Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Last weekend the Catholic faith community celebrated the great Feast of Pentecost. The word ‘pentecost’ means the fiftieth day. Pentecost was originally a Jewish feast that commemorated the day that God gave the people of Israel the Ten Commandments. This event took place fifty days after the Exodus from Egypt. 

As it so often happens in the scriptures, significant themes repeat. In this case, fifty days after God saves the chosen people from slavery in Egypt, they are given God’s law. These laws provided a framework for order during a time of great upheaval in the lives of the people and a structure for the society they were creating. The Ten Commandments defined them as a nation. The chosen people had a more important law, one by which they could structure not only their society, but their lives. This law was simple, direct and deep and was summarised again by Jesus in the gospels, when he told his followers to "love God and love your neighbour as yourself."

During the Pentecost described in the New Testament, the Holy Spirit descended upon the individual followers of Jesus as they were gathered together in Jerusalem. This gathering became the first Christian church. The Holy Spirit gave the apostles the gifts of courage, wisdom, understanding and knowledge and enabled them to commence the commission entrusted to them by Jesus at his Ascension. Jesus knew that they would need these gifts in order to go out to all the nations and spread the good news of his teachings. New believers in Jesus were baptised as they joined this church. They, along with the first followers of Jesus, shared life together, focusing on teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer. They shared their belongings and ministered to one another so that no one was hungry or needy.

The church, planted on that first Pentecost, started small. The experience of the early Christians teaches us that numbers are not important. Money is not important. Buildings are not important. But enthusiasm is. Wherever people come to God in prayer, wherever compassion and caring is shared, wherever the love of Christ is proclaimed as the overriding and all-consuming purpose in life, God's Church exists. This is the embodiment of a Spirit-led church. Sometimes we can be led to believe that as long as we have a personal relationship with God, this is enough to sustain us. In fact, Pentecost is a vivid illustration of the truth found throughout Scripture, that as human beings we are called to live not alone, but within community. As such, the community of God’s people is central to God’s work in the world. This very concept was celebrated on Monday at the special Mass led by Bishop Brian to commemorate 200 years of Catholic Education in Australia. We are extremely grateful to Mrs Del, Sr Colleen and our school captains Abigail and Aidan who were our Mary Immaculate representatives at this very important event.

The Feast of Pentecost invites and challenges us to consider our own participation in the fellowship, worship, and mission of the faith community that continues today. The church of Jesus Christ is a place where every single person matters, where every member can contribute to the mission of Jesus, because together we form the ‘body of Christ.’ Pentecost presents us with an opportunity to consider how we are living as a member of the community each day. It is a time that can inspire us to renew our commitment to use our own gifts to contribute to the mission of Jesus. 

I pray that the gifts of the Holy Spirit can be more present in our lives and in the lives of our children and that through the sharing of these gifts we can as individuals and as a community contribute to the transforming of our world. The humanity of Christ can be manifested in the world through the lives of each of us. Such a transformation can take place in the here and now, within the context of our families and our communities and especially in the community here at Mary Immaculate as we continue to strive to make Christ Our Way and Life.

Mrs Tina Murray

Principal

PEDESTRIAN SAFETY

As pedestrians, children can be easily distracted and are often too small to be seen by drivers. They may be unable to predict or identify dangers and can tend to act impulsively. We encourage all parents to talk with your child about safe behaviour on the footpath – it is not a safe place to play. Include discussion on the dangers of vehicles that may be entering or exiting driveways on their way to school. Until your child is at least eight years old, parents are encouraged to hold their  hand on the footpath. Up until at least 10 years old, please supervise your child very closely and hold their hand when crossing the road. If you cannot be with your child, perhaps organise for another trusted adult to accompany them. At the end of the school day children may be excited, distracted and tired and may not concentrate on road safety. 

At Mary Immaculate we are fortunate to have access to Jim, our School Crossing Supervisor. Parents are requested to take the extra time to use the crossing and refrain from crossing in the middle of the road or between cars, especially on Emerald Drive, which has a very active and potentially dangerous bus and kiss and drop zone. It is vitally important that our students establish safe habits at a very early age. These may be lifesaving habits that hold them in good stead later on when they are independent road users. The following video is a great resource regarding the use of the children’s crossing. 

SEMESTER ONE REPORTS/PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEWS

Semester One Reports will be available to parents via COMPASS on Friday 18 June. Parent Teacher Interviews will take place the week beginning 21 June. Booking times for Semester One Parent Teacher Interviews will be opened on COMPASS on Tuesday 1 June. Timeslots are 15 minutes each. Please use the COMPASS online booking system to book in your time with class teachers. If for some reason you are unable to attend during this week, please contact the class teacher directly. Online bookings will close on Friday 11 June at 3.00 pm.

TIPS TO ASSIST CHILDREN WITH WRITING

Following on from the information last week about the Writer’s Notebook, I thought it would be beneficial to include some information for parents about encouraging children with writing at home.

Your child will write longer creative pieces as they move through primary school. They will write in different genres and explore non-fiction and persuasive writing.

Some general tips to help with your child’s writing in these years include:

• Continue to encourage them to write for everyday skills. This includes writing recipes, family messages, shopping lists and greeting cards.
• Make sure they have an appropriate place to write, such as a desk in a quiet room.
• Provide stationery, such as coloured pens and pencils, and different coloured paper.
• It is always helpful to discuss the writing topic with your child before they start to write. This will give your child ideas and confidence to start writing.
• Discuss the topic your child is writing about. Write down a few arguments or story plot points to help them. They can then expand on these points.
• Encourage your child to write different genres, such as fantasy, realism and adventure.
• Encourage your child to write different types of texts such as poems, short plays or film scripts.
• Use a book your child has read as a springboard into creative writing.
• Persuasive writing will become a focus at school, particularly in high school. Encourage your child to write down their opinions and ideas about specific issues.
• Encourage your child to edit their work for mistakes before they show you. They should also make sure the writing makes sense. Getting your child to read their work out loud is a good technique to find mistakes in writing.
• Using a dictionary helps with spelling mistakes.
• Using a thesaurus helps to expand your child’s vocabulary.

Some fun activities might include:

• Encourage your child to keep a diary, so they can record their feelings and experiences.
• Write a review of a book or film. Encourage your child to have an opinion about the relative good and bad points, and how to improve the film.
• Create ‘found poetry.’ Pick 20 random lines and phrases from books or poems and arrange them into a new poem. It can be fun to discuss the possibilities of joining different lines. And the changes in meaning these create.
• Give your child a topic that has two clear sides, such as “Homework should be banned.” Ask your child to write a few paragraphs outlining their arguments for and against.
• If your child has recently finished a novel or film, ask them to write creatively in response to it. They might write an alternative ending, a short sequel, or write a series of diary entries.

VALUES AWARDS – WEEK 5

K GREEN

Oliver S – Doing Your Best – For doing your best in all areas of learning

Riaan P – Celebration – For always celebrating the achievements of his peers

K GOLD

Karissa-Angel K – Faith – For your reverence when participating in meditation

Kurtis F – Leadership – For being a model to others by consistently following the  school rules

K BLUE

Kristine Y – Compassion – For caring for those in need

Petra V – Stewardship – For showing initiative and caring for our school gardens

1 GREEN

Jack A – Celebration - For always supporting and encouraging the learning of your peers

Samuel V – Stewardship – For caring for our classroom and outdoor environment

1 GOLD

Jack G – Celebration - For the way in which he congratulates and celebrates the achievements of his peers

Lio P – Stewardship - For always taking care of our classroom and school environments

1 BLUE

Tyler B – Celebration – For always congratulating others on their successes

Indie S – Compassion – For always being willing to offer assistance and help to others

2 GREEN

Nate G – Doing Your Best – For composing an entertaining narrative during writing

Daniela A – Faith – For her reverent participation during meditation

2 GOLD

Jaxson H – Doing Your Best – For showing initiative with your learning and sharing these experiences with others.

Nicole M – Faith – For contributing well thought out ideas during Religion discussions

2 BLUE

Kayla N – Faith – For being kind and caring towards her peers

Jocelyn C – Doing your Best – For trying to include everything that she has been taught in class into her writing

MRS LILLIAN DEL GUIDICE

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

REGISTRATION FOR FIRST RECONCILIATION AND FIRST COMMUNION

Registration for the Sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion in Mary Immaculate Parish Eagle Vale will open on the Parish Website at 6:00 pm on Monday 24 May and will close at 6pm on Thursday 3 June. 

Children must be in Year 3 or above for Reconciliation and in Year 4 or above for First Communion.

The Parish website address is  https://mipeaglevale.org/  The registration forms will be under the tab on the top right side ‘Sacraments’.

Mrs Kirsty Simpson

Religious Education Co-ordinator

Congratulations to the classes who earned a Gold Star last week, 5 Gold and 5 Blue. We still have quite a few classes waiting for their first Gold Star, let’s try to remember our Library Bags so we can borrow the wonderful books in our Library!

Lessons this week:

Thursday 27 May – Year 1

Friday 28 May – Year 4

NEXT WEEK:

Tuesday 1 June  - Year 3

Wednesday 2 June – Year 5

Thursday 3 June – Year 2 

Scholastic Book Club - The brochures have been sent home this week for Issue 4, ordering is available ONLINE as indicated on the brochures. No orders or money are able to be accepted at school. If you have any problems, please don’t hesitate to contact us in the Library before or after school. Orders close for this issue, Issue Four, on Friday 4 June. Thank you for your support of this program, it is a great way to buy books for your children.

Premiers' Reading Challenge - We now have quite a few students who have already completed the challenge, and many more who have logged in and registered their books read so far. Keep up the great work! It is not too late to start – we have till August. Remember if you are having difficulties logging in to register the books just come in to the Library at Lunch 2 for help. The website has the list of books as well as the login access for each student:

Our Oliver Library catalogue will let you know what books from the lists are available in our Library. Go to oliver.dow.catholic.edu.au/miev and type ‘premier’ in the search box. Then select the level required and the search results will indicate available titles. 

"I have a passion for teaching kids to become readers. To become comfortable with a book, not daunted. Books shouldn't be daunting, they should be funny, exciting and wonderful; and learning to be a reader gives a terrific advantage."

Roald Dahl

Happy reading!

Mrs Susan Bryant - Teacher Librarian

A big Thank You to everyone who has deposited their empty bread bags into the recycling box near the front office! 

We have almost collected 2 full boxes which means that we will be able to redeem a lot of FREE SPORTING EQUIPMENT FOR MIEV!!!

Mary Immaculate is participating in  the Wonder Bread Bag Recycling Program which is a great initiative to not only look after our environment but to also earn FREE SPORTING EQUIPMENT for our school! Simply send your empty bread bags and wrap bags to school to deposit into our Wonder Bread Bag box and help us to achieve our goal of 25 kgs of bread bags being recycled! For every 5 kgs of bread bags (14-16 bread bags filled with bread bags) we will earn points to spend on sporting equipment for our school. 

You can send ANY brand of Bread Bags and Wrap Bags in - they don’t have to be Wonder brand!

Keep on collecting as we only have a few more weeks to finalise our collection!

Mrs Kylie Alford