Dear families,

We have so many wonderfully proud events and achievements to celebrate this week at STM.

Firstly, a huge CONGRATULATIONS to our STM swimmers who represented our school at the District Swimming Carnival on Tuesday. I was not able to make it to the event, but was told of the outstanding teamwork, determination and sportsmanship you all demonstrated on the day. Well done Payton, Emily, James, Eliza, Charlie, Ryan, Liam, Adam, Isabella, Rose, Wills and Seb. For a little school we certainly have an immense amount of spirit, and we are very proud of your efforts and achievements - 4th place overall! Thank you to Mrs Wicks, Miss Prince and Mrs Cook who supported our students on the day and our families who were able to make it to cheer on our swimmers. Please take the time to read Mrs Wick’s Sports Report in this week's newsletter.

On Tuesday, Mr Mc, Mrs Saville and I were invited to share our school’s Science of Learning journey with over 200 MACS representatives, school principals and leaders from 60 Catholic schools within the Eastern Region Learning Network. We were recognised as a "Spotlight School" who has initiated and embedded evidence-based teaching and learning practices and instruction. It was an honour to share our journey and the collective efforts of our staff. The focus of our school over the past three years has been working for excellence and equity for ALL learners, and we will continue to have this drive our efforts for our students and families.

Our invitation coincided with MACS launching their Vision for Instruction for the Catholic school system. By 2030, "MACS aims to be the benchmark for excellence in teaching and learning, through a coherently integrated, academically competitive and distinctively Catholic educational offering" . The main goals of this vision is...

Excellence: All MACS schools deliver a knowledge-rich, evidence-based teaching and learning program.
Equity: Every student, regardless of background, achieves literacy and numeracy proficiency.

It is a privilege to be part of a learning community of educators that is committed to ensuring best practice for our students and MACS' Vision for Instruction.

Our teaching staff had the opportunity to visit Bentleigh West Primary School (BWPS) on Wednesday as part of our focus on empowering our teachers in their knowledge of evidence-based best practice. BWPS has been on their Science of Learning journey for the past ten years, and generously shares their expertise and experiences with other schools who are on, or wish to start the same journey. Our Leadership Team visited last year, and we are very appreciative of the opportunities to learn from their knowledge.

Sibling Enrolments:

It seems way too early to be thinking about 2025 already, but we are asking all families who have siblings entering Prep in 2025 to complete the enrolment process by the end of Term 1. Early numbers in Prep allow us to plan for our goal of having a straight Prep class in 2025. We need your support to do this. You can pick up an enrolment pack from the office, alternatively you can complete an online application by clicking on the link below.

Preps first Wednesday!

Just a note for our Prep families, the first full week of school for our Foundation students will be the week of Monday 4th of March.

Assembly:

Our next assembly will take place on Monday 4th March at 2:30pm in the school library.

Labour Day Public Holiday:

The Labour Day Public Holiday is Monday 11th March. The school will be closed.

NAPLAN 2024:

NAPLAN is just around the corner, if you are a parent or guardian of a Year 3 or Year 5 student, please take the time to read the Learning & Teaching section of the newsletter.

Icy Poles:

Just a reminder that Icy Poles are on sale each Friday for $1 each. The money raised goes towards Year Six Fun day celebrations at the end of the year.

Confirmation Workshop - Parent and Child (online)

Unfortunately this event had to be postponed earlier this week. A new date and time will be shared soon for our Confirmation Parent & Child Workshop. Thank you to our families for their understanding.

Victorian Schools Guide: Secondary Education:

School Advisory Council:

Our first SAC meeting will be Tuesday 5th of March @ 7:00 pm. The meeting will take place at the school in the staffroom.

Teeth on Wheels - Registrations close today, 29 February 2024:

We have Teeth On Wheels visiting our school for dental check-ups and oral health education on 7th March 2024.

Click the link below to sign your child up - IT MIGHT BE FREE!

Please complete your form today and the Teeth On Wheels team will be in contact to schedule your child’s appointment and notify you if your child is eligible for FREE dental care through the Child Dental Benefit Schedule.

Any further questions, please contact the Teeth On Wheels team on (03) 9338 1191.

2024 School Closure Days:

Monday 11th of March - Labour Day (Public Holiday)

Friday 29th of March - Good Friday (Public Holiday)

Thursday 25th of April - ANZAC Day (Public Holiday)

Friday 26th of April - School Closure

Friday 16th of August - School Closure

Monday 21st of October - School Closure

Monday 4th of November - School Closure

Tuesday 5th of November - Melbourne Cup (Public Holiday)

Friday 29th of November - School Closure

Monday 2nd of December - School Closure

Tuesday 17th of December - Students Last Day

I hope you have a fabulous week.

In partnership,

Danielle

Acting Principal

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