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Dear Parents and Carers,
During the last couple of weeks, the gospels have centred on describing the beginning of Jesus’ Ministry in the towns located around the Sea of Galilee. During this time Jesus began the process of choosing his disciples, the people who would eventually be called upon to continue his mission and establish the Church to which we now belong.
Last Sunday, the gospel recounted how Jesus read and taught in the synagogue in Capernaum. The Jews are careful to ensure that all can understand the meaning of their Scriptures. For the Jewish people the opportunity to gather in the synagogue is a time for communal education. People gather to hear specific readings from the Scriptures and listen to commentary—what we would call 'preaching'—by those who read. The last person to read from the Scriptures would be welcome to comment on any of the other texts that had already been read, in addition to the one he had just completed. For the people gathered on that particular day, Jesus’ teaching was described as having made a deep impression because, unlike the scribes, he was described as teaching 'with authority'.
What are the qualities that Jesus possessed that could communicate such authority?
Could it be that he was able to put his faith into action in a relatable and relevant way?
Could it be that he was able to study, to meditate, and to pray in order to better hear God in the words of the Scriptures?
Could it be that Jesus’ authority came from the relevance and energy he radiated in his everyday life and interactions?
Unlike the Scribes who had become a professional class of scripture teachers, Jesus had not lost his passion for preaching or for living the Word of God, by ‘walking the talk’.
Our task as those who are entrusted with continuing Jesus mission is to incorporate what we have learned into the lives we live in service to others. This has truly been evident within our school and parish community in the last week through the wonderful response to the call to act in solidarity in order to support members within our community. I thank you all for this outpouring of generosity and compassion. Thank you for bringing authority to our motto to make Christ evident in our way and in our lives.
Tomorrow we have the opportunity to welcome all our new Kindergarten students and their families, as they officially commence ‘big school’ for the first time. As parents who have chosen a Catholic education we are reminded of our great responsibility as the first educators of our children. In making the choice to enrol our children in a Catholic school, we are intentionally choosing to seek the support of the parish and school community to fulfil our desire to pass on the great gift of faith to our children, so they too may be able to ‘teach with authority’. Our community is truly blessed by the presence and contributions of each and every member, both those returning, as well as those starting afresh. We look forward to getting to know all the new members of our community as we begin our 2021 journey of growth in faith and learning together at Mary Immaculate.
As we begin this year, we should do so with an alertness for the promptings of the Holy Spirit to make Christ truly evident in the everyday actions and interactions of our lives, so we too may be able to ‘teach with authority’.
Tina Murray
Principal
CENSUS DAY
Friday 19 February is School Census Day and our funding from the state government will depend on our student numbers enrolled on this day. As always, it is very important if your child is absent from school to send in a note or email explaining the absence.
PARENTS & FRIENDS ASSOCIATION,
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM)
Notice is given that the Parents and Friends (P&F) Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held via Zoom on Tuesday 23 February commencing at 7:00 pm.
The primary purpose of the P&F is to provide an opportunity for parents to be involved in the school through social events, fundraising and through support for school initiatives. Involvement in the P&F is a concrete way of fulfilling the commitment made during the enrolment process to support the school.
At the AGM all positions will be declared vacant and an election will take place. Please consider nominating for any of these positions. Information regarding each of the roles will be included with the newsletter and if you wish to nominate for any of these positions, please complete the nomination form and return it to the Front Office or hand it in at the Annual General Meeting. Please ensure email contact details are up to date as the Zoom link for the meeting will be communicated via email to all parents who have indicated they will be attending.
We look forward to welcoming as many parents as possible at this important meeting.
NATIONALLY CONSISTENT COLLECTION OF DATA
The Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD) takes place every year. The processes involved in the 2021 Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD) are currently underway at Mary Immaculate.
The NCCD is a collection that counts:
- the number of school students receiving an adjustment or ‘help’ due to disability
- the level of adjustment they are receiving to access education on the same basis as other students.
Students are counted in the NCCD if they receive ongoing adjustments at school due to disability. This ‘help’ allows them to access education on the same basis as a child without disability. The NCCD uses the definition of disability in the Disability Discrimination Act 1992. Schools provide this information to education authorities which assists governments to plan for the needs of students. It is also the way schools seek and receive funding to support the learning needs of students.
A national fact sheet about the NCCD for parents, guardians and carers in a variety of translations is available via the following link - https://www.nccd.edu.au/tools/fact-sheet-parents-guardians-and-carers
Further resources can be accessed via the following link
https://www.nccd.edu.au/for-parents-guardians-and-carers
SAFER INTERNET DAY
Did you know? Only 46% of Australian parents feel confident about dealing with the online risks their children face and 95% want more information about online safety.
eSafety resources can help you start the chat about being safer online, then keep building your family's digital skills throughout the year.
Launching on Safer Internet Day 2021 – Tuesday 9 February:
- eSafety's new research report Digital Lives of Aussie Teens.
- Our new webinar for parents and carers Cyberbullying and online drama. Limited spaces. Sign up now!
- Two new resources for 2 to 8 year-olds, the Swoosh, Glide and Rule Number 5 picture book and My Family Rules song by Lah-Lah.
TERM 1 SPORT / LIBRARY / MUSIC DAYS
(BEGINNING NEXT MONDAY 8 FEBRUARY 2021)
- MONDAY - YEAR 4 (WEEK 3 ONLY DUE TO THE SWIMMING CARNIVAL)
- TUESDAY - YEAR 3 & YEAR 6
- WEDNESDAY - KINDERGARTEN & YEAR 5
- THURSDAY - YEAR 1 & YEAR 2
- FRIDAY - YEAR 4 (FROM WEEK 4 TO WEEK 10)
P&F ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
ENROLMENTS FOR 2022
Applications for enrolment for Kindergarten 2022 at Mary Immaculate will now be accepted by the School Office. Enrolment applications can be downloaded from the school website www.mievdow.catholic.edu.au or alternatively, from the Catholic Education website www.dow.catholic.edu.au
Children are eligible for enrolment if they turn 5 before 31 July 2022.
Mary Immaculate is a fantastic community of learning. Parents please spread the word!
Happy Birthday to the following children who will be celebrating their birthday this week:The Kiss and Ride Zone is the area directly out the front of the School Office on Emerald Drive. It enables you to drop your child off SAFELY and QUICKLY.
To ensure the effectiveness of this area the following procedures need to be followed:
- Cars will proceed to the first 3 spaces of the Kiss and Ride Zone, closest to the School Office entrance.
- Only the first 3 cars will drop off children. All other cars will need to line up and wait until they reach this area to drop off their children.
- Adults need to remain in the car at all times. This means that children will need to have their school bags with them in the car, so that they are able to exit the car from the left hand side, onto the footpath.
- Cars will exit the Kiss and Ride Zone in the order that they entered.
- Do not leave earlier than the car in front and overtake them.If the Kiss and Ride Zone is full or you wish to get out of the car, please park in an area away from the Kiss and Ride Zone.
- Do not park or drop off in the Bus Zone.
- Do not double park.
- Do not make u-turns, they are dangerous and put everyone at risk.
The gate on Aquamarine Drive will also be opened in the mornings as an additional point of entry. The safety of all children is of the greatest importance at all times, so we ask for your patience and respect of others. We thank you for your co-operation in this matter.
MRS LILLIAN DEL GIUDICE
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
Reconciliation for 2020 Candidates - Important Reminder
Here are the Zoom Links for our Reconciliation meetings for the parents of children who are in the postponed group from 2020. The meetings will be held on Monday 15 February.
4:00pm https://dowcatholic.zoom.us/j/99883518243
6:30pm https://dowcatholic.zoom.us/j/93093870963
You can attend whichever of these meetings suits you best. There is no need to book in but you will need to have downloaded the Zoom app to your device prior to the 15 February if you have not already done so.
During this time we will be doing a brief revision of the 2020 program and explaining the arrangements for the reception of Reconciliation on either Monday 1 or Tuesday 2 March.
Kind regards
Anne Sheldrick on behalf of the Parish Sacramental Team
Holy Communion 2020 Candidates
Holy Communion will be celebrated on Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 March 2021. A zoom link will be forwarded to parents shortly for a final meeting to be held on the 22 / 23 February 2021.
Reminder of Dates for 2021 Sacraments
Important Sacrament Program Dates and Activities for 2021
Steps Required:
Confirmation: opens at 7pm Sunday 21 February (closes at 5pm Thursday 4 March) Reconciliation and First Communion: open at 6pm Monday 24 May (Close at 6pm Thursday 3 June)
Confirmation by 26 March Reconciliation and First Communion by Thursday 10 June
Session 1: Sunday 18 April 9.00am OR Tuesday 20 April 7.00pm Session 2: Saturday 24 April 9.00am OR Tuesday 27 April 7.00pm Session 3: Sunday 2 May 9.00am OR Tuesday 4 May 7.00pm Session 4: Sunday 9 May 9.00am OR Tuesday 11 May 7.00pm 7.00pm Practice: Wednesday 12 May 6.00pm or 7.30pm Reception of Confirmation: Wednesday 19 May 6.00pm or 7.30pm
Session 1: Sunday 11 July 9.00am OR Tuesday 13 July 6.00pm Session 2: Sunday 18 July 9.00am OR Tuesday 20 July 6.00pm Session 3: Sunday 25 July 9.00am OR Tuesday 27 July 6.00pm Session 4: Sunday 1 August 9.00am OR Tuesday 3 August 6.00pm
Reception of Reconciliation: Monday 9 August 6.00pm Tuesday 10 August 6pm
Session 1: Sunday 15 August 9.00am OR Tuesday 17 August 7.00pm Session 2: Sunday 22 August 9.00am OR Tuesday 24 August 7.00pm Session 3: Sunday 29 August 9.00am OR Tuesday 31 August 7.00pm Session 4: Sunday 5 September 9.00am OR Tuesday 7 September 7.00pm Practice: Thursday 9 September from 6.00pm to 7.30pm (Practice times will be staggered. You will be notified of your time) Reception of 1st Communion: Saturday 11 September 5.30pm, Sunday 12 September 8.30am, 10.00am, 5.30pm Saturday 18 September 5.30pm, Sunday 19 September 8.30am, 10.00am, 5.30pm |
Please phone the Parish Office on 02 4626 3055 if you require any further information.
Welcome back to Library for 2021, and a big welcome to our new students and their families. Library looks a little different this year, we are in a classroom while Year 6 is using the Library space. Our new space is looking good, and while we may not have all the books over here we certainly have enough for us to be able to do our borrowing. Library lessons will be fortnightly, coinciding with Sport and Creative Arts. The regular timetable starts next week, with Year 3 Tuesday, Year 5 Wednesday, and Year 2 Thursday. Friday odd weeks will normally be Year 4’s day. However, next week, because the Swimming Carnival is on Friday, Year 4 will have Library, Creative Arts and Sport on Monday.
For our Library lessons, the students need to bring a Library bag to carry home the books they borrow, they cannot borrow without a Library bag. If a student forgets to bring the Library bag on the day of the lesson, he / she can bring it in the following day and borrow then. The Library bag is important for transporting the books to and from school because it helps protect them while in the school bag. We regularly have books which have to be disposed because they get wet.
Premiers' Reading Challenge (PRC): Any students who would like to take part in the PRC for 2021 are encouraged to do so. All students from Years 3 - 6 will be registered, Year 2 students will complete the Challenge in class, and we ask parents of students in Kinder and Year 1 to please notify us in writing if your children would like to participate.
It is an easy challenge – students in Years 3 - 6 only need to read 20 books from the PRC list, and students in K,1 and 2 are required to read 30. The booklists are found at https://products.schools.nsw.edu.au/prc/booklist/home.html
You can search our Library catalogue to see all the available books on the list – go to oliver.dow.catholic.edu.au/miev, and type ‘premier’ in the search box. You can then select the required level, either K -2, 3 - 4, or 5 - 6. We have until the end of August to complete the Challenge.
All those students who have participated in the PRC in previous years are able to use the same User name and password to login this year, but you cannot login until registration is completed in early March. Registration can only be done through the school. Thank you.
Scholastic Book Club: The brochures have been sent home this week, ordering is available online as indicated on the brochures, using the LOOP system. 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 One, on Friday12 February. Orders are delivered to the school, and distributed to the students as soon as they arrive. Thank you.
Daily Reading: It is important to try to read with your children for at least ten minutes a day.
"Children are made readers on the laps of their parents."
Emilie Buchwald, Children's Author
Happy reading!
Mrs Susan Bryant - Teacher Librarian
SCHOOL BANKING WILL BEGIN NEXT WEDNESDAY
PLEASE ENSURE YOUR CHILD'S BANK BOOK IS SENT
IN FOR SCHOOL BANKING ON WEDNESDAY MORNING
