Dear Families

Hello and a warm welcome back to Term 3. Despite the wild weather, it was lovely to see all our students return this week with big smiles on their faces. We hope that everyone enjoyed their holiday break and found some time to connect as a family and share some special times. We are looking forward to a busy term with lots of learning, laughter and fun.

A Special Welcome to Our New Families

To all our new Reception students and those joining across other year levels—a heartfelt welcome to you and your families! We’re so excited to have you as part of our community.

Starting a new chapter can feel like a big step, and we hope our school quickly feels like a second home. May this be a place where you feel truly welcomed, where friendships blossom, and where a love of learning flourishes. We look forward to sharing this journey with you and celebrating every milestone along the way.

Parent Teacher Interviews – Week 2

A reminder that next week we are holding Parent Teacher Interviews. Thank you to the many families who have booked a timeslot already. These bookings will close on Friday afternoon to allow our staff time to prepare. If you haven’t already booked, please consider doing so. These important conversations are crucial in the relationship between school and home and also allow you an opportunity to discuss your child’s Semester 1 report. If you require any support making a booking, please don’t hesitate to make contact with our staff.

SMM Feast Day

This Friday we celebrate St Mary Magdalene’s Feast Day – a special day for our school. Mary Magdalene was one of the women who travelled with Jesus.  She witnessed many of Jesus’ miracles, stood at the foot of Jesus’ cross, and was present as He died and was buried.  She was also one of the first witnesses of Jesus’ Resurrection. In 2016 Pope Francis made her feast day July 22^nd and wanted her to be known as the “Apostle of the apostles”.

We will gather together this Friday to celebrate St Mary Magdalene and all that is special about our school. You are most welcome to join us for our Whole School Liturgy at 9:15am in the Yarning Place. Throughout the remainder of the day our students will engage in a range of fun activities at school. Unfortunately, the weather is preventing us from journeying to the park for a whole school gathering, however we will endeavour to do this again later in the term.

Free Eye Checks

We are excited to partner with Advanced Eye Care to offer FREE eye tests to all students at St Mary Magdalene’s this term. The team from Advanced Eye Care will be on site throughout Week 4 (August 11-15). This service will be offered in a similar format to our school dental program.

You can opt in or opt out depending on whether you want your child/children to have their eyes tested – it is not compulsory. Your child will be scheduled a time throughout the week and they will attend their appointment throughout the day. You will be contacted and provided with a range of options if further intervention is recommended. More information will be coming home soon about this.

Uniform Reminder

As the weather continues to remain cold we remind families about our uniform expectations. It is important that students are in the correct uniform each day and are warm enough. We are seeing many students without jackets at the moment. Please ensure students are wearing the correct pants and jackets and check that they are clearly labelled. As always, if your child is wearing the wrong uniform for whatever reason please communicate with the teacher.

We wish you a safe and peaceful term and look forward to working closely with you all.

Shaping our future together,
Belinda and Gareth

SAVE THE DATE – SPECIAL FREE EVENT – Guest Speaker Madhavi Nawana Parker

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM (St Thomas More School)

We extend a I very special invitation to all parents, carers, grandparents and friend of our school to attend this powerful event, Emotional Regulation – Mastering Emotions through Connection and Regulation.

Director of Positive Minds Australia, Madhavi Nawana Parker, will provide a practical workshop with advice to help raise children’s EQ and social emotional wellbeing so they have the best chance of regulating their emotions thoughtfully and constructively.

Madhavi will also assist adults with crucial co-regulation skills to role model helpful ways to handle uncomfortable emotions.

Research shows these foundational skills provide the foundation for academic and lifelong success. Madhavi will share information about child and adolescent development, and take a deep dive into the simple ways we can support emotional resilience at any age.