27 September 2024
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
What a wonderful term it has been! Aside from all the rich and engaging learning that has taken place, there have been so many opportunities to make special memories for the children; Grandparents’ Day, MHOC Olympics, Book Week parade, discos, camps and Learning Showcases and camps, just to name a few.
I’d like to thank our staff for the sense of fun and joy they bring to these special events as well as in every classroom, every day.
Today, our captains attended the Coffs Harbour Police Remembrance Day service where they laid a wreath to remember police officers who have lost their lives through illness or other circumstances and to honour officers whose lives have been cut short while performing their duty as a police officer. We will remember them.
We wish all our children a safe and happy spring break!
Margaret Ryan
Acting Principal
UPCOMING EVENTS
Term 3
- Friday 27th September - Last Day Term 3
- Sunday 29th September - Police Remembrance Day
- Sunday 6th October - Daylight Saving starts
Term 4
- Monday 14th October - Staff Development Day (pupil-free day)
- Tuesday 15th October - First day of Term 4 for students
- Monday 21st October - 2025 Kindergarten Parent Information Session
- Thursday 24th October - 2025 Kinder Orientation - Group 1
- Thursday 31st October - 2025 Kinder Orientation - Group 2
- Monday 4th-6th November - Year 6 Camp
- Thursday 7th November - 2025 Kinder Orientation - Group 3
- Monday 11th November - Remembrance Day
- Thursday 14th November - 2025 Kinder Orientation - Group 1
- Tuesday 19th November - SJPC 2025 Year 7 Transition Day
- Thursday 21st November - 2025 Kinder Orientation - Group 2
- Thursday 28th November - 2025 Kinder Orientation - Group 3
- Thursday 28th November - SJPC 2025 Year 6 Orientation Day
- Friday 1st November - Outdoor Family Fun Night
- Monday 9th-13th December - K-2 Water Safety Program
- Wednesday 11th December - Year 6 Graduation Mass & Dinner
- Wednesday 18th December - Last day for students 2024
WHAT'S THE BUZZ?
Public Speaking
The Clarence Regional Public Speaking Competition was held at SJPC last Monday. MHOC was well represented by Ted, Ivy, Indiana and Betty. Schools from the North Coast region as far afield as Yamba, Grafton, Bowraville and Dorrigo participated. A huge congratulations to Indiana Mitchell in Year 4 who won the Regional Competition for Year 4 students. Well done, Indiana!
Tooth Fairy Visit
The Tooth Fairy from Welcome Dental visited our school on Wednesday to teach students about the importance of oral health. The session covered topics such as healthy eating and drinking, snack ideas, tooth brushing and flossing techniques and what to expect at the dentist. The children had a wonderful time engaging with the Tooth Fairy, listening attentively, and asking lots of great questions.
Year 4 & 5 Camp photos
Our Year 4 and 5 children had a wonderful time at their school camps this week. A special mention to our fabulous teachers who generously gave up time with their own family to attend.
Enjoy the photos below.
Year 4
Year 4 (2)
Year 5 Day 1
Year 5 Day 2
Year 5 Day 3
Fun in Year Five
Year 5 had a lot of fun today as they bid farewell to Mr Warnes (and his legendary beard), who will be taking leave in Term 4.
Year 3-6 Sport Day in Term 4
Reminder that sport day for Years 3-6 will change to Thursdays in Term 4 due to the Elective Sport program.
LOVING LEARNING
Congratulations to our award recipients of Term 3 Effort Awards
Loving Science and Technology
The focus for Science and Technology across the school this term has been a chemical science unit, focusing on materials and states of matter.
- Stage 3 has been designing and producing sustainable packaging items. They constructed cotton tote and drawstring bags, beeswax wraps and other cardboard packaging items that could replace single use plastics.
- Stage 2 has been investigating states of matter. They have looked at how adding and removing heat can cause a change of state. They particularly enjoyed melting different coloured chocolates (white/milk/dark) to investigate if colour has an impact on heat absorption and making and testing Oobleck.
- Stage 1 has been investigating the properties of materials and has designed and produced a model for a new piece of playground equipment for passive play.
- Kindergarten has also investigated materials and their properties and has designed and produced a model of a house to keep the Three Little Pigs safe from the Big Bad Wolf.
Amy Martin
Acting Assistant Principal
Learning & Teaching
FROM THE MISSION DESK
Dear God
Thank You for the blessings of this term. We are grateful for the knowledge we have gained, the friendships we have formed, and the guidance we have received.
Bless our school community, our teachers, and our families. May we carry the spirit of joy and gratitude into the holidays ahead.
Amen
Thank you for another wonderful term. With the support of our families, together we are creating an environment where every child can thrive, grow, and feel supported. Wishing everyone a safe and restful break.
Thank you!
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to The Butchers Hook Butchery in Toormina Gardens for their generous donation of 120 sausages. These will be cooked up by our staff at the Pete’s Place BBQ during the holidays. Thank you for your compassion and community spirit!
Little Wings Update
What a successful initiative so far! Don't forget to collect all of your bottles over the holidays to put in our school Little Wings bins. So far we are averaging one donation per week. Remember only 20 bottles equals 1 litre of fuel!
Term 4 Class Mass Roster
Tuesday 22nd October - Year 4
Tuesday 29th October - Year 6
Tuesday 5th November - Kinder
Tuesday 12th November - Year 2 followed by Reconciliation Retreat
Tuesday 19th November - Year 3
Tuesday 26th November - Year 1
Tuesday 3rd December - Year 4
Tuesday 10th December - No Mass (Yr 6 Graduation Mass on 11th December)
Tuesday 17th December - No Mass
MHOC School-led Parish Mass - Save the Date
Next term, we will have our school-led Parish Mass on Sunday, December 1st, at 9 am at Sawtell Church, with Father Michael and Zippy.
Amber Biddle
Assistant Principal
Mission
Toni Fletcher
Leader of
Catechesis
SENSEI'S CORNER
Japanese Club
Students are enjoying achieving their Hiragana or Katakana belt level at Japanese Club. Next term, we will be looking at a Japanese anime “Ponyo” without any subtitles. The goal is to train our ears and eyes into picking up the storyline despite the language barrier.
Boyd Sensei
MHOC SCHOOL COMMUNITY FORUM
Outdoor Family Fun Night
Tickets available now on Flexischools
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 3rd October - team no. 5 (Meg's team)
- Thursday 10th October - team no. 1 (Gemma's team)
- Thursday 17th October - team no. 2 (Kelly's team)
Jo Melinz
SCF President
SPORT NEWS
Elective Sport
Thank you to all our Year 3-6 families for nominating for elective sport in Term 4. The varietty of sports on offer this year has enabled most students to receive their first or second choice, which is a big positive. Elective Sport will run from Week 2 next term (24th October) seeing a shift of sport day to Thursday for Years 3-6.
Rebecca Bennett
Sports Coordinator
Geraldine Hourigan
Sports Administrator
CANTEEN NEWS
With the weather warming up we are introducing our summer menu in Term 4. Roasted Pumpkin and Feta Salad with Honey & Balsamic Dressing or Chinese Rice Noodle Salad with Dressing.
There are options to add protein, make gluten free or dairy free.
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.
Lisa Mangan
OSHC
Week 10 at Mary Help of Christians OSHC was packed with fun and creativity! The children couldn't get enough of our melty beads station, crafting colorful designs that showed off their artistic flair. Our pop-up hairdresser salon was also a huge hit, with budding stylists giving each other fabulous new looks—talk about style and creativity!
When the weather took a turn, we kept the excitement going with duster hockey—a fun indoor variation perfect for wet weather. And before the rain set in, everyone loved playing our new favourite outdoor game, ‘Oztag Red Rover Crossover,’ which added a thrilling twist to the classic tag game.
It’s been an action-packed week full of energy, laughter, and learning! We can’t wait to see what’s in store for next term. A big thank you to all our wonderful children and families for making Week 10 so memorable! See you all next week at Vacation Care
Laura McDiarmid
OSHC Coordinator
NEWS FROM OUR PARISH
Dates for upcoming events:
14th October - Reconciliation Small Group Sessions kick off first week back next term.
19th & 20th October – Fr Ray Sanchez leads us in the Passionist Family Group Movement (see Parish News below)
Reconciliation has begun!
With 40 Families and their children participating in this next round of Sacraments, we are thrilled to see so many involved.
Parent info session kicked off last weekend & small group sessions begin the first week back next term with the celebration of Reconciliation happening in November!
Passionist Family Group Movement Event this October at Sawtell Parish!
AXIOS
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
Boomerang Painting https://events.humanitix.com/
Ocean Hangers https://events.humanitix.com/
DREAM ON Festival https://events.humanitix.com/
Clay Faces https://events.humanitix.com/
Art on Canvas https://events.humanitix.com/
