Happy Mary MacKillop Feast Day!

Mary MacKillop, also known as Saint Mary of the Cross, is our first Australian Saint. We have much to learn from Mary MacKillop’s life including her dedication to education and her compassion for the poor. If you can, please join your child’s class for a Pilgrim Walk this Thursday where students will be reminded of the many icons and Catholic markers we have around our school to help us know Mary MacKillop better and to help us to strive to follow in her footsteps. 

We will also remember and give thanks to God for Mary MacKillop and our school on Friday morning at 9am. All are welcome.

Planning for 2026 School Year

2026 Student Class Placements

Teachers will begin planning for our 2026 classes in the coming weeks.  We respect and value parent input and ask that you email me – gverstraete@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 2026.  

Please ensure your request is received by Friday 29 August, 2025.  Requests received after the cut off date of Friday 29 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 below:

• 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 2026 classes. Please note, the 2025 class teacher places students from their 2025 grade into the 2026 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 2026.

Tomorrow we will also send out an eform via PAM to all Foundation to Year 5 students regarding their intention to return in 2026.  Please ensure that you complete this eform by Friday 29 August 2025.

Our School Implementation Plan

This term we continue our focus on:

• Student Voice and Agency
• Planning for Improved Student Learning - key focus on Mathematics and Reading

Update on Father Michael - our Parish Priest (Our Lady Help of Christians)

Father Michael produced a short video which was played at each Mass last weekend. In the video he thanked everyone for their prayers and asked us all to continue to pray for him. This week each class has made a card for Father Michael and the messages in these cards are just beautiful.  We have also made a short video which will be sent to him with messages from students and staff.

Parish School Mass

Thank you to all the families and staff who attended the Parish School Mass last Saturday evening. Students were active participants throughout the Mass and performed our own school actions to the Pilgrims of Hope song (Andrew Chinn) for the recessional hymn.

Confirmation

This weekend we have some Year 5 and 6 students receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation. May they continue to recognise the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit in themselves and others. We thank their families, teachers and our Parish team who have worked hard to support the students in their faith journey. 

Staff Collective Feedback to Students

A huge thanks to the Year 6 students who ran assembly last week. You were all amazing! Not only did you set up the Hall quickly, you were also flexible when the slide presentation didn’t connect, and the typical order of assembly quickly became not so typical! We are proud of our senior students when they step up, and do so calmly and confidently - you were all fantastic during this time.  

Big shout out to Year 4 for the way you are calculating Area and Perimeter during our Maths lessons - your accuracy is amazing and the way you are explaining your thinking is clear and helping others to use this language to prove the answers are correct - Great Work!

Parent Evening - Raising Kids in a Digital World Thursday 11 September

Just a reminder to please keep this evening set aside - we have a link to enable you to register for this event. As it is quite costly, it will not proceed unless we have enough parents registering to make it worthwhile. Please see the poster further in the newsletter to register.

Thank You & Upcoming Feast Day Celebrations

A heartfelt thank you to all students, families, and staff who attended last weekend’s School Family Parish Mass. It was wonderful to see so many come together in faith and community to be part of this year’s celebrations.

As we continue our 2025 Feast Day Celebrations, families have received detailed information outlining key events including our Mary MacKillop Pilgrimage Walk (held today), Whole School Mass, and Kaboom Sports Day. These events are a special way to honour the life and legacy of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop — our school’s patron and Australia’s first saint.

Pilgrimage Walk – A Journey of Faith and Hope

Our school community came together today to participate in a Pilgrimage Walk – a reflective journey through our school grounds that honoured the life and legacy of Saint Mary MacKillop.

Pilgrimage is an important part of our Catholic tradition – a symbolic journey that invites us to pause, reflect, and deepen our connection to God. Inspired by Mary MacKillop, Australia’s first saint and a true pilgrim of faith and service, each class moved through a series of special stations set up across the school. These sites highlighted key moments in Mary’s life and the ways her story continues to shape our Catholic identity and values today.

This walk was a reminder that, like Mary, we are all pilgrims – walking with hope, faith and purpose. Students and staff engaged in prayer, reflection and meaningful discussion, with opportunities to consider how we can live out Mary’s spirit of compassion, courage and trust in God’s plan.

As part of this special experience, each student received a Pilgrim Bag, which they will bring home today or tomorrow. Inside, students found a special pencil to record key moments from their journey on their Pilgrim Map, a prayer card for reflection, and a personalised wooden cross to keep as a meaningful symbol of their faith journey. And not to forget the delicious 30th Anniversary commemorative cookie – lovingly baked by our very own school parent, Leona T (mum of Nicholas T in Year 2). Thank You Leona!

We thank all staff who helped prepare and participate in this memorable day, and we encourage families to stop and view the beautiful student artwork displayed around the school, inspired by the spirit of pilgrimage and hope.

We warmly remind families of the upcoming events:

Whole School Feast Day Mass - Friday 8th August at 9:00am in the school hall.
All families are welcome to join us for this special celebration.

Kaboom Sports Day - Friday 8th August from 11:30am on the small oval.
Students are to wear their school sports uniform. Families are invited to come along, cheer on the fun, and stay for a picnic/Subway lunch at 1:00pm. Bring a chair, a picnic blanket, and enjoy the community atmosphere!

Let us continue to celebrate with faith, unity, and gratitude in this 30th Anniversary Year — walking together as Pilgrims of Hope.

The Sacrament of Confirmation will be celebrated at OLHC Parish next Friday and Saturday. Confirmation Celebration and Rehearsal Schedule below.  We keep all our Confirmation candidates in our prayers during this special time and encourage them as they take this important step in their faith journey.

CELEBRATION MASSES                                                                                                    

• Friday, 8th August 2025 at 7.00pm                      
• Saturday, 9th August 2025 at 2.00pm                  
• Saturday, 9th August 2025 at 6.00pm                

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

Sunday, August 10, 2025

Luke 12:32-48

Being Alert Disciples 

Next Sunday’s Gospel reminds all to be alert disciples. But what does that mean? 

Jesus calls for readiness—not through waiting passively, but by living out love through action. This means noticing the needs of others and responding with kindness and care. In doing so, true discipleship is lived out. 

This week offers an opportunity to pay close attention to how support and help can be offered to family, friends, and those in need. Through small acts of love, faithful readiness is shown.

Health, Wellbeing and Personal Safety Programs

Wellbeing & Safety Programs – Semester Two 2025
This semester, students across all year levels will take part in a range of wellbeing and safety programs designed to build confidence, awareness, and respectful relationships.

Foundation & Junior Levels (F–2):
Life Ed Program – Monday 25 & Tuesday 26 August
Students will engage in age-appropriate sessions exploring healthy choices, safety, and emotional wellbeing through the Life Education program.

Middle Level (Years 3–4):
KIDS ROAR – Thursday 11 September
This program empowers students with personal safety skills, focusing on body safety, assertiveness, and recognising unsafe situations.

Senior Level (Years 5–6):
Victoria Police Visit – Wednesday 10 September
Senior students will hear from local police officers on topics including personal safety, making positive choices, and being responsible citizens.

Years 4–6: Inform & Empower Cyber Safety Workshops
Across workshops, students will explore digital safety, respectful online behaviour, and strategies for navigating the online world confidently and safely.

Whole School (F–6):
Bullying No Way – National Week of Action: 11–15 August
This year’s theme, Be Bold. Be Kind. Speak Up, invites students to reflect on and practice ways to build respectful relationships and stand up against bullying — online and in real life. Activities will focus on raising awareness and encouraging every student to play a positive role in creating a safe and supportive school environment.

Letter of Thanks from CatholicCare Victoria

We are pleased to share that Mary MacKillop Primary School recently received a letter of thanks from CatholicCare Victoria in appreciation of our community’s generous support.

This year, our school raised and donated $410 to support the important work of CatholicCare Victoria. In their message, they expressed sincere gratitude, acknowledging how our contribution is helping vulnerable individuals and families across the state—including those experiencing homelessness, mental health challenges, relationship difficulties, grief, and trauma, as well as newly arrived refugees and asylum seekers.

CatholicCare Victoria commended our school community for its compassion and generosity, which plays a vital role in empowering others to build strength, resilience, and live life to the full. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this important cause. Your kindness is truly making a difference.

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 Live Webinars.

Insights Articles

A new Insights article is released weekly during the term and we will include these with the school newsletter. Insights articles are written by Dr Justin Coulson and provide parenting education and support for a wide variety of traditional and contemporary parenting challenges.

Here is your weekly Insights Article Time Is Love: Why Being Present Matters More Than Ever Written by Dr Justin Coulson

In the whirlwind of school runs, work meetings, laundry piles, and life’s endless to-do lists, it’s easy for family time to fall to the bottom of our priorities. We’re “there” with our children, but are we truly with them? One powerful truth from our family’s journey—and from years of research and real-world parenting—is this: To our kids, love is spelled T-I-M-E.

Live Webinars

ANSWERS with Dr JUSTIN COULSON is a live webinar series for all schools across Australia. Each term, Dr Justin will tackle a hot-button parenting issue, providing your parent and teacher community with timely and relevant support.

Upcoming live webinar

Wednesday 20 August, 2025 @ 7pm AEST   Anxious: Helping Your Child Navigate a World of Worry

It’s heartbreaking to see our kids struggling with anxiety. The statistics paint a stark picture: anxiety disorders are on the rise, affecting approximately one in seven primary school children and one in four adolescents. We see our kids burdened by fears and worries, their confidence fading, and sometimes even experiencing panic attacks. As parents, we desperately want to help but often feel lost or unsure of what to do.

Anxious: Helping Your Child Navigate a World of Worry offers a lifeline. In this presentation, Dr Justin Coulson will unpack what anxiety looks like in children and provide you with simple, practical strategies that are both clinically proven and easy to implement at home.  Empower yourself with the knowledge and tools to support your child’s emotional wellbeing and help them build resilience in the face of anxiety.  PERSONAL ACCESS Individual Sessions $49 each

Positive Partnerships National online sessions

Positive Partnerships is once again providing on-line information webinars regarding autism. There are also sessions for Parents/Guardians/Carers. 

Parent Carer (PC) online sessions- registration through links below (separate registrations for each session):

• Tuesday 19 August 12:00-1:30pm(AEST)- Session 1 – Diversity of Autism
• Tuesday 26 August 12:00-1:30pm (AEST)- Session 2 – Sensory Processing
• Tuesday 2 September 12:00-1:30pm (AEST)- Session 3 – Understanding Behaviour
• Tuesday 9 September 12:00-1:30pm (AEST)- Session 4 – Working Togethe

School TV

Here is the link to your Edition https://marymacnarre.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/sibling-relationships-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