Welcome!

Dear Parents, Carers and Families,

I hope that you have had a safe and enjoyable school holiday, enjoying time without the school routines and being able to share time with family and friends. This week sees the commencement of our final term for the 2026 school year and there is lots of exciting things happening at St. Peter’s.

Morning Reading Program

This term we are excited to launch our new Morning Reading Program. Students are invited to join us each morning from 8.30am to 8.50am in the Gathering Space, where they can read with an adult before the school day begins.

Regular reading practice helps build fluency, confidence and comprehension. This additional opportunity will allow students to strengthen their reading skills in a relaxed and supportive environment. Students can choose a book from our Morning Reading trolley, have their reading recorded, and work towards recognition of their reading efforts throughout the term.

We encourage all students to come along, grab a book and start their day with reading.

When: 8.30am-8.50am

Where: Gathering Space

Who: All students welcome!

Peter’s Pals Playgroup

We're excited to introduce Peter’s Pals Playgroup, a new community playgroup at St Peter’s Primary School for children aged 0-5 years and their parents, grandparents and carers. Through play, stories, songs and social interaction, Peter’s Pals aims to support early learning and development while helping families build connections within the school and local community.

The playgroup will begin on Wednesday 14th October and run every Wednesday during Term 4 from 9:00am to 10:00am in the Djak Tjarra Learning Space. Families are warmly invited to attend and enjoy a welcoming environment that encourages learning, school

readiness and positive community connections. For more information, please contact the school office.

Summer Uniform

The reason for our school uniform is to ensure that our children are identified as students who belong to the community of St. Peter’s. I ask parents to be encouraging and supportive in your role so that the school uniform is respected and adhered to and that there is a strong level of equality and fairness in the management of the uniform protocol.

• Full summer uniform may be worn from Day 1 Term 4.
• For the first 2 weeks of Term 4 we will be in a transition phase for Uniform. Children are permitted to be in either Summer or Winter Uniform.
• From Monday 19th October (Week 3) all children are expected to be in Summer Uniform.

Hats

Please remember that all children need to have their school hats from the beginning of this week until the end of Term 1 next year. New hats are available in the Uniform Shop – please ensure your child’s hat is named.

Not Returning in 2027

With planning for the 2027 school year now gathering momentum, I would ask families that are aware that they will not be returning to St Peter’s next year, to promptly inform the school. Please email pbissinella@spbendigo.cathiolic.edu.au or contact the school office.

Pupil Free Dates – Term 4 2026

• Wednesday 28th October -  Bendigo Cup Day
• Monday 2nd November - Staff Professional Development
• NEW Friday 4th December - Staff Professional Development Day

Attendance and Punctuality: Everyday Matters

As we begin Term 4, we thank our families for their ongoing support of student attendance. Regular attendance is one of the strongest contributors to student success, helping children stay engaged in their learning, build confidence, maintain friendships, and take part fully in school life.

This term, we will continue to recognise and celebrate strong attendance across the school. We are proud of the many students who consistently make learning a priority and look forward to acknowledging their efforts.

We will also be placing a renewed focus on students arriving at school on time. A punctual start to the day helps students settle into learning, participate in important morning routines, and begin the day positively. When students are regularly late, valuable learning time is lost.

We appreciate that occasional circumstances can affect attendance and punctuality. Where students are consistently arriving late, we may contact families to discuss how we can work together to support improvement.

St. Peter’s Swimming Program

Our annual Swimming Program will be held at the Eaglehawk Aquatic Centre across the first two weeks of Term 4. Swimming is an important part of our Health and Physical Education curriculum and provides students with the opportunity to build confidence in the water, develop their swimming skills, and learn valuable water safety practices.

All students from Prep to Year 6 will participate in the program, with lessons conducted in class groups across an intensive two-week period. (There will be no lessons on Wednesdays.)

Program Dates

Lesson Times

• Prep: 12:10pm - 12:50pm
• Year 1/2: 12:50pm - 1:30pm
• Year 3/4: 1:30pm - 2:10pm

• Year 5/6: 2:10pm - 2:50pm

   

We encourage all students to participate fully and look forward to another successful swimming program.

Parking Around St Peter’s

It has been brought to my attention that there has been frustration brewing in the carpark at the beginning and end of the school day. Please be patient and follow the road rules to ensure everyone’s safety.

The safety of our students, families and staff is our highest priority. With a large number of vehicles accessing the school each morning and afternoon, it is important that all parents follow the designated traffic and parking arrangements.

Parents are asked to use only the parent carpark or the available parking spaces in Fenton Street when dropping off or collecting children. The parent carpark includes a Kiss and Drop Zone in the left lane, while parking bays are available on the right-hand side for families who need to park and leave their vehicle. Both areas are supervised by staff at the end of the school day.

We kindly ask parents to avoid stopping in undesignated areas, blocking driveways, double parking, or making unsafe U-turns. A little patience and courtesy can make a significant difference and help keep our school community safe.

Thank you for your cooperation and for continuing to support a safe and respectful environment for all members of the St Peter’s community.

Congratulations

Congratulations to all the Brisbane Lions supporters of our St. Peter’s Community who enjoyed success during the holidays! Congratulations to the Dockers for making the final and being a worthy competitor! We look forward to the Hawks bouncing back next year!

I hope you have a great week!

Kind regards, 

Paul Bissinella 

Acting Principal