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2021 Review
Last week we were engaged in School Review with DOSCEL Staff. The aim of school review is to understand our impact of our school improvement strategies and to identify where we are in our improvement journey. We continue to be focused on improving our students learning outcomes and promoting student voice and agency in their learning. Thank you to all members of our school community for your insightful contributions to our school review. We look forward to receiving our Report in the next few weeks and sharing the findings and recommendations with you. The School Review Report will assist us to outline our 4 year Strategic Improvement Plan and our 2021 Annual Improvement Plan. Thank you to everyone who participated in our school Review and for being part of this very exciting journey of improvement for our students.
Year 4 Camp – Waratah Bay
Our Year 4 students will be attending Waratah Bay Beach camp on Monday 29 and Tuesday 30 March, 2021 (last week of Term 1). Final preparations for the camp are underway and we are very much look forward to this learning opportunity for our students’ offsite. This will be our first camp since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and brings a sense of hope of school life returning to a new COVID normal. Thank you to Helen Fourna, Peter Fearnley, Lize Privitera and Marita Glass for their organisation and planning of the camp. We are very fortunate at Mary MacKillop to have such dedicated staff who go above and beyond to ensure our students experience a safe and enjoyable camp. Shortly, we will be sending home further information to parents, via Operoo, regarding camp.
EASTER Chocolate Raffle – Guess how many Easter eggs are in the bucket?
It is exciting to have our first FOMM fundraiser for the 2021 school year. For $1 you have the chance to guess how many Easter eggs are in the bucket? See below for a sneak peek – happy guessing . . .
A very big THANK YOU to our hardworking and dedicated FOMM Team who creatively think of fun ways to fundraise and bring our school community together.
ONLINE NAPLAN – National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy
The online National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) 2021 for Year 3 and Year 5 students will be held on the following days:
NAPLAN assesses student knowledge and skills in Writing, Reading, Language Conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and Numeracy. The results of NAPLAN provide information on student learning for students, parents, teachers and principals.
All students are expected to participate in the online NAPLAN tests. During test week, catch-up tests will be available for individual students who are absent on test days. These students may undertake catch-up tests on the days in the test week after the scheduled test, up to and including Friday 14 May, 2021 for Year 3 Writing and Friday 21 May for all other online NAPLAN areas. Please note the Year 3 Writing test is a paper based test and the Year 5 Writing test is completed online.
A more detailed letter regarding NAPLAN will been sent home to parents of our Year 3 and 5 students. For more information about NAPLAN, please visit the VCAA website https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/assessment/f-10assessment/naplan/Pages/Index.aspx or the National Assessment Program - NAP website https://www.nap.edu.au/ If you have any questions, or concerns, regarding NAPLAN, please contact your child’s class teacher.
- WELLBEING -
Bestselling author and educator
Our school has a membership with Parenting Ideas, one of Australia’s most trusted sources of parenting education and support. As part of this membership, all the parents in this school community can attend some fantastic webinars in 2021 at no cost. We’re pleased to let you know about an upcoming webinar:
Maggie Dent presents: Communicating with teenage boys
Wednesday 24 March 2021
8:00pm - 9:00pm AEDT
Communicating with teenage boys
Adolescence has a way of transforming children’s brains that can make communication challenging, especially with teenage boys who often start articulating in monosyllabic grunts. These brain changes also make them more sensitive, volatile and critical of themselves, making the tween/teen years a high-risk window. In this webinar, Maggie Dent shows how using compassionate, empowering communication with teenage boys can better guide them across the bridge to healthy manhood to a place where they feel worthwhile and engaged in respectful relationships.
Key learning and discussion points include:
- communicating effectively
- giving feedback
- avoiding arguments
- helping teenage boys to problem solve
- letting our sons know we really hear them, and that they matter
Please see attached flyer for further information to access the webinar.
CatholicCare Counselling for Children and adolescents
CatholicCare Victoria’s Child and Adolescent Counselling and Family and Relationship Counselling are fully operational in Warragul and Pakenham offices in 2021. Specialist Child/Adolescent Counsellor sessions are conducted face to face. Family relationship Counselling can be conducted face to face, or via Zoom or telephone. A brochure is available at the School Office or for booking an appointment and enquiries contact 1800522076 or 03 56221188.
Upcoming events:
- Harmony Week celebrates Australia’s cultural diversity. It’s about inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone.
- The National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence (NDA) is an important day to mark Australian school communities standing together against bullying and violence.
Our Whole school Approach to Positive Behaviour model promotes positive student behaviour which is supported by strategies and plans to engage our students in respectful relationships, provide safe classrooms and playgrounds and effectively manage risk. Our positive school environment is guided by Gospel values, modelled by Mary MacKillop and honours the dignity of the individual, the family and the school.
A positive approach to Behaviour Support is essential in facilitating student engagement and improved academic outcomes.
On Friday 19th March students are invited to wear the colour orange with their school uniform. The colour orange represents these two coinciding events scheduled next week. Traditionally the colour orange relates to social communication, stimulating two-way conversations. It aids in the development of new ideas and frees the spirit of its limitations, giving us the freedom to be ourselves. At the same time it encourages self-respect and respect of others.
Students in Years 3-6 will be participating in a live Virtual Classroom webinar on Thursday 18th March, initiated by the e-Safety Commissioner. The webinar will explore how a small action (posting a photo) can cause harm. It looks at the ways students can be upstanders and support their friends online. The whole class participates in a live video lesson with a trainer. The trainer talks through PowerPoint slides and students complete activities during the presentation: "NDA: Being an upstander - Vic Dept of Education and Training".
On Friday 19th March students will gather together during a shared morning recess eating time, enjoying a donut supplied from Krispy Kreme. Please contact your child’s teacher via email of alternative arrangements if your child has a food intolerance or allergy to the ingredients list below. A buddy activity across the levels is planned before gathering in the Hall.
By participating in this national event we help create a positive change for our students, staff and the school climate. Let's come together with our friends across our School, to celebrate our diversity. We are proud of our strong and successful multicultural society. Sharing our cultural heritage is part of celebrating what it means to be Australian.
* The message of respect, belonging and the dignity of the human person goes beyond the day’s celebration. It can be lived by each of us, every day *
The Magical Appeal – Supporting the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal
Hello Mary MacKillop families,
My name is Alexia and I am in 5AB. I am doing a fundraiser which I have called the Magical Appeal for the Royal Children's Hospital Good Friday Appeal! It is a registered fundraiser with the hospital. The reason why I am doing the fundraiser is because I would really like to help those kids who are in need and who are sick. I’d like the money that I raise to go towards equipment and research. I want to help them get better with the funds I raise and because I would like those kids to get better so they can go to school and do fun things just like us. I want them to be able to experience a proper life and not just be stuck in a hospital! The things I will be selling to raise money for the kids are badges. The badges cost $3 each. I personally have designed 2 different styles of badges as pictured above. I will be going around to the classrooms to sell the badges as of Monday 15.03.21. Below is the timetable for when I will be going around to each classroom. The badges will be kept at the office and available for purchase there at any other time. Please make sure the kids bring the exact money for their allocated day as there is no change being given. Donations are also welcome. Thank you everyone. I hope you buy a badge to support this cause!
Alexia
- RELIGIOUS EDUCATION -
Caritas Project Compassion
We are now in the third week of Lent with the Project Compassion story of Oliva, a 22-year-old woman from Tanzania. She did not have the opportunity to go to school and was embarrassed that she was unable to read, write or count. As an adult, her business was losing money because she couldn’t add up her money and give the right change to customers.
Then Oliva enrolled in Caritas Australia’s literacy and numeracy classes. She also set up a home classroom to teach her neighbours, for free, because they were too shy to attend larger classes.
Oliva has now graduated, attendance at her classes are growing, her kiosk is thriving and she is helping her children with their homework. She aims to become a pastor and run for leadership in the next local election - to help her community to ‘Be More.’
“Aspire not to have more, but to be more.” Please support Project Compassion: lent.caritas.org.au
Each class has a Project Compassion Box. Your donations are greatly appreciated.
Fourth Sunday of Lent, Cycle B
Sunday, March 14, 2021
Gospel: John 3:14-21
Jesus tells Nicodemus that the Son of Man will be raised up so that those who believe in him will have eternal life.
In next Sunday’s Gospel, we listen to the readings telling that Jesus made up for all our sins by dying on the cross. And after he died, he gave us the Holy Spirit so that we could be strong enough to say no to sin. The Gospel says that if we believe all that Jesus did for us, we will someday live with him in heaven. Images of darkness and light are used in this Sunday’s Gospel to help us reflect on the forgiveness of sins we receive through Christ Jesus. During Lent, many people take the opportunity to celebrate the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation so that they can experience the joy of God’s forgiveness.
Our Lady Help of Christians Parish Information
Mary MacKillop Primary School is one of the three Parish Primary Schools belonging to the Parish of Our Lady Help of Christians, Narre Warren within the Diocese of Sale. Fr Brendan Hogan is our Parish Priest and Fr Isuru Weliwatte is our Assistant Priest. We are grateful for their ongoing prayers, involvement and support of the students, families and staff of Mary MacKillop School.
Click on the link below for Mass times and to download the weekly newsletter
This week in Discovery Centre, Foundation students investigated how technology has changed over the years. We were lucky enough to be able to have some hands-on experience with some past technology such as floppy disks, old phones and a cassette tape. Foundation students were surprised to learn that the save icon on a computer is a real object!
Foundation Team Building Incursion
Last week the Foundation students consolidated corporation skills developed so far this year in a team building extravaganza! Students participated in activities set up by Matt from Extreme Incursions. The activities incorporated balancing, tossing, judging and building alongside a partner or small group. There were many moments where students displayed persistence, encouragement, cooperation and problem solving in order to complete the activities. As you can see all students were engaged by the variety of activities and had a fantastic time consolidating many skills required for effective learning at school.
