From the Principal...

Don’t forget to follow St Mary's on our social media platforms to keep up to date with the wonderful things happening across our school community. Our socials are a great way to see highlights of student learning, special events, celebrations, and the many achievements of our students.

Welcome to Term 3!

Welcome back to all our families for Term 3. I hope everyone enjoyed a relaxing and enjoyable holiday break and had the opportunity to spend some quality time together.

It has been wonderful to see our students return looking refreshed, happy and ready for another busy and exciting term of learning. Term 3 is always a big one, with plenty happening across the school, and we are looking forward to all that lies ahead.

Our students have returned with great energy and enthusiasm, ready to reconnect with friends, settle back into classroom routines and embrace the many learning opportunities that Term 3 will bring. There is certainly plenty to look forward to, and I look forward to a happy, productive and rewarding term for our entire school community.

Term 3 Special Events (dates also on 2026 School Calendar page)

• Wednesday July 29 - Grandparents' / Special Friends Day 
• Thursday August 13 - Visit My Classroom morning
• Saturday August 15 - Sacrament of Confirmation (3pm @St Anthony's Alphington)
• Monday August 17 - School Sports Day
• Monday August 24 - Book Week commences
• Wednesday August 26 - District Athletics Carnival
• Thursday August 27 - BOOK WEEK PARADE
• Friday August 31 - P&F Hot Food Day
• Friday September 11 - End of Term Market
• Thursday September 17 - Colour Run
• Friday September 18 - End of Term

100 days of Prep

Today our Prep students celebrated an exciting milestone – 100 Days of School! 

The day was filled with laughter, creativity, and plenty of fun as students arrived in fantastic dress-up outfits to mark the occasion. They enjoyed a range of engaging 100-day themed activities, games, and challenges that celebrated just how much they have learned and achieved over their first 100 days of school. It was wonderful to see their enthusiasm and smiling faces as they celebrated this special achievement together. 

Congratulations to all of our Prep students on reaching this milestone!

Kindergarten Visit

Our Kindergarten Program continues to be a wonderful success! 

It was a pleasure to welcome the 'Kindie Kids' from Raleigh St Kindergarten for another visit, where they enjoyed a fabulous and engaging art activity led by the wonderful Ms Sharen. 

A special thank you goes to our Grade 4 buddies, Harvey, Grace, Percy and Ruby who did an outstanding job welcoming, encouraging, and supporting the kindergarten children throughout the session. Their kindness, patience, and leadership helped our visitors feel comfortable, included, and contributed to the success of the art activity. We look forward to seeing everyone again at their next visit!

Thank You P&F

We are thrilled to announce that our new Hall Projector is being installed today—just in time for our whole school assembly!  We can't wait to put it to good use for assemblies, performances, celebrations, and many special events in the years to come.

A heartfelt thank you to the St Mary's P&F for making this project possible through their generous fundraising efforts. We are incredibly fortunate to have such a supportive and dedicated parent community. The time, energy, and commitment our P&F invests in supporting our school is greatly appreciated, and this new projector is another wonderful example of the positive impact they have on our students and school community.

Make sure you check out the Parents and Friends section of this newsletter—there's a great deal of information about upcoming events, fundraising initiatives, and ways you can get involved. Your support makes a real difference to our school community, and we encourage all families to take a look and see how you can be part of the wonderful work our P&F does.

https://newsletters.naavi.com/issue/NVvqbyN/edit/JlenR3M

Uniform Reminder...

A friendly reminder to all families about our school uniform expectations. I have noticed that a number of students have been wearing runners with their academic uniform. Please ensure that children wear the correct black school shoes with their academic uniform each day. Runners should only be worn with the PE uniform on designated PE days.  Please also ensure that shorts worn with the sports uniform are plain blue (school colour) or the shorts from the uniform provider.  Shorts with logos and promotional branded shorts should not be worn to school.

A gentle reminder also about hair.  Any hair that falls below shoulder length must be tied back. This is an important health and safety requirement, helping to reduce the spread of head lice, ensuring clear vision during learning and play, and supporting safe participation in activities such as PE and sport.

Thank you for your continued support in helping our students take pride in presenting themselves well and maintaining our school uniform standards.

Divisional Inter-school Sport Championships

Congratulations to our senior students who proudly represented St Mary's at the Divisional Championships this week.

CONGRATULATIONS to our Football Team: Leo, Matthew B, Hugh, Beau, Henry, Tony, Phoenix, Alpha, Joseph R, Isaiah – and our Netball Team: Natalia, Estelle, Lucy, Milana, Zoe, Abigail, Billie, Emily and Daisy – who earned the opportunity to compete at this level after their outstanding performances at the district level. We are incredibly proud of the way they represented our school, demonstrating teamwork, determination, resilience, and excellent sportsmanship throughout the day.

Qualifying for the Divisional Championships is a wonderful achievement. Well done to all of our students, and thank you to the staff and families who supported them along the way - especially our chauffeurs, Kathryn and Houda, who ferried our Footy team all the way toMontmorency.

Chess @ St Mary's

A reminder that Chess Club has commenced at St Mary's! Chess is a fabulous way for students to develop problem-solving skills, strategic thinking, concentration, and patience, all while having fun. It also encourages resilience, sportsmanship, and confidence as students learn new skills and challenge themselves in a supportive environment. We encourage any interested students to come along and give it a try!

https://www.chessmates.com.au/schools

Music at St Mary's

Mad on Music is continuing at St Mary's this semester.  This programme provides a wonderful opportunity for students to participate in formal lessons in guitar, keyboard, and singing.  Students are given the opportunity to develop their musical abilities through structured learning, progressing through recognised skill levels and building confidence along the way.

As well as developing musical skills, lessons encourage focus, perseverance, creativity, and self-expression. Students enjoy the sense of achievement that comes from learning new pieces, mastering new techniques, and sharing their progress.  They are also given the opportunity to showcase their talents and perform at a concert towards the end of this term.

This is a great opportunity for our students to discover their musical strengths, share their love of music and experience the joy of performing.

https://www.madonmusic.com.au/home.htm