Newsletter Term 4, Week 11 2024
Wednesday 18 December- Last Day of Term 4- 1pm finish
Dear SMM Families,
Welcome to our final newsletter for 2024! I recommend you grab a seat – there’s a bit of news to take in.
As we enter the beautiful season of Advent, we take time to reflect on its significance. Each week, we light a candle on the Advent wreath:
Hope: A reminder of Christ’s promise to bring hope to our world.
Peace: Encouraging us to be peacemakers in our homes and communities.
Joy: The deep joy of knowing God is with us.
Love: The foundation of our faith and relationships, as Jesus taught us.
May this Advent season fill your hearts with these blessings as we prepare for Christmas.
Leadership and Gratitude
This year has been one of growth and resilience for our school community. In the face of an a both challenging and blessed, positive year, I’d like to take a moment to recognise the outstanding leadership of Simon Devlin and Paul Smith, who have guided us with unwavering dedication. Simon’s compassion and faith have been a shining example of our Catholic values, as is Paul’s alongside his commitment to inclusive learning and teaching. Together with our staff and leadership team, this dynamic duo has enriched our school and achieved much.
I am therefore thrilled to announce a new leadership structure for 2025. Simon Devlin will continue as Deputy Principal, Community and Faith Leader, and Paul Smith will step into the role of Deputy Principal, Director of Inclusive Learning and Teaching. It’s a privilege to work alongside such passionate leaders as we strive to make St. Margaret Mary’s the best it can be.
Here’s our updated leadership team for 2025:
Principal: Colleen McCambridge
Deputy Principals: Simon Devlin and Paul Smith
Maths Leader: Anne Ablinger
Wellbeing Leader: Kath Novak
English Leader: Lucy McCarthy
More staffing details outlined below.
Celebrating Our Community
This year, we’ve been blessed by the generosity of our families and alumni. A heartfelt thank-you to a past student who anonymously donated $2,500 to support families in need—your kindness embodies the spirit of our school and has provided fee relief for a school family.
I’d also like to express my gratitude to everyone who has embraced the Edstart payment portal, helping us reduce unpaid school fees by approximately $80,000 for the same time last year. Your commitment ensures we can continue providing excellent resources and facilities for our students.
Speaking of facilities, our refurbished administration building is now complete! Thank you for your patience and support during this process. This first stage of our master plan means we now have stable walls and an inclusively accessible Administration area, just to name two benefits! Thank you to one and all for your support of this project. Feel free to pop in to visit and please excuse the moving mess!
As we come to the end of this year, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the invaluable support of our School Advisory Council members. Kelley Revellman and Andrew Bryson have been incredible all year, serving as a positive conduit between the parent community and SMM leadership. Their dedication has been especially evident during the challenges surrounding the midyear accident and the passing of Paul. Our two new members, Victoria Airlie and Charlotte Frith, joined the council Term 4, are approachable and insightful members of SMM SAC. Their contributions are already making a positive impact, and we’re excited to have them on board for 2025.
Our FSG have had a dynamic and successful year raising approximately $22 thousand dollars which has meant we have been able to by a class set of 20 ipads, enhance our garden, buy children’s decodable books for junior classes and class sets of novels for middle / senior students. We have also maintained our savings that are set aside for the projector and screen to be installed in the school hall. The FSG most importantly has provided welcoming, dynamic and fun opportunities for all families to participate in the life of our school. Thank you to one and all.
Welcome and Congratulations to our 2025 School Captains.
As we prepare for 2025, we also congratulate our new school captains, Swarn and Sophie. These wonderful students have shown strong leadership qualities, and we’re confident they’ll inspire their peers in the year ahead.
Mass and Carols night
What a vibrant, positive way to conclude our 70th year as a Catholic Primary school. It was so very special to see so many parents and children attend mass before the carols evening. We were blessed with the perfect Melbourne afternoon and the children showcased their talents and love of music! Congratulations to the 5 / 6 children along with Mr Tasca for their signing of the moving song, “What a wonderful world.”
Step up day and important information about Week 1 2025.
This morning the children met their 2025 classroom teacher in their new year level classroom. All children and teachers enjoyed sharing snippets about themselves and how they like to learn.
A reminder for Parents that: Wednesday 29th, Thursday 30th and Friday 31st of January, 2025, (Week 1) will be for the facilitation of half hour appointments for each child and parent / guardian on one of these days. The half hour will be split up into a 10-minute family, child - teacher chat and the remaining 20 minutes for teacher 1:1 assessment of your child in literacy / numeracy.
Grade 1 to 6 families, please click here to book a time for you to meet the 2025 teacher with your child. Foundation families, please click here. You will be asked to share your aspirations and insights into your child’s learning, disposition, talents and challenges. The purpose of this first three-way chat is to assist each teacher and family to build a positive and insightful relationship so that every child is set up for success provided by the benefits of positive home – school relationships.
Camp Australia Start of Term 1, 2025 care options.
Thank you to everyone who responded to the survey to gauge interest in Camp Australia adding middle of the day care during our meet and greet days January 29th, 30th and 31st 2025. After SMM shared these responses, Camp Australia have confirmed with me that they will be able to provide their services on these three days. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL PARENTS / CARERS NEED TO BE AVAILABLE TO MEET WITH YOUR CHILD’S 2025 TEACHER ON ONE OF THESE DAYS.
Looking Ahead
In 2025, we’ll have eight classes, which will include: straight Foundation to Year 2 and composite Year 3/4 and 5/6 groups. This is an exciting step forward for our growing community as we continue to provide personalised learning for all our students. We are delighted to welcome Ciara M. as a Learning Support Officer in 2025. Ciara will be a fantastic addition to our team.
Finally, thank you to everyone who has contributed to making 2024 a wonderful year. Whether volunteering, supporting our events, or simply sharing kind words, you make St. Margaret Mary’s the special place it is.
Wishing you all a joyful and peaceful Christmas, filled with hope, love, and time spent with loved ones. I look forward to seeing you in 2025 as we begin another exciting chapter together.
Take care,
Colleen McCambridge
Principal
St Margaret Mary's Primary School
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 9
Week 10
2024 Wrap Up
Grade 6 Graduation Mass and Celebrations
It was lovely to celebrate our Year 6 students at their Graduation Mass and the celebration at the RSL. We couldn’t be prouder of this amazing group and will truly miss them next year. Remember, you are always welcome back—you will forever be a cherished part of our community and history. Wishing you all the very best in the exciting journeys ahead!
Year 6 Review
It was a wonderful way to farewell our Year 6 students at their final assembly. Callum and Pia handed out their last awards as captains and led ‘Happy Birthday’ for one final time. We were proud to congratulate Chloe on receiving the Academic Achievement Award from Hon. Tim Watts and Oliver for being honoured with the Hon. Melissa Horne Community Service Award—both incredible achievements.
The assembly concluded with our traditional Year 6 Review dance, a perfect way to celebrate and say goodbye to this fantastic group of students. It has been an honour to teach and get to know them, and we couldn’t be prouder. We wish each of them every success in their futures!
End of Year Christmas Concert
It was a joy to gather as a community for our End-of-Year Christmas Concert. Each class brought the Christmas spirit to life with their wonderful performances, filling the evening with music and festive cheer. A special congratulations to Jackson for winning the grand prize in our raffle—a basketball ring! Thank you to our students, staff, and families for their hard work, enthusiasm, and support. It was a truly heartwarming way to celebrate together and share the joy of the season.
Answers down below.
Answers down below
IMPORTANT CAMP AUSTRALIA UPDATE
Dear Families,
We're excited to share some important updates to help you plan for the start of Term 1, 2025.
Antonella, our regional manager from Camp Australia, has confirmed that day care services have been approved for the first three days of the term: Wednesday 29th January, Thursday 30th January, and Friday 31st January 2025.
This service will cater to the options highlighted in our recent parent survey, which included before school care, during the day care, and after school care. To confirm your child's attendance at Camp Australia during these days, please reach out to them directly with the specific date(s) and time(s) your family requires. All sessions will be held in our school hall.
Meet and Greet- Student Testing Days
Wednesday 29th, Thursday 30th and Friday 31st of January, 2025, (Week 1) will be for the facilitation of half hour appointments for each child and parent / guardian on one of these days. The half hour will be split up into a 10-minute family, child - teacher chat and the remaining 20 minutes for teacher 1:1 assessment of your child in literacy / numeracy.
Grade 1 to 6 families, please click here to book a time for you to meet the 2025 teacher with your child. Foundation families, please click here. You will be asked to share your aspirations and insights into your child’s learning, disposition, talents and challenges. The purpose of this first three-way chat is to assist each teacher and family to build a positive and insightful relationship so that every child is set up for success provided by the benefits of positive home – school relationships.
Student Reports are now available
Last Friday, semester two student reports were released to families.
If you have not yet set up your access, please follow the steps below. These key instructions will guide you through accessing the system:
How to Access Reports:
Download the App: Search for “nForma for Parents” in the Google Play or Apple App Store and download the app.
Log In: Use the email address registered with the school. If you don’t have a Google or Apple account, select “Forgot Password” and follow the steps to reset your password.
View Reports: Once logged in, select your child’s profile and navigate to the report section to download their Semester 2 report.
If you have already logged in, you will notice that previous reports are also available for viewing, offering a comprehensive overview of your child’s learning journey.
Should you encounter any issues or need further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact our school office. Additionally, the guide attached provides detailed instructions and links to FAQs for troubleshooting.
Chromebook Portal Open for 2025
Below is important information for our Year 2 families regarding the Chromebook program, which will begin next year as the students move into Year 3. All orders placed will be delivered next year.
School Holiday Programs
VU School Holiday Sports Programs offer kids an excellent chance to learn new sports or enhance their existing skills while having a blast! This holidays, we’ll be hosting programs over two weeks in January, featuring sport-specific options as well as our popular Multi-Sport program. Join us from January 13th to 17th and January 20th to 24th. Check out the upcoming schedule and program details below!
Program dates!
Week 1
Monday 13th Jan - Multisport @ VU Footscray Park, Building L
Tuesday 14th Jan - Basketball @ VU Community Stadium Whitten Oval
Wednesday 15th Jan - Dance @ VU Footscray Parking Building L
Thursday 16th Jan- Play, Swim & Craft @ VU Footscray Park, Building L
Friday 17th Jan- AFL @ VU Footscray Park, Building L
Week 2
Monday 20th Jan - Multisport @ VU Footscray Park, Building L
Tuesday 21st Jan- Play, Swim & Craft @ VU Footscray Park, Building L
Wednsesday 22nd Jan- Cricket @ VU Footscray Park, Building L
Thursday 23rd Jan- Multisport @ VU Footscray Park, Building L
Friday 24th Jan- Soccer @ VU Footscray Park, Building L
End of Year Mass
It was wonderful to come together as a community for our End-of-Year Mass. A heartfelt thank you to our choir, led by Larissa and Kate, for their beautiful contributions that made the celebration even more special. It was a meaningful way to end the year and prepare our hearts for Christmas. Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make it such a memorable occasion.
