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Our Explicit Improvement Agenda
Student Voice and Agency
Planning for Improved Student Learning - key focus in Mathematics
Celebrations of Learning
It has been a fantastic week of learning on display with our students’ artworks for Term 2 in the Art Gallery, Student Learning Conversations and Term 2 Student Learning Portfolios being sent home on Tuesday. Yesterday we had our dress up day to celebrate student learning in Inquiry - Design and Technology, Science and The Arts - what a great way to finish off a very busy term.
A very big thank you to Mary MacKillop Staff for their teamwork and support throughout the term, for their student centred approach and for the many and varied learning opportunities on offer to our students. We wish all our students, their families and staff all the very best for the upcoming school holidays. Photos to celebrate our learning are included in the student feedback section of the newsletter . . . Happy holidays to all.
Student feedback
It is wonderful for teachers to witness actions that show responsibility in the playground and even more wonderful when actions are shown from our youngest students! Last week a Foundation student walked a stick that was lying on the ground to a teacher on yard duty. He asked for it to be put in a safe place so students running around in this area wouldn’t get hurt. It was an obvious hazard and the Foundy student took action to ensure we all stay safe. Thank you to all students who make MMPS a wonderful place!
A great collective effort to the students in Grade 5JB who designed and created Mrs Butler’s ‘scientist t shirt’. Great job!
Well done to members of the MacKillop Kids Group for your efforts and enthusiasm organising the Winter Appeal. A huge success. Thank you to all students who brought along to school food donations for the Winter Appeal. Many classroom boxes were overflowing with donations. Thankyou to all.
Dress up day - amazing to see so many scientists, engineers, artists and construction workers at school to celebrate our Term 2 learning!
Curriculum
Our initial Whole School Curriculum Plan for 2024 was for students to alternate between The Arts - Visual Art (Semester One) and Auslan (Semester Two), in the absence of Sensei Claire Stapledon (on sabbatical leave in Japan in 2024). Unfortunately we have not been able to source an Auslan teacher. Therefore, our specialist subject The Arts - Visual Art will continue for the remainder of the school year for students in Foundation to Year 6. Students have now completed their Semester One Discovery Centre learning and in Semester Two will be offered The Arts - Music with Mrs Adcock. Physical Education with Mr Timothy will continue as usual. The updated Layer 1 - BY SCHOOL visual whole year curriculum plan is attached for your reference.
Staffing
Mrs Claire Giles (The Arts - Visual Arts Specialist Teacher) will begin her maternity leave from the beginning of Term 3. We wish Claire all the very best as her family prepares to welcome their new addition to their family. We warmly welcome Mrs Bec Fletcher who will be taking Specialist Art in Semester Two for Students in Foundation to Year 4.
School Dates and Events
Parents please note the following student free days:
Friday 28 June
Monday 15 July
(Students begin Term 3 on Tuesday 16 July at 8.45 am)
UPDATED! 2025 Foundation Transition Dates
Due to circumastances beyond our control, we have had to change the dates of a couple of sessions - please update your calendars accordingly.
SAVE THE DATE! The Feast of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop: A School Family Mass will be celebrated at Our Lady Help of Christians Church on Saturday 3rd August 2024 at 6.00pm. Students and families are invited to take on special roles for this Parish Mass. Students and their families are welcome to take an active role in the mass by being part of the Offertory procession, reading a prayer of the faithful or joining in a school choir. If you are interested please email lprivitera@marymacnarre.catholic.edu.au A few families have sent in their expression of interest – a few more students are needed to read, be part of the choir and the Offertory procession. Send an email to secure your role!
Winter Appeal
Many thanks for your kind donations towards our annual Winter Appeal. Representatives from the Narre Warren St Vincent de Paul group picked up the classroom collections yesterday. The MacKillop Kids group members did a fantastic job encouraging others to donate and participate. Your donations certainly give witness to the spirit of living Jesus’ message to think of the needs of all people and to love and share with one another and to help others locally.
Sacrament of First Eucharist
Congratulations to the following students who received the Sacrament of first Eucharist during Parish Masses last weekend:
Addison, Awur, Gabriel, Wendal and Jayden
May these children continue to deepen their relationship with Jesus and be filled with blessings as they give thanks to God for the wonderful gift of our Lord through the Eucharist.
Sacrament of Confirmation
Before enrolling in the Sacrament of Confirmation, children must have been baptised in the Catholic Church and have received the Sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Eucharist. PARENT FORMATION NIGHT (Parents only) Thursday, July 25th and Wednesday, July 31st, 2024. Arrive at 6.45pm for a 7pm start Our Lady Help of Christians Parish Centre A $50 levy is payable via CDF online at https:// olhc.cdfpay.org.au. Making a payment through CDF confirms your participation in the Parent Formation Night. CDF Payment is open and will close on Monday, June 17, 2024, at 10:00am, and Friday, July 2, 2024, at 10:00am. For all enquiries, please contact our Sacrament Coordinator, Vea, by phone (03) 9704 7935 or email sacrament@olhc.org.au
Parish 2024 Sacramental Booklet Link
Parish Bulletin Link
Parish Bulletin Linkhttps://olhc.org.au/parish-bulletin/
Parish Website Link
Our Lady Help of Christian Websitehttps://olhc.org.au/
Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B
Sunday, June 30, 2024
Mark 5:21-43
Jesus heals a woman afflicted with a haemorrhage and raises Jairus’s daughter from death.
Next Sunday’s Gospel tells the story of a father who felt helpless because his daughter was sick. But he sought help for his daughter from Jesus. People told Jairus that his daughter had died. Jesus, however, told Jairus to have faith and not be afraid. Jesus do when he went into the little girl’s room? Jeus held her hand and told her to get up. Jesus performed a miracle and healed the child. She got up out of bed and was well.
Jesus healed those who were sick and suffering, and he calls us to care for those who are in need. We show our care for others when we ask for Jesus’ help, just as Jairus showed his care for his daughter by asking Jesus to help her.
We can pray for people who are sick or having a hard time. We can ask that they experience Jesus’ healing love and care. Let’s each take a moment to think of someone we would like to pray for.
Wow! It’s hard to believe Term 2 is now complete! It has been a fulfilling term with incremental changes in teacher pedagogy in all levels. Staff focus throughout Term 2 included students learning about Five Critical Learning Questions (Lyn Sharratt). The questions promote higher order thinking and have been proven as an evidence based practice - they are an excellent learning tool that supports feedback and gives insight into student’s progress. We encourage you to use the Five Critical Learning Questions with your child/ren at home. You will notice this new format in the Term 2 Student Portfolio reflections, which were sent home on Tuesday for families to read. It is something that will be consolidated from Foundation to Year 6 this year in all learning areas, and a great way for you to gain deeper information about your child’s learning at home.
Here is a copy of the questions for your convenience, which we hope you often utilise (5 Critical Learning Questions - Lyn Sharratt)
| What are you learning? | How are you doing? | How do you know? | How can you improve? | Where do you go for help? |
Students have enjoyed learning lots of different art skills over the Term. They have expanded their knowledge of colour theory, comparing, blending and creating colours using different types of paint. Students have experimented using paint and clay to create their own unique artworks.
It has been fantastic to be able to display the artwork in the art gallery and have parents see what we have worked so hard at over the past Term. The students are very proud! Thank you to all who have made the time to come and see what all the students have been creating. We hope you enjoyed reading about each art piece students created and viewing all the hard work.
| NAME | CLASS | LEARNING AWARD |
| Tiago | F-LL | Learning Awards - Be Courageous |
| Benjamin | F-LL | Learning Award - Be Compassionate |
| Elijah | F-GN | Learning Awards - Be Courageous |
| Ariana | F-GN | Learning Award - Be Compassionate |
| Jonah | 1-ER | Learning Awards - Be Courageous |
| Zayn | 1-BC | Learning Award - Be Respectful |
| Isabella | 1-ER | Learning Awards - Be Responsible |
| Charlotte | 1-BC | Learning Awards - Be Responsible |
| Riley | 1-ER | Learning Awards - Be Responsible |
| Maya | 2-SE | Learning Awards - Be Responsible |
| Aslan | 3-AB | Learning Awards - Be Problem Solvers |
| Ally | 3-AB | Learning Awards - Be Courageous |
| Jye | 5-CK | Learning Award - Be Compassionate |
| Demiana | 6-MV | Learning Awards - Be Responsible |
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
Child Safe Policy
Child friendly version of Child Safe Policy (updated June 2022) Congratulations to our Year 6 Student Leaders on their creation of the student friendly version of the Child Safe Policy. This policy has been uploaded to our website. Child Safe page and can be found in the following link https://www.marymacnarre.catholic.edu.au/child-safety-standards
Parental Use of Mobile Phones (Privacy Laws)
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
Child Safe Resources to support Students, Parents/Carers
eSAFETY COMMISSIONER - https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents.
FOR FAMILIES - https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/parent-resources/online-safety-for-every-family
CCYP - Commission for Children and Young People https://ccyp.vic.gov.au/child-safe-standards/
SCHOOL TV - SPECIAL REPORT: Celebrating NAIDOC Week
Here is the link to your Special Report https://marymacnarre.catholic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-celebrating-naidoc-week
NAIDOC week celebrates the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It is celebrated by all Australians and is a great opportunity to recognise and learn more about the history and culture of indigenous communities.
NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. Its origins can be traced back to the Aboriginal rights movement, when on Australia Day 1938, protestors marched through the streets of Sydney to highlight the status and treatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. Today, it is a week-long celebration held in July that consists of range of traditional and contemporary activities.
NAIDOC Week is an important event that helps build positive relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. It enables a deeper understanding of our differences and similarities. NAIDOC week is an opportunity for all Australians to eliminate bias and discrimination by reflecting and reconciling the wrongs of the past to facilitate hope and build a fairer future. Families are encouraged to join in and support young people in learning the significance of NAIDOC Week.
This Special Report offers suggestions on how families can celebrate NAIDOC Week together. We hope you take a moment to reflect on the information offered, and as always, we welcome your feedback. If this raises any concerns for you, a loved one or the wellbeing of your child, please seek medical or professional help.
BRAVEHEARTS - https://bravehearts.org.au/
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.
UPCOMING WEBINARS
Championing Neurodiversity Helping Your Child Thrive in a Neurotypical World Monday 19 August | 7pm AEST
Life for a neurodiverse child is a journey of highs and lows, marked by the joy of mastering new skills and the challenges of setbacks. As their parent or teacher, your support is crucial.
Empower your school staff and parents with our “Championing Neurodiversity” webinar, designed specifically to equip parents and teachers with the knowledge and strategies they need to help neurodiverse children flourish.
Who is this webinar for? This webinar is for educators, parents, and carers of children who are diagnosed as neurodiverse, are undergoing assessment, or are suspected to be neurodiverse.
Webinar Highlights:
- Celebrate Unique Strengths: Recognise and nurture the unique strengths of neurodiverse children.
- Support Individual Needs: Tailor support to meet the individual needs of each child.
- Provide Behavioural and Emotional Support: Implement effective strategies for better behavioural and emotional support.
- Improve Communication and Social Skills: Enhance communication and foster positive social interactions.
- Build Resilience: Help neurodiverse children build resilience and confidence.
- Encourage Collaboration and Advocacy: Promote collaboration and advocate for the needs of neurodiverse children
- Supporting Autistic Children (the course) has returned! Kicks off 8 July. Check it out...
- GET THE COURSE - Supporting Autistic Children Nurturing Neurodiversity with Dr Justin Coulson & Dr Joey Lawrence
- This neurodiversity-affirming course has been designed by Dr Justin and Dr Joey. Over five weeks they will work with you to identify and address your child’s distinctive strengths and challenges associated with their unique autistic profile.