Dear St. Mary's Primary School Community,

As we continue to focus on creating a positive and nurturing environment for all students, it’s essential that we all share in the responsibility of maintaining our school-wide expectations. Our guiding principles—Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be a Learner—help set the tone for a supportive learning environment where everyone can thrive. These expectations apply inside the classroom and extend to all aspects of school life, including drop-off and pick-up times, uniform standards, and overall behaviour.

School Safety: Drop-Off and Pick-Up

Ensuring the safety of our students is our top priority, especially during drop-off and pick-up times. Please remember the following safety rules:

• Be Safe at School Crossings: Always use designated pedestrian crossings when walking to or from school. We have staff in place to help keep students safe, and we ask that both parents and students remain attentive and follow their directions at all times.
• Drop-Off and Pick-Up Procedures: For the safety of everyone, please ensure that you drop off and pick up students in the designated areas. Do not double-park. Let’s work together to keep the traffic flowing smoothly.

School Uniform and Sun Safety

At St. Mary's Primary School, we take pride in our uniform, as it reflects a sense of belonging and unity. It is important that all students wear the correct school uniform each day. Please ensure your child wears the appropriate attire, including shoes, socks, and hats.

As we are experiencing warmer weather, we’d like to remind all students to wear their school hat during outdoor activities. Hats are essential to our sun safety policy, as they protect against harmful UV rays. Please ensure your child has a hat each day and is correctly labelled with their name.

School Phones and Sign-In/Out Procedures

For the safety and well-being of our students, we ask that all parents follow our sign-in and sign-out procedures when visiting the school. If you need to pick up your child early or sign them in after an absence, please go to the Admin Office, where a staff member will assist you.

Additionally, we would like to remind everyone about the school phone policy. Students are not permitted to use their personal phones during school hours. A phone policy document will be sent home with your child for parents to review, sign, and return. We appreciate your cooperation in ensuring that phones are used responsibly and in accordance with school guidelines.

A Strong Partnership

As we work to uphold these expectations, we thank you for your continued partnership. Together, we can create a safe, respectful, and responsible environment for all students, where everyone is empowered to be their best learners.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact the school office.

Maria

Dear Lord,

Please help me stay calm, patient and kind.

Please help me be my personal best.

Please stop me from taking on blame for things beyond my control or putting that blame in someone else.

Give me grace under fire, strength when I am weary, courage when I'm scared.

Grant me the ability to be in touch with the love that lives in my soul, so I may feel it for myself and spread it to those who need it.

Let me be grateful beyond measure for this day I have been granted so that I can make it the best of days.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

TERM 1 2025

February

March 2025

April

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS

Happy Birthday to Mila Tillack, who celebrates her birthday on 28th February.

We hope you have a wonderful day. 

SCHOOL NEWSLETTERS & INFORMATION

A primary source of communication between home and school is our weekly newsletter. This will be sent home with students and emailed every fortnight on a Friday. The newsletter is also available on our school website. https://www.stmyarram.catholic.edu.au/

All school information, updates and news are sent home on Class Dojo. 

Calendar events are also updated on our website: St. Mary's Calendar

Our students made a loveable new giraffe friend, who taught them some valuable lessons about being healthy.

World of Maths, a unique traveling maths show visited our school this week. The children participated in fun, colourful, hands-on, mathematical problem solving activities discovered that maths can be fun.

Parent/Teacher/Student interviews will be held from 1:45 - 7:00 pm on  Tuesday, 25th February. 

To Book your meeting, Go to:

http://www.schoolinterviews.com.au/code/yq5xw

Or open this link in your browser: www.schoolinterviews.com.au

and enter the code yq5xw

Or scan the QR Code below

Enter your details

Select the teachers you wish to see

Select the appointment times that suit your family best

When you click FINISH your selected bookings will be emailed to you immediately. If you do not receive your email, please check your junk mail, or enter the event code again and check your email address spelling.

Update your details if the email address is incorrect.
DO NOT DELETE the email you receive. Keep it somewhere safe. You may
need to refer back to it at a later date.

REMEMBER TO ADD YOUR APPOINTMENTS TO YOUR CALENDAR - reminders will not
be sent home.
Bookings must be finalised by Tuesday, 18th February

If you need to view, cancel, change or print your bookings:
● Click on the link in the confirmation email you received after you made your bookings
● OR return to www.schoolinterviews.com.au and enter the code and the email address you used when making your bookings.

Please keep in mind that interviews are strictly 10 minutes and spaces are limited. If you require more time with a particular teacher, please arrange a separate meeting by telephoning the school on 03 51825659

Well done to all our students who competed in the Wellington Division Swimming Carnival. We are so poud of you for doing so well and for your wonderful sportsmanship.  Congratulations to all our students who won.

ST. MARY’S EASTER RAFFLE

St. Mary’s will be holding an Easter raffle this year and are kindly asking families for an Easter egg or Easter item donation to be used in the raffles. This is a great fundraiser for our school. Donations can be brought to the school office.

Tickets will be $1.00 each, a book of 20 tickets will be sent home next week, if you would like more tickets, pleas elet the shcool know.

Please return all tickets (sold or unsold) to the school office by Monday 24^th March.

The Raffle will be drawn on Thursday, 3rd April.

HOT LUNCH FRIDAYS!

School canteen lunches are every Friday. All lunch orders are to be in by 9:00 on Friday morning. The price list is the same as 2023, please see below for details:

Hot Lunches - Price List 2023

Instructions on placing an order

Please contact the school office if you would like a price list sent home. 

CLASS DOJO

Class Dojo is a school communication platform that teachers, students, and families use every day to build close-knit communities by sharing what’s being learned in the classroom home through photos, videos, and messages.

Invitations will be sent to parents of each classroom via Email in the next few days. 

Click on the link below for instructions on how to set up your CLASS DOJO account:

Class Dojo Setup Resources

Buses are available to and from school to various locations within the shire. If you would like to organise for your child to travel by bus, please fill out the following form if you have not already done so.

Application to travel on a bus

Casual bus passes (for an occasional day) can be organised by filling out a pass at least 24 hours before you want your child to travel. These forms are available on request, at the school office.

Please make a note of our class bell times for 2025.

SCHOOL FEES SCHEDULE 2025

Dear Parents and Families,

All fees and levies for the entire school year will be invoiced in February. Fees are to be paid in full by the end of Term 3. Alternatively, you can pay in equal instalments over 12 months from January to December.

Family Fee Assistance Scheme

All families in which the fee payer holds an eligible health care card or pensioner concession card are eligible to apply for the Family Fee Assistance Scheme. 

This allows for a significant reduction in your school fees. Application forms are available from the school office or click on the following link: School Fees Concession Application

For more information about concessions, please contact the school.

CSEF Assistance
This is a government assistance scheme for families with an eligible Health Care Card. Applications are available at the office or click on the following link: 

CSEF Application Form 2025

Conveyance Allowance
Victorian Conveyance Allowance is available for children who reside in Victoria and are more than 4.8 kilometres from the nearest free school bus service. Please call the office to complete an application form.

Terms of Payment for School Fees Accounts
Fees can be paid in one lump sum, by term, monthly, fortnightly or weekly. At the beginning of the year, you are asked to nominate a payment frequency eg. Weekly, fortnightly, or per term. If no payment mode is nominated it will be presumed that you will pay by the end of Term 3,  Friday, September 20th 205

There are numerous options available to pay your school fee account. Money can be received via:

• Cash, Cheque or Credit Card at school office
• Direct Debit payments to our account from your bank - direct Debit Authorisation forms are available here:

Direct_Debit_Authorisaiton_Form_2024.pdf

• Centrepay-Centrelink can deduct school fee payments before paying via your Centrelink.

Application forms are available at the school office or click on the following link:Centrepay Deduction Authority

We would ask that you consider all the payment options available to you and make a commitment to one of them. 

2025 SCHOOL FEES

Fees per Family (per annum)  

Family fee - $1170

Capital fee -$ 180

Fees per Student (per annum) 

Tuition Fee - $180.00
Swimming - $80.00
Excursion - $80.00                         

Camp Fees per Student

Year 3 & 4, Forest Lodge - $500 ($350 Camp fees + $150 food component)

Year 5 & 6, Sovereign Hill - $500 ($350 Camp fees + $150 food component)

Additional Fees  

Sacramental Program
$25.00 per student

This fee is for Catholic children who participate in the Sacraments.


Please contact Debbie at the school office if you would like to set up a payment plan for 2025 school fees. For families who already have one in place, this will continue for this year. 

Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays- Summer Uniform 

Girls Summer Uniform:

• Blue check dress
• Short white socks 
• Grey Skorts
• White short-sleeved polo shirt with emblem
• Royal blue school jumper
• Black leather school shoes
• Blue/white or grey ribbons

Boys Summer Uniform :

• Grey school shorts
• White short-sleeved polo shirt with emblem
• Blue school jumper
• Grey socks, black leather school shoes or boots

Tuesdays & Fridays —Sports Uniform

Girls Sports Uniform:

• Royal blue track pants/ shorts or sports skorts
• Royal blue sports polo with emblem
• Royal blue sports jacket or polo fleece jumper
• White socks
• Sneakers

Boys Sports Uniform:

• Royal blue track pants or shorts
• Royal blue sports polo with emblem
• Royal blue sports jacket or polo fleece jumper 
• White socks
• Sneakers

School Hats must be worn at recess and lunch times in Term 1. 

Sneakers are only to be worn with sports uniform on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Grade 6 Students may wear their Grade 6 Polo on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

Uniform price lists are available at the school office.