Our Explicit Improvement Agenda

Student Voice and Agency

Planning for improved student learning

Welcome to Term 3

We warmly welcome you back to Term 3 and welcome Miss Gabriella DiBiase to our teaching staff.  Miss Di Biase will be replacing Mrs Giles FCG who is on maternity leave for the remainder of 2022. 

Term 3 provides learning opportunities in Religious Education, English, Maths, History, Geography, the Capabilities and our Specialist Subject Learning Areas – Japanese, PE, Digital Technologies and Music.  This term we will celebrate our Foundation students’ 100 days of learning, our Feast Day, Book Week, Father’s Day Breakfast, Japanese Cultural Day and Footy Day.  We will also offer learning opportunities in the Australian Mathematics Competition and Athletics, just to name a few.  We look forward to an exciting Term ahead.

SIMON Student Semester One Reports and Student Learning Portfolios

The Semester One Reports were uploaded into PAM on Tuesday 21 June, 2022 (last week in Term 2).  Parents are able to access their child’s digital report via PAM with the option to download and print or to view as a pdf document.  Instructions are included below - refer to page 7 for accessing assessment reports.

Your child’s Term 2 Student Learning Portfolio was distributed on Wednesday 13 July.  We ask parents to bring the Student Learning Portfolio to their child’s Student Learning Conversation on either Tuesday 19 July or Wednesday 20 July. 

Student Learning Conversations will be held face to face in the Allen Hall.  We hope you find the Semester One Report and Student Learning Portfolio valuable documents to highlight and celebrate your child’s learning journey.  If you have not already done so, please ensure that you log onto PAM as soon as possible to book in your child's time.

Child Safe Standards - Updates

The Child Safe Standards were updated on 1 July and they set out the minimum requirements and outline the actions organisations must take to keep children and young people safe. Although similar to Victoria’s current Child Safe Standards, key changes include new requirements:

• to involve families and communities in organisations’ efforts to keep children and young people safe
• for a greater focus on safety for Aboriginal children and young people
• to manage the risk of child abuse in online environments
• in relation to governance, systems and processes to keep children and young people safe.

More information on the new Child Safe Standards:

• Telephone: 1300 782 978 or (03) 8601 5281
• Email: contact@ccyp.vic.gov.au
• Visit the Commission’s website: www.ccyp.vic.gov.au

Child Safe Standards and Parent use of Mobile Phones, Privacy Laws

We ask all parents to be mindful of their mobile phone usage, child safety and privacy laws when visiting our school.  During such times as morning Prayer time, Mass, Assemblies and school events/gatherings, we ask parents to turn off or put away their mobile phones and to respect the privacy of all students.  Photographs and video footage cannot be taken of students without parental permission. 

Reminders of safe mobile phone usage will be shared with the school community at morning prayer times and assemblies.  On special occasions such as student awards at assemblies or student graduations, space will be made available for parents to photograph their own child in a child safe way.  We thank you for working in partnership with us to respect the privacy of all our students.

Important Dates and events

Term 3 Class Mass and Class Reconciliation Celebrations

Parents and friends are most welcome to join classes in celebrating the Eucharist and/or Reconciliation. The schedule for Term 3 is attached. As the school or classes celebrate Mass could we please ask visitors in the sacred spaces to switch off mobile phones and refrain from taking photographs or videos during the celebrations. Your assistance in these matters is appreciated.

• a family is invited to be part of the Offertory procession,
• students are invited to read the prayers of the faithful, join a choir and present symbols of our school values during the entrance procession,
• student leaders are invited to read & present our School banner.

Any family or student interested in taking on a role as listed above are asked to contact Mrs Privitera by email lprivitera@marymacnarre.catholic.edu.au by 20/7/22

The Fifth Plenary Council of Australia ended last Saturday in Sydney, as the members acknowledged and applauded the president Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB as he declared the Council closed. As a member of the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia it was an honour and a privilege to be part of this unique and historic event in the history of the Church in Australia. The work has only begun as we await ratification on the passed motions from the Holy See. Those motions that received a qualified majority – two-thirds of voters eligible and present – were passed by the Plenary Council. They were confirmed as the decrees of the Plenary Council. The decrees have been published on the home page of the Plenary Council website. Click on the link to read the full version of the decrees and motions that achieved a qualified majority vote. After the November meeting of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, the decrees will be sent to the Apostolic See. Once recognitio is received from the Holy Father, the decrees will be promulgated and become the law of the Church in Australia six months later. We continue the way forward and work towards what God is asking of us in Australia at this present time and into the future.

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

Sunday, July 17, 2022

In next Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus visits the house of two sisters, Martha and Mary. Martha didn’t understand how her sister, Mary, could listen to Jesus’ teaching. She was supposed to be doing housework! But Jesus defends Mary. He shows us that everyone can be his follower.

Child Safety and Wellbeing

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. 870.  We embed a culture of child safety and the matter is taken very seriously.

“Children are the future of the human family: all of us are expected to promote their growth, health and tranquillity,” Pope Francis 2021

Resources to support parents and carers

E-Safety - Webinars for parents and carers

Join one of our free webinars for parents and carers.  These live webinars give parents and carers the knowledge, skills and tools to support their children to have safe online experiences.

Our 2022 webinars include a broad range of topics that will be delivered by our expert education and training team.

Download the schedule here: 

2022 Parent and carer webinar schedule (PDF, 84.56KB)

Social Justice Outreach Initiative – Winter Appeal

The St Vincent de Paul Society appreciates the great support provided by schools. Participating in the annual Winter Appeal has a lot to offer our students in terms of deepening their understanding of social justice – particularly with seeing the needs of people in our own neighbourhood and beyond.

Student representatives from Years 3-6 have worked together as members of the MacKillop Kids Group to organise this year’s Winter Appeal – this year our Appeal will focus on winter woollies in particular we will be collecting SOCKS of all colours, size and make. Donations must be new, which can be left in the prepared collection boxes in classrooms next week. We thank you in advance.

Chess Club each Monday during first half of lunch. Scarlett one of the School Leaders, has organised the lunch group for those students interested in playing chess. Ten new sets of Chess board games has been purchased to support this great initiative. A great turn out was received on the first day back to begin Term 3. Thank You to Scarlett for showing great leadership.

OLHC Parish

Mary MacKillop Primary School is one of the three Parish Primary Schools belonging to the Parish of Our Lady Help of Christians, Narre Warren within the Diocese of Sale. Fr Brendan Hogan is our Parish Priest and Fr Ajin Albarnas is our Assistant Priest. We are grateful for their ongoing prayers, involvement and support of the students, families and staff of Mary MacKillop School. 

PARISH BULLETIN - Click on the link below to download the weekly newsletter.

Parish-Bulletin https://www.olhc.org.au/parish-bulliten/

こんにちは,

Yokudekimashita (congratulations) to Dior in 4HF who challenged herself over the school holidays and wrote Japanese numbers in kanji characters up to 100! Fantastic work Dior!

The Year 6 students have been reflecting on what they are looking forward to in Semester 2, being their last year in primary school. These are some of their thoughts:

I'm looking forward to next term because of camp and being with my friends at camp. I am also thrilled to do challenges and challenge myself with new activities that I haven't done before this year. Going to camp is exciting because we will be staying there for 3 nights. We can EVEN get to choose our OWN clothes. I will be able to take photos with my best friends. Alexia (6PF).

I'm looking forward to doing my confirmation because it's another step to being closer with God and learning what it means to be a better person and to spread the good news around the world. I know graduating can be sad but if you really think about it, it can also be a happy thing because it's like letting go of the past and looking forward to the future. When you graduate you miss your teachers, friends, classmates or even your classroom, but letting go of those things can help you find better ones in the future. Angelina (6PF).

I am looking forward to spending my last semesters with my friends and teachers as a Mary MacKillop primary school student. I am excited about being in my last camp in primary school and graduating. It has been great learning things in this school and can't wait to learn more in high school. Ayda (6PF).

I am most excited for semester 2 camp. It will just be the best with my best friends and doing the best activities. I cannot wait to play lightning prem going against other schools will just be the best of fun also the amount of practice that will push me to my limits. On the day of graduation it will be immensely difficult to leave long lasting friends. Year six will be the best year of my life. At the end of year six  we will have to go to highschool. There are many events to come, hopefully we are ready!!!  Zac (6PF). 

I’m looking forward to camp because I get to experience teamwork and physical activity and learn ways to withstand the wilderness. I also get to participate in lots of different activities and hang out with my friends. I also get to roast marshmallows and enjoy some challenges for camp.  Jonathan (6MV).

I am looking forward to camp because we are going to do heaps of activities, challenges, and you also get to have fun with your friends.  They also give really good food that is delicious! I am also very excited for footy day because I love watching footy at home and the activities you do on footy day are really fun. I am looking forward to camp and footy day because both of them are my favorite things. Rafaella (6MV).

I‘m looking forward to doing Lightning Prem in Semester 2 and camp. I'm excited for Lightning Prem because I play soccer in a team and I want to try playing soccer with new people. I don't care about winning, it's about fairness and fun. I'm also looking forward to camp because I've never been to their place and I'm excited for new adventures. I can’t wait for all these events to come up!  Claudia (6MV).

I am looking forward to camp because in the past we have missed a camp excursion. It would be really fun because we would be able to do heaps of group games and heaps of fun activities and we can spend time with our friends. I am looking forward to Footy Day because we learn different things. I am also looking forward to seeing what AFL team everyone goes for. When we do Footy Day we will be able to celebrate the Grand final and more people will understand what's going on and how to play. Memphis(6 MV).