From the Principal...

A message from our School Advisory Council (SAC)

St Mary’s Community – We Want You!

Welcome back to Term 3! I hope everyone enjoyed a well-deserved and relaxing school holiday break. 

If you’re interested in joining one of our subcommittees and haven’t yet nominated, now is the perfect time to get involved!

Your School Advisory Committee recognises that your voices are crucial in school communities as they bring unique perspectives, insights, and a vested interest in their children's education. Engaging you fosters a sense of shared responsibility, leading to better decision-making, innovative ideas, and increased resource support. Active involvement can also positively impact student outcomes, including academic performance and well-being. Joining a subcommittee presents you with the opportunity to offer valuable feedback on school policies, programs, and initiatives, ensuring decisions align with the school community needs and expectations. 

We understand that time commitment can be a challenge, so we welcome all levels of participation. Whether you’d like to contribute an idea and help bring it to life or be actively involved over the next 6–12 months, your contribution, big or small, will makes a difference.

I’m pleased to announce the Leads for each of our subcommittees:

• Enrolment Strategy – Emily Fraresso (Frankie P)
• Uniform (Sports) – Malissa Kardamiliotis (Ruby G6 & Alex G3), aiming for completion by 31 August
• Diversified Income Streams – Natasha Ralston (Paige G5)

If you are keen to learn more about the above initiatives and, how you can be involved, you are welcome to reach out to the Leads for a confidential discussion

If you are ready to join a subcommittee, we would love to hear from you! Please reach out to a SAC member or email us at  school@smthornbury.catholic.edu.au

Subcommittee nominations close on Friday 8 August at 5pm.

Regards,

Ryan Fort

Chair, SAC

Staffing News...

We’re pleased to announce that Louise Alonso will be returning to our school in Week 4 of this Term, commencing on Thursday August 14.

Louise will resume her role as I.T. Leader and will also be involved in a number of community engagement projects, working closely with the Leadership Team to support innovation and strengthen connections within our school community.

We look forward to welcoming her back and to the valuable contributions she will bring in this next phase of her work with us.

I would also like to take the opportunity to thank Asalah Khodragha who very competently stepped into the role of I.T. Leader in Louise's absence.  Her time in this position has been marked by exceptional technical skills and deep knowledge that have strengthened our internal systems and supported staff across the school.

Asalah will continue her work as an LSO - thank you, Asalah, for your dedication and excellent work!

Sacrament of Eucharist

This Wednesday, August 06, we are hosting the first joint Eucharist Faith Night, bringing together families from St Mary’s and St Joseph’s as we prepare our children to receive the Sacrament of First Eucharist.  Thank you to Michelle Cameron who has prepared the evening for both communities.  

Please refer to the Education in Faith section of this newsletter for important information regarding the Sacrament of Eucharist. This includes key dates, upcoming events, and essential details for families with children preparing to receive the sacrament this term.

School Closure Days

Please note that there will be no school closure days this term.

Looking ahead to Term 4, I wish to advise families of the following school closure dates:

• Monday 3rd November – Cup Eve
• Tuesday 4th November - Public Holiday Cup Day
• Wednesday 5th November – Staff Professional Learning - Mission and Identity
• Friday December 5 – Staff Planning Day (2026 Curriculum & Strategic Planning)

We encourage families to note these dates in advance. Thank you for your understanding and support as we plan for the continued growth and improvement of our school.

Parent webinar: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and online safety 

We are pleased to invite you to an informative Parent Webinar focused on two important and timely topics: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Online Safety.

As technology continues to evolve rapidly, it’s more important than ever for families to understand how AI is shaping the online environment and how to help children navigate the digital world safely and responsibly.

Please see the Wellbeing section of this newsletter for details.

Book Week

📚 Book Week 2025 – “Book an Adventure!” 📚

We’re excited to celebrate Children’s Book Week from Monday, August 18 to Friday, August 22!

This year’s theme, “Book an Adventure!”, invites children to dive into the pages of a good book and explore exciting new worlds, characters, and ideas. Whether it’s a journey through time, space, or imagination, there’s no limit to where stories can take us!

2025 also marks the 80th anniversary of Children's Book Week, making this year’s celebration extra special. Across the week, students will engage in fun, book-themed activities that inspire a love of reading and highlight the joy of storytelling.

📖 Our Book Week Parade will take place on Friday, August 22.

Students are encouraged to come dressed as a favourite book character or a creative interpretation of this year’s theme.

Stay tuned for more details—we can’t wait to celebrate the magic of books with our school community!

Grandparent's Day

The P&F are excited to be preparing for our upcoming Grandparents’ Day Celebration on Wednesday August 27!

We warmly invite grandparents and special older friends to join us for this special occasion as we honour the important role they play in our students’ lives. We are very much looking forward to celebrating this wonderful day with our school community.

Event Schedule:

• 11:45am – Grandparents’ Mass
• 12:30pm – Classroom Visits
• Followed by a light shared lunch

See more information in the P&F section of this newsletter.

A reminder about the cold and flu season...

As we move through the colder months, the health and wellbeing of our students and staff at St Joseph's remains our top priority.  Each day, we continue to uphold strong hygiene practices to help keep our school community safe and healthy, including:

• Hand sanitising before and after eating
• Washing hands thoroughly after using the toilet
• Using tissues and disposing of them correctly
• Coughing and sneezing into elbows - not hands.

To help protect the health of our school community, we kindly ask that children showing any cold-like symptoms — such as a runny nose, cough, sore throat, or fever — remain at home until they have fully recovered.  Keeping unwell children at home helps reduce the spread of illness and ensures a safer environment for all.

If your child begins to feel unwell during the school day, we will contact you so they can be collected.  

Thank you for your continued support and understanding.

Child Safety

We are grateful that the majority of parents are vigilant in making sure that all children in our school are safe at times of morning drop off and afternoon pick up, however we are seeing that at times children are in potentially unsafe situations at these times.  

The 'KissnGo' designated area is for a quick drop off and pick up only - it is not for leaving your car and coming into the school or for chatting with friends when other parents are waiting to access this area.  Please ensure you are just picking up and dropping off in a quick but safe manner. 

Please make sure that when waiting to enter the 'KissnGo' area, you are not blocking any private driveway.

With the focus on keeping our children safe while travelling to and from school, we become a safe school - thank you for your help with this important matter.

ACADEMY of MARY IMMACULATE / PARADE COLLEGE PRODUCTION