From Our Principal

 Newsletter  ~ Term 1, Week 10, 2026

Principal's Message:

Dear Parents, Carers, Families and Friends of St Mel’s Primary School,

Our student-led prayer reflections across our last week of term have been a beautiful and reflective way to approach Easter and the end of another term of learning at our wonderful school.

From the recount of Jesus' triumphant and joyous entry to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, followed by Jesus and his close friends gathering to share a meal, the call to His friends to continue His great works on Holy Thursday, to the confusion and great sorrow of His arrest, trial, punishment and crucifixion, we have certainly followed the events of Holy Week with great interest and emotion. 

We look forward to celebrating the resurrection of Christ this Sunday and the joy of new life, Easter eggs, special lunches and gatherings in our St Mel's Church and in our homes. In the first week of Term Two, we will gather again as a whole school and celebrate the joy of the Resurrection of Jesus and reflect on how we can continue over 2000 years later to be as Christ to the communities to which we belong.

For now, I wish you all blessings for the Easter period and break from school routines until we regroup in support of the learning, development and growth of our children across our next term of school learning. May the peace of the Easter period be with you all!

Lent & Supporting Project Compassion:

Thank you to all families who have supported the annual Project Compassion fundraising effort during the church Season of Lent. The funds raised will be donated to CARITAS in support of their domestic and international aide projects. We look forward to providing an overview of funds raised next term. You can find more of the wonderful works of CARITAS Australia by visiting: https://www.caritas.org.au/

Sacramental Journey:

Please continue to keep our parish's children currently engaged in their Sacramental journey in your thoughts and prayers as they continue to learn more of these Sacraments and journey ever closer to the celebration of Confirmation and Eucharist to occur on Pentecost Sunday (24 May) in Christ the King (St Mel's) church.

Magnify Sandhurst' 

Every Student - Every Teacher - Every School - Every Day!

Our teachers and leaders have received some positive feedback from last week's visit of the team from MultiLit (our Literacy curriculum provider) and Learning & Teaching staff from Catholic Education Sandhurst (CESL). 

We are using this feedback to continually improve and enhance our approach to the delivery of the Literacy curriculum from Foundation to Year 6, which at higher levels also includes the OCHRE curriculum resource.

Staff Learning & Teaching Professional Learning Opportunity:

A reminder our school will be closed on Monday 20 April (first day of Term Two) as our teachers, Learning Support and Wellbeing staff engage in a day focussed on:

• The research behind student engagement, motivation and mindset
• Learning through whole class instruction  
• Student led reflection and local school planning
• Knowledge rich and Direct Instruction

We look forward to engaging in this professional learning day facilitated by our international MAGNIFY curriculum partners and the Catholic Education Sandhurst Ltd Central Team.

2027 Enrolments:

Our Foundation enrolment period is underway with families already enrolling their children for next year. With interest in our school as a learning environment growing current school families with children to commence Foundation (Prep) next year are urged to complete the ONLINE APPLICATION FORM now!

Open Days:

REGISTRATIONS for our Term Two Open Days are now open.

Spread the word to your family and friends of the opportunities to tour our wonderful school:

• Tuesday 28 April - 9:15am, 12:00pm & 4:30pm
• Wednesday 6 May - 9:15am, 12:00pm & 4:30pm

We look forward to bringing prospective families through our lovely school community on these occasions. Individual family tours are also available by contacting our School Administration Office: 5821 3163

Welcome to Our New Year 4 Teacher:

This week we welcomed our newest team member, Shane Griffin, who joins us as our Year 4 teacher for the remainder of this year and as an ongoing teaching member of our Staff Team.

Shane has a long teaching history in Catholic Education across New South Wales and Queensland, including time as principal. Shane and his wife Jo have moved from Rockhampton to the St Mel's Parish and look forward to their new life here in Shepparton.

Whilst Shane formally takes on the Year 4 Learning Community atthe beginning of next term, we are grateful he made himself available this week to meet with our leadership and teaching staff, and importantly the children, as part of transitioning into his new role. Please make Shane welcome as you see him around the school from next term onwards.

Ongoing Capital Improvements:

Over the school holidays arrangements are in place for:

• Installation of our NEW, much awaited, Ga Ga Pit
• New carpet in the Foundation Learning Community
• Maintenance painting of high traffic areas

Middle and Senior Learning Suite Transformation:

Our architects (B3 Architects) are currently drafting floorplans and elevations in support of our capital improvement project re-design of the Year 3, 4, 5 & 6 Learning Suites to be completed by the end of this year. This refurbishment project will include:

• Creating six distinct, stand alone, individual Learning Suites that can be closed off to minimise noise, distraction and enhance student engagement in direct instruction
• Creating adjacent 'project learning' spaces utilising exisiting kitchen and bench cabinetry
• Re-aligning the 'Teaching Wall' in each Learning Suite to accommodate white boards and television placement to maximise direct instruction and minimise distraction
• Creating a NEW break out space in the Presentation Studio for use as an additional meeting room / intervention space. 
• Reducing the glare from the North-facing windows
• Re-carpeting, lino, painting and internal improvements will form part of this project

We are grateful for the planning support of B3 Architects and the CESL Capital Planning Team, in addition to the financial support of the Australian Government, who are providing $879 990 towards the cost of this much needed school improvement project designed to significantly enhance student learning, development and growth.  

I am pleased our application for financial and planning support has been met favourably by the Catholic Grants Allocation Committee which has brought this project to reality.

Staffing Update:

• A large THANKYOU to Jen Amadei, former School Administration Officer, who re-joined our Staff Team last week whilst Maria Makin was enjoying some well-earned Long Service Leave. Was lovely to hear that accent in the admin area once again and have Jen's support across the busy last week of term.
• We farewelled Fr Adi Indra on Monday afternoon as he now prepares to move out of the St Mel's Parish House and return to Wodonga. We wish Fr Adi all the very best as her takes up his appointment.

• We look forward to welcoming Fr John Paul Pasala to our school (and parish) after the school holiday break. Fr John Paul joins the local Rogationist priests, as Assistant Priest, in support of the five parishes and seven schools that make up our local faith communities.

• On Wednesday we farewelled Laura Emanuelli after 13+ years teaching at St Mel's. Laura has taken on a part time teaching role at our sister school, St Anne's College. We thank Laura for her contributions to our school community and teacher (and continuing supporting our school as a parent). Best wishes for your new role teaching Physical Education.

   

Enhancing Catholic School Identity SURVEYS:

A reminder for our parents and carers to complete this survey.

Please search back through the individual email you received earlier this term and complete the survey by the start of Term Two. We value your feedback!

School Soccer Season 2026 - Register NOW!:

As per the email to parents and carers this week, we are grateful to the St Anne's College community for supporting our students wishing to play school soccer in the local Shepparton Junior Soccer Association (SJSA) competition during Season 2026.

 Parents and carers are directed to register students for the Soccer Teams via the following link: https://st-annes-kialla.playhq-sites.com/players

NOTE: These teams are also needing parents / carers to volunteer for roles in support of the 2026 Soccer Season.

Parents and carers can register as a volunteer using the same link.

Teams will be formed over the school holiday break in ready for the training and playing season to commence atthe end of the school holidays.

For further information, please contact:

Madison Wright

St Anne's College Soccer Association

M: 0439 134 591 (Leave your name, contact number and brief details)

E: sasakialla@gmail.com

School Lunches, Lunch Boxes, Rubbish Free, Lollies & Eat What You Bring:

St Mel's Primary School has a long history or being involved in the 'Rubbish Free Lunch' approach, which in recent times has lost its focus and has been on our School Improvement Agenda. Thank you to our parents and carers who have continued to support this approach.

From the start of Term Two this year, parents and carers are requested to support (and/or continue to support) our renewed emphasis on healthy, portioned and rubbish free lunches.

This approach promotes healthy eating habits in children, is mindful of students with dietary allergies, reduced rubbish to landfill and reinforces waste-wise approaches in support of sustainable approaches to support our environment.

We are ramping up our approach to REDUCE - RE USE and RECYCLE from Term Two on!

How.....?

• Provide healthy lunches and snacks in re-usable lunch box & snack containers
• Purchase BULK snacks and send smaller portions to school in re-usable lunch box & snack containers
• Remove packaging at home and dispose of thoughtfully - foods to school in re-usable lunch box & snack containers
• Refrain from sending lollies to school - keep these for 'sometimes treats' at home

• Remind your children to bring any wrappers / plastics and/or gladwrap home

  (From Term Two on this will be the school-wide expectation!)

• Remind children not to share their food with other students
• Lollies and chewing gum is not to be brought from home

Follow this link for more information in regard Healthy School Lunches.

Fruit Break: [REPEAT]

A review of our current Fruit Break Process is underway. Fruit break was originally introduced to provide children with a mid morning snack of fruit / veg during the peak two hour morning block to provide a burst of nutriants to support engagement.

The idea is that children have a small nutritious snack whilst they continue to engage in the learning activity / session.

In support of Fruit Break, we ask our parents and carers to ensure their children are provided with SMALL nutritious a fruit and/or veg snack, preferably in a small container, that can be quicky retrieved, consumed and put away during the fruit break time.

We are aiming to increase time on task and decrease lost learning time by ensuring Fruit Break is not a break from instruction, learning and/or engagement.

St Mel's Uniting Outside School Hours Care - Vacation, Student Free Days and Before School Care: 

• 2026 School Vacation Program - Operating over the Easter Holiday break!

• Before School Care - has recommenced, though with LOW numbers. 

  The viability of continuing the Before School Care is being closely monitored.

  Continued low need for this service may mean a discontinuation of Before School Care for the future. 

• Outside School Hours Care - has recommenced

• Student Free Days - across the year!

  Book in now for the first day of Term Two!

NOTE 1: Before School Care comes with a yummy breakfast!

 Check out the menu...

NOTE 2: Registering your child/children in St Mel's Uniting Outside School Hours Care can take up to a week to process, given the documentation required.

Parents and carers are recommended to register NOW if there is a possibility of using this service at any time this year. Once registered, children are booked in via the registration app.

Parents and carers seeking more information or wishing to register children for Vacation Care are directed to contact Uniting Vic Tas directly by:

             Phone: 1800 183 103

             Email: earlylearning@unitingvictas.org.au

School Dates:

Please check the Upcoming Dates & Events section of the newsletter regularly.

Did you know? ~