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Our Explicit Improvement Agenda
Student Voice and Agency
Planning for improved student learning
Student Learning Conversations (Parent Teacher Interviews)
Our Student Learning Conversations were held last night and tonight in the Allen Hall with both face to face (fully vaccinated parents) and phone interviews on offer. It was great to be able to hold our Student Learning Conversations and for our students to demonstrate how they have student voice and agency in their learning. Students were able to share their data books with their parents as well as their learning goals, strengths and achievements so far this term. Thank you to students, parents and teachers for working in partnership to support our students’ learning, growth and development.
Parent Support Group (PSG) Meetings
Our PSG Meetings for Term 1 will be held next week (Week 9 beginning Monday 21 March) and in Week 10. PSG Meetings are for students with Personalised Learning Plans (PLP) OR Student Adjustment Evaluation Plans (SAEP). If your child has a PLP or SAEP, please ensure you book your PSG Meeting via PAM. The PSG Meetings is designed to review your child’s learning goals, progress and achievements set out in their PLP/SAEP and to set new learning goals for Term 2. If you require any clarification regarding this process, please contact the office on 8794 5777.
Staff Professional Learning
First Aid, Child Safety Training
Staff participated in the following professional learning activities last week to ensure student safety and compliance with VRQA regulations:
- First Aid Refresher Training - CPR, Asthma and Anaphylaxis
- Child Safety Modules
- Mandatory Reporting eLearning Module
- COVID-19 Infection Prevention and Control
Our staff undergo this training on an annual basis to ensure your child’s safety and we are equipped with the most up-to-date information on how to respond in emergency situations.
Religious Education, Staff Faith Formation
Our staff also participated in our Religious Education - Staff Faith Formation Day at the Mary MacKillop Centre and Mary Glowrey museum last Friday. This time allowed us to review how we continue to ensure the charism of Mary MacKillop is alive in our school community.
Thank you to our parents for working in partnership with us for these two student free days.
Senior Student Interschool Sports
Congratulations to our Senior Students (Years 5 & 6 students) for participating in their first round of Interschool Sports yesterday. Students played in a range of sporting events at different sporting venues. We were extremely excited for our students to be able to participate in the various events. Thank you to Mr Tim, teachers, staff and parents for a very successful day.
NAPLAN - Practice Tests
NAPLAN practice tests for students in Year 3 and Year 5 will be held next week on Thursday 24 March. The purpose of the NAPLAN practice test is to provide students with an opportunity to view the NAPLAN online process as well as to ‘test’ our IT infrastructure to ensure our lockdown browser is working effectively and students have uninterrupted connectivity. This process will help to ensure a smooth transition to NAPLAN during the testing window in May next Term (see below for more information).
NAPLAN - Online
The online National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) 2022 for Year 3 and Year 5 students will be held during the test window on the following days:
Tuesday 10 May to Friday 20 May, 2022
Information on NAPLAN is attached to this newsletter. If you have any questions, or concerns, regarding NAPLAN, please contact your child’s class teacher.
Vaccination Clinic - Narre Warren North Community
A vaccination clinic will be set up at school for students and anyone in the Narre Warren North community who would like to be vaccinated. St. Mark’s Medical Centre will administer the COVID-19 vaccinations at school on Saturday 9 April, 2022 from 3.00 - 4.00 pm. Bookings can be made via the link below. Children must be accompanied by their parent.
We hold in our prayers all children from across our Parish schools and Parish who are preparing to receive the Sacrament of First Reconciliation over the next few weeks.
Third Sunday of Lent, Cycle C
Sunday, March 20, 2022
In next Sunday’s Gospel, we hear a parable about God’s love and patience. God never gives up on us. The parable calls us to think about these qualities. The parable of the barren fig tree provides us with the opportunity to consider these qualities that God shows towards us.
Parent Education
RESILIENCE: Growing up is not straight-forward
A child has a developmental clock that keeps ticking, but it’s their experiences that determine their maturity, resilience and adaptability.
View the attached article:
Upcoming Webinar for Parents
Dr Jodi Richardson presents: Building lasting happiness in children. The webinar will be held on 23 March 2022 at 8-9 PM AEDT
Please refer to the attachment below for registration:
Child Safety and Wellbeing
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. 870. We embed a culture of child safety and the matter is taken very seriously.
“Children are the future of the human family: all of us are expected to promote their growth, health and tranquillity,” Pope Francis 2021
The Child Safe Standards require organisations involving children to have policies, procedures and practices to keep them safe. The attached Information for parents and carers about the Child Safe Standards provides further information and may answer some of your questions about a child safe organisation.
National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence
Australia’s leading bullying prevention initiative, National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence, is on Friday 18 March 2022. E-Safety is supporting this important day with a special virtual classroom for middle to upper primary students. Classes are registered for the live virtual classroom, Be an eSafe kid: A better internet starts with you. Resources such as these helps our students learn the impact of their words and actions can have online. Please read the attached letter for more information:
Harmony Week is coming up on 21–27 March, which is all about celebrating multiculturalism, diversity, inclusiveness and a sense of belonging for all Australians. Educating through movement FOOTSTEPS dance company will facilitate a 2-week dance course with a presentation at Assembly on 25/3. Students will get a taste of different cultural dances plus learn a full Footsteps routine! Students are invited to wear their traditional/cultural dress or the colour orange eg t-shirt top, shorts, hair ties, appropriate footwear on Friday 25th March.
OLHC Parish
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 IAjin Albarnas is our Assistant Priest. We are grateful for their ongoing prayers, involvement and support of the students, families and staff of Mary MacKillop School.
PARISH BULLETIN - Click on the link below to download the weekly newsletter:
This Term, one area the Foundation students have focused achieving outcomes from the Victorian Curriculum, is 'Personal and Social Capabilities'. They have developed knowledge, skills and understanding on recognising the expression of emotions and become aware of how their emotions can be affected in different situations. As school is a new environment this year, students have learnt to articulate how peers may feel in the classroom and playground, depending on certain situations. For example, students are aware they may feel embarrassed or worried about making new friends, if they don’t immediately understand a tasks or they accidentally eat a snack instead of their fruit! They are aware if a student is upset in the playground, how they can help them to feel better and can name ways to help themselves and others when needed. We are pleased to spread the news that all Foundies feel ‘great’ most of every school day.
こんにちは、
This week in Japanese club, Grade 6 students made Pokemon origami. Middle and Foundation students learnt about Hinamatsuri - The Dolls festival in Japan. They made Hinamatsuri cards and drew faces on their dolls using Japanese hiragana characters.
This week in Discovery Centre, Junior students have been investigating hardware and software elements of digital devices. They labeled chromebooks and categorised different hardware and software components. It was a lot of fun sharing our work safely on a Jamboard.
Message for our Year 5 Families from St Francis Xavier College:
Dear Parents, Guardians and Carers
Unfortunately, this year the College was unable to visit your child’s school to chat and answer any questions regarding transition. However, we do have a Year 7 2024 Information Evening this Thursday 17 March at 7.00pm.
This year we are conducting this event a little differently. Our presentation for the Information Evening has been pre-recorded and can be viewed at your leisure.
Here is the link to the Information Session video.
The event on Thursday evening at 7.00pm will be a live Q&A session where you can ask any questions you have about transition into Year 7. Relevant college leaders will be present to address them. This event can be joined by clicking the following link HERE.
Our Berwick and Officer Campus Captains have put together a brief tour video to assist you in finding the right school for your child.
We hope you find the information in our presentation and tour videos useful in building your understanding of our College and we look forward to supporting those who attend our Q& A session.
Kind regards
Vincent J Feeney
Principal