Dear Parents,

Last week was a week of celebration at St Mary’s. Our events really highlighted the wonderful school community we have and the positive culture we have created together, ensuring every student in our school is growing, shining and flourishing.

The opening of the building was such a special afternoon. We welcomed so many visitors including MACS staff, past Principals and staff, Parishioners, parents and many more. Father Shymon and Paul Mercurio officially opened and blessed our beautiful new spaces.

Thank you to Natalie Dullard for preparing a wonderful End of Year Mass and to all students who were awarded with recognition for the way they have been shining and flourishing throughout 2024. A special shout out to our amazing Prep class capably supported by Saskia Kalkbrenner and Rachel Milner.

We then had an afternoon of fun, colour and carols. Thanks to Jonathon and The Hastings Fire Brigade for bringing the fire truck to St Mary’s and keeping us all cool.

Thanks to parents for assisting with the colour explosion and joining in on the fun and celebrations.

Today is our final newsletter for 2024. As we come to the close of 2024, a most wonderful year at St Mary's, it is time to reflect on the year and to give thanks for all the wonderful learning and growth that has occurred. Our vision of growing together in Faith, Hope and love guides all that we do as we strive to ensure our students make meaning of the world around them, know and understand themselves and feel passionate and motivated to take action and put all their wonderful learning into practice.

Thank you to our dedicated staff for all that you have done over the year. I have every faith in our staff and know how committed they are to ensuring the best learning and teaching occurs for all of our children. It is a privilege to work alongside such a committed and talented team of educators. A special thanks to my wonderful leadership team - Naomi, Lisa, Amanda and Natalie. Your work and dedication is second to none and I appreciate all that you do to assist me in leading our school.

Sadly we farewell some staff at the end of 2024.

We farewell our wonderful Kath Snooks who is heading to retirement land next year. Kath you have been at St Mary’s for the past twenty one years and have done a simply magnificent job. Thank you for your amazing contribution to our school over many years and all of the love and support you have given to our students. We will miss you.

We also farewell Robyn Benoiton. What can we say!! This amazing lady is going to be so sadly missed. Rob has managed and led the ICT in the school for the past fifteen years and has produced all of the amazing concert videos, website, visuals amongst a few things Robyn does in our school. You will be sadly missed and we appreciate the significant amount of work you have done.

We also farewell our wonderful Carol McMahon. Carol has been an inspiration in our school over the past four years helping everyone in our school to be the best they can be, in so many ways. Carol, we thank you wholeheartedly for all you have done at St Mary’s. You will be sadly missed and we appreciate the significant amount of work you have done.

And finally to Jason Beach who has been our Phys ed, drama and music teacher in 2025. You have only had one year of the St Mary’s way but we thank you Jason for the singing, the fun you have bought to our staff.

Thank you to the parents for working in partnership and for all of your help and support. It does take a village to raise a child and we have a truly sensational village to do this in. We could not be more appreciative of our parents in 2024 for working in partnership with us.

We farewell the Graduating class of 2024 this Thursday in what will be a beautiful ceremony in tour new discovery centre. I congratulate our Year 6 graduates and thank them for the wonderful contribution they have made to our school community. I trust they will take the St Mary’s spirit with them and always know they are a valuable part of our school community.

We have a number of families with their youngest child graduating from St. Mary’s after a long association with the school. We thank the following families for all you have done throughout the years and hope you have many wonderful memories to take with you.

2024 Leaving Families
Broom Family	Drapelidis Family	Dwight Family	Eccleston Family
Hills Family	Hynam Family	Llewellyn Family	Millsom Family
Modderkolk Family	Monteyro Family	Petersen Family	Wilkes Family

I recognise and thank our amazing staff team for being just such a great group of people and I will miss working with you so much.

I thank our parent community for working in partnership with us and ensuring we have the best community around our beautiful students.

And to our magnificent students - I have loved coming to school every day and seeing you all shine. You will always be very special to me and I look forward to seeing you in our Parish community and thank you for being you.

May we all continue to carry the story of St. Mary’s Hastings with us, living and celebrating the St. Mary’s spirit as has been done by so many people over the past 105 years in the building we proudly stand in today and pass this on to all future students for many years to come.

May we never forget our school is focussed on the children in our community, the future of our world and may we always surround our children with love, hope and belief that they will always flourish and shine in our care and in all they set out to do.

Mary Mackillop reminds us in one of her famous quotes “We are but travellers here” and what a wonderful journey it has been. I proudly hand over the keys to our newly appointed Principal Nicole Black at the start of 2025 and wish her all the best to take this beautiful school along the next chapter of the journey.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my five years of Principalship at St Mary’s and feel privileged to have been the Principal of this wonderful school.

Students will finish for the 2024 school year on Tuesday, 17th December at 3.15pm.

Have a happy, peaceful and safe Christmas with your family and friends

The school year for 2025 commences on Wednesday 29th January. Students will be required to come to school for an individual conference on either Wednesday 29th or Thursday 30th January. Students will then commence formal classes on Friday 31st January, 2025.

Yours In Partnership,

Gab Espenschied

School Community Events

Christmas Eve Mass for Children

Tuesday 24th December 5.30pm

-with a special visit from Santa Claus