13 June 2025
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
I frequently remind the children that the Sign of the Cross is so much more than an action we do at the beginning and the end of a prayer. It is a special prayer in itself, that reminds us of God's amazing love! When we touch our forehead, chest, and shoulders, we're remembering the Holy Trinity: God the Father who created us, God the Son (Jesus) who shows us the way to God, and the Holy Spirit who guides us and allows us to experience the presence of God in our lives. It's like a little hug from God and a way to say thank you for always being with us!
Congratulations to Eden Corr, who received today’s Walk Worthy of God Good Citizen Award. Eden’s teachers say she finds joy in all her learning and loves sharing it with her peers. She consistently follows the school rules and shows great respect for her teachers, classmates, and friends. Well done, Eden!
I look forward to catching up with families who are able to attend our school-led parish Mass on Sunday.
Warm regards,
Margaret
Margaret Ryan
Acting Principal
UPCOMING EVENTS
Term 2
- Monday 16th June-Year 4 Learning Showcase
- Tuesday 17th June-Year 2 & Year 5 Learning Showcases
- Wednesday 18th June-Year 3 & Kindergarten Learning Showcases
- Wednesday 18th June - Diocesan Rugby Union Gala Day
- Thursday 19th June-Year 1 & Year 6 Learning Showcases
- Thursday 26th June - Years 2-6 Athletics Carnival
- Monday 30th June - 4th July - NAIDOC Week Celebrations
- Monday 30th June - Dental Van Visit
- Thursday 3rd July - Mrs Watts' Farewell Liturgy and Morning Tea
- Friday 4th July - Presentation of Term 2 Effort Awards
- Friday 4th July - Student reports available in Compass
Term 3
- Monday 21st July - Staff Development Day (pupil-free day)
- Tuesday 22nd July - First day of Term 3 for students
- Tuesday 22nd - Friday 25th July - Book Fair
- Friday 25th July - Grandparents’ Day
- Friday 8th August - Barney Barselaar Cup
- Tuesday 26th August - Netball Schools Cup Regional Final
- Tuesday 26th August - Diocesan Athletics
- Monday 22nd - Wednesday 24th September - Year 5 Camp
- Monday 22nd - 23rd September - Year 4 Camp
WHAT'S THE BUZZ?
Farewell Liturgy and Morning Tea for Mrs Watts
You are invited to join us for a special celebration to farewell our wonderful principal Liz, who will be retiring at the end of the term.
Please RSVP here for catering purposes before 27th June.
MHOC Colour Run
We’re excited to announce the new date for our School Colour Run is Friday 28th June!
Now that the sun is shining and the grounds have dried out, we’re all set for a fun afternoon filled with colour, laughter and a little bit of slime!
New Classroom Compost Bins Launched This Week!
This week, we were excited to roll out compost bins into all classrooms! With the help of our dedicated Garden Club and Sustainability Committee, these new bins will make it easier than ever for students to contribute to our eco-friendly initiatives.
The food scraps collected in these classroom bins will be shared between our worm farm, the chickens and our main compost bins. This teaches our students about the circular economy – how waste from one part of our school can become a valuable resource for another, enriching our gardens and providing food for our animals.
Free Dental Clinic
As you are aware, Australian Dental Health will be visiting MHOC in the week commencing 30th June to provide free dental check-ups and treatment for eligible students.
The service is free to eligible families through Medicare’s Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) and Private Health Insurance. If you have neither, Australian Dental Health will still provide a free check-up.
If you would like your child/ren to attend the clinic and haven’t signed them up yet, you can complete the online form via the link below.
Click to Fill in the Dental Consent Form Online
Save the Date: Grandparents’ Day – Friday, 25th July
Mark your calendars for one of the most beloved events of the year; Grandparents’ Day! We’ve got lots of exciting activities planned and we’ll be sharing more details soon. We can’t wait to celebrate with you!
LOVING LEARNING
Learning Showcases - You're Invited
Parents and carers are invited to attend our Term 3 Learning Showcases. These events provide an opportunity for children to share what they have been learning throughout the term and celebrate their achievements. All showcases run from 2pm - 2:45pm
- Monday 16th June - Year 4 Learning Showcase
- Tuesday 17th June - Year 2 & Year 5 Learning Showcases
- Wednesday 18th June - Kindergarten & Year 3 Learning Showcases
- Thursday 19th June-Year 1 & Year 6 Learning Showcases
What's happening in Kindergarten?
This week in Kindergarten, we’ve been diving into the wonderful world of numbers to 10! Our young mathematicians have been exploring different number combinations and discovering all the clever ways numbers can come together to make 10 – also known as the 'friends of 10'.
Through fun, hands-on games, the children have been using concrete materials like counters, tens frames, and blocks to help them recognise smaller numbers within bigger numbers. It’s been exciting to see their confidence grow as they explore and share their strategies with each other.
We are so proud of how engaged and curious they are—learning through play really brings maths to life!
Brendan Murphy
Acting Assistant Principal
Learning & Teaching
FROM THE MISSION DESK
This Sunday, we celebrate Trinity Sunday, a special day in the Church calendar that reminds us of the mystery of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The Trinity teaches us that God is three persons in one:
- God the Father, who created the world,
- God the Son (Jesus), who came to live among us and show us how to love,
- and God the Holy Spirit, who helps and guides us every day.
Even though it’s a big mystery, we can think of the Trinity like a family full of love, each part connected, always working together.
Wishing all our families a peaceful and joyful Trinity Sunday!
MHOC Parish School-led Mass
Everyone is welcome to our parish school-led Mass this Sunday, 15th June at 9:00am at Sawtell Church. During the Mass, there will be a special presentation and blessing for our students preparing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.
Please stay for a cuppa and morning tea afterwards. If you're able, please bring a plate to share. We hope you can join us for this special celebration with our parish community.
Year 3 Class Mass
This week, our Year 3 students attended their class Mass celebrated by Fr Joy. During the Mass, Father Joy read from the Gospel of Matthew 5:13–16, where Jesus calls us to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world.
Fr Joy shared a beautiful message about what this means in our everyday lives. He encouraged the students to shine their light by showing kindness, sharing joy, making positive choices, and to be like salt by adding goodness and love to the world around them.
What’s been happening in Religious Education in Year 6?
This term, Year 6 has been learning about the sacraments and the fruits of the Holy Spirit. They have spent some time studying the different sacraments in small groups and reporting back to the class. Each group has made a presentation about their sacrament of choice and discussed the importance of the sacraments in relation to their own journey of faith.
They have reflected on the fruits of the Holy Spirit; what they are, what they mean, and how to grow in God by embracing the fruits of the Holy Spirit and living by Jesus’ teachings.
Year 3 - Holy Spirit Retreat
Today, our Year 3 students took part in a retreat day focused on the theme of the Holy Spirit. The retreat was an opportunity for students to pause, reflect, and explore how the Holy Spirit is active in their lives.
We were blessed to be joined by Mrs Sarah de Byl and the Year 10 Ministry students from St John Paul College, who led the day. Their leadership and kindness made the experience extra special for our students. The students learned that the Holy Spirit is always with us, guiding, comforting, and helping us to live like Jesus. The day ended with a beautiful time of prayer, reminding us that we are never alone.
A big thank you to Mrs de Byl and the SJPC Ministry students for a wonderful day.
Term Two Class Masses
All parents and carers are warmly invited to join us for our weekly class Masses at Sawtell Catholic Church. We’d love for you to stay afterwards for a cuppa and some morning tea. It's a great chance to catch up and connect with others in our school community.
Tuesday 17th June - Year 5
Tuesday 24th June - Year 6
Tuesday 1st July - Mass for Year 3 followed by a Confirmation mini-retreat for students being confirmed next term. Students from Years 4-6 who are being confirmed will also attend Mass
Amber Biddle
Assistant Principal
Mission
Toni Fletcher
Leader of
Catechesis
SENSEI'S CORNER
What a fun week! Kindergarten are mastering kanji numbers 一ニ三 with a matching sticker hunt around the hall.
Year 1 were thrilled to learn about sumo wrestlers and even tried a few sumo stomps.
Year 2 can sing the days of the week - Getsuyoubi, kayoubi, suiyoubi, mokuyoubi, kinyoubi, doyoubi, nichiyoubi.
Year 3 are excited to start hiragana karate belt practise.
Year 4 are learning katakana group games to try to win their first white belt.
Janine Boyd
Japanese Teacher
SPORT NEWS
Polding Cross Country
How amazing is it to see our little MHOC runners on the big stage at the Polding Cross Country Carnival?! We loved watching the livestream and cheering them on, all the way from Sawtell to Sydney Equestrian Centre! Making it to this level is a huge achievement and we are so incredibly proud of these superstars! Just to give you an idea of the prestige of this level, here is a detailed rundown of the Polding area and the schools in this region that our students are competing against.
Out of all of the Catholic schools in the Polding region (from northern Sydney north and west to the Qld border), Eli placed 23rd, Frankie 21st, Sophie 7th and Lacey placed 5th!!!!!
This means Lacey is off to State (PSSA)! Incredible! We will keep you updated on her progress at the next carnival on the 26th July. Go Lacey!
Rebecca Bennett
Sports Coordinator
Geraldine Hourigan
Sports Administrator
LIBRARY WHISPERS
Scholastic Bookclub orders close this Friday. It usually takes about 10 days from closing to the books being delivered. If you had meant to order but forgot, don’t worry because the Book Fair will be running in Week 1 of Term 3. More information will come out closer to the time.
One of the challenges that I love with my job is to find a book for someone who doesn’t always enjoy reading. That’s why it’s so rewarding when I can find a book that they like and that leads them to wanting to read other books. Sonny has been enjoying the Percy Jackson series and because he’d liked that so much, he was excited to find that there was a book in the library with stories and information about the various mythological characters who feature in the book.
Grace has been on the hunt for a book that interests her. When I found out how much she loves dogs, I was so pleased to find this book for her. It turned out to be a winner, so much so that she asked me to look up other books by the same author!
Rachael Hewitt
Librarian
OSHC
What a week of fun we’ve had at MHOC OSHC! With the beautiful weather on our side, we’ve spent loads of time outdoors playing classic favourites like Red Rover, soccer, and basketball. Nature Play has been a big hit too – the perfect spot for imaginative adventures and exploring the great outdoors!
Inside, the creativity continues with melty beads and all kinds of crafty creations keeping little hands busy. Card games like UNO have been a crowd favourite, sparking friendly competition and plenty of laughs. Our car tracks have zoomed into the spotlight, and balloon games like Keepie Uppie have everyone bouncing with energy!
Can’t wait to see what fun next week brings!
HABITS OF MIND AWARDS
Term 2 Week 7
Kinder | Brooklyn Morgan, Finn Hawkins, Violet Roach, Ariya Dowdy, Sonny Minichilli |
Year 1 | Jordyn Thomson, Cooper Radford, Isabella Calderon Lin, Drew Herbert, Cali Nicol, Logan Blake |
Year 2 | Archer Doman, Sage Mergulhao, Harper Hayton, Nyla Sharkey, Chloe Hiller |
Year 3 | Gabe Norman, Ava Autry-Hall, Addilyn Cook, Bodhi Visser |
Year 4 | Jacob Harrington, Zella Cox, Brock Felstead |
Year 5 | Summer Wills, Willa Kennedy, Max Herbert, Noah Meehan |
Year 6 | Harry Munro, Quaid Hudson |
CANTEEN NEWS
What's Cooking?
Lisa Mangan
Canteen Manager
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 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
MHOC SCHOOL COMMUNITY FORUM
Council of Catholic School Parents
Check out these free webinars!
Jo Melinz
SCF President
COMMUNITY NEWS
