Newsletter Term 1, Week 4 2025
Monday 10 March- Labour Day Public Holiday
Tuesday 11 March- Student Free Day
Dear Families and Friends,
As we swiftly approach the mid-term mark, it is rewarding to witness the way our students have settled into the rhythms of school life. The classrooms are abuzz with learning, friendships are flourishing, and the energy across St Margaret Mary’s is truly inspiring.
One of the most exciting developments this term has been the introduction of our new STEM learning space in the hall office and foyer area. Thanks to the addition of new tables and stools, this area has become a vibrant hub of inquiry and problem-solving, where students engage in dynamic STEM lessons facilitated by Lucy O’Dea. The enthusiasm of our young learners as they experiment, create, and explore is wonderful to witness.
We have already welcomed 18 new family tour requests, and it is always a joy to showcase the calm and engaging learning environment we have cultivated at St Margaret Mary’s. For existing families looking to enrol a sibling in 2026, please email office@smmspotswood.catholic.edu.au to request an enrolment form. Alternatively, please pop in for a hard copy if you prefer. Family and child meetings will begin in April, with enrolment offers sent out in May.
Planning for Our Future
On Tuesday, 11th February, we were pleased to hold our first consultation briefing for Master Plan Stage 2, led by our newly appointed architects, Cotter and Reid. We welcomed Fr. Samuel, staff members, and representatives from our School Advisory Council and Parish Council as we explored the exciting next phase of our school's development.
This stage will see the construction of four new classrooms, additional student breakout spaces, targeted teaching areas, and new student toilet facilities. The $3.6 million state government grant, which will be awarded once construction begins, is a testament to our school’s continued growth and success.
The elevated design of the new building ensures minimal impact on our valuable yard space while enhancing teaching and learning opportunities. Importantly, construction will not disrupt existing teaching and learning spaces, allowing the school to continue operating effectively throughout the build.
In the coming months, we will engage our families in a consultative process to share plans and gather input. We look forward to working together to shape the future of St Margaret Mary’s.
Community and Fundraising
Our Fundraising and Social Group (FSG) has kicked off the year with a fantastic meeting in the staffroom, welcoming both returning and new members. We are grateful for the dedication of this group in supporting our students and school initiatives. This year, our fundraising efforts will focus on refurbishing the sandpit, replenishing Softfall in the playground, expanding our collection of decodable readers, and acquiring class sets of novels for our middle and senior students.
A highlight of our fundraising calendar is the annual Chocolate Easter Egg Raffle and the launch of sponsorship opportunities for our main 2025 fundraiser—the Colour Run. Thanks to the success of last year’s Colour Run, we were able to purchase 20 new iPads for our junior students. The 2025 Colour Run is set for Friday, 28th March—please mark it in your calendars!
We encourage all families to get involved in FSG activities, as these events strengthen the bonds within our school community. If you’d like to lend a hand, please reach out via office@smmspotswood.catholic.edu.au or your class-level Facebook group. As the saying goes, many hands make light work, and every child benefits from our fundraising efforts.
Growing as Educators
Over the past fortnight, our school has embraced a variety of enriching experiences, including Safer Internet Day, Parent Helper Induction Sessions, and professional learning for our staff with Bridie from the Knowledge Society. This coaching and feedback program, provided through the Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools’ Flourishing Learners 2030 framework, reflects our unwavering commitment to evidence-informed teaching practices and continuous professional growth.
Looking Ahead with Faith
As announced in our last newsletter, I will be on Long Service Leave in Europe from next Monday, before joining 25 fellow Western Zone principals on a pilgrimage through Greece and Turkey, retracing the journey of St. Paul. As we approach the Jubilee Year in 2025, it is an extraordinary privilege to walk in the footsteps of one of the greatest evangelists of our faith. St. Paul’s unwavering courage, wisdom, and commitment to spreading the Gospel remain an inspiration to us all. I look forward to sharing my reflections upon my return next term.
In my absence, the school will be in the capable hands of Acting Principal Simon Devlin, alongside Paul Smith, Deputy Principal Inclusive Learning and Teaching, our Leadership Team—Anne, Lucy, and Kath—who will continue to guide and support our community with dedication. Thank you, families, for your continued trust in, and support of, our dedicated team.
As we journey through this term together, I leave you with these words from St. Paul:
“Let all that you do be done in love.” (1 Corinthians 16:14)
May our school community continue to be a place of respect, integrity, compassion, and excellence.
Take care,
Colleen McCambridge
Principal
🏆 SMM Allstars Reach Futsal Finals! ⚽
Exciting news! The SMM Allstars have made it to the Finals for the 2024/25 Futsal season! This talented team has shown incredible skill, teamwork, and dedication, embodying our SMM values on and off the court.
The Semi-Final will take place this Friday, 21st February, at 6 PM at Westgate Indoor Sports, Altona. It’s a knockout round, leading straight to the Grand Final—so let's cheer them on!
A big thank you to parent coaches Glenn Findlay and Adam Peppas, as well as Lili Peppas, their dedicated Team Manager, for their support throughout the season.
We’ll keep you updated on the results—Go Allstars! ⭐⚽
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 week are:
Week 3
Week 2
Celebrating 12 Months of AUSLAN at St Margaret Mary’s
At St Margaret Mary’s, we are proud to celebrate the first twelve months of AUSLAN (Australian Sign Language) as our LOTE (Language Other Than English) subject! Over the past year, our students from Foundation to Year 6 have embraced this unique and expressive language, building valuable skills that go beyond the classroom.
Choosing AUSLAN has been a fantastic decision for our school, and here’s why it continues to be the perfect fit for our community.
Why AUSLAN? A Year of Learning, Growth, and Inclusion
A Language That Builds Connection – AUSLAN is more than just a language; it’s a bridge to inclusion and communication. Over the past year, students have developed an appreciation for Deaf culture and learned how sign language can break down barriers. The Victorian Curriculum highlights that "learning Auslan contributes to the overall intellectual and social enrichment of both first language learners and second language learners."
Supporting Cognitive Growth – Learning a visual-spatial language like AUSLAN strengthens memory, problem-solving, and communication skills. The Australian Curriculum emphasises that studying AUSLAN "develops neural pathways and cognitive processes unique to using a visual language," supporting students' overall learning and development.
Engaging for All Learners – AUSLAN is highly interactive, using hand movements, facial expressions, and body language. This makes it a fantastic learning tool for all students, especially those who thrive with visual and kinesthetic learning.
An Official Language, Part of Our Curriculum – AUSLAN is a recognised language in Australia and is embedded in both the Victorian and Australian Curriculum. Learning AUSLAN gives our students a meaningful and authentic language experience that is both relevant and practical.
A Positive Impact on Communication Skills – Over the last year, we have seen students grow in confidence as they develop their AUSLAN vocabulary. The Australian Curriculum states that learning sign language improves "visual-gestural communication," which benefits students in all aspects of their communication.
Looking Ahead – AUSLAN in 2025!
As we move into our second year of AUSLAN at St Margaret Mary’s, we are excited to build on our success. Students will continue expanding their AUSLAN knowledge, applying it in real-life situations, and deepening their understanding of the Deaf community. We also have the team from AUSLAN Education Services visiting our school on the 2nd of May. This is a chance for all students to interact and learn from members of the deaf community and is an incursion that the children thoroughly enjoyed last year.
We encourage families to ask their children about AUSLAN – they might just teach you a new sign!
🚀Maths Number Blast! 🚀
Every day from 9:00 to 9:20, our F-6 students take part in a Number Blast, building fluency in all four operations—addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division! Through fun number games, counting activities, and problem-solving challenges, they are developing strong number sense and making important connections in their learning. Keep up the great work, mathematicians!
Hockey Fun with Footscray Hockey Club!
We were thrilled to have Footscray Hockey Club visit our school and run hockey sessions during PE classes! Coaches Sienna and Natalia worked with our students, teaching them fundamental skills such as how to hold a hockey stick, dribble, pass, and shoot.
To continue building on these skills, Footscray Hockey Club is offering three free hockey sessions for all students on the following dates:
📅 Monday 26th February
📅 Tuesday 5th March
📅 Tuesday 12th March
This is a fantastic opportunity for students to further develop their hockey skills in a fun and supportive environment. We encourage everyone to get involved!
Around the Rooms
Foundation
In the last two weeks, Prep has been full of exciting learning adventures! We’ve been exploring the Parable of the Lost Sheep, discovering how we can be like Jesus by welcoming and caring for others who might feel lost or left out. We’ve also had some fantastic moments with our buddies, working together during lunch and fun structured activities to build teamwork and friendship. In Maths, we wrapped up our pattern unit, uncovering the magic of shapes and sequences, while in Reading, we’ve been rhyming up a storm, mastering fun word pairs! And to top it all off, we created adorable Valentine’s Day hearts to show our parents just how much we love them. What a busy and heartwarming couple of weeks!
Exciting Learning in Year 1 Green!
It has been a busy and exciting two weeks in 1 Green, with lots of hands-on learning and new discoveries!
One of the highlights has been our Maths lessons, where students have been diving into data collection and graphing. We have been learning how to record information using tally marks and how to organise our findings into picture graphs. The students have loved gathering data from their classmates—whether it’s about their favourite fruits, pets, or colours—and turning it into colourful and meaningful visual representations.
These activities have not only helped us develop our counting and organising skills but also encouraged critical thinking as we analyse our results and discuss what they tell us. It has been wonderful to see students so engaged, asking questions, and making connections to the world around them.
Year 2 Positive Relationships and successful classrooms to begin 2025
As we begin the school year, in Faith Life our focus is on identity, relationships, collaboration, and celebrating our strengths and achievements. This fortnight, students have been exploring how to build positive relationships with their classmates and create a successful classroom environment. Through discussions, they’ve learned to embrace differences and view uniqueness as a strength. We’ve emphasised that while we all bring something different to the table, together we form a strong, united team. Students also engaged with the story The Day the Crayons Quit, reflecting on the themes of perseverance, not giving up, and focusing on positive achievements. Building on this, they’ve written about what makes them a good friend and how they can use their strengths to foster positive relationships.
Year 3 and 4
Our Grade 3/4 students have been having a blast with Number Blast activities, sharpening their math skills in fun and engaging ways! We also had a fantastic time with Larissa, who brought energy and excitement to our music sessions. In Inquiry, we've been exploring healthy eating, learning about nutritious choices to fuel our bodies and designing our own healthy lunchboxes.
Year 5 and 6
Meet our 2025 School Leaders
Our 2025 school leaders are stepping up their game and taking on their roles showing great responsibility and leadership qualities. They have learnt the expectations and responsibilities of their roles and taken on their new opportunities in their stride.
School Captains:
● Morning and Afternoon gate
● Raising of the flag
● Assembly Awards
● School Tours
Sports Captains
● Sorting sports equipment
● Speaking about Sports equipment and rules outside
● Teaching Preps the game of ‘GaGa’
Wellbeing Leaders
● Monday morning assembly awards
● Organisation and sorting of Yard duty iPad and First Aide bags
● Coaching sessions to senior classes on working with their buddies.
Environmental Leaders
● Learning the ropes of recycling and composting at SMMPS
● Emptying of the recycling and composting bins across the school.
● Taking care of the schools' worm farm
Liturgy Leaders
● Leading prayer at the Whole School Mass
● Assisting with the music and preparation for Monday morning assemblies.
● Altar servers at Opening Whole School Mass
Grade 6 Wellbeing Captains
Congratulations to our captains, Eva and Dylan who are doing a fantastic job! They confidently and capably run our Monday morning values assembly where students across our school are recognised for actions that enact our school values of Respect, Integrity, Compassion and Excellence (RICE). Last week they delivered some ‘big buddy’ training to their peers to enable the big buddies to carry out their roles aligned with our school values. Thanks Eva and Dylan!
Source: 2022 Murdoch Children’s Research institute
Student Wellbeing and Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHiPS)
Everyone experiences worry, fear, or anxiety at times. For some students, these feelings can become overwhelming, causing them to avoid participating in activities, interacting with others, or going to certain places. A student with anxiety who withdraws from participation may be feeling emotionally overloaded. These students might seem withdrawn, quiet, restless, nervous, or visibly distressed, e.g. crying. There are usually multiple factors that can feed into student anxiety levels and often the anxiety cannot be attributed to one cause.
Anxiety can also lead to physical symptoms, like frequent stomachaches or headaches, which can impact their engagement in class or lead to frequent visits to the sick bay as a coping mechanism. Students dealing with anxiety may struggle with concentration, which can result in their performance not reflecting their true potential. Some students with anxiety may avoid tasks if they feel they can’t do them perfectly. They might frequently seek reassurance from teachers. Often students with disabilities can experience higher levels of anxiety compared to their peers.
If your child is demonstrating signs of anxiety or having difficulty with emotional regulation, we encourage you to visit the GP to discuss this further. Professional support from qualified psychologists may be required.
At SMM one way we alleviate anxiety is to provide structure, and as best we can, create a predictable environment. If there are going to be changes to the normal routine, we aim to prepare the students in advance and advise them of what will be happening instead. Please check the newsletter for upcoming school events and work in partnership with us to prepare your child.
At SMM we provide clear rules and social expectations across the school and this can help to alleviate anxiety and give children clear boundaries and guidelines for expected behaviour, that can help children feel more settled. Some parents have also found the rules are helpful for home too!
I have put together a list of resources devised by professionals to help with the anxiety. Please contact me if you are interested in this list. It provides further reading and evidence-based programs to engage in that support the management of anxiety in children.
Colouring book/Mindful Colouring
If your child would be interested in colouring outside during the play sessions, please supply a colouring book clearly labelled with their name for your child to give to their class teacher. Children will be able to access these during the play break. This is a great alternative way to connect and get to know others. Coloured pencils will be supplied.
Parenting Resources
Triple P Positive Parenting (Evidence Based program)
Child Parenting Courses Relationships Australia
Parenting Workshops- MacKillop Family Services
Parentworks ParentWorks is a free online program for Australian parents and caregivers of children 2 to 17. It is an ‘evidence-based’ program, which means that the program has been tested in research and found it be effective in improving parenting skills, parenting confidence and child behaviour.
Tuning in to Kids for Parents Tuning in to Kids is a suite of parenting programs focussing on strengthening the connection between parents/caregivers and their kids. When kids and parents develop skills in effectively communicating about emotions, family relationships are stronger. Tuning in to Kids programs are evidence-based.
Parent helplines and hotlines | Raising Children Network
Working in Partnership
The partnership between parents, as the first educators of their children, and school personnel is essential to support student’s mental health, well-being and academic success. Research shows that strong home-school partnerships can lead to improved emotional resilience, better academic performance, and higher levels of self-esteem for students.
Thanks for working in positive partnership with us to support the children in our care!
Kath Novak
Student Wellbeing / MHiPS
Opening School Mass ✨🙏
It was wonderful to come together as a school community for our Opening School Mass, marking the start of an exciting new year. Our school captains and leaders did a fantastic job in leading the celebration, and we extend our thanks to Father Sam for guiding us in the mass.
A special thank you to all the families who joined us—your presence and support make these moments even more meaningful. We look forward to a year filled with growth, learning, and community spirit!
Parish Feast Day Celebration – Sunday, 23rd March ⛪✨
We warmly invite all St Margaret Mary’s families to join us for the Parish Feast Day at Sacred Heart Church on Sunday, 23rd March, at 10 AM.
This special Mass will honor all those who serve within our parish, including our dedicated teachers from St Margaret Mary’s. It’s a wonderful opportunity to come together in faith and gratitude as a community.
Following Mass, everyone is welcome to stay for a celebratory morning tea in the hall. We’d love to see as many families there as possible! 💙🙏
Live Your Best Life in Love...
A Marriage Encounter weekend is for you…
Every married couple deserves this very special weekend.
Time-out to nurture your most precious relationship away from daily distractions.
The two of you will come away from your weekend feeling more deeply connected and with tools to help keep the passion alive.
No group sharing required.
The weekend is based around Catholic values. Couples of all faiths are welcome.
Please check our website for more details and to book your special weekend:
Our next weekend is: 25-27 April 2025 at St Paul's Retreat Centre, Wantirna South.
Starts Friday evening at 7pm and finishes Sunday afternoon around 4:30pm
Information/Bookings: Phone Mercy & James 0409 183 676 or
Email: vicbookings@wwme.org.au Website: wwme.org.au
FSG Meeting Update
Thank you to all the parents who joined us for the FSG meeting on Tuesday evening. It was great to welcome some new members and have valuable discussions about the exciting events ahead for the year.
Our two major fundraising initiatives for this term are:
🎨🏃♂️ Colour Fun Run – Our biggest fundraising event of the year will launch this coming Monday! Your child will bring home a letter outlining how to raise money through sponsorship. The event itself will take place on 28th March at Edwards Reserve.
🐰🎩 Easter Bonnet Parade & Raffle – Happening on the last day of term, 4th April, at 9 AM. Students are invited to wear their best Easter bonnets for a fun parade, followed by our annual Easter raffle.
We understand that fundraising can add extra pressure, so the FSG will be mindful of not asking too much from families. Alongside the Colour Fun Run, we are also seeking donations of chocolate eggs for the Easter Raffle. If you are able to contribute an egg or two, it would be greatly appreciated!
🎟️ Raffle ticket booklets will be sent home with students in the coming week, and we kindly ask each family to sell one booklet containing 10 tickets.
Stay tuned for more details, and thank you for your ongoing support—every little bit helps make a big difference! 💙
Colour Fun Run
Get ready to put on your running shoes, don your most colorful attire, and join us for an exhilarating and vibrant event that promises fun, fitness, and a kaleidoscope of colours – the School Fun Run’s Crazy Colour Day!
Mark your calendars because on Friday March 28th, Edwards Reserve (AKA The Frog Park) will be transformed into a canvas of colours. The event aims to promote health, wellness, and community spirit while having an absolute blast!
This will be our major fundraiser for the year, and all money raised goes to student resources and equipment! Sign up at funrun.com.au today to get involved!
Get ready to make memories with your kids, while they run, laugh, and get drenched in a spectrum of colors!
AFL Footy Tipping is Back! 🏉🎉
Welcome back, tipsters, for the 2025 AFL Footy Tipping Competition! So far, we have nine members signed up and ready to test their tipping skills this season.
A reminder that the opening game kicks off on 6th March, so if you haven’t joined yet, make sure to sign up quickly to get your tips in for Round 1.
💰 Entry fee: $25
🏆 Prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place (to be determined in the coming weeks).
We’re looking forward to a great season—may the best tipster win! 🏆
Click the link below:
https://www.footytips.com.au/comps/2025_SMM_Footy_Tipping?p=stmm3015
$25 to be paid by round 4. Payments made via school FSG bank account, are asked to use your footy tipping alias as a reference. Account SMM FSG BSB: 083 347 Acc: 365426557 You can also send in $25 in an envelope to the office, labeled with your alias and titled "2025 footy tipping".
Supporting SMM Student Learning in 2025, Through Speech Assessments
As announced in our December 2024 newsletter, St Margaret Mary’s has appointed Cecilia Pham as our registered Speech Pathologist. At SMM, we are always looking for ways to enhance student learning, and we are excited to share that in 2025, we have secured the services of a qualified speech pathologist to work with our students. This is a fantastic opportunity for families, as access to external speech pathology services can often involve long waitlists and additional costs.
Speech assessments do not replace our ongoing student assessments and progress tracking but serve as a valuable allied health resource that complements our educational approach. As educators, we work closely with speech pathologists to gain deeper insights into a student’s learning profile, ensuring that our teaching strategies are tailored to their specific needs. Through consultation and collaboration, we align our goals to support each child's development, using the expertise of speech pathologists to refine our targeted interventions and enhance student outcomes.
For students who have previously completed an oral language assessment, a follow-up assessment after a period of time can help determine progress, identify any ongoing challenges, and inform the next steps in their learning journey. Additionally, early intervention for younger students can provide valuable insights that support their academic success from the outset.
As this is a limited resource, we will prioritise junior students and allocate assessments based on identified learning needs. The first round of offers for this service were sent out, and participation is optional. We will work through our list throughout this year and we encourage families who feel their child may benefit from this opportunity to reach out for more information.
Kind regards,
Bodyworks Session
Soon our Year 5 students will be participating in the Bodyworks Health Education Session on Monday, March 3rd. This program is designed to support students in understanding personal growth and development in an age-appropriate and supportive way.
To help parents feel informed and prepared, we are hosting a Parent Information Session where families can learn more about the program’s content, objectives, and approach. This session will provide insight into what will be covered and offer an opportunity to ask any questions.
📅 Parent Information Session
🕠 Date & Time: Thursday 27 March at 7pm
📍 Location: Online via Microsoft Teams
🔗 Teams Link: https://teams.live.com/meet/939900029058?p=iFxQcNtqFejgtEWR3B
We strongly encourage all Year 5 parents to attend this session. Thank you for your support in working together to deliver this important learning experience for our students.
Chess Club is back for 2025!
COME AND TRY HOCKEY
Camp Australia
Tennis Lessons
Foundation 2026 Information Evening and Tours
Know anyone looking for a great little school? Let them know about our upcoming Information Evening and school tours.
Emmanuel College Latest News – 18 February 2025
Medieval Day Brings History to Life for Year 8 Students
Year 8 students experienced an exciting Medieval Day incursion, bringing history to life through interactive workshops. Guided by medieval historians and reenactors, students explored Arms and Armour, Costumes and Lifestyle, and Music and Dance. They had the chance to dress in medieval outfits, handle replica weapons, and learn traditional dances to live medieval music. The day was a fantastic opportunity for hands-on learning, deepening their understanding of medieval life in a fun and engaging way.
Open Evening & College Experience – Registrations Now Open
We invite you to discover what makes our College special by attending our Open Evenings and College Experiences at each campus throughout the year. This is a fantastic opportunity to:
✅ Hear from our College Principal, Dr. Janine Biggin
✅ Learn about our diverse curriculum
✅ Meet our passionate teaching staff
✅ Take part in interactive activities
✅ Enjoy a guided tour led by our student ambassadors
📅 Open Evening - St Paul’s Campus
🕓 Monday 17 March | 4:00 – 7:30pm
📅 Open Evening – Notre Dame Campus
🕓 Monday 24 March | 4:00 – 7:30pm
📌 Registration is essential for all College Experiences and Tours.
🔗 Secure your spot here: Open Evening and College Experience Registration
Year 7 2027 Enrolments Now Open!
Is your child currently in Year 5? Applications for Year 7 in 2027 are now open and will close on Friday, 15 August 2025. Even if you already have a child attending or enrolled for Year 7 in 2026, you must submit a new application for Year 7 in 2027.
📌 Applications are now submitted online via our College website.
🔗 Apply here: Application Form
For enrolment enquiries, please contact:
📞 Ms. Donna Grech, College Registrar – 8325 5100
📧 enrolments@ecmelb.catholic.edu.au
We look forward to welcoming you to our College!
Yours sincerely,
Jenny Hendricks
Community Engagement Officer
Mount St. Joseph
VISIT US
Visiting our College is a great way to explore our dynamic learning spaces and experience learning in action.
[Remove this next paragraph if text space is limited]
You will meet our Principal, students and staff and see why Mount St. Joseph Girls' College is the best choice for your child. Tours of the College are led by our student ambassadors. This gives visiting families the unique opportunity to ask questions and gain an honest insight into our programs and what it is like to be a student at Mount St. Joseph Girls' College. Please register for one of the following Open Events by visiting our website or scan the QR code.
Open Mornings – 9:15am – 10:30am
Thursday 20 February
Thursday 13 March
Thursday 19 June
Thursday 24 July
Thursday 07 August
Thursday 4 September
Open Day – 10am – 2pm
Sunday 18 May
APPLY NOW
Students wishing to attend Mount St. Joseph Girls’ College for Year 7 in 2027 should apply in Grade 5 of their primary school education.
Applications for Year 7 in 2027 are now open. Apply online via the College website. The closing date for applications is Friday 15 August 2025.
For application to Years 8-12, there is no application closing date, but vacancies are limited and waiting lists may apply.
For all enquiries, please contact:
Sherri Collins: registrar@msj.vic.edu.au
133 Maidstone Street, Altona
(03) 8398 2000
www.msj.vic.edu.au
CLASS OF 2024 VCE RESULTS
“We are incredibly proud to announce the results of our 2024 Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) and Vocational Major (VM) students. Each student has worked incredibly hard throughout the past two years and these results are well deserved.”
Kate Dishon – Principal