Our Explicit Improvement Agenda

Student Voice and Agency

Planning for Improved Student Learning

Celebrations of Learning

Student Learning Conversations

A very big THANK YOU to all students, staff and parents for attending the Student Learning Conversations this week.  We are very proud of our students, their achievements and outstanding ability to discuss their learning and goals for Term 3.  The Student Learning Conversations provide an opportunity for our explicit improvement agenda to be made visible and to showcase Student Voice and Agency and Planning for Improved Student Learning in action.  We look forward to another busy term ahead of learning opportunities and experiences.  Thank you for working in partnership with us to ensure our students’ continuous growth.

Incursions, Excursions and School Events

Please take the time to read through our Term 3 school dates and events listed below.  We have Confirmation Enrolment night tonight and next week, as well as an excursion scheduled for our Year 3 level on Friday 28 July.  Plese ensure that you keep an eye on your child's PAM account for permission forms coming home for the various excursions.

In this week’s newsletter you will find sample practice questions for the Australian Mathematics Competition as well as Year 2 students sharing their class prayer cloth, Sacrament of Confirmation information, our Winter Appeal, Child Safety information and upcoming Feast Day activities.

Celebrations of Community

Staffing updates

Our school employs the services of a Speech Pathologist - Toba Goldman (Versa Learn) each Thursday to support selected students with Speech Therapy sessions.  Unfortunately we received notification that Toba is on personal leave and will return on Thursday 3 August to resume Speech Therapy sessions for Term 3.  We thank parents and students for their understanding in this matter.

School Dates and Events

Reminder - If you wish to participate in the Subway Lunch Fundraiser on 8th August, envelopes/money are due back to school next Tuesday 1st August

SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION: PARENT ONLY ENROLMENT WORKSHOP OLHC CDF Payment opened on Monday, 19th June for parents wishing to organise a prepayment for their child to enrol in the Sacrament of Confirmation this year. There will be two workshops and parents/guardian will need to attend only one of these enrolment nights: Thursday, 20th July TONIGHT and Wednesday, 26th July 2023 starting at 7.00pm (please arrive by 6.45pm to sign-in). Attendance is compulsory if your child is preparing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation this year. Children should have been baptised in the Catholic Church and received the Sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Eucharist prior to 2023.  A prepayment of $50.00 must be made via olhc.cdfpay.org.au. This opened on Monday, 19th June and closes Friday 28th July at 3.30pm.  If you have any questions please contact Vea our Sacrament Coordinator at sacraments@olhc.org.au

Please note that the 2023 Sacrament of Confirmation Masses will be celebrated on the following dates (at the conclusion of Term 3) at OLHC Parish Church:

•       Friday 15th September 2023 at 7.00 pm
•       Saturday 16th September 2023 at 3.00 pm
•       Saturday 16th September 2023 at 6.00 pm

St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal will be conducted over the next two weeks. Our MacKillop Kids club members from Years 3-6 help run the appeal by encouraging the school community to donate specific food items. This year the MacKillop Kids Group have organised the collection of warm winter drinks. Your support of tea varieties, coffee, hot chocolate, milo, etc that would warm up those less fortunate is greatly appreciated. Collection boxes are located in each classroom.

The Feast of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop: On Saturday, August 5, 2023, at 6.00 p.m., a School Family Mass will be held at Our Lady Help of Christians Church. This Parish Mass invites students and families to take on important roles.  Students completed a special invitation inviting families to this mass and also our school mass to be held on 10/8 in Allen Hall. During the Parish mass, students are invited to read and participate in particular roles. Choir members are asked to perform a reflective hymn. Please consider encouraging your child/children to participate actively in this Parish Mass celebration. A separate letter has been sent to families providing opportunity to save the date early and encourage students to take on special roles during the Parish mass. The expression of interest tear-off slip is due no later than 24/7.

World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly: Sunday, July 23, 2023

Sts. Joachim & Anne

Joachim and Anne were greatly honoured by God who gave them a daughter conceived without sin who was to become known as the Mother of God! It would seem that they performed their parenting responsibilities with great grace. Their feast day on July 26 is a day to honour them and all grandparents for their contribution to our lives.

 “His mercy is from age to age” (Lk. 1:50) is the theme chosen by the Holy Father for the third World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly. Pope Francis proclaimed the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly to be celebrated on the fourth Sunday in July each year – July 23 in 2023. The Day is marked near the Feast of Sts Joachim and Anne, the grandparents of Jesus.

We keep in our prayers and thoughts all grandparents and elderly. In early Term 4 when the weather is far more pleasant we have set aside a special morning tea and mass celebration in honour of our grandparents and friends. Further details will be published later in the year. 

World Youth Day

World Youth Day (WYD) is a worldwide encounter with the Pope which is typically celebrated every three years in a different country. This year’s world-wide event is fast approaching and we are very excited for the 3 youth from OLHC Parish who will be participating in this year’s World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal. World Youth Day 2023 will be held on August 1-6.

The official logo features the colours of the Portuguese flag and elements of the country’s spiritual culture.

Diego Montoya (ex MMPS student) sister to Isabel and cousin to Adam and Noah, is one of the three youth from the Parish travelling to Lisbon joining many other young people from across the globe.   We wish him a safe trip and a wonderful experience. On his return Diego will visit Mary MacKillop School to share his experiences with the middle and senior students. Safe travels Diego! 

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

Sunday, July 23, 2023

Matthew 13:24-43 (shorter form: Matthew 13:24-30)
Jesus offers parables about the Kingdom of Heaven and explains them to his disciples.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus offers three parables to describe the Kingdom of Heaven. He also explains why he speaks to the crowds in parables and interprets the parable of the sower for the disciples. In Sunday’s Gospel, we hear Jesus using the image of weeds to help us understand the Kingdom of God. In the coming week, let’s continue to pray that our faith will grow and that the Kingdom of God will be spread throughout the world. What are some of the little things that you can do in your family that helps to make things better for others?

2EM and 2SE join together for prayer each morning and as a level, decided that they would make a joint prayer cloth this year. The Mary MacKillop Quote students chose was, ‘Be a gift of love and compassion for one another’, (1899). Students chose this quote because they want to be kind to their families and friends and show the Mary MacKillop school values. After they chose the quote, all students designed their own prayer cloth.

Students looked at each other's designs and then discussed and voted on what they wanted to include on our cloth. Students chose to put a cross in the middle to represent God and Jesus. The dove and heart symbols were chosen because hearts represent love and the doves represent compassion. Students chose if they wanted a dove or heart symbol on the prayer cloth and chose what colour they wanted to paint it. A lot of student voice and agency went into the design of our prayer cloth.

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