20 September Newsletter 2022

Week Ten Term Three

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Dear Parents and Carers,

Over the past three terms what growth we have witnessed in our children! How quickly they seem to be developing and maturing. As the year reaches its final stage, it is appropriate to perhaps take a pause and have a quiet think about our role as the most important persons in the lives of our children.

Time management experts tell us that, if we are to wish to achieve the maximum benefit from the way in which we use our time, we need to have a strong element of forward planning such as a schedule or checklist. Also, they suggest, that at the end of the time period, the plan should be appraised to see how successful it has been in areas noted for improvement.

Maybe it could be of some benefit to us, if we had a checklist directed towards our role as parents. We can cast an eye over the list and take encouragement from our successes and perhaps on the occasion admit, “Yes, I need to do something about this one.” Anyway, see how you go:

Fortunate is the Child who has someone who believes in them and has high hopes for them.

Fortunate is the Child who has someone to whom they can carry their problems unafraid.

· Fortunate is the Child who is allowed to pursue their curiosity into every worthwhile field of information.

· Fortunate is the Child who has someone who understands that childhood’s grievances are real and bitter and so call for understanding and sympathy.

Fortunate is the Child who is led gently by the hand along the pathway of life by someone who is guide, companion and inspiration.

· Fortunate is the Child whose love of the true and beautiful and the good has been nourished through the years.

· Fortunate is the Child whose efforts to achieve have found encouragement.

Fortunate is the Child who has learned freedom from selfishness through responsibility and cooperation.

· Fortunate is the Child who is encouraged to look beyond the material things in life, to see the spiritual strand which adds external meaning to reality #MakingADiferenceEveryday

Well, how did you make out? If you got a perfect score, you get the ‘golden ticket’! If you are like the rest of us, then I guess we might try and pick up on a point or two during the last term of the year.

“Lord,

Parenthood is a very responsible role I share with you as co-creator of my children. Help me to remember the preciousness of this role that has been given to me. Help me realise how fortunate I am to have you as my unseen partner.”

Amen.

Announcement

Tomorrow, a letter will be sent to all families announcing the Principal of Mel Maria Catholic Primary School commencing 1 January 2023. This will be sent out on Seesaw and email(?)

End of Term

It is appropriate to thank a number of people for their efforts and contributions over the past ten weeks. The teachers, support staff, education assistance, office staff and groundsmen of this school are most professional and generous in the assistance and education they provide each of the students within their care. There are quite a few sacrifices made by staff (and the school as a whole) each term, to ensure that we provide each year level with the necessary support to assist in each child’s learning development.

Much has been accomplished in a rather busy Term Three. It is most gratifying to see the achievements of all our students over the term. The students have worked productively in class, to produce some quality work and pleasing results. The ‘Open Night’ was testament to this. Well done to you all.

Mel Maria Open Night

Theme: ‘Curious Minds that Create, Collaborate, Challenge and Celebrate’

It was wonderful to see our families (as well as many new families wishing to enrol their child/ren into Mel Maria CPS) gather last Wednesday evening as the children shared their learning with their parents.

The Open Night provides an opportunity for parents, children and the school to come together to support, share and celebrate each child’s learning. It was fantastic to hear the students share their learning, knowledge, interests, and abilities with their parents. The children felt really feel proud of the work that they displayed, as I am sure Mums and Dads feel the same way. Many thanks to the entire staff of Mel Maria CPS who worked extremely hard over the past couple of weeks to ensure the night was a success. Well done to all involved.

Mel Maria 2023

The next phase of the process is to work with ‘imageseven’ who provide specialist suport to the education sector and have supported many Catholic school communities with community consultation and engagement.

Mel Maria staff are dedicated to delivering Mel Maria’s vision of ‘Excellence in Primary Catholic Education’ and there has been strong recognition of the new model amongst school staff. Staff consider the Positive learning environment offered at Mel Maria as the School's top strength, followed by the Caring school community, which echoes parent sentiment.

We look forward to bringing the vision for the future of the school to life with you and assure you that student outcomes together with the wellbeing of the families and students in our care remain our primary focus. More information can be found on page 11.

Reconciliation

We keep in our prayers this week our Year 3 students from both campuses as they prepare to receive the Sacrament of Penance (Reconciliation) tomorrow. This is a very important time in their lives, and I know the students are indeed looking forward to taking this next step in the sacramental journey. Many thanks to the Parish catechetical team and our Year Three Teachers, Mrs Tia Horsley, Mr Tim Neill, Mrs Louise Robinson and Miss Jane Sparrow for assisting in their preparation.

Tournament of Minds

Congratulations to our TOMs Team who represented Mel Maria Catholic Primary School in the State Finals of the Tournament of Minds at Edith Cowan University (Joondalup) on Saturday.

The students did an OUTSTANDING job and represented the school extremely well. I was very proud of them all.

I wanted to extend my sincere gratitude and thanks to Ms Teresa Marra, who has worked extremely hard with the students over the term and was with the children all day Saturday (7.30am – 7pm).

Thank you also to the parents who came along to support the students.

Speak- Up Awards

Congratulations Luca Wilson who represented the school in the State Finals of the SpeakUp Awards. Luca spoke very confidently, capturing the attention of the audience with his speech on “False Marketing”. Many Thanks to Mrs Lisa Yensch, who once again coordinated this extra-curricular activity for Mel Maria CPS. Thank You also to Miss Stephanie Figueira came along to support Luca on Friday evening.

Faction Carnival

We congratulate all competitors for their efforts at the annual the Annual Athletic Carnival. A BIG THANK YOU to Mr David John and Mr Damian Williams for organising all the events, running the various trials and coordinating the carnival. It is a HUGE Job.

Thank you to all staff for your amazing 'behind the scenes' work at the Carnival. The setting up early the morning, scoring, marshalling, packing/unpacking and crowd control was very much appreciated and made for a smooth carnival. We are very lucky to have such an amazing and supportive staff. We are also very grateful to the parents who assisted on the day, either marshalling, judging, distributing ribbons etc. Without this assistance we could not run the carnival. Thank you once again to our P&F Association for the morning teas and lunches provided. It was a great day and I congratulate the winning faction in Blue. Well Done!

School Uniform

Next term, our students move into their Summer Uniform. As is always the case, the students will have a two-week transition from their winter to the summer uniform. I remind all parents about the standard of uniform we expect at Mel Maria CPS. Included in this expectation is ensuring that our children have appropriate hair styles. Please refer to the Uniform Policy on our school website for further information.

From My Readings . . .

Parenting Ideas Holiday Survival Guide

Holidays are about kicking your feet up, relaxing and getting away from the usual routines. That’s how kids see holidays.

Holiday time can be stressful for many parents. Keeping kids busy, avoiding arguments and getting time for yourself can be hard parenting work during holidays. But school holidays don’t have to be stressful. It’s a great opportunity to get your family back on track, build strong relationships and set the tone for a positive future. These ideas will help:

Establish a holiday routine

Some kids feel comfortable with the routines of school-life and can feel lost until the new holiday routine kicks in. Be patient with these routine-junkies! Also make sure you begin adjusting the routine as a return to school comes closer, so that the kids are prepared for going to bed and getting up at earlier.

Resist being an entertainment officer

While we want our kids to be occupied, it’s worthwhile remembering that kids also need some downtime. The opportunity to relax and unwind is a prerequisite for good mental health, so make sure the kids have an opportunity to take a break from the usual grind and become bored. “I’m bored” is an invitation for kids to keep themselves occupied rather than for you to keep them amused.

Arrange plenty of green-time, less screentime

Term 4 Calendar – Key Dates

The Term Four Calendar has been attached to this newsletter. It has been updated to reflect the term and the events scheduled.

Some important events take place in the first two weeks of the term.

These include:

• 10 October - Pupil Free

• 14 October SJP Eucharist Retreat

• 14 October P&F School Disco

• 18 October Track & Field Carnival

• 17 & 18 October - imageseven Community Workshops

It’s well documented that today’s children spend more time in front of screens, and less time outdoors. It’s no coincidence that this increase in the use of digital devices by kids has been accompanied by a spike in anxiety. Recent research shows how time spent in natural environments is refreshing, relaxing and rejuvenating. Science now supports what we’ve intuitively known. These holidays ensure both you and your family have less screen-time and more green-time.

Create one-on-one time

At Parenting Ideas, we believe that individual relationships are built through one-on-one interactions. If you’ve a child who is struggling or even annoying you a little, consider increasing the number of times you spend in each other’s company these holidays – doing something pleasant together. Just the two of you. It’s like money in the relationship bank account.

Team up with other families

Team up with other families and share the holiday load. You don’t have to holiday together to gain these benefits. Share the child minding with a friend or swap sleepovers where “you look after my kids and I’ll look after yours” for a night or two. This will give you a break while giving children a different family experience.

Prioritise parent education

Holidays and slow times provide a great chance for learning and making a fresh start in any part of your life, including parenting. If most of your recent parenting education has consisted of the learn-on-the-run kind, consider using the coming down time to gain some new skills and knowledge that will positively impact your future parenting. Watch a webinar recording, read a book, take a course. There are plenty of learning opportunities available for you. Just as big hinges swing big doors, sometimes small parenting changes and adjustments can have a massive impact on your parenting.

By Michael Grose.

Prayer for the Week

The Beatitudes of a Different Kind

Blessed are those who can laugh at themselves: They will have no end of fun.

Blessed are those who can tell a mountain from a molehill: They will be saved a lot of bother.

Blessed are those who know how to relax without looking for excuses: They are on the way to becoming wise.

Blessed are those who know when to be quiet and listen: They will learn a lot of new things.

Blessed are those sane enough not to take themselves too seriously: They will be valued by those about them. Happy are you if you can appreciate a smile and forget a frown: You will bring others to the sunny side of the street.

Happy are you if you can be kind in understanding the attitudes of others even when the signs are unfavourable: You may be taken for a fool, but this is the way of the Gospel.

Blessed are those who think before acting and pray before thinking: They will avoid many blunders.

Happy are you if you know how to hold your tongue and smile, even when people interrupt and contradict you: The Gospel has begun to seep into your heart.

Above all, Blessed are you who recognise the Lord in all whom you meet: The light of truth shines in your life for you have found true wisdom. Amen

Have a wonderful holiday everyone. Stay safe and I look forward to catching up with everyone in Term Four

Kind Regards

Paul Hille Principal

Young Vinnies arrives at Mel Maria

Year five students at Mel Maria welcomed Colin Krause from Young Vinnies. Colin gave a presentation about the role our Year five students can play in helping to make a difference to those in need.

Founded in Paris by Frederic Ozanam in 1833, the St Vincent de Paul Society was established by like-minded individuals who wanted to put their faith into action.

Frederic, along with his university colleagues, wanted to respond in a practical way to the hardship and poverty he was witnessing. He sought advice and support from Sister Rosalie Rendu, a nun who had herself devoted and established many charitable services to counter poverty, visiting people in their homes offering them friendship and support. She had taken vows to serve God and the poor and spent over 50 years living out those vows. She opened a free clinic, a pharmacy, a school, an orphanage, a childcare centre, a home for the elderly and a youth club for young workers.

For over 150 years, the St Vincent de Paul Society here in Western Australia continues with the same compassion and vision that our founder shared. These foundations of our committed and dedicated 3,700 members and volunteers, come from the belief in our mission, vision and values, working towards a more equal and just society to improve the lives of over 55,000 disadvantaged Western Australians every year.

Year five students will be installed as Young Vinnies members in term four and will receive Vinnies badges to remind them of their leadership potential in the lives of others. Their work and leadership with young Vinnies will continue into Year six and will extend their leadership experiences and contribution.

Head of Campus News

Joanne Scouler and Ros Nichols

Curious Minds - Create, Collaborate and Celebrate

At Mel Maria CPS we definitely have lots to celebrate! Our Open Night showcased the amazing learning that our students have been doing over the course of the term. Their enthusiasm and engagement in the process was contagious and the deep learning taking place across the curriculum was at a high.

Below is a video which captures the highlights of the night.

Mel Maria Discovery Sessions with Parents, facilitated by imageseven

The announcement made at the Community Evening was an opportunity for concerned parents to hear the many aspects of analysis and review that informed the decision regarding the new model for Mel Maria Catholic Primary School. While there are many complexities associated with ensuring good stewardship and the future sustainability of the school, the more important decisions have centred on Mel Maria continuing to provide the best and most appropriate learning environment for all students now and well into the future.

As we enter this exciting time for our School, we wish to ensure our parent community has an opportunity to participate in decision-making about the practical implications of the change. An integral part of this process is to engage with you as an important stakeholder of Mel Maria and your insights will provide us with invaluable information.

Many parents have already asked questions and provided feedback about what is important to their family through the hub, and these will inform the future engagement on matters that are significant to the school community.

Please ‘save the date’ in your diary for one of the following times on Monday 17th or Tuesday 18th of October, as the first of the Discovery Sessions with parents, facilitated by Imageseven:

Session Times and Locations:

Session 1 Monday 17 October 9 - 10am SJP Library

Session 2 Monday 17 October 1.30-2.30pm PN Library

Session 3 Monday 17 October 6 - 7pm SJP Library

Session 4 Tuesday 18 October 9 - 10am PN Hall

There will be additional dates and times throughout Term 4 and in 2023, so all parents can have an opportunity to attend.

Mel Maria will continue as it currently does, throughout 2023, allowing you the time to participate in forums and discussions to inform the way forward for your family. I would also encourage you to contact me if you wish to discuss the implications of the announcement on your decision or should you have concerns about your children’s teaching and learning in the interim.

We remain committed to providing Christ-centred and child-focused learning environments and excellence in your child’s Catholic education

Leadership Team

Tournament of Minds is an international program designed to give participants the opportunity to participate in creative activities involving stimulating open-ended challenges, which demand experimentation and reward divergent thinking. TOM promotes learning and developing as an individual within a team structure.

On Saturday 17th September our PN TOM team competed in the State finals for the Language Literature Challenge at Edith Cowan University. They were selected from 159 schools in WA.

Each team was involved in two parts of the competition.

• Solving and working through a language literature problem within a three-hour lock in timeframe. Students needed to draw on their strengths, to complete paperwork, script write and perform a poem based on a set of literature parameters.

• Participate in the spontaneous problem solving where judges enter the room, deliver a problem and watch how the students work together to solve it.

The students showed great fortitude and commitment to learning, tenacity and teamwork. The judges were very impressed with the level of their presentation and they scored highly in the spontaneous.

The team achieved State honours and we couldn’t be prouder of their innovation and ingenuity.

National BMX Competition

Lucas has been selected to represent WA in the Australian BMX National Championships in Launceston, Tasmania in November.

It is his first national event and he is very exciting to be racing some of the fastest racers in Australia.

Congratulations Lucas and we wish you all the best.

Colour Run Fun at Mel Maria

The P&F as part has been postponed until next term. The children will need to wear either white or black clothing on their respective days and can wear a mask or googles if they wish. The P&F are looking for volunteers to assist with the colour run. Please let your class rep know if you are able to assist.

DAY 2022

The best day of this winter (and the midges!) greeted us for our annual Sports Day down at Troy Park. Our students competed in a variety of games and a running race, trying to drive their faction to the top spot. In the Junior Carnival, Green started strongly and their running, passing and catching skills launched them to the lead at the half way point of the day. Blue were right behind them, followed by Red and Gold.

The Senior Carnival got the best of the weather. There were some fierce Tug of War contests, close sprint finishes and some intense team games before some amazing 4x100m relays finished off the day. After trailing at the half way mark, Blue faction steamed home to win the shield. A shocked Noah Pass, the only Sports Minister for Blue faction was called on to speak and rose to the occasion! Congratulations to Blue on their win, but also to all students who participated for their faction throughout the day.

FINAL STANDINGS:

1st: BLUE, 1592

2nd: GREEN, 1463

3rd: GOLD, 1384

4th: RED, 1351

A huge thanks to the following people for their help in running, preparing for and assisting with the carnival:

• Mr Popadynec, Mr Williams, Mrs Cooper, Mrs Basso and Mr Yusuf for their help with setting up, packing up and helping me run the carnival.

• The staff who were able to come down on Friday morning to set up the tents and games. Thanks fro giving up the early part of your day!

• The staff who took their classes through the games and races. Well done to the students as well who gave their best efforts to help their teams and factions.

• The Sports Ministry who helped out for the Junior Carnival marshalling, encouraging and giving out ribbons to help the staff.

• The Attadale Football Club for allowing us access to the rooms the night before the carnival - it allows us an extra hour’s sleep in the morning! Also the access to power and facilities makes the day so much easier.

It’s a huge day and it doesn’t come together without everyone doing their bit!

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

TRACK & FIELD CARNIVAL 2022

Our annual Year 3-6 Track & Field Carnival is to be held on Tuesday 18th October at Len Shearer Reserve, Booragoon. This event is designed as a qualification event for the Interschool Athletics Carnival (Wednesday 2nd November) while also providing students with an exposure to Track And Field events to build confidence for when they invariably encounter them in high school. Further information regarding this event will be distributed to parents via SeeSaw.

Students have been and will be training up for these events in the lead up the event during Physical Education lessons. The list of events can be found below. Interschool qualification is earned by finishing in the top three in each year level and gender (two competitors and one reserve).

Track Events:

200m 400m Open 800m (all students from Year 3-6 compete for three positions in the girls’ and boys’ events - two runners and one reserve)

Field Events: Turbo Jav Long Jump Shot Put (trials to be held at school during Week Two, Term Four due to risk management procedures)

For more detailed information, please see the Track & Field Carnival document I have posted on SeeSaw.

SWIMMING NEWS

Ashton Smythe (Year Six SJP) competed in the WA Junior Short Course Swimming Championships earlier this month. He claimed the bronze state medal for the 400m Individual Medley, was a state finalist in four of his races and achieved personal bests in all six of his individual events.

Like any sport, swimming takes true dedication and determination. Great to see you getting some reward for effort, Ashton!

How to interpret the NAPLAN results.

All the Year Three and Five students will receive a printed copy of their NAPLAN results this week.

NAPLAN individual student reports provide information about what students know and have achieved in reading, writing, conventions of language and numeracy. The reports also provide information on how students have performed against the national average (over one million students participate in NAPLAN tests each year) and the national minimum standards. It is important to remember the NAPLAN assessment is a snapshot of each child’s progress.

NAPLAN has moved from a paper test to an online test to provide more accurate and precise information about what students know and can do. In May 2022 most students sat NAPLAN online ,except for the Year Three Writing assessment, which was completed on paper.

What is in the NAPLAN student report?

The front page of the student report provides general information about the tests and an explanation of how to read the report.

The second and third pages have diagrams showing the relevant part of the assessment scale in bands for that year level. For each year level, only 6 of the 10 bands are shown on the student report.

• Year 3 student reports show bands 1–6. The national minimum standard is band 2.

• Year 5 student reports show bands 3–8. The national minimum standard is band 4.

A student’s result in each area (reading, writing, spelling, grammar and punctuation, and numeracy) is marked on the common assessment scales. Diagrams in the student report also show the range for the middle 60% of students, the national average result, and the national minimum standard for each year level. Reports in some states and territories also show the school average.

The final page of the report has a table that provides a brief description of what students have typically demonstrated in the tests at each band.

For more information about how to understand the results in the student report, see How to interpret.

Additional materials to explain the NAPLAN student report:

• Download the Individual student report – FAQs for parents/carers (PDF 232 KB), which provides detailed information about how to understand your child's individual student report. See below for translations.

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Overview of the student report

MERCY DAY AT SJP

Mercy Day is the 24 September and is celebrated to commemorate Catherine Mc Auley’s values of Compassion, Respect, Justice, Service, Joy, and Hope. The Sisters of Mercy are the founders of Mel Maria Catholic Primary School and because of this, we take the opportunity to celebrate their legacy within our community.

Mercy Day was a hit at Mel Maria today and had every year level in the school involved. Students were able to buy things with the funny money provided and play games to win some prizes. The Year 6’s ran the stalls and ensured that it was a fun and engaging way to involve and include everybody! It was a fantastic day to recognise our part within the Mercy Tradition.

Library News

Author’s Visit

Kylie Howarth an award-winning children’s book author and illustrator from Perth, Western Australia, will be visiting Mel Maria Tuesday September 20 at PN Campus and September 21 at SJP. Kylie will be engaging our children with drawing lessons and stories of her adventures with lionfish in Egypt; piranha and pink dolphins in the Amazon; iguanas and hammerhead sharks in the Galapagos and whale sharks at Ningaloo. An order form will be sent via seesaw if you would be interested in buying some of her signed books.

Chevron PHOTO COMPETITION - Last Days

Last chance to enter this fantastic competition in the season of Djilba (spring) Take a nature picture and enter one of the three categories: WA’s native species; WA’s habitats and ecosystems; Sustainability in WA. This competition closes on September 23. https://mediaeducation.com.au/teacher-hub/competition/chevronfocus-environment/

School Holiday Ac>vi>es at the City of Melville Libraries

Click on the link below to access information about the Melville Storylines - A celebration of story in all its forms. 1 October - 31 October https://www.melvillecity.com.au/CityOfMelville/media/Documentsand-PDF-s/Melville-Storylines-Full-Program-2022.pdf

Wastewise and Sustainability News

The Year 1 and 2 at SJP have been busy harvesting their edible garden beds and selling their produce to family, staff and friends. The edible garden is a WASTEWISE program to promote sustainable living. Year 1 and 2 have been a part of the process of preparing, planting, nurturing and harvesting their edible garden.

In other news the Libraries on both campuses have had a steady flow of bottle tops, batteries, old pens, bread bag tags, cartridges and soft plastic which is collected and taken to BottleTop Hill on the second Saturday of the month. Keep up the good Wastewise work Mel Maria! https://www.facebook.com/BottleTopHill/

Mel Maria Social Worker News

SPEED LINK FOR PARENTS ON THE GO

The link below goes to a series of short (2 minute!) videos on a range of topics of interest to parents of all children of all ages. Items include children’s negative attitude, resilience, self-esteem, problem-solving.

https://adoseofawesomeness.com/ free-video-tip-series/

If parents would like more information or support around these issues, please contact the school social worker via christine.pittman@cewa.edu.au