What a celebration we had as a school last Thursday evening. Thank you to all the families who visited classrooms, completed the Treasure Hunt, watched as our ribbon was cut for the 30 year anniversary mural and then attended our Andrew Chinn concert. Every student had the opportunity to shine during the concert. It was a wonderful way to celebrate our 30 year anniversary.

Time Capsule

Last Saturday morning I attended the Time Capsule ceremony at Narre Warren North Hall in order to collect the Mary MacKillop time capsule that was buried (along with many other community group capsules) in 2000. Also in attendance was the Hastings family (Ethan 1BC) as Ethan’s mum Gillian was at Mary MacKillop in 2000. We excitedly waited for our capsule to appear however this did not occur. After opening many capsules that were not named we found Mary MacKillop’s capsule. Unfortunately, the lid had been broken during the last 25 years and nothing was intact (it was all water damaged). We were able to work out there was a Pokemon card, some coins, some photos, some samples of writing and some uniform pieces.

We handed over another time capsule and tried to make sure this one will be in its original condition in 25 years time.

Harmony Day Liturgy and Harmony Day

We held our Harmony Day Liturgy today and tomorrow, Friday 21 March, we have our Harmony Day concert at 2.30pm. Children are invited to wear their traditional cultural dress or the colour orange to show support for Harmony Day.

Easter Raffle tickets were sent home via the eldest child last week.  $2 each.  Raffle drawn last day of term Thursday 3 April.

We are still looking for donations for the raffle from our school families.  Any donation, no matter how small, will be gratefully accepted at the office.  We have extended the acceptance of donations date to next Monday 24 March.

School Review

We continue to work with staff and as a leadership Team to collate our Review Self Reflection report for the Reviewers who will be on site next term (May). Student data is analysed by staff to inform teaching and learning as well as Behaviour data. Our aim is to provide safe, supportive learning environments with students engaged in their learning and receiving an accelerated rate of growth in their learning.

Staffing News

Congratulations to Emily Rickard and her husband on the arrival of Baby 'Goldie' on Friday 7 March at 3.39pm weighing 2.5kg and 45 cm in length. Joyous news!

This week we farewell Terri Dickson, one of our hard working Education Support Officers. Terri has been at Mary MacKillop for more than 19 years and we thank her for all the dedication, energy and passion she has brought to her position. She will have worked with many students over this time. Thank you Terri and we wish you happiness and joy in your next steps.

We have been screening and interviewing applicants for the last six weeks to try and find the most suitable candidates for FKC and for Year 5 CM (2 days per week). Families will be updated as soon as possible.

Car Park Safety

Please continue to use the full drop off lane in the mornings. Cars need to drive as far as possible into the lane to drop students off as traffic backs up very quickly at peak times. If cars drive all the way down to the end of the drop off lane this prevents a build up of cars and students being late. Please remember that cars should only be travelling as WALKING PACE at all times.

Staff Collective Feedback to Students

• Well done to our Year 6 student Leaders who attended our School Tours and did an excellent job guiding families around our school and telling them all about Mary MacKillop.
• Well done to our Year 3 and 5 students on having a growth mindset towards NAPLAN. You guys have done such a great job! It was so nice to see all students being mindful of each other during the tests by making sure they followed the set test conditions - we are proud of you all.
• Amazing work to the Year 1’s who have participated respectfully and enthusiastically in their workshops with Andrew Chinn and Footsteps! We love watching you singing, dancing and having fun! 
• Well done Foundation students on the way you are actively participating in our morning prayer time. We love hearing the specials prayers that you bravely share each morning.
• Well done to the Year 4s and the way they have carefully handled “Luce” during our classroom visits. It was a special moment for us all to have her visit us.
• Thank you 5-LT on the way you have taken on senior learning, making sure you make a quick start to learning activities and even completing spelling tasks before prayer each morning. You are all being accountable for your learning behaviours and have made a significant improvement in your specialists lessons too, making sure you are engaged and productive. When your specialists teachers are giving positive feedback it makes your classroom teachers soooooooo proud! Keep up the consistent efforts and great work!  

Jubilee Year of Hope and 30th Anniversary Celebrations- THANK YOU!

We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the families, friends, and staff who attended our celebration last Thursday to mark both the Year of Jubilee and our school’s 30th Anniversary. The turnout was incredible, with so many family members joining us to make this event truly special. We deeply appreciate the enthusiasm and engagement shown throughout the evening, from the open classroom visits to the treasure hunt and the incredible Andrew Chinn family concert.

Your support and participation made this celebration an unforgettable occasion. We are so grateful to have such an amazing school community, and we look forward to many more moments of joy and togetherness as we continue to celebrate the Jubilee Year of Hope. Thank you for making this evening a true success!

Harmony Day Celebrations - 20th & 21st March 2025

Once again thank you to everyone who attended this afternoon’s liturgy Your presence and participation truly made it special. We appreciate your support in coming together to celebrate and reflect on the importance of unity and community.

Come along to tomorrow’s event - your involvement will make the occasion unforgettable, and we are grateful to share such a meaningful time with all of you.

• Friday, 21st March 2025 2.30pm: The celebration continues with the Footsteps Dance Concert, where students will showcase the dances they've learned from different countries, highlighting the beauty of cultural diversity through movement and music.

We encourage everyone to wear their traditional cultural dress tomorrow or the colour orange to show support for Harmony Day’s message of belonging for all. It’s going to be a vibrant and meaningful two days, and we can’t wait to celebrate with you!

Third Sunday of Lent, Cycle C

Sunday, March 23, 2025

Jesus preaches a lesson on repentance.

Luke 13:1-9

Now into the third week of the Season of Lent, our Sunday Gospel prepares us to hear Lent's call to conversion and repentance. The reading is found in the chapters of Luke's Gospel that describe Jesus' journey to Jerusalem. During this journey, Jesus teaches and heals. He must also respond to those who question and challenge his authority and actions. The reading makes the barren fig tree the subject of a parable. We hear about God’s love and patience. God never gives up on us. In the same way, as the gardener cared about the tree and was happy to wait patiently, God cares about us and waits patiently for us, even when we make poor choices. God is always hopeful that we will ask for his forgiveness. He never stops loving us.

Lenten Season – Stations of the Cross Lenten Liturgy will be held on Thursday 3rd April 2025, 2.00pm in Allen Hall. Families and friends are welcome. More details next week.

ANZAC APPEAL RAISES FUNDS TO SUPPORT FORMER AND ERVING MEMBERS OF THE Australian Defence Forces and dependents when in need Most of the funds are raised through the sale of ANZAC stock. Leading up to ANZAC Day, ANZAC badges are now available for purchase at Student Reception. Year 6 students will be managing a stall, offering a range of ANZAC items priced between $1 and $5. Involvement of students in the distribution and sale of ANZAC badges significantly increase awareness of ANZAC Day within the school community.

Here is what 5-LT did to produce their prayer cloth (collective comments from all students):

• 5LT’s Prayer Cloth was inspired by Mary MacKillop
• Mary opened a school for children
• Mary loved reading to children under a tree
• Everyone was included at Mary’s school
• Mary made sure the less fortunate were included in her school

• Jeremy in 5LT suggested the quote: Let us be humble and grateful
• It tells us to not boast about things
• It reminds us to be grateful for what we have and not always want more

• The leaves are from Aboriginal art
• The leaves remind us that we are all included in Australia
• The leaves remind us of the first nations people who lived on this land
• As we know leaves grow and so do we as a class and a school

• The books on the tree trunk remind us of how kind Mary MacKillop was to everyone
• Each one of the 5LT students are listed as an author of a book on the tree trunk
• This reminds us to be mindful of stories from the past 
• It also reminds us that we can pass on stories now
• In prayer, we listen to stories from an important book called the Bible
• Now we can act on Scripture teaching us how to be kind people today.

• Our prayer cloth holds a lot of meaning and was created from all students in our class - we all decided what to do and how to do it.

Religious Education - Project Compassion

In Religious Education, the Year 1 students have been learning about Toefuata’iga in Samoa. They began by exploring how we are all part of God’s family and should be treated equally. The students discussed the importance of meeting basic human needs and learned how Project Compassion plays a key role in supporting schools in Samoa, including providing essential resources such as water tanks.

We learnt how people didn’t have water in Samoa. They could get sick. We had to donate money so they can have some water so they could go to school. (Max)

Harmony Day

For Harmony Day, we have been enjoying listening to stories that teach us about diversity. We learned that although we may look different, speak differently, and celebrate different events, we are all equal and deserve to be treated with kindness and respect. 

It is about your culture. It doesn't matter what skin colour you have. (Nela)

Sometimes you have the same colour eyes. Sometimes you don’t. (Miley)

Some people speak different languages. (Leo)

Everybody is different but God loves us all. We treat people like we want to be treated. (Michael) 

Mathematics

In Mathematics, Year 1 students have been exploring fun and engaging ways to understand place value. Through hands-on activities and thought-provoking questions, students are learning to think critically and apply strategies to solve problems.

We play games. Maths is fun. (Yanni)

“I like using the MAB blocks to make numbers like 564” (Scarlett)

“I like using the icy-pole sticks to make numbers” (Aviana)

“I have learnt how to expand numbers” (Mia)

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.  

Dr Justin Coulson is a dad to 6 daughters and grandfather to 1 granddaughter. He is the parenting expert and co-host of Channel Nine’s Parental Guidance, and he and his wife host Australia’s #1 podcast for parents and family: The Happy Families Podcast. He has written 9 books about  families and parenting. For further details visit happyfamilies.com.au.

Here is his next Insight article, I answered an unknown number during filming!

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

A Special Report: Social Media & Comparison Culture

Young people today are growing up in a world where exposure to other people's lives is constant. Through social media and other platforms, they are regularly presented with curated highlights - from flawless holiday photos and academic milestones to the latest fashion trends and fitness achievements. This continuous stream of idealised content fuels what is known as comparison culture, where self-worth is often measured by how someone stacks up against others.

For children and adolescents, who are still figuring out who they are, this culture can be particularly damaging. Constantly comparing their appearance, achievements, or social standing to friends, influencers, and even strangers can lead to unrealistic expectations and a skewed sense of self-worth. This relentless need to measure up can contribute to feelings of inadequacy, self-doubt, and anxiety - undermining both confidence and emotional wellbeing.

It's vital that parents and caregivers understand how deeply comparison culture can influence a child's self-perception and sense of value. Left unchecked, it can foster perfectionism and a dependence on external validation, where a 'like' or comment becomes the measure of their worth.

The good news is, families have a powerful role to play in helping young people navigate these challenges. This Special Report will help you empower your child to build the resilience and confidence needed to navigate today's comparison-driven world and embrace their own unique path.

Here is the link to your Special Report https://marymacnarre.catholic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-social-media-comparison-culture-au

Parents, carers, grandparents, educators and school leaders are invited to attend an exclusive webinar supporting primary and secondary students.

WEBINAR: Digital Media Literacy & Safety (Part 1)
DATE: Wednesday, 19 March 2025
TIME: 7:00 pm

This presentation is Part 1 of a two-part series.

Join School TV for an exclusive session with two of Australia's leading experts in youth wellbeing and cybersafety, Dr Michael Carr-Gregg and Susan McLean. Gain invaluable insights on how to empower young people to navigate the online world safely and responsibly.

Topics in this session will include:

• New Regulations on Social Media
• Cyberbullying
• Exposure to Hate Speech
• Online Safety and Fraud

To register, participants to scan the QR code found on the promotional material below.

School TV looks forward to having you join them for this insightful and engaging session.