We began the church year with the season of Advent on Sunday. The Jewish people waited for hundreds of years, hearing about a promised messiah that would come to heal and save. Finally He was born in a stable in Bethlehem. Our season of Advent marks that time of preparation and waiting as we lead up to Christmas. It is also the time we remember and prepare for when Jesus comes again so that we are ‘awake’ and ready for his return.

Excitement is building for the end of year celebrations and Christmas. Students and staff are busily practicing for the Christmas concert. Year 6 are enjoying their last weeks of primary school and the staff are working hard to make it a time full of memorable moments for them and for their families.

The Farewell Liturgy last night was lovely and very much run by our impressive students. Even though the AV wasn’t working, our amazing staff managed to get a booklet ready at the last minute.

We wish all our Year 6 students and families well as they continue their educational journey elsewhere. You are always welcome at Mary Immaculate so make sure you drop in and say “Hi!” We have a growing number of students being dropped at the school gates from as early as 7.30am.

Please make other arrangements for your children – perhaps book them in to OOSH. Parents have reported students playing out there and some walking around the school to the Aquamarine Drive gate. It is not safe to leave your children there unsupervised and the school cannot provide supervision until 8:00 am.

I have been immersed in recruiting for the two Assistant Principals for 2024 and will let you know when that process is complete. We are still looking for some teachers for 2024 as well and as soon as I have staffing complete I will let you know about classes. The teachers have split the students into their class groups and I have made sure all requests I received have been attended to. It’s just a matter of finalizing the teaching team. I have also been very busy reading reports. It has been a wonderful way for me to get to know more of the students individually and I hope you will find
them informative. They are due to be available to you on Friday.

I have noticed some different shoes being worn by the students. That is perfectly understandable with the end of year approaching – you don’t want to buy shoes too early for growing feet! Just please remember when making new purchases to ensure they align with the school uniform code. In summary for any shopping you may do during the break…

• White sports shoes and black leather school shoes – not the black sports shoe style;
• Socks that cover the ankle;
• Earrings are small plain gold or silver studs or very thin small hoops that will break easily;
• If wearing a cross or something similar it is on a very fine chain on their neck that will also break easily if caught;
• A small watch is permitted – no ‘smart’ watches and no bangles or bracelets
  hair must also be tied back neatly if longer that the eyebrows or collar. Tidy hairstyles – no shaved lines, extremes of length or colouring;
• Raincoats for wet days! Umbrellas are not permitted for use by students because of eye level hazards.

There is much more detail in the parent handbook should you need it.

I am looking forward to seeing you all at the Christmas concert of Friday.  Please note the earlier start time to beat the forecast extreme heat!

God Bless,

Mrs Michelle Rolfe and Mr Lindsay Burns

Dear Parents / Carers, 

The safety and wellbeing of students is always our first priority. This includes protecting their privacy and respecting the wishes of parents and carers regarding the use of student photos, images, and works at all times.

At the start of each school year, you are asked to complete a form to provide your consent for images of your child to appear in various places (e.g., in school newsletters, social media, and promotional material).

In 2023, this form became digital, and you were asked to consent to an event in Compass. 

In the same way that you provided consent for your child in 2023, you will still be able to simply reply in the Compass app; however, in 2024, this consent will be provided in a new app feature called Compass Insight. Compass’ Insights module is a tool for gathering information from staff, students and parents that can be used for a variety of purposes.

What do you need to do?

During the Christmas vacation period, you will receive a new image consent Insight in the Compass app. Please click on the link provided and read the details of the Insight carefully, discuss it with your child, and once you have made your decision, answer the question to either provide or decline consent.

To ensure that no child misses out on having their photo taken as part of school life, we will occasionally send reminders to parents and carers who have yet to complete the Insight.

If you have any questions about this change or the image consent form in general, please contact the school, and we will be happy to discuss this further with you.

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