THE MESSENGER
Term 1 Week 1
January 28 2026
We must recognise that every day of life has a special value... We need to learn that each new day and each new year offers continual revelation. RUDOLF STEINER
Dear School Community,
We are excited to welcome you back for the 2026 school year and hope you are looking forward to reconnecting with your classes and our school community.
We recognise that it has been a difficult start to the year for many in our district, and we are aware that numerous families and children have recently experienced significant stress. Please reach out to the school directly, or to others within our community, if you need support or know of families who do. We are fortunate to have many generous and caring people ready to help.
This year, we are delighted to welcome 37 new students to our school, including our new 3-yearold Honeybee kindergarten children. We extend a very warm welcome to our new families and hope your journey at Mansfield Steiner School is long and positive. At the other end of the spectrum, our Year 12 students enter their final year of schooling, while Year 11 begins their two-year IB journey. We look forward to seeing these students embrace their position as role models and leaders within our school.
We are also grateful to have recruited an exceptional group
of new staff members and look forward to their contributions to our community.
Please join us in welcoming:
» Jess Bowell Piano Teacher
» Annabel Bainger Mathematics and Numeracy Support
» Kristi Mulvihill Class 1 Teacher
» Bernadette Gifford Early Childhood Assistant
» Kimberly Rancie Classroom Music Teacher
» Dennis Bainger Outdoor Education
» Vanessa Hewson Co-Head of Wellbeing, English, and Numeracy Support (Andrew Raftery is the other Co-Head of Wellbeing)
As the hot weather continues, we encourage you to support your children with sleep, hydration, and sun protection. We will reinforce these messages at school and will ensure less active play during the hottest parts of the day.
Please update your details: If your circumstances changed over the holidays—such as address, phone numbers, emergency contacts, or health concerns—please call or email the office to update our records.
Working Bee & Desk Day Saturday, 31 January, 7:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Our first Working Bee and “Desk Day” is this Saturday. Along with primary students making their annual desk adjustments, we hope to tackle some weeding and mulching. Given the forecast heat, we will start early at 7:00 AM and finish by 10:00 AM, concluding with morning tea and icy poles. Please bring a plate of food to share, with ingredients listed.
We look forward to parents, staff, and students continuing to work together to build and maintain our enriching community.
Glenn Hood PRINCIPAL
T1 Events
please check Sentral for updates and times
