Principals Message
Dear families,
It is difficult to fathom that we already moving into Week 7 of Term 2, though the winter weather is well upon us.
Enrolments now OPEN
Any families who would like to enrol students for 2026, we ask that you please return your enrolment forms asap so that we can begin the process of planning how 2026 and beyond. If you require an enrolment pack, please contact Pete or Georgia in our office.
If you know of anyone who wishes to enrol at St Mary’s and receive a high level of education, care and welcoming, please encourage them to contact us.
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MAGNIFY SANDHURST
Knowledge Society – Classroom Mastery
On Thursday, Katherine and myself will attend the Knowledge Society leaders day in Shepparton. Knowledge Society is an integral element of the Magnify Sandhurt intervention and will provide resources, processes and strategies for our St Mary’s behaviour curriculum. A key element of this intervention is that all staff are consistent, allowing students predictability and routine regardless of the staff member who might be interacting with them. This predictability and consistency will also be hugely beneficial for families and our staff. As we know, St Mary’s has excellent behaviour of students and disposition toward learning. Knowledge Society will further complement this.
17 June is our next Pupil Free Day. This will be a day whereby our whole staff will travel to Mooroopna for the full day of professional learning and planning of the Knowledge Society curriculum.
MultiLit school visit
On Wednesday this week, our school will host a visit from MultiLit and Catholic Education Sandhurst staff. MultiLit is the company from which our F/1/2 literacy curriculum and our intervention comes from.
This is very exciting as St Mary’s (And Mrs Fiske-Kealy and Laura in particular) has really led the way for how Initial Lit can work within schools with composite cohorts of F/1/2. Ange has led this process and has been in constant dialogue with both companies to ensure that the product that we offer is top tier. We look forward to their classroom observations, discernment and ongoing support in ensuring St Mary’s delivers high quality education for years to come.
Year 5/6 camp – Sovereign Hill
Last week, our Year 5/6 students attended the Sovereign Hill camp alongside two other schools (St Joseph’s Nagambie and Holy Rosary Heathcote). The camp was a lot of fun with underground mine tours, gold panning, education sessions and exploration. I cannot commend enough the students for their respect, engagement and all-round exemplary behaviour. It was such a pleasure to be able to share this experience with them and I thank Katherine and Hailey for their care and dedication toward the students.
Basketball court
We are very excited that we now have our basketball court poured, and it has come up wonderfully!! The next part of the process is for it to be painted. Unfortunately, the best time for this to occur is during hot weather so we will put this off until after winter.
Winter bugs and illness
As we now move into Winter, we are beginning to witness greater instances of common illnesses. To ensure that we keep our community healthy, we ask that if you notice any symptoms including; fever, vomiting, or diarrhoea, please keep them at home until they have fully recovered. Please see the recommended exclusion period for common illnesses.
Next week, I am away on Long Service Leave to Rye with extended family. I know that I leave our school in excellent hands with the staff who we have. If you have any questions of concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Katherine or Angela as they will be acting principal in my absence.
Attendance Matters
Attendance matters! When children attend school regularly, they have the best opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed. Being at school each day helps them build knowledge, develop friendships, and stay engaged in their learning.
Missing school can make it harder to keep up, leading to gaps in learning and missed social opportunities. Consistent attendance sets children up for success, not just in school but in the future as well. Everyday counts! 😊📚
Once again, I thank you for your ongoing support and commitment to our school.
God Bless
Vin Ryan