Extreme Weather & Sport Cancellations
When sport is cancelled at St Mary's College — the 35°C at 9:00am rule, Total Fire Ban, lightning, wet weather and poor air quality — and exactly how and when cancellations are communicated (Parent Portal by 12:30pm Wednesdays and 11:30am Fridays, SMS for training and Saturday games).
Sport goes ahead in most weather. This page sets out the specific conditions under which the College cancels or modifies sport, training and carnivals, who makes the decision, and how you will hear about it. It applies the College Extreme Weather Policy to sport; the policy itself covers the whole school day.
The rules at a glance
| Condition | Rule | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Heat — 35°C or above in the Bureau of Meteorology Melbourne forecast checked at 9:00am on the day | All outdoor sport, fixtures and training cancelled. Indoor sport proceeds only if bus travel is not required | Wednesday CSSA, Friday NDPSA, afternoon training, carnivals |
| Heat — 32°C to 34°C forecast | Sport proceeds with modifications: drinks breaks every 20 minutes, shortened games, shade required, hats and sunscreen enforced | All outdoor sport |
| Total Fire Ban (Central district) declared by the CFA | All sport, training and carnivals off site cancelled; no College buses operate. On-campus indoor activities may proceed | Everything, including morning training |
| Lightning | Play stops immediately; players move indoors or to buses. Play resumes 30 minutes after the last thunder (the "30/30 rule") | All outdoor sport and training |
| Heavy rain / grounds closed | Football, soccer, cricket, tennis and athletics are cancelled when the host school or council closes the ground, or the pitch is waterlogged at the 12:00pm inspection. Netball, basketball, volleyball and hockey (synthetic) play in rain | Sport by sport — see each page |
| Poor air quality (EPA AirWatch rating Poor or worse) | Outdoor training cancelled or moved indoors; students with asthma excluded from outdoor sport at Very Poor | Training, carnivals |
| Severe wind warning | Outdoor field events (high jump, throws) and marquees suspended | Carnivals |
Morning training sessions (basketball, swimming, cross country) use the 6:00am forecast instead of 9:00am.
Who decides
- Wednesday CSSA sport: the CSSA Executive Officer may cancel a whole round (usually on heat or fire-ban days). Otherwise the Director of Sport decides for St Mary's teams by 12:00pm after checking the forecast and inspecting grounds with the host school.
- Friday NDPSA sport: the Junior Sport Coordinator, Mr Daniel Ruiz, in consultation with the NDPSA convenor, by 11:00am.
- Training: the coach in consultation with the Director of Sport.
- Carnivals: the Director of Sport and Principal by 7:00am on the day.
- Saturday fixtures: the CSSA or host venue; the Director of Sport relays the decision.
How cancellations are communicated
| Activity | Method | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday CSSA sport (Years 7–12) | Parent Portal notification and Learning Hub Sport page banner | 12:30pm Wednesday |
| Friday NDPSA sport (Years 3–6) | Parent Portal notification | 11:30am Friday |
| After-school training | Learning Hub team page post and SMS to parents of team members | 2:00pm same day |
| Before-school training (basketball, swimming, cross country) | SMS to parents | 6:00am (swimming, basketball) / 6:30am (cross country) |
| Saturday fixtures | SMS to parents of the team | 7:00am Saturday |
| Carnivals | Parent Portal notification, SMS and College website banner | 7:00am on the day |
If you have not received a notification by the deadline, sport is on. Please make sure your mobile number and Portal notification settings are current — see the Parent Portal Guide. The College does not phone families individually about weather cancellations.
What happens when sport is cancelled
- Wednesday: Senior students remain at school in their normal timetable groups for supervised indoor activities in the Sports Centre, Hall and gym (fitness circuits, futsal, indoor nets, study for Years 11–12) until the usual Wednesday 2:45pm dismissal. Students who wore sport uniform to school stay in it. College buses run at their usual Wednesday time.
- Friday: Junior students stay in class for a wet-weather program (indoor games in the Hall, sport theory, House trivia) until 3:20pm dismissal.
- Training: students go home at the normal time. Students who normally catch a late bus after training should arrange collection; the Senior office will supervise students waiting for a parent until 4:00pm.
- Carnivals: the backup date is used — Junior Athletics Friday 11 September 2026, Senior Athletics Thursday 10 September 2026; swimming and cross country move to the following Monday and Friday respectively. See Athletics Carnivals.
- CSSA rounds lost to weather are not replayed; ladder points are shared.
Heat and hydration in Terms 1 and 4
Even below 32°C, students must bring a drink bottle and a wide-brim hat to all outdoor sport (the SunSmart Policy applies whenever the UV index is 3 or above). Coaches carry spare sunscreen and a cooler of water; students showing signs of heat stress are moved to shade, cooled and taken to First Aid, and parents are contacted. Students with asthma or a medical condition affected by heat should have their Medication & First Aid plan updated with the Sports Centre office each year.
Cold and wet weather
Winter sport is played in cold and rain. Students should wear the sport tracksuit to and from venues and bring a spare pair of socks and a towel in a plastic bag. Coaches will shorten warm-downs and get students onto buses promptly on very cold days. Goalkeepers and players on the bench should keep their tracksuit on.
Frequently asked questions
The forecast this morning said 36°C but it is cloudy now — is sport on? No. The 9:00am forecast is the trigger; the decision is not reversed if conditions later improve.
It is raining hard. Is netball on? Yes, unless a Portal notification says otherwise. Netball is played on indoor or covered courts.
Do I have to check the Portal every Wednesday? No — you will receive a push notification and email only if sport is cancelled. No notification by 12:30pm means sport is on.
Is training on if it was 35°C at lunchtime? Afternoon training is cancelled if the 9:00am forecast was 35°C or above, regardless of the actual temperature. Coaches may also cancel on the day if conditions are unsafe.
Contact
Mr Luke Ferraro, Director of Sport — sport@stmaryswc.vic.edu.au (Senior). Mr Daniel Ruiz, Junior Sport Coordinator — juniorsport@stmaryswc.vic.edu.au (Junior). Phone (03) 9555 0100.