Principals Message
Dear families,
Enrolments now OPEN
We are now in the thick of enrolment time and are hoping to have a good indication of numbers for 2026. Over the past two weeks, I have hosted several Principal-led school tours with which there have been numerous comments about; how calm our school is, the level of engagement into the learning that the children demonstrated and how wonderfully resourced our school (both physically and human with staffing.)
If you know of anyone who wishes to enrol at St Mary’s and receive a high level of education, care and welcoming, please encourage them to contact us. Our current families are often our best means of advertising.
Year 5/6 camp – Sovereign Hill
Next Wednesday, our Year 5/6 students will depart for their 2025 camp to Sovereign Hill. Our children will be joined by the staff and students from St Joseph’s Nagambie and Holy Rosary Heathcote. Staff who are attending will be: Mrs Jamieson, Hailey and myself for the first night. An information session will be held on Thursday after school for all Year 5/6 families. The children are going to have a blast. Please pack warm as it was –2 degrees this morning on my journey over so I can only imagine what Ballarat will be like.
Intervention
This term has been an exciting time for our school as we have unveiled our brand-new intervention program. Students identified as requiring some assistance through targeted and intensive intervention, have commenced their work on MiniLit Sage and MacqLit 4 times per week. Our ESO staff facilitate these sessions that have been planned and developed by our senior leaders. With our 2025 focus being on growing literacy outcomes, we envisage that these interventions will help fill any gaps and allow the students to thrive.
School staffing
Last week, we welcomed Miss Laura Martin into our school as a student teacher in our F/1/2 classroom. Obviously, we all know Laura as an amazing ESO but for the three weeks, she will be working as a teacher; honing her skills and learning from our staff. We wish Laura the best and know that she will be an awesome teacher when she has a classroom of her own.
During this time, we have completely removed Laura from her ESO work so that she can solely focus on teaching. As such, we welcomed Brittney Kouroupakis for the week last week and several days this week and next to fill the large shoes of Laura, ensuring that our intervention can continue.
Open Week
Two weeks ago, we had our Catholic Education Week and school Open Week. It was lovely seeing lots of existing families as well as several prospective families throughout the week. We are extremely proud of our little school and community and thoroughly enjoy sharing it with others.
Thank you to all who came along and made the week so memorable.
Mother’s Day celebration
I truly hope that all mothers out there had a wonderful day for Mother’s Day. To echo the sentiment of Fr Boniface during Mass, the title of ‘Mother’ is easily the most special, important and valued position that someone can hold. I also think of, and pray for, any families with which the day evokes some challenges.
Thank you to all of the families who attended our celebration activity, Mass and high tea. Thanks to the gentlemen who came in and graciously served and helped out – very appreciated.
Basketball court
If you have been past our school, you’ll have seen that the basketball court is currently a dirt patch. Local concreter, Tommy Stevens has been in over the past couple of weekends preparing the base for our concrete pour this weekend. This is very exciting!!!
Attendance Matters
Attendance matters! When children attend school regularly, they have the best opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed. Being at school each day helps them build knowledge, develop friendships, and stay engaged in their learning.
Missing school can make it harder to keep up, leading to gaps in learning and missed social opportunities. Consistent attendance sets children up for success, not just in school but in the future as well. Everyday counts! 😊📚
God Bless
Vin Ryan