Newsletter Term 4, Week 10 2023
Friday December 15 - Students Finish Term 4 at 1pm
Dear Parents and Carers,
Welcome everyone to the last newsletter for the 2023 year. Please take careful note of the many calendar items especially the change to the start of the year.
I wish to take this opportunity to thank everyone for the warm welcome and trust instilled in me as I navigated my first year as Principal of the unique and bespoke St. Margaret Mary’s Catholic Primary School. It truly is a gem and it is, to quote the movie the Castle, - “the vibe.” Friendships; old and new, prayer, optimism, hope, connection, inclusion. I am grateful for our lived values of compassion, respect, integrity and excellence.
The season of Advent and Christmas
As we light the Advent wreath candles, Christians reflect on the presence of God, the bearer of love, hope, joy, and peace to the world. All people seek the radiance of joy, hope, love and peace. For Christians, the awareness of God's companionship is central to our Advent preparations as we embark on a new liturgical year. Let us also recall Jesus, who is the light of the World, (Reference: Jn 9:5, 8:12) which is evident in our own traditions, alongside the brilliance radiating from our homes, Christmas trees, and streets during this season.
Student Leaders 2024
We had seven children show brave leadership by nominating for the role of SMM school captain. All children spoke well, the speeches were engaging and persuasive. The students and teachers found it hard to choose. Our 2024 SMM school captains are: Callum S and Pia T. We congratulate them and bless them with a strong sense of justice, fairness, tolerance and inclusion as they lead by example as our school captains. The full list of 2024 SMM School leaders can be found in the table below
We have great staffing news! SMM has been successful in engaging the expert teaching and learning skills of Lucy Kett whose professional profile is stated below. Lucy will be joining us in 2024 to enhance our existing highly skilled staff in the teaching and learning of Mathematics from F - 6. Lucy is joining us after building her expertise at MACS and will bring with her the skills and insight that come from leading positive change in teacher practice. We look forward to her arrival and enhanced student learning outcomes. Welcome, Lucy!
Foundation excursion to science works has seen the children come back with lots to talk about, wonder and investigate. It’s been a great term of creative experiences and learning with our design and innovation focus.
Step up day was a huge success. We welcomed five new students across different year levels and three new classroom teachers. There is a buzz around the school and great expectations for 2024 being another dynamic year at SMM.
We extend our gratitude to those who have promptly settled their 2023 school fees. Unfortunately, $46,000 in unpaid fees from 2022 combined with this year’s outstanding fees –totals $75,000 of outstanding monies. In response to this financial challenge, unfortunately, we are implementing cost-cutting measures, including the reduction of office administrators from two to one starting in 2024. This means we are looking to automate and streamline some administrative tasks, by partnering with reputable companies where we can.
It is essential that any families with outstanding school fees please make prompt payment. The office is open until 1 pm this Friday 15th December, to assist you with this payment. You are also encouraged to contact me through principal@smmspotswood.catholic.edu.au should you wish to discuss.
As previously communicated through email, Operoo and newsletter, we've partnered with Edstart to simplify fee payments, offering flexible options tailored to your family's needs.
This collaboration is a response to cost-cutting measures and, crucially, feedback from parents, carers, and office staff, seeking a supportive agile service. If you have yet to receive an email from Edstart, please check your spam folder or contact the office.
A further administrative streamlining initiative is our collaboration with Enquiry Tracker. Enquiry Tracker will streamline our enrolment processes, visible on our website from next year. We are continuing to receive many enrolment applications and have waiting lists for junior rooms.
Despite significant cost increases for the running of the school, our approved 2024 school fees, endorsed through MACS after meticulous budgeting, aim to minimise impact on families.
An example of this is that buses and insurance have increased by 30 percent but our senior sport levy has only risen by $10.00. The building levy set at $400, is essential for meeting principal-only loan repayments and addressing critical building failure and restoration needs beginning in 2024.
It is important to remember our present school community benefits from the investment of past members and it is essential that the school facilities remain operational and compliant.
Your continued support is invaluable as we navigate these changes. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or require further clarification or support.
The year 6 Graduation mass and graduation dinner was a special event. You could feel spirit of connection and gratitude as we prayed, gave thanks for the children’s primary school years and looked to the future with optimism. Year 6 enjoyed their “Big day out” at Zone Bowling Braybrook. This year’s events included a game of bowling and two laser tag battles followed by lunch. They had a ball! Pardon the pun!
Families, staff and students gathered for a prayerful, end-of-year mass. The lively Billy Tea bush dance added a delightful touch of fun, and the family picnic strengthened connections, creating a memorable and close-knit experience for everyone involved. The juniors blessed us with their heavenly singing of Christmas Carols. Thank you to everyone for joining us to finish off the year on such a successful night.
I give thanks for my role of service to this wonderful community and I look forward to continuing to learn, grow and thrive alongside each one of you throughout 2024. Every blessing of this holy and joyous season of Advent and Christmas to everyone.
Take care,
Slip. Slop. Slap and
Please drive carefully!
See you all in the New Year!
Colleen McCambridge
Principal
Farewell Miss Laurie
With a mix of emotions, we bid farewell to Simone Laurie, a valued member of our St. Margaret Mary's community. Since 2011, Simone has played diverse roles, serving as a teacher and leader in various capacities, including Mathematics, Literacy, Wellbeing, and Deputy Principal.
During her time here, Simone made significant contributions, notably in the development of our enduring school rules and behavior management plans. Her impact extends beyond the classroom, as she actively participated in the FSG fundraising group, driving initiatives like the successful landscaping and playground projects.
Over the course of 13 years, Simone's versatility shone through as she worked across different classes and year levels, gaining a profound understanding of our small community. We watched with joy as she became a mother of two boys Billy and Ned and her warmth and compassion towards others were evident in every interaction, creating a nurturing environment that will be cherished in our memories.
While we bid her farewell from St. Margaret Mary's, we're pleased to announce that Simone will continue her journey as Deputy Principal at St. Francis of Assisi in Tarneit, remaining a positive influence in the West.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude for Simone's dedication and wish her continued success in her new role.
Important Information regarding fee payments in 2024
St Margaret Mary’s is always on the lookout to improve services for our families. We recognise that for many of our families, school fees can represent a significant portion of your family budget and many of our families would welcome greater flexibility around the management of these payments.
We are therefore pleased to announce that St Margaret Mary‘s has partnered with a specialist provider, Edstart, to make managing your school fee payments easier.
Edstart offers an easy, flexible and zero-cost way for you to pay your St Margaret Mary’s school fees in periodic instalments that suit your family budget, with no credit checks.
This new payment method will allow you to spread your fees into weekly, fortnightly or monthly payments over 12 months, with the ability to choose your preferred day for when payments are made.
Families will also have the ability to pay annually or termly through Edstart, also at no cost to you.
With your child’s outcomes at the heart of what we do, parent fees are crucial to St Margaret Mary’s sustainability. While we put our resources into striving to deliver the very best in learning, teaching, pastoral care and formation for our students, Edstart are here to assist as the experts in their field and are best placed to assist our families moving forward.
From Term 1 2024, we are pleased to share that all school fee payments will be made via Edstart. Our admin. staff are available to assist you with joining this payment portal.
Please check your inboxes from today as Edstart will be contacting all of our families via email with details and a link to set up your account.
If you have any questions or require assistance please do not hesitate to contact Edstart directly on 1300 139 445 or contact@edstart.com.au
We are also here to support you to set up your Edstart account if you can pop in to the office or phone or email.
Colleen McCambridge
Principal
Follow our socials for the latest learning posts from the classroom
St Margaret Mary’s students are independent life-long learners inspired by Gospel values and empowered with a sense of purpose and responsibility. They confidently engage with others and are equipped with skills to adapt to an ever changing world.
Each week, students who embody our values, apply the school mindsets to learning, work hard to improve or persevere to deliver on learning objectives are awarded a class award. The students who earned an award in the past weeks are:
Week 8
Week 9
Juniors Narrative Writing
Our Junior classes have been hard at work drafting, revising, editing and finally publishing their very own picture storybooks. Well done!
Congratulations Student Leaders of 2024
We say congratulations to our new school captains and leaders for 2024. We look forward to working with them and achieving great things for our school in 2024.
We take this opportunity to thank our ourgoing captains and leaders. Serena and Nick have been fantastic school captains in 2023 and they will be missed. We wish them success in the future.
P-2 Scienceworks Excursion
What a fun way to wrap up the year and our technology unit of study. The Preps and Juniors had an amazing time at Scienceworks, although the walk was a bit too long from some reports.
Bush Dance
C is for celebrating Milestones and Achievements!
As the school year closes, it's a great chance to reflect on & review some of the many student well-being achievements that have shaped our school community in 2023. At SMM we value student wellbeing as integral to learning success. Research shows a positive correlation between student well-being & academic success. When students feel emotionally secure, engaged & supported, they are more likely to thrive academically. Here are some of the ways wellbeing has been enacted in Term 4 at SMM in 2023.
Step Up Day
Our students in Grades Prep to Year 5 continued their process of transition & preparation for 2024 by engaging in “Step Up Day”. This annual event contributes to a smooth & positive transition in the following ways:
Familiarization with New Environment: Step Up Day allows students to explore their new classrooms, meet their teachers & allows our new students for 2024 to become acquainted with their peers & the school. This familiarity reduces anxiety & helps students feel more comfortable on the first official day of the new academic year.
Building Relationships: Meeting their new classmates & teachers early on facilitates the building of positive relationships. Establishing connections in advance helps create a supportive & inclusive classroom environment from the beginning.
Understanding Expectations: “Step Up Day” provides an opportunity for students to gain initial insights into the expectations & routines of their new class. This understanding promotes a sense of readiness & confidence, minimizing potential first-day jitters.
Transition Support: For some students, moving to a new class can be a significant transition. “Step Up Day” allows teachers to identify any concerns or specific needs early on, enabling them to provide targeted support.
Wellbeing Means Acknowledging & Celebrating Milestones
Goodbye to our Year 6 class of 2023
The transition from primary school to secondary school is a significant step in education & personal growth. Students need to draw on their wellbeing skills to navigate the tide of emotions that leaving a familiar environment of 7 years can bring. We celebrate this important milestone with a Graduation mass followed by Year 6s engaging in a social celebration organized by parents. Towards the end of Term 4, students engage in opportunities to have fun together, e.g. a “big day out”, engage in a special school assembly attended by our local politicians & reminisce & reflect on their achievements & time at SMM. We encourage them to carry the SMM school values of respect, integrity, compassion & excellence & the SMM learning mindsets (curiosity, collaboration, courage, resilience, persistence & independence) to help them thrive & flourish in the next stage of their learning journey. We look forward to them coming back to visit us (& for all those thinking about a teaching career, we may see you returning for a work experience opportunity in Year 10!)
Handover-Supporting your child from 2023 to 2024
Smooth handovers ensure the continuity of students' learning experiences & are part of a high quality transition process that we use at SMM. Staff have begun the handover process which will continue into Term 1, 2024 as students & staff build positive relationships & get to know each other. Teachers are informed of students’ interests, strengths & challenges & other significant information that may have an impact on their learning. Teachers will engage in ‘meet & greets’ with parents in Term 1, 2024. This provides teachers with a more rounded perspective of the students entrusted to them for the year & gives parents & teachers the chance to begin to build a positive relationship.
Year 5 stepping up as new school leaders.
Our Year 5 students are given the opportunity to put personal and social capability skills & our school values into action by applying for Year. 6 leadership roles. Interested students prepared & delivered their speeches to members of our school community last week. Students undertook this as a focus for their Social Emotional Lessons (SEL) in Term 4. They have explored the qualities of a good leader & how leadership skills can be demonstrated in their day to day interactions with others. The outcome will be announced at a special assembly this week,
Buddies-A Rite of Passage
Year 4 & 5 students have been partnered with a 2024 prep buddy to ‘take under their wing’. The students were introduced to each other at the last prep orientation session & the Year 4 & 5 students were so excited & did SMM proud by doing a fantastic job of welcoming, inducting, settling & reassuring the youngest members joining our school community in 2024. The buddy program is a wellbeing initiative designed to promote a positive & supportive school environment. Buddies provide a familiar face & a source of support for new prep students, making their transition from home to school smoother. This helps alleviate feelings of anxiety & promotes a sense of security. A buddy program promotes a sense of belonging, inspires confidence, provides opportunities for role modelling through leadership & responsibility, , develops friendship building across grade levels & provides emotional support. Above all, a buddy program contributes to a positive school culture where students of all ages feel valued & connected. Stay tuned for more buddy news in 2024!
Thank you & Goodbye Ellie!
SMM engages a provisional counsellor one day per week. Ellie has worked closely with Kath to further support the wellbeing of our students. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our provisional counsellor, Ellie, for the outstanding support & care she has provided to some of our students this year. Ellie's dedication & her empathic approach has meant she has created a safe space for our students to express their thoughts & feelings, helped them to navigate challenges & build coping strategies. Ellie's commitment to fostering positive mental health & emotional resilience has not only benefited individual students but has also contributed to the overall well-being of our SMM community. Ellie has collaborated with staff, parents, outside agencies & students to identify & implement tailored strategies that support each child's unique needs. We appreciate her professionalism, compassion & the positive impact she has made in the lives of our students. Thanks so much Ellie! We will miss you!
Welcome to Anabelle!
We look forward to welcoming Anabelle Welch to SMM in who will replace Ellie as our provisional counsellor for 2024. Anabelle will visit our school next week to meet staff & students.
Looking Toward 2024
In 2024 SMM will also be engaging in the Mental Health in Schools Program which will further build our school’s capacity to enhance student’s mental health. Stay tuned!
Reflecting on Student Wellbeing in 2023
Student Wellbeing continues to be high on SMM’s priority list. Our dedicated staff have continued to place a strong emphasis on Social & Emotional Learning (SEL), recognizing its positive impact on student wellbeing. Through planned & targeted classroom tasks, students are continuing their personal journeys to develop their wellbeing strategies & skills. Often, behind the scenes, the student wellbeing role is a crucial support for teachers, students & their families. Each wellbeing accomplishment, big or small, seen or unseen, has contributed to the wellbeing fabric of our school. When students, teachers & parents prioritize well-being, a safe, respectful, supportive environment emerges, fostering a sense of belonging & shared responsibility for the educational journey.
We look forward to 2024 as we continue to work in partnership with you, as the first educators of your children, to empower our students to become confident, compassionate & capable individuals, equipped with the wellbeing skills & strategies to face the challenges & opportunities that life inevitably brings.
Wishing you all a safe, joyful & restful holiday season!
Kath (Student Wellbeing Leader)
Advent Liturgies
Well done to our Preps and year 3-6 students for performing the our 2nd, 3rd and 4th advent liturgies.
Dates when Choir will sing at mass
St Margaret Mary's: Saturday 16/12
Calling All Kind Hearts! Join Our Ministry of Welcome!
Feedback from our community consultations indicated a need to ensure that all people coming to Mass feel welcome.
We are seeking compassionate volunteers to join our Welcoming Ministry! Be a beacon of warmth and love, ensuring every parishioner feels embraced in our faith community.
Please consider joining this important team - your role could include coming to Mass 15 minutes earlier and greeting people as they arrive. You might be able to assist every week, or less frequently.
If you are interested in becoming a part of our Ministry of Welcome please speak to us or contact us at the presbytery, or via StJosephVicPPC@gmail.com. Your presence matters!
Final Wrap Up
A very big thank you to our FSG for all your efforts this year. We have raised just over thirteen thousand dollars which will go towards installing our new projector and sound system in the hall. We hope to have this completed over the summer so get ready for a big surprise at our next assembly!
We congratulate Lachlan M on his BIG win of 10kg of Cadbury chocolate. You might have a few extra friends visiting you this summer Lachlan!
Once again, we say thank you to all the families who help out and support our fundraising initiatives. It is a team effort and a testament to our community spirit.
School Fees Information
Essential Components:
School fees, levies, strong staff recruitment, and a positive community learning culture are essential elements.
The new enterprise agreement, particularly regarding staff being given time in Lieu, has added costs to school camps
Significant rise in costs in teaching and learning materials, staffing and utilities
Buses, insurance for example has risen by 30 percent
Infrastructure Concerns:
Former principal Andrea, has long highlighted the critical subsidence of the north wall of our administration building. This time critical project, along with some classroom refurbishment, will begin early 2024.
Financial Success:
SMM successfully secured a Supplementary Grant of $480,000 from MACS which will be paid for 10 years, $48.000 per year, to support our repayment of the loan required for Master plan stage 1.
This support was secured after a robust formal submission and persistent contact with key members of the MACS team
This information aims to give parents and carers an understanding of our commitment to minimising school fees, levies, especially the building levy, and how these amounts are decided and will be used.
Movies by the Bay
Enjoy screenings of recently released films at pop-up cinemas under the stars. Bring a picnic rug and grab a bite to eat from local eateries, then settle in for a night of fun-filled entertainment.
Come down from 6pm to find your spot on the grass, enjoy interactive performances from local entertainers, and drop into the Hoop Sparx circus play space. Films start rolling from dusk, around 8.40pm.
Beginning of Year Testing
In 2024, St. Margaret Mary’s will be spending two days building connections and familiarising ourselves with your child. These meetings are invaluable, fostering positive relationships while also allowing us to assess your child's skills and needs. We aim to provide them with the best possible start for the year going forward. Please note this is not a full school day, students are not required to wear school uniform, and students are only required to attend school for the duration of their assessment.
Our beginning of year testing days are scheduled for the following dates;
Tuesday 30 January 2024 8.30 am-3.30 pm
Wednesday 31 January 2024 8.30 am-3.30 pm
Please note, there will be no school on these dates. Students will return to school on Thursday the 1st of February, 2024.
To make a booking, please click this link: https://www.schoolinterviews.com.au/code/rud4n
Chromebooks in 2024
Thank you to our current year 2 families that have ordered their Chromebooks for next year. Chromebooks are now available at the front office for collection this week. If you would still like to place an order for delivery next year, click the link below.
Orders can be placed here.
Grandparents Play Group
Do you provide care for a little person under 5 years?
Are you looking for a fun way to spend time together?
Would you like to connect with other grandparents?
Then join us at our Grandparent Playgroup!
Runs each Monday from 9.30am – 11.30am during school terms at
Newport Baptist Church (26 Mason St, Newport).
This playgroup will be activated by Council who will support the group to
run independently with a community member volunteer.
For more information and to register, contact the Playgroup Team
at Hobsons Bay City Council:
Phone: 1300 179 944
Hobsons Bay Big Summer Read
Summer Sounds
From jazzy hip hop to big band beats – this is your soundtrack to summer in Hobsons Bay.
Featuring a fantastic line-up of artists and bands, set a date with family and friends to make the most of our parks and gardens throughout the warmer months.
Emmanuel College News
As we enter the final week of school for students at the College, we congratulate everyone on a wonderful year, achieving their best both personally and academically.
We are really excited for those students that are heading off to join the workforce, commence an apprenticeship, or continue their studies at TAFE or University and look forward to welcoming everyone again at Alumni events in the future.
The College is grateful for the strong relationships that exist with both our current and future families as well as the primary schools with whom we work.
We would like to wish everyone safe and enjoyable festive season and look forward to seeing you at events in 2024.
Kind Regards
Jenny Hendricks
Community Engagement
MSJ News
Mount St. Joseph Girls’ College Altona was established by the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart and the first 65 students walked through the gates on 4 February 1964.
In 2024, Mount St. Joseph Girls' College celebrates their 60th anniversary, Alumnae and families with connections to MSJ are invited to join in the celebrations.
Tickets are now available for “MSJ Celebrates 60 years" on Sunday 18 February. To RSVP, scan the QR code or visit Trybooking HERE.
