As a new Principal of Mary MacKillop community I keep having “wow” moments. I am observing our Foundation students being brave as they say “Goodbye” to their adult each morning (and the adults being brave too!) and then settle into learning as if they have been doing this forever.

I observed our Senior Student Leaders last Friday work together seamlessly to set up for Assembly, run the Assembly and then pack up again. They knew exactly what they needed to do including naming the elements of a good public speaker. It is evident to me these students have been supported by parents and staff to be confident and resilient learners. The number of families who attended is also testament to the spirit of community here at Mary MacKillop primary school and the value of a home and school partnership.

As I greet families in the morning, students look up and show courage when trying to use my (tricky) name to greet me. I am constantly seeing our Mary MacKillop values in action - respect, responsibility, courage, compassion and problem solving.

Andrew Chinn Mural

There was great excitement last Friday as Andrew Chinn and his daughter Eleanor began to sketch out the mural on the wall of the Lomas gymnasium. Students watched with great enthusiasm. Please come and have a look when you can spare a few minutes. We are very grateful to the hard work of some staff who quietly organised for Bunnings and Taubman paints to donate all of the paint for our mural. A very generous donation for our school.

Design on Year 6 T-shirts

You may have noticed our Year 6 students new polo tops with the beautiful Indigenous design on them.  Our 30^th Anniversary Year 6 Polo Top artwork was created by indigenous artist Mya Wilson.  Below is her interpretation of our school’s story …

Nurturing community

A heartwarming scene of a diverse group of families and educators coming together in a colourful, open space. Parents and children engage in shared activities like reading, gardening, and playing, while educators guide with care and warmth. The setting radiates inclusivity and connection, symbolized by intertwined paths and bright, welcoming colours. The artwork reflects a nurturing community where relationships grow and flourish.

Time Capsule Invitation

25 years ago schools and community groups in the local area were invited to contribute to a time capsule.  Mary MacKillop contributed to this and so, on Saturday 15th March 2025 at 11am at Narre Warren North Hall (Old A’Beckett Road, Narre Warren North VIC 3804) a ceremony will occur where the time capsule will be opened up and each community group will receive their time capsule back and display the contents for all to see on that day. Families are very welcome to attend.In addition, we have been asked if we would like to contribute another container for the next time capsule (to be opened in 25 years). Students will be asked over the next week what they think we should contribute - what would they find interesting to view in 25 years time?

Thank you to all those families who have made a huge effort to get students to their classrooms by the beginning of the music at 8.40am. It is greatly appreciated as it means the roll can be taken on time and prayer is peaceful and reverent.

Photo Day - Friday 21 February

Whole School Mass - Opening of the 2025 School Year

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all the parents and families who joined us this morning for our Opening School Year Mass. Your presence made the celebration even more special. We also want to congratulate our student leaders, who received their badges today. It’s a proud moment for them and for all of us as we begin this new school year together. Let’s continue to support and inspire one another throughout this journey!

Logo Design Competition – Celebrating 30 Years of Catholic Education

2025 is the 30th anniversary year of the opening of MMPS. All students and families are invited to design a logo for this year’s occasion. There will be a number of community events throughout the year celebrating our milestone. The winning entry design will be used on promotional material, anniversary publications and newsletters to mark and endorse community recognition of events and news. Entry forms completed with your design, name and class should be returned Thursday 6th March 2025 via email to your child’s class teacher. Please check your inbox from PAM to access the letter outlining the competition and entry form.

A huge congratulations to all the students for their incredible engagement with the Wall Mural project! Your creativity, effort, and teamwork truly brought the vision to life. A special thank you to Mrs. Giles and Mrs. Lardner for their expert guidance and support throughout the process. And of course, a big shout-out to Andrew & Bernadette Chinn for steering the direction of the mural and ensuring everything came together beautifully. Well done, everyone! Your hard work has certainly paid off.

It’s so exciting to see the progress on the Wall Mural project! We’d love to share photos of the work so far and invite all parents to come and see it in person. The students have been working hard, and the mural is really starting to take shape. Parents are warmly welcome to visit and view the mural's progress to date. It's a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the creativity and dedication of our students. We can't wait to share the final piece with everyone! Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or would like to arrange a time to visit!

Shrove Tuesday Activity – Permission Letter 

Keep an eye on your inbox! A permission letter was sent via PAM yesterday for parents to give consent for students to participate in the upcoming Shrove Tuesday activity. Be sure to check your email so your child can join in the fun and festivities!

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

Sunday, February 16, 2025

Luke 6:17,20-26

Jesus teaches the crowd the way to happiness.

Last Sunday we heard Jesus call Peter to be his disciple. Jesus then travels with Peter and the other disciples. Luke reports acts of healing (a person with leprosy and a paralytic man) and the call of Levi, the tax collector. Last Sunday’s gospel reading is the beginning of what is often called the Sermon on the Plain. The people in the crowd were probably surprised when they heard Jesus’ teaching. He said that thinking only about ourselves and having lots of things wouldn’t make us truly happy. We are blessed and happy when we rely on God, who always loves us and never changes. We are blessed and happy when we make good choices and think of others, living as Jesus teaches us to live. Jesus teaches us to share, to be patient, and to show concern for others. These actions bring us true happiness and help us share Jesus’ peace. How might you share Jesus’ peace when you’re interacting with others? 

Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD)

NCCD and supporting students with disability

The NCCD is an annual collection of information about Australian school students with disability. The NCCD enables schools, education authorities and governments to better understand the needs of students with disability and how they can be best supported at school. Under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992. Australian students with disability must be able to access and participate in education on the same basis as their peers. To ensure this, students with disability may receive adjustments to access education, based on the professional judgement of teachers, in consultation with the student and/or their parents, guardians or carers. Further information is included below:

Well done to the Grade 3’s for their positive listening and behaviour in the Hockey Clinic on Monday.

A huge congratulations to all the students for their incredible engagement with the Wall Mural project! Your creativity, effort, and teamwork truly brought the vision to life.

Thank you to the Year 6 students who have been giving up the first ten minutes of their playtimes to help in the office handing out our courtyard toys.  The admin staff are most appreciative of the help and have been very impressed with the way you have interacted with the students and the patience you have shown.  Keep up the good work!

YEAR 6 - ASPIRE HIGHER LEADERSHIP INCURSION

On Tuesday 11th February the Year 6 cohort participated in a full day Incursion, facilitated by an experienced UPP ( UNLEASHING PERSONAL POTENTIAL) team member. It  was an engaging, interactive workshop designed to unite the senior students to have a positive and lasting impact in our school community. They participated in three sessions throughout the day that involved activities around :

• LEADING WITH OR WITHOUT THE BADGE- through example, influence and kindness.
• THE EPIC RACE- indoor fast-paced team events (using our A.S.P.I.R.E. framework) with multiple challenges to be completed.
• KNOWING ME, GROWING ME- understanding my strengths and those of others.

Here are some of the Year 6 student’s reflections about the day:

Yesterday it was really exciting and full of fun. I particularly enjoyed the Epic Race because there were a lot of fun activities to do. Some were hard and some were easy but at the end of the day  we all worked as a team and completed them. Thomas - 6 MV

At the incursion I enjoyed everything because we got to do this activity challenge after snack and you had to do 10 activities in a group of seven. I found the worksheet at the end challenging, the activity worksheet was a reflection on how you are as a leader that will also go in our portfolios. I found the start very interesting because Jamie, the guy teaching us, was showing and telling stories on how to be the best leader we can be. Noah C - 6MV 

What I found challenging was the Epic Race, how we had to work as a team with people who we don't usually talk with. What I enjoyed was working as a team completing activities. At the end we all enjoyed the day and had fun. Dennish - 6 MV 

Yesterday was all about Leadership and Teamwork. My personal favourite activity was the Epic Race, the epic race was all about working as a group (team) and getting to learn about each other.There were two important things we talked about: Leadership and teamwork. There was an important quote we learnt about that said “People do forget about the important things we do but never forget about the things you did to make us feel.”  Chloe 6JK

There were three segments in the day. They were called leadership with/without the badge (which was all about the fact that leadership is for everyone), The epic race (which is all about teamwork) and finally knowing me, growing me (which is knowing all about your leadership strengths). John 6JK

The Epic Race is what I found fun and challenging, even when we had people in our group that we don’t usually talk or play with, we also learned what we need when working as a team in the Epic Race, it was my favourite activity. I hope that everyone has lots of fun when they get to do this with their friends and classmates. Casiana 6JK

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.  

How to Help When School Sucks                                                                                                               

Sometimes school sucks… or should I say sux? Anyone who’s been there knows how awful it is to be sent to what feels like prison. Every day. Friendships fail. The work is hard, or boring, or irrelevant, or all of the above. Sometimes teachers don’t understand. Anxiety, ADHD, autism, or jiggly wiggly legs make school feel like torture. And it seems like it will never, ever, ever end.

Parents struggle for solutions when school is a trial for their children. How do we help our children feel positive about learning, experience a sense of belonging, and do the work that can set them up for future success?

Join us for a webinar about how to make school suck a little less. In this webinar, you’ll receive:

• 5 BIG IDEAS to change the way your kids see school
• Tools to help you work with your child, teachers, and the school community
• Strategies you need to set your child up for a better school experience 

WATCH NOW CLICK LINK https://schools.happyfamilies.com.au/how-to-help-when-school-sucks/

School TV 

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

A Special Report: The Wellbeing Barometer - 2025

The Wellbeing Barometer survey is an invaluable tool for schools, providing critical insights into the mental health and wellbeing of young people. This annual survey identifies areas of concern, highlights resilience and adaptability in students, and emphasises the importance of preventative strategies to promote positive outcomes.

Participation in this survey is strongly encouraged, as it offers a comprehensive view of students' experiences, challenges, 

and achievements. By capturing a detailed understanding of young people's experiences, the survey supports a tailored approach to enhancing their mental, emotional, and social wellbeing. It helps to identify strengths and areas for improvement, as well as pinpoint opportunities for early intervention.

The survey is part of an ongoing longitudinal study, and we encourage you to take a few moments to complete the survey for each of your children. Responses remain anonymous and should be based on your observations over the last 12 months. By working together, we can reduce the long-term impact of mental illness and make a meaningful difference to the lives of our young people for a brighter future.

We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this Special Report, and as always, we welcome your feedback.

If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to your special report:
https://marymacnarre.catholic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-wellbeing-barometer-2025-au

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