Principal's Update
Dear Families,
Term 4 is certainly flying by. Teachers and students have been very busy as we enter the time of the year when assessments are completed and school reports are finalised. This is always a busy and productive period for everyone. We are also beginning to work on our plans for 2026, including finalising staffing and classes for next year.
I am very pleased to share that our teaching staff for 2026 is almost completely finalised. We are thrilled to welcome Mr Raymond Mammone onto our teaching staff next year, as well as Ms Carmel Byrne, who will be joining us in a full-time role replacing Ms Bridget, who will be on maternity leave. We will also be welcoming Mr Tony Fimiani back to St Margaret’s next year. The school is truly blessed to have such great teachers on our team for 2026. It speaks volumes about what a wonderful community we have that our staff is so stable and that there is such strong interest in joining our school.
School Leadership Team for 2026: I am genuinely excited about the composition of our 2026 Leadership Team and what lies ahead for St Margaret’s. The positions have been filled as follows:
Deputy Principal / Student Wellbeing Leader: Ms Vicky Augello
Learning & Teaching / Religious Education Leader: Ms Alison Mammone
Mathematics, ICT, OH&S Leader: Mr Gary Romeo
Learning Diversity Leader: Ms Caroline Sullivan & Ms Clare Canty
Literacy Leader (Junior School): Ms Clare Canty
Literacy Leader (Years 3–6): Ms Maddison Daperis
Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHiPS): Ms Caitlin Grace
Year Level Leaders: Ms Deanna Fimiani, Ms Kate McKibbin and Ms Tara Parker
Ms Mary, who has been Literacy Leader at St Margaret’s for many years, has decided to step down from her leadership role in 2026 to lead our Literacy Intervention and Support Team. Mary has been instrumental in developing the outstanding literacy program that has delivered excellent academic results for our students. She will also play an important mentoring role for Ms Clare and Ms Maddi as they step into their new positions. Mary’s hard work, dedication and professionalism over many years are deeply appreciated and her contribution to our school has been remarkable.
2026 Prep Orientation and Family Meetings: It was wonderful to welcome our new Prep students and families last Thursday for the first of two orientation sessions to help support the transition from kindergarten to school. The students settled well into their classes while parents attended an information session about starting school life in Prep. Families also had the chance to share a coffee and meet others who will begin this exciting journey together. Our student leaders did an outstanding job welcoming families and sharing their experiences of school life and being a Prep buddy. Their confidence and warmth made us all proud. We are looking forward to session two later this week.
World Teachers’ Day On Friday 31 October, we celebrated World Teachers’ Day. This was a wonderful opportunity to reflect on and appreciate the contribution of our amazing teachers at St Margaret’s. It was lovely to see students creating cards and posters to celebrate their teachers. We are so fortunate to have such a dedicated and passionate group of educators at our school.
Building Project Our building project continues to make strong progress. This week we are expecting the roof to be completed, which will make the changes even more visible. The students have shown great resilience and patience as they have managed with less play space and the occasional noise from construction. We look forward to seeing the continued transformation of our school environment.
Student Achievements It has been a joy to see so many students visiting my office to share their learning and achievements in recent weeks. Many of our Prep and Year 1 students have proudly shared their wonderful writing, which has been a highlight. I also enjoyed a visit from Jack and Kingston, who came to share their success at a recent soccer tournament in Shepparton. Congratulations to all students on their efforts and achievements.
Thank you to everyone for their continued support.
God Bless,
John