Principal Announcements
Newsletter 1 Term 1
Welcome to 2025
Congratulations to all students for such a positive and settled start to the new year.
As we begin another exciting year at St. Mary’s Mooroopna, I extend a warm welcome to all our students, families, and staff.
A special welcome to our new Prep students who are starting their school journey, as well as to the new students joining us in other grades — we are delighted to have you as part of our school community.
To all new families, we hope you quickly feel at home and experience the warmth and support that makes St. Mary’s such a special place. May this year be filled with learning, friendship, and many wonderful memories. We look forward to a fantastic year ahead!
Good News!
We congratulate Maddi (3/4 Teacher) and Matt Deane on the safe arrival of Rosie Patricia in January.
We look forward to welcoming Rosie into the St. Mary's community.
Congratulations to Georgia Gattuso (Prep GG Teacher) and Ben Hicks on their recent engagement.
We wish them a wonderful future together.
Parish News
Monsignor Peter Jeffrey, after serving as Parish Priest of St. Mary’s for many years, will be retiring from full time ministry on the 10th of February. Father Addin Doe will continue in his ministry as Assistant Priest and Fr Joe Taylor will act as Parish Administrator. I am sure you will join us in wishing Mons Peter well for his retirement, following his faithful service and ministry for more than six decades.
We all look forward to celebrating Mons Peter’s official farewell events in the near future.
A presentation Assembly will be held following our start of year Mass scheduled for Friday 21st February from 11.40am in the Marian Centre.
School Involvement Opportunity
Book Club Coordinator Needed!
A huge thank you to Cassandra Goodger for her wonderful dedication in coordinating Book Club for our students over the past few years. We truly appreciate all her hard work!
As Cassandra steps down from this role, we are looking for a new volunteer to take over. This is a fantastic opportunity to get more involved in the school community and support our students’ love of reading. If you’re interested in helping with Book Club, please contact the school office—we’d love to hear from you and ensure a smooth transition for this program!
Maintenance
Over the holidays, several maintenance projects were completed, with planning underway for further improvements throughout the year.
A huge thank you to Phil Crowe for coordinating the cleaning and maintenance work - our school looks wonderful! We appreciate the ongoing efforts to enhance our facilities and look forward to sharing more updates as the year progresses
Magnify Sandhurst
We are thrilled to launch Magnify Sandhurst at St. Mary’s Mooroopna, bringing exciting new initiatives in literacy, numeracy, positive behaviour management, and coaching. Staff and students are eager to embrace these programs, which will support every student and every teacher, in every classroom, every day. The arrival of so many fantastic new resources to enhance student reading has been especially exciting, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact across our school community. There will be regular updates in newsletters throughout the year.
School Access Arrangements
Here are the key details of the new arrangements:
- School Gates: Gates will open at 8:30am and 3:15pm each day.
- Early Arrivals: Students arriving before 8:30am must enter via the front entrance, Toolamba Rd gate or the carpark entrance and will be directed to the library, where they can engage in quiet activities under supervision. Students must be registered
- Breakfast Club: Breakfast Club will continue to operate from 8:30am in the Marian Centre.
- Yard Supervision: All students will be actively supervised on the yard from 8:30am.
- Classrooms: Classrooms will open at 8:45am.
We believe these changes will support the wellbeing of our students while also respecting the professional commitments of our teaching staff. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding as we implement these updates.
Thank you for your continued support of our school community. Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to the school office.
Before School Supervision
Please note that all students that arrive at school prior to 8:30am must fill out an application via the link below.
For new and casual before school arrivals, please complete prior to 4:00pm each day to enable student lists to be updated for the following morning.
I appreciate everyone's understanding and cooperation regarding this.
Principal’s Awards
No awards this week as we had a welcome assembly only.
Attendance matters!
Every minute matters. This is a simple statement, but a true one. For every minute a child is at school they learn. For every minute they are absent they not only miss out on they not only miss out on learning, but they also lose some previous learning. Education is a real partnership, lets continue to work together.
Update - Health Care Card and School Fee Arrangements
Catholic Education Sandhurst Ltd (CESL) is pleased to inform Primary School families holding a valid Health Care Card (HCC) that you are eligible for a significant reduction in school fees for the upcoming year including all fees and levies. The discount will be automatically applied to your 2025 school fee account once you provide a copy of your HCC to the school office, complete a CSEF form, fill in and sign a Payment Plan Application to set up either a direct debit or centrepay arrangement.
Any outstanding balance from previous years will remain.
We understand that many families have varying circumstances and in response to the rising cost of living expenses, we are committed to supporting those who need additional assistance.
Please be assured that this support is provided to ensure all students have the opportunity to thrive in our school community. If you have any questions or need further clarification, please contact the school office.
Click on the PDF File below for further information -
Information and relevant forms will be sent home to all our families in the coming week.
Ms V’s Inspirations
“Behold, I am making all things new.” – Revelation 21:5As we begin this new school year, may we embrace fresh opportunities to learn, grow, and share God’s love with one another.
“Let your light shine before others.” – Matthew 5:16May this year be filled with kindness, courage, and a commitment to making a difference in our school and community, keeping all safe, happy and successful.
Elaine Vertriest
Principal
"Let Your Light Shine before others, so they may see your good works." Matthew 5:13