Principal Announcements

Grade 5/6 Melbourne Camp

We welcomed back the Grade 5/6 students on Wednesday after their 3-day camp in Melbourne. We congratulate the students on their fine conduct and active involvement in all of the wonderful activities on offer. Thank you to all of the staff who accompanied the students, making the camp so successful.

Water Safety Helicopter Visit

On Tuesday, we were fortunate to host an exciting incursion for our Prep to Grade 4 students, featuring a Water Safety Helicopter landing on the oval. The water safety team answered many student questions and provided tours of the helicopter. Hopefully, this experience has inspired some of our students to consider future careers as helicopter pilots or in water rescue.

Emergency Drill

Last Friday, we conducted an emergency evacuation drill to help our Prep students and other new members of our school community become familiar with our evacuation procedures, while also providing a valuable refresher for everyone else. I want to thank all students for their outstanding cooperation and respect during this important child safety exercise.

St. Vincent de Paul Thank you

We were delighted to receive a heartfelt thank-you letter for last year’s donations of Christmas gifts from our students to the community. These gifts brought joy to many children, making their Christmas a little more special. A big thank you to all our families for their generosity and support.

Parish News

Monsignor Peter Jeffrey, after serving as Parish Priest of St. Mary’s for many years, retired 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 this Friday 21st February with a special presentation ceremony after the Opening Mass in the Marian Centre from 11:45am.

New Book Club Coordinator!

It is with great pleasure that I can announce Simone Oliver as our new Book Club Coordinator. 

Simone will be trained this term and will take over from Cassandra in term 2. A huge thankyou to Cassandra for all her time and efforts with Book Club over the years.

A special thank-you to Simone for stepping into this role to ensure this wonderful initiative continues for the students. 

Prep Liturgy and Family Welcome BBQ   

We are excited to invite you to our Prep Welcome Liturgy, Open Classrooms, and Family Welcome BBQ on Thursday, 27th February 2025. 

This special evening is a wonderful opportunity for our school community to come together, celebrate the fantastic start to the year, and connect with your child’s learning environment. 

The evening will begin with the Prep Welcome Liturgy at 5:30pm in the Marian Centre. 

From 6:15pm to 7:00pm, classrooms will be open for you to explore your child’s learning space, meet their teachers, and gain insights into their educational journey. 

Specialist teachers will also be available in the Prep rooms to share details about their programs and how they support your child’s development. 

To add to the evening, a Family BBQ will be provided, offering complimentary sausages in bread, with soft drinks and water bottles available for purchase. 

A coffee van will also be on-site. 

Please fill in the attached form to assist with catering Welcome BBQ Catering Response

We look forward to seeing you there and sharing this special evening with our school community!

NAPLAN 2025 – Grade 3 and Grade 5 students

Our Grade 3 and Grade 5 students will participate in NAPLAN testing from Wednesday12th March to Wednesday 19th March. 

Parents and guardians are encouraged to review the letter and NAPLAN brochure sent out earlier this week, which include detailed information about the testing schedule, catch-up sessions for students who may be absent on one or more of the days, and procedures for requesting exemptions. 

This year, all tests will be conducted in the mornings in the Marian Centre to ensure the best possible testing environment for our students. We appreciate your support in helping our students prepare for this important assessment period.

Enhancing Catholic School Identity (ECSI) Survey

On Monday 17th February, all families received a letter advising you of the opportunity to participate in this year’s ECSI survey. As this provides the school with valuable data to set future goals, your participation in this survey would be much appreciated. All details and access passwords are in the letter provided.

IMPORTANT - 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.

Before School Supervision

Assembly 10th February

Assembly 17th February

Principal’s Awards

10th February – Evie Lowe 

Evie has shown excellent behaviour and leadership in before school and after school supervision. She is an exceptional role model to all students. Congratulations Evie!

17th February – Digby Barnes 

Digby is to be congratulated for his excellent work ethic in specialist classes, with special recognition for his learning and engagement in Italian. Well done Digby, eccellente!

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. 

Click on the PDF File below for further information -

Information and relevant forms have been sent home to all our families last week.

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 learning, but they also lose some previous learning.

Ms V’s Inspirations

“There is no end to education. It is not that you read a book, pass an examination, and finish with education. The whole of life, from the moment you are born to the moment you die, is a process of learning.” — Jiddu Krishnamurti

“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” — Benjamin Franklin

“Let your light shine before others.” – Matthew 5:16