Principal's News

Welcome to Term 4!

It is hard to believe we are beginning the final term for 2025. This is an exciting time with the lead up to the end of the year and transitioning to new classes or high school. Despite all the busy activities and fun planned, there is also a lot of learning to be done and academic goals to achieve so the hard work for student and staff continues. Make sure you check the dates to remember page in the newsletter for the most up to date information around what is happening!

There are lots of changes happening to staffing, as is often the case at this time of year. Naomi and I have been working hard interviewing and reference checking staff for 2026 positions as needed and will be excited to share the news of staffing and year level placements later in the year. 

If your child/ren are leaving St Mary's at the end of 2025, for whatever reason, please let the office know or arrange to meet with me as I am always happy to have a discussion. This also helps us establish what enrolments we can accept from other families at this time. 

Good luck, Flynn! This Wednesday, 8th October, Flynn will be representing our Sporting School District at the Regional Athletics Carnival at the Mornington Athletics Track, competing in the 800m event!  We are so proud of you, Flynn — your hard work and determination have already made you a champion in our eyes! 

School Concert 2025

We’re excited to announce that this year’s School Concert will be held on Wednesday, December 10th at the Padua Tyabb Campus!

An enormous thank you to Amanda Strickland for the incredible amount of time, energy, and creativity she has already put into planning this special event. This concert is an amazing opportunity for our students to shine and showcase their talents, and Amanda’s commitment to making it fun and engaging—on top of her already full workload—is deeply appreciated. We’re also very grateful to Andrea Kirkpatrick, our Performing Arts teacher, for her key role in preparing staff and students for the big night.

If you’d like to lend a hand with costumes or assist in any way, please reach out to Andrea at akirkpatrick@smhastings.catholic.edu.au.

We kindly ask families to help us support students in setting realistic expectations. Every child will have an opportunity to participate in the concert, though in different ways and at different levels. Some may not get the exact role or dance they hoped for, and that’s okay—it’s all part of learning resilience and understanding that every contribution, big or small, is valued and important.

We can’t wait to celebrate our students’ creativity and hard work together! 🌟

Staffing Updates

As we move toward the end of the year, there are a few staffing updates to share with our St Mary’s community.

💛 👶🏻 Congratulations to Saskia Kalkbrenner and her partner Austin, who are expecting their first child in early 2026! This is such an exciting new chapter, and we wish them all the best as they prepare for parenthood. Saskia will continue at St Mary’s for the remainder of this year and will also start next year with us before beginning her leave.

💚 Lucette Talbot has accepted an exciting new position in Community Health within the wider Frankston area. This opportunity allows her to share her skills and compassion with an even broader community. While we are very sad to see her go, we know she will make a wonderful impact in her new role beginning in Week 4 of this term. We sincerely thank Lucette for her care, professionalism, and the many contributions she has made to the wellbeing of our students and families during her time at St Mary’s.

💙 Lily Strickland has also accepted a new role as an ongoing Learning Support Officer at a state primary school—the system she hopes to one day teach in. Lily has been a valued member of our team this year, forming positive and meaningful connections with the students she supports each day. Her final day will be this Friday. We will miss her warmth and enthusiasm, but we’re thrilled to see her take this next step in her education career.

We are incredibly grateful to each of these staff members for their contribution to our community and wish them every success in the exciting journeys ahead.

Parents and Friends

At St Mary’s, we are so fortunate to have a small but mighty Parents and Friends Committee who have been dedicated to organising and running events for a number of years. A huge thank you to Christa, Ally, and Kim for their ongoing commitment and all the time, energy, and creativity they contribute to supporting our school community. Your efforts in planning and coordinating fundraising events make such a positive impact on our school—thank you for everything you have done so far, and for all that’s still to come this year!

This year, our fundraising focus has been on purchasing new and updated Chromebooks for students in Years 3–6. This is a significant investment for our school, and the support of our community will help us achieve this goal much sooner, ensuring our students have access to the tools they need for success in a digital world.

We would love to welcome new members to our Parents and Friends team! Whether you can contribute a little or a lot, every bit helps—designing a flyer, selling tickets, helping at an event, or joining a meeting to share ideas. If you’re interested in getting involved, please contact us at office@smhastings.catholic.edu.au. There’s no pressure to commit large amounts of time—just a willingness to be part of something that makes a big difference to our school community. 💙

School Uniform

As Naomi has outlined in her Deputy Principal update, we will be placing a stronger focus on school uniform expectations this term. We ask all families to take a moment to read through these expectations carefully.

Wearing the correct uniform is an important part of being a St Mary’s community member. It helps create a sense of belonging, removes unnecessary social pressures for students, and allows everyone to feel proud of representing our school. When students wear their uniform correctly and with pride, it reflects the respect they have for themselves, their peers, and our community.

A few key reminders:

• Socks: Plain socks only — no branding or patterns.
• Hair: If hair is below shoulder length (for boys or girls), it must be tied back neatly.
• Jewellery: Only small sleepers or studs may be worn in ears. A watch and a small cross necklace are permitted. All other jewellery will be asked to be removed.

We appreciate parents’ support in helping us maintain high standards for uniform and presentation. Together, we can ensure our students — and our whole school community — continue to show pride in being part of St Mary’s.