Welcome To St Mary’s Hastings
What a joy and honour it is to be Principal of St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School. Since accepting the position of principal at the start of 2020, I have been so excited to have joined a school with such unique offerings which for me, are unrivalled by any school I have previously experienced.
As an integral part of the faith community of the Parish of Western Port and the wider community of the region of Hastings, the staff and I are committed to ensuring St. Mary’s continues its role as a place of inclusivity, learning excellence and where relationships are valued and built upon. With that in mind, it is my intention to ensure that the education of your child is a partnership – a joint responsibility between the school and home. Families are a child’s first teacher and when they remain so, the power to learn at school is magnified dramatically.
My mission is to give your child a foundation of faith, values, knowledge, skills, and attitudes that are necessary for living and working in a rapidly changing world that is characterised by economic, cultural and political diversity. To that end, I place a strong emphasis on students achieving a faith-filled education where intrinsic motivation is harnessed to drive real, purposeful learning. All within an environment which encourages your child to be a confident, independent learner who is excited about exploring their potential and has high social interest.
The words unlimited potential, encapsulate the philosophy that every child can flourish in the right environment. At St. Mary’s, my promise to you is that your child will have the opportunity belong to a dynamic yet nurturing community and know in their heart that they matter every day.
My priority is to get students to do things they never thought they could do, to achieve higher than their aspirations, to exceed their potential and to position St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School as the school of choice for future generations of Hastings children. I look forward to welcoming you here.
Gabrielle Espenschied
Principal – St Mary’s Primary School
