Dear Parents and Carers

I hope you have had an enjoyable week.

On Wednesday we had the privilege of commissioning our Year 6 leaders for 2025. As I listened to their pledge, I was reminded of how special it is to be part of the St Mary’s community. Our Year 6 leaders wholeheartedly embraced their leadership responsibilities, and I have no doubt they will lead our school with pride and courage. I have already witnessed our School Captains and House Captains demonstrating outstanding leadership at our recent Swimming Carnival, setting a wonderful example for their peers. I look forward to seeing them continue to grow as role models throughout the year.

A special congratulations to our Year 6 students who were elected last year to the Student Leadership Team for 2025 and to all our Year 6 students who have become leaders of our school.

Congratulations to our School Captains Tessa and Declan and to our House Captains

Cassidy: Ollie & Bella

Howard: Charnaya & Matilda

Eyre: Liam & Abbie

I have been very impressed by their enthusiasm and commitment to their roles and I look forward to supporting and watching as they grow in their leadership roles.

Last Saturday evening at Mass, the staff of St Mary’s were inducted for the new school year by Fr George. Together, we reaffirmed our commitment to nurturing all those in our care, so that we may grow in a deeper awareness of God’s presence and a greater understanding of His teachings. In doing so, we bring to life the vision of our school motto: In All Things May God Be Glorified. It is a privilege to lead such a beautiful school community, and I look forward to the year ahead.

Staff Professional Learning
Our learning journey continues…. Last Wednesday, we had a visit from an external coach, Dean Katsiris. Dean is a dedicated teacher at Mastery Schools Australia, where he leads both Explicit and Direct Instruction. Renowned for his expertise in mentoring and coaching, Dean supports new teachers and assistant teachers in mastering these instructional methods. He also leads the "Teach Like a Champion" training for staff at Mastery Schools Australia Varsity. Dean worked alongside staff with the aim to support teachers and leaders to improve their practice through practical professional learning. Dean led our Staff Meeting this week with a particular focus on engaging Daily Review Literacy Routines.

Mrs Ziegler, Mrs Brady and myself will be participating in Initialit Training next Monday and Tuesday and Mr Hill and Mrs Ziegler will be attending a Catalyst Onboarding Workshop in Canberra next week. All staff are committed to continuing to grow in their roles and providing evidence-based instructions. At St Mary’s all decisions are made in the best interest of our students. We are committed to maximising learning time and ensuring that our students’ needs are met both socially, emotionally, and academically.

Attendance at school
I would like to thank all parents and carers for making student attendance at school in 2025 your priority. Ensuring your child attends school every day is a legal responsibility for all parents and carers.

The school day starts at 8:50am and arriving at or before this time is essential to ensure your child starts every day to maximise their learning time. If your child is late by even as little as 5 minutes a day, this time accumulates over the course of the term to days and weeks of missed learning.

We understand that on rare occasions you might be late to school. If this is the case, please sign in using the Compass kiosk at the front office before sending your child to class.

Swimming Carnival
Last Thursday I saw many talented swimmers take part in our annual swimming carnival. The students show great team spirit, cheering for their houses and participating in a variety of events. It was wonderful to see every child have a swim! A special thank you to Mrs Grant for her preparation and organisation of the day. Also to our parents and staff who assisted us and supported us on the day. It was lovely to see the St Mary’s community come together after the holiday break. 

Carpark Safety/Bus Zone
For the safety of all our students, we kindly remind you that parking in the bus zone is not permitted at any time. This area must remain clear to ensure our school buses can safely pick up and drop off students without obstruction.

We understand that parking can be challenging during busy times, but we ask for your cooperation in using designated parking areas. Keeping the bus zone clear helps us maintain a smooth and safe arrival and dismissal process for everyone.

A reminder that the Staff carpark is for staff parking only. Please do not drop your child/ren off in the carpark in the mornings as this is not a safe area. Parents are asked to please park at the front of the school or in the Church carpark.

Thank you for your support in keeping our school safe.

Parent Education
CCSP invites all parents and carers to join us for our Term 1 free webinars. Please register using the links. We look forward to seeing you online!

SCHOOLSPEAK 101: Presented by Mary Ryan, Head of Professional Learning, CSNSW

Tuesday 25 February, 12.30pm – 1pm  CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

OR

Wednesday 26 February, 7.30pm – 8pm CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

I look forward to connecting with many families next Thursday at our welcome Barbeque and Disco starting at 5pm.

Blessings on the week ahead.

Kind regards

Jo

Mrs Johanna Wain
Principal