Dear Parents and Carers

We have reached the end of another term… it’s hard to believe we are three quarters of the way through the school year. We have achieved many goals, and we have much to celebrate.

This year I was fortunate to participate in the 6R Program for Experienced Principals, a professional learning series designed to challenge and extend school leaders. The program was led by Dr Stephen Brown, and throughout the year we engaged with internationally recognised leaders who facilitated workshops specifically focused on leadership in education.

Our final workshop was presented by Dr Peta Sigley, who focused on the vital area of wellbeing. Dr Sigley shared both a framework and practical strategies that can be applied within schools to support the wellbeing of students, staff, and families. Her insights highlighted the importance of creating a culture where wellbeing is not an add-on, but is embedded in everything we do, from the way we teach, to how we lead, and how we care for one another as a community.

Being part of the 6R Program has been a rich and rewarding experience. It has given me the chance to reflect deeply on my own leadership, to learn from the wisdom of colleagues across Australia and beyond, and to bring back ideas that will strengthen our school. I am excited about how these learnings will continue to shape our work together, ensuring St Mary’s remains a place where both learning and wellbeing flourish.

Mayor’s Writing Competition Finalists
We are delighted to announce that Milton, Alexander and Emilia are finalists in this year’s Mayor’s Writing Competition. This is a wonderful achievement and a reflection of their creativity, effort and talent as young writers. Congratulations to each of them!

As part of the competition, the Perpetual Shield will once again be presented to the Syd Hayes Creative Writing Award winner. The shield will then be proudly displayed at the winner’s school until next year’s presentation.

A special morning tea, hosted by Eurobodalla Libraries, will be held on Wednesday 22 October at the Moruya Memorial (RSL) Hall. We are so proud of Milton, Alexander and Emilia for this outstanding achievement and wish them all the very best for the presentation day.

Open Classrooms Invitation
We warmly invite all parents, carers and friends to join us for our Open Classrooms on Monday 22 September from 2.00pm – 3.00pm.

This is a wonderful opportunity to step inside the classrooms, see the exciting learning that has been taking place, and celebrate the efforts of our students. The children are looking forward to sharing their work and experiences with you.

We hope you can come along and be part of this special afternoon of learning and community.

On behalf of the Staff thank you to all our families for the many ways you have contributed to our school this term, the partnership between school and home is highly valued. The students have been consistently engaged in their learning and I would like to congratulate them on their hard work. 

I would like to extend a special thank you to the School Community Council for assisting at the disco yesterday. Thank you for your time and work that you put into school events, it is always much appreciated.

A huge thank you to our dedicated St Mary’s Staff who go well and beyond their duties each term. We have an amazing team! A special thank you to our Support Team: Mrs Hazell, Mrs Smith, Mrs Ryan, Mrs Butler, Mr Ziino, Mrs Gillis, Mrs Lloyd, Mrs Alves, Ms Seagrave, Mrs Zutt and Miss Haultain. They work throughout the school supporting teachers and students in targeted learning programs. Our Support Team continually work behind the scenes in many aspects of the school and are extremely dedicated to their roles. They do a wonderful job, always assisting where they can. I’m sure you’ll join with me in thanking the Staff for their wonderful commitment.

Term 4 Swimming Program
This year we have been fortunate enough to receive a Sporting Schools Grant to assist us to run a Swimming Program for Kinder to Year 6 students. Over the past couple of years, we have struggled to find enough instructors, but we are hoping that we will be able to go ahead this year! The grant will go towards paying part of the cost of the program for families. The Program is planned to run at Moruya Pool in Term 4. This is a great initiative and promotes water safety. A special thank you to Mrs Grant for her effort and organisation. It will certainly benefit all our students!

Term 4 Calendar

We have another busy term ahead with a number of exciting events happening. Some key dates for the term include:

• Year 4 Assembly: Friday 17 October
• Year 4 Overnight Excursion: 23 – 24 October
• Mission Mass and Mission Market Day: 31 October
• Parent Expo for Kindergarten 2026: 30 October at 5.30pm
• Healthy Harold visit: 3 & 4 November
• Year 6 Assembly: Friday 7 November
• Kindergarten Orientation: 13 & 20 November (9.00am 11.00am)
• Year 5 Assembly: Friday 14 November
• Year 7 Transition for Carroll College: Friday 28 November
• Annual Awards Night: Friday 2 December at 5.30pm
• Nativity led by Kindergarten: Friday 5 December
• Graduation Mass and Candle Ceremony: 9 December at 9.15am
• Year 6 Graduation Evening: Tuesday 9 December
• St Mary’s Colour Run: Monday 15 December

Next term we ask all students to wear their summer uniform when they return to school. We look forward to the warm weather ahead.

I wish Mackenzie, Olivia and Maisie all the best in Sydney next Wednesday at the NSW Mackillop Athletics. We are very proud of your achievement.

All students return on Tuesday 14 October.  A Staff Spirituality Day will be held on Monday 13 October.

Enjoy a lovely holiday with your family.

Kind regards
Jo

Johanna Wain
Principal

Dear Parents and Carers,
Thank you for your ongoing support throughout what has been another full and productive term at St Mary’s. It is hard to believe we have reached the end of the term with only one remaining before the school year draws to a close. While there is no doubt we are all ready for a holiday, this has been a rewarding time of learning and achievement for our students. We now look forward to a well-deserved break before returning refreshed for the final stage of the year.

Kindergarten 2026
On Wednesday 17 September we held our final ‘Dip Into Kindergarten’ morning for children enrolled or considering enrolling at St Mary’s in 2026. It was a very successful morning enjoyed by the children as they all got to experience some of the wonderful things that happen in our Kindergarten classroom.

We look forward to welcoming our 2026 Kindergarten students next term for the Kindergarten Orientation sessions on Thursday November 13 and Thursday November 20.

Celebrating Growth in Spelling
This term our students from Years 2–6 have completed PAT Spelling assessments, and we are delighted to share the fantastic growth they have demonstrated across the school. The results show that students are making strong progress in their spelling knowledge and application, with many achieving above-expected growth since their last assessment.

One of the key contributors to this success has been the consistent implementation of the Spelling Mastery program. Through explicit teaching, daily practice, and carefully sequenced lessons, students are developing not only their spelling accuracy but also their confidence in using words effectively in their writing. Teachers have also noticed that the structured approach allows students to build on prior learning and apply spelling strategies more independently.

We are very proud of the effort and persistence students have shown in their spelling learning this year. These results remind us that with the right tools, clear instruction, and dedicated practice, all students can experience growth in their learning.

Sue Heffernan
Assistant Principal 

Term three has been a busy and exciting time for Year 3. We have celebrated so many great opportunities such as Book Week, Science Week, Hockey and Tennis Gala Days, as well as engaging in a wide variety of explicit learning experiences in class. 

In Religious Education, students have been learning about Jesus’ ministry to share love, kindness and forgiveness. We have been looking at stories from the Old Testament like Moses parting the red sea reminds us of the power of standing up for others with courage and faith. Moses trusted in God and, even when things seemed impossible, he led his people to safety. In the same way, when we stand up for our friends and support them; especially when they are struggling, our faith gives us the strength to help them through difficult times. This unit linked well with our PDHPE unit on personal safety as part of our Daniel Morcombe unit and how we too can make a real difference in the lives of others when we act with faith and kindness. 

English
In English, students have been composing ‘super sentences’ during writing lessons, identifying the subject and verb predicate in a sentence, as well as adding adjectives and adverbs to create more interesting and engaging texts. We have been ensuring our sentences are compound sentences and have ‘because, but or so’ to extend our writing. 

This term we have been reading two class novels; The Iron Man, and Charlotte's Web. As part of our unit on ‘The Iron Man’ we have been gathering facts about Australia and have written an information report. We have just started reading our new novel Charlotte’s Web, and look forward to learning more about relationships and how they can evolve and change as we continue further with our new novel. 

Science
In Science, Year 3 has been learning about the cyclical cycle of planets, and the moon. We have learnt how as people we have been learning how to tell and track the time for millenia and how this has evolved through language, and the building of machines such as sundials, clocks and watches. We have started to build our own sundials to track time and compare them to digital technology to track their accuracy. Students are highly engaged in the many hands-on learning experiences within the program!

Geography
In Geography this term, Year 3 has been exploring our neighbouring countries and learning about their natural and built features. Students have been comparing landscapes, climates, landmarks, and ways of life with what we see here in Australia. This learning is helping them develop a deeper understanding of how places are both similar and different, and how geography shapes the lives of people in our region. This will continue into term 3 where we will explore specific natural landmarks in our local area and explore as part of our excursion to Tilba. 

In CAPA students have been exploring sculptural elements of machines with Mrs Shannon. Students have been building a variety of different models in the build up to a major work using clay. 

Mrs Carla Durnan
Year 3 Teacher

Congratulations to the following children who have received a class award for Weeks 7-9

Todd Woodbridge Tennis Tournament
This week, Stage 2 and 3 students from St Mary’s attended the Todd Woodbridge Tennis Tournament at Captain Oldrey Park, Broulee. The day provided an excellent opportunity for students to further develop their tennis skills while enjoying friendly competition with other schools from within our area. All students participated with enthusiasm, displaying teamwork, effort and sportsmanship throughout the event. We sincerely thank Mr Rob Frawley from Batemans Bay Tennis Academy and Tennis NSW for their organisation and ongoing support, which ensured the day was both successful and enjoyable for everyone. Congratulations to Quinn A and Ryan T (Stage 2) and Sam W and Ollie B (Stage 3) who were chosen as St Mary’s top participants of the day. 

CECG Individual Sports Trials
CECG Cricket Trials – 2026 Pathway The CECG (Archdiocesan) Cricket Trials for 2026 will be held on Friday, 31st October 2025. These trials are open to boys and girls currently in Years 4–5 (please note, current Year 6 students are not eligible as this is the 2026 pathway). Students who currently play, or have previously played, competitive cricket are encouraged to register.

Successful students will then have the opportunity to attend the MacKillop Trials on 17th–18th November, ahead of the NSWPSSA Championships in February 2026.

Registrations are to be completed via the CSNSW Portal and will close on Friday, 24th October 2025.

Tennis and Basketball Trials - 2026 Pathway
The CECG (Archdiocesan) Tennis and Basketball Trials for 2026 will be held on Friday 21 November. These trials are open to boys and girls currently in Years 4–5 (please note, current Year 6 students are not eligible as this is the 2026 pathway). Students who currently play, or have previously played, competitive Tennis and Basketball are encouraged to register.

Registrations are open now on the CSNSW website.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to be in touch.

MacKillop Girls Rugby League Pathway Development Day

Event - MacKillop Girls - 10-12’s years Rugby League Pathway Development Day Date - Thursday 30 October 

Aim and overview of the day - 2026 will see the introduction of the girls standalone rugby league pathway and team selection for PSSA Sport. In preparation for this exciting new pathway, we are inviting primary catholic school students in Years 4 -6 to attend the MacKillop Girls Rugby League Development day to build skills, raise awareness and be prepared for this opportunity. Please see below the eligibility criteria for those best to attend. 

Eligibility - Students must meet all of the following 
Students must be turning 10, 11, 12 in 2025* 
Years: 4 - 6 

Encouraging students who currently play rugby league, league tag or those interested in becoming tackle-ready to attend the day. Students who demonstrate skills and ability of being ‘tackle ready’ on the day will have the opportunity to trial for the 2025 MacKillop exhibition team via a 9 a side round robin (students in Year 5 & 6 only). 

All other students will be engaged in a Rugby League development program, skills, tackle-ready session and league tag round robin in preparation for the 2026 pathway. 

All students when registering will be required to self-nominate into one of two key groups: 

Group 1: Rugby League experience* The student has had experience in training, playing in regular competition and is skilled and has some experience tackling as a rugby league player. 

Group 2: Rugby League development * The student has played touch, oztag, league tag and has foundational skills in footy but have not engaged in tackle rugby league and has not yet acquired tackle skills. 

Venue
Collegians Sports Centre - TBC
147 The Avenue, Figtree NSW 2525
Time - 8:30am - 3:00pm
Close DateThursday 23 October 2025
Cost - $40 

Further Representation
An exhibition MacKillop team will be selected from the Year 5 and 6 students able to compete in the tackle component of the Pathway Development Day. The selected team will be involved in a day development camp where they will play against the selected Polding representative team. 

Date - Tuesday 25 November 2025 

Venue
NSWRL Centre of Excellence
12 Dawn Fraser Ave
Sydney Olympic Park NSW 2127

For further information, please be in touch with me at school. This is an amazing opportunity for any of your girls interested in playing Rugby League.

Wishing you a wonderful week ahead.

Mrs Megan Grant
Sports Coordinator

Supporting Kids to Develop Boundaries

“…Only by self-respect will you compel others to respect you.” – Dostoyevsky

One of the most important, but often overlooked, relationship skills in our culture is developing boundaries. A boundary is a social or emotional red line that it is not appropriate for others to cross, much in the same way we have physical boundaries between rooms or residences.

Communicating a boundary to others requires two ingredients. The first is sufficient self-respect to know that we deserve to be treated with kindness and consideration by others. The second is the strength/courage to express (and follow through with) a request or consequence when the various colourful characters in the world do not treat us with the respect we deserve.

One way I like to introduce boundaries to kids is by asking them how a family feels if the neighbour’s dog gets into their backyard and does its doggy business there, and why mums/dads may feel the need to talk to the neighbours when such a line is crossed.

Consider all the ways that a child might have their boundaries crossed during a single week:

· Another child at home/school pinches, pushes or grabs them without consent.
· An intruder in their personal space bubble.
· Receiving unkind words or name-calling.
· Inappropriate requests from other children or adults.
· Other children or adults pressuring them to do something they don’t want to do.
· Dealing with the annoying human tendency to give advice which wasn’t asked for in the first place.

Is it any wonder that some kids end up dysregulated by the end of the week, exploding with big feelings like sadness, anger, or worry towards the end of the day?

For this simple reason, I believe that children fortunate enough to have developed healthy boundaries tend to have a lot less emotional problems.

An easy way to role model boundaries to children – other than developing and expressing good boundaries in your own daily life, which is so important – is to rehearse with them, and praise them whenever you hear them using, boundary setting sentences like the following:

“I’ll think about it.”
“You’re a little close to me. Could you please back up?”
“I’m not comfortable with that. Please stop.”
“That isn’t funny to me.”
“I will end this conversation if you keeping speaking to me that way.”
“I’m not looking for advice currently.”

Warmly,

Damian Gerber
Student & Family Counsellor