Dear Families,

This week, we kicked off our Book Week celebrations a little early with whole-school performances from Perform Education. The festivities will continue in full swing next week. See Ms Lycke’s article for more details on what’s planned.

Today, we gathered as a school at Parish Mass to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption, one of the few remaining Catholic holy days of obligation, honouring Mary, the mother of Jesus, being taken into heaven after her death.

Upcoming events

We have several exciting events coming up in the next month. Our long-awaited first Dad’s Night in years will be held on Friday 29 August. We will also celebrate Father’s Day with a liturgy and afternoon tea on Friday 5 September. Please keep an eye on your email for Operoo notes and respond promptly. Our annual Movie Night is also on the horizon. Details, including ticket purchasing information, will be in an upcoming article.

Planning is underway for our new ninja playground. I have begun consulting with playground specialists and expect to share draft designs next term. Installation is anticipated for early Term 1 next year. Stay tuned for updates and pics!

Some important reminders

Parking

I again ask for extra care when parking around the school. With construction in nearby streets, parking is limited, and unsafe behaviour has increased. For everyone’s safety, please:

• Park only in designated bays, avoiding the front of the school gates
  
  
• Avoid driving into and reversing out of driveways where possible. Consider driving the slightly longer, but safer way
  
  
• Ensure children exit the car on the footpath side, away from traffic
  
  

We’ve had several near misses recently, and the Council has been notified—they may patrol during peak times.

Uniform Policy

I’d like to remind families that our uniform policy requires black shoes or runners as part of the regular academic uniform. Coloured runners may only be worn on your child’s class sports days.

Setting these expectations early prepares our children for the higher standards they will face in secondary school, where consequences such as detentions are more common. Our alumni often confirm that the guidance we gave them in upper primary was spot on, noting how strict their secondary schools are about uniform. By consistently reinforcing correct uniform standards, we help students build self-discipline and foster a genuine pride in representing our school well.

Reporting Absences

Please note that all student absences must be reported via the Absence Form on our App or homepage. Accurate and timely recording of absences is essential, so please do not email or message your child’s teacher via Seesaw, as these messages may not be seen in time.

As a school, we are required to follow up on any unexplained absences. Each morning, Kristy and class teachers check the Absence Form and update the class rolls accordingly to ensure all absences are recorded correctly.

If you contact your child’s teacher after classes have begun, they will not be checking their inbox, and Kristy will have no record of the absence.

If you need help locating or using the Absence Form, please contact the office for assistance.

Staff news

Finally, our school community was saddened to learn of the passing of our long-time cleaner, David Bright, late last week after a protracted illness. His wife, Patty, also a member of staff, shared the news earlier this week. David’s funeral will be held late next week. We keep Patty and her family in our prayers.

Look after yourselves and one another,

Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage

Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage

Pre-Book Week Incursion: Thursday 14th August

Our students will enjoy a special live performance by Perform Education titled Treasure Hunt, inspired by this year’s CBCA Book Week shortlisted books.

P–2 performance: 9:30 am – 10:30 am
Grades 3–6 performance: 11:40 am – 12:40 pm 

Book Week 2025: Events for the Week

Monday, August 18: Read Aloud in the Library @ 8:45 am

Families with preschool-aged children are invited to a special storytime in the library after the bell.

Thursday, August 21: Dress-Up Day Parade

Our much-loved Book Week Dress-Up Parade will be held at 9:00 am on the netball court.
Students are encouraged to come dressed as their favourite book character.
Families are welcome to come along and watch the parade.
Prizes will be awarded for best costume in each year level - and even for best dressed teacher!

Other Student Activities

Throughout the week, students will take part in special lunchtime library activities and creative classroom rotations based on the 2025 CBCA Book Week Shortlisted Books. These fun, book-inspired lessons are designed to foster a love of reading and imagination.

We look forward to celebrating Book Week with our school community and encouraging our students to dive into the joy of reading!


Brenda Lycke
Literacy Leader
blycke@smaltona.catholic.edu.au

Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage

 ST MARY’S FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT

 Event Details

 Date: Thursday, September 11
 Time: 6:30 PM (movie starts promptly)
 Venue: The Sun Theatre, Ballarat Street, Yarraville VIC 3013
 Tickets: $20 per person
 Includes a mini combo (popcorn & drink) for kids
 Seating: General admission (no allocated seats)

 Important Notes
 Parents must purchase their own tickets
 Children must be supervised by a parent/guardian for the entire movie

 [BUY TICKETS NOW]
 The Bad Guys 2

Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage

What Is the Container Deposit Scheme?

The Victorian Government’s CDS Vic allows you to return eligible drink containers and receive a 10-cent refund for each one. These include most plastic, aluminium, and glass drink containers between 150mL and 1L in size.

Instead of keeping the refund, you can choose to donate it to our school, helping us fund valuable programs and resources.

How You Can Help?

There are two simple ways to support our school through the scheme:

Option 1: Donate Your Refund at Collection Points

• When you visit a CDS Vic return point, you’ll be asked if you want to donate your refund.
  
  
• Simply enter our donation code or search for our school name at the kiosk or on the app.
  
  
• All your refunds will be transferred directly to our school account!
  
  

Our donation code is: C2000063591

You can find your nearest return point at: https://cdsvic.org.au/locations 

Option 2: Send Eligible Containers to School

• We will be setting up a collection bin at school next to 3/4W so students and families can bring in eligible containers.
  
  
• Please make sure containers are:
  
  
• Empty and not crushed
  
  
• Have the 10c eligible label
  
  
• Not broken or overly dirty
  
  

We’ll return them in bulk, and the refunds will go straight to our school for our ‘Recycle and Grow’ fundraiser. All funds raised through container deposits will go directly towards keeping our outdoor environment thriving.

Why Get Involved?

• It’s an easy way to support the school without spending extra money.
  
  
• It teaches children about recycling and sustainability.
  
  
• Every 10c adds up – together, we can make a big difference!
  
  

Thank you for supporting our school and the environment. Let’s turn trash into treasure and make this initiative a big success!

Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage

The school came alive with splashes of purple, worn proudly by both staff and students to show their support for a community that stands together against bullying.

Our Wellbeing Leaders led a powerful and informative assembly, using a specially created presentation to promote this year’s key message: BE KIND, BE BOLD, SPEAK UP. Our leaders encouraged students to reflect on the importance of standing up for themselves and others, and to make kindness and courage a daily habit.

Since the start of the term, students have been learning and discussing in their classrooms how they can live out these values both at St. Mary’s and beyond. Their work, filled with thoughtful insights and creative responses, is now on display in our Library — we encourage families to come and take a look!

We’re proud of the way our community has embraced this important initiative and invite everyone to continue championing the message:
Bullying is never okay. Kindness and courage should always lead the way.

You can view the Wellbeing Leaders presentation by clicking here.

Parents and carers also have an important role to play in preventing and addressing bullying. If you’re concerned your child may be experiencing bullying online, here are 7 ways to support them:

1. Reassure them that you're here for them and that you won't take away their devices.
2. Listen without judgement when they open up.
3. Collect evidence of the bullying, like screenshots and URLs.
4. Help them report it to the platform or social media site. Read The eSafety Guide for advice on how to do this on specific platforms.
5. No response? Report it to eSafety.gov.au/report.
6. Update their privacy settings across devices and accounts.
7. Encourage and help them to reach out for support.

Regards
Marg Masseni
Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader

Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage

Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage

If your child is registered, please ensure their reading progress is being recorded in the online portal. Meeting the book targets is essential for successfully completing the challenge:

• Prep to Grade 2: Read at least 30 books

• Grade 3 to Grade 6: Read at least 15 books

All students who complete the challenge will receive an official certificate signed by the Premier of Victoria. In addition, students who read the most books in each age category (Junior, Middle, and Senior) will receive a special prize!

Let’s continue to encourage and support our students to achieve their reading goals and celebrate their love of books!

If you have any questions or need help with the online portal, please feel free to contact me at blycke@smaltona.catholic.edu.au 

Happy reading! 

Thanks 

Brenda lycke

Literacy Leader

Respect • Responsibility • Resilience • Courage