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Dear Parents / Caregivers and families,
It was certainly wonderful to welcome back parents, friends, and grandparents after nearly two years since we have held school assemblies. As our school enrolment has now grown to over 500 students the hall is no longer able to accommodate all our students and visitors in one sitting. Both the assemblies had a special focus on celebrating Mother’s Day, and we are grateful to Year 3, Kindergarten students and their teachers for leading this very special aspect of the assemblies so beautifully. We are also grateful to our student leaders, Patrick, Jeanelle and Lucas who confidently took on the roles of assembly hosts. Our students certainly displayed great talent,. We were blessed to have a special poem written by Ysabella and Steven and illustrated by Savaiinaea-Rose distributed to our guests at each assembly. I have great delight in sharing this with our community.
Wishing each of you many blessings for the week ahead.
Tina Murray
Principal
LAUDATO SI WEEK
Laudato Si’, is a profound invitation to everyone on the planet to care for our common home.
Pope Francis challenges us to consider the kind of world we want to leave to those who come after us.
The 2015 encyclical discusses the damage being inflicted on the Earth by humans and calls on ‘every person living on this planet’ to make urgent changes to our lifestyles.
It’s not just an ‘environment encyclical’, it leads us to ask ourselves about the meaning of existence and the values at the heart of our life as social beings.
During Laudato Si Week, we will lead our students to investigate ways in which we can care for our common home here at Mary Immaculate, especially through the correct separation of waste for recycling. We are grateful to our community for the $524 donated during the Mufti Day on Monday. These funds will help to offset the costs of the new bins purchased for every classroom.
Key quotes from Laudato Si':
- I urgently appeal, then, for a new dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet. We need a conversation which includes everyone, since the environmental challenge we are undergoing, and its human roots, concern and affect us all. […] (14)
- The climate is a common good, belonging to all and meant for all. At the global level, it is a complex system linked to many of the essential conditions for human life. (23)
- Many of the poor live in areas particularly affected by phenomena related to warming, and their means of subsistence are largely dependent on natural reserves and ecosystemic services such as agriculture, fishing and forestry. They have no other financial activities or resources which can enable them to adapt to climate change or to face natural disasters, and their access to social services and protection is very limited. […] (25)
- If the simple fact of being human moves people to care for the environment of which they are a part, Christians in their turn realise that their responsibility within creation, and their duty towards nature and the Creator, are an essential part of their faith. (64)
- The notion of the common good also extends to future generations. The global economic crises have made painfully obvious the detrimental effects of disregarding our common destiny, which cannot exclude those who come after us. We can no longer speak of sustainable development apart from inter-generational solidarity. (159)
We take seriously Pope Francis’ charge to educate our young people around care for our common home, as part of the vision for our school. We will continue to explore steps we can take here at Mary Immaculate to care for our common home and to ensure we all play a part in achieving this vision.
We invite parents to begin to explore this wonderful document using some of the resources below.
We welcome ideas from our families on ways we may be able to translate these teachings in practical ways here at Mary Immaculate.
Click here to see Laudato Si’ – CAFOD animation for schools
Please click here to view the Laudato Si’ Presentation
Click here to view a summary of the top 10 teachings of Laudato Si’
CYCLIC REVIEW
This term, our school will be involved in the process of Cyclic Review. All schools in the Wollongong Diocese take part in a Cyclic Review, once during every 5-year cycle, as part of the school review and improvement process. Although our school’s last Cyclic Review took place in 2015, the restrictions imposed by COVID required an extension of the normal time frame. During the review process a team of external educators from the Diocese of Wollongong will visit to act as ‘critical friends.’ The process is designed to support our school’s mission to improve student learning and promote ongoing growth and improvement.
The purpose of the Cyclic Review is to:
- affirm, challenge, and endorse the effectiveness of the school’s improvement processes; and
- provide an opportunity for reflection on the strategic direction of the school’s plans within the context of the school, system, and Diocesan priorities.
The Cyclic Review process is particularly designed to provide:
- opportunities for professional dialogue with external experienced educators who are acting in the capacity of ‘critical friends.’
- information that assists the CEDoW to resource the needs of systemic schools.
- evidence to support the quality of schooling required under legislative accountability requirements; and
- opportunities to observe, collect and share good practice.
We will be joined on Tuesday 25 May, by
- Mark Turkington (External Facilitator)
- Tim Gilmour (Head of Directorate Services)
- Noel Henry (Head of Service, School improvement Services, Primary),
- Kay Blundell (Senior Professional Officer- School Improvement Services),
- Kevin Devine (Principal, St Justin’s Parish Primary School, Oran Park)
The program for the day will include opportunities for the panel members to engage in discussions with the various groups within the school community, to reflect upon our journey since 2015.
An opportunity for the panel members to meet with Fr Slawek, student representatives and parents will take place between 10.00am and 10.30am. The timetable for the day will also include discussions with staff members and visits to classrooms.
We would like to extend an open invitation to parents/friends in our school community who may be able to attend a Meet and Greet and discussion with members of the panel at 10.00am in the Hall.
If you can attend please register your attendance via the following link -
https://forms.gle/NqfUC3PE1fX1z5ok7
This will help us contact you should the timings for the day change.
To register your attendance and to contribute any general business items to the agenda, please use the form link below.
https://forms.gle/6u6okZ3MBs2Lk6wk7
This meeting will be held via Zoom to support parent attendance.
Zoom details will be sent to all registered attendees on Wednesday 18 May, via email.
WE’RE TAKING IT IN OUR STRIDE ON FRIDAY 20 MAY 2022
Well it’s that time of year again when our school seriously starts talking about walking!
Walk Safely to School Day asks that we all consider our transport habits and try to incorporate more walking as part of a healthy, active way to get around. Although walking all the way to school isn’t realistic for many of us, it’s quite easy to figure out how you can build a walk into your family’s daily routine.
You can teach your child the healthy habit of walking more by:
- Walking with them the whole way to school.
- If they get the bus or train, walk past your usual stop and get on at the next stop.
- If you have to drive, park the car a few blocks away from the school and walk the rest of the way.
Regular exercise like walking with your child will help you both beat chronic problems like obesity, heart disease, behavioural and mental health issues and diabetes. It also gives you a great opportunity to teach your child safe ways to behave around roads and traffic.
Remember, Active Kids are Healthy Kids so get planning your own Walk Safely to School Day journey for Friday 20 May 2022!
A colouring sheet is included with the newsletter to support discussions with younger children.
For more information, visit www.walk.com.au
WHATS HAPPENING IN YEAR 4?
This term, Year 4 are learning about the First Fleet and the impact of its arrival on Aboriginal people. The students will discuss reasons for the voyage of the First Fleet and explain why various groups of passengers were on the ships. They will learn about the establishment of the British colony at Port Jackson and describe the impact of early British colonisation on the Aboriginal people.
As part of this unit of work, Year 4 participated in an excursion to The Rocks where they visited homes that the convicts built and lived in. The children heard about different clothing that different groups of people wore and saw the architecture of the buildings built around that time. They also learn't about the different jobs people did and their working conditions. Ivory O and Samuel B from Year 4 share below their recount of the day:
We travelled to The Rocks by bus and it took about an hour. We ate lunch next to the museum and we could see the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. Arthur Phillip was the Captain of the First Fleet and there were 11 ships. The rich people brought settlers with them. They convinced them to come to Australia, to help them settle the land.
We went on two different walks with Ranger Olivia and Ranger Harry. During one walk, we saw the police station, where symbols were carved into the rocks like a lion for the police station with a baton in his mouth. We learnt that if you saw a lamp post, you would also find a hospital, because they didn’t have maps.
On the other walk we went into two different houses – a convict house which was very small but lots of people would live in there. We also went into a rich person’s house which was a 2-storey building and had many windows, so that people would know he was rich. We learnt that people used to pay a window tax, which was based on the number of windows that a house had. Servant’s homes would not have many windows, so that the owner would not have to pay much tax.
We heard about a girl called Susannah who was attacked by the PUSH Gang. This was a group of people who threatened the rich people by saying that they would push them off a building or down the stairs if they did not give them money and then they would steal the money from them anyway.
We also learnt that a number of families shared one kitchen and one toilet. The convicts used to work for their freedom, and they would carve their name into the building. The convicts had a symbol on them which meant that they were owned by the government.
Now we have a better understanding of how different groups of people lived in those times from their own perspective.
Mrs Lillian Del Giudice
Assistant Principal
Kristo K 5 Blue, Michael E 4 Gold, Sienna-Rose C 6 gold, Alonzo M 3 Green, Giuseppe I 6 Green, Quinn H K Green, Christian F 1 Gold, Roy A 6 Green, Abigail G 3 Green, Jan Mikael P 1 Green
No gold stars last week but many overdue books coming back - let’s hope more remember to bring their Library bags this week. There are so many wonderful books we can borrow! Just a reminder again about Library days:
Thursday – Kinder
Next week:
Tuesday – Year 6
Wednesday – Year 5
Thursday – Year 3
Friday – Year 2
Please remind your children to bring their Library bags on the day of their lesson – encourage them to have it in their bags the night before! During the week please also encourage the children to read the books they borrow. Even if they have many books at home it is good for them to read the books they have chosen. They learn to discern what they like and what is appropriate for themselves.
Premiers' Reading Challenge
Remember to keep reading books from the lists, and keep a record of books read. Login and register the books completed:
https://products.schools.nsw.edu.au/prc/booklist/home.html
Don’t forget to check 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.
Scholastic Book Club
All orders must be placed and paid for online. No orders or money can be accepted at school. The items you order will be delivered to school, and will be distributed to the students once they arrive. The current catalogue closes on Friday 13 May, so just have your orders in by then please. Thank you for your support of this program.
Daily reading
As parents you are your child's most influential teacher with an important part to play in helping your child to learn to read. There is more to being a good reader than just being able to read the words accurately. Just as important is being able to understand what has been read. Always talk to your child about the book; about the pictures, the characters, how they think the story will end and their favourite part. You will then be able to see how well they have understood the book they hve read and and you will help them to develop good comprehension skills. Take time not only to hear them read but to read aloud to them too – they love hearing you read to them!
“Read aloud every day because you just love being with your child, not because it's the right thing to do. This is, as important for fathers, as it is for mothers!”
Mem Fox
Happy reading!
Mrs Sue Bryant
Teacher-Librarian
Dear Students and Parents/Carers,
Earlier this year an eruption of an underwater volcano caused a blanket of ash and a tsunami in Tonga. The people of Tonga have suffered from the impact of these events greatly. As a poor Pacific Island, the people of Tongan rely on food items grown on the island and imported from international communities.
Therefore, as a school community we are seeking donations to support our neighbouring country.
To learn more about the natural disaster please click the following link to view the Youtube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-64aR85VFw
What?: Collecting toiletries and long life food
Why?: We are gathering items in order to support our neighbouring Tongan communities.
Who?: Mini Vinnies team in conjunction with the whole school community.
Where?: Students can bring their allocated items to school and place them in the class tubs.
When?: Items are to be donated by Friday 3 June (end of Week 6)
When considering your donations please check the use by dates and ensure that they are as long as possible.
GRADE ALLOCATIONS
Infants (Kindergarten, Year 1 and 2): Toiletries e.g toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, womens sanitary items, soap, hand sanitizer, baby/facial wipes, shampoo, conditioner etc.Bathroom/Toiletries - Bath mats, disinfectant cleaners, Jif, tooth brush, tooth paste, soap, shampoo, conditioners, hand wash etc. Launderette - Washing powders, pegs, fabric softeners
Staff: New Clothes, bedding (blankets, sheets), linen (towels, tablecloths, tea towels etc).
Let’s work together to be the sign of hope, the face of God to the sufferers, and the hand that feeds the hungry and restores their lives. Thank you in advance for your generosity.
Yours Sincerely,
Miss Earnshaw, Mr Edwards, Mrs Young
Year 6 Mini Vinnies Team Staff Mentors
A HUGE Thank You to everyone who contributed a gold coin for wearing mufti to school on Monday! Together we raised over $500 towards environmental projects at our school. To continue this fundraising effort we would like to encourage our community to donate any Return and Earn items to our collection. If families would like to donate items, please send them into school with your student and they will be placed into the Return and Earn crates. The website below outlines the eligible containers for the program.
https://returnandearn.org.au/eligible-containers/
Wonder Bread Bag Recycling Programme
Thank you to all those community members that have sent in their Bread Bags to support the Wonder Bread Bag Recycling Programme! We already have a lot of empty bread bags! Our goal is to collect 5 boxes full (roughly 5kgs of bread bags in each box). Once we have filled our boxes and returned them for recycling, we will receive reward points to spend on new sporting equipment for our school! See below for reminders about what a soft plastic bread bag is and how clean they need to be!
Thank you in advance for your support of these wonderful environmentally friendly projects!
Mrs Kylie Alford