St Mary's School Newsletter Term 4 - Week 3

Prayer Reflection

Sign of the Cross +

Thank you, God, for our school and for bringing us back together safely.
We pray for our families and friends.
We pray for our teachers and scripture teachers.
We pray for energy for the new school year.
We pray that school days are full of learning, fun and great memories.
We pray for people who are sick that God will be with them.
We pray for hope in the world.
We pray for peace and love that it will spread across the world.
We give thanks for all you do for us.
We offer our prayer through Christ our Lord.

Amen

Principal's message

Hello everyone!

Congratulations to those who entered the Donald Show and received awards. Please see the image of show winners in the photo below this section.

Just a reminder that St Mary’s School will be closed on MONDAY NOVEMBER 3^rd NOVEMBER. Staff will focus on assessment and reporting on this day, as they prepare for the final reporting period of 2025.

In addition the school will be closed on TUESDAY NOVEMBER 4th for the Melbourne Cup public holiday.

Catholic Mission Month
October is Catholic Mission Month. The purpose of this month is to deepen students’ understanding of mission and encourage them to see themselves as active participants in making a difference in the lives of others, both locally and globally. Our school will be engaging in prayer, classroom activities, and fundraising initiatives to support the work of Catholic Mission. School Leaders and Project Managers  are busily creating the activites for the first Week in December. One to be aware of is our Student Art Exhibition to be held on Monday 1st December at 6:30pm in the MPR.

Foundation 2026 Enrolments – Still Open

We still have places available for Foundation in 2026! If you know of any families thinking about joining St Mary's, please encourage them to get in touch and enrol soon. We’d be delighted to welcome them into our caring and vibrant school community.

Kinder students who have enrolled or are still thinking of enrolling at St Mary’s School for Foundation in 2026 will attend the orientation sessions in next week's newsletter.

Keep an eye on updates!

Take care,

Melissa Drum

Enrolments 2026

At St Mary's School Donald, we are more than just a school—we are a community built on inclusion, compassion, and excellence in teaching and learning. As a small Catholic school, we provide a warm and welcoming environment where every child is supported to reach their full potential.
 Best practice teaching with evidence-based learning approaches
 Personalised support in small class sizes
 A strong sense of faith and community where families feel at home
 Inclusive education that celebrates every child’s unique gifts
 A focus on well-being to help students grow academically, socially, and emotionally
 No fees for 2026 Prep enrolments and new families
 Free use of technology (iPads and Chromebooks) for all students.
Come and see the wonder at St Mary's! Enrolments now open – we’d love to welcome your family. 
 Call us on 0418 701 650 to book a school tour! 

Classroom Report Grade 5/6

Grade 5/6 with Miss Hudson

Literacy:
This fortnight, students are learning to read, spell, and analyse words with the suffix “-ship,” meaning condition, character, or skill. They’re practising their handwriting by correctly executing speed loops for the letter ‘b’ and continuing to build typing accuracy and speed.
In reading, students are focusing on Black Cockatoo, responding to comprehension queries, analysing vocabulary, and developing fluent, expressive reading. They are also expanding their writing by crafting interesting topic and concluding sentences, using conjunctions such as because, but, and so, and converting direct speech into indirect speech. Students will complete a detailed character analysis linked to our class novel.

Maths:
In Maths, students are exploring decimals to three decimal places. They are learning to apply their understanding of thousandths, rename decimals, and compare and order numbers on a number line.

Inquiry:
The Middle and Senior students (Years 3–6) are researching famous Australian bushfires and creating digital slide presentations to showcase their findings.
The Junior students (Foundation–Year 2) are applying their geographical skills by planning a cruise around the world. They’ll map their journey, ensuring they cross every ocean and visit every continent, before designing a poster highlighting interesting sites along their route.

Auslan:
Foundation students are learning Unit 3C vocabulary, including phrases such as “after lunch we have sport/science/inquiry/religious education/prayer” and “what do we have after recess?”
Students in Years 1–6 are focusing on Unit 13C vocabulary, learning to sign phrases like “how many?”, “how much is that?”, “how far?”, and “how long?” as well as key measurement and money terms including dollars, cents, metres, and centimetres.

Donald Museum Visit to see Georgie Ah Ling

EWHS Newsletter

Parent Access Module PAM / SIMON Everywhere app is here!

The Parent Access Module PAM (SIMON Everywhere app) is our "go-to" for all parent information. Download the SIMON Everywhere app from the app store on your mobile phone and login using your PAM credentials.

Simon Everywhere delivers instant notifications to parents' mobile phones, delivering the functionality of PAM in an easy to navigate app. We will use Simon Everywhere for all important notifications.  

You will be able to manage all your day-to-day school needs from Simon Everywhere, including:

• notify us of absences;
• access reports
• view the school calendar;
• provide permission for student activities;
• update medical/contact information;
  
• read the newsletter.

Please contact the office with any questions.

Our Newsletter can be read in a variety of languages!

When you open the school newsletter, click on “select language” beside TRANSLATE, at the top of the newsletter. Simply scroll to choose which language you would like to read the newsletter in! 

Breakfast Club

Breakfast clubs for students at school offer numerous benefits that contribute to their overall wellbeing and academic success:

• Improved Academic Performance: Eating a nutritious breakfast improves concentration, memory, and problem-solving skills, leading to better academic outcomes.

• Nutritional Benefits: Breakfast clubs ensure children receive essential nutrients that might otherwise be missed, promoting healthier growth and development.

• Social Interaction: It provides a relaxed setting for children to socialise with peers and staff, fostering positive relationships and a sense of belonging.

• Establishing Routine: Regular attendance at breakfast clubs helps establish healthy eating habits and a consistent morning routine, which can improve overall behaviour and attendance at school.

• Reduced Hunger: Children who eat breakfast are less likely to experience hunger during the morning, allowing them to focus on learning rather than their empty stomachs.

• Support for Families: Breakfast clubs can ease morning stress for families by providing a convenient, affordable option for ensuring their children have a nutritious start to the day.

Overall, breakfast clubs contribute significantly to the physical, emotional, and academic wellbeing of children, making them a valuable resource for schools and families alike.

Breakfast club will continue to run every morning between 8:30-8:50am. 

On Monday we have Milo/ Hot chocolates and Friday is Cheese Toasties!

Change of Emails/Addresses/Phone Numbers

Could families please inform the school if they have changed their mobile number, address or email. It is vital that the school has the most up to day information, to enable us to contact you when needed.

Student late/early arrivals, early departure, temporary absence procedures

All student late/early arrivals, early departures or temporary absences must be recorded in the Passtab iPad located in the foyer.  Please ask office staff for assistance.

Happy Birthday in October!

3rd Charlotte

5th Morrigan

12th Lara

31st George

School Preparations for the Bushfire Season

Each year, the Department of Education runs an annual fire risk assessment of schools and early childhood services. They are allocated a category of risk (categories 0 to 4) and are published on the Bushfire At-Risk Register (BARR).

All schools and early childhood services listed on the BARR list will also close when a Catastrophic fire danger rating day is forecast in their fire weather district.  

When the Bureau of Meteorology provides public fire danger rating forecasts or fire weather warnings, they use fire weather district areas. In Victoria, there are 9 fire weather districts, which are based on Local Government Area boundaries. Our school is in the Mallee fire weather district.

As part of preparing our school for the fire season, we have updated and completed our Emergency Management Plan and have conducted other relevant preparedness actions, such as reprioritised any maintenance works that may assist in preparing for the threat of fire and cleared our facility’s grounds and gutters.

What does this mean for our school?

Our school St Mary's Donald has been identified as being at risk of bushfire or grassfire and is listed on the Bushfire At-Risk Register (BARR).

DOBCEL, in accordance with the department’s Bushfire and Grassfire Preparedness Policy, requires our schools on the BARR list to close when a Catastrophic fire danger rating day is forecast in their fire weather district. All school bus routes which travel in or through a district with Catastrophic fire danger must also be cancelled.

Our school will close on any day forecasted as Catastrophic fire danger rating in the Mallee fire district.

Closure of the school due to a forecast Catastrophic day will be confirmed on the day prior and we will provide you with advice before the end of the school day when possible. Any information regarding potential or confirmed Catastrophic fire danger days will be communicated to you by PAM, SMS and by Audiri.

Once confirmed, the decision to close will not change, even if the weather forecast changes.  This is to avoid confusion and help your family plan alternative care arrangements for your child/ren.  It is also important to be aware that:

• No one will be on site on days where the school is closed due to a forecast Catastrophic day.
• All bus routes that travel through the Catastrophic area will be cancelled.
• School camps will be cancelled if a Catastrophic fire danger rating day is forecast for fire weather district in which the camp is located, or if the travel involves passing through areas that have Catastrophic fire danger.

In addition, families are encouraged to action their Bushfire Survival Plan on Catastrophic fire danger rating days.  On such days, children should never be left at home alone or in the care of older children.

For those of us living in a bushfire prone area, the Country Fire Authority (CFA) advises that when Catastrophic days are forecast, the safest option is to leave the night before or early on the morning of the Catastrophic day.

What can families and the school community do to help us prepare?

• Ensure we have your current contact details, including your mobile phone numbers. 
• Keep in touch with us by reading our newsletters, checking PAM, and by talking to your child’s teacher or any other member of the teaching staff about our emergency management plan.
• Make sure your family’s bushfire survival plan is up-to-date and includes alternative care arrangements in the event that our school is learning from home due to elevated fire danger or closed due to a Catastrophic fire danger. Further information can be found on the CFA’s website.
• Action your family’s bushfire survival plan if your own triggers are met. Our school community may be spread out across many areas and some families may be at higher risk than others. Your family’s safety is critical, so please let us know if you are actioning your bushfire survival plan and if your children will be absent on these days.
• If your child is old enough, talk to them about bushfires and your family’s bushfire survival plan.

You can find more information on emergencies, warnings and preparedness actions here:

• VicEmergency app – that can be downloaded on your android and iOS mobile devices
• VicEmergency Hotline (1800 226 226)
• Website https://emergency.vic.gov.au

• Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/vicemergency)
• Twitter (https://twitter.com/vicemergency)

• ABC local radio, Sky News and other emergency broadcasters

Thunderstorm asthma

St Mary’s School reminds our wider community that grass pollen season brings an increased risk of asthma and hay fever.  

Thunderstorm asthma is thought to be triggered by a unique combination of high amounts of grass pollen in the air and a certain type of thunderstorm (typically between October and end December). It can result in people wheezing, feeling short of breath, and tight in the chest with coughing. This can be sudden, serious, and even life threatening. 

Anyone can be affected, even if they don’t have a history of asthma.  

If your child has current, past or undiagnosed asthma or seasonal hay fever they are at risk of thunderstorm asthma. Don't ignore symptoms like wheezing or shortness of breath.   

St Mary’s School encourages families to communicate any updated asthma action plans with staff. Our staff will monitor the Vic Emergency app to receive thunderstorm warnings, and, where appropriate, keep students indoors when weather forecasts identify a greater level of risk. 

Protect your family this pollen season 

For people with asthma or hay fever, especially those who wheeze and sneeze during spring, thunderstorm asthma can be sudden, serious and even life threatening. 

There are things you can do to prepare and protect yourself and those in your care: 

It’s important for everyone in the community to know the four steps of asthma first aid so they know what to do if they or someone is having an asthma attack.  

Avoid being outside during thunderstorms from October through December – especially in the wind gusts that come before the storm. Go inside and close your doors and windows. Turn off any air conditioner that brings outside air in (e.g. evaporative air conditioners).  

If your child has ever had asthma – talk to your doctor about what you can do to help protect them from the risk of thunderstorm asthma this pollen season, including updating their asthma action plan. Remember, taking an asthma preventer as prescribed is key to preventing asthma, including thunderstorm asthma.  

If your child has ever had hay fever – see your GP to make sure they don’t also have asthma and discuss how to stay safe during grass pollen season.   

Asthma reliever medication is available over the counter at pharmacies. Ideally, this should be used with a spacer, for both children and adults. If your child is needing to use their reliever medication more than usual, this may mean that their asthma management plan needs updating – see your GP and make sure that you communicate updated asthma action plans with your child’s school.  

Monitor the epidemic thunderstorm asthma risk forecast on the Vic Emergency thunderstorm asthma forecast webpage or download the VicEmergency app (App Store or Google Play) – you can set up a 'watch zone' for your location to receive advice and warnings about potential epidemic thunderstorm asthma events during the grass pollen season. 

Protect yourself and those in your care this pollen season – preventing and managing asthma matters. There are a range of videos for caregivers on the Asthma Australia website https://asthma.org.au/resources/videos 

Translated resources can be accessed at:

Community News

Child Safety

As partners in Catholic Education and open to God’s presence, we pursue the fullness of life for all.

St Mary’s School is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all students.

St Mary's School is a child safe school.