Our Explicit Improvement Agenda

Student Voice and Agency

Planning for Improved Student Learning

Celebrations of Learning - MMPS News is back!

We are very pleased to welcome back for 2023 our MMPS News item each Wednesday morning.  Our Year 6 student news readers livestream the news segment straight into our students’ classrooms.  This week we shared the new and updated news promo as well as our Foundation and Year 6 students’ experience of their buddy program so far.  Sensei also includes the Japanese challenge of the Term which are the following ‘greetings’ in Japanese:  

• Good morning - Ohayō  (おはよう)
• Hello - Konnichiwa (こんにちは)
• Good bye - Sayōnara (さようなら)
• See you later - Mata ne (またね)

A very big thank you to Sensei Stapledon and our Year 6 Student Leaders David and Marielle for launching our 2023 MMPS news.  We look forward to next week’s segment in great anticipation.

In the newsletter this week, you will find Discovery Centre news with students creating digital avatars, Foundation students practicing their writing of  hiragana characters and learning from our Year 5s in the curriculum areas of Religion, Health, Maths and English.  Another week of exciting learning and building our students’ voice and agency.

2024 Student Enrolments

Enrolments are now open for Foundation 2024 and filling fast.  If you would like a guided tour by our Year 6 Student Leaders, please call the office 8794 5777 to arrange a time.  The Open Day flyer is attached below and displayed on the board at the front of the school.

The beginning of the year Student Learning Conversations will be held next week:

• Tuesday 7 March, 2023 from 3.40 pm - 6.20 pm
• Wednesday 8 March, 2023 from 3.40 pm - 6.20 pm

If you have not already done so, please book your child's interview in via their PAM profile.  We are really looking forward to this time to acquaint yourself with your child’s teacher and for your child to share their learning targets for the Term.  We look forward to meeting you all next week.

Program Support Group (PSG) Meetings

PSG Meetings are an important factor in providing for the social, emotional and academic development of students with specific learning needs as identified through the Nationally Consistent Collection Data [NCCD].  The PSG meeting focus is to review and monitor student plans such as a Personalised Learning Plan [PLP], Student Adjustment and Evaluation Plan [SAEP], Behaviour Support Plan [BSP] and/or Safety Plan.  The PSG also provides an opportunity to work in partnership with parents, the student and other professional agencies for improved student learning outcomes.  Information about the PSG meeting includes:

• Members of the PSG meeting
• Learning Adjustment Leader - Lize Privitera
• Class Teacher
• Parent
• Student (invitational)
• Other representatives may include - Psychologist, Speech Therapist, Occupational Therapist, DOSCEL representative
• Minutes and actions of the PSG meeting are recorded and signed by all parties present
• PSG meetings are held during school hours 8.45 am to 3.30 pm
• PSG meetings are held towards the end of each term and are 30 minutes in duration
• Parents and students are invited to attend their child’s PSG meeting.

More information will be sent to parents with students with specific learning needs and/or plans over the coming weeks.

Parent questions or raising concerns

Our school community is committed to building positive and respectful relationships that support the learning and development of all students and value the innate dignity of each person.  In the event that a question or parent / student concern arises, it is important that all members of our school community have the opportunity to be heard.  We commit to ensure procedural fairness is observed when dealing with complaints, grievances or any misunderstandings that may arise.  We welcome feedback and are committed to continuous improvement. We value open communication with our families and recognise that the complaints process provides an important opportunity for reflection and learning.  Concerns in the first instance are to be directed to your child’s class teacher and/or specialist teacher.  

Easter Raffle

Important Dates - School Events & Student Free Days

Friday 10 March, 2023 - Staff Professional Learning Day - STUDENT FREE DAY

Monday 13 March, 2023 - LABOUR DAY PUBLIC HOLIDAY

First Week of Lent  

We begin our annual Lenten Project Compassion journey by learning about Laxmi, a 16-year-old girl living in Jajarkot, a remote district in Nepal where almost half of the population live below the poverty line.  Tragedy struck when Laxmi was 10 years old and her father passed away. Her father worked hard to pay for his children's education and, after losing him, Laxmi was at risk of falling further into extreme poverty.

With the support of our partner Caritas Nepal, Laxmi joined a child's club at her school where she was encouraged to resume her education. Through the child’s club, Laxmi developed the skills and confidence to become a leader, advocating for clean water taps at her school. 

Laxmi is now excelling in her studies and working towards her dream of becoming a civil engineer. She continues to be involved in the child's club, serving as an advisor and mentoring the next generation of young leaders at her old school.  Watch a short film about Laxmi’s story here.

Project Compassion boxes are located in each classroom for student donations or you can donate online via the Caritas Australia website at: www.caritas.org.au/project-compassion

Your support is greatly appreciated.

First Reconciliation Program

Reconciliation Parent and Child Workshops

For those families currently enrolled in the Parish First Reconciliation program. Please note, Parent/s and their child must attend one workshop. Attendance at one of these workshops is a mandatory requirement as part of the preparation to receive the Sacrament.

Final two sessions are being held tonight at OLHC Parish centre - Thursday 2nd March 2023 5:00 PM OR 7:00 PM

Second Sunday of Lent, Cycle A

Sunday, March 5, 2023

Matthew 17:1-9

Jesus is transfigured on the mountain in the presence of Peter, James, and John.

For the second Sunday of Lent, we move from Jesus’ retreat to the desert to his Transfiguration. Each year on the first Sunday of Lent, our Gospel tells the story of Jesus’ temptation in the desert. On the second Sunday of Lent each year, we hear the story of Jesus’ Transfiguration.

Next Sunday’s Gospel tells the story of a great moment in Jesus’ life and the lives of his closest disciples: Peter, James, and John. This Gospel reminds us that Jesus is no ordinary person and that his message is not ordinary either. We are reminded to pay close attention to the teachings of Jesus because he represents God’s complete Word.

OLHC Parish

Our Lady Help of Christians Parish Information Mary MacKillop Primary School is one of the three Parish Primary Schools belonging to the Parish of Our Lady Help of Christians, Narre Warren within the Diocese of Sale. Fr Brendan Hogan is our Parish Priest and Fr Ajin Albarnas is our Assistant Priest. We are grateful for their ongoing prayers, involvement and support of the students, families and staff of Mary MacKillop School. 

Parish Sacramental Program 2023 - Click on the link to access a copy of the 2023 Sacrament Program Booklet:  https://www.olhc.org.au/parish-sacrament-program/

Parish Bulletin - Click on the link below to download the weekly newsletter:  https://www.olhc.org.au/parish-bulletin/

Religion

Students were involved in creating our class prayer cloths. For prayer we have been exploring formal prayers and what they mean for us today.

• Some formal prayers we have been learning about are Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be and Apostles Creed. We also read the prayers and searched up words that we didn’t know, which helped us to understand the prayers - Adam (5-SD)
• We were invited to bring in our own special prayers and share them with the class. I brought in a prayer that is written in Croatian. It is like the Our Father prayer. (Ashlee - 5JB)

Health

We have been exploring practices that help promote and maintain health and wellbeing. We began by examining the Australian Guide to Healthy eating and we designed our own healthy lunch box that includes foods from the different food groups. Next, we  explored how food labels help protect people with allergies and provide information to help us make informed nutritional decisions. Students had fun identifying how much sugar was in products such as cereals and drinks. Finally, we explored the daily recommended requirements for physical activity for children and reflected on how we meet this in our daily life.

• We have been learning about health and wellbeing. To be healthy you have to drink lots of water, exercise, sleep well and eat healthy. If you are looking after your wellbeing, you are also doing lots of exercise and it reduces stress - Jovan (5-SD) 
• We looked at the back of cereal boxes and measured the amount of sugar into small bags. I learnt that weetbix has only a little bit of sugar and is a very good choice when choosing a breakfast cereal. Imogen (5-JB)
• We are keeping a diary to record our physical activity. I play cricket every day at school. All children should play games outside because we need to be active for 60 minutes a day. Leo (5-JB)

Maths

Concepts we are looking at are place value, addition and subtraction. The students have been learning how different strategies are effective for different problems. 

• We have been looking at renaming numbers, number lines and vertical addition and subtraction. When we first started looking at vertical addition and subtraction I wasn't very good but at the end of the week I grew more confident - Milania (5-SD)
• We have been working on addition and subtraction. The whole class worked on vertical addition and subtraction, number lines - counting up and down. This has helped me improve with number lines using addition and subtraction - Dior (5-SD)
• I use place value to help me with adding and subtracting. Albert (5JB)

English 

We have had fun exploring how authors use metalanguage to create visual images for the reader. We have also been writing narratives and persuasive texts. 

• In reading, we have been learning about metalanguage and different examples of metalanguage. Some of the words we have learnt are simile, onomatopoeia, puns, alliteration and many more - Hanisi (5-SD) 
• In writing, we have been learning about persuasive text and narratives and how to improve in those. We are mostly trying to get better at paragraphs and develop characters and settings - Selina (5-SD) 
• In writing, I’ve been trying to persuade the reader to buy cereal products which have very little sugar. We have been learning how to use rhetorical questions to do this. Alannah H (5-JB)

In the Discovery Centre students in Year 4, 5 and 6 have created their own digital avatar characters. They have created animated yet very realistic looking images of themselves. This was an engaging get to know you task where students used Google Slides to copy and paste between slides, resize, layer and  order pieces, and save their finished work as an image file. We have used these characters to create learning posters for the Discovery Centre and are also on display in the DC Office. Some students have even used them as their email avatar. They look very effective and have really helped decorate our Discovery Centre. Well done everyone! 

こんにちは、

This week in Japanese, Foundation students practiced writing ‘konnichiwa’ using hiragana characters.

Child Safe Standards

Our school is safe, student centred and animated by our school values.  

We aim to Inspire Hearts and Minds.

"Children are the future of the human family: all of us are expected to promote their growth, health and tranquillity." Pope Francis 2021

At Mary MacKillop Primary School, we believe that ensuring the safety of the students in our care is an integral part of who we are as a Catholic faith community. We adhere to Victorian Child Safe Standards and Ministerial Order No. 1359.  We embed a culture of child safety and the matter is taken very seriously.

MMPS Child Safe Standards

Catholic Education Commission of Victoria (CECV)

The updated CECV Statement of Commitment to Child Safety - A safe, nurturing and empowering culture for all children and young people in Catholic schools, is attached to this newsletter.  This statement has been updated in light of the revised Child Safe Standards coming into effect from 1 July 2022 and the supporting Ministerial Order No. 1359

Here is the latest weekly insight Learning to Take On Challenges View the attached article Insights article below.  

Dr Justin Coulson is a dad to 6 daughters. He is the parenting expert and co-host of Channel 9’s Parental Guidance, and he and his wife host Australia’s #1 podcast for parents and family: The Happy Families podcast. He has written 6 books about families and parenting. For further details visit www.happyfamilies.com.au