Dear Parents and Carers

As we see the close of the 2020 school year on Tuesday, I share with you my Principal’s address from today’s whole School Presentation.

 “Today we have celebrated many, many students who have been our shining ‘Stars of the Sea’ in so many ways this year. I know there are so many things you have achieved each day, this year, they won’t get a certificate for them, just the satisfaction that you have tried your best and made your family, your teachers and most importantly yourself proud.  

This year has been a challenging one for all of us. It is an achievement just to be here with big smiles on your faces after surviving the bushfires, COVID and remote learning this year, you are all champions. I want to thank you for trying to do your best and for not giving up, even when it was hard. I want you to know that I notice the children in our school, going about their day quietly, trying to do their best, trying all the time to make the lives of other people better. This is what makes St Mary’s such a special place, it is you, the students, the parents, the staff. I want to say thank you for everything that you have done to make our St Mary’s community so welcoming and such a special place to be during 2020 particularly.  

We have so much to be grateful for as 2020 comes to a close: 

I am grateful for the heroes that protect our community and our school, the firies, the SES, the police who risk their lives to keep everybody safe. Without these people this year we would not be sitting in this hall together.Thank you. Thank you! 

I am grateful for teachers and support staff who quickly learnt how to teach you, zooming in, making videos so you could keep learning. I am grateful for special Easter bunnies who delivered eggs to you in your homes when you couldn’t come to school. We are so blessed to have such wonderful people in our school challenging you and helping you to learn. Thank you for what you do for our children everyday. 

I am grateful for Mrs Valentini, who helps me look after our whole school everyday. Organising, helping children, being kind. Thank you Mrs Valentini we are so lucky to have you. 

I am grateful that this year we had extra time with our families during remote learning, some time to slow down and just be. I am grateful for the mums and dads, aunties and uncles who work in our hospitals who did their best to serve their community even when it was a bit scary and all very uncertain. I am so grateful for our families, your beautiful mums and dads who kept you safe during the fires and COVID. Lots of our families found it very tricky to run their businesses but they didn’t give up, they thought ‘How can we do this differently?’ they did that for you. Thank you!

I am grateful for our P and F who didn’t give up this year, they just tried harder: they brought fun and they raised our spirits and money for our school. They welcomed our new families. Let’s think: they opened our canteen, organised plays in the park after the fires, had a ‘rising from the ashes’ stall, they ran a ‘drive in’ mothers’ day stall, a ‘walk-up father’s day stall’, a dragon days premiere pack, and of course the best colour run ever! 

There are so many people I could thank today, but there is one person who really is a part of the heart of St Mary’s and has been for the past 8 years, that person is Mr Simon Kinch. There is no one quite like our Mr Kinch, he is famous for his amazing beard and his gift of song to lift our hearts, and sometimes make us cry ...but in a good way. He is funny and tells lots of dad jokes, he is famous for dressing up ...who could forget his Mr Twit attire complete with the sardine in his beard. Mr Kinch is a man of great courage and integrity, he is always trying to make things better for everyone else. Mr Kinch led the charge when the fires came, he rallied his community, our community...then fed the homeless and stranded travelers on the road. His actions match his words, he is truly a good man. We thank his lovely boys Toby, Hamish, Henry and Owen for sharing their dad with us for so long. We particularly thank his wife Kate for agreeing to Simon staying on for just a few years to walk with us all. I personally thank you Simon, for your friendship, your strong and inspiring faith in our God and your undying belief and love for our little school.   Simon you will be so dearly missed. 

I am grateful for our Year 6 students who have tried their best all year even when it wasn’t the year that they thought it would be in Year 6. You guys have done an amazing job and we will miss you all. I am grateful to our present school captains and vice-captains for their service and leadership during such a challenging year,  

 I am also grateful also that we had so many students who were brave enough to put themselves forward to be considered for student leaders in 2021. My last important task today is to announce the students who have been noticed for their leadership and kindness in our school. We congratulate the following student leaders for 2021 :  

 Environmental Leaders: Freya A. Kristian P, Summer G, Charlize D

Technology Leaders: Ben W, Eliza S, Jack C, Ezekiel L

Library Leaders: Lucy A, Faith S, Keilley P

House Captains: 

Fitzroy: Molly K, Luke W

Penola: Rylan B , Isabelle S

Marian: Audrey S, Zac D

MacKillop: Frankie N, Lillie P

Vice Captains: Zara C, David K

School Captains: Tess W, Xavier B

An enormous thank you to our school community for their support and for trusting us with your children this year. We wish you the peace and joy of a holy happy Christmas with family and friends and pray that we all return safely for another wonderful year in 2021. 

Yours in partnership

Laurinda Nelson

Jacob DG, Leeyana M, Zac D, Luke W, Jemima C, Aska P, Eli D, Faith S, Molly K, Ella R, Delphi SH, Freya A, Lachlan W, Torin D, Maeham V, Kylah L.