From Our Principal

Newsletter  ~ Term 2, Week 10, 2025

Principal's Message:

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

The last week of Term Two is upon us. In many ways this end of the year, the half way mark has come so very quickly, with us well and truly deeply implementing the Sandhurst Catholic Education Magnify low-variance and knowledge-rich curriculum across all year levels.

We have come so far, in a relatively short time and are to be encouraged by the engagement of our students, their learning, growth and development. I am especially grateful for the members of our staff team who have strived across the first half of the year to implement with fidelity and work towards alignment across the school. Our children have also been regularly commended on their engagement in the learning and attitude toward improving their knowledge, skills and application of learning. Many thanks to parents and carers for your ongoing support of our staff and students as we engage in the learning process together.

Please find following our newsletter for this fortnight.

Installation of Fr. Ronaldo 'Ronald' Masilang - Sunday 6 July 2025

All are welcome to join the celebration marking the formal installation of Fr. Ronald as Parish Priest of our parish to be held on Sunday 6 July.

        9:30am Installation Mass - Christ The King church (St Mel's Parish)

Bishop Shane Mackinlay, Bishop of Sandhurst, (recently announced Bishop of Brisbane) will preside at this very special ceremony.

Fr Ronald is the newly appointed Parish Priest of:

           St Mel's Parish, Shepparton

           St Malachy's Parish, Nagambie

           St Mary's Parish, Mooroopna.

We congratulate Fr Ronald on his recent appointment and wish him a wonderful Installation Mass on Sunday 6 July.  

Feast of St Anthony:

 It was lovely to see some of our school families represented at the recent St Anthony's Feast Day celebration Mass and luncheon. This was a wonderful occasion for our parish and school communities to come together in prayer and celebration. 

Sacramental Journey Continues:

The children who have recently received the sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist attended mass last weekend and received their special certificates marking this rite of passage. We have enjoyed following and celebrating the children's Sacramental journey with special mentions at our weekly assembly. Recently the children received cards from children in other grades encouraging and congratulating them on their faith journey. A wonderful annual tradition.

Magnify Sandhurst' 

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

Engaged Learners / Engaged Learning: 

The children have been continually reinforced and commended on their focussed engagement on learning tasks and activities in their Learning Communities. It is extremely pleasing to visit our classrooms and other learning areas and observing our students and staff engaged in a range of activities across the day. We look forward to our last week of learning at school next week prior to enjoying a very well earned break.

Student Progress Reports:

At time of writing this, our Student Progress Reports are nearing completion and on track for being released this week. Please take time to sit with your child/ren and share their report with them. Focus on areas of development and growth, celebrating their strengths and achievements across the first half of this year. This will also be a good time to discuss areas for further development and set some goals for the start of Term Three. A great deal of time and effort has been placed into these reports prior to release. We have experienced some technical issues with our SIMONeverywhere (PAM) based Student Progress Reports, which we are continually trying to resolve. Please inform us if your notice anything out of place in the Semester One reports from a layout or clarity perspective.  If you have any questions or require clarification please speak to your child/ren's learning group teacher.

Parent / Carer / Teacher / Student Interviews:

These important three-way interviews are conducted in Week Two of next term. We are currently preparing the ONLINE booking system to enable parents and carers to select interview times. There have been some technical issues in relation to this task which we are working to resolve as quickly as we can. It is likely the online booking portal will be sent out during the school holiday break. Keep an eye on your emails and SIMONeverywhere (PAM) during the break. 

These interviews will be held after school on:

• Monday 28 July 3:30pm onwards
• Tuesday 29 July 3:30pm onwards

Foundation (Prep) Enrolment Interviews:

Interviews for families seeking enrolment for Foundation (Prep) in 2026 will commence at the beginning of Term Three. A reminder for parents/carers yet to enrol via our ONLINE ENROLMENT PORTAL 'Enquiry Tracker' so now to ensure you are in the 2026 Foundation Enrolment Interview List.

Enrolment Enquiries & Applications ONLINE:

A reminder for parents and carers with students to commence Foundation in 2026 to go 'online' and complete the relevant Enrolment Application Form.

If you are aware of other members of the broader local community seeking enrolment please direct them to the ONLINE forms.

The NEW enrolment enquiry and application portal 'Enquiry Tracker' can be accessed via our St Mel's PS Website at: www.smshepparton.catholic.edu.au 

OR by clicking the following live link: https://www.smshepparton.catholic.edu.au/enrolment-application

We are continuing to accept enrolments for 2026.

St Mel's PS Outside School Hours Care - New Provider:

As emailed to families this week, from the commencement of Term Three the St Mel's PS Outside School Hours Care service will be managed and operated by Uniting Vic / Tas. This is an exciting development for our school community with potential for the service to expand and offer a school holiday program from Term Three onwards. Please see the following attachment detailing booking students in from the start of next term and contact details for Uniting Vic / Tas:

Staffing Update:

Our new Administration Officer Tegan Gibbings-Johns commenced in her role this week. We welcome to her new role in our Administration Office. Tegan will work in our office each Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and join Maria Makin who will continue working Monday through Friday. Over these initial weeks Tegan has been undertaking induction and formation in support of her role.

As announced earlier this week Alexa Cirillo (nee Mori) has applied for and accepted a teaching position at St Anne's College, Kialla. Alexa's last day with us will be Friday 4 July (last day of Term Three). We wish Alexa every success as she moves to our sister school to teach a Year 6 Learning Group.

Richard Speedy, who has been teaching in our Visual Arts specialist area for the majority of the term leaves us at the end of this term. We thank Richard for his time with us across the term and inspiring our children with wonderful arts sessions during that time. We look forward to welcoming Robyn Banfield back after her period of Long Service Leave. Robyn will recommence in our Visual Arts program from the start of Term Three.

Illnesses: [Repeat]

Thank you to parents and carers keeping ill children at home during this time. We have recorded higher levels of absence than usual due to the run of colds, coughs, flu and other illness circulating through the community. In addition to student absences we have also experienced a higher level of staff absence than usual at this time. Fortunately through the support of staff members working additional days or sessions, engagement of Classroom Relief Teachers (CRTs) and Leadership support usual school routines have not been impacted, with classes running as usual. Its been a very big few weeks for members of our Staff Team who have taken on additional work, which I am very grateful for. 

School Dates:

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

Reminder, the first day of Term Three is Monday 21 July 2025. We look forward to welcoming everyone back to school learning on that day.

Thank you for your ongoing support of your child/ren and our Staff Team.

Best wishes for the last week of Term Two and for the break from school routines for two weeks.

Stephen 'Steve' Hicks

Principal

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