Principal Announcements

Welcome to Term 4!

It is hard to believe that I have already been Principal at St. Mary’s for one year – how quickly the time has flown! What a wonderful year it has been, and I feel truly blessed to be part of such a warm and faith-filled community.

This term promises to be another very busy and exciting one, filled with special events, opportunities to reflect on a year of learning and growth, and the beginnings of important transition steps as we look ahead to 2026. I look forward to sharing this journey with you all and celebrating the many achievements of our students throughout the term.

Maintenance and Grounds Update

Over the Term 3 holidays and into Term 4, a number of works and planning steps have been undertaken to enhance and maintain our learning environment. St Mary’s is currently working with B3 Architects to develop a School Master Plan that will guide future improvements, with funding applications targeted for 2026. Facilities and aesthetic updates are also being considered, including solutions for the eating area tables and the potential installation of frosted glass sliding doors between some classrooms to minimise distraction during explicit teaching times. A special thanks goes to Gary Woodward and the working party who revitalised the Indigenous Garden during the holidays. Compliance checks have also been completed, with only minor matters to monitor and address. We thank Phil and all contractors for their work in ensuring our facilities continue to support the learning, safety, and wellbeing of our community.

Staff Updates 

Welcome to Rileigh Walters, Sarah Small, Wes Stanley, Cyrus Shafi and Abbey Normington.

This term, we welcomed Abbey Normington as a new Learning Support Officer who will be delivering MacqLit, an intervention literacy program for students in Grades 3–6. We also welcomed Wes Stanley as our new Assistant Maintenance Officer, and Cyrus, our new Sports Trainee from England. 

We are pleased to have Rileigh and Sarah support us with teacher release in the senior and junior areas. At the same time, we farewelled William Geerling, who completed his short-term contract as an LSO.

2026 Planning

For 2026 class planning, we ask families who may be considering leaving St Marys at the end of the year, apart from Gr6 Families, to please notify the office via the following email address.

office@smmooroopna.catholic.edu.au

Please include your students name/s, finishing date and name of new school student/s will be attending.

Safe arrival of little George Mellington

We congratulate Coby and her family on the safe arrival of their new baby son & brother, George during the holidays. Both Coby and baby are doing very well and we can’t wait for the school visits and baby cuddles.

Welcome Baby Crawford

We also congratulate Lauren Murray (Gr1 LSO) and her family on the safe arrival of their new son & brother, Steele earlier this week. Both Lauren and baby are doing well and we look forward to their first of many school visits and cuddles.

Interschool and Division Athletics

We are incredibly proud of our Grade 3–6 students for their wonderful participation and strong school spirit during last week’s Interschool and Division Athletics events. A big thank you to Mr. Troy Watts for his excellent organisation and to all staff who supported students throughout the program.

Magnify Magic Classroom Visits

A big thank you to all staff for opening up your classrooms this week and welcoming parents and guardians to experience the learning taking place at St Mary’s. It was wonderful to see families engaging in activities alongside their children and gaining a deeper insight into our school programs. The sense of excitement and connection throughout the week truly captured the spirit of Magnify Magic!

An Exciting Term 4 Ahead!

Term 4 is always a special time in our school calendar, and this year is no exception! We have a number of wonderful events and milestones to look forward to as we celebrate learning, faith, and community together. Highlights include our off-site evacuation drill to the park, the Grade 3/4 Camp, and the much-anticipated Colour Run. Our Prep transition program will welcome our newest learners, while our Grade 6 students will prepare for the next chapter of their journey with Orientation for 2026, their Graduation and Fun Day.

We also look forward to celebrating the Sacrament of Confirmation, our final awards assembly, final Mass, and, of course, ending the year on a joyful note with our Christmas Concert and BBQ. It promises to be a term full of memorable experiences and community spirit!

2026 Student Leadership Action Team

We are pleased to announce the Student Leadership Action Team for 2026. These students have been chosen to represent our school community and will take on important leadership responsibilities throughout the year. We congratulate them on their appointments and look forward to the positive contributions they will make. We look forward to formally presenting our leaders to the community at a celebration early in 2026.

School Captains

• James Sibio
• Ariana Vourgaslis

Vice Captains

• Oliver DeMaria
• Charlotte Armstrong

Faith and Justice Captains

• Anesha Bhatti
• Ajooni Kaur

Archer House Captains

• Ethan Prygoda
• Anabelle Barillaro

Ryan House Captains

• Emma Lee
• Bayden Newman

Marian House Captains

• Ava Fisher
• Indianna Tamburro

McAuley House Captains

• Logan Anstice
• Ruby Woods

We congratulate all of these students on their leadership roles and know that they will serve our community with commitment, respect, and integrity as they “Let Their Light Shine.”

Parking Safety Reminder

We kindly remind all families to please ensure you are parking safely and legally during school drop-off and pick-up times. A concerned community member has observed an increasing number of cars parking in non-designated areas and obstructing others who are doing the right thing.

This not only causes frustration but also creates significant safety risks for our students and families. Please:

• Use only designated parking bays
• Avoid parking in no-standing zones or driveways
• Be patient and respectful during busy times

Thank you for your continued cooperation in helping to keep St. Mary’s a safe and welcoming environment for everyone.

Principal’s Awards

8th September – Will McCrae.

This week’s Principal’s Award goes to Will McCrae for consistently demonstrating our PBIS and school-wide values of love, forgiveness, understanding, and respect.

Will has shown remarkable growth in his leadership this term, embracing new experiences, always giving his best and truly letting his light shine.

Well done, Will – we are very proud of your achievements!

 Assembly 6th October

Assembly 13th October

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. Long term, this can have an effect on students' future outcomes.

St. Mary’s Bingo

St Mary's Bingo has been able to support our school financially each year which helps with projects or initiatives across the school. This would not be possible without the support of volunteers from both the Parish & the school.

And once again we are seeking help for St. Mary's Bingo. This would generally involve helpers to attend on a Saturday evening once a term. With helper numbers being quite short at the moment, your help would be invaluable! 

Please see attached flyer for more information regarding the tasks we need help with, if you are able to help out, fill in the slip and return to the school office.

Bingo is a fantastic way to engage with our school community whilst raising funds for various programs. 

Please contact Maree Williams on 0438 084 364 if you need more information.

Thank you for your consideration, your support makes a big difference!

End of 2025 School Dates

From Sandhurst Diocese advice, our last school days for 2025 for students and staff will be as follows:

• Friday 12th December – Last day for students
• Monday 15th December – Staff Planning/Professional Development Day (Student-Free)
• Tuesday 16th December – Staff Planning/Professional Development Day (Student-Free)
• Wednesday 17th December – Friday 19th December – School Closure Days

Before School Supervision

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

Before School Supervision

Ms V’s Inspirations

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” – Dr. Seuss

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11

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