Our Explicit Improvement Agenda

Student Voice and Agency

Planning for Improved Student Learning

Celebrations of Learning

Catholic Education Week - Catholic Schools Places of Encounter

We have had an exciting week celebrating Catholic schools throughout Catholic Education Week.  Our highlights today were the celebration of our whole school Mass and the student led fundraisers this afternoon.  It is wonderful to see student voice and agency in action in the student led fundraisers.  Our congratulations to those students who creatively designed and promoted their fundraising ventures - lucky dip, guess the lollies in the jar, colouring competitions, poster designs etc. Student have nominated many worthy causes to fundraise for including Royal Children’s Hospital, Cancer Council, MS, Caritas, Animal Protection Society, MND and The Smith family just to name a few. Thank you to Lize Privitera and parents of students fundraising for your support of this very worthy initiative.  The student led fundraisers were held today from 1.30 - 3.00 pm and all grades had the opportunity to participate - well done and congratulations to all.  Students were given a ‘special cookie’ in celebration of Catholic Education Week - a big thank you to Phil’s Bakery, Parkhill Plaza for supplying over 300 cookies.

“Let the words you speak always be full of Grace” (Colossians 4:6)

Division Cross Country

Our congratulations to Lily, Noah C, Annabelle, Katya, Leonardo, Zac, Archer, Tyler, Telina and Leeya on successfully getting through to Division Cross Country.  These students will be competing on Wednesday 31 May at Toomuc Valley Reserve - we wish them all the very best in this next level of competition.  

AFL Indigenous Guernsey Designs - Dreamtime at the G

In bringing together our Term 2 Inquiry unit - Design and Technology, Catholic Education Week, AFL Clinics in PE and National Sorry Day, students have been given the opportunity to design their own Indigenous guernseys this week.  We look forward to seeing our student’s creative designs on display in the Allen Hall.

In this week’s MMPS News Amelia and Lily shared our student’s message video wishing our Parish all the best for their Feast Day on Wednesday, Japanese News and Three Good Things from the Year 5 level.  In this week’s newsletter we have great photos of our students’ participation in the AFL Clinics, Japanese learning, 5SD prayer cloth and more - Happy reading . . .

Celebrations of Community

Celebrating Winter

To celebrate the start of Winter we will be holding a ‘Beanie Day’ and ‘Subway Lunch’ fundraiser on Thursday 1st June.  All proceeds will go towards our exciting new courtyard refurbishment (located under the new shade sails - Brunswick Courtyard).

Beanie/Warm Hat:  Children can wear their favourite beanie or special warm hat to school on Thursday 1st for a gold coin donation.  

Subway Lunch:  We have sent home order envelopes for the ‘Subway Lunch’ with every child today. This is an ‘opt in or out’ treat - you do not have to participate if you do not wish.

• Envelopes & correct money are due back to the class teacher by next Tuesday 30th May
• Unfortunately, late orders cannot be accepted at school or at Subway
• Orders will be delivered at lunchtime on Thursday 1st June
• The lunch order is $12.00 for a 6-inch sub/cookie/drink or $9.00 for just the sub  
• MMPS will not be counting money or checking envelopes, so please be sure your child has correct options and correct money (change not provided)
• Each child needs their own envelope and own correct money in their own class, please do not send family envelope as Subway will not be able to process the order
• The Subway website has food intolerance and nutritional information

We look forward to celebrating Winter next week!

School Dates and Events

The celebrations for Catholic Education Week ended with today's mass with the whole school and an afternoon of student-led fundraising. Next week's newsletter will include an  overview of today's event. We appreciate your participation in and support of the events this week. All students deserve praise for their agency, initiative, passion, and dedication to cooperating, sharing, and creating spaces for encounter.

The following student leaders spoke to the parishioners last weekend on their educational experiences and their knowledge of Catholic Education Week. Last weekend, the students confidently addressed parishioners during the 6 p.m. Saturday and 7.30 a.m. Parish masses. We appreciate these students and their families taking the time to attend mass and share their ideas.

Our names are Annabelle, Ethan, Adiel, Ruben, Marielle and Sienna and we are from Mary MacKillop Primary School. One of the Parish schools of Our Lady Help of Christians Parish, Narre Warren.  We would like to share with you a special event that will be celebrated across all Catholic schools in the Diocese of Sale. It is Catholic Education Week.

It is a week that is celebrated by all Catholic schools in the Diocese of Sale. This year the theme is “Go out into the world and spread the Good News to all creation”, encouraging us as members of a school community to enact a vision for a better world, one where people can live in harmony with each other and with the environment, in response to the call of Pope Francis.”

Our schools are currently living this call in many ways. The spirit of Jesus is present in every Catholic school community spanning across south east Victoria from Narre Warren and Cranbourne in the west, Wonthaggi and Philip Island in the south, to Orbost in the east.  There are 38 Primary Catholic schools and 7 Secondary Catholic schools in the Diocese of Sale.  There really is a lot to celebrate isn’t there?  

Well, we would like to share a few things about what we enjoy about MMPS.

Adiel: What I enjoy about MMPS is that I really feel a part of the School Community with both my classmates and teachers.

Ethan: What I enjoy about MMPS is all the kindness people show towards each other while learning and in the schoolyard. In Mary Mac people show all of the Mary MacKillop school values every day of the week and we show that through our learning awards.

Sienna: What I enjoy is being surrounded by people and teachers who care and follow in the values of Mary MacKillop.

Marielle: I enjoy how Mary MacKillop produces and lets us experience our catholic faith journey with a whole heap of inclusivity and support towards one another.

Annabelle: At Mary MacKillop, I enjoy the fact that we all work in harmony with God. I also enjoy all of the prayer spaces and sacred areas around our school.

Ruben: I enjoy how the teachers don’t just tell us about God but demonstrate how to follow In God's and Jesus’ footsteps while teaching and showing us important values for our life. 

Caritas Australia would like to THANK YOU for supporting Project Compassion 2023. Your generosity will empower the world’s most vulnerable communities to grow stronger and lift themselves out of poverty. Together, we can help vulnerable communities face their challenges today and build a better tomorrow For All Future Generations.The total amount raised through the classroom Project Compassion boxes during Term 1 was $679.00 Thank you for your generous support!

National Sorry Day is held on the 26th May each year. National Sorry Day is a day to acknowledge the strength of Stolen Generations Survivors and reflect on how we can all play a part in the healing process for our people and nation. We deepen our knowledge of Australia by learning about the world’s oldest continuous living cultures. Together we pray -

Holy God,

you meet us in quiet gardens and wild places,

in busy streets and wide-open spaces;

all creation hums with life!

May Australia’s First Nations Peoples continue to thrive,

and – having remembered the sacred earth again –

may we all grow in love, respect and harmony

with the people and places we call home,

for the sake of all future generations.

Amen.

Pentecost Sunday, Cycle A

Sunday, May 28, 2023

John 20:19-23
Jesus appears to his disciples and gives them the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The Season of Easter concludes with next Sunday’s celebration, the Feast of Pentecost. On Pentecost we celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles gathered in the upper room in Jerusalem; this event marks the beginning of the Church. The story of Pentecost is found in the Acts of the Apostles, first scripture reading in next Sunday’s liturgy. The account in the Gospel, John 20:19-23, recounts how Jesus gave the gift of the Holy Spirit to his disciples. Jesus greeted the disciples with “Peace be with you. Jesus gave the disciples the gift of the Holy Spirit to help them spread his message of peace and forgiveness.

AFL CLINICS

During this week’s Physical Education lessons , all students participated in football clinics run by AFL Victoria. Students seemed to really enjoy these sessions and displayed some outstanding skills as seen in the photos! These clinics were also assessed as a portfolio activity for each student.

DIVISION CROSS COUNTRY

We wish Annabelle, Lily, Leonardo , Zac, Telina , Noah, Leeya, Katya, Archer and Tyler the best of luck when they compete in the Casey North Division Cross Country next Wednesday.

SENIOR LIGHTNING PREMIERSHIP DAY - rescheduled

On June 7, all senior students will participate in the Berwick District Lightning Premiership Day in the following sports - Netball, Soccer and Teeball. A permission eform was sent out via PAM this afternoon. Please complete your child’s permission ASAP.

こんにちは、

This week, Senior students designed new instant noodle flavours using their cultural knowledge. Fun fact: Instant noodles are a Japanese invention!

In 5-SD our Mary MacKillop prayer cloth quote is from 1890.  It is 'our courage should rise with difficulties and obstacles'.  We chose this quote because it reminds us to keep going in rough times and situations.

The handprints around the quote represent us as a class showing we will keep going at all times.  The handprints are all unique by each of our hands and the colour was also chosen by us.

The angel on the prayer cloth represents rising up with courage and how our class should rise up with courage at all times to support each other together as a strong class.

Recently found:  One 'airpod' on the playground.  Pop into the office if it belongs to you.  Also, some money was handed in n Thursday morning, possibly dropped out of a car in the drop off lane?

Second Hand Uniform:  We have HEAPS of FREE stock in the little office behind the canteen.  Why not pop in and grab some spare uniform for the coming winter months! 

Many thanks to all the lovely mums who have so kindly sorted out the donations for us.  We really do appreciate you help.

Congratulations to the following children who have received learning awards this term...

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