Our Explicit Improvement Agenda

Student Voice and Agency

Planning for Improved Student Learning

Celebrations of Learning

NAPLAN

Year 3 and Year 5 Student NAPLAN data was distributed to parents and students on Tuesday this week.  Under the online NAPLAN system, individual student data is received in a more timely manner than previous NAPLAN test years.  Comparison of our student data to State and National data will be provided to school staff in mid August.  Over the past few years we have continued to make a steady upward trend across all areas of NAPLAN - Reading, Writing, Language Conventions and Numeracy, and across all percentiles (10th, 25th, 50th, 75th and 90th).  We look forward to receiving the State and National data so we can continue to analyse our students results at this level and plan for further upward trends in our students’ learning outcomes.  Congratulations and well done to our Year 3 and Year 5 students on their 2023 NAPLAN results.  Parents please note, SIMON is currently experiencing technical problems with the upload of 2023 NAPLAN data into the SIMON Learning Management System.  This means that parents are unable to access the 2023 results in PAM until this issue is resolved.

Incursions, Excursions and School Events

Just a reminder the Year 3 students will be travelling to the city tomorrow (Friday 28 July) as part of the Melbourne Museum experience.  The excursion will focus on the Year 3 level Inquiry History unit and the way our community, region and state have changed over the years.  It will investigate the role that people of diverse backgrounds have played in moulding our community today including the importance of Place and Culture from an Indigenous Australian perspective.  Students will participate in a dinosaur walk, the Melbourne Story Exhibition, IMAX Australia: the Wild Top End, Place and Culture trail and general viewing.  

On Thursday 3 August (next week) the Year 5 students will be travelling to Coal Creek , Korumburra as part of their Inquiry History unit.  The focus of the excursion is to expose students to daily life in the 1800s.  Students will participate in a Victorian style school lesson, guided tours of the main historic street, explore pioneer houses, tools, colonial artefacts and buildings and play olden day style games of quoits and skittles.

We look forward to hearing all about the Year 3 and Year 5 excursions in upcoming newsletters.

In this week’s newsletter you will continue to find sample practice questions for the Australian Mathematics Competition as well as Year 2 students sharing their Inquiry learning in History, information on our Winter Appeal and upcoming Feast Day activities.  On Tuesday 8 August we look forward to having Kaboom Sports back again in celebration of our Feast Day along with a subway lunch for students to enjoy.  On Thursday 10 August, we will celebrate our Feast Day Mass and olden day dress up in celebration of the life and times of our patron saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop.

Celebrations of Community

Staffing updates

Unfortunately we have not been successful in replacing Sensei in Semester Two as she undertakes her sabbatical year in Japan working for the Japanese Board of Education.  We are continuing to advertise for a Languages position as well as a classroom teaching position in preparation for Mrs Joachim-Zamudio’s upcoming maternity leave.  More information will be provided to students and parents when the positions have been filled.  We look forward to our Speech Pathologist - Toba Goldman (Versa Learn) returning next Thursday to resume student Speech Therapy sessions.  We thank parents and students for their understanding and patience as we navigate staffing during these difficult times and significant teacher shortage crisis.

School Dates and Events

St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal is being held over this week and next week. Our MacKillop Kids club members from Years 3-6 help run the appeal by encouraging the school community to donate specific food items. This year the MacKillop Kids Group have organised the collection of warm winter drinks. Your support of tea varieties, coffee, hot chocolate, milo, etc that would warm up those less fortunate is greatly appreciated. Collection boxes are located in each classroom. Your donations are greatly appreciated.

The Feast of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop: SAVE THE DATE - YOU ARE INVITED TO BRING YOUR FAMILY TO MASS on Saturday, August 5, 2023, at 6.00 p.m., a School Family Mass will be held at Our Lady Help of Christians Church.

Families and students are encouraged to play significant roles in this annual parish mass.  Students created an invitation specifically for families, asking them to both this mass and our school mass, which will be held on August 10 in Allen Hall. Students are invited to read and take part in specific roles during the parish mass. Members of the choir are requested to sing a reflective hymn. Please think about encouraging your child(ren) to take part fully in this parish mass. It's still possible. Families have received a separate letter offering the chance to reserve the day in advance and encouraging students to play particular roles during the Parish liturgy. Expressions of interest are accepted until tomorrow. Your student's involvement will be confirmed via email. During next week there will be opportunity for the students to run through their special roles.

UPCOMING EVENTS: Please refer to the separate letter sent home earlier in the term outlining activities in celebration of the Feast of St Mary MacKillop. 

• Saturday 5th August 6.00pm School Family Mass at OLHC Church
• Tuesday 8th August KABOOM SPORTS EVENT & SUBWAY LUNCH FUNDRAISER
• Thursday 10th August School Mass 9.00am, dress up day & a special treat to take home

Confirmation - Parent & child workshops                                                                                                                                       

Parent/s and their child must attend one of these workshops. Attendance at one of these workshops is a mandatory requirement as part of the preparation to receive the Sacrament. Please bring the Confirmation booklet, and your pencil case to the workshop. On line bookings are required for: 

• Wednesday 9th August 2023 5.00pm or 7.00pm  or
• Thursday 10th August 2023 5.00pm or 7.00pm

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

Sunday, July 30, 2023

Matthew 13:44-52 (shorter form: Matthew 13:44-46)
Jesus teaches about the Kingdom of Heaven.

Next Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus tells us a parable, or story, about the Kingdom of God. He tells us what is truly important. The passages tell about a man who found buried treasure and a man who found a pearl. Jesus teaches us that we are called to make the Kingdom of Heaven the most important thing in our lives. We are to set aside or give up unimportant things so that we can accept God’s gift of the Kingdom of Heaven. The Gospel talks about what we value., let us take some time to think about the things that we value in our lives. God wants us to place everything that we value in the service of the kingdom of heaven.

School Fee Accounts - Term 3

Term 3 Fees and any outstanding fee amounts were due and payable on Monday 24th July 2023. 

Families that have a current direct debit in place, please ensure all payments have been honoured and make arrangements to pay any direct debit amounts that were declined as a matter of importance.

Families who have received CSEF Funding and Healthcare Concession Card rebates that do not have a current direct debit or Centrepay arrangement in place are asked to contact the school office to advise when payment of the rebate amount will be made. 

Families with school fee arrears are encouraged to contact the school office to discuss options available to help support your family meet your fee commitment.

Fee accounts in arrears at the end of Term 3 will be forward to DOSCEL School Fee for collection.

Next week students will complete The Australian Maths Competition date of Thursday 3rd August 2023. 

Today we received the AMC strict guidelines on instructions and student expectations. The Guidelines include:-

• Maintain silence at all times during the competition.

• Stay in your seat during the competition.

• If you have a question, raise your hand and wait for a teacher.

• You may not borrow equipment from other students.

• There is no extra time to complete this paper.

• You must follow instructions on how to record answers, scribbles on the answer sheet will invalidate the entry. 

Please ensure your child is familiar with the above AMC rules they are required to adhere to.  NB If your child is unable to adhere to the above rules, they will not be able to complete the competition and unfortunately be sent back to their class.

We hope the examples given in the past few weeks have been helpful and outline the style of questions used in this competition. Below  are the examples for this week. 

If you have any questions please contact your child’s teacher or email me at  hfourna@marymacnarre.catholic.edu.au

This term, our Inquiry focus is History. We have set up classroom museums with items that were used by members of students’ families when they were younger. Some interesting artifacts that have been put into our museums include a tape cassette, LP record, corded telephone and two 100 year old Bibles that have been generously donated to the school. 

As part of our Inquiry, we have also been exploring historical events, such as the Victorian Gold Rush. Students have learnt about the harsh conditions of the gold mines and that there were thousands of people who came from all over the world in search of gold. Students are currently writing a historical narrative to demonstrate their understanding of what life was like for these people 172 years ago. 

One of the things we are focusing on in Maths is telling the time. Reading analogue time can be quite a challenge in our digital world but students are learning about time to the quarter and recognising the language such as ‘a quarter to’ and ‘15 minutes to’. They are also practising how to draw an analogue clock accurately and how to convert analogue time to digit time. 

We are very proud of the Year Twos.

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