Student Voice and Agency

Planning for improved student learning - Mathematics

Student Learning Conversations

It’s not too late to book in for a Student Learning Conversation for next Tuesday 1 July or next Wednesday 2 July via your child's PAM profile. Students have put a lot of work into their Portfolios and are looking forward to sharing with you their goals and their work over the next few weeks. This is a great opportunity to strengthen the school and home partnership. 

Our Specialist Staff (Japanese, PE, Visual Arts and Music) will be at Students Learning Conversations next week also if you wish to speak with them. Clint Timothy will not be available as he will be with Sally Lane for the 5LT Student Learning Conversations. Sarah Fisher (Japanese) will be present on Tuesday from 3.10 - 6pm.

Claire Giles (Visual Arts) and Kymberley Lardner (Visual Arts) will be present on Wednesday from 3.10 - 4.30pm as will Emma Adcock (Music). 

School Closure Day/Staff Professional Learning

Next Thursday 3 July is a School Closure Day - Staff will be on site working with an Educational Psychologist from Futures in Mind developing their understanding of cognitive assessments. They will also develop their understanding of Speech assessments with Jane Henderson from Versa Learn. In the afternoon, we are working with our DOSCEL Learning Adjustment Consultant on providing adjustments to students.

A reminder that next Friday 4 July is also a closure day so the last day for Term 2 for our students is Wednesday 2 July.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all families for their continued support for students and staff - your open, respectful communication is greatly appreciated as is the positive feedback we get from you in an ongoing way. To our staff, thank you for all your hard work - our recent 2025 School Review was an indication of the high expectations you have for yourselves as well as for our students resulting in very positive academic and wellbeing outcomes.

May all students, families and staff have a very relaxing break and come back refreshed and ready for Term 3.

Celebration of Term 2 Learning

Art Display

Thank you to Mrs Giles, Mrs Lardner and our students for the wonderful art display in our administration building!

Science and Design and Technology

On Wednesday 2 July 2025, students and staff are invited to dress up as a Scientist or a Designer or an engineer or someone related to Science or Design and Technology. Students might wear a lab coat (or a white shirt), a hard hat and hi-vis vest or any clothing that depicts a person working in one of these areas. Students will participate in a buddy activity on this day.

Staff feedback to Students

A huge congratulations to ALL Year 5 students on the way they conducted themselves at the Oasis Camp. It was fantastic seeing students use the MMPS Social Values on a consistent basis - courage being a high priority as challenging heights were reached for a few activities - all fun and very safely of course! The camp teachers noticed the way students encouraged each other, applied manners, behaved well in cabins, overcome homesickness and displayed an appreciation for the experience. Your teachers are sooooooo proud of you all!   

To all Year 5 Students and staff:

Congratulations on a successful camp! It was wonderful to hear how much fun you had and to see the way you enjoyed yourselves while showing such positive behaviour throughout the experience. The campsite seemed like the perfect place to explore, have fun, and strengthen your friendships — and you certainly made the most of it! Well done on representing our school with such pride and enthusiasm. Many thanks to all our wonderful staff for your work and time in organising this year's camp.

Help Needed!

We have some old furniture and objects that are going to be thrown out via a Council collection on Monday 30 June. As a result, we would love some adult helpers who are able to transfer objects on to trolleys and safely move things to a central area for the collection. There are two possible times to help - Friday 27 June from 2pm (for as little or as long as you can help) and Saturday 28 June between 9 - 12pm (again, for as little or as long as you can help). Unfortunately, it won’t be possible to have children with you during these times. If you can help, could you please contact the Office.

Mary MacKillop Beanie Fundraiser

On Wednesday 23 July we are fundraising for our school. Students may wear any Beanie they like and bring a gold coin donation. 

Save the Date! Book Week 2025

Book an Adventure (2025 theme). 

Students are invited to dress up on Friday 22 August for Book Week. https://cbca.org.au/childrens-book-week/

JUNIOR & SENIOR CHOIR MEMBERS WILL BE PERFORMING AT ASSEMBLY TOMORROW

Save the Date – St Mary of the Cross MacKillop Feast Day Mass

Saturday 2nd August 2025, 6.00pm at OLHC

To celebrate the Feast of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, we will be holding a special School Family Mass on Saturday 2nd August 2025 at 6:00pm at Our Lady Help of Christians Church. A separate letter has been sent home inviting families and students to be part of this beautiful celebration. All families are warmly encouraged to attend. There will be opportunities for students and family members to participate in the Mass through readings, the entrance and offertory processions, the choir, and reflection. If you or your child are interested in being involved, please return the form included with the letter or look out for further details in the coming weeks. We look forward to coming together in faith and gratitude for this special evening as a school community particularly in this special 30th Anniversary Year as Pilgrims of Hope.

Sacrament of Confirmation Workshop

A reminder to all families and Confirmation candidates to attend one of the upcoming workshops being held at OLHC, the final session held tonight Thursday, 26th June @ 5.00pm or 7.00pm  Please ensure you attend one of these sessions as part of the preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation.

Winter Appeal 2025 – “Put the Warmth in Winter”

A heartfelt thank you to all families who have already contributed to our Winter Appeal. Your generosity is making a real difference!  As the chilly weather continues, we’re still welcoming donations of tinned and packet soups to help support families in need in our local area. The MacKillop Kids Group is proudly leading this important initiative, with all items going to the Narre Warren St Vincent de Paul Conference, who assist those experiencing food insecurity.

A few friendly reminders:

• Please donate non-perishable items that are undamaged and have at least 6 months before expiry
• Donations can be placed in your child’s classroom collection box

Let’s keep spreading warmth this winter — one can, one packet, and one kind gesture at a time! Thank you.

A massive thanks to our school mums - Louise Broadhurst, Reema Jansen and Shashika Mahaguruge - who have covered a huge number of books for our school.  We still have lots of books that need covering.  If you have any spare time, please pop by the office to collect some books.  You are most welcome to cover them at home.

Term 3 Class and School Mass and Reconciliation celebrations

We look forward to gathering as a school community for our Class and School Mass celebrations throughout Term 3. These special moments are an important part of our faith life, giving students the opportunity to participate in prayer and reflection together.  Families are warmly invited to join us for these liturgies – dates and times will be shared via the school calendar and reminders sent home closer to each celebration.  We hope to see you there!

Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

Tuesday, June 24, 2025

Luke 1:57-66,80
John the Baptist is born and all wonder what the child will be.

This Sunday’s Gospel tells the joyful story of John the Baptist’s birth. When baby John is born, his family and neighbours are amazed. They ask, “What will this child become?” because they can already see that God has something very special planned for him.

John grows up to be the one who prepares the way for Jesus.

This story reminds us that every child is a gift from God, with a special purpose. Just like John, each of us is called to grow in faith and to share God’s love in our own way.

As families, we might take a moment this week to wonder together:

• What are some of the special gifts God has given each person in our family?
• How can we help each other grow into who God is calling us to be?

Beanie Day – Fundraiser for Our School

On Beanie Day, students are invited to wear their favourite beanie to school and bring a gold coin donation to support fundraising efforts for our school.  Join in the fun on Wednesday 23rd July 2025 – every coin counts!

Science Design & Technology

This term the whole school’s Inquiry unit has been exploring Science and Design and Technology. The grade 5’s were lucky enough to have an incursion from Mad About Science - where two experts, Sos and Oscar, came to teach us about Earth and The Milky Way.  Earth is part of the Solar System and our Galaxy is The Milky Way.  The Solar System also includes other planets, moons, and other objects like asteroids and meteors orbiting the Sun.  Here are a few highlights for our grade 5’s.  

During the Science incursion we learnt was the real size of space and the length of each planet from the sun.  We also learnt that pressure can turn into thrust and other stars that are light years away. We then learnt about how the universe keeps expanding, and on top of that we learnt about the rocky planets [mercury, venus, earth and mars], the gas planets [jupiter, saturn, uranus, neptune] and the icy planets [uranus and neptune]. Concluding the incursion we also found out about the types of orbits.  By Addison and Liam (5LT)

On Wednesday the 4 of June had an incursion about science/astronomy. Two people, named Sos and Oscar know a lot about astronomy and science, came and taught us about cool facts and activities. The first activity was that we had to be in a group of 2-4 people then we placed all the planets where they had to go on a piece of cloth. Another experiment we learnt about explosions in space and to test this out we put a tablet (aspirin) in a test tube with water in and put a cork lid on top and waited for the reactions then…POP!!! The lid blew off! If you were quick enough, you could make the lid pop a few more times. We then sat on the floor and the science teacher talked about the theory of the big bang whilst mixing some green chemicals and glitter stars in a plastic container and when the chemicals reacted together that created what's called … ELEPHANT TOOTHPASTE!!!   By Caleb (5CM) 

On Wednesday the 4th of June we went to the hall and we met the mad science people for an incursion about earth and the milky way (our galaxy). We got into groups and we needed to do all of these activities like placing plants in the right order, doing teamwork stuff like placing the rocket ship in the space station, and with this test tube we put this acid and we put a tablet in we closed the test tube the put the lid on, and the lid popped onto the sky it was very cool, they even taught us rhyme to be able to remember the planets in order (Many Very Excellent Monkeys Just Served Us Nachos). It was coming to the end and I got chosen to stand on this platform and the lady asked to twist myself around. It was very hard but I got there. They spun this wheel very quickly and the lady gave the wheel to me. I tilt the wheel to one side and to the other it pulled me to the direction I was tilting it. I would rate the incursion a 10/10.  By Isabel M (5CM)  

Oasis Camp    

What a fun experience the Year 5 students had at Oasis Camp last Thursday and Friday. Oasis Camp, situated in Mt Evelyn, has beautiful and extensive grounds, a number of spacious indoor buildings (including a movie theatre!), very warm cabins, 10/10 meals provided (as voted by students!) and excellent activities to encounter. The students behaved very well and consistently displayed the MMPS School values - teachers were consistently proud of students throughout the stay. 

Here are some comments highlighting this wonderful experience: 

Mikaela - I liked how there were a lot of activities for ll of us to enjoy. My favorite activities were the Flying Fox and Giant Swing because they were exciting to go on.

Wendal - The camp staff were really nice and there were lots of activities to do. We had a lot of student challenges and everyone was encouraging. 

Addison - I like how everyone had courage to complete the tasks and everyone had dining adequate. I liked how I was in a cabin with my friends and we got to socialise a lot. 

Natasha - The best part about camp was having two turns on the flying fox and the reptile experience was really good. We saw a turtle, two lizards and a black headed python - the snake was very long!

Armin - The giant swing was my favourite thing about camp - I got to go to the top, it was scary at first but then once you started swinging, it was so fun. 

Sophia - I enjoyed spending time with my friends and working together with them in the activities. 

Zariana - I really loved making the candles - we were given a wick and we had to dip it into the coloured wax and then into the water to cool, we had to keep repeating this until it started to build up, then we could change colours. 

Tahlia - Hanging out with all my friends in year 5 was awesome! It was fun to see everyone smile and give things a go, even though some things were scary.  

We are fast approaching The Australian Maths Competition date of Thursday 7th August 2025.   Students will be completing this in year groups with teacher supervision only  - no help will be given by the teacher who is with their year group.   Each group will have one hour to complete their questions.   Students are encouraged to show their working out on paper as it will help them check their work as they go.   Each week we will show examples of the question types students will be faced with. 

Due to the administration and preparation involved in this competition, we are unable to add any other students to this event. 

If you have any questions please contact your child’s teacher or email me on hfourna@marymacnarre.catholic.edu.au

Congratulations to the following children on their recent Learning Awards:

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 Live Webinars.

Insights Articles

A new Insights article is released weekly during the term and we will include these with the school newsletter. Insights articles are written by Dr Justin Coulson and provide parenting education and support for a wide variety of traditional and contemporary parenting challenges.  The next insight artice will be available when we return after the holidays

Live Webinars

'ANSWERS with Dr JUSTIN COULSON' is a live webinar series for all schools across Australia. Each term, Dr Justin will tackle a hot-button parenting issue, providing your parent and teacher community with timely and relevant support.

Upcoming live webinar:

Wednesday 20 August, 2025 @ 7pm AEST   Anxious: Helping Your Child Navigate a World of Worry

It’s heartbreaking to see our kids struggling with anxiety. The statistics paint a stark picture: anxiety disorders are on the rise, affecting approximately one in seven primary school children and one in four adolescents. We see our kids burdened by fears and worries, their confidence fading, and sometimes even experiencing panic attacks. As parents, we desperately want to help but often feel lost or unsure of what to do.

Anxious: Helping Your Child Navigate a World of Worry offers a lifeline. In this presentation, Dr Justin Coulson will unpack what anxiety looks like in children and provide you with simple, practical strategies that are both clinically proven and easy to implement at home.  Empower yourself with the knowledge and tools to support your child’s emotional wellbeing and help them build resilience in the face of anxiety.

PERSONAL ACCESS Individual Sessions $49 each

School TV 

Our school has partnered with SchoolTV – a trusted resource that prioritises student mental health and wellbeing. Because parenting doesn’t come with instructions, SchoolTV is now accessible through our school to help you navigate some of the more complex issues young people face. It provides practical strategies and trusted guidance to support your child. Parenting is a learning journey, and with a little help from SchoolTV, you can engage in meaningful conversations with your child on topics that may sometimes feel awkward or difficult to address.

SchoolTV covers a vast range of topics, each featuring interviews with leading global experts and a carefully curated selection of resources from key organisations. We encourage you to explore and utilise this platform, as it serves as a valuable tool in building relationships, fostering connections, and deepening understanding. By breaking down barriers, it helps pave the way towards better mental health and wellbeing for young people.

To stay informed about the latest topics, we also recommend signing up for ‘Get Alerts’. This feature ensures you receive updates as new content becomes available, and you can easily register through the link provided within each topic. Parents and caregivers play a crucial role in shaping a young person’s life, and SchoolTV is here to support you in nurturing confident and informed parenting. Explore SchoolTV today!

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