Principal Announcements

Welcome to Term 4

Principal’s Welcome

Welcome back to Term 4! 

I hope all our students, families and staff enjoyed a relaxing and refreshing break and have returned ready for a wonderful final term of the year. Term 4 is always a particularly exciting time at St Mary’s, as we celebrate the many achievements of 2026 while also looking ahead to the opportunities and possibilities that 2027 will bring. There is a wonderful sense of anticipation across the school as we prepare for our 90th Anniversary Production, From Humble Beginnings – Let Your Light Shine, welcome our new 2027 Preps for their transition days, and provide transition and orientation opportunities for students across the school. We will also announce our 2027 Student Leadership Action Team following the interview and voting processes, providing another opportunity for our students to demonstrate leadership and contribute to our school community. For our Grade 6 students, this term marks the final chapter of their primary school journey, with many special events and celebrations planned as we prepare to farewell them at their Graduation. There is much to look forward to, and I encourage everyone to embrace the opportunities, celebrations and special moments that Term 4 will bring. Let us finish the year with pride, gratitude and, as always, by Letting Our Light Shine.

Inter-school Athletics

Our Grade 3–6 students proudly represented St Mary’s at the Inter-School Athletics Carnival during Weeks 1 and 2. Students participated enthusiastically across a range of track and field events, demonstrating wonderful sportsmanship, perseverance and resilience. It was fantastic to see students encouraging one another, celebrating achievements and giving their best throughout the competition. These events provide valuable opportunities for students to challenge themselves, build confidence and enjoy being part of a team.

A sincere thank you to Mr Watts for his organisation and preparation, and to the additional staff who supported our students each day. We are incredibly proud of the way our students represented St Mary’s.

Prayers for Our Sacramental Candidates

We warmly congratulate our 2026 Eucharist and Confirmation candidates as they prepare for these very special and important milestones in their faith journey.

We ask our St Mary’s community to keep all of our candidates and their families in your prayers as they prepare to receive the Sacraments of Eucharist and Confirmation on the following dates - Sunday 11 October at 10:30am and Sunday 18 October at 10:30am

Please join us in praying that these young people continue to grow in their faith, deepen their relationship with Jesus and feel the love and support of our whole school and parish community.

2026 Sacramental Candidates

Eucharist - Daniel Sibio 

Eucharist and Confirmation - Oscar Williams, Bayden Newman, Jiro Valledor, Ava Fisher 

Confirmation - Isabel Weis, James Sibio, Theo Natalizio, Angelo Natalizio, Boston Ferrari, Samuel Koum, Oliver DeMaria 

We are very proud of each of our candidates and wish them every blessing as they take these important steps in their faith journey. May the Holy Spirit guide, strengthen and inspire them as they prepare to receive their Sacraments.

Production Update

Rehearsals for our 90th Anniversary Production, From Humble Beginnings – Let Your Light Shine, are well underway, and the excitement is certainly building! Our students and staff are working hard to prepare what promises to be a wonderful celebration of St Mary’s history and our school community.

We are looking forward to a day and night of fun, memories and entertainment on Wednesday 25 November as our students take to the stage.

A reminder to families to book your tickets through TryBooking so you don’t miss this very special celebration of 90 years of St Mary’s. 

https://www.trybooking.com/DLWKO

We can’t wait to see you there!

Honouring Our Past, Inspiring Our Present and Building Our Future

At our Week 1 Assembly, we were delighted to hear from past student Tom Brown, who is now an AFL player with the Richmond Football Club. Tom shared wonderful memories of his time at St Mary’s, including stories about his teachers, friendships and the activities he enjoyed most—particularly sport, music and drama.

Tom reflected on how his experiences at St Mary’s, together with the school’s values, helped shape the person he is today. It was inspiring for our students to hear how the opportunities, relationships and values developed during their primary school years can continue to influence them well into the future.

We thank Tom for returning to St Mary’s and sharing his story with our students as we celebrate our 90th anniversary. It was a wonderful reminder of the lasting impact of our school community and the many different paths our students can take.

Dream Big

After hearing the inspiring stories of our past students and alumni over the past 11 weeks, our students will now have the opportunity to reflect on their own hopes and dreams for the future.

As part of our ‘Dream Big’ activity, students will write and/or draw about what they hope to be, achieve or experience when they grow up. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to think about their strengths, interests and aspirations and to imagine the possibilities that lie ahead. These will be displayed from week 3 in the reception hallway for all to enjoy.

We have loved hearing the stories of those who have gone before us, and we now look forward to discovering what our St Mary’s students dream of becoming. Remember, there are no limits to a dream—dream big and let your light shine!

Staffing Updates – farewell and welcome

We farewell Nerissa Russell  this term from St. Mary’s following her leave at the end of term 3, as she has now resigned from her LSO and Library position. We sincerely thank Nerissa for her contribution to our school community and for the support and care she has provided to our students during her time with us. We wish Nerissa every success and happiness as she begins her next chapter and takes on new endeavours.

We also farewell Wes Stanley, who has secured full-time employment with a Mooroopna business. His final day at St Mary’s will be Wednesday 21 October. While we are very sad to see Wes leave us, we are incredibly happy for him and thank him for his dedication to maintaining our school, connecting so positively with our students and stepping in to assist as an LSO whenever needed. We wish Wes every blessing, happiness and success for the future. 

We are also very pleased to welcome back Cyrus Shafi while Nicole is on leave, who will be supporting our students in the Grade 6 area. It is wonderful to have Cyrus back at St Mary’s, and we look forward to the contribution he will make to our students and staff during Term 4.

2027 Student Leadership

We have been incredibly impressed by the number of Grade 5 students who have nominated for the 2027 Student Leadership Action Team. It is wonderful to see so many students demonstrating their willingness to step forward, take on responsibility and contribute to our St Mary’s community.

Interviews and the student voting process commenced in Week 1, providing our aspiring leaders with an opportunity to share their ideas, demonstrate their leadership qualities and explain how they could contribute to our school in 2027.

We congratulate all of the students who put themselves forward. The courage to nominate and participate in the process is an important leadership experience in itself.

We look forward to announcing our successful candidates in the near future and seeing the ideas, energy and enthusiasm they will bring to our school community.

Online Safety Parent Guide

The eSafety Commissioner have an Online Safety Parent guide that provides practical ways for parents and carers to support their child to have more positive online experiences. The guide will help you:

• Understand common online risks and issues
• Learn what helps in different scenarios
• Talk with their child about what they do online
• Know how to respond if something goes wrong

• Online Safety Parent Guide - https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/resources/online-safety-book

St. Mary’s School Advisory Council

Our St. Mary’s School Advisory Council provides a wonderful opportunity for parents and carers to become actively involved in the life of our school and contribute to the ongoing growth and development of our community. The Council works in partnership with school leadership to support the vision, values and future direction of St. Mary’s.

Meetings are held once or twice each term, usually on a Tuesday evening at 7:30pm, and generally run for approximately one hour.

Our next Annual General Meeting (AGM) to vote in new Council members and roles will be held on Tuesday 8th December at 6:00pm. We warmly encourage any parents or carers who are interested in becoming involved to consider joining the Advisory Council.

If you would like more information, please speak with myself, Catherine Dyke, or our current Advisory Council President, Michael De Maria. We would be delighted to discuss what is involved and how you can contribute to supporting our wonderful St. Mary’s community.

2027 Family Intentions

A reminder to families to please complete the 2027 Family Intentions Form recently sent by the Office. The information provided is important in helping us plan our 2027 class structures, staffing and overall school planning.

We kindly ask all families to complete and return the form as soon as possible. Thank you for your assistance in helping us prepare for another successful year at St Mary’s.

2027 Enrolments

📢 For 2027 Enrolments or enquiries, please contact the school office for further assistance. Phone 58252858 or email office@smmooroopna.catholic.edu.au

St. Mary’s Bingo

We are currently seeking support for St. Mary’s Bingo, which generally involves attending on a Saturday evening once a term. With numbers being quite short again at the moment, your help would be invaluable!

Bingo is a wonderful way to connect with our school community while raising funds that directly support student learning and school initiatives. We are incredibly grateful for the regular donations from Bingo which make a significant contribution to the learning, opportunities and growth of our St. Mary’s community.

If you are able to volunteer your time and be part of this valued community group, we would love to hear from you. For more information on how you can get involved, please contact Maree Williams on 0438 084 364.

Thank you for your consideration and ongoing support — every contribution makes a big difference!

St. Mary’s 90 Years Production – From Humble Beginnings – Let Your Light Shine

PLEASE NOTE DATE CHANGE

This year we are having a School Production on Wednesday 25th November. 

Seat bookings are now open and can be made at no cost via the link below. Families can book up to 3 tickets at one timeslot, any unallocated seats will be opened to all families 2 weeks prior to the production. 

https://www.trybooking.com/DLWKO

Gold coin is encouraged upon entry at the event.

Please read the parent/guardian letter sent at the end of term 1 for all the exciting details to celebrate our 90 years. 

Before School Supervision

Please note - all students who arrive at school prior to 8:30am must fill out an application via the link below. 

Before School Supervision

For new and casual before school arrivals, please complete prior to 4:00pm each day to enable student lists to be updated for the following morning. 

Before school supervision is for early bus travellers and parents/guardians who must attend work earlier than 8:30am. 

A reminder that students are not to arrive or be at school before 8:00am as they are not actively supervised. 

I appreciate everyone's understanding and cooperation regarding this.

Principal’s Awards

5th October - No Awards

12th October – Nevanah Watkins

Congratulations to Nevanah Watkins, who receives this week’s Principal’s Award for letting her light shine by living our school values, particularly Respect, Love and Understanding. Nevanah consistently demonstrates a kind and caring nature, especially in the way she interacts with and supports our younger students. Her thoughtfulness and positive example are a real credit to her and her family. 

Well done, Nevanah!

Attendance matters!

Every minute matters. This is a simple statement, but a true one. For every minute a child is at school they learn. For every minute they are absent they not only miss out on learning, but they also lose some previous learning.

Ms V’s Inspirations

“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.”— Seneca

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”— Eleanor Roosevelt

“Let your light shine before others.” – Matthew 5:16