Our Explicit Improvement Agenda

Student Voice and Agency

Planning for improved student learning - key focus in Mathematics

Staff Farewells

As we approach the end of the year, we want to take a moment to bid farewell and express our heartfelt gratitude to several members of our Mary MacKillop Primary School family who are embarking on new journeys.

Laura Fonti (Teacher)

After 16 years of dedicated service, Laura will be leaving us as a teacher. Over the years, Laura has made a lasting impact on countless students, helping them grow, learn, and thrive in her classrooms. Her passion for education and her nurturing spirit have shaped the lives of so many. We thank Laura for her commitment, hard work, and the incredible care she has shown every student.

Annette Ladlow (Canteen Officer)

Annette has been the heart and soul of our school canteen for an amazing 22 years. Her friendly smile, hard work, and commitment to providing healthy, delicious meals have made the canteen a special place for staff and students alike. We are deeply grateful for her dedication and kindness, which have been felt by all who have entered the canteen over the years.

Gayanji Eagan (Tutor Teacher)

We also say farewell to Gayanji, who has been an invaluable part of our teaching team as a tutor teacher. Gayanji’s ability to support and encourage students has helped many children achieve their full potential. Her warm and caring approach has left a positive impression on all of us, and we thank her for her contributions to our students' growth and success.

Bec Fletcher (Art Teacher)

Bec, our talented Art Teacher, has inspired creativity and self-expression in our students. Through her guidance, students have discovered and developed their artistic talents, creating beautiful works of art. We are grateful for her dedication to fostering creativity and providing a space for students to explore their artistic abilities.

Casey Norman (Replacement Teacher)

Though Casey's time with us was shorter, we want to extend our thanks for her hard work and commitment as a replacement teacher. Casey's positive attitude and dedication to the students in 4FW made a significant impact, and we are grateful for the energy and care she brought to her role.

Celeste Spiccia (Grade 2SE)                                                                                          

Celeste, who has been working with us during Term 1 to Term 3 in Grade 2, is also being farewelled. Celeste has supported her students’ learning and growth over her tenure here with a great deal of care and attention. We appreciate her passion, dedication, and positive energy she brought to her classroom. Despite her short time with us, she has had a lasting impression on her students and the larger school community.

To Laura, Annette, Gayanji, Bec, Celeste and Casey – thank you for everything you have done for Mary MacKillop Primary School. You have each left a lasting legacy of kindness, passion, and excellence. While we will miss you all, we wish you nothing but happiness and success in your future endeavours. You will always be part of our school community, and we hope to see you again soon!

New Principal Appointment for 2025

I am pleased  to share the exciting news that Mrs Gabrielle Verstraete has been appointed as the new Principal of Mary MacKillop Primary School, Narre Warren North. This announcement was made by the Director Mr Paul Velten, and we are all looking forward to the next chapter in our school’s journey. Gabrielle will officially begin her role at the start of Term 1, 2025. We are confident that her leadership, vision, and commitment will continue to inspire and guide our school community. Please join me in warmly welcoming Gabrielle as she prepares to lead us toward a bright future of growth and excellence at Mary MacKillop Primary School.

2025 Staff and Key Dates in 2025

Attached at the end of this newsletter are the staff list for 2025, along with key dates and events planned for the year. Please review these documents regularly, as they will be updated frequently via the newsletter..

Year 6 Graduation

On Tuesday evening, our Year 6 students marked a significant milestone in their educational journey with a heartfelt graduation ceremony. The event was a wonderful celebration of their hard work, dedication, and achievements throughout their time at primary school.The evening was filled with joy, laughter, and a sense of accomplishment as the students reflected on their experiences and looked forward to the next chapter of their lives. We are incredibly proud of each and every one of our Year 6 graduates. Sincere thanks to all teachers and staff who have supported these students along the way. Your dedication, guidance, and encouragement have played a pivotal role in shaping their growth and success. A big thank you to all for making this event such a memorable occasion! Many thanks to Fr. Michael and the Parish team for their support in last night’s graduation Mass celebration and events. We truly appreciate your time and dedication, especially during this busy time of the year.A special thank you goes to our Year 6 teachers Ms Vlajankov and Mr Kippen for their outstanding effort in organizing this special event. Their dedication in coordinating all the details, from planning to execution, ensured that the evening was a huge success. The students and their families are truly grateful for the teachers' and all staff members’ hard work in making this celebration so meaningful. A special thank you also goes to the Year 5 Level team, the Admin staff, and all other staff members who helped make this evening possible. Your hard work and effort are deeply appreciated. Congratulations, Year 6! We wish you all the best in your future endeavours as you embark on your journey to secondary school.

Semester 2 School Reports 

On Monday, December 16, your child's 2024 Semester 2 Report will be accessible on PAM after 3.30pm.  Spend some time reading this to your child and recognizing the progress they have made in their education over the course of 2024. Envelopes will be distributed to students to take home  along with the Student Learning Portfolios  and the following information -

• Scored Term 4 PLP/SAEP documentation (if applicable)
• 2025 Teacher and Grade level information 
• 2025 Important Information
• School Dates letter
• Student supplies to be brought from home
• DOSCEL Christmas cards (designed by Year 6 students Emily 6JK & Eliza 6MV winners of the  DOSCEL TOP 10 Entries & Best of School Equal BesT)

End of Year School Mass

As we approach the close of a remarkable year, we want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the parents and families who joined us for our End-of-Year School Mass held earlier today. Your presence and support made the occasion even more special, and we are truly thankful for your continued partnership in fostering a vibrant and welcoming school community. We were also thrilled to announce our student leaders for 2025 during the Mass. Congratulations to these exceptional students who will be stepping into leadership roles, guiding and inspiring their peers in the coming year. We look forward to seeing all the great things they will achieve!

Looking ahead, we invite you to join us for our highly anticipated Christmas Concert, a celebration of the season filled with dance, music and joy. It will be a wonderful opportunity to come together as a community and enjoy the talents of our students. Hope you can join us tomorrow in Allen Hall commencing at 1.15pm

Student Leaders 

Our deepest gratitude to our 2024 student leaders. Your dedication, passion, and hard work have truly made a difference in our community. You’ve set a high standard for leadership and service, inspiring your peers and creating a lasting impact in every initiative you’ve supported. From organizing events to advocating for causes, you’ve led with heart, demonstrated resilience, and shown the power of collaboration. Your leadership has paved the way for future success, and we are immensely proud of all that you have accomplished this year.

Looking ahead to 2025, we are excited to welcome the new cohort of student leaders. Your energy, ideas, and fresh perspectives will be instrumental in shaping the future of our community. We are confident that you will continue the tradition of excellence and bring your unique vision to all that lies ahead.

2025 Student Leadership Group 

•       School Leaders            David Perri and Kyden Zonneveld
•       Faith Leaders               Aaliyah Barboza and Thomas Patti
•       Learning Leaders         Fleur Ithier and Noah Curtis
•       Environment Leaders   Noah Azagra and Jasmine Pellegrino
•       Eden House Leader       Tilly Bramley
•       Portland House Leader Bailey Hincks
•       Penola House Leader    Dennish Thakur
•       Fitzroy House Leader    Katya Karatsivis

2025 SACRAMENTAL PARISH PROGRAM

Our Lady Help of Christians Parish has published the dates for the 2025 Parish Sacramental Program.  The 2025 Sacramental Booklet is uploaded to the Parish Website and linked to our School website. To prevent disappointment, please stay informed about the different dates for enrolling in the Sacraments of Confirmation, First Communion, and First Reconciliation. https://olhc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Sacrament-Program-Booklet-2025-A4.pdf

DOSCEL Christmas Card Competition Winners

This year’s Christmas Card Design Competition has been a great success. Once again, the high standard of the students’ artistic talent and creativity was evident in their entries. Mr Paul Velten Director of Catholic Education – Diocese of Sale is very pleased to announce the winners of the Christmas Card Design Competition as follows: Congratulations to -

Top 10 Entries : Emily Pham  Year 6  and  Eliza Perera  Year 6    

Best of School Entries:   Emily Pham  Year 6  and  Eliza Perera  Year 6  - Equal Best

“They saw the child with Mary his mother, and they knelt down and paid him homage.  Then, opening their treasure chests they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

(Matthew 2:11)

Berwick Sub-Branch Returned and Services League of Aust extend thanks to staff and students and their families for the support in the recent Remembrance Day Appeal. The monies raised go to support former and serving members of the Australian Defence Forces and dependents in need. Your donations raised $111.00

Thank you

As we approach the end of Term 4, I would like to take a moment to reflect on the incredible privilege it has been to hold the role as your Acting Principal during this term. It has been an enjoyable and deeply rewarding experience, and I am truly grateful for the trust and support I have received from staff, students and parents throughout this time. The journey has been one of growth, collaboration, and shared commitment to providing the best for our students. I have valued every moment of working together with such a dedicated and passionate school community. I am excited about the future and look forward to continuing to work in partnership with Ms Verstraete, and all members of the school community as we enter the new school year. Together, we will continue to build on the strong foundation of success, and I am confident that the best is yet to come. 

As we enter the festive season, I want to wish each of you a safe, joyful, and peaceful Christmas. May this time bring you rest, happiness, and renewed hope for the year ahead.

A Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all!

“When the midnight silence reigned all was quiet, and when peace lay upon the land, yours almighty Word, O God, came down to us.”  (Wisdom 18:14-15)

Third Sunday of Advent, Cycle C

Sunday, December 15, 2024

Luke 3:10-18
John the Baptist teaches the path of repentance and announces Christ.

This is the third Sunday of Advent. We light three candles on the third Sunday, two violet candles and the rose candle.  The season of Advent is a time of joyful waiting as we prepare to welcome Jesus. As we light another candle on the Advent wreath, we remember that Christmas is getting closer. In next Sunday’s Gospel, we hear John the Baptist tell the crowd that there are things they can do to prepare as they wait for Jesus. John the Baptist tells the crowd to share what they have and make other good choices to prepare for Jesus. There are things we can do during Advent to prepare to celebrate Jesus’ birth. We can pray. We can help our families. We can share. What is something you can do this week to prepare to celebrate Jesus’ birth? 

2024 REMINDERS  

13/12/24   

• Whole School Christmas Concert - Footsteps

16/12/24

• MEET & GREET with 2025 Class Groups 
• Level 4 Victorian Water Safety Certificate 
• Semester Two Reports posted on PAM and Student Learning Portfolios sent home

17/12/24 (Last Day of Term 4)  

• Year 4 swimming & Year 6 Fun Day 
• Community farewell on the Small Oval 2.50pm

Last Thursday, the Foundation students embarked on an exciting excursion to the Melbourne Zoo. This gave us the opportunity to revisit our Inquiry unit about living and non-living things. The students were so excited to explore various animals and their habitats firsthand. Despite the warm weather, we managed to check off quite a few animals on our list, including elephants, giraffes, butterflies, lions, snakes, and gorillas. A highlight of the day was watching a seals' training session. 

It was an incredible day filled with learning about the habitats of zoo animals and the foods they eat. A huge thank you to our wonderful parent helpers for dedicating their time and supporting us throughout the day—we couldn’t have done it without you!

Here are some comments from the Foundation students: 

Mila: I liked the butterflies the best, it was very hot in the butterfly house.

Liam: We saw two really big Lions, they are my favourite! I was happy to see them, we saw them last so I had to wait the whole day!

Peter: I liked seeing the koalas, I saw 4 or 5 they were all sleeping in the big tree 

Letisia - We got to see the seals, they were eating fish. They were so cute! 

Julia - We got to see the Dingos they look like dogs!

Archer - I liked seeing the monkeys, they were climbing and swinging. They were being noisy. 

Nela - I liked seeing the elephants. I learnt that they keep cool by putting sand on their back. We saw the Zookeepers cleaning them. 

Akos - I liked seeing the Gorilla, their favourite thing is to climb and they are strong like me!

Amelie - I liked seeing the Giraffes, they have really long necks. They were eating in the shade. 

An email was recently sent to all families via PAM regarding our whole school photos next year. Envelopes will be available at the office at the beginning of the year for those families who do not wish to order online.

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.  The latest weekly Insight Article: The BEST way to spend the hiliays

See link below:

https://schools.happyfamilies.com.au/all-resources?sort=DESC

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

Practical advice for starting secondary school:

https://marymacnarre.catholic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-transition-high-school