28 March 2025
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
As we continue on our journey toward Easter, let’s take a moment to remember the God who created everything good (including us!).
I’m not sure if you’ve ever visited the Sistine Chapel in Rome and gazed in amazement at Michelangelo’s glorious work, Creation, but I’m sure you'd be familiar with the image of God reaching out to Adam, especially those two index fingers! It always strikes me (or maybe I read it somewhere!) that God is reaching out and Adam (humankind) is lounging around and half-heartedly raising a hand in response.
God loves each of us, deeply and unconditionally. How blessed we are.
The recipient of the Walk Worthy of God Good Sport award today is Zahlie Fell. Her teachers spoke of a young lady who is always inclusive and goes out of her way to support others. Congratulations, Zahlie.
Rain, rain go away! Hope we get a little bit of sunshine over the weekend.
Warm regards,
Liz
Liz Watts
Principal
UPCOMING EVENTS
- Wednesday 2nd & Thursday 3rd April - Polding Swimming - SOPAC
- Sunday 6th April - Daylight Saving Time Ends
- Tuesday 8th April - Polding AFL
- Wednesday 9th April - Paul Kelly Cup
- Wednesday 9th April - Big Water Walk
- Thursday 10th April - End of Term Effort Awards Assembly
- Thursday 10th April - Stations of the Cross
- Thursday 10th April - Last day for students - Term 1
- Friday 11th April - Staff Development Day (pupil-free day)
- Friday 18th April - Good Friday
- Saturday 19th April - Holy Saturday
- Sunday 20th April - Easter Sunday
- Friday 25th April - ANZAC Day
- Monday 28th & Tuesday 29th April - Staff Development Days (pupil-free days)
- Wednesday 30th April - Term 2 First day for students
- Friday 2nd May - Outdoor Family Fun Night
WHAT'S THE BUZZ?
Keeping School Funding Fair
Catholic Schools NSW has launched the Keep School Funding Fair campaign to ensure families have access to clear and accurate information.
Our Catholic schools play a vital role in providing high-quality education while keeping costs affordable for families. A fair, means-tested funding model ensures all students are supported, no matter their background.
Read the Catholic Schools NSW media release below to learn more, and visit keepfundingfair.org.au to watch the explainer video and take action.
Scarecrow Donations Needed for Our Garden Club!
The Sustainability Committee is seeking donations of old clothes, hats, belts, and stuffing (e.g., from old pillows or cushions) to help update the garden club’s scarecrows.
This is a great opportunity to recycle and repurpose items while contributing to our school’s sustainability efforts. These materials will be used by our creative garden club members to build fun, eco-friendly scarecrows that will help keep our garden growing strong!
Please drop off donations at the school office by the end of the term. Your support will contribute to our sustainability efforts and help strengthen our garden!
Thank you for your support!
ANZAC Day
If your child will be attending the Sawtell ANZAC Day events and/or service and would like to join us for the march, join the choir or be part of the drum band, please complete this form.
Please note, preference for drum band participants will be given to Year 6 students. Lessons have already begun, with only a couple of sessions remaining, so students would need to be experienced drummers to join the band for ANZAC Day. Further opportunities to learn drumming will be available next term.
LOVING LEARNING
What's Happening in Year 1?
Year 1 loves exploring quality texts during reading and writing lessons each day. This fortnight, students have read the heartwarming story Spoon by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. Students explored the concepts of dialogue and characterisation through the text. Learning activities have included dramatic role plays, personifying characters from the story and using speech bubbles to represent dialogue.
At the culmination of these lessons, students chose a kitchen utensil to transform into a new character for the story! Students had lots of fun imagining, drawing and writing about what dialogue might arise from these new characters.
Margaret Ryan
Assistant Principal
Learning & Teaching
FROM THE MISSION DESK
Loving God,
As we enter this fourth week of Lent, help us to pause and reflect on the path we are walking with You. Open our hearts to Your love and guide us to be kind, patient, and forgiving.
Teach us to see the needs of others and to share Your light through our words and actions. May we grow in faith, trust in Your goodness, and prepare our hearts for the joy of Easter.
Bless our school community as we journey together, seeking You in all that we do.
Amen.
The Big Water Walk – Show Your Compassion This Lent
Did you know that 292 million people around the world spend more than 30 minutes walking to collect water each day? Many of them are children, who miss out on school and other opportunities because they must make this long journey for something as basic as clean water.
To raise awareness and funds for those living in poverty, our Mini Vinnies students are organising The Big Water Walk for Years 3 to 6. On Thursday April 3rd, students will walk around a course on the school field with their home base group. Along the way, they’ll stop at learning stations, where Mini Vinnies students will share stories about children who walk long distances daily for water. Each home base will also take on the challenge of carrying a bucket weighing the same as the water containers these children carry, helping us understand just how difficult this journey is.
To take part, students are asked to bring a gold coin donation for Project Compassion, supporting communities in Africa, Asia, and the Pacific to access clean, safe water. Let’s walk together, learn together, and make a difference! 💧💙
What’s Been Happening in Religious Education in Year 6?
In Year 6, students have been deepening their understanding of the Stations of the Cross through collaborative research and reflection. Working in groups, they explored the significance of each station, considering its meaning in Jesus’ journey and how it connects to themes of sacrifice, compassion, and faith in their own lives. After researching, students presented their findings to their peers, fostering meaningful discussions and a greater appreciation for this important tradition. Through this process, they not only developed their understanding of the Easter story but also strengthened their ability to communicate and reflect on their faith. Their work will now be compiled into a resource that will be shared with classes across the school, allowing the wider school community to engage with and reflect on the Stations of the Cross in preparation for Holy Week.
Year 3 and 5 Class Mass
This week, our Year 3 and Year 5 students had the special opportunity to attend Mass to celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation. This important day in the Church’s calendar marks the moment when the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her that she would be the mother of Jesus.
During the Mass, students listened to the Gospel story of the Annunciation and reflected on Mary’s trust in God. Father Joy spoke about the importance of saying “yes” to God, just as Mary did, and encouraged the children to listen for the ways God calls us to be kind, loving, and faithful in our daily lives.
Seasons for Growth is a small group education program that supports children and young people to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes to understand and respond well to experiences of change, loss and grief.
Seasons for Growth supports children and young people who have experienced change and loss, including, although not limited to family separation; loss or death of someone they care about; living away in out of home care; physical or mental illness; We suggest that children and young people impacted by bereavement wait 6-12 months before participating in a Seasons for Growth program.
We will be offering the Seasons program at Mary Help of Christians. If you think that your child would benefit from this program, please fill in this expression of interest form.
Term One Class Masses
All parents and carers are invited to attend our weekly class Masses at Sawtell Catholic church at 9:30am. Don’t forget to stay for a cuppa and some morning tea afterwards. All families and friends are welcome!
Tuesday 1st April - Kinder and Year 6 (Liturgy of the Word)
Tuesday 8th April - No Mass
Amber Biddle
Assistant Principal
Mission
Toni Fletcher
Leader of
Catechesis
MHOC SCHOOL COMMUNITY FORUM
Outdoor Family Fun Night
It’s so exciting to be at school at night time! Especially when there’s a movie showing on the big outdoor screen!
Tickets for this fun family event are available now on Flexischools. BYO picnic or pre-order your dinner for an easy night out.
If you are able to help out on the night, please fill in this form.
Webinars - Stepping Stones
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER for three free webinars for parents of children with an intellectual disability. Learn more about positive parenting approaches, helping your child reach their full potential and changing problem behaviour into positive behaviour. Provided by The Sydney Children's Hospital Network and Triple P Positive Parenting
Easter Raffle Tickets
The Social and Fundraising Committee are running the annual Easter Raffle again this year. Check your child’s bag for raffle tickets. Tickets are 50c each or 3 for $1. There are three hampers to be won along with one prize per homebase. Please return tickets and cash by 7th April to be in the draw.
Jo Melinz
SCF President
SPORT NEWS
Netball All Schools Cup
We were able to send four teams to the Netball All Schools Cup this week, proving that netball is becoming one of the more popular sports amongst our students, girls and boys alike.
Our teams battled through some tough conditions in the rain that refused to let up, but our students had a great day nonetheless. Our Year 5/6 girls’ team finished equal first in their division and will now compete in the regional final in Port Macquarie in August. Well done girls!
Winter Sports Trials
In a rain-affected schedule, only the Diocesan netball trials were able to go ahead this week. Well done to Lillian Whitehill and Zoey Dawson who made the trip to Grafton to trial for the chance to progress to Polding trials.
The Diocesan Soccer and Rugby League trials have been rescheduled for Friday 4th April.
Rebecca Bennett
Sports Coordinator
Geraldine Hourigan
Sports Administrator
HABITS OF MIND AWARDS
Term 1 Week 8
Kinder | Maisie Corfe, Bella Duggan, Luna Brown, Cruz Van Hamond, Braxton Thompson, Bruxner Corrigan |
Year 1 | Arlo Hayes, Grace Hardidge, Ruby Forrest, Edie McCrimmon |
Year 2 | Emilia Nyhan, Oscar Ticli, Alexandra Jones, Tia Malec, Ava Boundy, Oscar Appeldoorn, Angela Prince, Campbell Miller |
Year 3 | Lucy de Groot, Riley Gleeson, Amberly Law |
Year 4 | Coco Lionetti, Charlize Law, Grace Furey, Mantej Brar, Nia Paine |
Year 5 | Jessica Tritton, Harley Bulanyi, Alyssa Chapman, Sahajpreet Kaur, Charlie Schmetzer |
Year 6 | Victoria Jones, Asha Cook, Amberley Law |
CANTEEN NEWS
Hot Cross Buns
Lisa Mangan
Canteen Manager
LIBRARY WHISPERS
I’ve been reading this wonderful new picture book to some of the groups that have come in this week and they’ve been loving it. It’s a tale about the Bigfoots and the Yetis who have fought each other for as long as anyone can remember..until two younger ones from each group meet up face to face and really see each other for who they are. The start of the book is in black and white and as their barriers start to break down, colour is slowly introduced. It’s such a thoughtful book with so many layers to it and the kids have really understood the nuances of it. Also, it’s told in such a fun way, it’s kept them engaged.
Most of the Scholastic Bookclub orders have arrived but I’m still waiting for a couple of back orders. Hopefully they’ll be here by early next week.
Rachael Hewitt
Librarian
OSHC
Week 8 at MHOC OSHC
This week at MHOC OSHC, the wet weather didn’t dampen our spirits! We embraced the opportunity to enjoy a variety of exciting indoor games, with Twister providing plenty of laughs and Silent Ball testing our concentration and reflexes. These activities kept everyone engaged and having fun while staying dry.
Whenever the rain cleared, we eagerly headed outside to make the most of the fresh air. Dodgeball was a favorite, with fast-paced action and plenty of teamwork on display. Basketball saw some fantastic shots and great sportsmanship, while skipping brought endless energy and enthusiasm as children challenged themselves with new tricks.
As always, our construction activities were a major highlight. The marble run encouraged creativity and problem-solving as children designed intricate courses, while LEGO building sparked imagination and teamwork as impressive structures came to life.
No matter the weather, we had an action-packed and fun-filled week at MHOC OSHC, and we can’t wait for more adventures ahead! 
April Vacation Care (VC) program.
- Families must be enrolled in the service to attend the MHOC OSHC Vacation Care / school holiday program. If they are not enrolled, please email sawp-oshc@lism.catholic.edu.au before the holidays commence.
- Families from the local community are welcome to join the VC program — if your friends or family are interested, feel free to invite them!
- Some incursions and excursions have limited spots, so booking early is recommended.
Laura McDiarmid
OSHC Coordinator
NEWS FROM OUR PARISH
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
