From Our Principal

Newsletter  ~ Term 1, Week 6, 2025

Principal's Message:

Dear Parents, Carers, Families and Friends of St Mel’s Primary School,

This week we enter the season of LENT, our time of prayer, fasting and alms giving. Prior to Lent commencing we gathered for our annual pancake feast and fundraiser for CARITAS' Project Compassion. Thank you Fr Ruel and Fr Ronald, along with the parishioners who joined our children and staff for this wonderful event. The following day we celebrated the commencement of Lent by attending the annual Ash Wednesday parish Mass. Fr Ronald and Fr Ruel concelebrated the Mass, with support from parishioners. This was a good opportunity for our children to also experience a weekday Mass in our parish church, Christ the King church. At the end of Mass I took opportunity to commend the children on their MOST respectful participation in the Ash Wednesday Mass. So lovely to gather as a school and parish community as we now prepare ourselves over coming weeks as we approach Holy Week and Easter. 

At this time we also keep in mind our families journeying through the weeks of Ramadan. This month long Muslim celebration recognises the revelation of the Qur'an and calling Muslims to get closer to God. Ramadan is a period of fasting, prayer and reflection.  

Ramadan commenced on Friday 28 February and concludes Sunday 30 March.

For many of our families, March 14 will be celebrated as the Festival of Holi (Festival of Colours). The festival celebrates the triumph of good over evil and the eternal love of deities Radha and Krishna. 

So wonderful to have such similarity and difference to respect, honour, celebrate and learn from in our multifaith, multicultural Catholic education community. 

'Magnify Sandhurst' 

Every Student - Every Teacher - Every School - Every Day!

As part of the 2025 implementation of Magnify next week Di Walker (Leader: Pastoral Wellbeing & Learner Diversity), Danae Napier (Deputy Principal: Learning & Teaching) and myself will participate in a day for school leaders focussed on the Behaviour Support Curriculum facilitated by The Knowledge Society.

On the last Wednesday of Term One (2 April) our staff will be joined by the staff of St Joseph's PS Cobram and St Joseph's PS Numurkah for a Professional Learning day focussed on the low variance Behaviour Curriculum. This will be a Student Free Day for our learners and the School Administration Office will also be closed that day.

Danae Napier will also attend a Religious Education Leader's day focussed on the low variance Religious Education Curriculum 'Source of Life' in coming weeks.

As with other elements of Magnify being introduced and implemented this year (e.g., MultiLit and OCHRE) the low variance curriculums are being implemented simultaneously and concurrently in our other Catholic primary schools and colleges across the Sandhurst Diocese. This means students at these schools, by year level, will be receiving the same low variance curriculum content delivery in the same week on the same day. The delivery of currculum content and corresponding student response activities are also sequenced and scaffolded to build knowledge, skill and application of learning.

The importance of high levels of school attendance is important in supporting each child's learning journey. 

Student Attendance Aim for 95%:        "Everyday Counts"

Parents and carers should aim to have their child/ren attend school for 95% of the school year. Whilst this attendance rate has been promoted for many years, with the introduction of the low variance curriculum and what we now know about the way children (and adults) learn from the neuroscience of learning evidence base, aiming for this 95.5% attendance rate is really important.

Missing 5% of school days across the year = 10 days per year.

Missing 5% of school days across the year = 2.5 days per term.

Acceptable absences from school include: illness, accidents, attending or observing religious event or obligation, bereavement or sorry business and/or cultural observarence.

Other than these reasons children should attend school to fully engage with the curriculum.

Foundation Student's Commence Wednesday Attendance:

Our Foundation students commence attending school each Wednesday from next week onwards. Looking forward to our Foundation students enjoying their Specialist subjects: Visual Arts, Physical Education, Performing Arts and STEM from next week onwards.

Remember to come in correct St Mel's Sports Uniform each Wednesday.

2025 & 2026 Enrolment:

2025 School Photo Day - Tuesday 11 March 

A reminder to bring your School Photo Envelope on Tuesday, if you have not already returned it to school. Children are to wear correct St Mel's PS Summer Uniform on Tuesday for the photos. Our St Mel's PS School Uniform expectation is attached:

Get To Know You Interviews:

Thank you to the parents and carers who attended these important opportunities to discuss children's learning journey this week. These interviews are also an important opportunity for parents and carers to inform our teachers about your learners in support of maintaining a close partnership between parents, carers and teachers. Parents and carers who missed the opportunity to meet with their child/ren's teacher are asked to make contact soon to set a time for a conversation about your child/ren and their learning.

2025 National Assessment Program for Literacy & Numeracy (2025 NAPLAN):

The annual national assessment for Year 3 and Year 5 students commences this coming Wednesday 12 March. Information regarding the 2025 Naplan has been emailed to parents and carers.

Reminder - Parents / carers electing to withdraw their children from participating in these assessments are invited to contact their child/ren's Pastoral Group teacher for awithdrawal form.

Student Illness:

A reminder to parents and carers, whilst attendance each day at school is important in supporting children's learning journey, children are required to stay home from school when they show symptoms of illness. Not only does this support them recover more quickly, it significantly reduces the possibility of spreading illness to their peers and/or our staff.

Parents and carers will be called to collect children from school who are unwell.

Volunteer in Support of our School Community: [REPEAT]

Parents, carers, parishioners and members of the broader community wishing to volunteer or become 'volunteer ready' within our school community are directed to visit the St Mel's PS Shepparton Website or School Administration Office for further information and/or to obtain the required documentation.

All new volunteers are required to:

• Read and understand our Volunteer documentation
• Complete a Volunteer Application Form and provide 3 referees
• Obtain and provide a Working With Children's Check
• Read, understand and sign the St Mel's PS Code of Conduct
• Complete St Mel's PS Volunteer Interview and Induction
• Read, understand and sign the St Mel's PS Responsibilities of Volunteers form

Time Capsule Contents 2000 to 2025:

Today we welcomed a former principal of St Mel's Primary School, Mr Tom Sexton, to open the special envelope containing contents from our school buried in 2000 as part of the Rotary Club of Shepparton's Time Capsule Project. The time capsule, buried at Victoria Park Lake, was recently unearthed and opened and we invited Tom to open the envelope he buried on behalf of the school community as principal of St Mel's PS from 1998 to 2007.

Tom is currently Executive Director of Catholic Education for the Diocese of Ballarat.

We look forward to sharing the contents in coming weeks as we make plans to bury content from the current year to be unearthed and opened in 2050.

History of the Sisters of Mercy at St Mel's PS:

Recently Sr Agnes Murphy RSM visited St Mel's and presented us with a folder containing photos and written information covering the Sisters of Mercy at St Mel's Primary School.

Founding the school in 1957 and active in the school until 1991, the Sisters of Mercy made an enormous contribution to the education of the parish's children with their charism still alive in our school today. We are grateful to Sr Agnes for her work in keeping the memory of the Sisters of Mercy alive in our school.  

Volunteer in Support of our School Community - School Advisory Council: [REPEAT]

With the departure of two School Advisory Council members at the end of last year with their last child moving on to secondary education we are currently seeking new council members. Catholic Education Sandhurst Limited provides governance oversight for St Mel's PS. The St Mel's PS School Advisory Council is established under the authority of CESLtd so that the principal might receive information, support and advice from various local community members.

The Advisory Council serves as a consultative and advisory group for the Principal receiving information and feedback from the broader school community and an active forum for parent and local community participation, providing support and advice primarily in strategic planning and school improvement.

For more information about the St Mel's PS School Advisory Council or to nominate parents and carers for consideration as potential School Advisory Council members please contact our Principal, Steve Hicks.

Volunteer in Support of our School Community 

                 - St Mel's Parent & Carers Social Committee:        [REPEAT]

The St Mel's PS Parents & Carers Social Committee consists of volunteer parents, carers and other members of our community (e.g. grandparents, former parents, staff members, aunties, etc.) whose aims are as follows:

• To cater for the general wellbeing of the school community.
• To liaise and co-operate with the School Advisory Council and the St Mel's parish community as a whole.
• To raise funds to assist with purchase of equipment and resources for the school.  This amount helps keep school fees down. 
• To foster and develop a spirit of community among parents and friends.

In other words... FUNraising, FUNDraising and Social Connection.

All parents, carers and friends are welcome to attend meetings.  Details of time and venue of meetings will be available in the school newsletter.

In 2024 our Parents & Carers Social Committee organised our Annual Student Disco, Mother's Day High Tea and Gift Staff, our Father's Day Breakfast & Gift Stall and very popular Colour Fun Run. Funds raised contributed to: new headphones for our students to use with their iPads, new readers for our students and our new Ga Ga Pit (outdoor play equipment) to be installed in our grounds this year.

For more information about the St Mel's PS Parents and Carers Social Committee or to join please contact our Deputy Principal Danae Napier or Social Committee member Leah Hawker on socialclub@smshepparton.catholic.edu..

School Dates:

Please check the Upcoming Dates & Events section of the newsletter regularly.

A reminder - the school will be closed this Monday 10 March for the Labour Day Long Weekend.

Best wishes for the long weekend this weekend.

Thank you for your ongoing support of your child/ren and our Staff Team.

Stephen 'Steve' Hicks

Principal

Did you know? ~