4 July 2025

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, believed deeply in the idea of finding God in all things, in recognising God's presence in every moment, person, and part of our lives—not just in church or prayer, but throughout our day-to-day living. 

How blessed I’ve been- and indeed we all are- to call Mary Help of Christians primary school home, a place where it’s easy to see God’s presence in the interactions of our students, staff and families.

Thanks for everything, parents and carers. I’ve just loved being a principal at MHOC and I just might have a little tear in my eye as I write these words.

May the maternal love of  Mary, Help of Christians, encompass you and your families and may her complete trust in God’s plan be your inspiration.

Warm regards,

Liz

UPCOMING EVENTS

Term 3

• Monday 21st July - Staff Development Day (pupil-free day)
• Tuesday 22nd July - First day of Term 3 for students
• Tuesday 23rd- Monday 28th July - Book Fair
• Friday 25th July - Grandparents’ Day
• Tuesday 29th July - Confirmation
• Friday 8th August - Barney Barselaar Cup
• Tuesday 26th August - Netball Schools Cup Regional Final
• Tuesday 26th August - Diocesan Athletics
• Tuesday 26th August - Kinder, Year 1 & 2 Disco
• Wednesday 27th August - Year 3 & 4 Disco
• Thursday 28th August - Year 5 & 6 Disco
• Friday 12th September - Polding Athletics 
• Monday 22nd - Wednesday 24th September - Year 5 Camp
• Monday 22nd - 23rd September - Year 4 Camp
  

WHAT'S THE BUZZ?

Farewell Mrs Watts

We’re going to miss you, Mrs Watts! This video is a special thank you from all of us.

Welcome Mrs Pell

Congratulations to Miss Kelly who is being married in the school holidays. Kindergarten held a special celebration for her today.

Thank You to Rotary Coffs Harbour 

Thanks to the wonderful team at Rotary Coffs Harbour for their generous donation of $950 worth of new decodable readers! Rotary Coffs Harbour's commitment to supporting local education is truly inspiring. 

NAIDOC Week 

Thank you to Aunty Kel and our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students for a beautiful ceremony to mark NAIDOC Week at MHOC - The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy.

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Grandparents’ Day

We are excited to be hosting our annual Grandparents’ Day celebrations on Friday 25th July. 

Please RSVP for catering purposes here

Little Wings Update

Come on NSW! We can't let QLD beat us!

LOVING LEARNING

Science and Technology – Earth and Space Explorations

This term, our students have been discovering the wonders of Earth and Space through hands-on learning.

Kindergarten observed how daily and seasonal changes affect people, animals and plants. They recorded weather patterns and designed a sun shelter for a frog using different materials.

Stage 1 (Years 1 & 2) explored changes in the sky, including the Sun’s path, moon phases and constellations. They recorded weather changes and created their own weather instruments.

Stage 2 (Years 3 & 4) investigated how natural forces and human actions change the Earth’s surface. They studied rocks, fossils, erosion and conducted investigations into landforms and the impact of erosion at Sawtell Beach.

Stage 3 (Years 5 & 6) looked at Earth’s place in the solar system, learning about planets, space technology and the knowledge of First Nations' Peoples about the night sky. They also studied how space exploration has helped us understand our universe.

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Eco-Art Challenge - Don't forget to vote for MHOC!

FROM THE MISSION DESK

Year 3 Mass

This week, Father Joy spoke to the children about the Gospel where Jesus calms the storm. In the story, Jesus and His disciples are in a boat when a wild storm suddenly appears. The waves crash and the wind roars. The disciples are frightened, but Jesus stays calm and tells the storm to stop and it does!

Father Joy reminded the children that, like the disciples, we might feel scared or worried sometimes. But Jesus is always with us, especially during life’s storms. We can turn to Him in prayer and trust that He will help bring peace to our hearts, just like He calmed the sea.

This week, when you feel worried or unsure, take a quiet moment to say, “Jesus, I trust in You.” Let’s remember to invite Jesus into our day, especially when things feel stormy.

Confirmation Retreat

On Tuesday last week, our Confirmation candidates had a wonderful day at their Confirmation Retreat. They spent time in prayer and reflection, made some creative crafts and took part in a practice session to get ready for the big day. It was a great chance to slow down, learn more about the Holy Spirit and spend time together as a group on this special part of their faith journey.

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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sunday

On Sunday 6th July, during the school holidays, we celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sunday. It is a special day in the Church where we recognise and honour the rich cultures, deep spirituality and important contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, the First Peoples of Australia.

This year’s theme is “Keep the Fire Burning Strong in Faith”, reminding us to listen, learn and walk together in unity and respect.

As a Catholic community, we are called to show love, understanding and reconciliation, just as Jesus taught us. Let’s take a moment to reflect, pray and give thanks for the First Nations peoples and their deep connection to the land we share.

Term Two Class Masses

All parents and carers are warmly invited to join us for our weekly class Masses at Sawtell Catholic Church at 9:30am. 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 22nd July - No Mass

Tuesday 29th July - Year 3 and Confirmation Candidates

Tuesday 5th August - Year 4 and Mini Vinnies Students (Mini Vinnies Commissioning Mass)

Tuesday 12th August - Year 6

Tuesday 19th August - Year 5

Tuesday 26th August - Year 1

Tuesday 2nd September - Year 2

Tuesday 9th September - Year 4

Tuesday 16th September - Year 3

Tuesday 23rd September - Kinder & Year 6

SPORT NEWS

Zone Athletics

Congratulations to our Zone team, which competed at the Clarence Zone athletics carnival on Wednesday. In the sunny but chilly weather, our athletes excelled, securing MHOC a well-earned second place behind the always-strong St Augustine’s. We are waiting on official results so we can celebrate our students who have progressed to represent Clarence Zone at the Diocesan carnival in August. What we can celebrate today is our champions:

Sonny Diacono - Junior Boys Champion

Eli Fernie - runner-up 11 Year Boys Champion

Layla Verbruggen - runner-up Senior Girls Champion

MHOC Athletics

We are very happy to announce our age champions from last week’s MHOC Athletics Carnival. All recipients will be presented with their trophies (grand champions) and/or ribbons (age champions) at assembly in Week 1.

Congratulations to the grand champions - 

• Junior - Sonny Diacono & Laila Summers
• 11 Years - Ollie Brandon & Frankie Barreto Gunn
• Senior - Harry Munro & Layla Verbruggen

and our minor age champions -

Record breakers!

Now that we have had some time to catch up from last week’s carnival, we can update you on some standout performances from a number of our athletes who broke records at the MHOC carnival. Very impressive!

Sonny Diacono

• 10yr boys 100m (15.04)
• Junior boys 1500m (6.09.65)

Eli Fernie

• 11yr boys 1500m (5.51.59)

Frankie Barreto Gunn

• 11yr girls 800m (2.53.25)

Lacey van Hoeck

• Senior girls 1500m (6.12.33)

Layla Verbruggen

• 12yr girls 100m (14.64)
• Senior girls 200m (31.70)
  

The full list of athletics records can be found below.

Donation of Basketballs - Highgrove Bathrooms

We were very happy to take possession this week of some basketballs, kindly donated by Highgrove Bathrooms. We have received these donations a few times now and they go down a treat with the children. Thank you Bella and crew at Highgrove Bathrooms!

LIBRARY WHISPERS

Scholastic Book Fair is on the first week back from the holidays, from Wednesday 23rd to Monday 28th July. It will be open to parents from 8.15 - 8.45 every morning and 2.45 - 3.15 every afternoon.

An invitation has gone home with each student with a QR code and instructions regarding how to order and pay online if you can’t get into the school. Students will need to bring the form with the receipt number on it. I have spares in the library if yours hasn’t made it home and you’d like another copy.

I’m running a Design Your Own Book Cover competition for students to win a $20 voucher to spend at the Book Fair. Students can make up their own book or use an existing book, but the cover should be an original design, not just a copy of the book. I’ve already got a lot of entries! Winners will be announced Thursday 24th July, so students are encouraged to complete their covers over the holidays if they want to enter.

We’ve been celebrating NAIDOC week all week in the library. We are lucky enough to  have so many beautiful books that celebrate the Aboriginal culture.

Scholastic Book Club orders have all been delivered. If you don’t have your order, please contact me after the holidays or contact Scholastic directly.

Have a great holiday!

OSHC

Our Vacation Care program is running for the July holidays, and we’re excited to welcome families to a schedule full of enriching experiences. Highlights include archery, a visit from a well-being support dog, excursions to Springloaded, golf, and the movies, along with a range of engaging in-centre activity days.

Please note that places are now very limited, so we encourage families to book as soon as possible to avoid missing out.

END OF TERM AWARDS

END OF TERM 2 EFFORT AWARDS

CANTEEN NEWS

What's Cooking?

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

Feedback Please

The MHOC School Community Forum provides opportunities for families to get together across a range of social and educational activities and events throughout the year.  We would love to know which events interest you and your family to assist us with our planning. 

Please take the time to let us know your thoughts on this short survey.

COMMUNITY NEWS