Dear Parents, Guardians, and Community,

Here's what's happening this week and a look at some exciting upcoming events:

What's On This Week

• Tuesday, July 1: Year 5/6 Shark Tank at 6:30 PM (Come see our budding entrepreneurs in action!)
• Wednesday, July 2: Year 1 'Camp' Event (4pm to 7pm)
• Friday, July 4: End of Term – School finishes at 1:30 PM

Upcoming Events

• Monday July 21: School Closure Day: Literacy
• Tuesday July 22: Start of Term 2 for students.
• Monday July 28 and Wednesday July 30: School Review 
• Friday, August 1: Entries close for the Australian Mathematics Competition ($9 entry fee)
• Wednesday, August 6: Australian Mathematics Competition
• Friday, August 29: School Disco!!! (Get ready to dance!)

End of Term Wrap-Up

Thank you to everyone for your incredible efforts this term – it's certainly been a long one! Last week capped it off with a high number of students away from school, peaking at 85 students absent on Friday. We hope everyone is on the mend and has a chance to recuperate over the school holidays, which start at 1:30 PM this Friday.

Shark Tank Success!

What a success last night was! We truly have amazing students with bright futures ahead of them. We saw some incredible presentations as students developed marketing plans for new product ideas. A big thank you to our volunteer parent 'sharks' who expertly questioned our students about their innovations. There were so many great products that one day might even end up on our shelves!

Successful Supplementary Grant Application

Last Thursday, the school received fantastic news: we were successful in our application for a supplementary grant to complete much-needed works on our school! The $350,000 grant will cover repairs to the façade at the front of the school and essential repairs to the school roof. I'm meeting with Melbourne Archdiocesan Catholic Schools this week to discuss the timing of these projects.

International Visitors

This week, we were delighted to host educators from New Zealand who visited to observe and discuss our Explicit Teaching model, with a specific focus on Explicit Teaching of Mathematics. They visited junior classes to view our Explicit Maths Program (EMP) and older classrooms to see the Ochre program in action. They were highly impressed by what's happening at St. Mary's and are looking to implement similar practices in schools back in New Zealand.

ACARA Item Trial

We also received thanks this week from the Australian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (ACARA) for our participation in the 2025 Item Trial. This trial is a crucial part of the annual National Assessment Program, designed to evaluate and validate potential test items for future NAPLAN tests. At St. Mary's, we remain committed to providing the best educational opportunities for our students.

Thanks again for all your hard work this term. Have a great break, and we'll see you all back on Tuesday, July 22.

God Bless,

Anthony