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Welcome to our School Newsletter
Thursday 6TH November 2014
MMPS Dates & Events (Web Link)
Last Thursday this culminated in our Arts Celebration Day. This day started with a Grandparents
Mass and morning tea. Our student leaders helped serve food to our Grandparents at this
morning tea. Their manners and respect were highlights for many of our visitors. After morning tea
there were performances from all the grades, school choir and band and we also witnessed a staff
performance. During the evening we held an open night and sausage sizzle.
Follow the links to your articles of interest
Principal’s Report
Deputy Principal
Religious Education
Student Wellbeing
Office
Year Prep
Years 1 & 2
Years 3 & 4
Years 5 & 6
Physical Education
Music
iLearning Centre
Grounds & Facilities
Canteen
Parish
FOMM
Wider Community
Dear Parents,
Over the last two weeks the children and staff have been exploring and celebrating the area of
‘The Arts’. During this time, the children have been engaged in a range of classroom activities. We
had our guest artist Kevin Weeks, Cultural Infusion, access to the federation bells, volunteers
teaching dance, Flying Bookworm and an ‘Arts rotation’ which was arranged and planned by our
Year 4-6 children. All levels were involved in many other planned activities are part of their
classroom and level programs.
Once again I acknowledge the Arts Committee for the time and effort in planning for this event. I
also thank our Arts Captains, Brianna Ryan and Connor Gullivan, who were also involved in the
preparation of this day and also did a wonderful job as MCs for our performances on Thursday.
Our School Captains including our Sports and Faith Captains have, and continue to be, heavily
involved in the life of our school. This week our Sports Captains will be involved in the P-2 Sports
Day on Friday.
In reviewing aspects of our leadership program we have decided to begin this process, for 2015,
this year. During term 4 our Year 4 and 5 children have been exploring what it means to be a
leader. Our Year 6 children have been able to reflect on the experience of this year and share this
with Year 4 and 5 students. In the coming weeks those children wishing to nominate for 2015
leadership positions will have an opportunity to do so. We will then go through the election
process with the students, and our student leaders for the 2015 school year will be elected. This
will enable these leaders to be involved in the transition from 2014 to 2015 and our student
leadership program will be in place for the start of the new school year.
EMA: From 1 January 2015, the government will provide extra financial support directly to
Victoria’s neediest schools instead of providing the Education Maintenance Allowance directly to
parents. Not all schools will receive this funding as it is based on a needs basis formula. The
implication of this is that Parents will not be able to apply for the Education Maintenance
Allowance in 2015. Often parents eligible for this support used this funding to support payment of
school fees. However from 2015 onwards this option will no longer be available. For more
information go to http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/parents/financial/pages/ema.aspx
Scarlet Fever
There has been a reported case of Scarlet Fever in the school recently. According to the Better
Health Government Website, the symptoms of scarlet fever include:

Inflammation of the throat.

A pink-red rash spreading across the abdomen, side of the chest and in the skin folds. The
rash may feel like sandpaper when touched.

A bright red tongue (known as ‘strawberry tongue’).

Paleness around the mouth.
Prep, Year One and Year Two Athletics Day
Parents are most welcome to join the Prep, Junior Level students and teachers tomorrow, Friday
7th November, on the small oval at school for athletics day. All Prep and Junior students will
participate in a number of events such as baton relay, hurdles and sprint races.
Students will compete in their house colours and will be issued with a coloured bib on the day.
Students will need to ensure they bring a drink bottle and hat as they will be outside from 9:0011:00am
2015 Prep Orientation Day
For further information please go to:
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Streptococcal_disease?open
Extra-curricular Activity - Cheerleading Performance
Next Wednesday, 12th November, our 2015 Prep students will attend their first Orientation Day at
school from 9:15-10:30am. During this time 2014 Prep students will spend some time with their
buddy class.
Earlier in the term the school celebrated Health and Physical Education week. As one of the
extra-curricular activities, students from Prep to Year Six were invited to trial Cheerleading. The
vigorous activity combines dance, aerobics and gymnastics. The huge interest in trialling this as a
sport was overwhelming! Trials turned into a few lunchtime rehearsals to learn a routine, which all
students involved are now ready to display. We look forward to presenting the MMPS P-2, 3-4
and 5-6 Cheerleading teams at assembly on Monday 17th November, beginning 9am.
MATHEMATICS
Entry & Exit into school – Now that the building works have been completed, effective from next
Monday 10th November, entry and exit before & after school, will be through the gate between the
new staffroom and the Prep building and the gate next to the Middle level buildings & Lowry Court.
The gate near hall will now be closed
I would love to hear from anyone who can assist. Please leave your name and contact number
with the office staff if you are able to assist.
Important Dates - 2014
16th
As we begin to prepare for our 2015 School Year, I am asking for a couple of
volunteers to assist in making “Bead Strings” for the new Prep students.
Bead Strings are used in the classroom to teach children to count one-to-one,
count forwards and backwards and also for addition and subtraction.
Regards, Maree Harris
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Last day of school for Year 6 students
Tuesday
December, finishing @ 3.15pm
Graduation Dinner for Year 6 students
Tuesday 16th December @ 5.00pm
Last day of school for Prep – Year 5
Wednesday 17th December, finishing @ 3.15pm
Conversations with Mary: A gathering for prayer and reflection with Mary MacKillop will be held
on Monday 17th November at the Mary MacKillop Heritage Centre, East Melbourne. For further
information contact the Centre on 9926 9300 or [email protected]
Important Dates - 2015
Student Assessment Day 1
Thursday 29th January
Student Assessment Day 2
Friday 30th January
Prep to Year 6 students commence school
Monday 2nd February
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Term 4 School/Class Mass & Class Reconciliation Roster: Parents, families and friends are
welcome to attend and celebrate with staff and students during the following Eucharistic and
liturgical celebrations:
Mass Celebration (Thursdays 9.15am in Hall or as indicated)
Reconciliation Celebration (Thursdays 10.00am in stage area of Hall)
13th November
Year 1 M-VW
20th November
Year 2 M-CP
27th November
Prep
4th December
J-MV & S-HF
9th December
Year 6 Graduation Mass @ OLHC 7.00pm
11th December
Whole School @ OLHC 11.00am
M-SL
M-KW
A Remembrance Day service will be held in each class next Tuesday beginning at 10.30am and
led by Year 6 students. Parents and friends are welcome to attend. The brief service arranged by
the senior students, will be dedicated to those Australians who died as a result of war, particularly
from World War I onwards. Red poppies are worn to remember those who died during a war.
Poppies were among the first plants that came from the battlefields of northern France and
Belgium during World War I. If interested in purchasing items to commemorate Remembrance
Day, RSL Berwick Branch has provided items. The sale of these items provides an important
source of funds which support veterans’ and their families. Items are available for purchase at the
School Office.
Family Prayer
November is the Month of the Holy Souls. This is the month we remember our
family and friends who have died. It begins with All Saints Day to honour the
recognised and unrecognised men and women in Heaven. It is followed by All
Souls Day, a day to pray for our deceased family and friends.
Jesus said, “Come to me, all who are tired and overburdened, I will give your rest. Shoulder m
yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart. My yoke is easy and my burden
light.” Mt 11: 25-30
Lord, you are our light and our salvation. We pray for all those who have died, that they are
in the light and joy of heaven. Amen. All angels and saints in heaven, pray for us.
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Playgroup - the final Playgroup Session for 2014 will be held on Wednesday November 26th
2014. Playgroup will resume in 2015
The school would like to thank Brigida Vena for her work as playgroup leader. We would also like
to thank the many families and children who attended and have assisted Brigida in making this
playgroup an important and successful aspect of school community. Some of age appropriate
playgroup children will now transition to formal schooling and we at Mary MacKillop School
welcome them as Prep students in 2015.
Over the last few months much work has gone on behind the scene to ensure that our Year 6
students will be catered for in the various secondary schools they will attend in 2015. St. Francis
Xavier College, our feeder secondary school, has met with Year 6 teachers to share information to
support students in their learning and to make the transition smoother. Students will also be
attending a Transition Day next month. If you or your child has particular concerns regarding
transition please do not hesitate to contact the class teacher or the school.
Students who are attending other schools have or will soon also meet with representatives from
their prospective schools, all Year 6 students will be visiting their secondary school of choice for
Orientation Days on their designated day.
Prep Orientation Day for incoming Prep 2015 children will be held on Wednesday November 12th.
We look forward to welcoming our new students and families.
In upcoming newsletters I will focus on providing information and strategies (age appropriate) that
parents can implement to support their child in making transition a positive experience. Some
strategies even cross over regardless of age.
CAKE DECORATING WORKSHOPS Wednesday 12th & 19th November in the Parent Room
1.00pm - 3.00pm. Please see flyer at the end of today’s newsletter for further details.
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Beleza Uniform Shop VIP Sale (up to 20% off) – Monday 17 – Saturday 22 November. See
flyer at the end of today’s newsletter for further details.
GOING AWAY ON A HOLIDAY DURING THE SCHOOL TERM?
Due to roll recording requirements, we ask that you send a note to the office,
at least two weeks before you leave, stating the dates your child will be away
from school. This will be forwarded to the class teacher. Alternatively you
can send an email to [email protected]
Medication Forms – all students who require medication during the school day
(either prescription or over the counter) MUST hand it in to the office, together with
a signed medication form. Forms are available from the office or on the website.
Today we had some special visitors from the Fire Department come in and share safety hints with
us. We also learnt a little but about what it is like to be a Fire Fighter, they are very brave! A
reminder that any parents interested in sharing information about their jobs are welcomed to be a
guest speaker.
Tomorrow we have our Prep & Junior Level Athletics day. We would love to have as many
spectators as possible there to cheer us on! If you have any queries, please see your child’s class
teacher.
Friday 21st November is our school’s Mini Mission Fete day. Students are invited to bring in money
to use at stalls that will be set up and run by the senior students. A note detailing some of the stalls
that will be one will go home next week.
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Congratulations to the following students on receiving Learning Awards:
Sienna Mendolia, Isabelle Camilleri, Mia Williams
Congratulations to the following students on receiving Learning Awards:
Mia Farkas, Eliza Finn Carter, Luke Dimitriou, Liam Huntington,Jessic
Stone, Mia Torelli, Sebastian Stellato, Ben Brittain, Jasraj Toor,
It has been wonderful celebrating The Arts over the last two weeks. Our Mary MacKillop Arts
Festival concluded last Thursday and our second week of art celebrations were equally as exciting
as our first! On Monday we had a whole school assembly where we got to see our wonderful band
and choir groups perform, on Tuesday we had our final art rotations with the Prep teachers, on
Wednesday we had a music incursion where we played some very cool percussion instruments
and we also had a talent show with the senior students and on Thursday we had a whole school
concert where each level performed a special act. Thursday was also our Arts Festival Open
Night; it was wonderful to see so many Prep families attend!
It’s been a very busy start to Term 4 and just having the Arts Festival has been an exciting change
to the daily routines of the classroom. All the children did a wonderful performance at the Junior
concert and it was fantastic to see so many parents and friends come to watch them perform. As
well as having various incursions and activities planned throughout the fortnight, we concluded
with the Grandparents Mass which saw a great turn out and the children loved having the
opportunity to show some of the grandparents work and share in an activity with them. The
children then performed in the Whole School Concert where they all did brilliantly. We were also
able to watch all the other classes and teachers perform songs of their own.
Last Thursday was also our Grandparents Day. We had a special mass with our Grandparents
where the love we have for each other was celebrated. Our grandparents then came back to our
class and sat on our tiny chairs to work on profiles with us! It was amazing to see how much we
had in common!
The children are very excited about the Prep & Junior Athletics Carnival will be held tomorrow
morning. We look forward to seeing as many parents there to cheer them on.
Last week we embraced the racing season by creating some very fashionable fascinators and ties.
We looked very snazzy!
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Congratulations to the following students on receiving Learning Awards:
Lawrence Datt, Mikayla Gidley, James Khawli, Isabella Nevin, Amila Jayalath,
Paris Mandalias, Lucas Williams, Isabella Langevin, Nicholas Orford, Holly
Athanasopoulos, Adelle Llanos, Calum Albarenque, Ethan Pascu
As part of our Arts Festival the middle level students were involved in art rotations conducted by
the senior students. Children were exposed to dances such
as the Nutbush and Macarena. They explored drama, mime
and some art activities.
Congratulations to the senior students for their creative ideas
and patience while working with the middle level. The
children responded well and really enjoyed the
experience.The highlight of the week for the middle level was
our impromptu talent quest. We were surprised by the
number of volunteers who treated us to hours of
entertainment. Dancing, singing, role plays, comedy and
magic tricks were part of the performances we viewed.
Students in the middle level are focusing on a Religious Education topic titled Community of
Believers. In this unit students will look at ways people contribute to the Church community
through their actions. A special focus will be on the work done through the Catholic Missions.
They will be encouraged to recognise that this is the Holy Spirit at work in our lives.
Congratulations to the following students on receiving Learning Awards:
Hayden Moseley, Adam Szabo, Erica Renny, Jake Warren
Last Tuesday senior students, along with students in year 4, organised drama, music and art
rotations for the Prep – 3 students. They were organised, engaged all younger students in their
activity, and were great role models.
Yesterday year 5 students continued their learning about leadership and took the very first step in
the leadership process by nominating themselves for a position in 2015. We encourage parents
and families to talk with the children about what role they want to nominate themselves for and
encourage them to go for a position by reminding them of times inside and outside of school where
they may have shown leadership. Students need to fill in their nomination form by Friday 7th
November.
Today senior students represented Mary MacKillop at the T20 Cricket at Sweeney Reserve.
Congratulation to all 6 teams on their great sportsmanship
Mission Day Fete is fast approaching and our students have been working busily to plan stalls
that will ensure it’s a fun time for all! We are still looking for your generous support through
donations which can be used as prizes. Please note we are not giving lollies as prizes and would
much rather prefer donations of:plastic, paper and foam cups, packets of popping corn, brown paper bags, straws, plastic spoons,
stickers, packets of small toys from Kmart or Reject Shop, party prize packs, small soft
toys/teddies, cordial, popcorn and stationery. We also need the loan of some pop corm making
machines.
Please keep checking the newsletters as we may need to add to this. We thank you in advance for
supporting this great initiative.
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JUNIOR ATHLETICS: This event will be held at school on Friday November 7 from 9-11am on
our athletics track. This will involve all children in years prep, 1 and 2 participating in events such
as 50m sprint, long jump, hurdles , baton relay, novelty relays (prep and one) High Jump (year 2)
All parents are welcome to attend and cheer on the children.
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PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOLY LAND - the pilgrimage information night will be held on 30th
November at 7.30pm in the Keogh Room. HELP WANTED! The Parish is planning to host a men’s
weekend retreat early next year. If you are keen to help or you just want to find out more please
call Jamie on 0450 262 046.
LECTOR TRAINING - Proclamation of the Word is a very important part of liturgy. Speech
therapist Gloria Mayne will conduct the annual lector’s workshop on Sunday November 16th at
2pm, for all current and new people on the roster. RSVP by email or by ringing the Parish Office,
by Tuesday 12th November.
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Susie Leach
Friday 7th November
Lauren Johnson
Julie Dines
Sandra San Martin
Imaculada Mesquita
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School Disco: Friday 28th November from 5:30 – 8:30pm. Entertainment by “Bop
Till You Drop”. Sausages and drinks available to purchase. Children must be
supervised at all times. Ticket order forms went home last week. $5 per family.
Christmas Raffle: Christmas Raffle books will be sent home in the coming weeks. Lots of great
prizes.
Icy Poles: Lemonade icy poles will be available from the canteen each
Wednesday at lunchtime for $1.00 each.
WELCOME TO FR BABU our new Assistant Parish Priest.
MEMORIAL MASS : All parishioners, especially those who have lost a loved one, are welcome to
a special Mass on Thursday 13.11.2014 at 7.00 p.m. at Our Lady Help of Christians to
commemorate loved ones during this month devoted to the souls of the faithful departed. If you
wish to attend or to take part in the Mass please contact Marianne Agnello (tel: 0431152646) or
Roy Rosario (tel: 0422 577 553) to provide your contact details and obtain more information.
BIBLE STUDIES will be held on 19th November at 7.00pm.
Next FOMM Meeting: Tuesday 18th November at 7pm in the new staffroom. All Welcome!
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V.I.P. WEEK
SALE
UP TO
OFF
*
20%
Mon 17 Nov – Fri 21 Nov 2014
9am – 5pm
Sat 22 Nov 2014
9am – 1pm
Hallam Store
Shop 7
151 -159 Princes Hwy
(03) 9702 3181
*Conditions Apply. Only 10% discount for blazers & non-Beleza branded items. No further discount (including
but not limited to the Beleza Club Membership discount) available. No lay-bys.
Mary MacKillop Primary School
CELEBRATING
20
YEARS
1995 - 2015
?
Logo Design Competition
2015 will be the 20th
anniversary of the opening of
our school. The Anniversary
Committee are inviting all
students and families to design
a logo for this year long
occasion. There will be a
number of community events
throughout the year celebrating
our milestone. It is envisaged
that the new logo will be used
on anniversary publications and
newsletters to mark and
promote community
recognition of events and news.
Entries with your name
included should be returned by
Friday 24 October addressed to
Mrs L Privitera, Anniversary
Committee.
Please note: Due date has been
extended to Friday 6/11/14