28 February 2025

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

We’re very proud of our 2025 swim team who represented the school with pride at this week’s Zone Carnival. You can read all about their outstanding results (as well as some other great sporting news) further down in the newsletter. Congratulations girls and boys!

I’ve spent the last few days meeting with the 44 principals from across our system of schools- and what a great bunch of people they are. In our conversations and more formal gatherings, it was very apparent that the children in our care are at the centre of all we do. 

Thank you for entrusting us with the education of your precious children, parents. We’re looking forward to seeing many of you at parent teacher meetings next week.

The Season of Lent begins next week on Ash Wednesday. I can taste those Shrove Tuesday pancakes already!

Warm regards
Liz

UPCOMING EVENTS

 2025 Dates

• Saturday 1st & Sunday 2nd March - Presentation and Blessing of Holy Communion Candidates
• Tuesday 4th March - Diocesan Swimming Carnival
• Tuesday 4th March - Year 6 Leadership Day at Sawtell Catholic Church
• Tuesday 4th March - Parent/Teacher Interviews, 3pm-6pm
• Tuesday 4th March - School Community Forum AGM, 6pm
• Wednesday 5th March - Ash Wednesday
• Monday 10th March - Mini-Retreat for Holy Communion candidates
• Tuesday 11th-12th March - School Photos
• Sunday 16th March - First Holy Communion Mass 11am at Sawtell Catholic Church
• Thursday 10th April - Last day for students - Term 1
• Friday 11th April - Staff Development Day (Pupil-free day)
  

WHAT'S THE BUZZ?

School Photos

Say cheese! School photos are scheduled as follows:

Tuesday 11th March

• Kindergarten
• Year 1
• Year 3
• MHOC Mob
• Sibling Photos

Wednesday 12th March

• Year 2
• Year 4
• Year 5
• Year 6
• Catch up photos

Children wear their full school uniform (not sport uniform) on their allocated day.

First Holy Communion - Presentation and Blessing

This weekend, our First Holy Communion candidates will take an important step in their faith journey as they participate in a special presentation and receive a blessing at Sawtell Catholic Church over the weekend. This marks a significant moment as they continue preparing to receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist. We invite our school and parish community to keep these students in your prayers.

2026 Kindergarten

For those who have been inquiring about Kindergarten 2026, we’re excited to announce that the enrolment portal is now open! Secure your child’s place by completing the application process as soon as possible. For more information or assistance, please visit our website or contact our office. We look forward to welcoming your family to our school community!

LOVING LEARNING

Parent/Teacher Interviews

You have an opportunity to meet with your child’s teacher between 3pm-6pm on Tuesday 4th March. You can book an interview via the Conference button on your Compass app before midnight on Sunday.

Parent/teacher interviews will be held in your child’s classroom. Since you will have booked a meeting time, there is no need to sign in at the school office in this instance.

If you are unable to attend a meeting on this day, please email your child’s teacher and arrange a phone or face-to-face interview at a mutually convenient time

What’s Happening in Year 2 History Lessons?

Year 2 has been exploring The Past in the Present. We have discussed that artefacts are objects that teach us about people, places and events from the past. This week we found some artefacts around our school. Students thought about what this object could teach them and then they posed some wonderings about the artefact.

NAPLAN

Each year, the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is sat by students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. Students will participate in tests for writing, reading, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy.

NAPLAN 2025 will take place from Wednesday 12 March to Monday 24 March.

NAPLAN is just one part of our school’s learning assessment program. The tests assess literacy and numeracy skills your child is already learning at school, so the best preparation is their everyday classroom learning. Our school will also undertake activities to help students become familiar with the types of questions and tools available in the online tests.

The public demonstration site (https://www.nap.edu.au/online-assessment/public-demonstration-site) is available for you to see the format of the online tests.

Further information about NAPLAN is available on the NESA website (https://www.nsw.gov.au/education-and-training/nesa/naplan) and the NAP website (https://www.nap.edu.au/naplan/for-parents-carers).

If you have any questions about NAPLAN, please contact your child’s teacher.

FROM THE MISSION DESK

Caritas Boxes 

Each family will receive their project compassion box today. Project Compassion is Caritas Australia’s annual Lenten fundraiser and awareness-raising appeal. Millions of Australians come together in solidarity with the world’s poor to help end poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity. During Lent, we think about praying, fasting and almsgiving. 

The theme for Caritas Australia's Project Compassion 2025 is 'Unite Against Poverty'. This annual Lenten campaign brings together Australians to support vulnerable communities worldwide, aiming to end poverty, promote justice, and uphold dignity.

All donations to Caritas Australia can be returned to school in your boxes during the weeks leading up to Easter.

Shrove Tuesday

To celebrate the beginning of Lent, our Year 6 Leaders of Evangelisation have organised a pancake sale. Next Tuesday 4th March, pancakes will be on sale at the canteen during recess and lunch. Pancakes will be $1 for a plate of 4 pikelets with the option of adding maple syrup. All money raised on the day will go to Project Compassion.

What’s Been happening in Religious Education in Yr 2?

In Year 2, we have been learning about images of God. The Bible contains images of God that help us to know and discover what God is like. We created a keynote to share our images of God as a parent, shepherd and teacher.

Year 6 Leadership Day

Next Tuesday 4th March, our Year 6 leaders will take part in a special Leadership Day at Sawtell Catholic Church, facilitated by our school leadership team and Year 6 teachers. This day is designed to inspire and empower our students as they step into their leadership roles for the year ahead, guided by the example of Jesus, the ultimate servant leader.

Throughout the day, students will engage in a range of interactive activities that focus on the values of faith, service, and compassion. They will have opportunities to collaborate, reflect on the responsibilities of leadership, and explore how they can lead with kindness, humility, and a commitment to serving others in our school community.

Stay tuned for updates and reflections from the day in our next newsletter!

Term One Class Masses

All parents and carers are invited to attend our weekly class Masses at Sawtell Catholic Church. You are invited to stay for a cuppa and some morning tea afterwards.

Wednesday 5th March (Ash Wednesday) - Year 5 & 6.

Tuesday 11th March - Year 1 and 2

Tuesday 18th March - Year 3 and 4

Tuesday 25th March - Year 5 and 6

Tuesday 1st April - Kinder and Year 6

Tuesday 8th April - No Mass

MHOC SCHOOL COMMUNITY FORUM

School Community Forum AGM

The School Community Forum (SCF) is holding its annual AGM this Tuesday at 6pm. Unlike the other three SCF meetings throughout the year, this meeting is open to any members of our school community who would like to attend.

Come along if:

• you’d like to find out more about our School Community Forum;
• you are interested in finding out more about volunteering opportunities as a member of one of our parent committees;
• or if you are interested in becoming an elected member of the School Community Forum.

We hope to see you there.

Outdoor Family Fun Night: Save the Date

Add 2nd May to your calendar for this wonderful family event. There’s delicious treats, a movie on the big outdoor screen and lots of family fun!

Free Parent Webinars

From the Catholic Schools Parent Assembly

SPORT NEWS

Girls AFL Trials

On Wednesday, Ivy Walmsley, Dakota Lavender and Grace Furey attended the Primary Girls All Schools AFL Trials at Woolgoolga. The trials saw girls from all schools across the Coffs Coast in attendance and a large array of talent on display. The feedback from convenors was nothing but positive, with praise for the effort, skill and sportsmanship of all in attendance. 

We are excited to share with you that Ivy was selected for the team and will now progress on to the State Championships in Sydney on 2nd and 3rd June. Congratulations Ivy!

Diocesan AFL results

Last Friday Luke Doust, Will Fox, Nate Little, Chael McMurray, Darcy Nixon, Oska Stitt, Eli Fernie, Charlie Schmetzer and Xavier Furey attended the Dio AFL trials in Grafton to vie for a place on the Diocesan AFL team to attend the Polding trials in Newcastle in April. This year’s numbers were high and the feedback directly from the day was:

There was a large number of talented boys who attended this year's selection trials . Thank you to all boys who showcased their talents and skills.

This year we had two successful students. Congratulations to Eli Fernie & Charlie Schmetzer! We are extremely proud of this achievement and wish you the best of luck at the next level!

Our Super (Zone) Swimmers! 

On Monday, Mrs Hourigan & Mr Murphy boarded a bus with a large number of keen swimmers and made the voyage to the Zone Swimming Carnival in Maclean. It was an early start and our swimmers wasted no time showcasing their talents! A number of students placed and qualified for the Diocesan Carnival in their individual events. We had 2 successful relay teams, came 3rd overall as a school and we even had a number of Zone Age Champions! What a superb effort all round! Congratulations to all athletes!

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Special congratulations to Grace Furey, Max Herbert & Matilda Elkins-Baker who were awarded Age Champions on the day. Karlos Mendoza & Lachlan Herbert narrowly missed out on age champion accolades and were awarded runner-up Age Champions.

Congratulations to the following athletes who will be attending the Diocesan trials in Murwillumbah in the coming weeks:

Matilda Elkins-Baker, Max Herbert, Addison Mendoza, Tessa Chape, Grace Furey, Sonny Diacono, Ella Morton, Mackenzie Carson, Lachlan Herbert, Karlos Mendoza, Frankie Barreto-Gunn, Xavier Furey & River Griggs

After School Netball Clinics

This term, Netball NSW will be hosting a 5 week netball clinic at MHOC, starting next Thursday afternoon. Information about the clinics can be found on the flyer below. Nominations can be made through this link. 

If you have any questions regarding this, please do not hesitate to reach out to Mrs Bennett (bec.bennett@lism.catholic.edu.au)

HABITS OF MIND AWARDS

Term 1 Week 4

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.

LIBRARY WHISPERS

I love the different ways students come to love reading, and how they encourage each other by recommending books that they’ve loved.  This week I had a lot of children borrowing the same books so that they can read together. Luckily I have enough copies of some of the favourites so there is more than one copy to read!

Next week I’ll be sending out overdue notices to families. If your child has an overdue book at home, could you please help them look for it. If you know it’s not at home, just let either me or their class teacher know and I”ll rectify it on our library system.

OSHC

Week 4 at MHOC OSHC was filled with exciting and creative activities! The children had a blast during outdoor play, exploring the equipment and enjoying active fun. Highlights included a challenging game of giant chess, building intricate designs with the marble run, and getting hands-on with play dough and table drawing. The giant outdoor parachute was a big hit, offering lots of collaborative fun, while the diggers sparked imaginative play. Watercolour painting allowed the kids to express their artistic side, and puzzles offered a great opportunity for problem-solving and teamwork. It was a week full of exploration, creativity, and team spirit!  

Jemma

NEWS FROM OUR PARISH

The liturgical season of Lent commences next week on Ash Wednesday, 5^th March. The parish will celebrate Mass at 9:30am in OLOW Chapel and at 11am in the church. All are welcome to attend.

There is also the opportunity to join a small Lenten group at one of the times below.

Monday 1pm – Parish Meeting Room

Tuesday- 8:45am – Quiet space in the church (before 9:30am Mass)

Tuesday 7:30pm -online (info on parish website)

Wednesday 10:30am -OLOW Chapel

Thursday 4pm – Quiet space in the church (before 5pm Liturgy)

The group at 8:45am would be a great one for parents after they do school drop -off and before the school Mass. It will be in the quiet space in the church and be led by Kristy McPherson.

We’d love to see you there! Or you can pick up a copy of the book we will be using at the church for $5

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