From the Acting Deputy Principal 

It has been such a joy to welcome everyone back to St Mary’s for the 2026 school year! Our classrooms were filled with smiles and excitement as parents met their child’s new teacher, students settled into their classrooms, and friends reunited after the holidays.

I would like to sincerely thank our parent community and students for the many kind messages and congratulations as I take up the role of Acting Deputy Principal. I am very much looking forward to working with James Millane and continuing to support, nurture and grow our beautiful school and community. I will still be teaching in the Prep class and thank Rosemary Perri, who will take on an extra day so I can fulfil the duties of the deputy. 

I look forward to catching up with more of you at the Beginning of School Mass on Sunday at 5.30pm when our School Leaders and SRC Leaders will receive a blessing and their badges. 

Easing into School Routines - A Smooth Start

Returning to school routines after a break can take a little time for both students and families (and teachers!). Re-establishing a consistent daily routine, including healthy eating, physical activity and early bedtimes, can make a significant difference. We highly value our students being ready for learning each day, and your support plays an important role in ensuring a positive and successful start to every morning.

The expectation is that students are arriving at school between 8.40am and 8.45am. Please note that supervision commences at 8.40am when the main gate is opened. All students should be on school grounds by 8.45am so they are settled, prepared, and ready to begin the day without missing important morning routines. 

Please note that students who arrive after 9am will need to be signed in at the office by an adult and attendance will be marked as late. If it is a specialist morning, once you have signed your child in, you will be required to walk your child across the road to the Specialist Campus and wait for a teacher to allow you access to the building. Please be aware that this is very time-consuming and disruptive to the class taking place. 

Student Representative Council Leaders for Semester 1, 2026

Congratulations to the following students who have been selected to represent their class on the Student Representative Council for Semester 1. I look forward to working with these SRC students this Semester.

Stay Connected in 2026

We’re excited to have Seesaw up and running again for 2026! Seesaw allows our teachers to share learning moments, class updates and information, while also giving you a window into your child’s school day. Please ensure you have downloaded the Seesaw app and to stay up to date, we highly recommend enabling notifications.

We have now transitioned to nForma as our main platform for school communication. If you haven’t already done so, please ensure you have downloaded the nForma for Parents app. 

The PDF linked above outlines how to use nForma for:

• Student Reports
• Notices and Permission Forms
• Medical Information

A reminder to take a moment to check that your child’s medical information is up to date in nForma. With Operoo now closed, all medical information must be entered directly into nForma moving forward. More information on how to do this can be found in the Parent Guide attached below.

Parent Information Night

Our Prep Parent Information Night was a wonderful success, with a strong turnout and positive engagement from families. We look forward to the remaining presentations across the school. Information evenings provide a valuable opportunity to share classroom routines, learning priorities and expectations for the year ahead, while continuing to strengthen the partnership between home and school. We thank all families who attend and will be attending, and we will look forward to working closely together to support our students throughout the year.

Meet the Teacher 

Wednesday 11th of February 

Online 3.45pm - 4.45pm 

Thursday 12th February 

Face to Face 1.30pm - 6pm

In preparation for Meet the Teacher, we ask that you complete the Wellbeing Form and return it to your child’s class teacher by Friday, 6th February. You would have received this as a hard copy earlier in the week. 

Information and a booking link have been sent out via Seesaw and nForma earlier this week. Please ensure all bookings are made before 8pm on Tuesday, 10th February. 

The upcoming interviews provide a valuable chance to meet your child’s classroom teacher and talk about how they are settling into the year. It’s also an opportunity to share important information about your child’s needs with the teacher. We believe that a strong partnership between home and school is essential to your child’s learning, and we truly appreciate you taking the time to participate in this important conversation.

Please note that students will be dismissed at 1pm on Thursday, 12th February and Theircare aftercare bookings are available.

Stay Chat and Play

Is essentially our version of playgroup . . . an informal gathering for babies to preschoolers and parents or carers to stay after drop off, have a chat and for children to play. The Community Room will be open on a Wednesday morning for anyone wishing to join. The room is maintained by the P&F, who do a wonderful job of ensuring there is enough tea, coffee and milk for any social occasion! If you have any suggestions or recommendation please let me know, as we love a good community-building idea.

Class Presentation Friday Assembly

Friday 6th February 3pm hosted by Year 6 Leaders

Welcome Prep Students

Friday 13th February 3pm hosted by Year 6 Leaders

Year 5/6L Presentation

Extra Curricular at St Mary's Primary School

Once again we are pleased to offer a range of paid extracurricular activities this year, providing students with opportunities to extend their learning, develop new skills, and pursue personal interests beyond the classroom. Please refer to the information below regarding available activities, costs, and enrolment details.

Weekly Art Therapy Workshops - Weekly Art Therapy workshops will be offered after school on Mondays in Term 1 at St Mary’s. The program is facilitated by Hywell, a member of the St Mary’s community and a Creative Arts Therapy student at Ikon Institute, who is passionate about supporting young people to find connection and meaning in an increasingly complex world.  

My Art Club offers children a warm, supportive space to build on the social and behavioural skills, while expressing themselves creatively and connecting with others. Through gentle, guided art-making, children are encouraged to explore their experiences, emotions, and perspectives. in a safe and nurturing environment.

Places are limited please see the attached flyer for details.  

Chess Club - This is a program during school hours for all year levels. To join, please contact Nicolette via email at admin@chessideas.com.au 

Next Athletics - Next Athletics is back at St Mary's Primary, and so is coach Steve, for another exciting term of dynamic games-based athletics. Join friends and classmates for a great runaround afterschool while developing run, jump and throw athletics skills in a social, safe, and onsite environment. Want to bring a friend for a trial class? No problem! All friends are welcome - just follow the prompts to let us know you are coming! Please click on the link for further information and registration. 

Taekwondo - Taekwondo is held on Wednesday at 3:30pm after school dismissal. For registrations, please contact Sofia on 0419 876 187 or via email at fx.fitness@internode.on.net

Private Music Lessons - To enrol or find out more, please contact Musicorp at 1300 858 911 or click on the link to access the website. Ian McCulloch - Instrumental Music Tutor

Safer Internet Day

Safer Internet Day is a global day of action bringing communities, schools, organisations and families from 180 countries together to raise awareness of online safety issues and work towards a safer internet with eSafety leading the day in Australia.

The internet connects us more than ever it’s where we learn, work, socialise and share our lives. But that also means online risks are part of everyday life. Safer Internet Day is an opportunity to take a moment to talk about what’s really happening online, and think about what we can each do to make it better.  At St Mary's Primary School, teachers and students will participate in activities on Tuesday 10th of February, "because when we each do something small whether that’s starting a conversation, sharing a tip or changing a habit we make a big difference to everyone’s online experience." We look forward to sharing this learning with you via Seesaw and Instagram.

Wishing everyone a wonderful week ahead. 

I am really excited for all that this term has in store!

Mrs Daniela Borgese