Principal's Update

Dear families,

Somehow we find ourselves really quickly approaching the end of the term and the end of the school year. There is a wonderful mix of excitement in the air alongside just a sprinkle of anxiety. For our Year 6 students it is a time of reflection and celebration as they prepare to graduate and move into the next phase of their lives. Many of them started here seven years ago as little faces in oversized uniforms and now they stand before us as confident young people ready for high school. I could not be prouder of how they have conducted themselves this year. Their leadership, positivity and maturity have set the tone for the whole school.

At the same time I look to our youngest students, our Preps, who have had their own huge year of growth. They have settled beautifully into school life and have thrived in every sense. Whether your child is in Prep, Year 6 or somewhere in between I really encourage you to take a moment to reflect on all they have learned, achieved and overcome this year. There is so much to celebrate.

Of course with change on the horizon some children may be feeling a little nervous about what next year holds. This is completely normal. With your love and encouragement, and maybe a little reassurance, they will be absolutely fine. Change is part of life and something to look forward to with excitement.

Being an Upstander: Over the past couple of weeks I have spoken to many classes about the importance of being an upstander rather than a bystander. Our children are still learning how to navigate friendships, feelings and the world around them. Mistakes will happen and that is okay because mistakes are how we learn and grow.

Being an upstander means standing up for what is right even when it is hard. It means stepping in to support others when they are feeling vulnerable. Being a bystander on the other hand allows hurtful behaviour to continue. I genuinely believe that if the world had more upstanders we would have far fewer problems and injustices. If you get the chance over the next week it might be worth having a chat with your child about this.

A Special Visitor: We had a wonderful visit last week from Anne Dowling who was Principal of St Margaret’s from 1975 to 1979. Our student leaders proudly gave Anne a tour of the school and she was amazed at how much has changed over the past 50 years. She then enjoyed a coffee with staff and shared stories from decades past. Although much has changed over time Anne said one thing has stayed the same, the warm and welcoming spirit of our school community. I loved hearing that.

Building Project Update: Things are certainly moving ahead quicky with the building project. This week the building has really began to take shape with the installation of the roof, as well as the timber wall frames being installed. This has meant that you can really see the building taking shape. Next up for the project is the internal electrical and wiring works.

Changes to Social Media: We would like to remind families that new laws relating to social media access for children will come into effect on 10 December 2025. These changes place clearer restrictions on the age requirements and parental consent needed for children to create and use social media accounts. As a school we are taking all necessary steps to ensure full compliance with these laws and to support safe and responsible technology use among our students.

Extensive information and guidance has been shared on our school website and we strongly encourage all families to take the time to familiarise themselves with these new requirements. Working together, we can help ensure that our young people are protected and supported in the ever changing online world.

MACSEYE Update: St Margaret’s is transitioning from YLV to MACSEYE as our before and after school care provider. This is a change that has been implemented across all Catholic primary schools in the Archdiocese of Melbourne. We are hopeful that many of our current staff will remain, though we do anticipate some changes to both staffing and the program that will be delivered.

As with any change of this scale, we expect there may be some teething issues during the transition period. One of the most significant impacts is that vacation care will not be offered at St Margaret’s over the summer holidays. We understand this may cause challenges for families and appreciate your patience as the new provider establishes its program. Families are welcome to use the holiday program that is being operated by MACSEYE at St Mary's in Ascot Vale. Information about this has been shared via school stream.

A number of information documents have already been shared with the community regarding the changeover, and we will continue to keep families updated as new details become available.

A Cricket Kind of Week: With the Ashes commencing last Friday, St Margaret’s had a very cricket themed last week. We were lucky enough to host Australian cricket legend and father of our Performing Arts teacher Ms Grech, Merv Hughes. Merv ran cricket clinics with our students, signed autographs, took photos and shared some invaluable bowling and cricket tips. Two hundred and twelve Test wickets suggests he knows what he is talking about. Perhaps Merv’s magic rubbed off. Later in the week I received an email from a local club coach sharing that one of our very own; Charlie Walklate scored his first ever 50 in a recent match. A huge congratulations to Charlie. We love hearing about our students’ achievements so please keep the stories coming.

Walk 4 Brain Cancer: Over the weekend three of our staff, Ms Christian, Ms Carole and Ms Oxley, took part in the Walk 4 Brain Cancer around Albert Park Lake. It was a fantastic event for an important cause and we are incredibly proud of them for raising both money and awareness.

There is plenty to look forward to as we head into the final stretch of the year. This week alone brings our Art Show, Colour Run, Christmas Picnic and Family Mass. I hope to see as many of you as possible at some or all of these wonderful events.

Have a great week everyone.

God Bless

John