Newsletter Term 1, Week 6 2025
Monday 10 March- Labour Day Public Holiday
Tuesday 11 March- Student Free Day
Dear Families and Friends,
Welcome to another edition of our school newsletter! The past few weeks have been full of activity, and the lead-up to the end of term shows no signs of slowing down.
This week, we celebrated Shrove Tuesday in style, with a delicious pancake morning for our students. It was wonderful to see so many students enjoying their pancakes, and we extend a huge thank you to our LSOs, Solly and Cameron, for cooking up so many pancakes. (We think they may have eaten a few as well 😉)
The following day, we came together for our Ash Wednesday Mass, marking the beginning of the Lenten season. This is always a significant time for reflection and renewal in our school community.
Today, our Junior School Councillors—Cecilia, Kayden, and Joel—attended their first Junior School Council event. They represented our school with pride, and we appreciate their leadership and commitment to student voice.
Looking Ahead
Next week will be a short one, with Labor Day on Monday and a school closure on Tuesday, March 11. This closure is part of our ongoing professional learning through MACS Vision for Instruction 2030, with a focus on improving student writing and strengthening our teaching practices in literacy. Our teachers will be heading down to Emmanuel College with a large number of other schools from the west. CAMP Australia will be providing care on the day, and we encourage you to book early should you wish to take up this service.
On Wednesday, March 12, NAPLAN begins for our Year 3 and Year 5 students, starting with the writing assessment. Over the following two weeks, students will also complete reading, language conventions, and mathematics assessments. While we wish our students every success, it's important to remember that NAPLAN is simply one test on one day. It does not define who our students are, nor does it capture all of their abilities, talents, and wonderful qualities.
Enrolments for 2026 are now open! On Thursday, March 13, at 7:00 pm, we will be holding our 2026 Foundation Information Evening in the school library for both new and existing families. If you know anyone looking for a great school, please let them know about this event! Additionally, if you have a sibling or child starting school next year, please submit an enrolment form as soon as possible so we can ensure a place is allocated for them.
Another exciting event coming up is Catholic Education Week, which runs from March 17–21. As part of this week, there will be lots of different activities happening around the school, including:
Monday (March 17): St. Patrick’s Day – Students are invited to wear a touch of green, such as a hair ribbon, hat, wristband, or socks, while still wearing their school uniform.
Tuesday: Harmony Week activities
Wednesday: Combined Schools Day with Sacred Heart
Thursday: Harmony and Social Emotional Learning (SEL) activities
Friday: World Down Syndrome Day – We invite students to wear colourful or mismatched socks to celebrate inclusion and diversity.
Have a great long weekend and see you soon!
Simon Devlin
Acting Principal
🌟 Wishing Maddie, Zoe, and Grace the Best of Luck! 🌟
We want to wish Maddie, Zoe, and Grace the very best of luck as they embark on an incredible journey for their upcoming Taekwondo competitions!
Next week, they will travel to Canberra, where they will compete for a chance to qualify for the World Championships in Dubai. From there, they will continue their travels to Belgium for the Dutch Open, where Zoe and Grace will compete, followed by Manchester, where they will take part in another competition.
After this whirlwind tour across the globe, they will return home at the end of March. We wish them every success and can’t wait to hear all about their experiences when they return! Go Maddie, Zoe, and Grace! 🥋💪🎉
School Photos 30 April
Coming Up Soon…
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. Awards this week will be handed out at our next assembly in week 9 at the earlier time of 2.30. The students who earned an award in the past week are:
Week 5
Week 4
Art Club
It’s great to have our Art Club up and running for another year! A special thank you to Mrs. McGuirk, our amazing Art Teacher, for opening the doors at lunchtime and creating a welcoming space for students.
Art Club is a fantastic option for those who enjoy a bit of quiet time during lunch, and we love seeing the amazing creations that come to life during these sessions.
Around the Rooms
Foundation
Over the past two weeks, the Prep students have been working hard in Writing, engaging in fun language experiences to help us develop our skills. We've enjoyed playing on the playground, including some exciting games of Gaga, which have helped us strengthen our friendships and learn how to play kindly together. In Literacy, we've been focusing on syllables and rhyming words, and we also had the best time ever learning about Shrove Tuesday and making our delicious pancakes! It's been a busy and fun-filled couple of weeks, full of learning and laughter!
Exciting Learning in Year 1 Green!
Over the last fortnight, students in Year 1 have been very busy across all areas of the curriculum! In maths, we have been learning about counting and place value. Students have been doing an awesome job at exploring different ways to represent numbers. In literacy we have revising phonemes and digraphs, as well as practicing our handwriting skills. As it was Shrove Tuesday this week, students engaged in learning about the meaning behind the Shrove Tuesday, explored the steps involved in cooking pancakes, and designed their dream pancake. So much fun!
Year 2 - Sunsmart and Learning Fun!
This fortnight, our Grade 2s have been learning all about being Sunsmart! We’ve been practicing the Slip, Slop, Slap, Slide, and Seek steps to keep safe in the sun. Students learned to Slip on a shirt, Slap on a hat, Slop on some sunscreen, Slide on some sunnies, and Seek some shade. To make it even more fun, the students dressed Sid the Seagull in all the Sunsmart gear during an activity!
In addition to staying safe in the sun, Grade 2s have been busy learning about time! We've been practicing o’clock, half past, and quarter past, and we've had fun turning shapes in both clockwise and anticlockwise directions.
In Faith Life, we marked the beginning of Lent with some fun experiences. Students enjoyed delicious pancakes on Shrove Tuesday and created their own Lent promise wheels. It's been a busy and fun-filled fortnight in Grade 2!
If I were a pancake!
Grade 2 students have been learning about imaginative and informative texts. As part of the Shrove Tuesday activities, students wrote an imaginative text about ‘If I was a pancake…’
There were some super creative and fun stories about what they would do if they were a pancake! Great writing Grade 2s!
Year 3 and 4
The Year 3/4s have been continuing reading the story of Matilda, using it as a mentor to explore narrative text features. In Maths, we have been practising addition and subtraction algorithms with regrouping.
To prepare for Lent, we learnt about the tradition of pancakes on Shrove Tuesday and sorted foods into perishable and non-perishable groups. We also explored Jesus’ time in the desert through Bible stories, animations, and reenactments to understand the meaning of Lent.
5/6 Big Buddy Program
Year 5/6s have been learning how to properly take good care of their buddy! Every Year 5/6 Student has been paired up with a Prep student to guide and support them through their first year at SMM. As Wellbeing Captains we ran a training session for all Year 5/6 Students on ‘How to be a goody buddy’. We talked about the importance of being a buddy and how to help Prep settle into school and how to be safe with our buddies.
We have already had some sessions with our buddy class. We have eaten lunch with them, did a ‘helping hands’ craft with them and we helped them go to their first school mass. Big buddies also look out for their little buddies on the yard by making sure they have someone to play with and sometimes playing with them.
We are looking forward to spending more time with our prep buddies this year!
By, Eva and Dylan
(Wellbeing Captains)
Quieter/Alternative Activities in the Yard
Thank you to our Grade sixes and wellbeing captains who set up these activities at recess and lunchtime. We have a Prep to Year 2 area and a Year 3-6 area. Activities this term include: blocks, puzzles, colouring, board games, farm animals, card games such as UNO, chess, picture books and novels, and giant sets of ‘Connect Four’.
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. Coloured pencils are supplied.
Source: 2022 Murdoch Children’s Research institute
Student Wellbeing and Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHiPS)
Focus on Sleep
The Children’s Wellbeing Continuum acknowledges sleep as a major contributing factor for positive mental health and wellbeing. Good sleep helps concentration, memory and recall, and better emotion management and behaviour. Getting enough sleep strengthens the immune system and reduces the risk of infection and illness.
Establishing consistent bedtime routines, creating a calming pre-sleep environment, and maintaining regular sleep schedules can significantly improve sleep quality. The Sleep Health Foundation recommends setting clear boundaries around technology use, especially in the evening, to promote better sleep hygiene. These links provide more comprehensive information and practical tips.
Australian Institute of Family Studies
Sleep & sleep cycles: babies, kids, teens | Raising Children Network
SunSmart
We are currently reviewing our SunSmart Policy. In our sunny climate, protecting children from harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation at school and at home is essential. Encouraging your child to wear their school hat during play times and outdoor activities helps shield their face, neck, and ears from intense UV exposure. Please ensure your child has a hat (clearly labelled with their name) at school at all times.
A child with no hat at school is directed to play in the under cover area to protect them from high UV exposure. Skin protection is necessary when the UV index reaches 3 or higher. For comprehensive guidelines and resources, visit SunSmart's website at sunsmart.com.au
Take protective action for your family by:-
● Accessing the free SunSmart App
● There's nothing healthy about a tan ... still
● Skin Cancer - End The Trend campaign
Awareness Days/Weeks in Week 8
During Week 8, our school will focus on Harmony Week, Neurodiversity Celebration Week and World Down Syndrome Day via the ‘Lots of Socks’ Campaign. These events are designed to:
● raise awareness
● respect and celebrate differences and diversity
● promote empathy
● encourage inclusion
● explore perspective taking
● recognise unique strengths and talents
Children from Prep to 6 will explore these awareness days/weeks via Social Emotional Learning (SEL) lessons and classroom activities
1. Harmony Week: Monday 17- Sunday 23 March
We encourage students to wear a touch of orange to school to show their support for cultural diversity and an inclusive Australia.
2. Neurodiversity Celebration Week: Monday 17- Sunday 23 March
To celebrate the different ways people think and learn and promote inclusivity and respect.
3. World Down Syndrome Day: Friday 21 March
At school, we encourage students to mark this day by wearing colourful or mismatched socks to raise awareness, celebrate the unique qualities, talents, and contributions of individuals with Down syndrome and encourage a more inclusive world.
Thanks for working in positive partnership with us to support the children in our care!
Kath Novak
Student Wellbeing / MHiPS
🥞 Shrove Tuesday & Ash Wednesday – Beginning Our Lenten Journey 🙏
We had a wonderful start to the Lenten season with Shrove Tuesday—or as our students like to call it, Pancake Tuesday! It was a great opportunity for learning and preparation as we entered this special time of year.
A heartfelt thank you to Father Sam for leading us in our Ash Wednesday Mass, to our altar servers, and to 5/6 Grey for their thoughtful preparation of the Mass.
As we journey through Lent, we look forward to reflecting on how we can give to others, show kindness, and grow in our faith during this special time. 🙏💜
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
🏃♂️🌈 Colour Fun Run – Fundraising Update & Special Prize Draw! 🎉
A huge thank you to all the families who have signed up for our School Fun Run! It’s fantastic to see so many students getting involved—we already have 118 students registered, which is well over half the school!
Our Colour Fun Run is happening on Friday, March 28, and to encourage even more participation, students came home with a special wristband that includes a QR code.
🎟️ How to Enter the Prize Draw:
✅ Scan the QR code on your child’s wristband.
✅ Create or log in to your fundraising profile.
✅ Enter the unique code provided on the wristband.
By doing this, your child will be entered into the draw to win a $500 prize credit for their fundraising account—exclusive to our school!
📅 Entries close: Thursday, March 13
🎉 Winner announced: Friday, March 14
Best of luck, and thank you for your support! Let’s make this year’s Colour Fun Run our best one yet! 🌈🏃♀️
The FSG
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 26 members signed up and ready to test their tipping skills this season.
A reminder that the opening game kicks off on 7th 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".
Easter Raffle Reminder!
There are still plenty of raffle tickets available at the office if you'd like to sell more. A huge thank you to everyone who has already returned their tickets—your support is greatly appreciated!
We've received lots of wonderful donations, and our fantastic FSG team is continuing to reach out to local businesses for even more exciting prizes.
Thank you for helping make our Easter Raffle a success!
Pupil Free Day- Tuesday 11 March
COME AND TRY HOCKEY
Camp Australia
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 – 4 March 2025
At Emmanuel College, there’s something for everyone. Our campus libraries aren’t just quiet study spaces—they’re buzzing with lunchtime clubs where students can dive into their interests and meet like-minded friends. Whether you're into Warhammer, Tabletop Gaming, Miniature Painting, Craft, or Chess, there’s a place for you.
Art Club meets every Thursday lunchtime and is very popular, with students coming into the art room to experiment with different materials and play with clay and the pottery wheels. Students socialise with friends from all year levels, creating artworks and having fun. Creative times ahead!
A huge congratulations to all the students who auditioned for the Year 7-9 rock bands! We can’t wait to hear your performances throughout the year.
Every Thursday in Homeroom, students participate in the Career Ponders Program, exploring career paths with guidance aligned to global standards like the Australian Blueprint for Career Development. For Year 7 students, this is an incredible chance to learn alongside peers from different year levels. The shared experience fosters a supportive, inspiring environment where students gain insight, set goals, and build confidence in their future aspirations.
Join us for Our Open Evenings
St Paul’s Campus: Monday, 17 March | 4:00 – 7:30 pm
Notre Dame Campus: Monday, 24 March | 4:00 – 7:30 pm
We’d love to show you what makes Emmanuel College such a special place. Come along to our Open Evenings and College Experience Days for a first-hand look at our vibrant community.
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 amazing student ambassadors
Registration is essential.
Secure your spot here: Open Evening and College Experience Registration
Year 7, 2027 Enrolments Now Open
Do you have a child in Year 5? Applications for Year 7 in 2027 are officially open and will close on Friday, 15 August 2025. Even if you have a child already attending or enrolled for Year 7 in 2026, you must submit a new application for your child who will commence in Year 7, 2027.
Apply online now: Application Form
For any enrolment enquiries, please contact:
Ms. Donna Grech, College Registrar
Phone: 8325 5100
Email: enrolments@ecmelb.catholic.edu.au
We can’t wait to welcome you to Emmanuel College—a place where learning, fun, and lifelong friendships come together.
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.
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
