What a truly wonderful evening our community shared last night! Congratulations to everyone involved in delivering such a vibrant and joyful event. Our Specialist Showcase, Art Show and student performances created a spectacular celebration of the talents, creativity and learning of our students. It was a pleasure to see families come together to enjoy the evening and to celebrate the many successes of 2025. A huge thank you to our staff whose efforts, organisation and care made the night such a memorable one. From planning and preparation through to performances and displays, your dedication was on full show. It was a beautiful opportunity to reflect on how far our students have come this year and to feel inspired about what 2026 will bring.

Our students have also been making admirable progress in preparing for their transition into new year levels in 2026. These sessions are such an important part of helping children feel safe, confident and excited about the year ahead. We know that transitions are not easy for all students, particularly those who find change challenging, and I would like to express my gratitude to our staff for the care, patience and planning that has gone into supporting every child through this process. A very special moment awaits us on Tuesday 9th December, when our Year 6 students will head off to their new public secondary schools for Transition Day, while our Mitcham Primary students will meet their 2026 classmates and teachers. It is always a big and exciting milestone for our students and families alike.

As we look ahead to Tuesday, it is also timely to share the structure of our 2026 teaching team. With every year comes change, and we will be farewelling some valued staff, welcoming others back, and greeting new members to our community.

We extend our sincere thanks and farewell to Lucinda Cervi, who has replaced Miss Prim in the Library this year and has worked tirelessly to ensure our library remains such a special place for our children. We thank you, Lucinda, for your dedication and care, and congratulate you on your appointment as School Librarian at Kolbe Catholic College.

We also thank Sophie Robertson for her support of our Grade 1 team, two days a week this year. We wish her all the very best as she returns to her base school, Birmingham Primary School, in 2026.

We bid a sad farewell to Ella Revell, who has been a much-loved member of our Grade 2 team for the past two years. We wish Ella all the best as she returns home to Tasmania to continue her teaching career.

We also farewell Donna Johnston, who will be heading to Balwyn Primary School in 2026. Donna has been a valued member of our staff for the past five years and we wish her every success in her next chapter.

We farewell Kate Heuston for another year as she prepares to welcome twins to her family. Kate has been a wonderful teacher in our Art Program this year, and we look forward to welcoming her back when the time is right.

We warmly congratulate and farewell Sandy Stuart as she moves into retirement after an exceptional career. Sandy has been an important and cherished part of Mitcham Primary School for the past nine years, stepping in wherever needed, most recently within our Tutor Learning Program. Her care and commitment to her students have made a lasting impact on their learning and wellbeing.

We are also pleased to share that Val Berardini will be stepping back from full-time work in 2026, but will remain a valued member of our Mitcham Primary School team two days a week. Val will continue to contribute her experience and expertise by working across the school in a support role, assisting staff and students in a range of classrooms and capacities. We are grateful that Val will still be part of our community and look forward to the continued positive impact she will have in supporting teaching and learning across the school.

We are delighted to welcome back Lauren Lamont from family leave, who will return to her role as STEM teacher and Specialist Team Leader, and Catherine Primerano, who will also return as our Library Technician.

For 2026, we warmly welcome several new members to our team. We are thrilled to announce the appointment of Leah Stremski to our Grade 1 team. Leah is already a familiar face to many, having completed her fourth-year placement with us and worked in Education Support over the last two years. We are so excited to welcome Leah as a permanent member of our community.

We also welcome Lachlan McLean into our Grade 5/6 teaching team, bringing energy, enthusiasm and a passion for student learning, and look forward to the positive impact he will make with our senior students.

We are very pleased to welcome Mandy Boulton into the Grade 3 team, whose warmth, positive approach and deep curriculum knowledge will be a wonderful asset, and Anita Beever into the Grade 2 team. Anita also brings with her warmth, a wealth of knowledge and a deep passion for education, and we are thrilled to have her joining us. We also welcome Kirsty Taylor more permanently to our team, Kirsty has worked with us as a CRT, but we are thrilled to welcome her as a part time member of our Prep team in 2026.

Below you will find a summary of the 2026 teaching roles and responsibilities.

Finally, class lists for 2026 have now been finalised, and students will learn their new classes and teachers on Tuesday morning. As always, thoughtful consideration has been given to every child as we have formed classes to best support learning and wellbeing.

Thank you once again to our wonderful community for your ongoing support. We look forward to an exciting finish to 2025 and a bright year ahead.

2026 Teaching Teams

Prep	Grade 1
Stephanie Youssf (Team Leader) Isaac Delaney (Learning Specialist) (4 days)/Kirsty Taylor (1 day) Lauren Cerra	Tilly Birkett (Team Leader) Shea McFarland (4 days)/Erena Cain (1 day) Leah Stremski
Grade 2	Grade 3
Jayne Crigan (Team Leader) Ashlee Moore Anita Beever	Tara Buckle (Team Leader) Kristy Maitland (3 days)/Kate Xenophontos (2 days) Mandy Boulton
Grade 4	Grade 5/6
Nathan Percy (Team Leader) Riley Wallace Emmerson Hickelton	Claire Todeschini (Team Leader) Netanel Koles (Learning Specialist) (4 days)/Erena Cain (1 day) Bharti Sood-Anand Kristy Parslow Lachlan McLean
Montessori Years 2-4	Montessori Years 5&6
Sandy Kaye	Judith Ryall
Specialist Team
STEM Lauren Lamont (Specialist Team Leader) Lisa Cooke	PE Laura Ellis (Learning Specialist) Rebecca Peters
Performing Arts Caitlin Kolokathis	AUSLAN Lisa Cooke
Art Emma Bates Rebecca Peters	Indonesian Glenda Tjhin
EAL Michelle Dybing	Classroom Teacher Support Val Berardini Kirsty Taylor

Wishing all families a wonderful weekend!

Warmly,

Erin Erin

Community Night Art Show