From the Principal

Dear families,

I would like to start this newsletter by acknowledging the families and community members that came out and supported our school Trivia Night on Saturday. I also want to say a huge thank you to our Parents and Friends committee for their organisation of the evening. It was a huge success. In the Parents and Friends tab Emily Atkinson (President) has provided some more infomation as well as the total amount raised on the evening. Make sure you check out what Emily has written. We would once again like to thank our sponsors for their generous support. Please see a final list of sponsors below. 

In the Child Safety tab, I have updated the MACS Care resources. In this weeks newsletter you will find information related to Child Safety Standard 7. These resources are prepared for schools by the MACS Child Safety Team. 

Please note there will be a free dress day on Friday, 14th of August. We are asking families to either donate a gold coin or bring a non-perishable item to be placed in the St Vincent de Paul box in the school foyer. 

Some school updates:

A huge thank you to Paul Kops who used some big machines to clean up the garden bed that was overgrown with tree roots and full of sand which had fallen out of the sandpit. 

Budgeting for 2027:

We are currently in the early stages of planning and budgeting for 2027. Like all schools, we are reviewing our budget in response to rising operational costs and other financial pressures to ensure we remain sustainable for the long term. At this stage, we are still in the process of determining the 2027 school fees and program offerings. Please be assured that our absolute priority remains delivering a high-quality Catholic education for every child. We are working closely with MACS throughout this process and will keep our parent community fully informed as our planning for 2027 is finalised.

Athletics Club / Athletics Carnival:

As mentioned in newsletters last term, we could not find an acceptable date over the winter motnhs for the athletics carnival in time for the District Athletics carnival. This is why Mrs Wicks and I have been running Athletics Club for students. We are still planning to hold an Athletics Carnival / Tabloid Sports day when the weather improves. 

100 Days of Prep:

Today we celebrated 100 days of Prep with our wonderful Prep cohort. We look forward to sharing photos with you all in next weeks newsletter. 

Victoria Police Visit (Preps - Year 2)

Last Thursday our Prep - Year 2 students were lukcy enough to have a visit from Leading Senior Constable Ashlee Prowse from Belgrave Police Station. She explained to our students what the role of a Police Officer is in our community. We thank the Belgrave Police for their support and committment to building community partnerships. 

Mary MacKillop Feast Day Mass:

Tomorrow we will be gathering as a school and parish community to celebrate Mary MacKillop Feast Day Mass. Mass will begin at 9:00 am, and we warmly invite families to join in this celebration to honour and remember Australia's first saint, Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop.  

Trivia Night - Movie Answers:

VCEA Letter to Parents and Carers:

St Vincent de Paul - Winter Appeal:

Winter Food Drive – Help Us Make a Difference!

This winter, our school is proud to be supporting St Vincent de Paul by holding a Winter Food Drive as part of our Social Justice initiative to help people in our local community who are doing it tough.

If you are able, we would greatly appreciate donations of non-perishable food items such as canned vegetables, soup, pasta, rice, cereal, long-life milk, baked beans, and other pantry staples. Please place your donations in the collection box in the foyer. Every donation, no matter how big or small, will help provide comfort and support to those in need during the colder months.

As students, we are excited to work together to make a positive difference in our community. Your generosity and kindness can help brighten someone's day and remind them that they are not alone.

Thank you for supporting our St Vincent de Paul Winter Food Drive. Together, we can make a real difference this winter!

Thank you for your support, Payton,  Eliza & Bianca - Social Justice Leaders

Children's Book Week 2026:

Book Week will be celebrated from Saturday 22nd until Friday 28th August. To celebrate this special week, we have planned a number of exciting events for our students:

• Book Week Book Fair – Students will have the chance to purchase books and other items from our Book Fair from Monday 24th August to Wednesday 26th August. Each class will have the opportunity to browse the Book Fair on Friday 21st August, allowing students to create a wish list before purchases begin the following week.
• Book Week Dress-Up Day and Parade – On Friday 28 August, students are invited to come to school dressed as their favourite book character, author, or illustrator. 

We look forward to celebrating the joy of reading and seeing everyone's fantastic Book Week costumes!

Declan McDermott

Principal