From the Principal...

Don’t forget to follow St Mary's on our social media platforms to keep up to date with the wonderful things happening across our school community. Our socials are a great way to see highlights of student learning, special events, celebrations, and the many achievements of our students.

It is wonderful to be back at school after my Long Service Leave!

I had an absolutely wonderful time travelling through Ireland, Scotland and London with my husband, followed by a few days in Singapore for a much-needed reset before returning home. It was a fantastic opportunity to explore, recharge and enjoy some quality time away.

While it is always lovely to have a break, it is equally wonderful to be back with our students, staff and families. I have certainly missed the energy and buzz of our school community!

Term 4 is always a busy one, with so much happening across the school as we head towards the end of another year. I am looking forward to settling back in, reconnecting with everyone and enjoying all that this final term has to offer.

It is great to be back — I look forward to seeing you all around the school!

Rossmoyne Rummage

A HUGE thank you to everyone who helped make Rossmoyne Rummage such a wonderful success! From those who generously donated items to those who gave their time to ‘man’ the stalls, your support and contribution were greatly appreciated.

The weather was superb, the atmosphere was fantastic, and there was such a wonderful vibe throughout the day. It was a fantastic opportunity to come together as a community, connect with families and raise the profile of St Mary’s in the wider community.

Once again, our school is a prize winner! 🏆 

We won the Best Group Project Award in the Scarecrow Competition with our OTTO THE OCTOPUS entrant!!  This was perfectly themed with our recent participation in the Darebin Council's "Find your Legs and Walk to School" 

A big thank you to Robyn for creating our wonderful Octopus, who now has a prime position next to our street library on Mansfield Street. 

Thank you to everyone who played a part in making the day such a success. It was wonderful to see our school community come together in such a positive way!

Spreading the Word About St Mary’s...

Rossmoyne Rummage is a wonderful opportunity to raise the profile of St Mary’s within our local community and showcase the vibrant community we have here at the school.

Another recent initiative to increase our visibility was the large billboard displayed on the corner of High and Flinders Streets in Thornbury. This initiative, driven by our School Advisory Council (SAC) and organised by our SAC Chair, Ryan Fort, provided an excellent opportunity to promote St Mary’s to the wider community and raise awareness of our school among local families.

A sincere thank you to Ryan for his initiative and efforts in bringing this project to fruition, and to the Clyde Hotel in Carlton and Anthony from National Automation Controls for generously sponsoring the advertisement. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Initiatives such as these help us strengthen our presence in the local community, celebrate all that St Mary’s has to offer and ensure more families know about the wonderful opportunities available at our school.

MACSEYE - Before School Care Update

As families were informed last term, the before-school care service currently provided by MACSEYE will cease at the end of 2026.

Since receiving this news, we have been actively exploring alternative options to ensure we can continue to support families who rely on before-school care. We are determined to offer a before-school care option in 2027, even if this looks a little different from our current arrangement.

One possibility we are exploring is a morning club, with students supervised by a staff member from 7.00 am. Our School Advisory Council meeting this week will provide an opportunity to further discuss the options available and, hopefully, finalise an arrangement for 2027.

We understand how important before-school care is for many families and are committed to finding a workable solution that best supports our school community. We will share further details with families as soon as arrangements are confirmed.

REMINDER: SCHOOL CLOSURE DAYS 

Monday October 26

A reminder that school will be closed on Monday 26 October to allow our staff to engage in a day of professional learning and collaborative planning.

Ongoing professional learning is essential in ensuring we continue to strengthen our teaching practices and provide the best possible learning experiences for every student. 

Investing in the professional growth of our teachers directly supports our commitment to continuous improvement and to ensuring every student is supported to achieve their full potential.

Monday November 02 - Cup Eve 

Please also note that St Mary’s Primary School will be closed on Cup Eve. This is a system-wide allocated Time in Lieu day for staff.

Thank you for your understanding and support.

HOOPTIME FINALS

Good luck to the following children who will be representing St Mary's at the

Hooptime Regional Finals today! 

What a fantastic achievement to progress to this level. We are incredibly proud of your efforts, teamwork and determination. Wishing you all the very best on the court — enjoy the experience and give it your best

Grade 5/6 Camp – Sovereign Hill

Next week, our Grade 5/6 students will head off to Sovereign Hill for an exciting and memorable camp experience! This is a wonderful opportunity for students to step back in time, immerse themselves in the history of the Victorian Gold Rush and bring their classroom learning to life. Through a range of hands-on activities and experiences, students will deepen their understanding of life on the goldfields while building independence, strengthening friendships and creating lasting memories with their classmates. We wish everyone a fantastic camp filled with fun, learning and adventure!

2027 CLASS PREFERENCES 

It’s amazing that we are once again at the time of year when we are beginning our discussions for structures for 2027.  An important component of this is the regrouping of our classes. 

When determining new classes, we consider the following: 

❏ a balanced number of students with social, emotional and academic needs 

❏ an appropriate mix of student role models and class leaders 

❏ a balanced number of boys and girls 

❏ student friendship circles. 

Please make an appointment with me if you wish to discuss any concerns you may have that may impact your child/children’s class placement for next year. This may include particular social nuances with other students or any other extenuating circumstances. 

Please be aware that this is not an opportunity for ‘teacher shopping’ or to discuss a preference for a teacher, but rather an opportunity to share genuine concerns about your child’s learning environment for 2027.  

I will shortly be sharing information about our class structures and staffing arrangements for 2027. These decisions have been made carefully, with a strong focus on meeting the learning and wellbeing needs of our students, ensuring balanced class groupings, and making the best use of our staffing resources to support all learners.

If you are not intending to return to St Mary’s in 2027, please contact the office as soon as possible

Italian Day - A Very Special Thank You! 

From all accounts, our recent Italian Day was a grand success.  Thank you Ms Tania for (once again) organising such a brilliant day for our students.  Please see the Italian Day section of this newsletter for a message from Ms Tania.

A very special thank you also to Delia Latina for coordinating our Italian Day food this year, and to Leo’s Nonnas for cooking all the delicious pasta and sauce for our children.

Our first-ever sit-down lunch was an amazing effort to pull off! So much time, care and hard work went into preparing and serving the meal, and we are incredibly grateful to everyone who helped make it such a special experience for the children.