From the Principal

Dear Parents and Carers, 

Helping young people develop resilience is an important part of being a parent and teacher, and although we would ideally like them to have as little stress as possible (because we love our children),  we also know that things like stress, challenge and change are an inevitable part of life.  

At St Mary’s we aim to provide students with opportunities to be challenged to help them develop strategies to cope and grow. Regardless of what the challenges are for your child, support at home and school is a team effort.

Our Year 11-12 students recently completed their mid-year examinations and no doubt the experience presented its challenges. I can imagine that at the end of the week many students, as well as their teachers and families, were relieved they were all over. Our students would also have experienced a sense of satisfaction in knowing that they did not give in. Past students have described completion of end-of-year exams as euphoric, with the intense happiness being due to the development of tenacity, along with a sense of accomplishment. 

We congratulate our Year 11 and 12 students for their determination and wish them well in their learning for the remainder of the year. We hope that when they do leave St Mary’s, they have the courage and grit to meet future surprises and demands.  

Our Principal, Helen Spencer has had to extend her long service leave to travel to Canberra to be with her family. Helen’s mother is very unwell and I am sure that they would both appreciate your prayers. We look forward to Helen’s return at the beginning of Term 4. We also pray for everyone affected by the circumstances surrounding the impact of COVID-19, especially our fellow Victorians. 

Jacqueline Conboy

Acting Principal