1 November 2024
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Today is the Feast of All Saints, a day when we Catholics celebrate the saints, those (more than) 10 000 holy women, men and children who, throughout history, have availed themselves of God’s love whilst here on earth. As part of the Religious Education curriculum, the children hear many stories about these special people and we frequently ask the saints to intercede for us. Today, Years 3 and 4 (and maybe a few teachers and Assistant Principals!) took All Saints day to the next level, coming dressed as a favourite saint. Happy All Saints day, one and all. I’m sure you’ll enjoy the photo gallery further down in the newsletter.
Congratulations to the wonderful Willow Strazzari who was presented with a Walk Worthy of God Leadership Star at this morning’s Assembly. Mrs Martin spoke of a young lady who is a good communicator, displays initiative and sets a good example for others.
Well done, Willow.
We wish all of the Sikh and Hindu families in our school community a wonderful Festival of Light. Happy Diwali!
Warm regards,
Liz
Liz Watts
Principal
UPCOMING EVENTS
- Monday 4th-6th November - Year 6 Camp
- Thursday 7th November - 2025 Kinder Orientation - Group 3
- Monday 11th November - Remembrance Day ceremony
- Monday 11th November - MHOC Buskers’ Festival
- Tuesday 12th November - Reconciliation Retreat
- MHOC Choir singing at K-Mart Wishing Tree
- Thursday 14th November - 2025 Kinder Orientation - Group 1
- Tuesday 19th November - SJPC 2025 Year 7 Transition Day
- Tuesday 19th November- SJPC 2025 Year 7 Parent Info Night
- Thursday 21st November - 2025 Kinder Orientation - Group 2
- Sunday 24th November - Sawtell Parish Christmas Markets
- Wednesday 27th November - Year 5 Leadership Retreat
- Thursday 28th November - 2025 Kinder Orientation - Group 3
- Thursday 28th November - SJPC 2025 Year 6 Orientation Day
- Sunday 1st December - Family Mass MHOC Church
- 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
- Monday 3rd February - Year 1-6 students return
- Monday 3rd-Friday 7th February - Kindergarten BestStart assessments
- Monday 10th February - Kindergarten students commence
WHAT'S THE BUZZ?
Far Out Science
Some of our Year 5 students took part in Far Out Science at UNE in Armidale on Wednesday. There were four exciting workshops that covered a range of interesting topics:
- Muscle physiology - how the muscles in their forearms work
- Indigenous painting - the science behind making paint from ochre
- Chemistry demonstration - This was a favourite with some impressive explosions and chemical reactions
- Digestive system - making poo by moving food through a simulated digestive system.
2025 Kindergarten Orientation #2
We were delighted to meet our second Kinder Orientation group on Thursday. We can’t wait to meet the final group next week.
Year 6 Camp
Our Year 6 students are off to camp next week. We hope you have a wonderful time!
LOVING LEARNING
Year 2 has enjoyed water play with a purpose this week! We are learning about internal volume (capacity). The particular focus for our lesson this week was to be a great working partner and ensure that together, with their team, students agreed on a reasonable estimate prior to measuring with consistent informal units of measurement. The students did a great job and had lots of fun!
Seesaw
A reminder that we have added a new option for parents and carers to ‘love’ their child/ren’s post. Take a look at your child’s learning portfolio in Seesaw and give him/her a heart for a great effort. Make sure you have notifications turned on so you know when a new piece of work has been posted.
If you have any trouble accessing your child’s Seesaw account, contact your child’s teacher.
Margaret Ryan
Assistant Principal
Learning & Teaching
FROM THE MISSION DESK
Loving God,
Today we remember the saints,
Those who have gone before us in faith,
And all who inspire us to live with love and courage.
Help us to follow their example,
To be kind, generous, and forgiving,
And to share Your light with others each day.
May we grow in faith, hope, and love,
And always seek to make our world a better place.
Amen.
All Saints Day Photo Gallery
Enjoy a glimpse of our students' creative spirit for our All Saints Day dress-up. Don’t they look fabulous!
Exuro Retreat
A group of Year 5 students attended the Exuro (Latin for ‘on fire’) student discipleship retreat on Tuesday. Students from other local Catholic schools gathered to share their Christian faith, and explore how to be disciples of Jesus Christ.
Junior Joey’s
Our Junior Joeys gathered today to learn about Mary Makillop and how to follow her example of kindness and service to others, with a lovely surprise visit from Fr Joy who dropped by to say hello!
Year 6 Class Mass
Year 6 celebrated Mass with Fr Joy on Tuesday. Fr Joy read the gospel, Luke 13:18-21, where Jesus uses two simple examples to explain what God's kingdom is like. The gospel talked about a tiny mustard seed that grows into a large tree, big enough for birds to rest in. Then, he said the kingdom is like yeast that you mix into flour until it spreads through the whole dough. Fr Joy explained to the Yr 6 students that even small things can grow into something great and beautiful. Just like the mustard seed and the yeast, God’s love and goodness can start small in our hearts but grow and spread, helping us and others feel closer to Him. Small acts of kindness, love, or prayer can make a big difference in the world.
Peer Groups
In Peer groups today, students discussed All Saints Day. Our Yr 6 leaders explained to their peer groups that Saints were people just like us. They felt hungry, tired, angry and disappointed sometimes, just as we do. But the Saints did difficult things even when they didn’t want to, because they loved God. Each group was allocated a Patron saint and coloured their own paper-people Saint.
Reconciliation Blessing
Students preparing to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation were given a special blessing at Mass last weekend. Please keep them all in your prayers as they begin their sacramental journey.
What's Happening in Religious Education in Kindergarten?
In our Kindergarten class, students have thoroughly enjoyed exploring the wonders of God's creation, expressing their gratitude through art and sketching. They have marvelled at the beauty of the sky, land, and water, creating artworks that reflect their observations and feelings. Children have also written heartfelt prayers of thanks, deepening their appreciation for the world around them. It has been a joy to witness their excitement and creativity as they connect with nature and their faith!
Term 4 Class Mass Roster
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 9am at Sawtell Church, with Father Michael and Zippy.
Amber Biddle
Assistant Principal
Mission
Toni Fletcher
Leader of
Catechesis
MHOC SCHOOL COMMUNITY FORUM
Power to the Kids Workshop - Parent Review
I recently attended the Power to the Kids parent workshop on nutrition and body movement, and I can't recommend it enough! The session offered valuable insights on catering to fussy eaters and introduced us to some fantastic resources to support balanced nutrition at home. One highlight was the discussion on 'risky play', led by a local exercise physiologist, who shared alternative language to encourage safe, confidence-building risk-taking during play instead of simply saying "be careful". It was inspiring to hear from such knowledgeable local specialists and to walk away with practical strategies to implement at home.
Nathan T
Sign up for this New Parent Workshop
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 7th November - team no. 5 (Meg's team)
- Thursday 14th November - team no. 1 (Gemma's team)
- Thursday 21st November - team no. 2 (Kelly's team)
Jo Melinz
SCF President
SPORT NEWS
Summer Sports Trials
It has been a busy week for our Clarence Zone Primary Sport coordinators with the running of the Summer Sports Trials in cricket, softball, tennis, basketball and touch football. Congratulations to the following students who have progressed to the Diocesan trials in Week 7 -
Olivia Cheney, Imogen Baylis - tennis
Tommy Hudson - basketball
Nate Maguire - cricket
Elective Sports fun
We were blessed with absolutely glorious weather for week two of Elective Sport! The water was crystal clear for our surfers and paddleboarders, the lines were tight for our anglers, and the red faces of our cross-fit crew and tennis kiddos told us that they worked hard and had fun. Our golfers tried out putt-putt, our Multisports crew had another AFL session, we’re working towards a strike at bowling and our basketballers learned some new skills from the talented Cristi Juffermans! All in all, a fabulous week of sport!
Rebecca Bennett
Sports Coordinator
Geraldine Hourigan
Sports Administrator
HABITS OF MINDS AWARDS
Term 4 Week 3
Kinder | Arlen Collett, Vanessa Kell, Willow Meehan, Liam Collin |
Year 1 | Gurnaaz Thiara, Cruz Gregory, Harrison Duggan, Ellie Trezise, Allie Jones, Oscar Appeldoorn, Dustin French, Ivy-Beau Cubis |
Year 2 | Lexi Hobbs, Jonathan Bailey, Phoenix Power, Connor Adams, Auriel Luis |
Year 3 | Cooper Woods, Betty Moore, Theo Whitehill, Axel Telford, Lorcan Quinn, Callum Townsend |
Year 4 | Leo Locandro, Jackson Wood, Angaddeep Dhadwar, Tyler Rook, Harley Bulanyi |
Year 5 | Victoria Jones, Jacob McPherson, Harry Munro, Isla Judd |
Year 6 | Mosa Strydom, Harnoor Rai |
CANTEEN NEWS
Canteen Red Day - Pizza
Order now on Flexischools.
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
Scholastic Book Club orders were sent off this week. There’s normally a 2 week turn around, but I’m expecting a bit of a delay due to the amount that was ordered. I’ve had some parents ask me to let them know when they arrive rather than hand them on to students as they’re presents for Christmas. If you would like me to do that, please email me rachael.hewitt@lism.catholic.edu.au
It was lucky when Tilly came in to borrow a book that Pip from Year 6 was also in the library borrowing. Tilly and Pip would rather be in the water than reading, but Pip was able to recommend one of the new biographies we have about Australian people in science…of course they both chose biographies about women who work in the ocean!
Apologies to parents if any of your children have nightmares from the books they’ve been reading. I’ve had a display up all week featuring spooky stories - it’s been a huge hit with the kids!
Rachael Hewitt
Librarian
OSHC
This week at MHOC OSHC, we’ve been diving into arts and crafts with a Halloween twist! The children have been busy creating spooky skeletons and pumpkins, bringing a bit of Halloween spirit to our space.
Outdoors, the fun continues with active games like Oztag Red Rover Crossover, skipping, and lots of time on the monkey bars. It’s been a fantastic week of creativity and play, with plenty more excitement to come as we head toward Halloween!
Laura McDiarmid
OSHC Coordinator
NEWS FROM OUR PARISH
Come along to one of our Family Group Events!
The wonderful Sarah de Byl will be hosting a monthly get together for Sawtell Parish.
What does it mean to join one of our Family groups?
It means quite simply that you get to enjoy regular connections and catch ups with other like-minded families.
Each family hosts a catch up (usually there is one every month) which can be a picnic, a cuppa or a play date at a local park or beach.
It’s super relaxed and gives those involved a chance to create bonds, much like that of a family.
These groups started over 40 years ago when the parish formed & its time for their renewal!
If you would like to join in the fun please contact the parish office on 6658 3544 and Marja (who is also in Sarah’s group) will be in touch with more details.
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
