Principal's Update

Principal's Report

As we move towards the end of Term 2, it has certainly been a busy and productive few weeks at St Margaret's. Our teachers have been working hard to assess student learning growth and achievement across all curriculum areas and are currently finalising Semester 1 reports. These reports provide an important opportunity to celebrate student progress and communicate learning achievements with families.

Our students have also enjoyed a wide range of engaging learning experiences and opportunities across all year levels. It has been wonderful to see so much enthusiasm, participation and achievement both inside and outside the classroom.

Completion of Building Works at St Margaret's: We are delighted to share that the major building project has now been completed. The project, which commenced midway through last year, reached its final milestone last week when Raysett Constructions handed over the refurbished Year 3 learning spaces. There was great excitement from both students and staff, particularly our Year 3B class, as they moved into their beautiful new classroom.

While a small number of minor finishing works will take place during the school holidays, the completion of this project marks a significant milestone for our school community. The new and refurbished learning spaces provide wonderful environments that will support teaching and learning for many years to come.

To celebrate this achievement, we will be holding an official opening ceremony on Tuesday 23 June. We look forward to welcoming local State Member Katie Hall, representatives from Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS), and those involved in the building project. We also warmly extend an invitation to members of our school community who may wish to attend this special occasion.

Road Safety Around the School: I am pleased to advise that Maribyrnong City Council is currently conducting a traffic audit around the school to help ensure the safety of all members of our community. The audit will result in a report that will assist both the school and council in identifying ways to further improve pedestrian and traffic safety around the school precinct. In the meantime, we have been informed that there will be an increased presence of traffic inspectors and police in the area to monitor both driver and pedestrian behaviour. I encourage all families to take extra care when travelling to and from school and to ensure that road rules are followed at all times.

The safety of our children remains a shared responsibility, and we appreciate your support in helping to keep our school community safe.

Meet Our Crossing Supervisor: At St Margaret's, we are fortunate to have a wonderful crossing supervisor who helps keep our students and families safe every day; rain, hail or shine. Our School Captains recently sat down with him to learn a little more about the person behind the stop sign!

Name: Le

How long have you been working as a School Crossing Supervisor? "I've been doing this for about 11 or 12 years."

What do you enjoy most about helping children cross the road safely each day? "The smiles and friendly faces of our children and families."

What AFL team do you support? "Brisbane Lions."

What do you enjoy doing when you're not working? "Housework and gardening."

What is one road safety message you would like all students and families to remember? "Be really careful when you are parking to pick up your kids, slow down and be safe."

Thank you, Le, for the wonderful work you do for our community each day.

Visit from Western Bulldogs Players: Last Monday, our students in Years 3–6 were fortunate to welcome several players from the Western Bulldogs Football Club to St Margaret's. The players shared insights into life as professional athletes and spoke about the importance of leadership, teamwork, perseverance and resilience. Students enjoyed hearing firsthand about the experiences and challenges involved in playing AFL football at the highest level. I think it is fair to say that some of our staff may have been just as excited as the students to meet the players!

Year 6 Winter Interschool Sports: Last Friday, our senior students proudly represented St Margaret's at the Winter Interschool Sports District Competition. Students participated in a variety of sports including Tee-Ball, AFL Football (Mixed and Girls) and Netball (Mixed and Girls). While it was fantastic to see our teams competing and striving for success, what made me most proud was the way our students demonstrated sportsmanship, teamwork and respect throughout the day. They represented St Margaret's with pride and played each game in the right spirit. A huge thank you to the many parents, carers and family members who came along to support and cheer on our students. Your encouragement and support help make these events so special.

Melbourne Cup Launch Day: It was an exciting and memorable day for a group of our Year 4 students who were invited to participate in the official Melbourne Cup Launch Day. Representing St Margaret's with pride, our students dressed in colourful jockey silks and took part in media opportunities alongside other special guests at the event.

The students were wonderful ambassadors for our school, confidently engaging with members of the media and showcasing their enthusiasm throughout the day. Their professionalism and positive attitude were a credit to themselves, their families and our school community. It was particularly exciting to see one of our students featured on the evening news, giving our school a moment in the spotlight. We are grateful for the opportunity afforded to our students and are proud of the way they represented St Margaret's on such a significant Melbourne sporting occasion.

Spring Roll lunch: A very special thank you to Thuy (Mum of Dylan - 2B), for the generous and delicious spring roll and rice paper roll lunch, which was enjoyed by all of the staff today. 

As we approach the final weeks of Term 2, there is still plenty to look forward to. The upcoming World Cup is generating plenty of excitement, and we hope to open our Multipurpose Room during break times when matches are being played so that students can enjoy some of the action together.

Thank you for your ongoing support of our school community. I wish all students, families and staff a wonderful fortnight ahead.

John