Principal Announcements
Newsletter 3 Term 4
Grade ¾ Camp Success
Our Grade 3/4 students recently enjoyed a fantastic three-day adventure at Camp Kookaburra in Corop. The camp was filled with exciting and challenging outdoor activities that encouraged teamwork, problem solving and resilience.
Students had the opportunity to take part in canoeing, ropes and initiative courses, swimming, archery, orienteering, wall climbing and abseiling. It was wonderful to see everyone giving their best effort, stepping outside their comfort zones, and supporting one another along the way.
A huge thank you to the staff who supported our students throughout the camp, and a special thank you to Maree Williams for her involvement and assistance in making the experience such a success.
Camp Kookaburra was a memorable and rewarding experience for all—well done, Grade 3/4!
On Country Excursion
Our FIRE Carrier and Year 5/6 Indigenous students recently went On Country to explore the beautiful hills of Dookie. The walking trail up Mount Major, known as "Mulana nin iyoga", meaning Spirit of Stone in the Yorta Yorta language, offered students a powerful opportunity to connect with the ancient landscape and learn about its deep cultural significance.
As they walked along the trail—part of a working sheep farm—students learned from the information panels and documentary project that share the rich stories of the area. They discovered how Mount Major is more than just a landmark; it is a place of great importance to the Yorta Yorta people, whose connection to Country stretches back thousands of years.
The group learned that the Dookie region was once a key source of silcrete stone, an important material used by the Yorta Yorta for crafting tools and traded widely across the region. This experience gave students a deeper appreciation for Aboriginal culture, history, and the enduring connection between people and land.
A special thank you to our FIRE Carriers and supporting staff for representing St. Mary’s so beautifully and for continuing to grow our understanding of what it means to walk gently On Country.
Prep 2026 Transition Day
This week we welcomed our future Prep students for 2026 to St Mary’s for their very first Prep Transition Day. It was a joyful morning filled with smiles, excitement and curiosity as our newest learners explored their new ‘big school’.
These transition days play an important role in helping children feel comfortable, confident and connected as they begin their school journey. They give our future Preps the chance to meet their teachers, make new friends and start to feel that wonderful sense of belonging to the St Mary’s community.
A big thank you to our Prep staff for their care, encouragement and thoughtful preparation to ensure the day was such a positive and happy experience for everyone. We can’t wait to see our 2026 Preps again soon!
Remembrance Day Ceremony
Unfortunately, due to the inclement weather yesterday, our Fire Carriers were unable to attend the Mooroopna Remembrance Day Ceremony.
We thank Ms Carroll for proudly representing St Mary’s, in the spirit of our school community, as we paused to remember and honour those who have served our country.
Several of our student leaders, with the assistance of Mr Woodward, guided our whole school in the Ode of Remembrance, The Last Post, A Minutes Silence and The Rouse.
We are very proud of the way our leaders, all our students and staff conducted themselves during this important occasion and their understanding of the significance of Remembrance Day.
School Colour Run – Friday November 14
Our students have done an amazing job fundraising for the upcoming School Colour Run! With over $10 000 raised already last week, the excitement levels are sky high across St Mary’s.
To celebrate this fantastic effort, Mr David Maskell bravely volunteered to be slimed and water gunned — much to the delight of our students!
A huge thank you to Mr Maskell and our wonderful Parents and Friends team for creating such a fun and engaging lead-up to this event. Your efforts are helping to build community spirit and make this year’s Colour Run one to remember!
Master Plan Progress Update
We are pleased to share that our Master Plan development with B3 Architects is progressing well. Together, we are thoughtfully exploring and refining draft design options that will best support the future growth and learning needs of our school.
At this stage, our focus is on carefully considering a range of possibilities to ensure that the final design provides modern, flexible, and engaging learning spaces for our students and staff. These plans will help us continue to create an environment that reflects our school’s values and supports the vibrant learning culture at St Mary’s.
We look forward to sharing more details as we move toward the final design stage and to realising our vision for outstanding facilities that will benefit our entire school community for years to come.
Animal on School Grounds Policy
St. Mary’s School values the positive impact animals can have on learning and wellbeing but must also ensure the safety and comfort of all students and staff. Our new Animals on School Property Policy outlines clear expectations for when and how animals may be brought onto school grounds.
In general, pets are not permitted on school property unless approved by the Principal. Registered assistance or therapy animals, and approved educational visits, are welcome under specific conditions.
You can read the full policy at the link below:
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
10th November – Havana Mott
This week’s Principal’s Award goes to Havana Mott who is kind and thoughtful and always tries her best. She is always so bright and welcoming each morning. Havana is organised, focused on her learning, and completes all her work with care. She is a great role model for her peers, always polite, cooperative and always letting her light shine.
Congratulations, Havana!
Assembly 20th 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.
We continue to seek 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.
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
“It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters."— Epictetus
“Let your light shine before others.” – Matthew 5:16
