Dear Parents/Carers,

Welcome to Week 8. Thank you for your efforts in preparing the children for Intensive Swimming. It was a great week and the children thoroughly enjoyed the break from the classroom. We now turn our attention toward our end of year performance which promises to be better than ever. Teachers, students and Learning Support staff are working hard painting props, backgrounds and organising costumes. If you have any questions about the procedure for any end of year activities please contact your child’s teacher.

Our focus this year has been communication. This will continue into 2025. Adding to this will be a focus on ensuring we are organised and give you plenty of time to get prepared for whole school events. To help with this here are some dates below for your calendar. These dates will also be found on our calendar on Compass.

• Opening School Year Mass 2025 (19^th February, Wednesday Week 4)
• Community Council AGM (11^th February, Tuesday 6:30 Week 3 Term 1)
• St Mary’s Swimming Carnival (14^th February, Friday Week 3 Term 1)
• Western Region Swimming Carnival (24^th February, Monday Week 5 Term 1)
• St Mary’s X Country Carnival Friday (4^th April, Friday Week 10 Term 1)
• Western Region X Country Carnival (2^nd May, Friday Week 1 Term 2)
• St Mary’s Athletics Carnival (23^rd May, Friday Week 4 Term 2)
• Western Region Athletics Carnival (20^th June, Friday Week 8 Term 2)
• NAPAN (Wednesday 12^th March to Monday 24^th March Weeks 7 – 9 Term 1)
• St Anne’s Taster Day (8^th April, Tuesday Week 11 Term 1)

PLEASE NOTE WEEK 1 IS JUST A STAFF DEVELOPMENT WEEK FROM THE 28^TH TO THE 31^ST OF JANUARY – STUDENTS DO NOT ATTEND

On Sunday we celebrated the first Sunday of Advent when we lit the first advent candle, the candle of hope. We wait in anticipation and hope for the coming of the birth of Christ. Please ensure you discuss with your child the importance of Christmas and the significance of the birth of Christ.

As I mentioned in previous newsletters our staffing model for 2025 is coming together. As you can appreciate this is a difficult task as finding suitable teachers is very challenging.  Again, I pass on my enormous thanks to our current staff for their flexibility and putting the needs of the children at St Mary’s first. I look forward to further announcements next week and sharing the staffing model for 2025 with you. 

Please note the thank you morning tea on Wednesday the 18th for all those who have given up their time to support St Mary's. This event is a very important occasion and anyone who has helped out at St Mary's with anything biog or small is invited!! 

Remember my door is always open.

Principal

Damian Collins