Mel Maria Catholic Primary School

Dear Parents and Caregivers

This year has been one of the most significant in our school’s history. Moving into our new dual-campus model has been a major transition for all of us, and I want to begin by acknowledging the incredible efforts of our entire community in making this vision come to life. Change of this scale takes courage, patience, and a collective commitment—and you have shown all of that, and much more.

To our students: thank you. You have embraced every challenge and opportunity this year with enthusiasm, maturity, and joy.

I especially want to acknowledge our Year 6 students. You have been exceptional leaders—thoughtful, responsible and compassionate. You have helped shape this new model so beautifully, and you have done it with the spirit and heart we hope for in every Mel Maria graduate. We are so proud of you.

To our Year 2 students, our leaders of the Early Childhood Campus, thank you as well. You have shown that leadership has nothing to do with age but everything to do with attitude. You have been wonderful role models for our younger students.

To our staff: thank you for your dedication, professionalism, and genuine love for the children in your care. This has been a year of enormous change, and you have continued to give your very best—every single day. The care you show our students, the countless hours you put in, and the way you support one another does not go unnoticed. You are the heart of this school, and I am deeply grateful for each of you.

To our parents and families: thank you for your trust, your encouragement, and the many ways you support our school. A special thank you goes to our Year 6 parents. Thank you for partnering with us over the years, for supporting your children in so many ways, and for the contribution you have made to our community. Your belief in our school helps us continue to grow and flourish.

We are also blessed with the ongoing guidance and support of our parish. To Fr Don, Fr Joseph, and Deacon John, thank you for walking this journey with us, for your pastoral guidance, and for the presence you bring to our school community. Your support strengthens our faith life and reminds us of who we are called to be as a Catholic school.

As we come to the end of this remarkable year, I want to express my deep gratitude to all of you—for your effort, your commitment, your support, and above all, your love for Mel Maria. This community is something very special, and it is a privilege to lead it.

We now look towards Christmas; may this season bring peace, joy, and renewal to you and your families. I wish each of you a holy, happy and safe Christmas break, and I hope you enjoy some well-earned rest.

Thank you once again for a wonderful year, and I look forward to welcoming you back in the new year.

As media advertising and the shop displays remind us, the season of Christmas and gift buying is fast approaching.

How well do we prepare our children for a season of giving rather than receiving, of showing thankfulness for what they have and of generosity towards those who are not as fortunate?

It is normal and natural for young children to believe everyone in the world exists exclusively for their benefit. Thankfulness is just not part of their job description. Part of our role as parents, is to lead our children out of their internal gazing and continually prompt them into a “concern for others” attitude towards the people around them.

Modelling thankfulness and gratitude to our children is an important way to have them learn about living with and for others. We might need to project an attitude of thankfulness with our possessions, our clothes and appearance. Do we see the bigger world of need around us or is our focus simply on ourselves?

As parents, we might hope that our children will learn to be thankful for the way we live our lives. We can tell them how thankful we are to have them in our lives. We can spend more time with them instead of buying them more toys and games and so teach them the value of relationships over material gifts.

Thankfulness, and caring for others is a major part of wellbeing as it creates an inner harmony. When our inner harmony is missing, we are not complete. We can be sure that there is no place for feeling miserable in a thankful heart.

Therefore, as we come to the end of another very busy school year, I take the opportunity to make mention and THANK several people for their commitment and effort throughout the 2025 school year.

This year has, once again, proven to be very eventful and productive for all associated with Mel Maria Catholic School. I would sincerely like to thank each staff member –

· Our Leadership Team.

· Our Teachers and Education Assistants.

· Our Office Staff and Administrative staff.

· Our Grounds staff.

· Canteen,

· Uniform Shop staff

For all their contributions and efforts throughout 2025. Time after time, they go beyond what is expected and required of them as staff members within this school. We are very blessed to have such a wonderful group of people who love working at Mel Maria Catholic Primary School.

I thank the parents of the school for their support and efforts throughout the year. It is terrific to have this level of interest displayed in the growth of both the children and the school as a whole.

At this time of the year, we also say 'farewell' to the families who are leaving Mel Maria Catholic Primary School at the end of the term, particularly those families who have had a long association with the school.

We hope that each of you have many happy memories of your time here, the people you have met, the many friends both you and your children have made and the various activities you have been involved in during your time at the school. We pray that your futures are filled with many blessings.

At Mass, after praying the Lord’s Prayer, we hear “. . . as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.” This prayer reminds us that during Advent, we wait in joy, in hope, and in anticipation for the wonderful event we are about to experience—the feast of Christmas, the coming of Christ into our lives in new ways, the return of Christ in glory at the end of time. As the Church, we wait during Advent and look forward to celebrating the fact that God loves us so much that he sent his Son into the world to save us. This waiting is far from empty; rather, it is full of the hope that God promises us as we prepare for Christ in the feast of Christmas.

Our students have received many experiences in learning of what Advent means within our individual and community lives to be lived as we approach the Christmas season.

Our Early Childhood students have experienced the joy of the Nativity, and each time we get to celebrate it with them as part of our rich Catholic tradition and hear the words that shape our tradition.

What is great about celebrating the coming of Jesus with children is that they help us approach the season with fresh eyes and insight. They present us with a challenge and an opportunity. The challenge they present is the way they soak up the values of the culture that has had them anticipating Christmas since the beginning of November. The opportunity they present is that we can introduce them to the timeless rituals celebrating the coming of the Messiah that will add depth to their spiritual lives.

What an extraordinary evening we had last Friday, filled with the enchantment of Christmas Carols and Night Markets. The collective effort of each class showcased an astounding display of creativity and dedication at their stalls, raising funds for additional resources that will benefit our school immensely.

The festivities continued with the Christmas Carol segment, featuring a delightful appearance by Father Christmas, bringing joy to the children and spreading the festive spirit. A special mention to the School Choir for keeping the crowd enthralled with their beautiful singing and joining in the ‘Flash Mob’ at the end. A BIG Thank You to Miss Caitlin Taylor and Ms Teresa Marra for coordinating the. carols night, and to Ros Nichols and Roman Popadynec for all their work behind the scenes. It was a great night!

Congratulations to Mr Owen Connelly, Miss Naomi Smyth, and Mr Cormac Murtagh for their outstanding leadership and dedication in preparing such a memorable and meaningful Year Six Graduation Ceremony on Tuesday evening. The celebration was beautifully complemented by today’s Graduation Mass, which provided a fitting and faith-filled conclusion to our students’ primary school journey.

A special acknowledgement goes to the Graduating Class of 2025. Your growth, resilience, and spirit have been evident throughout the year. You have been wonderful role models for our younger students and have contributed richly to the life of our school. We are immensely proud of each of you and pray that God continues to guide and bless you as you enter the next exciting chapter of your educational journey.

Thank you again to the staff of Mel Maria who came along in support and helped in various ways. You each ensured a dignified and heartfelt farewell for our graduates and their families.

As we come to the end of the school year, we extend our heartfelt thanks and warmest farewell wishes to the following staff who have been valued members of the Mel Maria Catholic Primary School community:

• Mr David John
• Mrs Madelyn Healy
• Miss Sophia Baltasar
• Miss Angela Fourie
  
  

We are deeply grateful for the contribution each of you has made during your time at Mel Maria. Your dedication, professionalism, and commitment to the students in your care have enriched our school in countless ways. Whether through your teaching, your encouragement, or the relationships you nurtured, you have left a meaningful mark on our community.

As you move into the next chapter of your professional journey, we wish you every success and blessing. We hope that you take with you many fond memories of your time at Mel Maria, the friendships formed, the students whose lives you have touched, and the experiences that have helped shape our school.

Please know that you leave with our gratitude, our prayers, and our very best wishes for the future. You will always remain part of the Mel Maria story.

We are delighted to introduce and warmly welcome the following new staff members who will be joining the Mel Maria Catholic Primary School community in 2026. Each brings a wealth of expertise, passion, and commitment to their respective roles, and we look forward to the positive impact they will have on our students, staff, and wider school community.

· Mrs Danielle Damjanovich – Head of Early Childhood Campus

Danielle joins us with extensive leadership experience in early childhood education and a deep commitment to fostering high-quality learning environments for our youngest students.

· Miss Sophie Hackett – Pre-Primary
Sophie brings a strong foundation in early years pedagogy and a warm, nurturing approach that supports both student wellbeing and meaningful learning.

· Miss Karis Johnston – Year One
Karis joins our junior primary team with a passion for early literacy and numeracy development, and a vibrant enthusiasm for supporting children as they build confidence and curiosity in their learning.

· Miss Phoebe Winn – Year Four
Phoebe brings experience, creativity, energy, and a commitment to contemporary teaching practices that will enrich the learning experience for our middle primary students.

· Mr Ben Kelly – Year Five
Ben enthusiastic educator with a strong focus on student engagement, collaboration, and academic growth, and will be a wonderful addition to our upper primary team.

· Mrs Adrienne Plover – Year Five
Adrienne joins us with a wealth of classroom expertise and a passion for building strong relationships that support student wellbeing and success. Adrienne will be working with Miss Stephanie Figueira in Year Five White.

Break (Friday 3 April – Sunday 19 April)

Term 2 (Monday 20 April to Friday 3 July)

Break (Saturday 4 July to Sunday 19July)

Term 3 (20 July – 25 September)

Break (Saturday 27 September to Sunday 11 October)

Term 4 (Monday 12 October to 11 December)

Pupil Free Days 2026

Term 1 – Friday 27 February

Term 2 – Monday 20 April/Friday 29 May

Term 3 – Friday 25 September

Term 4 – Monday 12 October

We look forward to welcoming each of these talented educators into our Mel Maria community as we continue to grow, strengthen, and move forward together in 2026.

God bless, and Merry Christmas to you all.

Paul Hille

Principal

#MakingADifferenceEveryday

While we look forward to remembering and celebrating the birth of Jesus, we also take this time to prepare our hearts and minds as we wait for the coming of the Christ Child. Just as we all look forward to the end of the school year, we also look towards Christ’s coming with excitement and with joy.

Heavenly Father,

We remember Joseph and Mary as they awaited the birth of their child and prepared for the journey to Bethlehem. May we learn to trust in God like Mary and Joseph.

We recognise that people of different nations, cultures and religious traditions will come together to search out new ways of living in peace built on justice.

We ask for your guidance as we learn to wait and listen for the good news of the birth of our Saviour this Advent.

We offer this prayer through Jesus Christ your Son and by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Amen

Thought for the Week

Merry Christmas

The winner was Ticket 90 – Jennifer Hancock from Kardinya. Congratulations!

Instead of rushing through endless activities or striving for perfection, let January be a time to slow down, connect deeply, and create lasting memories with your family. Embrace the opportunity to cultivate deep family bonds, healthy habits, and a sense of freedom and self-expression in your family.

These five principles will help you create a balanced and joyful summer holiday experience for your family.

1. Prioritise Presence Over Perfection

The summer school holiday is a rare opportunity to spend uninterrupted time with your children. It can be tempting to fill every day with perfect plans or carefully curated activities. The real benefit, however, comes from your presence. Children don’t remember the specific outings or events as much as they remember how their parents made them feel.

2. Cultivate Slow, Mindful Days

In our fast-paced world, we often forget the value of slowing down. The school holidays provide the perfect opportunity to create a rhythm that’s more relaxed. There’s no rush to get from one scheduled event to the next. Encourage your family to embrace the

unstructured moments - whether it’s reading a book, taking a walk, or simply doing nothing at all.

Mindful moments aren’t just about relaxation; they promote emotional resilience. When children see their parents embrace stillness, they learn to value time with themselves and discover that joy doesn’t always come from being busy.

3. Encourage Autonomy and Agency

Holidays are an ideal time for children to explore their independence. Instead of micromanaging every detail of the day, let your children take the lead on certain activities. This sense of autonomy fosters confidence and helps build important life skills.

4. Build Routines That Foster Stability

While the holidays offer a break from the structure of school, children thrive on routine. Rather than having completely open-ended days, create a loose structure to your time. Regular meals, consistent bedtime routines, and predictable pockets of activity can help children feel safe, secure, and emotionally balanced.

5. Foster Play and Creativity Over Achievement

The holidays should be a time to step back from the need to perform and instead embrace the freedom to play and create without any external pressure. Encourage your children to explore new forms of creative expression: drawing, building or writing. Let them roam freely in their imagination. This unstructured creative time not only boosts their emotional health, but it also develops their problem-solving abilities, enhances their adaptability, and helps them learn through trial and error in a low-stakes environment.

The Wellbeing Effect of Balanced Holidays

Know that the best ‘holiday’ is not based upon the number of activities you can fit in or the milestones you can tick off. It’s about creating space for growth, connection, and rest.

These holidays, use your family time wisely - not by being everywhere and doing everything but by simply being together and giving everyone in the family the chance to pause, reflect, and enjoy the richness of life.

Reference

Coulson, J. (2025, Jan 3). The Best Way to Spend a School Holiday. https://happyfamilies.com.au/articles/the-best-way-to-spend-a-school-holiday

Sharlene Epis

sharlene.epis@cewa.edu.au