Volume 22, 24th July 2014

Congratulations to the netball and football teams who were runners up in the District grand finals last Friday against  St  Patrick’s  Mentone.  The  games  were well fought out with the teams being defeated by a few goals. Further information about the games and other sports events is at the end of this newsletter. Wonder of Living Family Enrichment Program This program focusses on empowering parents as the primary educators of their children in the area of sexuality education. We will be holding a Parent Only Information Evening on 15th October for all interested parents and Parent/Child sessions for Years 3/4 and 5/6 on October 22nd.

Years 3/4 session 6.30 – 7.30pm Years 5/6 session 7.45 – 9.00pm The Parent Only Information Session will give you the opportunity to

x find out about the Parent/Child sessions

x pre-view DVD content x ask questions x consider your child, sexuality and

values x get tips and encouragement and

find out about helpful resources

The purpose of the Parent/Child Sessions is to encourage good communication amongst families about these important topics. Even if you do not intend to bring your child to the family night, the Parent Information Night will be valuable for you as a parent to gain an understanding of the current issues in this area so that you are prepared for when you feel it is appropriate for discussion with your child or when questions are asked of you. More information will follow closer to the date. WALK-A-THON This was a great success with all the students and teachers getting into the spirit of the theme. Walk–a–thon money was due back by the 18th July. All the money is donated to the Cancer Council. A special thank you to the SRC for organising the day. We have raised $5,212 to be sent to the Cancer Council. NEWS FROM THE REC This term the Year 6’s   will   be   making  their Sacrament of Confirmation. The Bishop attends this night and it is a great celebration. All children will need to start working on their knowledge of Saints and families will need to start thinking about their banners in the church. All students

School Diary Dates 26 July - Confirmation Commitment Mass 6pm Monday 28th July and Thursday 31st July – Prep E Parent/teacher Interviews 1 August - EMA forms back Friday 8th August – Feast of Mary MacKillop Mass (9:15am) 12 August - CLOSURE DAY Friday 15th August – Feast of the Assumption Mass (9:15am) Tuesday 26th August – Confirmation Family Night (7pm) Friday 29th August – Inter-house Athletics Carnival Monday 1st September – Confirmation Reflection Day Wednesday 3rd September – Sacrament of Confirmation (7pm) Friday 5th September – Father’s  Day  Breakfast and stall Friday 19th September – Footy Day and last day of Term 3, 2.30 pm finish

ST.  MARK’S  KEYSTONE  FOR JULY  IS  “BE  POSITIVE”

can start returning their stoles to their classroom teachers. FOOD TECHNOLOGY See the end of the newsletter for this week’s   recipe   of  Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins. MATHLETICS AWARDS Congratulations to the following children who have been awarded Mathletics Certificates at assembly this week: Gold Certificate Awarded to students who have completed 20  weeks  of  consistent  ‘Mathletics’  work. Ryan Danzo, Kathryn Giantsos, Katie Sinlee, Edmund Chau, Scott Nguyen, Matthew Balogh, Ryan Dang, Rohil Kumar, Xavier Mauerhofer, Raymond Luu, Nicholas Farr, Jasmine Le, Bexley D’Rozario,   Ashley   Trinh,   Jade   Tran,   Ken  Chau,   Patrick   O’Brien,   Raymond Dang, Shawnee Balogh Gold Bar Certificate: For completing all their   tasks   in   ‘Mathletics’ - Alison Sinlee Prep K, Shreya Kumar Prep K Super Mathletes Award: For completing the most number of tasks set for the class -PREP K - 293 units of work completed by students in Prep K Prep   K   received   our   ‘Super   Mathletes’  trophy and a certificate. Well done to all the children and keep up the good work. Stay   tuned   for   details   about   our   ‘Live  Mathletics   AFL   challenge’   coming   up   in  August! CHILDREN’S   LITURGY  AT   ST  MARK’S  CHURCH Children’s   Liturgy   has   started   back   after  the school holidays. All school age children  are  welcome  to  attend  Children’s  Liturgy  at  St  Mark’s  Church  every  Sunday  at 9:30am. The children talk about the gospel of the day and complete a variety of fun activities. If any parents are interested   in   being   a   Children’s   Liturgy  Leader or assistant leader could they please email Andrew Davies at andrew@smdingley.catholic.edu.au SCHOLASTIC BOOK CLUB: Closing date for this issue is : Wednesday 30th July PARENTS ASSOCIATION NEWS ST   MARK’S   COMMUNITY   FETE will be held on 15th November this year. Our next fete meeting is Wednesday 30th July at 7.30pm in the staff room. All welcome.

Denise   D’Rozario is running a working bee to make Onion relish for the fete on Monday 28th July in her home at 1 Minjah Court Dingley starting at 10am. If you would like to assist, please call Denise on 0412837221. Only 1 person has responded so far so we would really like some assistance. Thank you. Well done to all who purchased wrist bands last term at $25. All orders now for bands will cost $30. Please send correct money in an envelope to the school office to have your orders processed. Advanced notice for our Fashion Parade this year. The date is SATURDAY 18th October.  Mark  your  diaries  and  don’t  miss  out. Last year was a sell out!! Our next PA meeting is on Tuesday 5th August at 7.30pm in the Parents Room. All most welcome.

SCHOOL FEES accounts will be sent home soon. Please check your account to ensure all payments have been recorded. We do have some direct debit payments that cannot be identified. School Fees can be paid by cash, cheque or internet banking into the school bank account (BSB 083 347, A/c 46545 3309) – please remember to include your name and account number). Should you be experiencing financial difficulties please contact Mrs Darvell (early in the year) to discuss this matter. All arrangements for those experiencing financial difficulties need to be discussed annually. On Tuesday 6th May a parent paid school fees by EFTPOS at the office. We have not recorded the name of the family. If you paid school fees at the office by EFTPOS on that day could you please contact the office with your receipt so we can allocate the amount to school fees.

XTREME AIR TUESDAY 12TH AUGUST 2014 SCHOOL CLOSURE DAY The Parents Association is holding a fundraising event on the day at XtremeAir – trampoline park - on this day. Cost is $16.50 with $5 to be donated back to the school. If you are interested please see the form at the back of this Newsletter and return to the school by 7th August next week.

TUCKSHOP Next   Tuesday’s   special   is Sushi. Order forms were sent home earlier this week. ALL orders must be back by this Friday, 25th July by 3pm. UNIFORM SHOP is open Wednesday mornings 9 – 9.30 am. Order forms are available from the school office and website. They can be left at the office to be completed on Wednesdays after 9.30 am. If you wish to discuss sizes please come at 9am. STUDENT SCHOOL BANKING Bendigo Bank is every Tuesday and CDF is every Friday. CDF application forms are also available from the school office. BUDDIES OF THE WEEK: This week’s buddies of the week are: Holly and Blainee. Holly and Blainee were over the moon when they found out they were buddies. Holly and Blainee are so alike! They both love the colour pink and love having each other for buddies.   Holly’s   favourite food is McDonald’s   and Blainee loves the ice-cream from McDonald’s. Holly and Blainee both enjoy dancing and playing with their friends. Holly likes to play netball with her friends and Blainee likes to play on the playground. Holly barracks for St. Kilda and Blainee barracks for Richmond. When these teams play against each other it’s a head on clash between the buddies!

We also have Emily & Vanessa. Emily and Vanessa are probably the most enthusiastic pair you could think of! They are the perfect buddies! Emily and Vanessa

both love the colour pink and animals. When Vanessa gets home from school she likes to put her feet up and have a nanna nap and Emily spends her spare time skating. Vanessa has learnt that Emily has pet rabbits and thinks that they are so cute! Emily has learnt that Vanessa loves eating popcorn because it’s  her  favourite  food.

Our third Buddies of the Week are: Blair and Christopher. Blair and Christopher are the craziest buddies you will ever meet! They are the best of friends. Blair and Chris both love the colours blue and red. Blair loves pasta and Chris stays healthy by eating strawberries. Blair and Chris are footy lovers! Blair barracks for the Sydney swans and Chris barracks for Carlton. When these teams battle it out against each other - it’s  a  huge  competition  between   the   two.  Blair   and   Chris   love   being   each   other’s  buddies and they are excited to spend the rest of the year with each other! EDUCATION MAINTENANCE ALLOWANCE (EMA) If you have a current Centrelink pension, allowance or benefit within the meaning of the State Concessions Act 2004 and HAVE NOT completed a form during Term 1, applications are now available for Semester 2 EMA. Applications must be returned to the school by 30th July 2014. All applications must be accompanied by a copy of the relevant signed Centrelink card. Late applications cannot be accepted. CAMP AUSTRALIA As the Commonwealth Games are now upon us, we at “Out of School Care” will be focusing on different sports associated with the Games. We will be doing art and craft, games and just having lots of fun. Also we will be watching out for Luke Wadsworth – Australian men’s Gymnastics (good friend of Carm – tuckshop). Over the next 2 weeks our aim is to teach the children all about team work and achieving their best and having fun at the same time. Go Aussies, Clint & Team. All enquiries Clint – 0423 793 677 GUITAR & UKULELE ENROLMENTS NOW BEING TAKEN FOR TERM 3 Enrolments are now being taken for guitar & ukulele tuition in term 3. Tuition is available for students in grades 2-6. Children learn in a small group situation (maximum 4 per group) and lessons are 30 minutes duration.

Information and enrolment forms can be downloaded from the school website, emailed directly or picked up from the school office. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. m: 0402 466 870 e: cathdowling@optusnet.com.au YEAR 7 2016 CATHOLIC SECONDARY COLLEGES – Enrolments Close 27th February 2015. Kilbreda College is currently taking enrolments for Year 7 2016. An enrolment information night will be held on 8 September at 7.30 in the Mary Dalton Hall. Attendance is a prerequisite for enrolment for Year 7 2016. College tours are available weekly. Please check their website for times and dates. MENTONE CRICKET CLUB Junior Registration Evening Friday 8th August 6.00pm – 7.30pm Cricket Club / Football Club Pavilion, Remo St, Mentone Under   17’s,   Under   16’s,   Under   14’s,  Under   12’s,   Rookies   and   Milo   in2cricket  levels all catered for Junior Membership - $130 Milo in2cricket - $75 (10 sessions) Payment by cash, cheque or EFTPOS available • All games played in local area • Excellent coaching and development program • Boys and girls most welcome • Associated with the South East Cricket Association (SECA) All enquiries: Gemma Duffy 0411 143 882 or duffgem@optusnet.com.au Thought for the week: Think twice before you speak and then say it to yourself. (Elbert Hubbard) Regards Debbie Darvell

2014 “Be Positive”

Prep E

Seth Francis for always believing in himself and having a go!

Prep K Isabelle Danzo for always interacting with her classmates in a positive and

friendly manner. Prep T

Josephine Carnibella for encouraging others with positive feedback and

suggesting other ideas. 1/2C

Grace Hong for tackling her school tasks with a positive attitude. Well done

Grace! 1/2D

Joseph Morrissey for his enthusiasm during serial reading. Thank-you for

lending us your copy of the book. 1/2F

Hayley Trinh for actively participating in our class discussions during reading

time. 1/2P

Joel Vydelingum for always having such a positive outlook on life. Keep on

smiling Joel- 1/2R

Zoe McDonnell for the positive attitude she has towards her learning. Well done

Zoe! 1/2SC

Ryan Haskins for always having a positive and enthusiastic attitude

towards all tasks. 3/4AM

Cooper Topham for the positivity and independence with which he is working

towards his learning goals. 3/4AS

Charlotte Marchese for embracing all learning challenges with a positive

attitude! 3 /4 KR

Cailanni Sollis for the positive approach she takes to all work tasks.

3 /4 PM

Rivali Brown for coming to class every day with a big smile and positive

attitude to match. Well done Rivali! 3 /4U

Luke Groves for always having a positive attitude towards his peers in the

classroom.

5/6D Bailey Lawson for always being co-

operative and staying on tasks during lessons.

5/6N Benjamin Nguyen for the positive manner in which he responds to

feedback. 5/6P

Jackson Stent for putting in so much effort in writing his Pentecost descriptive

piece. 5/6 R

Madison Bakker for making an improved effort to develop her interpersonal skills.

5 /6 S Jack Lalor for the positive attitude which

you bring to 5/6S. Keep it up Jack!

FOOD TECHNOLOGY

LEMON POPPY SEED MUFFINS Ingredients:

x 1 ¾ cups self raising flour x 1 teaspoon baking powder x ½ cup caster sugar x 1 tablespoon poppy seeds x 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon

rind x 60gms butter (melted) x 1 cup (250ml) reduced fat milk x 1 egg lightly beaten x 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200 Celsius. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper cases.

2. Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl. Mix in sugar, poppy seeds and lemon rind.

3. In another bowl, combine the melted butter, milk, egg and lemon juice. Combine this with the dry mixture and mix until JUST combined, no more than 16 stirs! Spoon mixture into prepared tins.

4. Bake for 10-15 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the muffin comes out cleanly.

HINT: It is very important not to over mix this type of muffin: even though the mixture will appear incompletely mixed, do not be tempted to continue mixing or the muffins will be tough. A ‘cauliflower’‛ appearance on the top of the muffin will indicate a light textured, tender interior.

Helping kids make sense of the MH 17 air disaster

Reports of the recent shooting down of Flight MH17 over Ukraine air space has saturated newspapers, television and the Internet for the last week. The events were shocking and many of the images shown on our television screens have been quite confronting. Worldwide outrage has been the result. But what about the impact of the event and the subsequent media coverage on children and young people? As adults we all want our children to live carefree lives and keep them from the pain and even  horror  of  such  tragedies  and  natural  disasters.  In  reality  we  can’t  do  this. So what is a parent, teacher, or other caring adult to do when such events fill the airwaves and the consciousness of society? Here are some ideas: 1. Reassure children that they are safe. The consistency of the images can be frightening for   young   children   who   don’t   understand   the notion of distance and have difficulty distinguishing between reality and fiction. Let them know that while this event is indeed happening it will not affect them directly. 2. Explain what happened. Sounds  obvious  but   it’s   important  not   to  simply  assume   that children  and  young  people  understand  what’s  happened.  Be  calm  and  stick  the  facts,  using  a map to show older children where it happened. 3. Be available. Let kids know that it is okay to talk about the unpleasant events. Listen to what they think and feel. By listening, you can find out if they have misunderstandings, and you can learn more about the support that they need. You do not need to explain more than they are ready to hear, but be willing to answer their questions. 4. Help children process what they see and hear, particularly through television. Children are good observers but can be poor interpreters of events that are out of their level of understanding. 5.   Support   children’s   concerns   for   others.   They   may   have   genuine   concerns   for   the  suffering that will occur and they may need an outlet for those concerns. It is heartwarming to see this empathy in children for the concerns of others. 6. Let them explore feelings beyond fear. Many children may feel sad or even angry with these events so let them express the full range of emotions. 7. Avoid keeping the television on all the time. The visual nature of the media means that images are repeated over and over, which can be both distressing to some and desensitizing to others. 8. Be aware of your own actions. Children will take their cues from you and if they see you focusing on it in an unhealthy way then they will focus on it too. Let them know that it is happening but it should not dominate their lives. Children’s  worlds  can  be  affected  in  ways  that  we  can’t  even  conceive  of  so  adults  need  to  be  both  sensitive   to  children’s  needs  and  mindful  of  what   they  say  and  how   they  act   in  front of children. In difficult times, it is worth remembering what adults and children need most are each other.

on school closure day tuesday 12th august join us at

1 Five ways blv Keysborough 3173 Sessions at 10am -11 or 11am –12

All Tickets $16.50 includes socks

$5.00 donated back to the school! ------------------------------------------ Extreme Air Reply Slip Name: _________________________________ Phone: __________________ No of Tickets for: ______ 10am or ______11am. Total enclosed $______________ Or Credit Card no: __________________________ Expiry: ____________ CCV: ________________ Signature: _________________________________ Inquiries: Maree Magagna 0418 306 190

FOOTY GRAND FINAL FOOTBALL

fundraiser event

On the 18th of July our football A team competed in the grand final against St Pats. Our side was wanting the game to start but the excitement was really tested when St.Pats came out and kicked 3 goals in the first quarter and we also had a shaky start. At quarter time we were 3 goals down. St.Marks came out in the 2nd quarter and booted 3 goals with total domination but in the dying seconds they were able to get 2 really quick goals which meant at Half time we were down by 11 points. In the second half St.Pats came out with their big guns booting a couple of goals which meant we had to respond with  4  goals  in  the  final  quarter.  Who  will  win……?? St.Marks needed everything to go right from there and they came out with some intent wanting to win the game and they started their surge home in the last. Due to inaccurate kicking we lost by 18 points. The final scores were St.Pats 6.12.48 defeated St.Marks 3.12.30 MVP- Michael Lewis (VIC performer) He was a standout on the day and kicked 1 goal in the second quarter.

Pictures provided by Cooper Clohesy Netball Girls Grand Final On the 18th of July our netball A team played in the grand final against St.Patricks. We were lucky enough to have a home grand final, St.Patricks came at 11:40 ready to play. It was a tough game but everyone tried their best and never gave up. We played 4 quarters for 12 minutes. In the first quarter it was close but we were up by two points. In the next quarter they got in front by quite a few goals. The third quarter was back to being close but they still held their lead. The last quarter was tough and we all played great but unfortunately they held their lead to the end. The final score was 15-21 and sadly we lost. It was still a great game and everyone tried their bests. By Kate and Jade

Netball- Mixed Team On the 18th of July the mixed netball team played their finals. We  played  against  St.  Pat’s  Primary School. The scores eventually were St. Marks 11 and St. Pats 14. We played our hardest through the whole game and it was really goal for goal however unfortunately we lost by 3 goals. The MVP for forward was Kaitlyn Mckenzie and for the defence was Daniel Muscat. Well done and thankyou to everyone who participated in the mixed netball and thank you to Daniel Muscat and Caleb Losordo for filling in on this day.

Soccer Girls Gala Day On Wednesday 23rd July 27 year 5 and 6 girls went to Parkdale Secondary College to play in the Mordialloc District Girls Soccer Gala Day. They were placed into an A and B side with the girls scheduled to play each other in the first game. After a good early tussle the A side took control of the game, having a couple of experienced soccer players in that team it put them in good stead winning the game 4-0. The day continued on well with the girls playing 6 games throughout, the A team not allowing the opposition to score throughout the day while scoring 20 goals. It was an amazingly even team performance, however special mention should go to both Rianna (competition MVP for the day) and Phoebe Tann who showed their soccer prowess, with many others improving throughout the day to become accomplished players, some of whom are thinking of now joining soccer teams outside of school.

Our proud Grand Final winning Team! Rianna Tann receiving the MVP award! Back: Jim Kourtis (coach), Phoebe, Kaitlyn, Charlize, Eleni, Anais, Abby, Jade B Front: Ebony, Emily, Natalie, Rianna, Kate, Jade F The B team after starting with a tough defeat against the A girls, they then had a scoreless draw, followed by a 1-1 draw against Parktone and Kingswood B. Then they had a closely fought game against St  Brigid’s  losing  1-0. It was then time to start attacking more, resulting in 2 wins in a row, beating Kingswood A (2-1)  and  then  St  Brigid’s  in  the  playoff  final  for  5th  and  6th  place  also  (2-1). It was amazing to see these girls also work so hard, continually running to create exciting games of soccer.

A very exhausted bunch of girls in the B team Back: (Coach) Pranka, Stefanie, Sameeksha, Alannah, Emily T, Maddy, Alyssa, Rachael, Rosina, Jade T, Holly and (assistant coach) Vivian. Front: Nicola, Cassiebelle, Kimberly, Sarah P Both teams should be very proud of their performances, showing fantastic determination to improve their skills, along with showing great sportsmanship! The A team now goes onto the Division playoff next Tuesday, we wish them all the best! Luke Wadsworth- Gymnastics- Commonwealth Games Commonwealth  Games  representative  Luke  Wadsworth,  who  has  previously  visited  St  Mark’s  for  demonstrations, will be performing at the following times on Ch 1: INDICATIVE TIMES ONLY Mon 28th July- Qualifying, between 1.30 and 4pm and 7-9.30pm Tuesday 29th July- Finals, between 4.30 and 7.30pm. Luke is a personal friend of Carmel Ahern (canteen Carmel). We wish him all the best for his competition.

Division Sport Finals- Next Week We wish the following  competitors  all  the  best  for  next  week’s  finals. Girls Soccer- Tuesday 29th July Mixed T-ball - Wednesday 30th July Girls AFL- Thursday 31st July Keep  up  the  amazing  performances  children,  you  are  making  all  of  the  St  Mark’s  community  very  proud. Sports Tops A reminder to students from the Boys AFL year 5-6 teams and soccer YEar 5-6 Green team to have their tops returned A.s.a.p. Running Club Congratulations to those students who have attended running club over the first couple of weeks this term. it is fantastic to see your determination in improving your fitness levels. The cross country captains would love to see more children there over the next  couple  of  weeks,  as  I  know  St  Mark’s  children  said  that  they  want  to  be  a  contender  for  the  ‘District  Cross  Country  next  Year!’.  This  means  we  need people to train hard to achieve this goal. Hope to see many children out there next week for running club. Year 3-4 Netball Wow,  it’s  been  fantastic  to  see  the  amount  of  Year  3-4 children getting involved with the lunch time netball  competition  on  Tuesday’s  and  Thursday’s.  It  is  amazing  the  improvement  in  their  skills  already.  Let’s  keep  up  the  great  work children! Year 1-2 Soccer It’s  been  great  to  see  all  the  children  involved  in  world  cup  fever,  with  many  soccer  games  being  played.  Competitions have been organised by year 5-6 children, with umpires and coaches trying to educate children on the sports. Keep it up children. AFL Tickets- Mr Snell has 30 tickets available for the following upcoming match: 10th August- St Kilda v Western Bulldogs at 3-20 at Etihad Stadium. Please email Mr Snell on vsnell@smdingley.catholic.edu.au if  you’d  like  some  tickets.  Maximum  of  6  tickets per family at this stage.