Principals Report
Dear Parents, Families and Friends,
I am incredibly proud to share that St Mary’s School, Inglewood achieved outstanding results in the 2026 NAPLAN assessments. More than 80% of our students were assessed in the Strong or Exceeding proficiency levels across nine NAPLAN domains. This was the highest result recorded by any Catholic Education Sandhurst school, placing St Mary’s ahead of 50 other schools.
This did not happen by chance. The exceptional achievement reflects the hard work of our students, the dedication of our staff and the support of our families. Our teachers continue to provide explicit instruction, targeted support and high expectations for every learner.
While NAPLAN is only one measure of achievement, these results confirm the quality of education provided at St Mary’s. They show that a small rural school can achieve outstanding outcomes when students are known, supported and encouraged to do their best.
Congratulations to our students and staff on this remarkable achievement.
I would like to inform our community that Mrs Brianna Gleisner has been the successful applicant for a full-time position at Inglewood Primary School. We congratulate Brianna on her new role and sincerely thank her for the valuable contribution she has made to St Mary’s throughout Semester 1. Brianna’s final day will be Monday, when she will complete a handover and have the opportunity to farewell the St Mary’s community. We wish her every success as she begins this exciting next chapter.
We are also delighted to announce the appointment of Ms Jessie Watson, who will join the St Mary’s team for the remainder of the year. Jessie is a highly experienced specialist educator who has taught and worked in a range of educational settings across Australia. She brings extensive knowledge and expertise in Music, Art and Theatre, along with a strong passion for providing creative, engaging and inclusive learning experiences for students.
Jessie will work with us each Wednesday and will lead our specialist programs in The Arts, Respectful Relationships and Physical Education. Her broad experience, creativity and enthusiasm will be a wonderful addition to our school, particularly as we continue to provide our students with rich and meaningful learning opportunities throughout the remainder of the year.
Ms Watson will spend next Monday working alongside Mrs Gleisner to complete a thorough handover before officially commencing her specialist teaching role. We feel extremely fortunate to welcome an educator of Jessie’s experience and calibre to St Mary’s.
St Mary’s Trivia Night
It is now just one week until the St Mary’s Trivia Night, and our staff are generously giving a great deal of their personal time to help prepare for the event. We are all very much looking forward to celebrating this special occasion with our extended St Mary’s community in Inglewood.
We do not expect to make a significant profit from the evening, as fundraising is not the main reason, we are hosting this event. Rather, it is an opportunity for our community to come together, reconnect and enjoy one another’s company. There will still be plenty of opportunities to support the school throughout the night, with all proceeds going towards enrichment activities for our students during the remainder of the year. There will also be a raffle featuring a wonderful selection of local produce and Bendigo foods.
Wine tasting from Black Wallaby will begin at 6:00pm, with trivia commencing at 6:45 pm sharp. We have partnered up with Munch Hub - who will be serving from their Food Truck through the night. Please organise appropriate transport to and from the event, as we want this to be a safe and enjoyable evening for everyone. Bring your best Movie or TV-themed outfit and come along to share some laughs, revisit old memories and enjoy a wonderful evening with the St Mary’s community.
Kind Regards,
