ACTING PRINCIPAL Lize Privitera
Bishop's Advent Message 2024
Celebrating Learning
Our Explicit Improvement Agenda—Student Voice and Agency & Planning for Improved Student Learning—makes sure that our teachers are laser-focused on our students' data, progress, and achievements. Alongside teaching at the Year 4 level, Mrs. Helen Fourna is additionally the Curriculum & Data Learning Leader. Throughout the year, our student data is continuously evaluated to help teachers prepare, and particularly during this time of year, to determine the development and successes of our students. At next week's assembly, we will continue to recognize our students' efforts and academic achievement with the Academic Achievement and Most Improved-Excellence Awards. We intend that the Awards will remain a part of our annual schedule of events in Term 4 to honour and showcase our students' growth, competencies, and achievements in the subjects of mathematics and English.
Families are welcome to come to Allen Hall on Wednesday, 11 December at 9:00 am and join us as we celebrate during a whole school assembly. Please continue reading the further details that Mrs. Fourna has provided.
Student feedback
An integral part of our cycle of teaching and learning is student feedback. Every week, staff record and acknowledge feedback to students and this is shared with them in class and via the school newsletter, at Assembly and in MMPS News on Wednesday mornings. Read on for this week’s feedback to students.
Week 9 Student Feedback
To all Year 1 students......Girls and boys, what a wonderful News presentation you created for MMPS News. I would just like to say the presenters and reporters did a fantastic job to share your learning. It looks like you had fun as well. Thankyou for your wonderful enthusiasm and participation. You all did an amazing job. Mrs Privitera really enjoyed your work!
To the Year 6 students who volunteered their play time to help take down and sort student artwork in the gallery - your help was very much appreciated! Thank you!
Well done to all Year 2 students for the teamwork you continue to show through your Reader’s Theatre plays. We cannot wait to watch you perform. You have also done a wonderful job at showing us your understanding in Maths.
SCHOOL FUN RUN FUNDRAISER
A HUGE THANK YOU once again to all, for such a wonderful event on the day. Not only the wonderful amount raised but more the great atmosphere and participation enjoyed by many. Last week in the newsletter we announced that the children had raised an amazing $30,413.98. This money will be used for improvements to the playground in the upcoming year. There are prizes to be distributed which is amazing for the students. Prizes are on their way! As soon as the student prizes have been delivered to the school, these will be distributed to the students. We are expecting the delivery any minute now!.
Once again, you would agree for the families who joined us, that the course looked outstanding! Special thanks to the staff who started the day very early and kept going all day. Just to put it in perspective Marita and Jacqui from Admin clocked together close to 50,000 steps! Also, many thanks to staff members who were brave enough to be sprayed with the powder! There were heartwarming stories of how some students expressed their appreciation to their friends and family for supporting them and donating. Really lovely to hear our students showing their gratitude in their own special ways. Many thanks to you all for your support and commitment to our beautiful school and community. We sincerely hope the students take pleasure in using their prizes.
Christmas Appeal
This year's Annual Christmas Gift Appeal in support of St. Vincent de Paul is organised by the Mary MacKillop Kids group. This is a wonderful chance for the school community to help those in our neighbourhood who need assistance over the Christmas season. The MacKillop Kids group gathers to uphold the values of Catholic Social Teaching and are committed to support this social justice initiative. Your donations are greatly appreciated. Christmas gift toy donations (new only) for children aged between 5-12 years would be appreciated. Gift donations must be placed in classroom collection boxes by December 10, 2024.
End of Term 4 dates
Please note the end of year activities-
- Student Chromebooks Years 4 to 6 - chromebooks and chargers are to be returned by Monday 9 December
- Year 6 Graduation Mass & Presentation Tuesday 10 December
- Foundation and Year 6 Presentations & Excellence Awards presented during an Assembly at 9.00am Wednesday 11 December
- Year 4 Swimming Program 9 - 12 December
- Whole School Mass Celebration Thursday 12 December
- Christmas Concert Friday 13 December
- Meet & Greet Monday 16 December
- Year 4 final swim lesson Tuesday 17 December
- Portfolios & TRP Journals distributed on last day of the term Tuesday 17 December
- School Community farewell to Year 6 students on the small oval Tuesday 17 December
Next Thursday, December 12, at 9:00 a.m., we will celebrate our year-end school mass in Allen Hall. We invite all parents, young children, and family members to join us in celebrating mass. We will welcome the incoming 2025 student leadership group and bid farewell to the existing Year 6 school leaders during this mass. Invitations to our special end-of-year events have been given to you by students.
Additionally, we invite you to our Christmas concert in Allen Hall on Friday, December 13th, starting at 1:15 p.m. Remember to dress in outfits with a Christmas theme.
Catholic Missions
Second Sunday of Advent, Cycle C
Sunday, December 8, 2024
Luke 3:1-6
John preaches repentance and baptizes in the region of the Jordan.
This week and next, our Gospel readings invite us to consider John the Baptist and his relationship to Jesus. John the Baptist appears in the tradition of the great prophets, preaching repentance and reform to the people of Israel. To affirm this, Luke quotes at length from the prophet Isaiah. John baptizes for repentance and for forgiveness of sins, preparing the way for God's salvation. During Advent, we prepare to celebrate Jesus’ birth. We do this by making good choices. When we make a poor choice, we can choose to turn back to God and ask for forgiveness. Listen to next Sunday’s Gospel as we will hear about John the Baptist preparing the way for the Lord.