Communication & Newsletters
How St Mary's College communicates with families: the fortnightly Lumen newsletter, Portal notifications, SMS, email and social media, plus who to contact first when you have a question or concern.
We aim to communicate clearly, in a few predictable places, without flooding your inbox. The fortnightly newsletter carries the full picture; Portal notifications carry the things that need action; SMS is reserved for absences and emergencies. This page explains each channel and, just as importantly, who to speak to first when something is on your mind.
Lumen — the College newsletter
Lumen (from our motto, Lumen in Tenebris) is published fortnightly on Mondays of odd weeks and includes messages from the Principal, Junior and Senior School news, sport, music and arts, faith and mission, P&F news, dates to remember and community notices. It is published on the website under News and pushed to the Portal under Notices.
| Term 3 2026 | Term 4 2026 |
|---|---|
| Monday 27 July (Week 3) | Monday 5 October (Week 1) |
| Monday 10 August (Week 5) | Monday 19 October (Week 3) |
| Monday 24 August (Week 7) | Monday 2 November (Week 5 — student-free day; published as usual) |
| Monday 7 September (Week 9) | Monday 16 November (Week 7) |
| Monday 30 November (Week 9) | |
| Monday 14 December (Week 11) |
Items for the newsletter, including community notices, should reach office@stmaryswc.vic.edu.au by the Wednesday before publication.
Our channels
| Channel | What it carries | How to receive it |
|---|---|---|
| Parent Portal / St Mary's Connect | Notices, forms, payments, bookings, reports, calendar, Junior Class Pages | Push and/or email — set under Settings > Notifications (guide) |
| SMS from 0428 555 010 | Unexplained absence (9:30am), emergencies, late bus, extreme weather changes | Automatic; cannot be turned off |
| Newsletter link, fee statements, individual teacher correspondence | To the email address on your Portal profile | |
| Learning Hub (Senior) | Homework, assessment calendar, timetables, teacher feedback | Student login; parents have observer access (guide) |
| Junior Class Pages (Prep–Year 6) | Weekly class update, photos, reminders from the class teacher | In the Portal under Notices > Class Pages |
| Website www.stmaryswc.vic.edu.au | Policies, term dates, calendar, news | Public |
| Facebook & Instagram @stmaryswc | Celebrations and photos (with media consent) | Follow us |
| Hard-copy notes | Only for Prep–Year 2 where a physical slip is practical | In the reader bag |
Please keep your mobile number and email address current in the Portal (Settings > My details) — the office cannot reach you on an old number in an emergency.
Who to contact first
Most questions are answered fastest by the person closest to your child. Please start at the top of the list and move down only if the matter is unresolved.
| Step | Junior School (Prep–Year 6) | Senior School (Years 7–12) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. First contact | Class teacher | Homeroom teacher (pastoral) or subject teacher (academic) |
| 2. Year level coordinator | Prep – Ms Bec Lawson; Year 1 – Mr Josh Pham; Year 2 – Mrs Fiona Grant; Year 3 – Mr Ahmed Saleh; Year 4 – Ms Ellie Marchetti; Year 5 – Mr Daniel Ruiz; Year 6 – Mrs Karen Fitzgerald | Year 7 – Mr Nick Papadopoulos; Year 8 – Ms Hannah Kim; Year 9 – Mr Will Turner; Year 10 – Mrs Sarah Donnelly; Year 11 – Ms Olivia Chen; Year 12 – Mr James Whelan |
| 3. Head of School | Ms Priya Natarajan | Mr Tom Brennan |
| 4. Deputy Principal | Mr David Okafor (Learning & Teaching) or Mrs Siobhan Reilly (Wellbeing & Mission) | Same |
| 5. Principal | Dr Helen Carmody | Same |
Specialist matters go directly to the relevant leader: sport – Mr Luke Ferraro (sport@stmaryswc.vic.edu.au); music – Ms Grace Whitlam (music@stmaryswc.vic.edu.au); VCE and careers – Mrs Jenny Marsh (careers@stmaryswc.vic.edu.au); learning support – Mr Sam Devlin; fees – Mrs Annette Kowalski, Business Manager; enrolments – Mrs Kate O'Brien, (03) 9555 0120; counselling – Ms Alana Ford (Junior) or Mr Chris Nguyen (Senior).
How to reach staff
- Email any staff member through the Portal staff directory (Home > Staff directory), or phone the office on (03) 9555 0100 and leave a message.
- Staff aim to respond within two school days. Teachers are in class during the day and do not read email between 8:40am and 3:25pm, so an urgent message (for example, a change to pick-up) should go to the Junior or Senior Office by phone.
- Meetings are best booked in advance; a 15-minute conversation solves most things. Please do not raise concerns with a teacher in the yard at drop-off.
- Formal Parent-Teacher-Student conferences run twice a year; see Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences.
If a concern is not resolved
We would rather hear about a problem early. If you have followed the steps above and remain dissatisfied, the Complaints & Grievances Policy sets out how to raise a formal concern with the Principal, what to expect and the timeframes involved.
Emergencies and closures
In an emergency, extreme weather closure or lockdown, families receive an SMS and a Portal alert, and the website homepage is updated. Please do not phone the office during an incident — lines are needed for emergency services — and wait for the all-clear before coming to collect students.