St Mary's eNews
Term 3 Week 2
Bullying - No Way!
Principal's Message: 1st August 2025
Dear Families,
Our school has been a hive of activity this week, with students involved in a wide variety of exciting and enriching experiences.
On Monday, Ms Lycke, our environmental leaders, and 5/6K took part in a tree planting initiative. We’re looking forward to watching these trees grow and become a lasting part of our already beautiful landscape.
Tuesday saw our Year 3–6 students showcasing their athletic talents at the track. Mr Hertz was particularly impressed by their determination and skill. Families will be notified shortly about which students have qualified for the District Athletics, taking place in a few weeks.
Wednesday was all about celebration for our Preps, who marked their 100 Days of Prep milestone with enthusiasm and creativity. A huge thank you to Lisa, Ronnie, and Cathy for making the day so memorable for our youngest learners.
Our senior students have also had a busy week of exploration and inspiration.
On Wednesday, they had the opportunity to visit the local council chambers as part of their inquiry unit, gaining valuable insight into how local government operates.
Our Year 6 Confirmation candidates had a visit from Bishop Martin Ashe, who met with them ahead of their Confirmation tomorrow morning. We extend our best wishes to all the candidates and keep them in our prayers as they take this important step in their faith journey. May the Holy Spirit continue to guide and inspire them throughout their lives.
Later in the day, students were treated to a visit from celebrated author Morris Gleitzman, an early Book Week delight! It was fantastic to see the buzz of excitement as students lined up to have their books signed and listened intently to his stories and insights.
2026
As we (gulp!) begin turning our attention to planning for 2026, we kindly ask that any families who know they will not be returning to St Mary’s next year notify the office as soon as possible. We currently have waiting lists for certain year levels and will soon begin considering class sizes and structures for next year.
Trivia Night
Finally, a big thank you to our wonderful Parents & Friends for organising another fantastic Trivia Night! Any doubts about encouraging themed outfits were quickly dismissed as guests arrived dressed to impress in their best 80s and 90s attire.
While I’m dining on a rather large slice of humble pie with the staff team finishing 7th, congratulations go to the School Advisory Council (and their partners and friends) for taking out first place. I was sure the staff table would dominate 80s and 90s trivia, given our average age, but I was spectacularly wrong!
We ultimately raised over $4,000 towards our exciting new Ninja course!
Child safety
When on school grounds with toddlers or preschool-aged children, whether before school or at the end of the day, please refrain from using the student bathrooms. These facilities are reserved exclusively for our students.
For the safety and privacy of all students, adults are not permitted to enter student bathroom areas under any circumstances.
If you or your child needs to use a restroom, please use the single bathroom located near the TRI Centre Library or the designated staff toilets.
We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in helping us maintain a safe environment for everyone.
Homework Policy
Our finalised Homework policy can be accessed here.
Thank you to our staff and School Advisory Council for their input.
Wishing you all a great weekend,
Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage
Community News
Williamstown Community and Education Centre
Church Bulletin
Emmanuel College
MSJ Colouring Competition-T o commemorate the Feast of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, we are running a colouring in competition with our community. Students from Prep/Foundation to Year 6 are invited to partake.
MSJ Application for Year 7 2027 - For those families wishing to enrol their daughter at Mount St. Joseph Girls' College in Year 7 in 2027, an online application form should be completed before the closing date of Friday 15th August 2025
Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage
Sacrament Dates 2025
Reconciliations on October, 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th, at 11:30 am and 3:30pm. Reconciliations have been booked with Fr Michael for Wednesdays in October, 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th, at 11:30am and 3:30pm.
Booking forms will be sent out via Operoo to the students registered as baptised Catholic.
Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage
Bullying No Way
Proudly supporting Bullying No Way: National Week of Action
This year St. Mary's will once again be participating in the Bullying No Way: National week of action, 11 to 15 August 2025.We will wear a SPLASH of PURPLE on Monday 11th August to get the ball rolling.
Bullying No Way Week is a commitment being made by thousands of schools and supporters across the country. It provides an opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to bullying prevention. It gives us an opportunity to connect with students, staff and school communities to implement workable solutions to prevent bullying.
The theme for this year's campaign is Be Bold. Be Kind. Speak Up.
It takes a community to be brave and address bullying behaviours, within and beyond the school gate.
Students can be bold, kind and speak up to support others being bullied. While trusted adults are there to support children and young people learn how to be kind to each other and report bullying.
This Bullying No Way Week, we’re asking you to be bold and say something, be kind and support someone and be proud to speak up against bullying.
During the week we will be engaging students in meaningful discussions and activities aimed at promoting empathy, understanding and respect for diversity. We encourage families to take this opportunity to have open and honest conversations with your child about the impact of bullying and what they can do if they need support.
For more information about Bullying No Way Week and bullying prevention, visit the Bullying No Way website.
Regards
Marg Masseni
Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader
Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage
Literacy: Book Week Dress Up - Save the Date
One activity will be a dress up day on Thursday 21 August. Students are encouraged to come to school dressed as their favourite book character. Homemade costumes are a cheaper, more sustainable option and highly recommended!
Take a look at some examples for inspiration.
Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage
Parent Workshop 2: Big Feelings, Brave Responses
We are excited to invite you to the second workshop in our Parent Workshop Series, taking place on Tuesday, August 5th, during Term 3 and titled “Big Feelings, Brave Responses”.
This session will begin with a brief recap of our first workshop, Understanding Anxiety in Children, before exploring the topics of Self Regulation and Strengthening Connections.
We are delighted to welcome back Elaine O’Connor, Occupational Therapist, who will guide us through practical, evidence-based strategies that parents can use to support their children during challenging times.
Parents who attended our previous session found it highly valuable, and we’re pleased to continue deepening our understanding of this important topic with Elaine’s expert guidance.
The presentation will once again be FREE for St. Mary’s parents and child minding will be offered for St. Mary’s students.
Details:
Parent Workshop: Big Feelings, Brave Responses
Date: Tuesday 5th August
Time: 6:30 - 8pm
Location: Upstairs in the TRI Centre
Remember to register your interest via the Operoo note sent out this week or email me directly, noting how many adults will attend and whether you require child minding services.
We look forward to seeing you there.
Warm Regards
Marg Masseni
Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader
We’re Now on Instagram!
From classroom activities and student highlights to upcoming events and special celebrations, our Instagram page will give families and friends a visual insight into life at St Mary’s. It’s a great way to stay connected and celebrate what makes our school so special.
Our Instagram page is linked to our existing Facebook page, making it even easier to stay updated across platforms. We invite all parents, carers, and community members to follow us, like our posts, and share in the St Mary’s journey.
Follow us today!
Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage
Embracing Inclusivity Through Auslan
At St Mary’s, we believe that prayer should be a language of the heart — and one that is accessible to all. That’s why we’re excited to share our journey toward learning Auslan (Australian Sign Language), prayers beginning with the Lord’s Prayer.
Learning how to sign prayers in Auslan is more than just learning signs — it’s about fostering empathy, inclusion, and connection within our school and wider community. By teaching our students to sign the Lord’s Prayer, we are:
- Creating a welcoming environment for Deaf and hard-of-hearing members of our faith community,
- Encouraging awareness and respect for different forms of communication
- Deepening our spiritual lives by expressing prayer in a new and meaningful way
- Engaging students in hands-on, expressive learning that reflects Gospel values of love and inclusion.
This term, every class at St Mary’s is working hard to learn how to sign the Lord’s Prayer in Auslan. From our youngest learners to our senior students, we are embracing this beautiful language as a way to bring our prayers to life — with our hands, our hearts, and our faith.
Click on this link for a short video of the Lord’s Prayer performed in Auslan, so as to include our wider community to join us in learning and practicing this beautiful prayer at home.
Stay tuned for upcoming opportunities to see our students share their Auslan prayers with the wider school community!
Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage
Parent webinar on AI and online safety
Catholic Network Australia (CNA) and Cyber Safety Project are hosting a free ‘AI & the Digital Generation’ webinar for parents and carers of primary and secondary school students on Monday 11 August 2025 from 7.30 to 8.00 pm.
Register at bit.ly/AICSP25. The webinar offers essential insights into topics including:
− generative artificial intelligence (AI) and AI companion apps
− deepfakes and online misinformation
− AI safety at home
− legal and ethical considerations of AI use.
•The webinar will help parents and carers:
− understand the online tools and technologies their children are using
− build confidence in discussing AI, deepfakes and digital truth with their children
− learn practical strategies to encourage safe and ethical online behaviour.