Congratulations to our Division Swimming Team for displaying Mary MacKillop spirit and values through their support of each other on Tuesday. Noah C is through to the next division - a huge accomplishment. Thank you also to the staff and parents who have supported the competitive swimming over the last few weeks led by Mr Clint Timothy.

I would also like to thank all those families who attended Learning Conversations last week - our attendance for almost every class was close to 100% which shows the value you place, as families, in maintaining home-school partnerships. It was lovely to meet so many of you and to hear the things you love about Mary MacKillop and how well your child or children have settled into 2025.

Last Thursday and Friday staff were on site for two days of Professional Learning. On Thursday we learnt some Mathematics games connected to Place Value and unpacked S.U.R.F (Strategies, Understanding, Reading and Fast Facts) as a teaching tool to help students understand their Mathematical thinking. On Friday, we hosted our two neighbouring Parish schools and we all focussed on Religious Education - Interfaith Dialogue. A series of speakers helped us to understand the value of dialogue in understanding our own faith as well as the faith of others. 

Over this week and next week we have invited families who may like to enrol their child in Mary MacKillop school for 2026 to our Open Days. Our Year 6 Student Leaders have taken the lead in conducting tours with families and sharing with the families what they love about Mary MacKillop school. If you have a child who will be attending Foundation in 2026 please come and collect an enrolment form if you haven’t done so already. 

Lize Privitera and myself will be down at Narre Warren North Hall (Old A’Beckett Road) on Saturday 15 March for the opening of the school time capsule (buried 25 years ago!). Come along and say hello if you have the time.

STAFF COLLECTIVE - STUDENT FEEDBACK

All students for their participation in the completion of the wall mural. We loved you being part of the process and hope you did too! Thank you for all your encouraging words over the past weeks! We have loved seeing how excited you have been to see the mural come to life!

Thank you to our year 4 students for confidently sharing your learning at our Student Conversations last week. Parents and teachers are both proud of you.

Well done to Tyler and Noah for presenting MMPS news last week - you spoke clearly and confidently from start to finish

Well done to our students who took part in the swimming trials - Mr Tim spoke about how proud he was of your efforts as well as behaviour at this off site event

It has been amazing to see Yr 3 - 6 lined up after each play. Students are sitting down and ready for teachers to walk them into class.

Well done to Yr 4 boys who are now finished all sporting games when the music starts and moving to their line.

Second Sunday of Lent, Cycle C

Sunday, March 16, 2025

Luke 9:28b-36
Jesus is transfigured in the presence of Peter, John, and James.

In next Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus takes three disciples with him to a quiet place to pray. Something very important happens. While Jesus was praying, Peter, John, and James fell asleep. They nearly missed something very important! When they woke up, they saw Jesus in glory and Moses and Elijah with him. 

Lent is a time for us to stay awake and listen. We slow down and pay attention. We notice that Jesus loves us and is always with us. Can you think of ways we can notice Jesus is with us?

Jubilee Year of Hope and 30th Anniversary Celebrations!

Don’t miss out!

All families are warmly invited to join us TONIGHT, Thursday, 13th March 2025, as we celebrate in this Jubilee Year of Hope with an unforgettable evening packed with excitement and fun! The festivities kick off right after school and include a vibrant afterschool open classroom visit, a delicious sausage sizzle, an adventurous treasure hunt, the highly anticipated unveiling of our stunning new wall mural, AND a spectacular Andrew Chinn family concert!

This is the perfect opportunity for our entire school community to come together in celebration, sharing music, food, and joy. We can’t wait to share the finished mural with you — it’s truly something special!

We’re so excited and can’t wait to see you there!  Let’s make this Jubilee Year of Hope a night to remember!

Harmony Day Celebrations - 20th & 21st March 2025

We are excited to invite you to our Harmony Day celebrations on Thursday, 20th March and Friday, 21st March!

• Thursday, 20th March 2025 2.30pm: Join us for the Harmony Day Liturgy, a special prayer service where we’ll reflect on the importance of inclusion, respect, and unity within our diverse community.
• Friday, 21st March 2025 2.30pm: The celebration continues with the Footsteps Dance Concert, where students will showcase the dances they've learned from different countries, highlighting the beauty of cultural diversity through movement and music.

We encourage everyone to wear their traditional cultural dress or the colour orange to show support for Harmony Day’s message of belonging for all. It’s going to be a vibrant and meaningful two days, and we can’t wait to celebrate with you!

You are invited to our Prayer Liturgy & Footsteps Dance Concert celebrating the diversity of our school community.

Living in Harmony Prayer

Date: 20th March 2025

Time: 2.30pm – 3.00 pm

Venue: Allen Hall

Footsteps Dance Concert

Date: 21st March 2025

Time: 2.30pm – 3.00 pm

Venue: Allen Hall

On the 3rd, 4th and 5th March all students had the opportunity to learn pastel drawings from local artist, Lynton Allan. Lynton taught the students art through storytelling and students followed his lead to create different artworks. Students also watched Lynton create different drawings quickly in front of their eyes. We hope you can come and see the amazing artworks Lynton created with the students at Mary Mac in our Art Gallery!

The Year 2s have made a great start to the year and have been busy learning about our classroom expectations, prayer, time, addition and how we can stay healthy.

On Tuesday the 4th of March, we celebrated Shrove Tuesday, otherwise known as Pancake Day. The students learnt about why we celebrate Shrove Tuesday. Pancakes are often made to use up eggs and other foods that would spoil during Lent. The students then enjoyed some pancakes themselves. 

Through the Resilience Project, students have been learning about gratitude and how it is important to focus on what we have, rather than what we don’t have.  Students learnt that having gratitude cultivates a positive mindset by focusing on what is going well rather than dwelling on what is lacking or negative. This positive outlook can, in turn, strengthen individuals' belief in their own capabilities and personal strengths, leading to increased self-confidence and resilience. (https://www.hub.theresilienceproject.com.au/) Students created Gratitude Hearts, in response to our discussion. They were asked to think about what they are grateful for in relation to their own personal strengths.

As part of our ‘Health’ Inquiry unit, we have discussed strategies that can be used to support us in calming down our bodies when we feel strong emotions. Some of these include finger breathing, movement breaks or drinking water. Invite your child to share and model these with you at home.

Exploring Elements of the Wellbeing Wheel

As part of their Inquiry unit on Personal, Social and Community Health, the Year 3 students have been exploring the elements of wellbeing. To facilitate this, students have been learning about the Wellbeing Wheel and identifying the different areas that promote happiness, health and safety.  Here is a sample of students comments about some areas from the Wellbeing Wheel:

Responsible

Being responsible means not being silly. (Maya - 3CM)

Active

Being active means to be healthy. (Mia - 3CN)

Healthy

Being healthy means doing exercises and eating healthy fruit and playing sports. (Jaxon - 3CN)

Safe

Being safe means not opening the door to strangers and staying near trusted adults. (Nicholas - 3CM)

Hello to all our families at Mary MacKillop,

I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce myself—my name is Caitlin McLeod, and I am the new Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader, working two days a week in this role alongside teaching Grade 5 for the remaining three days.

My role focuses on building the whole school’s understanding of mental health and wellbeing, including identification, promotion, and prevention. I also support staff in recognising and assisting students with mental health needs, help establish clear referral pathways for students requiring further assessment and intervention, and monitor student progress.

Children’s mental health is essential for their development and learning. Good mental health allows them to cope with challenges, maintain a sense of wellbeing, and reach their full potential. However, not all children experience good mental health, and schools play a vital role in supporting them.

As part of my role, I am fortunate to be training in the Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHiPS) program. This training will enhance my knowledge and skills, ultimately strengthening our school’s ability to support the mental health and wellbeing of all students.

I look forward to working with you and supporting our students on their learning and wellbeing journey.  Please feel free to introduce yourself or say hello if you see me walking around the school, I look forward to working with you all. 

Caitlin McLeod

Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader | Grade 5 Teacher

The Resilience Project 

Mary MacKillop is excited to share with you about our Social/Emotional Program we run called The Resilience Project. We are in our second year running this program and have had some wonderful feedback from staff, students and families. This is our school-wide wellbeing initiative, promoting positive mental health throughout the classroom, staffroom, and wider community. With substantial evidence supporting the importance of school-home connections for enhancing educational and wellbeing outcomes, the program is both engaging and practical. It is backed by proven, evidence-based evaluations and is used in over 1,000 schools across Australia, with a dedicated partnership manager that works with staff to ensure its successful delivery.

Our teaching staff also engage in regular professional development to stay informed and up to date with new material. The program centers on the key principles of Gratitude, Empathy, Mindfulness, and Emotional Literacy, with each lesson incorporating engaging Student Journal activities and Teacher Resource Sheets.

For those of you new to Mary MacKillop, you will have access to the Wellbeing Hub throughout the year. We know that the best outcomes for supporting your child’s mental health happen when we collaborate and practice together. The Hub provides valuable research, the benefits of the resources, and includes short, practical videos and quick activities called 'Family Activity - Delve Deeper,' which you’re encouraged to try at home.

https://theresilienceproject.com.au/at-home/wellbeing-hub/

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.  Dr Justin Coulson is a dad to 6 daughters and grandfather to 1 granddaughter. He is the parenting expert and co-host of Channel Nine’s Parental Guidance, and he and his wife host Australia’s #1 podcast for parents and family: The Happy Families Podcast. He has written 9 books about  families and parenting. For further details visit happyfamilies.com.au. 

Here is his next INSIGHT ARTICLE - Help! My Child Has Been Replaced by a Human Shrug! See attachment BELOW:

Join Happy Families for this year’s Answers with Justin webinars. The Term 1 session is 'Emotional Regulation: A Heart-Centred Approach to Supporting Your Child'. Event link and further information - scroll through the webpage: https://happyfamiliesfamilyeducation.ac-page.com/answers-with-dr-justin-emotional-regulation-schools-registe

Your insight article for this week: Now You See Them, Now You Don’t (attached below)

School TV 

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

SPECIAL REPORT: Social Media & Comparison Culture

Young people today are growing up in a world where exposure to other people's lives is constant. Through social media and other platforms, they are regularly presented with curated highlights - from flawless holiday photos and academic milestones to the latest fashion trends and fitness achievements. This continuous stream of idealised content fuels what is known as comparison culture, where self-worth is often measured by how someone stacks up against others.

For children and adolescents, who are still figuring out who they are, this culture can be particularly damaging. Constantly comparing their appearance, achievements, or social standing to friends, influencers, and even strangers can lead to unrealistic expectations and a skewed sense of self-worth. This relentless need to measure up can contribute to feelings of inadequacy, self-doubt, and anxiety - undermining both confidence and emotional wellbeing.

It's vital that parents and caregivers understand how deeply comparison culture can influence a child's self-perception and sense of value. Left unchecked, it can foster perfectionism and a dependence on external validation, where a 'like' or comment becomes the measure of their worth.

The good news is, families have a powerful role to play in helping young people navigate these challenges. This Special Report will help you empower your child to build the resilience and confidence needed to navigate today's comparison-driven world and embrace their own unique path.

Here is the link to your Special Report https://marymacnarre.catholic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-social-media-comparison-culture-au

Parents, carers, grandparents, educators and school leaders are invited to attend an exclusive webinar supporting primary and secondary students.

WEBINAR: Digital Media Literacy & Safety (Part 1)
DATE:       Wednesday, 19 March 2025
TIME:       7:00 pm

This presentation is Part 1 of a two-part series.  Join School TV for an exclusive session with two of Australia's leading experts in youth wellbeing and cybersafety, Dr Michael Carr-Gregg and Susan McLean. Gain invaluable insights on how to empower young people to navigate the online world safely and responsibly.

Topics in this session will include:

• New Regulations on Social Media
• Cyberbullying
• Exposure to Hate Speech
• Online Safety and Fraud

To register, participants to scan the QR code found on the promotional material below.

School TV looks forward to having you join them for this insightful and engaging session.

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