13 September 2024

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

We are so proud of our MHOC Mini Vinnies! This group of Stage 3 students meet weekly to discuss and raise awareness of social justice issues. Together, they organise ways to help others in need in our community and beyond. This week, with your help, they have raised over $1100 to help those in our community who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness by raising money to support Pete’s Place. Thank you all for your generosity in baking and donating! What a great way to put our faith into action!

Congratulations to Mantej Brar who was awarded the Walk Worthy of God Good Citizen award today. His teachers say he always follows our school Code of Conduct by being safe, respectful and kind.

I look forward to catching up with lots of parents and carers at the Learning Showcases next week.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Term 3

• Friday 13th September - Outdoor Family Fun Night - POSTPONED
• Monday 16th September - Year 3 and Year 6 Learning Showcases 
• Tuesday 17th September - Public Speaking Finals 
• Tuesday 17th September - Year 1 and Year 4 Learning Showcases
• Tuesday 17th September - School Disco (5 & 6)
• Wednesday 18th September - Barney Barselaar Soccer Gala Day
• Wednesday 18th September - Kindergarten and Year 2 Learning Showcases
• Wednesday 18th September - School Disco (3 & 4)
• Thursday 19th September - Year 5 Learning Showcase
• Thursday 19th September - School Disco (K, 1 & 2)
• Monday 23rd September - Public Speaking Regional Finals
• Monday 23rd - 24th September - Year 4 Camp
• Monday 23rd-25th September - Year 5 Camp
• Friday 27th September - Presentation of Term 3 Effort awards
• Friday 27th September - Last Day Term 3
• Monday 14th October - Pupil Free Staff Development Day
• Tuesday 15th October - First Day of Term 4
• Friday 1st November - Outdoor Family Fun Night - NEW DATE
  

WHAT'S THE BUZZ?

School Disco - Tropical Island Paradise

It’s disco time! There will be three separate events so check for your child/ren’s day/s. 

The drop off and pick up zone will be operational in the same manner as a school day, so parents please feel free to kiss and drop, and come back to collect.

Learning Showcases

Parents and carers are invited to share in the joy of learning at our showcases next week.

Presentation of Term 3 Effort Awards

Effort awards will be presented on Friday 27th September from 8:50am. You are most welcome to join us.

LOVING LEARNING

In Year 4 Mathematics, students have been exploring the concept of mass through hands-on activities aimed at building their understanding of how to measure and compare weights. The focus has been on using scaled instruments to measure mass in grams and kilograms. Students have worked in pairs to compare one cup of various materials like sand, soft fall bark, play dough and counters by hefting and then using digital scales to measure more accurately.

This activity helped students recognise the need for formal units smaller than a kilogram and practice using grams to measure everyday objects. Through discussion and experimentation, students discovered that objects with the same volume could have different masses, depending on the material. They also explored how many bags of different materials it takes to equal one kilogram.

Photos of students engaging in this activity are featured, showing their enthusiasm and developing skills in using measurement tools!

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Public Speaking Finals

The MHOC Public Speaking finals will take place on Tuesday at 8.45am. Students have been busily preparing and presenting their speeches in classrooms to great reviews from their teachers. Three finalists have been selected from each grade in Years 3-6 and we wish our finalists all the best. The judges will decide on one winner from each grade and this speaker will go on to represent MHOC at the Regional Public Speaking Finals at SJPC on Monday 10th September. 

FROM THE MISSION DESK

Class Mass Yr 5 & 6

Years 5 and 6 attended Mass on Tuesday. Fr Joy read the Gospel Luke 6:12-19. During the Homily Fr Joy explained to the children that Jesus chose His apostles through prayer and called them to help share God's love and teachings. This passage reminds us to trust God’s guidance and care for others with love and compassion. Students participate respectfully in prayer and reflection. Thank you to Mrs Morgan for helping out with the singing this week.

Minni Vinnies

Mini Vinnies have been very busy this week putting their faith into action and helping those in need by organising the MHOC Bake Sale and selling yellow canteen treats for Are You OK? Day. Both fundraisers were extremely successful due to the generous support from our school community. All money raised will go toward making a positive difference in the lives of others.

Mini Vinnies are still asking for donations of empty shoe boxes. Please leave any shoe boxes you are happy to part with at the office. 

What's Been Happening in Religious Education in Year 5?

In Year 5, students have been exploring the story of Creation, deepening their understanding of the world’s origins and their special place within it. This has sparked many interesting discussions about practical ways they can protect and nurture the natural world in their daily lives. In groups, students are creating simple projects that are developing a sense of responsibility for preserving the beauty and balance of Creation for future generations.

Term 3 Class Masses 

All parents are welcome to attend our weekly Tuesday Mass at 9:30am. These class Masses are held at MHOC Church Sawtell. Please see the timetable below for Term 3.

Tuesday 17th September - Kinder

Tuesday 24th September - No Mass this week

MHOC SCHOOL COMMUNITY FORUM

Outdoor Family Fun Night - New Date

Due to the wet weather the decision has been made to postpone the Outdoor Family Fun Night scheduled for tonight. When a new date is set, we will advertise the evening and hope to see you all there! Ticket purchases made for today’s event will be refunded to the original payment method. We have rescheduled this event for 1st November. Let's hope we have better weather!

Bingo

Parents, MHOC's BINGO team urgently requires 4 additional volunteers. Being a BINGO volunteer is a fantastic way to assist and support various MHOC projects that are funded by BINGO. The best aspect of this volunteer opportunity is that you will only need to dedicate 3 hours, once every 5 weeks, making it easy to coordinate with your busy schedule. With more volunteers on board, we can distribute the work evenly, making the task smoother and less stressful for everyone. Be a part of our team and help us make a positive difference in our school community.

Sign up now by texting Gemma on 0404340494.

The rostered teams for the next few week's Bingo are: 

• Thursday 19th September - team no. 3 (Catherine's team)
• Thursday 26th September - team no. 4 (Donna's team)
• Thursday 3rd October - team no. 5 (Meg's team)

SPORT NEWS

Polding Rugby

A huge week of travel and competition for Tianne & Maia at the Polding Rugby 7s trials in Sydney. The girls represented Polding in a number of games and absolutely loved the competition of playing against girls of their age and calibre.

Travelling this far to pursue a sport is such a huge effort and the girls (and their families) should be congratulated on their commitment to Rugby Union. Congratulations girls!

Roller Hockey

A couple of our MHOC parents, Jeremy and Elise Cox, are running a Roller Hockey session every Friday on the basketball court from 4-5pm. Children need to bring their own roller skates or blades, a helmet and pads (and a hockey stick if they have one).

Beach Footy Clinics

 NRL North Coast is running some Beach Football school holiday clinics around our area. It sounds like a lot of fun. Families can register via this link.

Polding Athletics 

Our superstar athletes are in Newcastle today for Polding Athletics carnival.  We wish them all the best and can’t wait to hear about their awesome results.

CANTEEN NEWS

Canteen Helpers

Parent and grandparent volunteers are always needed and welcome. Please phone the school, complete this form or email sawp-canteen@lism.catholic.edu.au if you can spare some time in the canteen.

OSHC

This week at Mary Help of Christians Out of School Hours Care, we continued to enhance our physical skills with ongoing skipping practice and introduced handball training to our activities. Our observance of R U OK? Day was a highlight, where children engaged in positive affirmations about themselves and were encouraged to openly discuss their feelings, reinforcing the importance of checking in on friends and family. Creativity flourished through our popular scratch art sessions and 'crazy craft' projects, providing ample opportunity for imaginative expression. We are also accepting bookings for our upcoming Vacation Care program. If you wish for your child/ren to attend, please ensure you complete the booking form ASAP.

NEWS FROM OUR PARISH

Our little legends at Axios Youth Group received a loving gift from the Parish.

I remember as a child the one thing I wanted to do after school was take my shoes and socks off, it was a decompression from the day and a way for me to unwind.

So, we at the parish thought a gift of slippers for the children would be a lovely way for them to relax into their weekly afternoon of food, fun, friendship and faith.

Thank you to all the children, parents and families who love their Wednesday afternoons so much.

SACRAMENTAL JOURNEY FOR CHILDREN – Reconciliation, Confirmation & Holy Eucharist.

This September, we will commence preparations with a new group of children to continue the journey they began when they were Baptised. If your child is a Baptised Catholic in Year 2 or above, and is not already part of a group, please complete this google form and Marja from the Parish office will be in touch to welcome you! Any questions please get in touch with our helpful team on 6658 3544.

Baptism

The Sacrament of Baptism is available to those requesting it. Please ring Jennifer at the Parish Office (66583544) or talk to Amber Biddle, Liz Watts or Margaret Ryan at school if you have any questions.  Alternatively, if you wish to register for Baptism, there is now the option of an  online request form .

Parish Website , E-bulletin & Facebook Page

For all the latest news from our parish, check out the Parish website or subscribe to our  new e-bulletin which can be sent directly to your inbox each week. Why not sign up today by entering your details in the sign up box on the Homepage or Contact page of the website!

And don’t forget to check out our FaceBook page

Carolyn & Marja

COMMUNITY NEWS

Foster care week - 8th-15th September