Principal's Update

Dear Parents and Carers,

As we move into the third week of Advent, and the Christmas rush intensifies, it is an appropriate time to stop and think about the true meaning of Christmas.

Father,

During this Advent, Let your light of peace and love

shine in our world.

Give us eyes to see the signs of your presence in the

world.

Help us to prepare our lives

and our homes to receive the

One who said, “I am the light

of the world.”

Amen

Staffing 2026

On Tuesday, our Grade 6 students spent the day at their chosen secondary school and came back very excited and enthused about the opportunities that lay ahead for them in 2026. We wish all our Grade 6 students well as they make their transition to secondary school. On this day we also welcomed our new Prep students for 2026. This was their third orientation session and we are all very excited about them joining our school community in 2026.

Also on Tuesday morning, the children in Grades Prep-5 participated in ‘move up day’, spending some time with their new class and teachers for 2026.

Class teachers for 2026 are as follows;

Prep- Elissa Rodger and Emma Roberts (4 days) and Liza Alexander (1 day)
Grade 1- Leah Martin and Abbey Hayes
Grade 2- Matthew O’Dowd and Deb Holland
Grade 3- Matt Absalom
Grade 4 – Paula Parish (2 days) Mandy DeLorenzo (3 days) and Bec Gallagher
Grade 5- Rachael Cahill and Rachel Downard
Grade 6- Maegen Potter (3 days) Jodie Hassett (2 days) and Jess Downard

In 2026 the following teachers will hold specialist positions and positions of leadership;

Art- Lynne Richardson
Music-Tanya Stewart
Science- Jess Parker
PE- Andre DeLorenzo
School Sport Leader- Matt Absalom
Religious Education Leader- Rachel Downard
Auslan – Susie Scott (3-6) and Kascha Blair (P-2)
Literacy Leader- Miriam Collins
Learning and Teaching Leader Senior School / AP- Jodie Hassett
Digital Design Technology- Brydie Kilday
Learning Diversity Leaders- Judy Carr, supported by Jodie and Paula
Student/Staff Wellbeing Leader / AP- Judy Carr
Learning and Teaching Leader Junior School / AP - Paula Parish

We are in a very fortunate position to have such a wealth of knowledge and expertise in our school. Congratulations to these teachers and we look forward to working closely with them in 2026.

Liturgy / End Of Year Picnic

Our end of year graduation liturgy was held last night and was a beautiful occasion as we bid farewell to our Grade 6 students. It was great to get back to the school and celebrate the year with a family picnic. Thank you to all who attended the liturgy and made the night such a memorable occasion for the children.

Learning Conversations

On Tuesday and Wednesday of last week Learning Conversations were held in the school library. This was a great opportunity for parents, students and teachers to celebrate and discuss overall achievements in 2025. It was also an opportunity to look at future goals as we move into a new school year in 2026. Thank you to all the teachers who put so much time and effort into the preparation of the Learning Conversations and the progress reports.

Farewell and Thank You

This year we have 8 staff members leaving us in 2026. Judy Cleve, Kerryn Williams, Mel Dobie and Wendy Walters are all moving into the retirement phase of their lives. Each of these staff members have had significant impacts on our school community and Catholic Education over a number of years. We thank them and wish them well in their retirement. Jayne Brumby, who has been an exceptional RE leader and teacher in our school, has accepted the role of principal of St Malachy’s in Edenhope. We congratulate Jayne on her appointment and wish her and Eli all the very best. I would also like to acknowledge and thank Bec Murray, Katie Monaghan and Bailey Mumberson for their contributions to our school community in 2025 as they move on to new roles in 2026.

St. Vinnies Food Hamper Appeal

Thank you to all families who have donated non-perishable food items for our St. Vinnies Christmas Appeal. We are still, however hopeful for more donations, which can be dropped off at the school office.

Fun Food Day / Carols

On Wednesday 17th December the children will participate in ‘Carols on the Courts’. Parents and younger siblings are most welcome to attend and sing along with the rest of the school. The children will enjoy Fun Food Day on Thursday 18th, the final day of school for the year.

Start Date for 2026

The first day of Term 1 2026 is Tuesday 27th January. This will be a pupil free staff day. The children will start on Wednesday 28th January.

Merry Christmas

This is the final newsletter for this year, so I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a safe and merry Christmas. Take the time to relax and enjoy this special time of the year with your loved ones.

I would also like to thank everybody in the school community for their overwhelming support this year.

I look forward to seeing you all return safe and ready for a great 2026!

Enjoy the rest of your week.

Michael Mahoney

(Principal)