Newsletter Term 2, Week 8 2023
Tuesday 20 June- Students finish 1pm
Friday 23rd June - Students finish at 1pm
Monday 10th July- Student Free Day
Tuesday 11th July - Students start term 3
Hello Everyone,
I hope this newsletter finds you and your families in good health and high spirits. As we approach the halfway point of the academic year, I wanted to take this opportunity to provide you with an update on the latest happenings at our fabulous school.
Reports & Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences:
Our teachers have scrutinised many forms of student learning data to inform the writing of reports. It is a challenge to capture all growth and learning but they provide a valuable snapshot of a point in time in your child’s schooling and help identify areas for additional support or enrichment.
Our Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences scheduled for Tuesday or Thursday of next week provide an invaluable opportunity for you to discuss with your child, and your child's teacher, their progress and goals.
We strongly encourage all parents and guardians to participate in these conferences to ensure open lines of communication between home and school which we know are a vital ingredient for optimum student learning and wellbeing outcomes.
Community Engagement:
Student Disco Friday 23rd June at 6.30 pm: This looks like a fun event for the kids! What better way to celebrate such a great first semester of learning, playing and growing?
Please also note that our parish of St. Joseph is providing opportunities for parents and children to become even more engaged in the life of our parish mass through Children’s liturgies at Sacred Heart Newport during Sunday mass.
Please see the details below and consider joining others to engage in this positive family faith event for our children.
Parent Volunteer Program:
We would like to extend our gratitude to all the parents who have volunteered their time and skills to support various school activities. Parents have been involved in music lessons, library audits, sorting and decorating, and supervision at school excursions and sporting events.
Your involvement has greatly enriched the experiences of our students and contributed to the positive atmosphere at our school. We are looking to enhance these opportunities for parent engagement in student learning next term.
Watch this space for more information about the induction of parent helpers into more facets of school life in Term 3.
Thank you, Staff, Parents and Students
As I reflect on my first semester as Principal I wish to acknowledge and thank every member of the wonderfully welcoming and “down-to-earth,” community of St. Margaret Mary’s. Over the last few weeks, I have enjoyed meeting with the parents and Foundation students being offered positions for 2024.
I ask new parents at the school why they chose SMM, to which many answer in true “The Castle” form… “it’s the vibe, the warmth you feel when you are in the school.” (words to that effect). Before applying for the principalship, I attended mass at SMM Church and walked the school grounds and the neighbourhood.
I would also agree with the new families, SMM is a kind, inclusive community for which we are all, I believe, thankful. It is important to reflect on this gift we have and remember we all play an important part in maintaining SMM’s culture of respect and empathy we enjoy.
On behalf of SMM school leadership, parents and students I wish to acknowledge and thank our exemplary staff who have gone above and beyond in all facets of school life this semester. Their expertise, dedication and enthusiasm have a positive impact on our student's wellbeing, dispositional growth and learning journey.
Their professionalism also nurtures the positive relationships we enjoy with our parent community and fellow educators.
Communication:
I have spent the last week reading every child’s report and I am pleased to say every child at St. Margaret Mary’s has contributed positively to our school, their own learning and the learning of their classmates.
Friendships have been consolidated, created and sometimes challenged. At SMM we use restorative discipline which is based on the dignity of every child, the opportunity to learn and seek to repair damage from hurtful choices and for all children to experience forgiveness and a fresh start.
I commend the parents and carers of SMM who support the staff and consequently all facets of their child’s learning.
As always, I encourage you to stay connected with the school through our website, social media, Seesaw and Operoo. Please consider the completion of our parent survey, mentioned in my previous email, which will be sent out at the beginning of next term.
This information will assist in gauging what is working well, successes and opportunities and what should be celebrated, and spotlighted at St. Margaret Mary’s.
Wishing all the children a well-earned, fun, and rejuvenating mid-year holiday.
Stay warm, take care
Colleen McCambridge
Principal
Parking at Pick up and Drop Off
There have been reports of parking inspectors around the area. Please avoid parking across driveways and blocking footpaths.
Students finish at 3.15pm and we are typically able to have all students picked up within 10 minutes. Please avoid arriving earlier than 3.15pm if you are in the car line or consider parking a little further away and walking back with your child.
Family Mass this Sunday
The Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus mass is this Sunday, 10am at Sacred Heart Church. We would love to see as many families there as possible.
Grandparents Morning
Grandparents mass and open morning is celebrated next term. Please tell Grandparents to save the date :
Tuesday the 25th July 9.15am
More details to come.
Follow our socials for the latest learning posts from the classroom
St Margaret Mary’s students are independent life-long learners inspired by Gospel values and empowered with a sense of purpose and responsibility. They confidently engage with others and are equipped with skills to adapt to an ever changing world.
Each week, students who embody our values, apply the school mindsets to learning, work hard to improve or persevere to deliver on learning objectives are awarded a class award. The students who earned an award in the past weeks are:
Term 2, Week 8
Term 2, Week 7
Congratulations students who participated in the Bebras computational thinking challenge. The students had a great time competing and further enhansing their critical thinking skills on the way. Special mention to the year 3 and 4 students who earnt a high distinction in the challenge.
Prep Community Excursion
Our Preps went on a walking tour of Spotswood to explore their local community. They visited many of the shops in Hudsons Rd. In class they have been discussing what it means to belong to a local community, what communities they belong to (family, sports clubs) and the different people and places within these communities.
A is for regular Attendance & Arriving to school on time & Avoiding Absence
Several studies have shown that regular absence & school tardiness/being late have a negative impact on learning outcomes. Regular attendance enables the school to:
plan an organised educational program that is delivered in a consistent way and has continuity
support the student to develop social skills
provide support networks for students outside of the family
monitor student progress and adjust the educational program to meet student needs.
How parents help before 8.30 am
What can your child do independently to get ready for school?
Build morning rituals, routines & expectations e.g. develop a list of sequenced tasks WITH your child & check off each task. Use a timer to develop the concept of time in context.
Have designated places for items needed for school
Develop responsibility & organisational skills e.g. allow your child to place items in their bag & check they have their belongings, e.g.
school hat
lunchbox,
drink bottle
jumper
reading bag/book/homework
charged iPad (Yrs 3-6)
What happens at St. Margaret Mary’s?
8.30 am- Gates Open
8.45 am-First bell
Family Mass this Sunday at Sacred Heart 10am
The Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus mass is this Sunday, 10am at Sacred Heart Church. We would love to see as many families there as possible.
Children’s Liturgy
To the families of Sacred Heart and St Margaret Mary's of the Parish of St Joseph,
The parish is hoping to reinstate regular Children's Liturgy during the 10am Sunday Mass at Sacred Heart Church to encourage young families and their children to our weekend Masses.
We are looking to form a group of 3-5 adults/youth (16 years and older) who are interested in taking turns to lead these sessions and create opportunities for the children of our parish to learn more about the life of Jesus.
Resources and guidance would be provided.
If you are interested, please speak to Fr Binh after Mass or contact Ivana at the parish office on 9391 1201 or email to Newport.Spotswood@cam.org.au
Thanks and have a great weekend.
With every prayer and blessing,
Rev Binh Le
Upcoming School Masses and events
Sunday 18th June- Family Mass: Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus 10am at Sacred Heart Church
Reports Online
Today student reports were released online. You should have received an email from no-reply@nforma.com.au with instructions and your login details. Please ensure that you check your junk/spam folder for an email from that address.
It is highly recommended that you use a computer to access your child’s reports for the first time. Subsequent logins can be made on a mobile device if preferred.
Once you have followed the instructions, you will be able to view your child’s report online.
Once in the portal you will need to choose your child (if you have more than one at our school) and then choose the reporting component.
Forgotten passwords:
If you have forgotten your password, please follow the 'forgotten password' link. Please note that your new password needs to be at least 7 characters long and must include at least one non alpha-numeric character, e.g. *, - / or similar.
If you have requested a password reset and the email does not appear, please look in your junk/spam folder for an email from no-reply@nforma.com.au.
If you have any questions or issues, please contact the school office. A paper copy of your child/rens report will be available upon request.
Playground
Please note that the playground is not open before or after school as there is no teacher supervising the playground at those times. If your toddler or preschool child is playing on the playground before the bell in the afternoon it would be helpful if when the bell rang, they then came off the playground so other school children aren’t tempted to play alongside them. Thanks for your support with this.
Also, as much as we love the cute dogs that come down to school to pick up their humans we ask that they don’t come into the school yard. We have some kids that are frightened of dogs and like to be with their parents before having to walk past any dogs.
Investigations
The junior classes need your help. We are after some resources to help ignite our investigations. If you are doing any clean outs over the holidays we want your clean, usable, second hand things! As always we are after natural based items, think wood, rattan, real life items etc basically NO PLASTICS.
We have listed some items on the graphic we are particularly after if you have any hanging around. If you have any small cardboard boxes (packaging from online shopping) headed for the recycling bin please keep them aside for us. If you have any questions about an item's suitability please email Simone Laurie (slaurie@smmspotswood.catholic.edu.au)
Please send any items in with the kids or drop them off at the front office. Thanks in advance, Simone and the Junior Team
Parent Teacher & Student Interviews
If you haven’t already signed up for your parent teacher interview, please head to the link below: https://www.schoolinterviews.com.au/code/6bfcp
Interviews will take place in the last week of school. Tuesday the 20th from 1.30- 6pm, and Thursday the 22nd from 3.30-5.30pm.
School finishes early at 1pm on Tuesday the 20th of June.
Chromebooks in 2024
In 2024, St Margaret Mary’s will be making some changes to it’s BYO program. Current year 2’s will not be required to purchase an ipad, but instead will use a Chromebook. A link to the ordering portal will be sent to families in the coming weeks.
Important Dates
Trying to find an important date? Check out our updated Term Dates page.
Upcoming Water Works
Over the past twelve months Melbourne Water has completed investigation works at the sewer maintenance hole near the corner of Cullen Street and Hudsons Road, Spotswood.
Results of these investigations indicate that the internal fittings, including the drop pipe need to be upgraded.
The drop pipe located inside the maintenance hole plays an important role in transferring sewage from Spotswood on to Melbourne Water's Western Treatment Plant.
Works will involve:
• Removing the old drop pipe, ladder and landing pad
• Cleaning and re-lining the internal surface of the maintenance hole
• Installing a new drop pipe, ladders and landing pad
These works will ensure that the sewer maintenance hole and drop pipe continue to operate safely for generations to come.
Timing
Works will start in mid-May and will take around 3 months to complete, weather permitting. Working hours are between 7am and 5pm Monday to Friday. Aqua Metro Services will complete this project on behalf of Melbourne Water.
School Disco
Dear Parents and Carers,
Just a reminder that the cut-off date for getting disco tickets is tomorrow (Friday the 16th) as catering needs to be organised.
Footy Tipping
There is only one tip between 1st to 5th place on the tipping ladder. It’s getting to the pointy end of the season and it seems like there are quite a few upsets to be found hiding in the rounds. At this stage it is anyone’s game. Can Shaqatak hold on or will The Millar Boys find the secret sauce. Team Huds is lurking in the background but was let down by Geelong on Thursday. Only time will tell.
Best of luck!
Please pay now if you haven’t already done so!
$25 to join and prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd to be announced soon.
Payments made via school FSG bank account. Please have entry payments made by round 3, using your footy tipping alias as a reference.
Account SMM FSG
BSB: 083 347
Acc: 365426557
You can also send in $25 in an envelope, labelled with your alias and titled "2023 footy tipping"
Join the competition below: https://www.footytips.com.au/comps/SMM_2023_AFL_Footy_Tipping_Competition?p=stmm3015
Best of Luck!
Emmanuel College News
It is inspiring to see the dedication of Year 8-12 students preparing for exams and using the College libraries to revise in quiet spaces, before and after school and at lunchtimes. As well as the study areas, our libraries are a place for students to meet friends, join in games such as uno and chess and get involved in reading competitions amongst other things - there really is something for everyone at Emmanuel. Music is another great way for students to be involved in activities at Emmanuel. After lots of practice, and with a little nervousness, our Year 7 cohort did an outstanding job performing in front of their parents and families at the Year 7 Music Concert last week. For many, this was the first time that they have performed in front of an audience, and we are very proud of each and every student. Our next major College experience event is the annual Information Morning at each campus, as always, registrations are essential for these events and can be made via the Tours & Events tab on the right-hand side of the College website homepage, www.ecmelb.catholic.edu.au or by following this link: Information Morning and Tour registration. Times for each campus are below:
Saturday 5 August 2023
Notre Dame Campus Commencing at 9:00am with the Principal’s address, followed by tours and ending at 10:30am
St Paul’s Campus Commencing at 10:30am with the Principal’s address, followed by tours and ending at 12 noon
Year 7 2025 Applications
A friendly reminder that if you have a child in Grade 5, applications for Year 7 2025 close on Friday 18 August 2023. Even if your older child is already attending or joining us in Year 7 2024, it is a requirement for an application to be submitted for Year 7 2025.
A Prospectus Pack containing an application form can be obtained by:
Attending Information Morning on Saturday 5 August
Following this link to the College website: Request a Prospectus here
Sending an email to: enrolments@ecmelb.catholic.edu.au
Calling our College Registrar, Ms Donna Grech on 8325 5119
Coming into either Campus Office between 8am and 4:15pm on weekdays.
Best wishes,
Jenny Hendricks
Community Engagement Officer
Mount St. Joseph Girls’ College
Mount St. Joseph Girls’ College Altona invites you to explore our faith and learning community at one of our Open Events in 2023
OPEN MORNINGS
Open Mornings provide an opportunity for families to witness learning in action on a regular school day. Our Year 9 student ambassadors will give you a personal tour of the College. Visiting families will have the unique opportunity to ask questions of our ambassadors and gain an honest insight into our programs and what it is like to be a student at Mount St. Joseph Girls' College.
Register to attend by visiting our website HERE.
Thursday 20 July - 9:15am – 10:30am
Thursday 3 August - 9:15am – 10:30am
Thursday 7 Sept - 9:15am – 10:30am
ENROLMENT APPLICATIONS
A reminder that enrolment applications for Year 7 in 2025 close on 18 August 2023. Apply online HERE or contact the College Registrar, Mrs Sherri Collins for further information.
Contact details: registrar@msj.vic.edu.au or phone 8398 2007.
