St Mary's School Donnybrook
2026 Term 1 Week 1
A note from the Principal
Our Vision in Action at St Mary’s
As we start the year, it’s important to reflect on and remind ourselves of our vision at St Mary’s; as it guides everything that we do:
“Inspired by Christ, we aim to graduate confident, capable and compassionate individuals who lead with their head, their heart and their hands.”
We work toward this by:
Developing the head: Providing engaging learning that builds confidence, curiosity and strong academic skills.
Growing the heart: Teaching empathy, kindness and faith through our Catholic values, wellbeing programs and community service.
Using their hands: Encouraging students to act, contribute and make a positive difference through hands on learning and service opportunities.
We at St Mary’s are looking forward to working with you, our families, this year in helping your children to become thoughtful, caring and capable young people who are ready to thrive in the world beyond primary school.
P&F Welcome Back Morning Tea
The P&F will be hosting a morning tea from 8:30am this Friday 6th February outside the staffroom. I encourage everyone to pop in, say hi, meet the team and enjoy a coffee or tea with them. You are welcome to join us for Mass at 9.00am or alternatively stay on and enjoy the social opportunity.
Welcome Back and Blessing of Leaders Mass
Our Welcome Back and Blessing of Leaders Mass will be held at 9am on Friday 6th February in the Church. All families and friends are welcome to join us.
Parent Information Sessions
Our class parent information sessions are planned for Wednesday 11th February. At these sessions, information regarding the class structure, communication and expectations will be given. These are short sessions and are not the place to discuss individual needs. If you do need to discuss anything personal with your teacher, please make another time to see them.
The sessions will be held in the classrooms at the following times: Pre-Primary at 2:50pm, Year 1 at 3:10pm, Year 2 at 3:30pm, Year 3 at 3:50pm, Year 4 at 4:10pm, Year 5 at 4:30pm, Year 6 at 4:50pm.
Our P&F will also be available to offer any support and information regarding Friend and Fundraising efforts across the school. Please make sure to pop in and say hi to them.
Staff Commissioning and All Sacraments Commissioning Mass
All students who are making the sacraments of Reconciliation (Year 3), First Holy Communion (Year 4) and Confirmation (Year 6) are required to attend the All-Sacraments Commissioning Mass on Sunday 15th February at 10am in the Church. At this Mass, St Mary’s staff will also be commissioned as they look towards fulfilling their role in 2026. Following this Mass, we will host a community morning tea in the Multipurpose Room. Please bring a plate to share.
Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday
Shrove Tuesday, also known as Pancake Day, is the day before Ash Wednesday. Traditionally, it's a day for feasting and using up rich foods like eggs and fats before the fasting period of Lent begins.
Ash Wednesday marks the start of Lent, a 40-day period of fasting, prayer, and penance leading up to Easter. On this day, many Christians attend church services where ashes are placed on their foreheads in the shape of a cross, symbolising repentance.
Lent is a solemn season in the Christian calendar, commemorating the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert. During Lent, many Christians give up certain luxuries or adopt new spiritual practices to grow closer to God and prepare for the celebration of Easter.
As a school, we will commence our preparations for Easter with pancakes and class reflections on the Tuesday, and a whole school Mass on Wednesday 18th February at 9am in the Church. All parents and friends are invited to join us.
P&F Social Night
This year, our P&F will be hosting another social opportunity on Friday 20th February. More information will be sent home to parents shortly.
Swimming Trials and Carnival
Please note that the Year 3-6 swimming trials are booked for Wednesday 25th February, with the carnival being held on Friday 20th March. Parent support will be required for these events. Mr Skehan has sent nomination information home via SEESAW. Please make sure to read the online nomination form and complete correctly.
Canteen
As mentioned in my previous communication, Donnybrook District High School (DDHS) canteen has advised that they can no longer deliver lunches to our school. In an effort to keep canteen orders happening for our students, we have organised for lunch orders to be available on Thursdays and Fridays only, and we will work as a community to have them picked up and delivered to our students.
If you wish to place a lunch order please use the link towards the end of the newsletter.
NAPLAN
Commencing Wednesday 11th March, our Year 3 and 5 students will sit the NAPLAN assessments. NAPLAN assess students’ literacy and numeracy skills and provides the school with important information regarding individual and cohort learning that can be used for forward planning. Parent information has been sent home already. If for some reason you do not want your children to participate in NAPLAN, please contact the office asap.
Harmony Day
Harmony Day in Australia celebrates cultural diversity, promoting inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone. As a school we will be recognising this occasion on Monday 21st March. On this day, all students are invited to wear orange.
Interim Reports and Parent Teacher Interviews
Term 1 Interim Reports will go home on Friday 20th March. These reports give you information on your child’s school behaviours and social and emotional development, as well as their progress across the main learning areas. Following this, parent teacher meetings will be held on Wednesday 1st April (not 25th March as mentioned on the calendar). Teachers may request meetings with parents, and parents will have the option to do the same. More information will be sent home soon.
No Hat – Play in the shade
We recognise children need to play and enjoy their recess and lunch, however, we also need to make sure that they are protected from the sun and remain hydrated throughout the day. Please ensure your children have water bottles and hats, and apply suncream before coming to school. Please make sure all items are clearly labelled with their name as well.
Uniforms
Please remember that all students are expected to meet the uniform standards outlined in the guidelines found HERE. If you require new items, please contact the office.
The Role of the Director General
The Director General of the Department of Education is responsible for ensuring that the school observes the registration standards, including the standard about its complaints handling system. Any student, parent or community member is entitled to contact the Director General with concerns about how the school has dealt with a complaint. Information is available on the Department of Education website. While the Director General may consider whether the school has breached the registration standards, they do not have power to intervene in a complaint or override the school’s decision.
Term 1 Calendar
The Term 1 calendar can be found HERE.
School Website
Our school website can be found HERE and contains much information regarding school operations and procedures.
Parent Information
An updated parent information booklet, including teacher email addresses and school operations, can be found on our school website under the school information tab or by clicking HERE
3-Year-Old Kindergarten
St Mary’s will once again be offering a 3-Year-Old Kindergarten program commencing Term 2 on Thursdays from 9-12:30pm. To enrol in this program or to seek more information, please contact the office on 97324700. Please share this information with prospective families.
Enrolments
St Mary’s is open for enrolments and has places available across all year levels. Please share this information with prospective families, and contact the office on 97324700 should you be interested in a tour with the principal. More information, including an introductory video, can be found on our school website at: http://www.stmarysdbrk.wa.edu.au/.
Thank you
Andrew Gammon
Principal
Book Club
Book Club order forms went out to students this week.
If you are placing an order, either by Loop or through the office,
please do so by Friday 13th February.
St Mary's School Donnybrook
Email: admin@stmarysdbrk.wa.edu.au
Website: www.stmarysdbrk.wa.edu.au
Location: 30 Bentley St, Donnybrook, WA, 6239
Phone: 08 97324700
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/St-Marys-Catholic-Primary-School-Donnybrook-1835840293345149/