Dear Parents and Carers, 

A big congratulations to our Mini Vinnies and Kitchen Garden Team for a wonderful Soup-er Hero Day on Wednesday. So many of our students and staff enjoyed delicious pumpkin or chicken noodle soup in our own Mini Vinnies Cafe on the lawns. The service was excellent and the kitchen team were busy ensuring the many customers were fed. Thanks to Anneliese Robinson and Jodi Donnelly for the homemade soup and bread, these people lead the way in modelling service to the community. A big thanks to our students for bringing a gold coin donation and many cans of soup for the St Vincent de Paul’s Winter Appeal, such an integral part of our Catholic faith to help those in need. 

Next week, we will be welcoming a panel of external educational professionals to our school to meet with us to continue a process of reflection and planning the next course for our St Mary’s. I thank the families who have contributed to this Cyclic Improvement Inquiry by completing surveys or offering to be interviewed by the panel during the process. The feedback from parents in the Tell Them From Me Survey indicated that our parents feel very welcome in the school. That parents feel their children feel included and safe at school, with incidents of bullying among the lowest reported rates within the Diocese of Wollongong. 92% of families surveyed see our school as identifying clearly as a Catholic School, which is very important to us. It is extremely helpful to have this feedback to guide our planning process, we look forward to sharing recommendations of the panel with you in the future. 

In recent weeks I have had several concerning incidents reported regarding behaviour on school buses, we have been working in partnership with Milton Public School and the bus companies to ensure that the Code of Conduct for all students whilst traveling is followed. We have the further complication of student devices being shared or used on buses without adult supervision. All students have a right to travel on the bus safely and without harassment from other passengers. The Code of Conduct can be found on this link Student Code of Conduct, please speak with your child about these expectations to keep everyone safe and happy. A big thanks to our local bus drivers who do an outstanding job of getting our children to and from school safely each day. 

With the windy cold weather, thanks to parents who are ensuring that their children are dressed for the cold weather and in school uniform. We are always happy to help with the tying of school ties, which look smart and keep necks warm during the day. Please check that your child is wearing their uniform with pride, it instills a sense of belonging and pride to wear our team colours! 

Yours in Partnership,
Laurinda Nelson