Dear Families,

I hope this message finds you well as we enjoy the warmer days and start the countdown to Christmas. It’s a joyful and busy time of year, and there is much to share as we approach the end of Term 4.

School Fees for 2025

I have sent out the 2025 School Fee Structure via email. A friendly reminder that direct debit forms are due back by Monday, 2 December. If you have any questions or need further information, please don’t hesitate to contact Mary in the office.

Colour Run Success

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported the GEM / Colour Run Day last week. Together, we raised an incredible $31,047—an amazing achievement that will greatly benefit our school. Special thanks to Melanie Langtry, Rebecca Russo, and Lisa Salemme for their exceptional coordination of this event.

Christmas Carols

Our much anticipated annual Christmas Carols will take place on Wednesday, 4 December, starting at 5:30pm on the senior green (weather permitting). Families are encouraged to bring outdoor chairs or a picnic rug to enjoy the performances comfortably. Students will sit in their class groups and are invited to dress in Christmas colours or decorations.

Please ensure your children eat before the event begins, and remember that all children and siblings must be supervised by parents/caregivers before the carols start. Your vigilance helps ensure a safe and enjoyable evening for everyone.

Year 5 Student Leadership Speeches

We are incredibly proud of the Year 5 students who put themselves forward for Student Leader roles this week. It takes a great deal of bravery, and they have shown such courage in doing so.

I also love the themes that came through in their speeches. The messages of leadership, kindness, and making a difference truly reflect the thoughtful and considerate individuals they are becoming. Many of the children highlighted the importance of creating an environment where people feel safe and supported. This is such a valuable quality in a leader, and it’s heartening to see how deeply they value the wellbeing of others.

True leadership isn’t just about standing in the spotlight—it’s about bringing out the best in others, supporting them to shine, and empowering them to lead as well. Many of the speeches showed that they are beginning to understand and embrace this important aspect of leadership.

I am thrilled to announce the 2025 Student Leaders:

School Captains: Xavier D, Grace D, Max G, Daniel G
Faith and Social Justice Leaders: Julian A, Luka B
Blue Sports Captain: Ollie M
Red Sports Captain: Blake P
Gold Sports Captain: Sophia D
Green Sports Captain: Ava S

Congratulations to all these students on their appointments. I look forward to seeing them shine in their leadership roles next year!

Accessing Your Child’s Report

Yesterday, Sonia Mazzei sent out instructions on how to access your child’s/children’s report. Please refer to the PDF she attached to her email for detailed steps. Reports will be published on Friday, 13th December.

Important Note: The old nForma website has been decommissioned. To access your child's current and past reports, you will now need to download the nForma App from the iTunes or Google Play Store.

Moving forward, the nForma App will be the sole platform for accessing school reports. Reports will be automatically published via the app starting from this semester.

Parent Teacher Interview Feedback

We value your input and would love to hear your thoughts regarding our Parent Teacher Interviews. Please complete this Google Form by Friday 6th December. The from Sonia Mazzei seeking feedback on the structure and timing of our Parent Teacher Interviews.

We encourage you to take a few moments to complete this form, as your responses will play an important role in shaping the future direction of these interviews.

Step-Up Day

On Wednesday, 11 December, children will meet their 2025 teachers and classmates during Step-Up Day. Thoughtful consideration has been given to class placements, focusing on students’ social, emotional, and academic needs. While we have made every effort to accommodate individual requests, please understand that class lists are now finalised, and changes cannot be made.

Staffing for 2025

In 2025, we are excited to welcome three new staff members to STM:

• Rocky Davidson, who will be teaching Physical Education

• Charlotte Elliott, who will join us as a classroom teacher

• Lydia Bevanda, who will also join us as a classroom teacher

We look forward to the energy, ideas, and expertise they will bring to our school community.

2025 Swimming Program

In 2025, the Intensive Swimming Program will be offered exclusively to students in Prep through Year 2. Subsidised by the Victorian Government, this program is a mandatory requirement for all schools and aims to ensure water safety and swimming proficiency for young students. It focuses on equipping children with essential water safety skills and knowledge, including basic swimming techniques and survival skills, fostering confidence and safety in and around water.

2025 Start Dates and Testing Days

As we approach the new school year, we look forward to welcoming our students back. The year will begin with two testing days on Thursday, 30 January, and Friday, 31 January, by appointment only. Links for booking these appointments are indicated above and will open on Thursday, 12 December, at 10.00am. Classes will officially commence on Monday, 3 February.

Canteen Update 2025

We would like to inform our STM community that the canteen will now operate only on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, starting in 2025. This change has been made in response to the significantly low number of orders on Mondays.

CDFPay Upgrade

CDFpay is being upgraded in the new year. By the end of this term, we will be sending out an email with instructions on how to download the most current CDFpay moblie app. This will be up and running for canteen orders and special events from the beginning of the new school year.

Last Day of School

The final day of school, Tuesday, 17 December, will be a casual clothes day. We kindly ask for a donation to Very Special Kids, a charity supported by one of our STM families. Donations can be made via CDF Pay. For more information, please visit their website: https://vsk.org.au.

Please note that students will be dismissed at 12:00pm, and the canteen will be closed. We will gather for a special guard of honour, and our Grade 6 students will perform their Graduation song once more. Parents are warmly invited to join us on-site for this event.

Thank You
As we near the end of another successful school year, we would like to take a moment to express our heartfelt thanks to all of our families for your ongoing support throughout 2024. Your involvement and dedication have played a significant role in creating a vibrant and thriving school community.

Let’s continue to work together to make the remaining weeks of Term 4 memorable for our students, ensuring they finish the year with positive experiences and a strong sense of accomplishment.

Thank you once again for being an essential part of our school family. We look forward to finishing the year strong with your continued support.

Kind regards,
David Hurn

Dear families, 

Thank you so much for joining us on Thursday for our GEM Wellbeing Day! It was wonderful to spend the day together, focusing on Gratitude, Empathy, and Mindfulness through a range of meaningful activities. Here’s a snapshot of what we achieved on the day: 
- Gratitude circle time
- Making affirmation cards as a whole class
- Reading books based on Gratitude and Empathy
- Making a Gratitude jar, students wrote down things they are grateful for on a piece of paper and placed in the jar to reflect back on and add to as the year goes on. 
- Meditation
- Family gratitude art activity that will be displayed in the office area. 

We also enjoyed a lovely sausage sizzle lunch. The children had a fantastic day and we appreciate the families who took time out of their busy schedules to attend and participate. Thank you!

Kind Regards,
Melanie Langtry 

Certificates for those students who entered the MTQ this year will also be presented at next weeks assembly. 

Aleisha Lewis Mathematics Leader 

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

INFORMATION FOR PARENTS

Every Victorian child should have access to the world of learning opportunities that exist beyond the classroom. The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund helps ensure that no student will miss out on the opportunity to join their classmates for important, educational and fun activities. It is part of making Victoria the Education State and the Government’s commitment to breaking the link between a student’s background and their outcomes.

CAMPS, SPORTS & EXCURSIONS FUND (CSEF)

School camps provide children with inspiring experiences in the great outdoors. Excursions encourage a deeper understanding of how the world works while sports teach teamwork, discipline and leadership. All are a part of a healthy curriculum.

CSEF is provided by the Victorian Government to assist eligible families to cover the costs of school trips, camps and sporting activities.
If you hold a valid means-tested concession card or are a temporary foster parent, you may be eligible for CSEF. A special consideration category also exists for asylum seeker and refugee families. The allowance is paid to the school to use towards expenses relating to camps, excursions or sporting activities for the benefit of your child.

The annual CSEF amount per student is:

$150 for primary school students

$250 for secondary school students

MORE INFORMATION

For more information about CSEF visit:
https://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/programs/Pages/csef.aspx

HOW TO APPLY

New applicants should contact the school office to obtain a CSEF application form.

If you applied for CSEF last year, you do not need to complete an application form this year unless there has been a change in your family circumstances. 

You only need to complete an application form if any of the following changes have occurred:

New student enrolments; your child has started or changed schools this year.

Changed family circumstances; such as a change of custody, change of name, concession card number, or new siblings commencing this year.

Caps, Sports and Excursions fund eligibility

Below are the criteria used to determine a student’s eligibility for the Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF).

Criteria 1 – Eligibility

To be eligible* for the fund, a mature minor of sixteen years of age or over, a parent or legal guardian of a student attending a registered Government or non-government Victorian primary or secondary school must:

•  on the first day of Term one; or

•  on the first day of Term two.

a)   Be an eligible beneficiary within the meaning of the State Concessions Act 2004, that is, be a holder of Veterans Affairs Gold Card or be an eligible Centrelink Health Care Card (HCC) or Pensioner Concession Card (PCC) holder; or

b)   Be a temporary foster parent; and

c)   Submit an application to the school by the due date.

* A special consideration eligibility category also exists. For more information, see: Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF): Eligibility | education.vic.gov.au

Mature minors or parents who receive a Carer Allowance on behalf of a child, or any other benefit or allowance not income tested by Centrelink, are not eligible for the CSEF unless they also comply with one of (a) or (b) above.

Criteria 2 - Be of school age and attend school in Victoria

School is compulsory for all Victorian children aged between six and seventeen years of age inclusive.

For the purposes of CSEF, students may be eligible for assistance if they attend a Victorian registered primary or secondary school. Typically, these students are aged between five and eighteen years inclusive.

CSEF is not payable to students’ attending pre-school, kindergarten, home schooling, or TAFE.

Eligibility Date

For concession card holders, CSEF eligibility will be subject to the parent/legal guardian’s concession card being successfully validated with Centrelink (see Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF): Policy | education.vic.gov.au).

CSEF payments cannot be claimed retrospectively for prior years.

Queries relating to CSEF eligibility and payments should be directed to the school.

2025 CSEF Application forms are now available in the office for collection.

Awards will be given and next week's assembly.