Term 3 has been exceptionally busy for our school community, with many activities and events being held specifically for the St Mary’s College community, including Secondary Schools’ Deaf Sports Day and our St Dominic’s Feast Day celebration. It is always a joy to see our students flourish on these occasions, where they can catch up with new and old friends without pressure or difficult expectations.

Enrolment interviews

We have commenced pre-enrolment meetings with Year 7 2028 applicants. It has been a wonderful experience meeting each student and learning about their strengths and goals. This marks the beginning of 16 months of transition, during which the school and families can get to know each other and determine what is needed for a successful start to secondary school.

Planning for Success

The College Leadership Team has been working on planning for next year, including preparing the budget, setting fees, and establishing staffing. We are fortunate to have the John Patterson Bursary, set up following a generous bequest to the school, which allows for the continual upskilling and training of staff in deaf education. This ensures that new teachers arriving at our school, who have not yet qualified as Teachers of the Deaf, can do so with financial support from the College.

Hearing loss can be quietly deceiving in its impact on academic and social success. Advancements in hearing aid and cochlear technology have come a long way, and testing and conversation in quiet, predictable environments can give the impression that a student has the same opportunities as students without hearing loss. Unfortunately, this is not true in all situations and environments within a typical school community. Social conversation in the yard, busy and noisy classrooms, and incidental learning happening on the other side of a room can be missed, eventually creating substantial gaps in learning and building friendships.

Qualified Teachers of the Deaf onsite every day can identify and address these gaps, helping to keep our students on track for a successful education.

You may have noticed some changes to our newsletter such as avoiding using student names. This is part of our commitment as a school to protecting our students' online information and making our college community a safe space.

As we head into the break, I wish our Year 12 students undertaking practice exams over the holidays the best of luck. For everyone else, I wish a safe, enjoyable, and blessed couple of weeks.

Amanda Purcell

Principal

Every Conversation Matters

Narelle Stone

Deputy Principal
People & Operations

National Child Protection Week 2026 runs from Sunday 6 to Saturday 12 September, and
is coordinated by the National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect. The week raises awareness of the community’s collective response to the care, safety and wellbeing of children and young people, now and into the future, and champions the message ‘protecting children is everyone’s business’.

This year’s theme – ‘Every conversation matters, shifting conversation to action’ – highlights that, while discussions are crucial, dialogue must translate to meaningful action to ensure that every child feels heard, and experiences real safety, care and protection. Our staff have been focusing on unpacking the Child Safe Standards over the course of the year, looking at how we can strengthen the actions and dialogue in our school so all our students stay safe and are protected.

Safety comes first – Staff Voice

As part of our ongoing focus on student wellbeing, mental health and safety, St Mary’s staff were invited to reflect on the risks and barriers that may impact our students, as well as the protective factors that help them feel safe, connected, included and successful.

Using our Snakes and Ladders Padlet activity, staff shared their perspectives on challenges students may experience across the whole school environment, alongside the supports, strategies, programs, procedures and everyday practices that help students navigate these challenges.

The activity encouraged collective thinking beyond the classroom, prompting staff to consider how we can promote student safety across the diverse settings and experiences that form part of their school journey, including learning programs, excursions, camps, sport, TAFE, work experience and social environments.

Ms Melissa Lucy

Student Wellbeing Leader

Small Moments, Big Impact

As part of our ongoing practice, staff embrace the opportunity to make positive contact with parents and carers through a phone call or email. This might be to share something their child has done well, celebrate an achievement, share a funny moment, or simply pass on something positive from their day.

These simple moments of communication can make a meaningful difference. They help students recognise the trusted adults who support them at both school and home, while reinforcing that they are valued, seen and supported. At St Mary’s, we value positive communication with families as an important way to strengthen the connection between home and school.

As a parent, if you notice a great moment, send us a quick email—we would love to celebrate it with you!

Maths Together

Empowering St Mary’s Students at Home

Maths is part of everyday family life, and families play an important role in helping children develop their maths skills. To become confident mathematicians, children need to feel comfortable having a go, making mistakes, and trying again. Praise your child’s effort and thinking, not just getting the correct answer.

For our St Mary’s Students, clear communication and visual support can make maths learning easier. Gestures, pictures, objects, written numbers, and signs can be helpful. Make sure your child can see your face, hands, or any visual materials when you are talking about maths.

Make Maths Part of Everyday Life

You can build maths into activities you already do together:

• Counting: Count toys, steps, plates or items when shopping.

• Sorting: Sort clothes, toys or groceries by colour, size or type.

• Measuring: Help with cooking, compare heights or measure ingredients.

• Patterns: Look for patterns in clothing, nature, music or everyday objects.

• Problem-solving: Ask questions such as, “How many do we need?” or “What could we try?”

• Numbers: Look at prices, house numbers, calendars and clocks together.

Encourage your child to explain how they think they can solve a problem and what they think the answer might be before working it out. There is often more than one way to solve a maths problem.

Remember, maths is connected to language, communication, reading, writing and understanding the world. Children who develop strong maths skills become confident explorers, problem-solvers and thinkers.

Most importantly, keep maths positive, practical and fun. Everyday experiences provide wonderful opportunities for your child to build confidence and develop numeracy skills.

Book Week: Celebrating the Magic of Books

On Tuesday 25 August, we celebrated Book Week with a dress-up parade alongside our partner school. Students and teachers across the school dressed up as their favourite book characters.

Throughout the week, various Book Week-themed activities took place, including colouring competitions, author webinars and reading together in the library. It was a wonderful celebration of books, reading and creativity across the school.

Holy Trinity & SMC Art Show: Once Upon a Time

What a wonderful evening we had celebrating the creativity and artistic talents of our students at the Holy Trinity & St Mary’s Art Show – Once Upon a Time!

Our school was transformed into a magical gallery, showcasing an incredible collection of artwork created by our talented students. It was wonderful to see the pride and excitement on the students’ faces as they shared their creations with family and friends.

A huge congratulations to all of our students for their imagination, creativity and hard work, and a special thank you to our dedicated staff for bringing this celebration of the Arts to life.

It was truly a magical evening and a wonderful opportunity for our community to come together and celebrate the amazing talents of our students.

NextSense Visit: Building Connections

Our St Mary’s College for the Deaf students recently had the wonderful opportunity to visit the three-year-old kindergarten children at NextSense in Blackburn. For some of our students, the visit was particularly meaningful, as they too attended NextSense and participated in the early intervention program when they were younger.

These visits provide our SMC students with a valuable opportunity to mentor and be positive role models for younger Deaf and hard-of-hearing children. Through sharing their experiences, communicating with the children and participating in activities together, our students developed their communication, leadership and social skills, confidence and pride in their role within the DHH community.

For the younger children, meeting older Deaf and hard-of-hearing students provides positive role models and helps foster confidence, connection and a sense of belonging.

We look forward to continuing to strengthen our relationship with NextSense and creating more opportunities for our students to connect, mentor and inspire younger members of the DHH community throughout the year.

Year 3/4: Bringing Charlotte’s Web to Life

Throughout Term 3, our Year 3/4 students read Charlotte’s Web. We explored different vocabulary and made connections to the text during reading.

At the end of our unit, students planned, designed and created a 3D model of something from Charlotte’s Web. It was so much fun showing their creativity and experimenting with different materials to bring their creations to life.

Year 2 Visit to Melbourne Museum

On Monday 10 August, our Year 2 students boarded a bus and travelled into the city to visit the Melbourne Museum. The students had been learning about Mesopotamia, the region in southwestern Asia where the world’s earliest civilisation developed.

The name comes from a Greek word meaning “between rivers”, referring to the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Students had the opportunity to explore the exhibitions to support their learning, while also enjoying the other displays and an IMAX movie about spiders.

Prayer Services at HT

Prayer Services are an important part of life at Holy Trinity, providing opportunities for our school community to come together in prayer, reflection and celebration while living out our Catholic values of faith, kindness, gratitude and community.

This term, we have celebrated a range of special occasions, including grade-level Prayer Services, our Grandparents’ Service and our Father’s Day Service. We especially enjoy joining together to sing our favourite prayer service songs! Our most recent Prayer Service was our Father’s Day celebration, where we were delighted to welcome our dads and father figures. After the service, students worked alongside their dads to design and build a spaghetti bridge strong enough to hold three Bibles! Some bridges were more successful than others, but there was plenty of creativity, teamwork and laughter along the way.

Year 9: Learning Through the St John’s Café Program

Our Year 9 students are participating in the St John’s Café Program, an opportunity for students to work in the school canteen for one week.During their week, students take on a range of responsibilities, including preparing food, serving staff and students during recess and lunch, and cleaning and organising. The program provides students with an opportunity to develop practical workplace skills while contributing to the school community.

Staff Spirituality Day: Connecting Through Community

The SJRC Staff Spirituality Day took place on Friday 21 August and was centred on the theme of Justice. As part of the afternoon’s activities, four of our wonderful staff members visited Regis Aged Care in Blackburn to learn about the rich history of the building, which began in 1909 as the Adult Deaf Society home for the Superintendent and Men’s Wing.

The visit provided a wonderful opportunity to connect with members of the Deaf community and learn more about the history of the site. Staff spent the afternoon playing board games and sharing conversations with some of the residents.

It was a meaningful afternoon filled with connection, laughter and wonderful company.

Book Week: From Page to Screen

The theme for Book Week at SJRC this year was “Film Adaptations”, celebrating books that have been brought to life on the big screen. Our SMC students enthusiastically joined in, with many taking to the lunchtime runway to proudly showcase their creative costumes. It was wonderful to see so much creativity and enthusiasm on display!

VM Week: Creativity and Challenge

Our VM students planned a fantastic range of activities throughout the week, encouraging students to get involved and try something new. One of the highlights was the Lego Challenge, which proved to be a real hit!

Two of our students took on the challenge, with one creating an impressive replica of Godzilla, while the other built Thomas the Tank Engine. It was fantastic to see their creativity and imagination in action!

Science Week: Exploring and Experimenting

Science Week took place at SJRC from 17–21 August, with many of our SMC students getting involved in the exciting activities. From making sherbet to building marshmallow towers, students had lots of fun exploring, creating and experimenting!

SIS Athletics Carnival: Giving It Their Best

The SJRC SIS Athletics Carnival took place at Casey Fields in Cranbourne, with the College competing against seven other schools in the South Eastern District.

Two of our SMC students took part in the carnival and competed in a wide range of events, including the 1500m, 800m, 100m sprint, triple jump and 100m relay. It was a great opportunity for our students to get involved and represent the College.

SIS Chess: Putting Their Skills to the Test

The SJRC SIS Chess competition took place on 3 September, with participating students completing a total of seven matches across the day against students from 14 other schools.

Our Year 8 students took part and did a wonderful job representing the College throughout the competition.

Year 10 VM: Learning Through Work Experience

Our Year 10 VM students recently completed a week of work experience in their chosen career fields of education and fashion.

They enjoyed a fantastic week gaining hands-on experience, including helping prepare Foundation students for learning at Mt Hira College and sorting and tagging donated clothing at St Vincent de Paul.

The placements provided valuable workplace skills and insights into future career pathways.

Year 7 Science: Dissecting a Bull’s Eye

The Year 7 Science curriculum offered our students a fun and engaging unit on Biology. They learnt about how cells, tissues, and organs function together. The highlight of the unit was dissecting a bull's eye. Our students experienced a hands-on lab activity used to study mammalian eye anatomy by examining outer tissues and cutting the eyeball in half to view internal structures.

Food Technology: The Significance of ANZAC Biscuits

Students in Year 7 learnt about the history of Anzac biscuits and how it is associated with the soldiers of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. Families and women's groups baked these nutritious biscuits at home to send in care packages to soldiers overseas. Our students enjoyed baking Anzac biscuits to take home and share with their family and friends, as well as learning some facts of our country's heritage along the way.

Supporting Career Choices

Each VCE student has a dedicated meeting with our Careers Advisor to support them with their post-school choices. During these meetings, students can investigate career options, learn how to set up a VTAC account and develop a SEAS application.

They also have the opportunity to ask questions about different universities, TAFE colleges and other post-school pathways. Students find these meetings invaluable as they begin planning for their future.

Sports Achievement

At our Ringwood Campus, James was awarded the Best & Fairest certificate in recognition of his outstanding sportsmanship, consistent performance and valuable contribution to the Year 9 EISM Aquinas Boys Tennis team in 2026. A wonderful achievement, James!

EDL Classes - Growing Stronger Literacy Skills

Our students are continuing to build their literacy skills through extended literacy classes tailored to their individual learning needs. It has been wonderful to see their enthusiasm and engagement as they work to strengthen their reading, writing and vocabulary.

With a focus on building confidence and celebrating progress, students are developing valuable skills that will support them across all areas of their learning.

EISM Sports - Bringing the Competition

Our Year 7 students had the opportunity to participate in a variety of EISM sports, bringing plenty of competitive spirit with them. Students competed in table tennis, hockey, netball and soccer, showing that they have just as much prowess on the sporting field as they do in the classroom.

Our St Mary’s students particularly impressed, with our table tennis player finishing as the top scorer, while most of the other teams also came away with wins!

Science Lab Work - Learning in Action

Our Year 7 students participate in both theoretical and practical components of their Science curriculum. This term, their study of States of Matter has provided opportunities to participate in a variety of laboratory sessions and develop new skills, including using protective equipment and Bunsen burners.

These practical experiences allow students to make real-life connections to new and sometimes challenging terminology, while seeing the science they have learnt come to life in front of them.

Exploring Future Pathways at the Careers Expo

At this time of year, students are learning more about careers and subject choices. Our partner school created a wonderful opportunity for students to explore a range of post-school options, as well as subjects they could study in 2027. Many students actively participated in the event and enjoyed the opportunity to learn more about the pathways available to them.

Celebrating Our Talented Students

Many of our students have been recognised with Excellence Awards and celebrated for their achievements. We are also proud of our talented art students, who showcase their creativity and skills through their artwork.

Our budding musicians have also had the opportunity to share their talents with the wider school community through lunchtime concerts. At St Mary’s, every student is encouraged to reach for the stars and pursue their individual areas of interest and passion.

EISM Chess Tournament

Our Chess Club students were selected to represent Aquinas College at the EISM Chess Gala 2026, held at Donvale Christian College. With 320 students from 13 different schools taking part, it was a fantastic day of competition and skill.

Students challenged each other across six rounds before the winners of the Junior and Senior sections, along with the overall winning college, were announced. It was a great opportunity for our students to represent their partner school and put their chess skills to the test.

Learning Through Structured Workplace Learning

As part of her Year 11 VM VET Beauty Course, a student is completing her Structured Workplace Learning at a local beauty business.

Here, she is putting the skills she is learning in her course into practice, while also gaining valuable hands-on experience and learning more about the beauty industry.

Activities Week: Discovering Auslan

During the final week of Term 2, our Year 8 students explored Auslan, gaining a deeper understanding of the language and the Deaf community. They enthusiastically mastered the Auslan alphabet and the signed version of the College song, showing remarkable aptitude and engagement as they developed this new and inclusive skill.

Celebrating Academic Achievement

Congratulations to our St Mary’s students who were recognised by their partner school at the Semester One Achievement Awards Assembly. These awards celebrate students who have shown commitment, perseverance and growth in their learning. Well done to all our students on this wonderful achievement!

Secondary Pyjama Day: Community Spirit

Our students showed their support and community spirit by coming to school dressed in their cosy Oodies and pyjamas for PJ Day. The fundraiser helped raise money for people experiencing homelessness and supported Mary’s Breakfast Club.

It was wonderful to see everyone getting involved while raising awareness and making a positive difference in the lives of others.

100 Days of Prep: A Milestone to Celebrate

Our Preps celebrated the special occasion of 100 Days of Prep with lots of fun, laughter and exciting activities. It was wonderful to see the students reflect on how much they have learned and grown since their very first day of school.

From learning letters and numbers to making new friends and becoming more independent, our Preps have already achieved so much. We are incredibly proud of their hard work, enthusiasm and the wonderful way they have settled into school life.

Here’s to the next 100 days of learning, growing and making memories!

Capabilities: Understanding Ourselves and Others

In our Capabilities sessions, students have been learning about self-regulation, body cues and coping strategies. They have been exploring how recognising body cues can help us better understand our own thoughts and feelings, as well as those of others.

Developing an awareness of these cues supports effective communication and positive relationships, while helping students respond thoughtfully in a range of social situations.

Year 11 Retreat: Leading Through Service

Our St Mary’s Year 11 students recently participated in an overnight Retreat at the Holy Trinity Centre in Thomastown, centred on the theme of Servant Leadership.

Over two days, students reflected on the example of Jesus as a servant leader, explored the qualities of authentic leadership, considered the legacy they hope to leave at St Mary’s, and recognised the importance of leading with integrity and compassion.

As students prepare to apply for leadership positions for late 2026 and 2027, the Retreat provided a meaningful opportunity to consider how they can serve the College community. Prayer was woven throughout the experience, grounding students in their faith and encouraging them to lead with Christ at the centre.

Our students made us proud with the maturity, enthusiasm and wholehearted effort they brought to every aspect of the Retreat.

Primary Years Book Week: Celebrating Stories and Creativity

Our Primary Years students recently celebrated Book Week by dressing up as characters from books they love! It was wonderful to see so much creativity, imagination and enthusiasm across our campuses.

A special congratulations to Olivia from our South Morang Campus, who was the Grade 4 winner of the Book Week Drawing Competition!

Thank you to everyone who joined in and helped make Book Week a fun celebration of reading, creativity and storytelling.

Exploring the World of Minibeasts

Our Year 1 students have been busy learning all about minibeasts!

As part of their learning, students created their very own minibeast dioramas. They explored where minibeasts live, what they look like and how they move. Using their creativity and imagination, they designed miniature habitats featuring a minibeast of their choice.

From Ideas to Products: Year 9 at Whittlesea Tech School

As part of their VISTA Literacy and Personal Development Skills units, our Year 9 students have been exploring entrepreneurship and business planning.

During their excursion to Whittlesea Tech School, students put their learning into practice by designing an image and transferring it onto a cup. This hands-on experience helped students develop their creativity, teamwork and problem-solving skills, while learning how an idea can be turned into a product.

Caritas Fundraiser: Guess the Lollies in the Jar

This term, we finally held our much-anticipated “Guess the Lollies in the Jar” competition to raise funds for Caritas.

It was a rewarding experience for our St Mary’s leaders and student volunteers, who gained valuable insights into supporting a wonderful charity while also managing the logistics of a school-wide event at our partner school.

Capabilities: Exploring Deaf Awareness

In our St Mary’s Capabilities sessions, students have been learning about deaf awareness and the different types of hearing loss. They explored how conductive, sensorineural and mixed hearing loss differ, and how these can affect the way people hear and experience sound.

Book Week: A Visit from Amelia Mellor

As part of Book Week, from 24–28 August, we were excited to welcome Amelia Mellor to Salesian College.

Amelia is the award-winning author of The Grandest Bookshop series, inspired by Melbourne’s magical Cole’s Book Arcade.

Students enjoyed a special photo tour of this extraordinary place while learning about Amelia’s research, writing process and the inspiration behind her books.

Don Bosco Derby and House Cross Country

On Thursday 13 August, we celebrated Don Bosco Derby/Feast Day & Cross Country, one of the most significant events on our College calendar. It is a day of faith, community, sport and service, where we celebrate our Salesian identity while making a meaningful difference beyond our own College.

Inspired by the 2026 Salesian Strenna, “Do Whatever He Tells You – Believers, Free to Serve,” this year we were reminded that faith is lived through action. We are called to notice the needs of others, respond generously and place our gifts at the service of those who need them most.

Work Experience: Exploring Careers in Education

This term, two students had the opportunity to undertake a week of work experience, with both choosing placements in school settings.

One Year 10 student completed her placement at her former primary school, working within the Deaf Facility. This was a wonderful opportunity for her to experience the facility from a different perspective and see how her old school has grown and changed. It was also a special moment for her former teachers, who were able to see the confident and mature young person she has become.

A Year 11 student took a different path, completing his placement at a specialist primary school. There, he gained valuable insight into supporting students with additional needs and experienced firsthand the many ways schools work to meet the diverse needs of their students.

These were valuable experiences for both students, providing opportunities to explore careers in education and learn more about supporting students.

CSI – Real-Life Science: Investigating the Evidence

Two students were fortunate to participate in a biology subject at our partner school, CSI Salesian. Throughout the term, students explored a range of forensic science techniques, including dusting for and collecting fingerprints, analysing hair samples and blood spatters, and measuring footprints and stride length to estimate a person’s height. They also investigated how temperature affects insect growth and how different insect species can provide clues about an environment.

Students used the scientific evidence they gathered to support and test their hypotheses.

The term concluded with a challenging Murder in the Mansion investigation, where students put their new skills into practice. They followed clues, collected and analysed evidence, and worked collaboratively to identify the culprit.

This was a fantastic example of real-life learning, allowing students to apply their scientific knowledge in an engaging and authentic context.

Hearing Australia Visit: Supporting Student Learning

In Week 8, our Tarneit students met with Stephanie from Hearing Australia onsite to learn more about the audiology services available at St Mary’s College for the Deaf.

St Mary’s provides onsite audiology services to support students’ hearing, communication and learning needs within the school environment. During these visits, audiologists conduct routine checks, maintenance and troubleshooting of student hearing technology, including hearing aids, listening devices and earmoulds.

This proactive approach helps ensure that equipment is functioning effectively and that students have consistent access to sound throughout the school day.

HPE Day: Celebrating Health, Activity and Team Spirit

National Health and Physical Education (HPE) Day was celebrated on Wednesday, 2 September 2026, highlighting the vital role of Health and Physical Education in supporting children’s health, teamwork and wellbeing.

To celebrate National HPE Day, students and staff were invited to show their team spirit by wearing their favourite sports team jerseys and participating in a range of lunchtime activities. It was an opportunity not only to play sport, but also to appreciate how being active equips every young person with the tools to thrive.

Supporting Positive Student Behaviour

Our teaching and support staff came together during term three for a Professional Learning Day focused on supporting positive student behaviour and strengthening the ways we respond to behaviours of concern.

The day provided an opportunity for staff to explore proactive strategies, build shared approaches and develop consistent frameworks that help create a safe, supportive and inclusive environment for all students.

A key focus was on understanding what sits behind a student’s behaviour — including their thoughts, feelings and individual needs — and supporting them to learn and practise positive strategies that they can use in everyday life.

By combining empathy with clear and consistent boundaries, staff are working together to create a culture where every student feels safe, valued, understood and ready to learn. It was a valuable day of learning, reflection and collaboration for our staff and an important part of supporting the wellbeing and success of every student at St Mary’s.

A Refreshing Perspective

Principal, Ms Amanda Purcell, and Business Manager, Mr Halyer Rayner, recently had the opportunity to hear politicians from both sides of politics speak openly about the personal values they bring to their professional roles.

The discussion provided a refreshing perspective, with a focus on personal values, a commitment to supporting those in need, and the importance of recognising the dignity of every person.

It was an encouraging reminder of the role that values and a genuine commitment to others can play in shaping professional leadership and service.

Staff Movements

We are delighted to welcome back Diana Mina in the role of Speech Language Pathologist next term. Diana will be joining us two days a week at our Dandenong and Ringwood campuses to work with our secondary students. We farewell Stephanie Porteous this term who has been at our Dandenong campus. Steph did an amazing job with our students. Steph will be replaced by Kylie Kovac, our current Teaching and Learning Leader, who will be taking on the role of Head of Campus in addition to her current role when Rebecca Legg leaves us early in the term to commence her maternity leave. We thank Bec for her commitment to the staff and students at Dandenong and wish her and hubby all the best for the safe arrival of their first child. Pete Begley will be moving to the Ringwood campus in Term 4 where he will bring his many years of expertise as a Teacher of the deaf.

Fun, Friendship and Community

Each year, Secondary Schools Deaf Sports Day is a much-anticipated event for Deaf and hard of hearing students from across Victoria. This year, students from each St Mary’s campus made their way to the State Netball and Hockey Centre in Melbourne for a day filled with sport, fun and connection.

There was something for everyone, with students taking part in activities including Handball, AFL, Netball, Basketball, Fencing, Chess, Darts and board games. While the weather was a little wet, it certainly didn’t dampen the students’ spirits! Students embraced the day, getting involved in the games, cheering each other on and making new connections.

It was particularly wonderful to see students from different schools across Melbourne getting to know one another and encouraging each other throughout the day, with plenty of high-fives, smiles and friendly competition along the way. These moments of connection and belonging are what make the day so special.

The event reflects the values we hold at St Mary’s College for the Deaf, celebrating inclusion, belonging and community and providing opportunities for our students to connect with others who share their experiences.

A big thank you to the organisers at Deaf Sports Recreation Victoria, as well as the coaches, instructors and interpreters who helped make the day such a success. We would also like to thank all of our St Mary’s staff for their support and enthusiasm in making it such an enjoyable and memorable day for our students.

Adding PAM to your Home Screen

ANDROID Devices

1. Log into your PAM account

Open your mobile browser, sign in to PAM, and tap the three dots in the top‑right corner.

2. Select “Add to Home Screen”

From the menu options, choose Add to Home Screen.

3. Confirm installation

A pop‑up will appear asking you to Install App. Tap Install.

4. PAM is now on your Home Screen

You will now see a PAM icon on your device, just like an app.

iPhone Devices

1. Log into your PAM account

Open your mobile browser, sign in to PAM, and tap the Share icon (square with an upward arrow) at the bottom of the screen.

2. Select “Add to Home Screen”

Scroll down the options list and tap Add to Home Screen.

3. Confirm Installation

A confirmation window will appear. Tap Add.

4. PAM is now on your Home Screen

A PAM icon will now appear on your iPhone for quick access.

Pickup and Drop-off Safety

The safety and wellbeing of our students is our highest priority. We kindly ask all parents and carers to follow the designated pickup and drop-off zones, as well as the directions provided by our partner school. By working together and following these guidelines, we can help ensure a safe and smooth process for all members of our school community.

Helpful Reminders for Pickup and Drop-off:

• Use only the designated pickup and drop-off zones.
• Follow the instructions of staff and partner school signage.
• Stay in your vehicle when in the drop-off zone to keep traffic moving.
• Avoid double-parking or stopping in no-stopping areas.
• Remind students to use pedestrian crossings when walking to or from the car.
• Be patient and respectful—safety comes first.

DHH Youth Hub Program – Monthly Social Nights

Deaf Children Australia is excited to introduce its new DHH Youth Hub Program, a free monthly social night designed especially for Deaf and hard-of-hearing young people aged 11–18.

Held on the second Friday of each month, the Youth Hub provides a welcoming and inclusive space for young people to connect, build friendships and enjoy time with their peers.

Each month will bring something different, with guest speakers, themed activities and games, including pool, air hockey and table tennis. Food will also be provided, making it a great opportunity for young people to socialise and have fun!

📅 When: Second Friday of each month
🕙 Time: 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm
📍 Where: Deaf Children Australia, 597 St Kilda Road, Melbourne VIC 3004
👥 Who: Deaf and hard-of-hearing young people aged 11–18
🎟️ Cost: FREE
🍕 Food: Provided

Families and young people are invited to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to receive monthly updates about upcoming themes, activities, guest speakers and registration information.

Expression of Interest

We encourage St Mary’s students and families to explore this wonderful opportunity to connect with other Deaf and hard-of-hearing young people and be part of a welcoming community!

DCA Youth Formal 2026

Deaf Children Australia is inviting Deaf and hard-of-hearing students in Grades 10–12 from across Australia to the DCA Youth Formal 2026.

It will be a fun evening to dress up, catch up with friends, meet new people and celebrate together. The night will feature a range of interactive activities, including arcade games, a laser maze, glow air hockey and foosball, a photo booth, basketball and more. Pizza, slushies, fairy floss and soft drinks will also be provided.

📅 Date: Saturday 21 November 2026
🕙 Time: 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
📍 Where: Party Higher, 43 Levanswell Road, Moorabbin VIC 3189
👥 Who: Deaf and hard-of-hearing students in Grades 10–12
🎟️ Cost: $75 per person (tickets close 6 November 2026)

Come along for a night of fun, connection and celebration with other Deaf and hard-of-hearing students from across Australia.

Purchase Ticket / Register

For enquiries, contact events@deafchildren.org.au.