A message from the Principal

Morning School Routines

Thank you to our students and families for the way you have embraced our new morning routine, introduced at the beginning of the year. It has been wonderful to see students settling into the Knuldoorong calmly between 8:30–8:45am, and the start of the school day has been smooth and well organised. Your support in helping establish this routine has made a real difference to the way we begin learning each day.

One small area we are continuing to work on is movement through the office area. Students should only enter through the office if they are dropping off their mobile phone or visiting the office for a specific reason. Otherwise, students should head directly to their learning spaces or the supervised morning area. This helps keep the office space clear for families and staff who require assistance.

Thank you for continuing to support these routines as they become part of everyday life at St. Peter’s.

School Car Park – Drop-off and Pick-up Safety

The safety of our students and families is extremely important. Last week there was a concerning moment where a vehicle exited the car park at speed and narrowly missed a Foundation student, their parent, and a staff member. Thankfully no one was injured, but it serves as an important reminder for all of us.

When entering or exiting the school grounds, please drive slowly and carefully. The speed limit through both the Kiss & Drop zone and the car park area is no greater than 10 km/h, and we strongly encourage drivers to travel closer to 5 km/h given the number of young children moving through the space.

Students, families, and staff are regularly walking through the car park, particularly during busy drop-off and pick-up times. Please remain alert, patient, and cautious when driving through the area.

We all share responsibility for keeping our school community safe, and we appreciate everyone’s care and attention in supporting this.

Harmony Week Celebration

Harmony Week, celebrated next week is a time to celebrate Australia’s rich cultural diversity under the theme “Everyone Belongs.” Across the week, we acknowledge and celebrate inclusiveness, respect, and belonging — values that strongly align with our St Peter’s community. We look forward to recognising the many cultures that make our school such a vibrant place.

On Tuesday 17 March, we will be hosting a community celebration at school from 5:00–6:30pm as part of Harmony Week. This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the many cultures that make up our St Peter’s community. We will be putting on a sausage sizzle, and there will be a number of activity stations recognising and celebrating just some of the incredible cultures represented at our school, including Indigenous, Malayalam and Filipino cultures. We warmly invite all families to come along, connect with one another, and celebrate the diversity that makes our community so special.

Foundation/Prep Milestone – Full-Time School

Congratulations to our Foundation students on reaching the exciting milestone of attending school full-time. They have settled beautifully into school routines, and we are incredibly proud of the confidence, resilience and growth they have shown in their first weeks at St. Peter’s.

A heartfelt thank you also goes to our Foundation families for your support throughout this important transition to school. Your partnership and encouragement play a vital role in helping our youngest learners feel safe, confident and ready to learn each day. We look forward to continuing this wonderful journey together.

Upcoming Dates to Note

International Women’s Day – Celebrated Tuesday 10 March International Women’s Day, held globally on March 8, celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. As the day fell on a Sunday this year, we will acknowledge and celebrate it at school on Tuesday 10 March. Across the day, our amazing staff will share stories of inspirational women in their lives. We are incredibly fortunate to have so many strong, compassionate and inspiring women role models within our St Peter’s community who support and nurture our learners every day.
NAPLAN 2026 – Weeks 7–9 NAPLAN begins this Wednesday 11 March. There are 4 tests to complete covering reading, writing, conventions of language (spelling, grammar, punctuation), and numeracy. Testing applies to students in Years 3 and 5 and will occur during morning sessions. The first test is scheduled for this Wednesday 11 March, followed by Thursday 12 March, Friday 13 March and then the final test will be held on Tuesday 17 March. Following these dates will be catch up sessions.
Ride2School Day – Friday 20 March (Week 8) National Ride2School Day returns on Friday 20 March, encouraging students and families to walk, ride, scoot or wheel to school for a fun and healthy start to the day. At St Peter’s, we love supporting active travel and invite families to join staff for a community walk to school starting at 8:30am on Friday 20 March, the start location is the Bendigo RSL. It’s a great way to build healthy habits, arrive energised, and help reduce traffic around the school gates.
School Photos Our School Photo Day will take place in two weeks on Wednesday 25 March. More information will be sent home shortly regarding ordering and preparation for the day.

Prayer for Lent

Loving God,

During this season of Lent, help us to slow down and listen to Your voice.

Teach us to be patient, kind and generous with one another.

Guide us to show care for others through our words and actions each day.

Help us to forgive, to grow in faith, and to become the best versions of ourselves.

May this time of reflection bring us closer to You and to each other.

Amen.

God Bless,

Jeremy Darmody

Principal

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