Newsletter Term 4, Week 6 2025
Monday 17 November- Prep Assembly- 2.30
Friday 28 November - School Closure
Wednesday 10 December - End of Year Mass and Concert
Dear Families, Students, Staff and Parish Community,
Welcome to our Week 6 newsletter. As we near the end of the liturgical year, the Church reminds us of God’s continual work of renewal and growth in our lives.
We welcome Emily Santillo to our school office. We also welcome Julia Foott to our leadership team. Over the last few newsletters we will share new staff introductions as we confirm our reputation as a welcoming community.
Important Senior School and secondary siblings invitation
Parenting in the age of social media is incredibly complex, and our children are at a pivotal stage where we can still help shape the protective inner voice that will guide them through their teenage years. Every opportunity to offer them practical “go-to” strategies—especially when something feels uncomfortable or not quite right—matters.
Navigating social media and online behaviour is one of the growing challenges facing families today. At St Margaret Mary’s, we are committed to supporting children and parents through this space by teaching protective strategies, fostering strong values, and engaging leading experts. This term, we are partnering with family-engagement specialist Tony Dalton to offer a practical Family Cyber Safety Workshop for our Year 5 and 6 students and their parents or guardians. The session will help families understand upcoming changes to social media laws and work together on safe and healthy online habits.
Families with older children are welcome to attend; please contact the office to register. Year 5 and 6 students will benefit most when accompanied by a parent or guardian. Operoo for year 5 / 6 parents will contain full details and session times.
School Review and Community Update
This feels especially fitting as we recently completed our 2025 School Review — a valuable opportunity to reflect on our journey and celebrate the progress of our community.
The review affirmed what we know to be true at St Margaret Mary’s: we are a faith-centred, inclusive and nurturing school where every child is known, safe and supported to flourish. Students spoke proudly of their teachers, with one sharing, “My teacher knows me and knows what makes me special,” and others expressing similar feelings of being known and cared for.
Staff feedback was equally heartening. Teachers shared that they feel confident in their practice, supported by approachable leadership, and encouraged through genuine opportunities to grow and celebrate their teaching craft.
Our work continues to align with the MACS Vision for Instruction 2030, the Vision for Engagement and the Classroom Mastery framework as we strengthen calm, purposeful classrooms and learning environments that help every child to thrive.
Teachers are now finalising student reports, and preparations for our end-of-year celebrations are well underway. Please keep an eye on Operoo and Seesaw for updates on upcoming events.
Baby News!
We are also delighted to share some joyful news with our community — the arrival of Baby MacGill! Congratulations to Chelsea and her husband Kristian on the safe arrival of their beautiful baby. We wish them every blessing as they begin this wonderful new chapter together, and we pray that their home is filled with love, laughter and grace in the weeks ahead.
New School Logo
Children have also been contributing creative ideas for our new school logo, which have been shared with the graphic designers alongside their interpretations of our St Margaret Mary’s values, symbols and stories. Teachers were invited to nominate three key elements they believe should be reflected in the new logo, with a focus on honouring our past, our Charism, and our strong sense of community here in Spotswood.
Parents and carers have received a short survey inviting you to share three key thoughts, concepts or elements you would like considered as part of our new school logo design. Please note that our school colours and uniform will remain the same, and the new logo will respectfully evolve from, and connect with, our current one. We will close this opportunity on November 20th.
As we move toward Advent, may we continue to recognise God’s grace in the growth of our children, our staff and our community. Thank you, as always for your support, trust and contributions.
Take Care,
Colleen McCambridge
Principal
A Heartfelt Thank You to Our FSG
We would like to extend our deepest thanks to our amazing Fundraising Support Group and to all of our families for your generosity, energy, and ongoing commitment to our school. Your support has made an incredible difference this year, and we are truly grateful.
Because of your hard work and the contributions of our community, we have been able to provide our students with a range of wonderful new resources and upgrades — from books and STEM equipment to a new projector and screen with new blinds, playground improvements, and even new bike racks. Each of these additions enriches the learning and play experiences of our students every day.
Thank you for everything you do. Our school is a better place because of the time, care, and dedication you give so generously. Together, we are creating opportunities that our students will benefit from for years to come.
Welcome to SMM
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 will be handed out at our next assembly in week 7 at 2.30 pm. The students who earned an award in the past weeks are:
Week 6
Week 5
Around the Rooms
Foundation
Over the past two weeks in Prep, we have been busy exploring a range of exciting learning experiences. In Maths, we have been learning about data and money. The children have loved playing shops, identifying and sorting Australian coins and notes, and taking turns being shopkeepers and customers. During our data lessons, students have been learning how to ask yes or no questions and analyse their results to discover what is the most and least popular choice. In Writing, we have been delving deeper into recounts and recently wrote about our long weekend. The students thoroughly enjoyed this activity, especially as families sent in photos from their weekend adventures, giving them wonderful visual prompts to support their writing. We also took time to reflect on Remembrance Day, joining our buddies to discuss its significance and why we take time to remember. Together, the children created meaningful artwork to commemorate the occasion. It has been a fantastic fortnight of learning, creativity, and reflection in Prep!
Girls inside the house and boys outside the house.
Year 1
It has been another busy and exciting fortnight in Year 1! In Literacy, we have been reviewing our sounds and exploring how to use adjectives to make writing more descriptive. In Numeracy, we have begun learning about 2D shapes, identifying their features and noticing them in our environment. During SEL, we have focused on understanding bullying, learning how to recognise it, what to do if it happens, and how to be kind and supportive classmates. In Faith Life, we have continued exploring how technology helps us in the 21st century, including creating stop motion videos. We also spent time designing a new school logo and observing Remembrance Day, learning about its importance and the ways we can show respect and gratitude.
Years 2
This fortnight, Grade 2 students have completed a storybook called The 27th Annual African Hippopotamus Race. We explored interesting and new vocabulary, monitored our understanding, asked questions while reading, and applied the comprehension strategies we have been learning throughout the year. It has been a great opportunity to practise these skills as we followed the adventures of Edward in the Zamboola River — and finally discovered who the winner was!
In Mathematics, we have wrapped up a short unit on data. Students surveyed their peers and tallied results, then converted this data into picture graphs, column graphs and bar charts. We also evaluated data sets and compared different representations of information.
In Faith Life, we have continued our learning about technology and how it can be used in innovative and creative ways. Students have been working hard on our “Bible News” segment, acting in front of the green screen and beginning the editing process to create our final cut!
Years 3 and 4
Over the past few weeks, our 3/4 students have been busy with some exciting learning and community experiences. We recently took part in the Emmanuel College Soccer Fun Day, where students spent the day competing in friendly soccer tournaments, meeting peers from neighbouring schools, and enjoying a well-earned sausage sizzle. Our students showed fantastic energy and sportsmanship throughout the day. A special congratulations to Mia, who was selected by the referees for her outstanding effort, enthusiasm, and impressive soccer skills—well done, Mia! Meanwhile, back at school, 3/4 have launched their new Digital Technologies unit, exploring how to program and navigate our robotic Spheros. The students are already buzzing with ideas, and we can’t wait to see what they create with these amazing little robots!
Year 5/6 - Our Micro: bit Music Project
This term in Digital Technologies, we’ve been learning all about Micro: bits tiny computers that we can program to do cool things! We began by exploring how they function and what the various buttons, lights, and sensors can do.
Using MakeCode, we’ve written our own code to make a step counter, a rock–paper–scissors game, and even a Magic 8 Ball that gives random answers! It’s been fun to test our programs and see how a few lines of code can make something come to life.
Now we’re working on a big project: creating our very own Micro: bit musical instrument. We’re working in groups across both classes to design, build, and code an instrument that can play a short song. It’s been challenging but really exciting, especially when we get our code to work just right!
We can’t wait to share our final performances and show everyone how our Micro :bits can make music!
Annual Parish Forum & Lunch - Sunday, 23 November
Parish and school partnerships are important in strengthening the faith community by uniting families, educators and parishioners in a shared mission of Catholic education and spiritual growth. These partnerships nurture a sense of belonging and ensure that faith is lived and celebrated both within the school and the wider parish community.
Our Annual Parish Forum for 2025 will be held on Sunday, 23rd November following 10 am Mass at Sacred Heart. The forum is an opportunity to learn more about what has been happening this year in strengthening the relationship between St Margaret Mary's school and the parish of St Joseph's.
As in previous years, we will hold the forum straight after Mass in the church before heading to the Sacred Heart school hall for a shared lunch. All families are invited to join us.
Remembrance Day Prayers
Our Year 2 students spent time on Remembrance Day writing thoughtful prayers to honour and thank those who have made great sacrifices for our country. Their words reflected gratitude, respect, and a deep appreciation for the courage shown by so many.
Year 6 Graduation- Friday, December 12th
Our Year 6 Graduation will be held on Friday, December 12th, as we come together to celebrate our graduating students and their wonderful years at St Margaret Mary’s.
The evening will begin with a Graduation Mass at 5.30 pm, followed by a celebration at the Spotswood RSL at approximately 6.30 pm.
The event will include:
Finger food and cake
A DJ and dancing
Special gifts for our graduates
Drinks will be available at bar prices.
🎟️ Ticket via the QR code and SMM Graduation 2025
Please book early so we can finalise catering and arrangements.
We look forward to celebrating this special milestone with our Year 6 students and their families as they prepare for the next exciting chapter of their learning journey.
BYO Chromebooks for 2026
Below is important information for our Year 2 families regarding the Chromebook program, which will begin next year as the students move into Year 3.
Safe Travel Reminder
A neighbour has kindly reached out to let us know that there have been a few close calls involving fast cycling on the footpath near our school. To help keep everyone in our community safe, we ask that families please:
Ensure adults cycle on the road, not the footpath
Ride cautiously around cars and driveways
Avoid parking across driveways or stopping in no-standing zones
Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our school neighbourhood safe for all.
School Holiday Programs
Emmanuel College Latest News
Year 7, 2027 Enrolments
A reminder that applications for Year 7, 2027 closed on 15 August. Letters of Offer and
waitlist notifications were emailed to families on Friday 17 October 2025.
If you have a child currently in Year 5 and haven’t applied yet, please get in touch with our
College Registrar, Ms Donna Grech as soon as possible, on 8325 5100.
Yours sincerely,
Jenny Hendricks
Community Engagement Officer
St Marys College Twilight Talk & Tour: A Celebration of Creativity and Innovation
Join us for a Twilight Talk and Tour —A tour of our campus along with an inspiring evening showcasing the exceptional talents of our Visual Arts and Design Technology students.
As the sun sets, the campus will come alive with colour, creativity, and conversation. You are invited to wander through our Visual Arts exhibition, where paintings and drawings reveal the imagination and skill nurtured in our classrooms.
Our Design and Technology studios will also be open, featuring an impressive range of student projects.
Christmas Carols will be performed by our Music students to round out our creative evening.
Use the link below to secure your place at this exciting evening.
https://www.stmaryscollege.vic.edu.au/enrolments/college-tours
Date: Thursday 27th November
Time: 5:30-7:00pm
Location: St Mary’s College 11 Westbury St, East St Kilda.
