From the Principal
Mr James Millane
Dear St Mary's Families,
As we reach the final day of Term 3, there is a real sense of excitement around St Mary’s as we look forward to a well-earned break. It has been another wonderfully busy and productive term, filled with learning, creativity, connection and plenty of opportunities for our students to shine. From our fantastic Arts Week celebrations and Book Week, to sporting events, classroom learning and the many everyday moments that make our school such a special place, there is much to celebrate. As we head towards the holidays, I would like to thank our students for their enthusiasm and effort, our staff for their incredible commitment, and our families for the ongoing support you provide to our school community. We have much to be proud of as we prepare to finish the term together - with Footy Colours Day! Hope to see you at 12.15pm on Friday for our footy parade before a 1pm finish!
What an incredible Arts Week we enjoyed at St Mary’s! From the moment we launched
Artist in residence David Healy with his Live Art Response
Artist in residence David Healy with his Live Art Response
our Arts Show on Monday afternoon, it was wonderful to see our school community come together to celebrate the creativity and talent of our students. We cannot thank Rosemary Perri enough for her dedication and hard work in bringing together the student's artistic talents as well as the hours she spent mounting and curating the display of their pieces. Throughout the week, our students immersed themselves in an amazing range of artistic experiences, from the wonderful artwork on display and live art creation, to music, performance and the energy and rhythm of our African drumming experience. Our Gala Arts Afternoon was a fantastic way to bring everything together, with families enjoying the many talents and creative achievements of our students. The quality, variety and enthusiasm on display was a wonderful reflection of the imagination, effort and confidence of our students. A huge congratulations to every student who contributed — you should be incredibly proud of what you created and shared with our community. A special thank you also to our staff, who put so much time, energy and passion into making Arts Week such a memorable celebration of creativity at St Mary’s.
Our Connect with Prep program has also been a wonderful success this term, with a great number of families joining us and our future Prep students getting to know our school. We were also delighted to welcome children from the St Kilda and Balaclava Kinder Group, who enjoyed a special activity with our students, a personal tour of our fantastic Arts Show, and the opportunity to connect with our Year 3 class. Our Year 3 students were wonderful ambassadors for St Mary’s, proudly sharing their school and helping our young visitors feel right at home. It was a lovely opportunity for our kinder friends to experience the creativity, warmth and welcoming spirit of our community, and we look forward to welcoming them back for another visit soon!
Our Father’s and Special Friends Day was another wonderful highlight of the term. It was fantastic to welcome so many dads, grandfathers, uncles, family members and special friends into our school for a morning of breakfast, laughter and connection. Following a delicious breakfast we celebrated Mass as a community - thank you to Fr Jerome for his reflections and homily about the role father's and father figures play in our lives. A huge shout-out to our wonderful P&F, who were up bright and early to set up and make sure everything was ready to go — we really appreciate the time and effort that went into making the morning such a success. And, of course, congratulations to Badri, who took out the highly coveted Dad Joke Competition with the winning effort: “Why couldn’t the teddy bear finish its dessert? Because it was already stuffed!”
P&F Leadership 2027 on beyond
After two fantastic years, Mel and Jez will be stepping down from their P&F leadership roles at the end of the year, and we’re looking for the next parents to join Bec and help lead our P&F into 2027. It’s a great way to connect with our school community, help shape events and fundraising, and make a real difference for our students. No special experience is required — just some enthusiasm and a willingness to get involved. If you’re interested in finding out more, please reach out to the P&F for a chat.
Get ready to turn back the clock and dust off your dancing shoes! The P&F are bringing the good times with their Retro Vibes Parent Night on Saturday 24th October. Expect great company, plenty of laughs, nostalgic tunes and a night of fun with the St Mary’s community. It’s the perfect chance to let your hair down, catch up with friends and enjoy a well-earned night out!
A big thank you to the families who have already taken the time to complete the MACSSIS Survey. Your feedback is an important part of helping us understand what we are doing well at St Mary’s and where we can continue to grow and improve the learning and wellbeing experiences we provide for our students. The survey closes tomorrow, so if you haven’t had a chance to complete it yet, we would really appreciate you taking a few minutes to share your feedback. Your voice helps us shape the future of our school.
SAVE THE DATE – 22nd October - Puberty Family Program: Growing and Changing
We are pleased to invite families to a special Puberty Family Program: Growing and Changing, presented by experienced young-adult educator Cath McCallig. This engaging one-hour online workshop is designed for students in Years 4, 5 & 6 and their trusted parent/carer to attend together, providing an opportunity to learn about the physical, social and emotional changes that come with puberty in a positive and supportive environment.
The session will be hosted live via Zoom, with at least one parent or carer required to attend with their child. The cost is $25 per family, with a minimum of 10 families required for the session to proceed. See the attached flyer for more information.
https://www.trybooking.com/DQABG
11 Standards, 11 Months: Child Safety
At St Mary’s, keeping children safe is a shared responsibility, and Child Safe Standard 8 highlights the importance of ensuring our staff and volunteers have the knowledge, skills and awareness needed to protect and support children. Through ongoing professional learning and training, we continue to build the confidence and capability of our adults to recognise risks, respond appropriately to concerns and create an environment where every child feels safe, supported and valued. More information can be found at the Child Safety subpage in this newsletter, including the most recent CSS#8 Family Newsletter.
Wishing you all a well deserved break from a very busy Term and we look forward to seeing you all on Monday 5th October.
Take care, and may God’s blessings and peace be with each of you as we journey through the year together.
James Millane