Our Explicit Improvement Agenda

Student Voice and Agency

Planning for improved student learning - key focus in Mathematics

Our Welcome Garden has blossomed with knitted poppies during the month of November with compliments of Avril  (grandmother to the Allen children). We also honour the memory of our friends and family members who have passed away. Families are invited to put a loved one's name on a card (provided at the school office) and attach it to a poppy as a gesture of remembrance.  Please email Lize Privitera if you are unable to make it to the School Office and you would like a card made up.

Also, you will notice a special plant added to the Welcome Garden area. It is called Callistemon St Mary MacKillop – Bottlebrush. An Australian native plant. A lightly weeping evergreen shrub with bright green new growth and cardinal red flowers. Also, a lovely  maple has been planted in the central planter box in the entrance to the school. Over last weekend, Mrs. Jones planted both the tree and the native bush. We are really grateful to her for these thoughtful gifts. We ask that families take care when entering the school through the front gate. Please do not cut through the Welcome Garden; instead, use the footpath to enter the school. Thank You for your cooperation.

WHOLE SCHOOL COLOUR FUN RUN FUNDRAISER - Friday 22 November

Don't forget to log on and set up your child's profile to start fundraising!  So far we have had less than a third of students who have created profiles and raised funds.  Please support our school in this major fundraiser.  All proceeds will go towards playground upgrades.

Incentive Prizes

Fundraising for our Colour Explosion School Run 4 Fun is entirely online. At the end of the fundraiser, student’s incentive prizes are ordered automatically based on their fundraising total and Golden Coins. Students can win up to 15 unique incentive prizes!

You only need to raise $10 to achieve your first incentive prize. From there, you will win more and more as your fundraising total soars! For example, if you raise $100, you will win incentive prizes A, B, C, D & E!

Monty the Monstar Prizes!

Monty the MonSTAR is giving away lots of extra prizes to help you reach for the fundraising STARS! Will you collect them all? Check out your sponsorship booklet to see what Monty has up for grabs.

$10,000 Budget Booster Bonanza Shopping Spree!

What would your family buy with a $10,000?! The highest fundraising student in our school will go into the draw to win: $2,500 Coles Card, $2,500 Woolworths Fuel Card, $2,500 Harvey Norman Card and a $2,500 Visa Card.

Win a PlayStation 5 Gaming Bundle!

Do you have a need for speed? The highest fundraising student in Australia will take home an awesome PlayStation 5 gaming bundle, complete with a NEW PlayStation 5 Console, VR2 Headset and Sense Controllers!

You must be in it to win it! If you haven’t already, make sure you start fundraising online at www.australianfundraising.com.au. Happy fundraising!

Remembrance Day - Monday, November 11, 2024

The Berwick RSL have once again provided Remembrance Day poppies and associated stock to be offered for sale on their behalf. The Remembrance Appeal raises funds to support former and serving members of the Australian Defence Forces and dependents when in need. Most of the funds are raised through the sale of Poppies. Leading up to Remembrance Day our student leaders will be selling merchandise during recess. Items range from $2, $3, $4 & $5 items.

On Monday 11th November student leaders will lead a Remembrance Day Prayer Service in classrooms. The Prayer Service begins at 10.15am until the 10.30am recess bell to begin eating time. At 11.00am all staff, students and visitors will be asked to stop for one minutes’ silence at 11.00am.  On the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month, a minute's silence is observed and dedicated to those soldiers who died fighting to protect the nation.

War Memorial - High Street Berwick @ 10.40am ceremony and wreath laying

Advent is a four-week season in the Church calendar dedicated to anticipating the arrival, or "advent," of Jesus of Nazareth, the long-awaited Messiah and King. Christians from many backgrounds celebrate this time with reflections on hope, peace, love, and joy. And while their practices may look different, all focus on the hope-filled arrival of Jesus. It’s a time to reflect on the unexpected nature of Jesus’ humble birth and join in the anticipation of when he will come again to reunite Heaven and Earth once and for all.

Advent is a shared experience of meditation and prayer that celebrates the arrival of Jesus. As a school we will begin celebrations next Friday as outlined in the table below.

Please note that the Grade 2EM & 3CN Buddy mass planned for yesterday is now rescheduled for next Tuesday 12th November (time to be confirmed) due to clergy presiding at a funeral. 

Thanking you for your understanding.

Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B

Sunday, November 10, 2024

Mark 12:38-44 (shorter form, Mark 12:41-44)

Jesus notices a poor widow’s offering and commends her great sacrifice.

In next Sunday’s Gospel, we hear about a woman who was generous. People who were rich gave a lot of money. However, Jesus called attention to someone else’s generosity. Whose generosity did Jesus acknowledge? It was a widow. The widow gave only two small coins, but her contribution was greater because she gave everything that she had. She trusted God to provide for her. We are called to be generous like the widow. Many of us can feel that we have little to give to a world that has so many problems. As he did with the widow, Jesus is telling us that what is most important to God is to give what we have with a generous heart. Thank God for all he has given you and ask him to help you be generous like the widow who gave the two coins.

FUN IN THE SUN

What a busy place our courtyard was last Wednesday!  ‘Icy pole Wednesday’ is back in term four - lemonade icy poles are available for $1.00 from the canteen.  Students also enjoyed playing with the new courtyard games and our Year 6 students are selling poppies for Remembrance Day next week.

Catholic Mission Month 

As part of Catholic Mission Month, the Year 3’s have been learning about the Caring Centre in Mongolia. Here are a few things that they have learnt and would like to share:

• Fletcher (3CN) “ I liked that the caring centre cares for people that don’t have a family. The caring centre provides education,food and water for the people who need it the most.”
  
  
• Mila -(3CN) “ The caring centre is very helpful and caring to lots of kids that need the help. The caring centre makes sure that the children have access to education and they have somewhere to sleep.”
  
  
• We learnt about Otgonbayar, a boy who was abandoned at a young age. The Caring Centre provided a home for him to grow in. (Ava 3-AB)
  
  
• The Caring Centre supported Otgonbayar, and he was able to enjoy and grow up like a regular kid. (Charlotte - 3-AB)
  
  
• The Caring Centre provides food, an education and warm clothes for the cold Mongolian winters. (Aurora - 3-AB)
  
  
• Otgonbayar wants to be a superhero when he is older, to help other children who need support like him. (Ally - 3AB)

A huge thank you for our Year 3 students, parents and carers for your generosity towards the Year 3 Lucky Dip Fundraiser. As of Wednesday 6th November, we have raised a total of $371

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

We are a Happy Families School!                                                           Our school is subscribed to the Happy Families School Membership! Owned and run by Dr Justin Coulson, one of Australia’s leading parenting experts, the membership offers a wealth of parenting education and resources. We will regularly share resources available through our membership with you, including Insight Articles and Webinars. You can also access your resources at any time using the below URL (unique to our school) and password.

Unique URL - https://schools.happyfamilies.com.au/login/mmnwn

Password - happymmnwn

We recommend bookmarking this link. You should only need to put the password in once and the site will remember you.  The latest weekly Insight Article: Why Repeating Yourself Doesn't Work.  See below:

https://marymacnarre.catholic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news