SAINT MARY MACKILLOP Primary School Keilor Downs

27th March 2012

No 7

Email: office@mmkeilordowns.catholic.edu.au Tel: 9367 6199 www.mmkeilordowns.catholic.edu.au123

e-NEWS

From the Principal Dear Community,

In the Newsletter

Farewell Sarah Taylor

Car Park Update

Parents Association

Learning & Teaching

News

Phys. Ed Bulletin

Holy Week Mass Times

Individual Highlights

Inside Story 2

Inside Story 3

Inside Story 4

Inside Story 5

Inside Story 6

Inside Story 7

Last Story 8

Trust in God

As we move towards the end of our first school term this year, more importantly we move into Holy Week. This week is perhaps the most important week in the Church’s year.

It is week where we are invited to reflect upon Jesus’ passion and death and draw parallels with the great mystery of life, which speaks of dying to rising.

It is a week where we celebrate the great gift of the Eucharist on Holy Thursday. It is through this gift that we experience the Body of Christ which brings us connection and ultimately inner peace, as we recognise the Eucharist to truly be the sustaining ‘Bread of Life.’ During Holy Week, we face life’s dark side in ourselves and in our world. We need images of hope, as offered by Jesus in his journey to the cross and in his resurrection from the dead, celebrated on Easter Sunday. By taking up the invitation to reflect during Holy Week, we touch the pain, desolation and courage of Jesus; and in reflecting upon our own pain, we learn to place our trust in God, who in Jesus transforms death to life.

Each of us in our own way, experiences the pain of the human condition. Mary MacKillop experienced such pain during her life; yet Mary found strength and meaning in the cross of Jesus.

So let’s take up the offer next week to reflect on the experience of Holy Week and take strength in the fact that our faith holds us together, connects us to Jesus Christ and further connects us to each other. And I firmly believe that it is in this connection that we find life! You will find the times for services in our parish attached and on our website.

Have a safe holiday everyone.

Anthony McCluskey Principal

The wisdom of

St. Mary MacKillop

“No duty is too

small to be done

well”

26.04.1873

IMPORTANT DATES

An Last Day Term One

– Students Dismissed

at 1:00pm

Friday 30 March

School Resumes for

Term Two at 9:00am

Monday 16 April

ST MARY MACKILLOP PRIMARY SCHOOL NEWSLETTER NO 7 TUESDAY 27TH MARCH 2012 PAGE 2

From the Principal continued

HOUSE TEAMS We are re-introducing House Colour Teams at SMMPS. We are doing so to further enhance the spirit of community and connectedness within our school and to build school spirit.

We have named the teams after prominent people in the life of St Mary MacKillop. In this way we further immerse the children in the life of St Mary MacKillop, our patron saint.

We have elected House Captains from the Year 6 class to lead the teams and to promote their function and place in our school.

Congratulations to the following children who have been elected as House Captains and who were inducted at Monday’s Assembly:

Green -WOODS Named after Julian Tenison-Woods, co-founder of the Josephite Sisters with Mary MacKillop.

Adam Tieppo

Emily Haber

Yellow - ALEXANDER Named after Alexander MacKillop, Mary MacKillop’s father.

Harrison Theisinger

Georgia Vassolo

Red - MACDONALD Named after Flora MacDonald, Mary MacKillop’s mother.

Jack Bozinovski

Lauren Vella

Blue - GEOGHEGAN Named after Fr. Patrick Geoghegan who baptised Mary MacKillop on 28 January 1842 and was Victoria’s first Priest.

Brayden Attard

Mikaela Jurcic

We look forward to reviving team spirit in our school under these children’s leadership.

FAREWELL

We farewell Ms. Sarah Taylor (2006-2012), who

has resigned from her teaching position at SMMPS.

We thank Sarah for her contribution to the life of SMMPS and wish her all the very best in her future

endeavours.

Sarah will be leaving at the end of this term.

Parents of children in Year 2 Green should have

received notice regarding Sarah’s resignation and

Sarah’s replacement, who we welcome next term.

PARKING, PEDESTRIANS and the SCHOOL CROSSING Thank you to the families who are choosing to park

in neighbouring streets and walk their children into

school. This choice is certainly relieving some of

the congestion in the carpark.

I do ask that you continue to be careful when

driving in the school car parks, when parking and

when dropping off and picking up your children.

You might say, “It’s only common sense”, but I am

amazed at how many drivers lack this common

sense and selfishly put themselves or their children

first.

WE ARE ALL RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SAFETY OF

EVERY CHILD and ADULT in our school

community.

Please consider this fact when you are using the

school car parks.

The Crossing Supervisors have asked me to remind

you that all children and families are expected to

use the manned crossings on Odessa Avenue and

Sunshine Avenue. All too often the supervisors

notice parents and children running across

Sunshine Avenue to avoid walking a few extra

metres!

Need I remind everyone how dangerous this

practice is to your safety and the safety of your

children. Please be responsible and set a good

example to your children!

ST MARY MACKILLOP PRIMARY SCHOOL NEWSLETTER NO 7 TUESDAY 27TH MARCH 2012 PAGE 3

Learning and Teaching News Parents as Partners in Learning - Helping out in the Classroom: Expectations and Legal Requirements

Thank you to all of the parents who attended this information session last Thursday. Jennie Monaghan facilitated a very informative session, which outlined the roles and expectations of parent helpers in the classroom. This session included discussion around some of the challenges that may arise when helping out in the classroom and the importance of confidentiality when working with students. A list of parents who attended the session has been made available to teachers. If you attended the session and have presented your “Working With Children” certificate to the office, you are now able to negotiate helping in the classroom with your child’s class teacher. For people who registered for last week’s session, but were unable to attend, we are currently planning a date for a repeat session next term. I remind you, that if you have not previously attended the SMMPS Parent Helper Course (between 2008 and 2011), you will need to attend “Helping out in the Classroom: Expectations and Legal Requirements” before you are able to work in your child’s classroom. We look forward to working with you in Term 2. Working together, we can achieve great things,

Catherine Meakin Deputy Principal – Learning and Teaching

Phys Ed Bulletin Interschool Sport results from last week’s games against Emmaus are: Football Won, Open Soccer drew, Girls Soccer won, Open Netball won, Girls Netball drew, Open Volleyball won, Girls Volleyball lost.

This week’s round is against Keilor Views P.S. Football and Soccer will be played at Green Gully Reserve, Netball and Volleyball will be played at Keilor Views.

This week we are fortunate enough to celebrate the achievements of several of our students at the recent District and Regional Swimming Carnivals. A team of students from our school travelled to the St Albans Leisure Centre to compete in the Sydenham District Swimming Carnival. All of our students swam fantastically, and competed to the best of their ability.

We managed to achieve a result of fourth overall, which is a great improvement on previous years.

The following students were successful in their respective events and were invited to compete at the next level.

Congratulations to: Maddison Cottle: Freestyle, Breaststroke, Relay & Medley Relay Jack Gusman: Butterfly & Breaststroke Lauren Vella: Relay & Medley Relay Camilla Marinelli: Relay & Medley Relay Chontai Mifsud: Relay & Medley Relay

Special mention to Maddison Cottle who managed to win her freestyle event at the Regional Carnival. This meant she was invited to swim at the qualifying round for the Victorian Swim Championships. Here she placed 5th, which is an amazing achievement. Great Job Maddi, and the rest of our swimmers.

Parents Association

EASTER DONATIONS

The PA seek donations to go towards the Eater Raffle. If each family could donate at least ONE item, we would be able to put together an abundant amount of prizes. We would appreciate anything NEW related to Easter, such as books, baskets, bunnies, chocolates, etc. Please send donations to the school office. Thank you to all the families who have already donated.

Raffle tickets will be drawn THIS THURSDAY 29th March. Winners will be notified via their classrooms. Good luck everyone!!

OLD MOBILE PHONES

Do you have an old mobile phone in a drawer you are no longer using? Perhaps you have one in your car that doesn’t work?

The “You Can School Program” is giving St. Mary Mackillop families the opportunity to not only dispose of our old mobile phones, help young Australians survive cancer and contribute to a greener planet, we are also given the opportunity to receive some amazing educational products.

So dig out that old mobile (it doesn’t have to be working) and drop it into the box provided in the office foyer. The more phones we receive, the more education school products we get!

THANK YOU

The PA would like to thank all the families who have participated with Fundraising this term. We hope you enjoy the Easter break and look forward to working with you in raising funds for the ongoing development of our school.

ST MARY MACKILLOP PRIMARY SCHOOL NEWSLETTER NO 7 TUESDAY 27TH MARCH 2012 PAGE 4

St Mary MacKillop House Captains 2012

Mr Anthony McCluskey, Principal and Mr Jason Maxwell pictured with the 2012 St Mary MacKillop House Captains

ST MARY MACKILLOP PRIMARY SCHOOL NEWSLETTER NO 7 TUESDAY 27TH MARCH 2012 PAGE 5

St Mary of the Assumption Parish - 2012 Easter Timetable

PALM SUNDAY – 31st March/1st April

Saturday 10-11:00am Confessions – Maltese & English - St Paul’s 5:00pm Solemn Mass - St Mary MacKillop 6:30pm Mass - St Paul’s

Sunday 8:00am Mass- (Maltese) - St Paul’s 9:00am Mass - St Mary MacKillop 10:00am Mass - St Paul’s 11:00am Mass - St Mary MacKillop 5:30pm Mass - St Mary MacKillop

MONDAY OF HOLY WEEK - 2nd April

9:30am Mass - St Mary MacKillop 10 -11:00am Confessions – St. Mary MacKillop 7- -8:00pm Confessions – St. Paul's

TUESDAY OF HOLY WEEK - 3rd April

11:00am Chrism Mass - St Patrick’s Cathedral 7 - 8:00pm Confessions – St. Paul’s

WEDNESDAY OF HOLY WEEK - 4th April

9:30am Mass - St Paul’s 10 -11:00am Confessions–St Paul’s 7 - 8:00pm Confessions – St. Mary MacKillop

HOLY THURSDAY - 5th April

NO MORNING MASS

11 - 12:00pm Confession-St Paul’s 5:30pm Mass of the Lord’s Supper St Paul’s 7:30pm Mass of the Lord’s Supper St Mary MacKillop

followed by Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament until Midnight.

GOOD FRIDAY - 6th April

9:30am The Way of the Cross - St Mary MacKillop 10:30-12:00pm Confession-St Mary MacKillop 3:00pm Solemn Liturgy Of The Passion St Paul’s, Sunshine Avenue 3:00pm Solemn Liturgy Of The Passion St Mary MacKillop

HOLY SATURDAY - 7th April

11 -1pm Confessions-St Paul’s 8:00pm Easter Vigil - St Mary MacKillop

EASTER SUNDAY - 8th April

8:00am Mass – Maltese - St Paul’s 9:00am Mass - St Mary MacKillop 10:00am Mass - St Paul’s 11:00am Mass – St Mary MacKillop 5:30pm Mass – St Mary MacKillop

EASTER MONDAY- 9th April

NO MASS

EASTER TUESDAY – 10th April

NO MASS

EASTER WEDNESDAY – 11th April

9:30am Mass – St Paul’s

EASTER THURSDAY – 12th April

9:30am Mass – St Paul’s

EASTER FRIDAY – 13th April

9:30am Mass – St Mary MacKillop