Principal's News

Dear SMCM Community, Wominjeka!

It was wonderful to see our 2026 Preps so settled in the learning spaces this morning for their third orientation session!

2026 School Fees

Families who choose a Catholic education commit to paying school fees which bridge the shortfall in Government funding between State and Catholic schools. The cost of running a school continues to rise and, as always, our goal is to provide the highest quality learning and teaching possible. To meet increasing expenses and interest rates, fees for 2026 have been adjusted by the smallest possible amount. For a family with two children, the approximate weekly cost of school fees in 2026 will be $82.00.

The 2026 Fee Schedule is available below and will also be sent home with students in the coming weeks, along with the required forms to complete before the end of this school year. Annual accounts for school fees and levies will be issued at the start of the school year.

As always, any family experiencing financial difficulties is invited to contact us confidentially. Families with Health Care Cards are especially encouraged to make themselves known, as concessions may apply.

School Advisory Council

On Tuesday evening we held our final School Advisory Council Meeting for the 2025 school year. I presented the financial data for 2025, including the current fee collection rate.As of the end of October, approximately $360,000 in fees remain outstanding. This level of debt significantly impacts our ability to manage budgets and plan future upgrades.

We would love to resurface the AFL paddock for football, soccer and cricket - a project quoted at $320,000. When every family pays their fees, projects like this become achievable.

Thank you to the many families who have finalised their 2025 accounts or continue to make regular direct debit payments. All families are asked to finalise their 2025 accounts by 30th November.

The following Principal's Report was presented at the meeting:

I extend my thanks to our 2024 Council members: Angela Conversano, Maxine Pretty, Lauren Morrone, Silvia Menelaou, Rebecca Amore, Katina Aspridis and Sharuen Quek.

2026 Reminders

• Teachers are finalising the 2026 class lists. Parent requests were invited via the newsletter by 31st October. Parent requests will be considered but are not guaranteed.
• Families of any students in Prep–Year 5 not returning in 2026 are asked to notify the school as soon as possible. All year levels currently have waiting lists.

End of Year 

As we approach the end of the school year and the excitement of Christmas builds, we continue to prioritise learning, routines and consistency for our students.This time of year can bring mixed emotions as students prepare for changes in classes, teachers or school settings. Providing reassurance, a calm environment and modelling resilience remains essential.

With many special events ahead, we encourage families to maintain regular routines where possible, as end-of-year fatigue can make emotional regulation more challenging for children.

With that in mind we look forward to finishing our school year with a number of our annual events. Information about these events will be shared via our newsletter, Weekly What’s On notification, Seesaw and social media platforms.

Week 9 

• SMCM Carols and End of Year Picnic – Thursday 4th December -  please see the School Community section of today’s newsletter for details and don’t forget to volunteer for our Sausage Sizzle. 
• Year 3 Swimming program begins–  details have been provided to Year 3 families. Please see permission form for details.
• 2026 Staff Planning day - Friday 5th December is a Pupil Free Day

Week 10

• Orientation Morning – Wednesday 10th December - students will be informed of their new class and teacher on Wednesday morning. Thank you in advance for helping your child be resilient if they have mixed emotions about this.
• Year 6 Graduation Mass -  Friday 12th December- details have been provided to Year 6 families. Please see your child’s homegroup teacher with any questions.

Week 11

• Year 6 Fun Day Out - Monday 15th December - details have been provided to Year 6 families. Please see permission form for details.
• Whole School End of Year Liturgy – will be held on Tuesday morning at 9:15am in Penola. We will celebrate the 2025 school year and staff, Year 6 students and students leaving our school will be acknowledged. Families are welcome to attend, however please note standing room will be limited.
• Year 6 Guard of Honour – 12:30pm on Tuesday prior to the 1pm dismissal. Families are welcome to attend as we farewell our Year 6 students from SMCM.

We look forward to a positive end to our 2025 school year.

Claire

Principal

claire.pitcher@smcmeppingnth.catholic.edu.au