We have certainly hit Winter this week! The days and the mornings are now getting colder. All students should now be wearing the full winter uniform. Thank you to families who have provided feedback on the school uniform. The survey will be open until Friday 13 June. 

Congratulations to Declan, Andre, Rayne, and Byron who represented our school at the Cross Country in Sydney on Wednesday. Competing at this level is a fantastic achievement, and we are incredibly proud of their effort, determination, and team spirit. What a great experience to be part of such a competitive event. Well done to everyone.

We’re also excited to share that our new representative running singlets have arrived! They look excellent on the students and will be a great addition to our representative sport uniform. We look forward to seeing them worn at future events.

Teaching and Learning

At St Mary’s, we pride ourselves on delivering an excellent curriculum that meets the diverse needs of our students and prepares them for lifelong learning. We are deeply committed to creating a learning environment where every student can thrive, and we believe that every child can learn and grow with the right support.

To ensure our teaching is current, evidence-based, and engaging, our teachers are continuously supported through high-quality professional learning and access to rich curriculum resources. We are committed to investing in our teaching team so that all students benefit from outstanding learning experiences.

Our approach to teaching and learning is both practical and research-informed, ensuring that what we do in the classroom makes a meaningful difference. We focus on three key priorities to continuously strengthen our practice:

1. Improving the quality of curriculum resources available to teachers
2. Delivering high-quality professional learning opportunities for all staff
3. Implementing strong assessment protocols to inform teaching and support every learner

At St Mary’s, we believe that learning is innate, ongoing, and fundamental to being human. Each child brings their own unique cultural, emotional, spiritual, and social experiences into the classroom. It is our responsibility to engage, challenge, affirm, and support the development of the whole child.

We are especially proud of the support we provide to students who experience challenges in reading and writing. St Mary’s uses a range of high-quality literacy intervention programs to assist students with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) and Specific Language Disorder (SLD). These programs are carefully selected to ensure that all students have access to the learning tools they need to succeed.

Our Classroom Support Team, led by Mrs Jessie White, works alongside teachers to provide targeted assistance in the classroom. This includes working with the whole class, small groups, or individual students, depending on their needs. Support is guided by each student’s Personal Plan and is delivered through a team-based approach that includes collaboration with families, teachers, and external specialists.

Our Classroom Support Assistants are highly skilled and exceptional at what they do. Their care, professionalism, and commitment to student learning make a significant difference in the lives of our students each day.

Our team consists of:

• Mrs Jessie White – Classroom Support Coordinator
• Mrs Janet Ryan
• Mrs Shellie Butler
• Mrs Brooke Connaughton
• Ms Afton Haultain
• Mrs Nikita Alves
• Mr Dominic Ziino
• Mrs Cathy Smith
• Mrs Hanna Llyod
• Mrs Michelle Zutt

Each member of our Classroom Support Team brings a wealth of experience. Whether working with individual students, small groups, or the whole class, they play a vital role in helping every child access learning and achieve success. We are grateful for the dedication and care they bring to our school community.

NSW Health influenza vaccination campaign
The NSW Health influenza vaccination campaign aims to raise awareness of the importance of flu vaccination during winter and help increase uptake of the flu vaccine in NSW, particularly for people who are at risk. Please see below the vaccination booking link and resources on the NSW Health website.

Links: Book your flu vaccination

2025 Respiratory illness campaign resources 

Healthy Eating Active Living campaign
NSW Health’s Healthy Eating Active Living campaign aims to provide budget-friendly and accessible ways for families to develop healthy habits.
Healthy Eating Active Living - Getting healthy starts with small steps 

Call Healthdirect 1800 022 222
Call Healthdirect is a NSW Health service that provides families with free, easy access to health advice, care and treatment for non-life-threatening conditions. NSW Health is running an awareness campaign to promote the use of this service.
Call healthdirect
Save the Healthdirect number now - get instant health advice and treatment when winter illness strikes

Blessings on the week ahead.

Warm regards
Jo

Johanna Wain
Principal