Filter Content
Celebrations of Learning
Year 4 Camp – Waratah Bay
Congratulations to our Year 4 students on their successful camp at Waratah Bay this week. Students are to be commended on their efforts, perseverance, team work and support they offered to each other as they worked through the team challenges on offer. A very big thank you to our dedicated school staff for their planning and preparation of a successful camp experience for our Year 4 students. THANK YOU to Helen Fourna, Chris McAleer, Clint Timothy, Annette Scott, Alex Maciszewski, Lisa Jordan and Terri Dickson.
We have included a selection of photos from camp in today's newsletter.
Student Fundraising
Our congratulations to Alexia (5AB) on her successful fundraiser for the Royal Children’s Hospital. Alexia sold badges to raise funds for this very special appeal. She will be sharing her fundraising efforts at assembly on Friday 23 April (Week 1 of Term 2). Alexia will also be appearing on TV – Channel 7 at 3.00 pm on Friday for the Good Friday Appeal.
Student Talent
Our congratulations to Archie (6RJ) on his role in the blockbuster theatre musical Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, now playing at the Princess Theatre. Archie is to be commended on his talents and ability to both perform on stage in the evenings and simultaneously keeping up with his school work. Well done Archie!
Student Learning Portfolios
Student Learning Portfolios will be sent home today with your child. The Portfolio documents your child’s learning journey and celebrates their learning successes along the way. We encourage parents to provide their feedback on the sheet provided and we look forward to continuing your child’s learning journey in Term 2. Please ensure the Student Learning Portfolio is returned to school at the beginning of Term 2 – Wednesday 21 April.
FOMM - EASTER Chocolate Raffle – Guess how many Easter eggs are in the bucket?
The winners of our first fundraiser for the 2021 school year are:
Foundation: Harrison C (F-CT)
Year 1: John P (1-ER)
Year 2: Noah C (2-EM)
Year 3: Chloe M (3-AM)
Year 4: Mrs Fourna (4-HF)
Year 5: Alexia P (5-AB)
Year 6: Joseph C (6-RJ)
Congratulations and enjoy your bucket of chocolate eggs! HAPPY EASTER
Wishing all our families
a very happy and holy Easter
Stay safe over the Easter holiday break
**Term 2 begins on Wednesday 21 April at 8.45 am**
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
Caritas Project Compassion
As we enter Holy Week, we continue to reflect on the lives of people vulnerable to extreme poverty and injustice and how we can respond through supporting Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion appeal.
Let us take time to remember the life and teachings of Saint Oscar Romero. His many lessons include: live a simple life, commit to bringing peace to the world, speak the truth and of course aspire not to have more, but to be more. Some words from what has become known as the Oscar Romero prayer; “We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something, and to do it very well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest.”
Thank you for supporting Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion Campaign. Your generosity will work for the freedom of those living in poverty, challenge unjust structures, and empower people to work for a sustainable way of life.
Please return all Project Compassion boxes to the Parish or donate online via the Caritas website at lent.caritas.org.au
School and Class
Mass and Reconciliation Celebrations will resume next term. Parents and friends are welcome to join students during liturgical celebrations. Adherence to COVID safe plans applies when assembling. Current restrictions apply as per announcements by Victorian Government and guidelines directed by DOSCEL at the time. All Masses and celebrations start at 9.15am either in the Chapel or Allen Hall for larger groups.
For the month of May the following celebrations are planned:
2EM &3AM - 29/4/21
Senior Level - 6 May
FSL & 6RJ - 13 May
Whole School Mass 27 May
First Eucharist Enrolment and Parent only workshop
This will be held on Wednesday 28th April and Thursday 6th May at 7.00pm in the Church. Parents are required to attend only one enrolment workshop. Attendance is mandatory if you wish to prepare your child for the Sacrament of First Eucharist. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, we request only one parent attend the workshop. This is a parent only workshop and children are not required to attend. If for any reason you miss the enrolment night, or cannot make it to any other meeting/workshop, we request you to wait until the following year, as the parish is unable to offer any catch up workshops for those who are unable to attend. An enrolment levy of $50 is payable via CDFPay www.olhc.cdfpay.org.au which will be available from 18th April 2021. Please bring your receipt number to the enrolment night. For more information please refer to the Sacrament Program Booklet 2021 on the parish website www.olhc.org.au.
Easter Vigil, Cycle B
Saturday, April 3, 2021
Mark 16:1-7
The women find that the stone from Jesus’ tomb has been rolled back, and an angel reports that Jesus has been raised from the dead.
Each of the four Gospels reports that the women who had been followers of Jesus discovered the empty tomb after his death. We read from the Gospel of Mark, which contains the most succinct of all the reports of Jesus’ Resurrection in the Gospels.
What were the women looking for when they went to Jesus’ tomb?
What did they find?
The women found much more than what they were looking for. At Easter we celebrate this discovery by the women. God raised Jesus from the dead. With God, we often find so much more than what we are looking for, much more than we can ever imagine or hope for. In the Easter story, we discover one of God’s most wondrous and amazing surprises: God raised Jesus from the dead!
Alleluia! Alleluia! God has done wondrous deeds!
Holy Week
Over the last few weeks students and teachers have been working towards a final publication of a video presenting Stations of the Cross.
The Stations of the Cross presentation is recontextualized and told by our students from Foundation to Year 6 retracing the footsteps of Jesus. You can view the video via today’s newsletter or on our website.
We are fortunate to have recently installed a sacred space dedicated to 15 Stations portraying events in the Passion of Christ, to the Resurrection.
There is still a lot of work yet to complete the landscape of the garden area - but it's all work in progress. Please watch this space! We would like to invite families and provide the opportunity for you to be involved in the design and establishment of significant shrubs, trees, pottery, rockeries, and outdoor decor added to the garden area. More of this in Term 2.
We thank Fr Isuru for his presence today as we gathered, blessed and commissioned the installation of the Stations of the Cross.
We prayerfully remembered the events of Jesus’ passion and death. As we meditate on the cross, we ask again and anew what it means to make the statement of faith that Jesus, in his obedient suffering and dying, revealed himself to us as God’s Son.
Easter Message
This coming weekend we will celebrate Easter and the risen Christ Jesus, who showed us the Kingdom of God. May we listen to the Holy Spirit guiding us toward the way of Jesus and encounter the joy of the Gospel in our daily lives.
Wishing all of our students their families, friends and staff a blessed Easter! May you all celebrate Easter with the joy of returning to community and family celebrations this Easter.
Dear Mary Mackillop Primary School community,
From everyone at CatholicCare Victoria, we wish you a blessed Easter and a safe school holiday period!
Lord, may I open myself to the great gift of your love,
and may I share it with anyone in need.
May I provide a sense of direction for anyone who has lost the way.
And may I endeavour to help the sad and anxious with the hope that your rising gave to the world.
Amen.
Prayer written by
Fr Gerard Dowling OAM DE
Thank you for your support of CatholicCare Victoria
PARISH NEWS
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 to download the weekly newsletter.
During this week, Holy Week, we prayerfully remember the events of Jesus’ passion and death. As we meditate on the cross, we ask again and anew what it means to make the statement of faith that Jesus, in his obedient suffering and dying, revealed himself to us as God’s Son.
This coming weekend we will celebrate Easter and the risen Christ Jesus, who showed us the Kingdom of God. May we listen to the Holy Spirit guiding us toward the way of Jesus and encounter the joy of the Gospel in our daily lives.
Wishing all of our students their families, friends and staff a blessed Easter! May you all celebrate Easter with the joy of returning to community and family celebrations this Easter.
こんいちは、
This week in Japanese, we learnt about how Easter is celebrated in Japan. As you can imagine, it’s quite different to Australia. In Japan they do not eat hot cross buns and instead of Easter eggs they eat Easter themed kitkats!
Grade 3 students learnt how to write the word Easter in Japanese and followed along with a Japanese drawing song. Foundation students practised their kanji numbers and counted the easter eggs, tulips and bunnies.
Year 3 - 6 Cross Country
The Year 3-6 House Cross Country will take place on Friday April 23, which is the first Friday back in Term 2. This is a compulsory part of the Physical Education program for ALL year 3-6 students.
The event will take place on the school grounds and children should wear their school sports uniform with a t shirt in their house colour (Penola - Green, Fitzroy - Red, Portland - Blue, Eden - Yellow)
Children will run the following distances
- Year 3 - 1.4 km (2 laps of 700m course)
- Year 4- 2.1 km (3 laps of 700m course)
- Year 5 and 6 - 2.8 km (4 laps of 700m course)
Year 4-6 children who finish in the top 8 in their race will qualify for the school Cross Country team and compete in the Berwick District Cross Country Carnival on May 4 at Sweeney Reserve. Generally Year 3’s do not compete at District level, but if any students show outstanding results, they may be invited to be part of the team as practice for next year.
If any students are unable to compete due to an injury or medical condition, please notify your child’s class teacher before the event. Otherwise all children are expected to participate to the best of their ability.
For children wishing to achieve the best results , I recommend some training over the holiday break if you get an opportunity. If you have any questions please contact me ctimothy@marymacnarre.catholic.edu.au
Friday April 23 - Timetable
(Note all times are approximate and may start earlier or later than stated)
9:00 am - Year 3
9:30 am- Year 4
10:00 am - Year 5
11:15 am - Year 6
Presentation and announcement of Cross Country team will be held at School Assembly in the afternoon.
During last week’s assembly, the Foundation students were very brave to share how prayer is enhanced in their classroom. Focussing on the Mary MacKillop quote, “We have much for which to be thankful” (1873), students highlighted examples of what they are thankful for in their lives, including their families, friends, school, Buddies and safe houses.
A stamped handprint of each student included on the prayer cloth reminds us daily of ways we can help others. The Foundy students named ways, including donating money, being kind, helping others who are hurt or lonely and praying for people.
