Newsletter Term 4, Week 4 2023
Monday 6th November- School Closure
Hello Parents and Carers,
The weather was kind to us last week for our Feast day celebrations. We started with a beautiful mass, supported by our student; choir, readers, servers and offertory procession. The celebration of our Saint Margaret Mary continued with a special event run by the dynamic team from Kaboom! The kids beamed with excitement as they all engaged with the fast paced, multi-aged, unique tabloid activities.
Last night staff and families from SMM and Sacred Heart gathered at Sacred Heart church to support our children receiving their first sacrament of Reconciliation. Congratulations to our children and special thanks to Fr. Binh, the guest priests and our RE Leaders who lead the prayerful, meaningful ceremony.
This week, students and staff have enjoyed engaging with our parent, local and Archdiocesan communities. Monday was a successful PJ day to raise money for Mini Vinnie’s, on Wednesday morning we hosted our first of two parent helper induction meetings, and a group of Kinder kids from Only About children Newport joined our 2023 Preps for a transition to school morning.
Yesterday we welcomed Dr. Edward Simons, Executive Director from Melbourne Archdiocesan Catholic Schools along with our Regional Manager Juliette Cox and our Regional Learning Consultant Paula Bissinella. This visit was a rich opportunity to highlight the hidden gem that is SMM.
Our student school leaders, Nicholas and Serena lead our guests from MACS on a tour of our school and introduced our brilliant children and dynamic team of professionals we learn with, and highlighted our student centered, point of need teaching and learning at SMM. During the visit we also explored plans for manageable improvement and growth of school infrastructure given our healthy enrolments and new housing in our catchment. We also discussed our school’s participation in Flourishing Learners, MACS 2030 project which involves staff participation in specialist delivered professional development in evidenced-informed Science of Learning practices.
In more exciting news for St. Margaret Mary’s students and parents, starting in 2024, our children will be learning AUSLAN from Foundation to Grade 6, replacing Spanish. Our specialist teacher will be Grant Tasca, who will use multi-modal educational resources from AUSLAN Educational Services. AUSLAN, aligned with Victorian and Australian Curriculums, enhances learning to communicate in an accessible, empowering, and truly inclusive way for all our students.
Presently there is an abundance of opportunities for educators to experience new roles. In 2024, we have present staff moving into new roles within our school and some into a new school context.
It is with both sadness and good wishes that we announce Kerry Brown will expand her Religious Leadership, classroom role at Queen of Peace Newport and Jessica Hodza is taking the opportunity to be an inaugural member of the teaching team at St. Teresa of Kolkata in Tarneit.
Kerry is an exemplary teacher who has been an active and engaging faith leader and community member. Jessica is a dynamic, dedicated classroom teacher whose positive relationships have reached beyond her classroom and we will miss her M.C. skills! Thank you and God bless you both as you begin the next stage of your career.
At SMM, in 2024, Kristine Messing and Adele Garofalo are becoming our casual relief teachers which provides our children with a familiar face when their regular teacher is away.
Simon and I, in consultation with staff, have been working through a healthy influx of teaching applications to short list, interview and successfully engage experienced and highly skilled teachers for our 2024 team.
We will provide introductions below. We welcome Alicia Wilson and Fiona Parnell into our classrooms, Paul Smith is joining SMM leadership team as our Learning Diversity, Wellbeing Leader and Narelle Monteleone will be joining our team of Learning Enhancement Teachers. All four experienced teachers bring dispositions and skills that will both complement and enhance our own dynamic team of educators.
A few reminders and requests:
Thank you to all those that have paid outstanding fees and levies. SMM is a fee paying school and I request families please attend to any outstanding payments. Please make contact with the office should you require support.
Please return all outstanding chocolate boxes and, or chocolate money. Thank you for the terrific support of this fundraising event as the money goes directly to enhancing student resources through the FSG.
We welcome our Foundation 2024 students for their first Transition to School session this coming Tuesday. We look forward to meeting parents in the hall while the teachers welcome the new SMM students. If any existing parents could join us from 9am to welcome and chat to new parents to the school this would be most appreciated.
Take Care,
Colleen McCambridge
Principal
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:
Week 2
Week 3
Celebrating our Feast Day
We had a wonderful day last Tuesday as we celebrated our St Margaret Mary’s Feast Day. The students started with a whole school mass and finished with exciting outdoor activities run by Kaboom!
Welcome to School
We were delighted to welcome the little ones from our local kindergarten to get a glimpse of what the big school experience is all about. Mrs Crawford and some of our current preps engaged in art and craft activities with them, showcasing just how much fun and exciting school can be.
3/4 Excursion to ACMI
Our 3/4 students had a great time at their ACMI excursion this week. Students were able to try out the big green screens and they got to make a film as well. It’s a great way to extend and challenge them while they are learning about different types of technology this term. We can’t wait to see how they will use their new skills!
Well Done Milla!
On the 17th of October, Milla competed at the Western Metropolitan Primary Track and Field finals at the Keilor Park Athletics Track. Milla competed as a multiclass athlete and came first in both her events, the 100m sprint and long jump. Milla will now be competing at the State Primary Track and Field Championships at Melbourne Sports Centre-Lakeside Stadium in Albert Park on the 1st of November. Congratulations Milla and we wish you all the best for the upcoming competition!
Kristine Messig
F is for Fantastic Friendships
Making friends can be a tricky skill to learn. The beginning of the school year is often a time when children need to draw on their knowledge of friendship skills to make new connections with others. Some children have moved into school from a previous school & may find it hard to make immediate connections with others who have had more years to establish connections & friendships with others.
Like any new learning, we all benefit from tips, conversations, modelling, feedback & explicit teaching.
Image Source: CASEA
Here are some things you can do to help your child with friendship skills:
Model the social skill of greeting others
Develop an awareness of positive body language: A friendly expression on the face, a smile, uncrossed arms, open posture & confident voice are all signals we use to help us determine whether someone is making an effort to be friendly
Teach children to ask questions to find things they have in common, e.g. favourite toys, favourite movies, music, food etc
Teach children how to give compliments to others as a positive way to connect
Reflect on previous positive experiences: Ask your child what they did to make friends in the past or share your own experiences of how you made friendships & positive connections with others
Teach your child about active listening skills: Good listeners often attract others because they take the time to understand what the other person is saying & give the other person the chance to express their perspective or views.
Teach your child about the value of humour as a way to connect with others: Buy a joke book or learn some ‘knock’ knock’ jokes that encourage engagement with others
Teach your child or find out about the rules of games (or the importance of agreeing on the rules of games before commencing play): Rules set clear boundaries & help to ensure the play is fair. Have discussions with your child about the consequences of having no rules.
Get to know parents of other children and organize playdates or trips to the park. This can open up opportunities for other friendships
Walk to school with other families to open up other friendship opportunities for children
Join activities and clubs outside of school to widen their friendship circles with other people: Sometimes ‘doing’ activities together can take the pressure off having to hold conversations with others that your child is not as familiar with. If your child is having friendship troubles at school, this can also be a confidence booster in that the trouble does not occur in all settings
Read books about friendships or talk to your child about the friendly behaviours characters in movies exhibit: What kind of actions and behaviours advance the friendship/relationship and what kind of behaviours break the friendship/relationship?
Teach your child to compromise & understand that in life, we will not always get our own way.
Look into ‘Social Stories’ Social stories can be used to:
-develop social skills, e.g. sharing, asking for help, saying thank you, interrupting
-develop perspective, e.g. help someone to understand how others might behave or respond in a particular situation
-help others understand neurodiversity e.g. the perspective of an autistic person & why they may respond or behave in a particular way
-help a person to cope with changes to routine & unexpected or distressing events, e.g. transitions, or circumstances the child finds challenging
-assist with emotional or self regulation or as a behavioural strategy (e.g. what to do when angry, anxious or worried)
Some children might not be distressed if they are not playing with others. The Australian Parenting Website raisingchildren.net.au suggests that ‘some children prefer downtime or their own company during play breaks. They might not need a big group of friends or want to play with others at lunch time. If your child seems happy with their social life, you might not need to worry about trying to find friends for them.’
Remind your child that friendships cannot be forced, but that being aware of our own behaviours & being respectful & kind is always the desired way to build friendships.
Encourage your child to talk to their teacher for help and support or to go to the teacher on yard for help & support if they are experiencing difficulties with friendships at school.
At SMM each class runs dedicated Social & Emotional Learning (SEL) lessons that enhance students’ self awareness & social awareness that in turn promotes friendships & positive respectful relationships with others.
Please work in partnership with us by trying some of the ideas listed to enhance your child’s wellbeing!
Kath
Congratulations to our year 3 students on their completion of their First Reconcilliation. It was a wonderful night to share with our community.
Dates when Choir will sing at mass
Sacred Heart: Sunday 5/11
St Margaret Mary's: Saturday 18/11
Sacred Heart: Sunday 3/12
St Margaret Mary's: Saturday 16/12
Calling All Kind Hearts! Join Our Ministry of Welcome!
Feedback from our community consultations indicated a need to ensure that all people coming to Mass feel welcome.
We are seeking compassionate volunteers to join our Welcoming Ministry! Be a beacon of warmth and love, ensuring every parishioner feels embraced in our faith community. Share a friendly smile, offer guidance, and extend a helping hand as we open our hearts to those seeking solace and spiritual connection.
Please consider joining this important team - your role could include coming to Mass 15 minutes earlier and greeting people as they arrive. You might be able to assist every week, or less frequently.
Together, let's create a vibrant atmosphere of belonging and hospitality. Join us in spreading God's love and make a lasting impact on the lives of all our members.
If you are interested in becoming a part of our Ministry of Welcome please speak to us or contact us at the presbytery, or via StJosephVicPPC@gmail.com. Your presence matters!
School Fees
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.
Our ordering portal is now live and you are able to make purchases for Chromebooks in 2024. Please note, once ordered, devices will be shipped in buk early December. Parents will be notified and devices can be picked up at the office.
Cadbury Chocolate Boxes Now Overdue
Our Chocolate Drive has come to an end.
Please ensure all money is labled and sent into the office or directly deposited into the following account by Friday 5th October:
Account Name: SMM FSG
BSB: 083 347
Account Number: 365426557
Reference- Family name and class
Referendum Day Sausage Sizzle Success!!
It was a fantastic effort from our families on the referendum day. Thank you to all our families who volunteered their time and tasty treats for the bake sale. A special mention to FSG members Larissa and Craig for the extra effort they put in to organise this event. We managed to raise just over $2000 on the day…That’s a lot of sausages and cakes!
Emmanuel College News
It was wonderful to welcome our Year 7 2024 families at the Parent Information Night last Wednesday where we outlined what to expect with starting secondary school as well as important information such as booklist, uniform and transport details. Orientation Morning on Tuesday 28 November is another opportunity for new students to get to know each other, meet staff and find out which house they will be in next year.
Year 7 2025 Letters of Offer and waitlist notifications were emailed to families last Friday and Confirmation of Acceptance documentation is due back by Friday 10 November. For those families that received a waiting list letter, please know that if a place does arise during the remainder of this year and into next year, our Registrar will be in contact with you.
Our final experience opportunity of the year is the upcoming Twilight Talk and Tour at each campus as below:
Notre Dame Campus Wed 8 November at 6pm
St Paul’s Campus Tue 14 November at 6pm
Registration is available via the Tours and Events tab on the right-hand side of the homepage of the College website, www.ecmelb.catholic.edu.au.
We look forward to seeing you at the College soon.
Kind regards
Jenny Hendricks
Community Engagement Officer