Newsletter Term 4, Week 8 2025

Nov 28

Written By Guest User

Wednesday 10 December - End of Year Mass and Concert

Friday 12 December - Year 6 Graduation

Monday 15 December- Step Up Day and Final Assembly

Dear Families, Students, Staff and Parish Community,

Welcome everyone to this week’s newsletter. I suggest you make yourself a beverage of choice as there is a lot of exciting information to share.

This year at St Margaret Mary’s has been one of growth, renewal with time given to pause, reflect, celebrate and plan ahead with clarity and hope.

SCHOOL REVIEW REPORT SUMMARY – IMPORTANT COMMUNITY INFORMATION

Alongside our daily learning and school life, we have been engaged in our four-yearly school review — a reflective process involving staff, students, families, Fr Samuel and MACS reviewers. It has been a valuable opportunity to celebrate our strengths and to plan with purpose for the years ahead.

A key affirmation from the review was the strength of our Catholic identity. Prayer, class Masses, liturgical celebrations and the Sacraments continue to shape the rhythm of our weeks, and we are grateful for Fr Samuel’s steady presence. Our children were recognised for their reverence, respect, and joyful participation in parish life.

The review also highlighted the calm, predictable evidenced-informed learning and teaching environments that optimise student learning and wellbeing growth. It also spotlighted the strong relationships our staff build with every child. Students shared that they feel safe, known and supported, and families described the school as welcoming, caring and community-centred.

Importantly, the review recognised significant academic growth across the school, particularly in literacy and numeracy. Over the past four years, NAPLAN and PAT results have shown clear improvement, with students demonstrating measurable growth and a strong majority achieving at or above expected standards. This reflects the dedication of our staff and our shared commitment to high-quality learning for every child.

Recently, we hosted our Parent Engagement Workshop with Tony Dalton, which was very well attended and extremely positive. Families appreciated the practical information and conversation starters that will support them as Australia prepares for the pending social media restrictions for children under 16. While there are no simple solutions, the evening helped families begin constructive conversations at home and offered helpful ideas to minimise conflict and strengthen parent–child agreements.

The Why, How and Result of our school Logo Update – Drum Roll please!

This year, every student from Foundation to Year 6 took part in rich learning about the charism of St Margaret Mary. Through art, symbolism, writing and discussion, the children explored what our school stands for and how we live our faith each day. Their ideas, along with insights from staff, parents and our wider community, guided the development of our refreshed school logo.

The upcoming building project, new Administration signage and the artist-led design work for our learning spaces also encouraged us to think about how we represent who we are: our Catholic identity, our history and our connection to Country.

Across all groups, the same themes emerged: the Heart, the Cross, the Stars, our history, our place in Spotswood and our respect for the Yalukit Willam people of the Boon Wurrung.

The Heart reflects St Margaret Mary and the values we nurture in our students: love, compassion and courage.

The Stars honour the Sisters of St Joseph and symbolise guidance, hope and the beauty of creation.

The Water Line connects us to the Yalukit Willam people (“river home / people of the river”) and reminds us of life-giving water in our faith story: baptism, renewal and our shared responsibility to care for the earth.

Together, these elements form a modern, balanced identity that honours our past and supports our future. Our new logo reflects the voices of our students, our Catholic story, our connection to Country and the exciting next chapter as we grow into our new learning spaces.

As we look ahead to 2026, I am pleased to share some exciting developments for our school.

Next year, we will have seven classes: Prep, Year 1, Year 2, two Year 3–4 classes, and two Year 5–6 classes. We have also invested in additional specialist staff to include Music for F-6. This is in response to significant interest in keyboard and guitar. Students in 2026 will now enjoy learning across five specialist subjects: AUSLAN, STEM, Art, Music and Performing Arts, and Physical Education.

We will continue to build on our successful Environments for Learning, with a strong commitment to evidence-informed teaching and learning. Our social-emotional learning programs and wellbeing initiatives will remain central to supporting each child’s growth. As always, Religion, Scripture, Prayer, Gospel Values and Catholic Social Teaching will be taught explicitly and additionally are woven through the daily life of our school.

In 2026 we will deepen our work with the Core Knowledge Curriculum, explicitly teaching subjects such as Geography, History and Science to build strong foundations of knowledge for all children.

Transition into 2026 began earlier this term, with thoughtful placement of students into classes and careful matching to teachers and support staff. Our Learning Enhancement teachers will continue to support student learning from Prep to Year 6—whether that is providing a boost, extension, or enrichment. These roles are responsive to student data, with teachers working shoulder-to-shoulder in classrooms as well as providing Tier 2 and Tier 3 support through small-group and one-to-one programs that align with classroom pedagogy and content. This includes the MiniLit, MaqLit, Learning Framework in Number, and wellbeing social groups.

We will continue to offer a variety of lunchtime clubs such as Chess, Art, Library, Technology and Dance, giving students opportunities to explore interests, connect with others and shine in different ways.

2026 is shaping up to be a wonderful year of learning, growth and opportunity. I look forward to sharing more with you as we continue preparing for a bright year ahead for our children and community.

Staff News

Last week I shared the blessed news of the healthy arrival of Chelsea and Kristian’s baby Oisin. I have added a photo of this strapping young fella! We look forward to meeting our new friend soon!

Laura Barbalaco has had a very special few weeks! She recently married the love of her life, Ash, and her beautiful wedding photo truly captures the joy, warmth and deep connection they share. We are absolutely delighted for them both.

Laura has also accepted a teaching position at Sacred Heart Newport for 2026. We congratulate her and wish her every blessing as she steps into this wonderful new chapter of her life—one filled with love, new beginnings and exciting opportunities ahead.

Thank you to “Issy’s Dad” Brett for spending the best part of his rostered day off to assemble our new bike rakes, fundraised through Zooper Doopers!

As we move through this beautiful season of Advent, we are invited as families to pause, notice the small moments of kindness around us, and prepare our hearts with hope and love for the coming of Christ at Christmas. It is a gentle reminder that our faith grows strongest when it is nurtured at home and celebrated together as a community.

Last Sunday’s annual Parish Forum and lunch was a wonderful example of this. I was honoured to share the many successes of our thriving parish schools—St Margaret Mary’s and Sacred Heart—and to recognise the strong partnership we share with Fr Samuel and the St Joseph’s Parish community. Our connection, collaboration and mutual support continue to enrich the learning, faith and wellbeing of all our children, families, staff and parishioners.

Thank you to all our families for supporting us with today’s student-free day. It was a productive and genuinely engaging day for our staff, and the time together was invaluable for handover between current teachers and the children’s new teachers for next year. We were able to set clear protocols, share important insights, and ensure everyone is well-prepared.
It was a great investment in setting our students—and our whole school—up for success in 2026.

Take Care,

Colleen McCambridge

Principal

cmccambridge@smmspotswood.catholic.edu.au

Community Reflections on Our New School Logo

As part of our logo refresh, we invited students, staff and families to share what the new design means to them. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, celebrating the symbols that honour our Catholic identity, our heritage and our place in Spotswood. These photos capture some of the thoughtful insights shared.

CLICK HERE FOR IMPORTANT DATES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR

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 9 at 2.45 pm. The students who earned an award in the past weeks are:

Week 8

Week 7

Around the Rooms

Foundation

The last two weeks in Prep have been jam-packed with learning, excitement, and wonderful experiences. We have enjoyed sharing our Prep Class Assembly with the school community, where students proudly presented their learning. Their enthusiasm and confidence were a joy to see, and it was a great reminder of how much they have grown already this year. We have also had a fantastic excursion to Scienceworks, where students had the best time exploring all the hands-on exhibits and discovering new ideas through play. Our mini workshop on coding and problem solving was especially popular, students worked in pairs to navigate challenges, test solutions, and communicate clearly, showing fantastic teamwork and perseverance.

In Faith Life, we have been focusing on ways our class can take meaningful action to support those in our community who are less fortunate. The students shared thoughtful ideas about how we can help others, showing real kindness and empathy. To put their ideas into action, Prep students have been working hard to create eye-catching posters for the upcoming Red Cross Food Drive, and they can’t wait for their designs to be displayed around the school.

In writing, we have been learning how to edit our work to make it even better. Students have been practising rereading their sentences, checking for capital letters and punctuation, and improving their ideas to make their writing clearer and more interesting. It has been wonderful to watch their confidence grow as they take on the role of young editors.

Overall, it has been a busy, exciting, and rewarding fortnight in Prep, and we are so proud of all the effort, enthusiasm, and joy the students bring to their learning each day.

Year 1

Over the past fortnight, 1 Green have been busy and enthusiastic learners! In Numeracy, we explored 3D shapes, and have now moved onto our final maths topic for the year, exploring new addition and subtraction strategies. In Literacy, we have been revising tricky trigraphs and applying them in our reading and writing. Our Faith Life learning has focused on how technology helps us in our everyday lives, as well as beginning our learning about Advent. We’ve also started preparing for our transition into Year 2, reflecting on how we’re feeling, what we’re excited about, and any worries we might have during our SEL sessions. The students have shown wonderful curiosity, confidence, and care during these lessons! We also hope you can join us on Monday afternoon for our Advent Liturgy, where the Year 1s and 2s will light the first candle of Advent, Hope.

Years 2

Over the past two weeks, Grade 2 students have been busy exploring a range of engaging learning experiences. In Mathematics, students completed a short unit on location. They created maps of 3D models and used legends and symbols to represent different items. They also practised directional language such as forwards, left, right, next to, across from, and beside to describe where objects were positioned on their maps.

In Literacy, students have been revising their tricky words and practising sentence dictation to strengthen their spelling and writing accuracy. During writing sessions, we have continued developing our persuasive writing skills. Students compared the characters, settings and problems in three Julia Donaldson stories and shared their opinions, providing reasons for which story they preferred.

In Faith Life, students have begun learning about Advent as a time of waiting and preparing for Christmas and the birth of Jesus. Grade 2 students created their own Advent paths to help them reflect on each week leading up to Christmas, along with short prayers and hopes for the people around them.

Our SEL lessons have focused on revisiting what makes strong and positive friendships. Students loved creating their own friendship chatterboxes—a fun and interactive way to share kind words and demonstrate their learning about how to be a good friend.

Years 3 and 4

Our 3/4 students have been busy crafting factual recounts, focusing on The First Landing on the Moon. They have enjoyed diving into the sequence of events, using timelines and key facts to write clear, engaging pieces that reflect this important moment in history.

In Religion, we have begun exploring the Bible stories that lead us into Advent, using the Jesse Tree to learn about the people and events that prepare the way for Jesus. Students have shown wonderful curiosity as we make connections between these stories and the season of Advent.

Inquiry has been full of excitement as students continue experimenting with Sphero robotics, driving them through mazes and problem-solving their way through different challenges. We have also explored the basics of coding and animation using Scratch, with students creating imaginative characters and short animations.

A highlight this fortnight has been spending time with our Prep Buddies. Students wrote thoughtful letters to introduce themselves, then had the chance to meet their buddies in person and work together on a fun craft activity. It was a lovely opportunity for our older students to show leadership, kindness, and care.

Year 5/6

SEL- Collaboration Skills

Over the last couple of weeks in SEL, our focus has been on teamwork and collaboration. Students explored what makes a good team member and discussed ways to communicate effectively with others.

Mr Zav, our student teacher, led an exciting team-building challenge where groups were given limited materials and time to design and build a structure strong enough to hold the weight of books. Students were placed in mixed teams with peers from different classes, encouraging them to work with new people, share ideas, and solve problems together.

It was fantastic to see every group demonstrating persistence, creativity, and cooperation as they planned, built, and tested their designs!

Writing- Podcasts.

Students have been busy writing and recording podcasts during our Literacy sessions. Each group of students was randomly assigned a topic. They had to research, plan, and write their own scripts following the format of a typical podcast. Students practised their presentation skills by refining their pacing, clarity, expression, and teamwork before moving into the recording phase.

Using CapCut, students recorded and edited their podcasts, adding music, sound effects, and creative touches to bring their ideas to life.

Scan the QR codes below to take a listen to some of the students' podcasts.

Altar Server Training Continues

Well done to our Altar Servers who have continued their training this week. Students have now been shown all the steps and will continue to practise to feel confident. Special mention to Rex for using his new skills to alter serve at mass on the weekend. Well done Rex!

Help the Salvos- Bags of Hope

2026 Start-of-Year Assessment & Transition Sessions - “Setting Every Child Up for Success”

Dear Families,

As we prepare for the beginning of the 2026 school year, we will again be running our Start-of-Year Assessment & Transition Sessions for all students. These sessions have proven to be a highly effective way to set each child up for success, ensure a smooth beginning to the year, and strengthen the partnership between home and school.

Bookings for these sessions will open next week.
A timetable will be sent to all families before the end of term so you can select a suitable timeslot.

Additional Meeting Times for Students With Identified Needs

For families who participated in a Program Support Group (PSG) meeting toward the end of this year, we will also be in contact to confirm additional transition meeting times.
These sessions allow us to:

Build continuity in adjustments and supports
Ensure all goals and strategies discussed in the PSG are carried forward
Provide extra time to plan for students who require more targeted transition support

You will receive a separate communication to arrange these additional meetings.

Why we do this – the purpose

Starting the year with a dedicated transition session and assessment procedure allows us to:

Build strong relationships from day one – your child meets their new teacher individually in a calm, supportive environment.
Understand your child deeply – we gather important insights from you about your child’s strengths, needs, aspirations, learning style, and wellbeing.
Assess where each child is currently working – teachers spend time 1:1 with your child to gain an early snapshot of their literacy, numeracy, and learning behaviours.
Ensure students feel safe, known and ready – children begin the school year already connected to their teacher and familiar with their new space.
Support wellbeing and reduce first-day anxiety – many children find new starts overwhelming; this process significantly eases that transition.

These sessions are central to establishing the predictable, supportive, high-quality start that every learner deserves.

What the session looks like

Each transition booking includes:

A 10-minute Parent/Guardian Conversation

This is an opportunity for you to meet your child’s 2026 teacher and share important information, such as:

your child’s interests, strengths and learning preferences
any concerns, supports, or goals for the year
aspirations you have for their learning and wellbeing
anything that will help us create a positive and successful start

This short, focused conversation ensures the teacher hears directly from you, understands your child as an individual, and can begin building a strong relationship with your family from the very beginning.

A 20-minute 1:1 session with the new teacher and a 30-minute follow up with another staff member

Your child will complete a small number of warm-up learning activities so the teacher can gain an early sense of their literacy and numeracy skills. This allows us to gather shared insights and ensure all adults working with your child have a consistent understanding of how to best support them.

Parents and guardians do not need to stay after the initial handover conversation.

When this will occur

Wednesday 28th January, 2026
Thursday 29th January, 2026
Booking schedule released next week

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the school office.

Warm regards,
Paul Smith
Deputy Principal / Director of Inclusive Learning & Teaching

St Margaret Mary’s Catholic Primary School

BYO Chromebooks for 2026- Closing SOON!

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. Order now to avoid delay.

https://smm.orderportal.com.au/

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: