Our Explicit Improvement Agenda

Student Voice and Agency

Planning for improved student learning

Planning for 2024 School Year

2024 Class Placements

Teachers will begin planning for our 2024 classes shortly.  We respect and value parent input and ask that you email me – ejones@marymacnarre.catholic.edu.au, or put in writing and leave at the Administration Office, if you have information about your child that could impact on their placement for 2024.  Please ensure your request is received by Friday 25 August, 2023.  

Parents please be mindful of the following:

• Staff use their professional judgement and a range of information when placing students into classes.  This information includes student learning progress, learning strengths, learning needs, NCCD Data, gender balance within classes and across the level to provide an optimal learning environment for ALL students. 
• Parent requests are forwarded onto staff when placing students into their 2024 classes. Please note, the 2023 class teacher places students from their 2023 grade into the 2024 class groupings.
• Please be aware that your letters of request are not a guarantee of your child’s placement. 
• Please note that requests made in previous years are not necessarily considered in the process.  Historical information provided by parents regarding their child’s placement will need to be re-submitted if the concerns expressed in previous years are still relevant for consideration in 2024.

Requests received after the cut off date of Friday 25 August are very difficult to take into consideration.  We ask parents to be mindful of our teachers’ preparation and time that goes into student/class placements which is not an easy task taking into account all the areas mentioned above.

Also, a reminder that the 'Intention to Return in 2024' eform sent out via PAM to all Foundation to Year 5 families recently, must be completed by TODAY

2024 Foundation students

We are in the process of planning for our 2024 Foundation students transition to Primary School.  2024 Foundation families have been sent information regarding their welcome interviews which will be scheduled in the coming weeks.  At the welcome interview, 2024 Foundation Students and their family are provided with a Welcome Pack which includes information on our transition process, google meets, transition days, activities, and the Parent Information night (scheduled in November).  

Father’s Day Celebrations

Father’s Day Stall - Tuesday 29 August / Father’s Day Breakfast - Wednesday 30 August

Our school community will celebrate our Father’s Day Breakfast on Wednesday 30 August.  Information regarding the breakfast was sent to families via PAM. 

We ask all families attending the breakfast to RSVP via CDFpay by next Monday 21 August, if they have not already done so, to ensure we can adequately cater for everyone attending.  See CDFpay link below:

https://marymacnarre.cdfpay.org.au/monitoronline/Account/AddToMyCart/11?itemType=3

We look forward to celebrating this very special time with our dads.

The Annual General Meeting of the SAC will be held on Tuesday 17 October - 7.00 pm in the Staffroom.  Nomination forms for parent representative positions on the School Advisory Committee 2023-2024 are available from the Administration Office.  Alternatively you can request a nomination from via email frontdesk@marymacnarre.catholic.edu.au.

The responsibilities of the SAC are to:

• promote the Catholic ethos of the school
• provide feedback on and review of school policies
• plan for the future of the school and its ability to accommodate future enrolments
• provide advice on budget planning and finance-related matters
• contribute to the selection process for the school principal (when the position is advertised)
• provide advice on the appropriate provision of faith development and Religious Education programs
• promote child safety in the school

Our current 2022-2023 School Advisory Committee comprises of the following members:

• Chairperson - Liz Jones
• Parish Priest - Fr. Brendan Hogan
• Parent Representative - Danielle Davis (Secretary)
• Parent Representative - Julie Gubbels
• Parent Representative - Stephanie Miller
• Parent Representative - Marina Valladares
• Staff Representative - Helen Fourna
• Staff/Parish Representative - Lize Privitera

Please don’t hesitate to email or make contact with the office OR a member of the School Advisory Committee if you have any questions.

Soccer World Cup - The Matilda's

This week we joined the whole country in celebrating the Matilda's Soccer World Cup journey.  Unfortunately a place in the final was not to be but we are still very proud of our 'Tillys'!  Many thanks to Mrs Meunier in the office who made our wonderful display at the front of the school.  We look forward to a great game on Saturday, playing for third position. 

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

Sunday, August 20, 2023

Matthew 15:21-28
Jesus heals the daughter of the Canaanite woman because of her great faith.

As Christians, we do not leave anyone out. We can always widen our circle and welcome new people, even people who are different from us. In next Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus teaches us about not excluding anyone. In this story we can find a lesson about prayer. The woman in the story is successful in making her request to Jesus because she remains confident that Jesus can and will help her. It is her faith that Jesus rewards by healing her daughter. When we bring our needs to God in prayer, we should do so with confidence and faith, like the Canaanite woman.

Mary MacKillop today

Mary MacKillop today is continuing Mary’s life-changing legacy in the modern world by providing education opportunities here in Australia and in neighbouring countries Your support through Subway lunch fundraiser collected $740 for the Mary MacKillop today Foundation. Thankyou!

“So great is the strength we possess in our unity”-St Mary of the Cross MacKillop

Father’s Day

As part of celebrating Father’s Day a special Assembly is planned following this year’s Father’s Day breakfast. Families are invited to send photos of dads, guardians, grandfathers and special friends to be included in a special PowerPoint presentation. Please send photos to lprivitera@marymacnarre.catholic.edu.au  please note these photos will be shown during the morning whole school assembly.

Book Week 2023

To celebrate Book Week students are invite to come to school dressed as their favourite book character. A parade is planned to take place during a morning Assembly on Friday 25th August beginning at 9.00am. All parents and friends are welcome to attend and join in the fun of dressing up too!

Students from Foundation to Year 6 have been working hard this Term in Visual Arts to bring the walls of the art room to life! We began the Term creating a whole school tree display where each student across the school contributed their hand print to the design. Students artwork fill the artspace and make this area of our school a colourful, exciting and inviting space! 

Students have also been developing their knowledge of drawing. Students have learnt the drawing skills of lines, mark making and rubbings to use in an artwork inspired by a chosen artist. Bringing all three skills together, each year level artworks are coming to life and all are making excellent use of these new skills! 

See some images below of students enjoying themselves in art this term! 

After learning all about Mary MacKillop, what a great time to share F-SL’s prayer mat! The focus of the prayer mat is about the Mary MacKillop quote, “Go on with courage and strength.” (1823)

This is what F-SL understand about the quote:

• Emma D: If something you have never done before is hard, just try and try and don’t give up.
• Patrick: Be ready to try new things.
• Dante: Be strong and do things that are really hard, and keep trying until you get it right.
• Layla: You can be strong and don’t give up. Try hard every day.
• Nate: You might do something hard but keep doing it over and over again until you get it.
• Riley: Be brave!
• Charlotte: If it is something you have never done before, try to do it and keep trying.
• Alex: Keep trying until you get it right. 

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

Parent Education - Rescources to support parents and carers

• eSafety Commissioner https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents.
• For Families https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/parent-resources/online-safety-for-every-family
  • Online safety for every family 
    • Express learning for busy families 
      • eSafety's express learning series provides parents and carers with practical tips and advice on common online safety concerns. The videos are 5 to 10 minutes long and cover four important topics, including
        •  Setting up parental controls
        •  Digital technologies and mental health
        • Cyberbullying and online drama
        • Online sexual harassment and image-based abuse
• CCYP - Commission for Children and Young People https://ccyp.vic.gov.au/child-safe-standards/
• School TV https://marymacnarre.catholic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news
• Bravehearts https://bravehearts.org.au/
• Happy Families https://schools.happyfamilies.com.au/login/mmnwn
  • Password: happymmnwn
• Your Insight article for this week:   We Need to Talk About Parent Wellbeing
• UPCOMING LIVE WEBINAR - Monday 21 August  @ 8pm AEST ‘How to flourish even if you or your kids are in the midst of mental health challenges’

Justin_ParentWellbeing.pdf

Justin_ParentWellbeing _pdf 127.78 KB

National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence

On Friday 18 August 2023, Mary MacKillop School is participating in the National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence (NDA).  The 2023 NDA theme, Growing connections, promotes the importance of school, family and community connections in building safe and supportive learning environments where all students can belong, feel accepted and respected.

Research has shown that strong school connections and positive relationships can help to prevent bullying. When students feel a sense of belonging and connectedness at school, they are more likely to enjoy school, to trust and respect their teachers, and be concerned about and help others (Australian Education Research Organisation 2023).

Students in Years 3-6 will participate in a live virtual classroom webinar Be an eSafe Kid: take action from,the eSafety Commissioner. The virtual classroom helps students identify cyberbullying and know what to do if they are bullied online. Foundation to Year 2, will engage in learning experiences which highlight the importance of a sense of belonging and connectedness to support student social and emotional wellbeing and the prevention of bullying.

Parents and carers have a key role in preventing and responding to bullying. Learn what bullying is and what it is not. Understanding the definition of bullying is the first step in talking about how to prevent and respond to bullying with your child. The Bullying NO Way website provide resources and support for families.   https://bullyingnoway.gov.au/