Farewell Fr Slawek and Fr Nadeem

Last Sunday the parish family of Mary Immaculate had the opportunity to farewell our beloved priests Fr Slawek and Fr Nadeem. The celebration was masterfully organised by the members of the Parish Leadership Team and was ably supported by many hard-working, dedicated parishioners who generously provided hospitality for the celebration. 

The farewell celebration was truly eucharistic and filled with gratitude, thanksgiving and admiration for our priests who have committed themselves to a life of dedicated, faith-filled service to the building of a mission focused, invitational community that reaches out to others. Individually and collectively, we are truly grateful for the impact of our parish and school connection to the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. This was evident in high level of respect and love the community holds for Fr Slawek and Fr Nadeem. 

We all wish Fr Slawek and Fr Nadeem every blessing as they embark on their continuing mission within a new community. We know that they will continue to make a difference in the lives of their new parishes in Fremantle and Brisbane.

May God bless them and keep them always.

They take with them our heartfelt gratitude, love, respect, and prayers.

Despite the distance they will forever be connected to the Mary Immaculate Family at Eagle Vale. 

The final day for P & F Easter Raffle tickets to be returned is Friday March 31.

The raffle will be drawn on the morning of Tuesday April 4 and student winners will be able to collect prizes at the end of the day. 

Our Mary Immaculate community includes students and families with members who have an ASD diagnosis. We are therefore very invested in promoting an understanding of the daily challenges faced by both the individual and their family and the accommodations that we can collectively make as a community to ensure not only that their needs are being met but more importantly, to ensure that they have a voice and that their many gifts and abilities are recognised.

Our aim is not to focus on the label of 'autism' or identifying individuals but rather building a deeper appreciation across our school that we are all different, we all have different needs and ways of working and learning and that this is one of the great celebrations of life.  

We encourage all families to take some time to learn about and celebrate the unique talents of those with autism, so that we can embrace difference for a kinder and more inclusive world. We encourage you to explore the linked resources with your children and to celebrate the great diversity within our Mary Immaculate family and the wider community. 

The most important messages are that no two people with autism are the same and that autism may not be what you think it is. It’s not a one-size-fits all approach and much misunderstanding exists in the community. Fitting in can be exhausting. The environment and people’s attitudes can often be more of a barrier for people on the autism spectrum. We each have a responsibility to become more knowledgeable in order to build a more just, respectful and inclusive community. 

 

P&F UPDATE

Unfortunately, we have been unable to fill all positions on the P & F Executive Committee.

As a result, this will mean that alternative options will need to be considered and the P&F will not be able to operate in the present context. 

Please join us for this important meeting where the continuation of the P&F Association at Mary Immaculate will be decided.

The link below provides an opportunity to register to attend this meeting, and to add items to the meeting agenda. 

All parents who have registered to attend will receive zoom details and additional documentation on the day of the meeting. Registration will close on Friday 28 April at 3:00 pm.

 ANZAC DAY MARCH

25 APRIL 2023

We are pleased to inform our community that we will have the opportunity to participate in the Campbelltown RSL commemoration of ANZAC Day March and Service at Mawson Park. Students are invited to join in the ANZAC Day celebrations and march with the Mary Immaculate group. Students are to wear full summer uniform including hat and meet at the corner of Queen and Dumaresq Streets at 8:20 am and then proceed to Mawson Park for the commemorative service. Students will be accompanied during the march by Mrs Murray. Parents are most welcome to join our school group. Participating students will need to be collected at the conclusion of the commemorative service at approximately at 9:45am at Mawson Park.

Parents are invited to register attendance via the Google Form that will be shared shortly via Compass.

NSW K-2 English and Mathematics Syllabuses

As mentioned in previous newsletters, all schools in NSW are implementing the reformed NSW English and Mathematics K-2 syllabuses. These syllabuses highlight foundational literacy and numeracy skills. Please find below suggestions about what you can do as a parent or carer to support your child in Early Stage 1 and Stage 1 in the area of English.

Helping your Early Stage 1 child at home with English

Reading fluency

Reading fluency focuses on developing a reading style that is smooth and expressive. Frequently used words are recognised straightaway.

You can help your Kindergarten child at home by:

*   using a steady speed and expressive voice when reading with your child

*   re-reading favourite books with your child to encourage confidence and instant recognition of familiar words

*   reading a variety of everyday materials with your child such as street signs, shop names, food labels or shopping lists.

Reading comprehension

Reading comprehension focuses on understanding the meaning of words and sentences that are read, while recalling information about characters, events and ideas.

You can help your Kindergarten child at home by:

*   talking about the front cover, title and illustrations before reading begins

*   asking questions about a story while you or your child are reading. For example, Why do you think that happened? or What might happen next?

*   drawing pictures together about the main events in a story in order

*   discussing the meaning of new words found in books and around your everyday life.

Helping your Stage 1 child at home with English

Creating written texts

Creating written texts focuses on creating texts that use knowledge of grammar, vocabulary and punctuation while using paragraphs to structure sentences and ideas.

You can help your Year 1 or Year 2 child at home by:

*   encouraging them to write about recent experiences. Some opportunities for writing could come from events such as birthday parties, school excursions or family holidays

*   helping them to edit their own writing if they have concerns about spelling and word choices

*   displaying their writing around the house to give them a sense of pride about their work

*   helping them post their letters, labelled pictures or texts to family and friends.

Spelling

Spelling focuses on using a range of strategies to spell high-frequency words as well as less familiar words for different writing purposes.

You can help your Year 1 or Year 2 child at home by:

*   showing how to use a dictionary to discover the correct spelling of words

*   talking about how prefixes, such as un-, re-, and dis-, change the meaning of base words. For example, happy/unhappy, play/replay and agree/disagree

*   investigating the origin of interesting words as you read and write together. For example, words such as triangle come from Greek and Latin origins with tri meaning three. Other tri words include tricycle (3 wheels) and tripod (3 legs)

*   discussing the use of contractions in texts you are reading together and how they can be used when writing. Examples include he’s (he is), they’ve (they have), she’d (she did) and I’m (I am).

POLICE VISIT 

Senior Constable Louise visited Mary Immaculate on Monday, 27 March and spoke to the children over two sessions. She spoke to Year 1 to Year 3 students about the need to care for property, wearing appropriate school uniform, keeping hands off other people and using our words to let people know about how we are feeling. She reinforced the message about speaking to an adult if you see someone doing the wrong thing or if you are worried about handling a situation by yourself. She also reviewed the school rules - Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Safe, and what they look like in action.

During her talk with Year 4 to 6, she spoke again about the school rules. She emphasised the need for boundaries and that touching others is not okay. She spoke to the students about the need to be respectful both in person (including the use of disrespectful gestures) and particularly when online. She also reminded the students that the police can become involved at any time if there are concerns regarding inappropriate behaviour.

It would be a great opportunity  to discuss these topics when talking with your children.

Mrs Lillian Del Giudice

Assistant Principal

MIEV Year 6 Learning Team

We are the Year 6 Learning Team and we cannot wait to help the younger grades with their learning and social skills. We are extremely excited because this week we are starting to prepare for a new initiative at our school. We will be launching ‘Early Bird Reading’ in Term 2. This will provide students in all grades with an opportunity to practise their reading and promote how important reading is. We also help the Library teachers keep the Library organised. On the playground we will be supporting students as they learn how to play respectfully with their peers. Throughout the year we are planning to focus on reading, STEM activities, a writing competition and positive behaviours on the playground. Our aim is to encourage all students to feel safe in the school environment and be the best learner they can be.

Lilly J and Isaac S 

Year 6 Learning Team Leaders