAPLAN. 

Students who are absent on these dates will have the opportunity to sit catch-up tests up until Monday 24th of March. Catch-up tests for Year 3 Writing must be conducted by Monday 17th of March. 

Student absence 

We would like to remind you to please notify the school office if your child will be taking any days off. You can easily do this by either:

• Logging the absence on PAM (Parent Access Module),
• Emailing the school at admin@smcastlemaine.catholic.edu.au,
• Calling the school office directly.

This helps us to ensure accurate attendance records and keep you informed about your child’s absence.

Classroom structure change

We would like to inform families of a slight change to the classroom structure. Year 4 will now be part of a combined Grade 3/4 classroom with Mr Giles. This decision has been made to help even out class numbers and ensure a more balanced learning environment for all students.

The senior leadership team (MACS) and I have carefully considered various factors, including student needs and overall school dynamics, before making this adjustment. We are confident that this new structure will provide an enriching learning experience for both Grade 2/3 and Grade 3/4 students, fostering collaboration and growth.

Toys from home

A gentle reminder that we ask students not to bring toys or balls from home to school. These items can sometimes lead to upset when they are lost or damaged during playtime. To ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience for all, the school provides sports equipment for students to use during play.

Some pictures from this fortnight 

Social detectives lessons with Steph Silvagni

Music Incursion 

Explicit teaching with Mr Giles

Routine formation - F/1

Have a great long weekend everyone.

Regards,

Anushka Vaz

Principal