PRINCIPAL - Gab Verstraete
School Improvement Agenda
This year our School Improvement Agenda for 2025 is:
- Student Voice and Agency
- Planning for Improved Student Learning - key focus on Mathematics and Reading
Over the last few weeks, staff have been analysing NAPLAN data and whole school data sets to further understand the strengths of our students and to identify specific areas where we can help our students improve in their learning. A few years ago, Liz Jones (the previous Principal) and staff made the decision to implement Little Learners Love Literacy (LLLL) - an explicit synthetic phonics approach to the teaching of Reading. The Year 3 NAPLAN data this year showed tremendous growth and this can be attributed to the LLLL and the increase in our teacher’s expertise with the teaching of Reading. Well done Year 3!
Raising Kids in a Digital World
At the moment we have 12 families registered for this evening on Thursday 11 September: @ 6.30 - 8pm in MMPS Allen Hall. In order to enable more families to attend we will offer a movie in a classroom if you are unable to find babysitters/carers. We do ask, that if you do access to a baby sitters/carers that you use them but if you are not attending because of this barrier, then please bring your children with you and they can watch a movie in a classroom and be supervised by staff. There are 210 families in our school - it would be wonderful if at least 50% attended this evening. For more information please go to:
https://www.informandempower.com.au/program/parent-seminars
Please register by using the link below:
Book Week 2025
Don’t forget to wear your Book Week costume tomorrow - we will enjoy a Book Week Parade at 9.00am in the Allen Hall. Families are most welcome to come along to watch. Please ensure that you have signed in as a visitor at the office.
Please note - there will be NO ASSEMBLY this Friday afternoon, due to Book Week.
REMINDER - Planning for 2026 School Year
2026 Student Class Placements
Teachers will begin planning for our 2026 classes in the coming weeks. We respect and value parent input and ask that you email me – gverstraete@marymacnarre.catholic.edu.au, or put in writing and leave at the Administration Office, if you have information about your child that could impact on their placement for 2026.
Please ensure your request is received by Friday next week - 29 August, 2025. Requests received after the cut off date of Friday 29 August are very difficult to take into consideration.
We ask parents to be mindful of our teachers’ preparation and time that goes into student/class placements, which is not an easy task, taking into account all the areas mentioned below:
- Staff use their professional judgement and a range of information when placing students into classes. This information includes student learning progress, learning strengths, learning needs, NCCD Data, gender balance within classes and across the level to provide an optimal learning environment for ALL students.
- Parent requests are forwarded onto staff when placing students into their 2026 classes. Please note, the 2025 class teacher places students from their 2025 grade into the 2026 class groupings.
- Please be aware that your letters of request are not a guarantee of your child’s placement.
- Please note that requests made in previous years are not necessarily considered in the process. Historical information provided by parents regarding their child’s placement will need to be re-submitted if the concerns expressed in previous years are still relevant for consideration in 2026.
Foundation to Year 5 Students - Please ensure that you have completed your child's 'INTENTION TO RETURN IN 2026' which was sent out via PAM a couple of weeks ago. This eform must be completed by Friday 29 August 2025 to ensure class placement for the following year.
Father’s Day Breakfast - Thursday 4th September 2025
This year we are again organising a special breakfast to celebrate Father's Day. We invite all children to come along with their father, grandfather or other 'special person' to join us for a delicious breakfast of a bacon and egg roll, juice or water.
When: Thursday 4th September 2025
Where: Allen Hall
Time: 8.00am - 8.40am Breakfast
8.40 am - 9.00am (approx) Classroom prayer time and activities
9.00am (approx) - 10.00am Whole School Assembly
This breakfast is provided free of charge however a gold coin donation to ‘Trinity Families’ would be appreciated. A donation box will be placed in the Hall foyer for 'Trinity families' who provide many different support services for families throughout our Diocese. All donations will be gratefully appreciated.
Father's Day Stall – Wednesday 3rd September 2025
We have organised a fabulous range of gifts for the children to choose from at this year’s Father's Day Stall. Gift options will be displayed in the classrooms prior to the stall for the children to see (no peeking dads!) This year, due rising costs, we have had to make all gifts $8.00 each – our last price rise was over ten years ago!! Please ensure that children wishing to purchase a gift bring the correct money on the day as we will only have limited change. (Depending on available left-over stock, there might be an opportunity to purchase an additional gift on Thursday or Friday.)
Calling all mums – Your help is needed!
We will also need the help of our mums (or dads!) to help with the cooking, serving and clean-up of the breakfast for the dads:
Wednesday 3rd September: Preset up of tables and BBQ @ 2.00pm – 3.00pm
Thursday 4th September:
- 7.30am – 8.00am - Setup/cooking
- 8.00am – 8.40am - Serving
- 8.40am – 9.00am - Clean up
If you can help at all, please email your name, contact phone number and eldest child’s class to:
frontdesk@marymacnarre.catholic.edu.au
Footy Day Sausage Sizzle
Thursday 18 September (last day of term 3)
Information will be coming home tomorrow to all families, via PAM email, regarding details of how to order for this event via CDFpay.
Feedback to Students
Well done to our Year 5 students for the wonderful way they conducted themselves on our excursion to Coal Creek.
Amazing work, Year 4 students, on our excursion to Polly Woodside last Thursday! Your curiosity, thoughtful contributions to discussions, and infectious enthusiasm during every activity made the day so special. We are all incredibly proud of the way you lived out the MMPS school values. Well done, superstars!
Unfortunately, from time to time, teachers need to miss teaching their class. A replacement teacher is organised, and they teach what the teacher planned for that session or full day. Teachers then collect feedback everytime there is a replacement teacher, and it is with great pleasure we can share messages the replacement teachers wrote about working at MMPS recently. The feedback includes:
- During morning prayer, students were very respectful with several students sharing prayers for their loved ones.
- All students were engaged and focussed on their writing task throughout the session, working responsibly and respectfully.
- Watching MMPS News has been one of my favourite ways to start a day.
- One student enthusiastically shared his narrative titled ‘Joking Joey’ and discussed the background to his story.
- Students volunteered to set up activities and were very helpful throughout the day.
- In one session, a student was an outstanding classroom helper, tidying up at the end of the day and assisted other students.
- It was so nice to be welcomed by students when I walked around doing yard duty - thank you!
- Students on the senior oval were playing and interacting very respectfully with each other.
- The students at MMPS are lovely - thank you for a great day!
Staff at MMPS care greatly and are very proud of all students - the replacement teacher comments prove we are all part of a fantastic school - great job everyone!
Fantastic work to all Year Three students for the positive behaviour that was displayed on our excursion to the museum. You displayed the school values whilst being out in public. We are very proud of you.
