Our Explicit Improvement Agenda

Student Voice and Agency

Planning for improved student learning

Lamont Book Fair

Lamont Book Fair is here and students have had the opportunity this week to browse through the books on offer and create their wish lists.  A big thank you to Trish Papanastasiou for organising and co-ordinating the Book Fair with Lamont.  It is a wonderful opportunity for our students and promotes a love of reading and interest in books with our students - perfect timing for that Christmas stocking filler! Thank you Trish!

Foundation Zoo Excursion

Our Foundation students will experience their first school excursion to the Melbourne Zoo next Wednesday 30 November, 2022.  It will be a day that begins with lots of excitement, fun and laughter as our Foundies venture on a big bus ride to the City.  We are very much looking forward to celebrating our students learning and hearing all about their visit to Melbourne Zoo - have a great day Foundies!!

2023 Student Leaders Process – Year 5 students

Congratulations to all our Year 5 students who nominated for student leadership positions in 2023.  Speeches for School Leader, Faith Leader, Learning Leader, Environment Leader and Sports Leaders began today.

Our Year 5 students are to be commended on the quality and presentation of their leadership speeches.  Their speeches highlighted how very blessed and fortunate we are at Mary MacKillop to have such dedicated and passionate students who demonstrate our school values, not only through their speeches, but also in the way they congratulated and supported each other throughout the leadership formation and application process.  Our students were inspirational in overcoming nerves, to memorise their speech and present them in an engaging way to our Year 5 and Year 4 students.  We look forward to announcing the successful candidates in the coming weeks:

• School Leaders (x 2)
• Faith Leaders (x2)
• Learning Leaders (x2)
• Environmental Leaders (x2)
• House Leaders (4 x 1 per House)

Our student leaders play a very important role in our school community.  They are ambassadors and role models for our school and participate in many and varied activities from leading assembly each week, guided school tours, Mass Ministries, sporting events, growing and selling garden produce.  Our current Year 6 school leaders have been exemplary role models to all students in our school community.  We are very proud of the leadership potential and development of our students and the school values they display in their interactions and leadership roles.

Year 6 Graduation

Our Year 6 Mass and Graduation ceremony will be held on Wednesday 14 December from 5.00 pm.  The format of the evening is as follows:

• 5.00 pm Student Dinner
• 5.45 pm Year 6 Graduation Mass Celebration with Families followed by Year 6 Graduation Presentation

Information was communicated to all Year 6 students and their families via PAM this week.  We look forward to a very special evening to celebrate our Year 6 students and to wish them all the very best on their educational journey.

Enterprise Bargaining Agreement - EBA

As you may be aware, teacher shortages and workload are being discussed and reviewed in the political arena and on the media.  After much consultation, the DOSCEL EBA 2022 Agreement was signed by all parties and endorsed by the Fair Work Commission.  The EBA takes into account, amongst other things, teacher workload including scheduled classes, planning times, student supervision etc.  Therefore, to reflect the conditions outlined in the EBA, the following changes will apply from the beginning of the 2023 school year:

• The school gates will open at 8.30am in the morning and classes will begin at 8.45am.  We ask parents not to drop their child/children off before 8.30am as there is no student supervision before 8.30am.
• The school day will finish at 3.10 pm in the afternoon.  We ask parents to please ensure their child is collected from school at this time at the end of the day so teachers can begin their scheduled staff/planning meetings within their allocated hours of work.

Youth Leadership Victoria will continue to provide before and after school hours services on site in the Lomas Gym. We ask parents to utilise this service, if required, and thank parents and families for working in partnership with us. Application forms are available from the office or by calling YLV directly on 0419 573 185

Change of Date - end of 2022 school year for students 

End of Term 4 for students will now conclude on

THURSDAY 15 DECEMBER, 2022 at 3.15 pm

Our last day of school for students will include:

End of School Year Mass

Student Christmas Concert (Footsteps Dance)

Community farewell to our Year 6 students

2023 BACK TO SCHOOL DATES

Staff return on Friday 27 January 2023 (planning day)

Students commence school on Monday 30th January 2023 at 8.45 am (Years 1 - 6)

(Foundation students start at 9.15am on the first day of school)