Dear Parents and Carers

Welcome back to Term 3. I hope you have had an enjoyable and relaxing holiday, and the students are now ready for another busy term. It’s wonderful to begin a new term together, and I’m looking forward to the learning, growth, and connection the weeks ahead will bring.

We warmly welcome Fr Josh, our new Parish Priest at Sacred Heart. It is great to have him join us at the beginning of Term 3, and we look forward to walking alongside him as we grow together in faith.

In his homily on Saturday evening, Fr Josh spoke about the importance of prayer and service—encouraging us to reflect on how we can live our lives in prayerful action. His message reminds us that we are all called to serve one another with love and compassion, especially within our school community.

As we begin this new term, please know that our door is always open. Whether you have a question, a concern, or just want to connect, you are warmly welcome to come in and have a chat. We understand that children sometimes come home with big feelings, whether it’s something that went really well or something that’s worrying them. Please don’t hesitate to speak with your child’s teacher or with me. We value open communication and strong partnerships with our families, and we are here to support you every step of the way.

FIRST EUCHARIST
First Eucharist will be celebrated this term with our Year 4 students. Please keep them in your prayers as they prepare for this significant step in their Sacramental journey. The Sacrament will be celebrated on Saturday 13 September at 5.00pm. All families are invited to join us at this special celebration. The Enrolment Evening for Parents will take place Week 2 Thursday 31 July.

NAIDOC WEEK
St Mary’s is proud to celebrate NAIDOC Week in Week 2 of Term 3. A big thank you to Mr Nolan, who has been working hard to organise meaningful cultural activities for each grade.

Yesterday, our K–6 Aboriginal students, along with our Year 6 leaders, attended the NAIDOC Mass at St Patrick’s Church in Bega. It was a special opportunity to come together in faith and community to honour Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture.

I am pleased to congratulate the following students who have been recognised with a 2025 NAIDOC Award at the NAIDOC Mass:

• Amelia Gillis: Academic Award
• Arthur Mcleod-Ferry: Arts Award
• Jake Ferry: Culture and Identity Award
• Theodore James: Deadly Encouragement Award

Each of these students has shown outstanding commitment and excellence, and we are incredibly proud of their achievements.

Congratulations also to Mr Riley Nolan, who was recognised for his leadership in Aboriginal Education. I’m sure you’ll agree that Mr Nolan is doing an exceptional job in teaching our students about Aboriginal culture, traditions, and history. His dedication and passion are appreciated and continue to enrich our school community.

The 2025 NAIDOC theme, “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy,” marks a powerful milestone, 50 years of honouring and elevating Indigenous voices, culture, and resilience. This theme celebrates not only the achievements of the past, but also the strength of our young leaders, the vision of our communities, and the enduring legacy of our ancestors.

As part of our NAIDOC Week events, Mr Nolan and Mrs Brady coordinated the Yuin Bunaan on Wednesday in collaboration with Carroll College and St Bernard’s. The Yuin Bunaan is a cultural celebration for our South Coast Catholic schools. Students, families, and staff from St Bernard’s Batehaven, Carroll College Broulee, and St Mary’s Moruya came together for a vibrant day of cultural connection and learning. We were delighted to welcome our Aboriginal families to this event, which included a range of traditional activities, such as a cultural cook-out.

It has been great to see our students engaging with and honouring the rich traditions, stories, and contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

CLASSROOM LEARNING TIME
At St Mary’s we always strive to focus directly on creating a high performing culture enabling the students in our care to reach their academic potential. As a staff we have professional conversations focused on teaching and learning, classroom management, student wellbeing, timetabling and class sizes. Educational research has confirmed that it is the teacher who has the greatest influence on improving student learning outcomes. The morning block is prime time learning for students in Literacy and Numeracy. Parents can assist in this matter too. Students need to arrive at school by the morning bell at 8:50am to ensure that they do not miss any element of their first lesson of the day.

On Monday, our staff took part in professional learning focused on improving the way we assess and support students in reading. Next year, we are introducing a new assessment platform called mCLASS, which includes DIBELS 8th Edition—a trusted literacy assessment based on the Science of Reading.

mCLASS with DIBELS is used across all Catholic schools in the Canberra Goulburn Archdiocese from Kindergarten to Year 6. It helps teachers gain a clear picture of each child’s reading development and identify where students are thriving and where they may need extra support. DIBELS also acts as a screener for dyslexia and tracks student progress over time.

This assessment supports our ongoing work with Catalyst and helps us answer the important question: “How do we know how each child is progressing?” The insights it provides allow us to make informed decisions about teaching and support, ensuring we meet the needs of every learner.

Students may complete assessments using iPads or through one-on-one conversations with their teacher. The process is designed to be quick, supportive, and engaging for students.

This work is all part of our commitment to achieving Bold Goal 1: “Every student is a competent reader.” We’re excited about the positive impact mCLASS and DIBELS will have in supporting your child’s literacy journey. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to speak with your child’s teacher.

SOUTHERN REGION PUBLIC SPEAKING COMPETITION
Congratulations to our finalists who will compete in the annual Southern Region Public Speaking Competition. Stage 2 students will compete via a video link up on Wednesday 6 August and the Stage 3 competition will be held on Friday 8 August. We wish you all the very best of luck!

Year 3 Finalists: Olivia L and Quinn A
Year 4 Finalists: Hattie W and Maisie B
Year 5 Finalists:  Thomas D and Fergus   
Year 6 Finalists: Tessa H and Matilda W

Please don’t hesitate to come and see me if you have any questions or concerns, my door is always open. I am looking forward to catching up with families throughout the term.

Blessings on your family this week.

Warm regards
Jo

Johanna Wain
Principal