Principal Announcements

Principal’s Welcome

Leadership is an important part of our journey at St Mary’s, providing opportunities for both students and staff to grow, inspire others and make a positive difference. True leadership is not simply about holding a title, but about demonstrating kindness, courage, responsibility and a willingness to serve others.

As Jesus reminds us, “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.” (Matthew 20:26)

Guided by this Gospel message and our Mercy values of Love, Understanding, Respect and Forgiveness, we encourage everyone to lead through their words and actions. As we celebrate our newly appointed staff and student leaders, we look forward to seeing them inspire others and continue to let their light shine.

Staff Positions of Leadership

We are delighted to congratulate the following staff members who have been appointed to Positions of Leadership at St Mary’s for the next three years.

• Junior Learning Leader – Ann-Margaret Carroll
• Middle Learning Leader – Carmel Hutchinson
• Senior Learning Leader – Jacqueline Mulraney
• Catholic Identity Leader – Ann-Margaret Carroll
• Wellbeing Leader – Meg Brown
• Mental Health in Primary Schools Leaders – Catherine Dyke and Meg Brown
• Learning Diversity Leader – Cherie Malnati

These important leadership roles contribute significantly to the ongoing growth and improvement of learning, teaching, Catholic Identity and student wellbeing across our school.

We sincerely thank these staff members for their willingness to take on these responsibilities and for their ongoing commitment to our students, staff and wider school community. We look forward to the positive contributions they will make as we continue to strengthen our learning environment and ensure every student is supported to flourish and let their light shine.

Congratulations to all!

Student Leadership Action Team 2027

It is with great excitement and pride that we announce and congratulate our 2027 Student Leadership Action Team (SLAT)!

We were incredibly impressed by the number of Grade 5 students who nominated for leadership positions this year. The enthusiasm, courage and willingness demonstrated throughout the application, interview and voting process were a wonderful reflection of the leadership potential within our school.

We warmly congratulate the following students on their appointments :

School Captains

• Rosemary Dow
• Paddy Ralph

Vice Captains

• Zara Vigliaturo
• Nate Bale

Faith and Justice Leaders

• Madisyn Leask
• Alexander Nioa

Archer House Captains

• Nyoka Winmar-Saunders
• Ben Richardson

McAuley House Captains

• Charlotte Ryan
• Zach Hall

Marian House Captains

• Jayden Williams/O'Brien
• Ellis Howard

Ryan House Captains

• Zach Vigliaturo
• Brixton Lines

We are confident that these students will embrace their leadership responsibilities with enthusiasm, kindness and a genuine commitment to serving others. We look forward to seeing them grow as leaders, demonstrate our Mercy values, and inspire others to make a positive difference within our school community.

We also acknowledge and congratulate every student who nominated for a leadership position. Leadership is not defined by a title, and we encourage all students to continue demonstrating leadership through their actions, choices and the way they support others.

Congratulations to our 2027 Student Leadership Action Team!

Sandhurst Awards Assembly

One of the special occasions on our school calendar is the presentation of our annual Sandhurst Diocese Awards, recognising students and staff who have demonstrated outstanding qualities, achievements and contributions throughout the school year.

This year, our Sandhurst Diocese Award recipients will be announced and presented with their awards at our Awards Assembly on Monday 7th December starting at 2:00pm

We warmly invite all parents and carers to join us for this special celebration as we acknowledge the wonderful achievements of our students and recognise those who have made a significant contribution to our St Mary’s community.

We look forward to celebrating this important occasion together.

Inter-school Athletics

Congratulations to Samuel Koum who is now off to State athletics after coming second in the 200m sprint. We wish you all the best.

Production Update

Rehearsals for our 90th Anniversary Production, From Humble Beginnings – Let Your Light Shine, are well underway, and the excitement is certainly building! Our students and staff are working hard to prepare what promises to be a wonderful celebration of St Mary’s history and our school community.

We are looking forward to a day and night of fun, memories and entertainment on Wednesday 25 November as our students take to the stage.

A reminder to families to book your tickets through TryBooking so you don’t miss this very special celebration of 90 years of St Mary’s. 

https://www.trybooking.com/DLWKO

We can’t wait to see you there!

Online Safety Parent Guide

The eSafety Commissioner have an Online Safety Parent guide that provides practical ways for parents and carers to support their child to have more positive online experiences. The guide will help you:

• Understand common online risks and issues
• Learn what helps in different scenarios
• Talk with their child about what they do online
• Know how to respond if something goes wrong

• Online Safety Parent Guide - https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/resources/online-safety-book

St. Mary’s School Advisory Council

Our St. Mary’s School Advisory Council provides a wonderful opportunity for parents and carers to become actively involved in the life of our school and contribute to the ongoing growth and development of our community. The Council works in partnership with school leadership to support the vision, values and future direction of St. Mary’s.

Meetings are held once or twice each term, usually on a Tuesday evening at 7:30pm, and generally run for approximately one hour.

Our next Annual General Meeting (AGM) to vote in new Council members and roles will be held on Tuesday 8th December at 6:00pm. We warmly encourage any parents or carers who are interested in becoming involved to consider joining the Advisory Council.

If you would like more information, please speak with myself, Catherine Dyke, or our current Advisory Council President, Michael De Maria. We would be delighted to discuss what is involved and how you can contribute to supporting our wonderful St. Mary’s community.

School Pick Up 

A friendly reminder to all parents and carers regarding our afternoon student collection arrangements.

All students are expected to be collected by 3:30pm from our regular collection points, with the exception of McLennan Street, where supervision and collection continue until 4:00pm.

If you are running late and would like another parent or carer to supervise or collect your child, this arrangement must be communicated to and organised through the school office. This is an important child safety requirement to ensure we know who is responsible for each student at all times.

Students who have not been collected from their regular collection point by 3:30pm will be directed to the McLennan Street collection point, where they can be safely supervised until 4:00pm.

We sincerely appreciate the understanding, cooperation and support of all families in following these procedures. The safety and wellbeing of our students remain our highest priority, and your assistance helps us maintain a safe and organised end to each school day.

Thank you for your continued support of St Mary’s.

Squishies and Sensory Toys 

We understand that many children enjoy using fidget toys and squishies at school, and we recognise the benefits these can provide in supporting students' sensory needs, concentration and wellbeing. Fortunately, at St Mary’s we have a wide range of safe sensory supports and fidget toys available for students to use when needed.

As you may have recently seen or heard in the media, concerns have been raised about the safety of some squishy toys, particularly those containing gel or liquid substances. There have been reports of these toys bursting and children experiencing reactions to the substances inside.

Unfortunately, we have also had some incidents at St Mary’s where squishies brought from home have burst during the school day.

To ensure the safety and wellbeing of all students, we are asking families to please ensure that squishies are left at home and not brought to school.

We appreciate your understanding and support in helping us maintain a safe learning environment for everyone. Students who require sensory supports will continue to have access to appropriate resources provided by the school.

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our students safe.

Daily Fruit Break 

At St Mary’s, all students are provided with the opportunity to enjoy a fruit break each day. This is an important part of our daily routine, encouraging healthy eating habits and helping students remain energised and ready for learning.

We kindly remind all families to please ensure their child brings a piece of fruit to school each day to enjoy during this break.

Recently, we have noticed an increasing number of students relying on the school to provide fruit on a regular basis. While we are always happy to have some spare fruit available for emergencies or when a child has forgotten theirs, providing large quantities of fruit each day is unfortunately not sustainable.

We greatly appreciate the support of our families in ensuring children come to school prepared with their daily fruit. Thank you for helping us continue this healthy and positive routine for all students.

2027 Family Intentions

A reminder to families to please complete the 2027 Family Intentions Form recently sent by the Office. The information provided is important in helping us plan our 2027 class structures, staffing and overall school planning.

We kindly ask all families to complete and return the form as soon as possible. Thank you for your assistance in helping us prepare for another successful year at St Mary’s.

2027 Enrolments

📢 For 2027 Enrolments or enquiries, please contact the school office for further assistance. Phone 58252858 or email office@smmooroopna.catholic.edu.au

St. Mary’s Bingo

**We are sincerely grateful again to the Bingo Committee for their recent and generous donation of $1500 to the school. The support for our students is very much appreciated.**

We are currently seeking support for St. Mary’s Bingo, which generally involves attending on a Saturday evening once a term. With numbers being quite short again at the moment, your help would be invaluable!

Bingo is a wonderful way to connect with our school community while raising funds that directly support student learning and school initiatives. We are incredibly grateful for the regular donations from Bingo which make a significant contribution to the learning, opportunities and growth of our St. Mary’s community.

If you are able to volunteer your time and be part of this valued community group, we would love to hear from you. For more information on how you can get involved, please contact Maree Williams on 0438 084 364.

Thank you for your consideration and ongoing support — every contribution makes a big difference!

St. Mary’s 90 Years Production – From Humble Beginnings – Let Your Light Shine

We are all looking forward to our School Production on Wednesday 25th November.

Seat bookings are still open and can be made at no cost via the link below. Families can book up to 3 tickets at one timeslot, any unallocated seats will be opened to all families 2 weeks prior to the production. 

https://www.trybooking.com/DLWKO

Gold coin is encouraged upon entry at the event.

Before School Supervision

Please note - all students who arrive at school prior to 8:30am must fill out an application via the link below. 

Before School Supervision

For new and casual before school arrivals, please complete prior to 4:00pm each day to enable student lists to be updated for the following morning. 

Before school supervision is for early bus travellers and parents/guardians who must attend work earlier than 8:30am. 

A reminder that students are not to arrive or be at school before 8:00am as they are not actively supervised. 

I appreciate everyone's understanding and cooperation regarding this.

Principal’s Awards

19th October - Madisyn Leask

This week’s Principal’s Award goes to a student who consistently lets her light shine by living out our school values. Her kindness, care and compassion towards our younger students make her a wonderful role model within our school community. We are so proud of the positive example she sets for others. 

Congratulations to Madisyn Leask.

26th October – Zane Eagles 

Congratulations to Zane Eagles, this week’s Principal’s Award recipient! 

Throughout Grade 5, Zane has demonstrated wonderful growth in his learning, resilience and self-determination. His positive attitude, growing confidence and commitment to challenging himself and meeting learning expectations are fantastic examples of our St Mary’s Graduate Outcomes in action. 

We are incredibly proud of Zane’s achievements this year and look forward to seeing him continue to let his light shine!

Attendance matters!

Every minute matters. This is a simple statement, but a true one. For every minute a child is at school they learn. For every minute they are absent they not only miss out on learning, but they also lose some previous learning.

Ms V’s Inspirations

“Leadership is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in your charge.” — Simon Sinek

“The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things.” — Ronald Reagan

“Let your light shine before others.” – Matthew 5:16