From the Principal
Dear Parents and Carers,
Whilst it may have felt like a long time, I hope the Labour Day long weekend provided some rest and relaxation for families, with the Monday public holiday giving extra time at home.
Since our last newsletter, the Year 5 and 6 students have attended camp at a new venue for St Simon's called The Ranch on the Mornington Peninsula. It was three days of activities that encouraged teamwork and resilience, with each student invited to consider their comfort zone and set an individual goal to push a little beyond it, building self-belief and confidence.
Click here to read some of the students' reflections from camp.
The 2026 NAPLAN program has now concluded, with students in Years 3 and 5 participating in assessments in the Literacy and Numeracy subject areas. Thank you to our NAPLAN coordinators, Monica Rayner and Philomena Solari, as well as Years 3 and Year 5 (5\6) classroom teachers, for supporting the students in fully participating in the assessment program.
In Week 9, I will be attending the Victorian Association of Catholic Primary School Principals’ biennial Conference from Tuesday, 24th March to Friday, 27th March, and then taking leave from Monday, 30th March til Thursday, 2nd April. During this time, Monica Rayner will be acting Principal with the support of Philomena Solari and Katie Edgar.
Catholic Education Week 2026
This week, the Archdiocese of Melbourne celebrates Catholic Education Week, a time of reflection, celebration and promotion of the impact Catholic education has on our community. This year’s theme celebrates the significance of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of our local Church in Melbourne. The theme is "Christ beside me: Walking in the footsteps of Saint Patrick." Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, our mother Church, is named after the saint of Ireland.
This Friday, St Simon's will have four student leaders accompanied by Mrs Solari and Miss Do, representing our school at the annual St Patrick's Mass for Catholic Education held at St Patrick's Cathedral in East Melbourne.
It is also the week of our Prep 2027 Parent Information Night for Enrolment, on Wednesday, 18th March at 7 pm in the School Library. We are looking forward to connecting with new and current families to discuss Prep 2027 enrolment.
There will also be a second Information Night (repeat) in Term 2 on Wednesday, 6th May.
TWILIGHT SPORTS
with a sausage sizzle hosted by Rowville Lysterfield Rotary
MONDAY 23rd March 2:30-5:30pm
Photo Consent - REMINDER
Thank you to those families who have responding the Digital Image Consent within Nforma.
This information will be used to ensure any photos of students published from the St Simon's are done so with the parents' consent.
There are only a few families who have yet to respond, so please check in with nForma to complete the form indicating whether to give or withhold consent for digital image publishing.
Any family that does not respond will be deemed to have consented until the form is updated.
TWILIGHT SPORTS
MONDAY 23rd March 2:30-5:30pm
Families are welcome, and if you are able to assist on the day with setting up or packing up please contact Karl Camerino via the office@ssrowville.catholic.edu.au
SAVE THE DATE: St Simon's Mother's Day Breakfast Event, Friday, 8th May.
More details to come soon.
THE ST SIMON'S FETE IS BACK IN 2026!
School Closure Days Terms 2 and 3 - 2026
Throughout the year, the school schedules several school closure days for staff to engage in professional learning and compliance activities. There are also days scheduled for time-in-lieu (TIL) activities that staff attend and run outside the normal hours of the school day. These days are used to acquitt these hours.
When a school closure day is scheduled, Beyond Edu Care will operate a program of care for the day so that families can have their children looked after on the school site.
Term 2
Student Free Day Friday 24th April - TIL
Student Free Day Friday 5th June - Professional Learning: Religious Education
Term 3
Student Free Day Friday 18th September (First Aid CPR, Compliance)
Term 4
TBC
nForma
ARE YOU CONNECTED TO OUR SCHOOL VIA THE NFORMA APP?
NEED TO KNOW MORE? CLICK HERE
In preparation for camps and excursions, please ensure that all Medical and Health information in nForma for your children is up to date.
St Simon’s Staff and Contact details
A complete staff list for 2026 is available through the newsletter each week by going to Staff Contacts and General Information section