18 October 2024
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
October is the month of the Holy Rosary. The Rosary, one of the oldest forms of Catholic prayer, has been popular in the Church since the fifteenth century and, briefly put, involves praying a Hail Mary for the small beads and an Our Father for the larger beads whilst meditating on the various events in the lives of Jesus and Mary. I often use it as a mantra to quiet myself in order to enter more deeply into God’s presence. Pope Francis has asked us to pray the Rosary for much-needed peace in the world, and I invite you to join Mrs Ryan, Mrs Biddle and myself, after Assembly next Friday, to ‘say a decade’. All welcome. No experience necessary. Rosary beads provided…or BYOB!
Luke Doust was presented with this week’s Walk Worthy of God Good Sport award. His teachers spoke of a young man who is respectful, fair and well mannered. Congratulations, Luke.
We say a warm welcome to the Hudson and Malec families who have joined the school community this term.
Looking forward to seeing our 2025 Kindergarten families next Monday evening!
Warm regards,
Liz
Liz Watts
Principal
UPCOMING EVENTS
Term 4
- 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
- Friday 6th December - Big Banana Waterslide Night
- Monday 9th-13th December - K-2 Water Safety Program
- Wednesday 11th December - Year 6 Graduation Mass & Dinner
- Wednesday 18th December - MHOC Christmas Concert
- Wednesday 18th December - Last day for students 2024
WHAT'S THE BUZZ?
A Taste of Japan - Daytime Session
Our Taste of Japan event last term was such a resounding success, that we have decided to hold another session after assembly in the hall next Friday, 25th October.
Parents and carers are invited to come along with their children to learn the art of furoshiki. There will also be Japanese games and fun activities and some Japanese snacks for morning tea.
RSVP for catering purposes here.
Staff Development Day
The staff were delighted to visit the Sikh temple and museum as well as the Yarrawarra Aboriginal Cultural Centre on Monday. Thank you to the beautiful Sikh people who welcomed us, told us the story of Sikhism and then fed us a beautiful vegetarian lunch. Thank you to our great bush tucker guides at Yarrawarra. Who knew there was such a feast to be had on our very doorsteps!
Power to the Kids
Parents and Carers are invited to attend this information session next Tuesday evening here at school. Childminding will be provided. To register, please click here.
Outdoor Family Fun Night
Purchase your tickets for this re-scheduled event. It’s always a wonderful night for the whole family. Don’t miss out! Tickets available on Flexischools.
LOVING LEARNING
Term 4 Learning Updates
This week, you will have received a Term 4 Learning Overview via Compass outlining what your child/ren will be learning this term in every Key Learning Area. Don’t forget, you can also obtain a glimpse of your child/ren’s individual learning via the Seesaw app.
Seesaw is an individual online student portfolio allowing every child at MHOC to share some of their learning with their parents or carers each week. You can connect to your child's Seesaw journal via your phone, tablet or computer to see your child’s work. This provides a wonderful opportunity to start a discussion with your child about what they have been learning at school.
If you would like to know when something new has been shared, make sure you turn your notifications on.
If you have any difficulties connecting to Seesaw, please contact your child’s teacher.
Year 6 Geography
In Geography last term, Year 6 focused on exploring countries of the Asia region and the connections Australia has with other countries within this region. Students learnt about the diversity of the world’s people, including the indigenous peoples of other countries. To bring their learning together, the students created a travel advertisement in the form of a video to promote their country. They then created a QR code linking to their work, and we were able to have a virtual Travel Expo! Our QR codes are still up outside the Year 6 learning space, so feel free to check it out!
Margaret Ryan
Assistant Principal
Learning & Teaching
FROM THE MISSION DESK
Socktober
Next Friday, students are invited to bring a gold coin donation and wear their craziest pair of socks as part of Socktober. We will be raising money for disadvantaged children in Mongolia through the Catholic Mission.
Term 4 Class Mass Roster
Tuesday 22nd October - Year 5
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 4
Tuesday 3rd December - Year 1
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 classes in Term 4 in the Year of the Dragon
What are we doing in Japanese this term ?
Kindergarten - We will explore Japanese through the ELLA apps for the first time
Year 1 - Let’s sing and dance to the song called Gacchiri Guard to learn body parts
Year 2 - We will learn all the family words to the tune of This Old Man
Year 3 - Get ready for an earworm ….We will sing a Japanese version of “Sing” by the Carpenters
Year 4 - We will learn all the McDonalds food in Japanese
Japanese Club for Years 3-6
This term in Japanese Club we will be watching PONYO in Japanese, over several weeks. Don't forget there's unicycling every Wednesday, too.
New members are always welcome.
Boyd Sensei
MHOC SCHOOL COMMUNITY FORUM
Save the Date - Big Banana Family Fun Night
Keep Friday 6th December free for this annual school community event.
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 24th October - team no. 3 (Catherine's team)
- Thursday 31st October - team no. 4 (Donna's team)
- Thursday 7th November - team no. 5 (Meg's team)
Jo Melinz
SCF President
SPORT NEWS
State Athletics
Sonny Diacono and Layla Verbruggen will be competing next week at the PSSA Athletics Championships at Sydney Olympic Park. This is a huge achievement and we wish both of our long jumpers the best of luck.
Elective Sport
Just a reminder that the elective sport program begins on Thursday. If you haven’t paid or consented in Compass, you will need to do that by Monday at the latest. Anyone who hasn’t paid or consented will need to attend multi-sport, which is a free option held at school. Please take the time to review your child’s Compass event to make sure all necessary equipment is packed.
Rebecca Bennett
Sports Coordinator
Geraldine Hourigan
Sports Administrator
CANTEEN NEWS
What's Cooking
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
LIBRARY WHISPERS
I was so happy to hear from so many students about visiting the library in Yarrila Place over the holidays. We’re so lucky to have such a wonderful resource in our community, as well as our lovely local Toormina library.
Scholastic Book Club catalogues went out this week. Book Club orders are due back on Monday 28th October. Remember there are a number of ways you can order and pay: Online through Scholastic.com.au/Loop or scan the QR code on the form at the back of the catalogue or with the money through the school office. If you pay with through the office, please have the correct amount with the order form filled in (don’t forget to add your students’ name)
This little group has been enjoying coming into the library to colour in this week, but today they went fishing!
OSHC
Welcome Back to the School Term at MHOC OSHC!
We’re excited to be settling back into our Before and After School Care routines for the new term. The children have been especially engaged in activities like Hot Wheels car races, volleyball, and gymnastics, making every day full of fun and energy!
Looking ahead, our 2025 re-enrollment forms will soon be released to current families, who will receive priority for next year’s bookings. Afterward, we’ll open up any remaining spaces to new families. Be sure to keep an eye out for more information!
We’re looking forward to another fantastic term with lots of learning and play!
Laura McDiarmid
OSHC Coordinator
NEWS FROM OUR PARISH
Join us this Sunday for a family friendly event at the parish: sausage sizzle, morning tea, kid’s activities & a presentation from Father Ray Sanchez.
Come along and learn a little more about what it means to be a part of Sawtell Parishes ‘Passionist Family Groups!’
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
