15 August 2025
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Today, we celebrated the Feast of The Assumption, one of the great Marian feasts. In today's Gospel, we hear the Magnificat, also known as the Canticle of Mary, which is Mary's beautiful prayer when she visited her cousin Elizabeth. In her song, Mary praises God for all the wonderful things He's done. She thanks Him for choosing her and for His great love for everyone, especially those who are humble and kind. Mary's song reminds us that God always helps people who need it most and that He keeps His promises.
Mary provides us with a beautiful model of faith and trust in God. Just like Mary, we can also be grateful for the good things in our lives and sing our own songs of praise to God.
Congratulations to all of our students who competed in this year’s Spelling Bee. The finals, held last Wednesday, kept us on the edge of our seats!
Congratulations to Layla, Henry and Etta who were this year’s stage winners.
We have a lot of exciting events here at school, and the annual Book Week parade never disappoints. Everyone is welcome to join us for the fun on Friday. And I do wonder what will the teachers will get up to this year!
Congratulations to Josh Hiller, the recipient of today’s Walk Worth of God Good Sport Award. Josh’s friends spoke of a great mate who is always kind and fair. Well done, Josh!
Warm regards,
Margaret
Margaret Ryan
Acting Principal
UPCOMING EVENTS
Term 3
- Friday 22nd August - Book Week Parade
- Tuesday 26th August - Netball Schools Cup Regional Final
- Tuesday 26th August - Diocesan Athletics
- Tuesday 26th August - Years 5 & 6 Disco
- Wednesday 27th August - Year 3 & 4 Disco
- Wednesday 27th August - Parenting in the age of Distraction Parent Night
- Thursday 28th August - Years K, 1 & 2 Disco
- Friday 29th August - K-2 Science Fair
- Thursday 4th September - Fathers’ Day Stall
- Friday 5th September - Fathers’ Day Breakfast
- Friday 12th September - Polding Athletics
- Sunday 21st - School-Led/Parish Mass
- Monday 22nd - Wednesday 24th September - Year 5 Camp
- Monday 22nd - 23rd September - Year 4 Camp
- Monday 22nd September - Clarence Public Speaking Competition
- Friday 26th September - last day of Term 3
Term 4
- Monday 13th October - Staff Development Day (pupil-free day)
- Tuesday 14th October - first day of Term 4 for students
- Monday 3rd - 5th November - Year 6 Camp
WHAT'S THE BUZZ?
Bullying No Way Week
This week, our school has been participating in Bullying No Way Week, with the important theme “Be bold, Be Kind, Speak Up!” Students were encouraged to reflect on how we can create a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment for all.
As part of this, students watched the Kids Helpline’s Largest Anti-Bullying Lesson in their classrooms. Created by qualified Kids Helpline counsellors, the lesson provided practical tips, tools, and strategies to help students respond to bullying in a positive and constructive way.
There were many great discussions about the power of kindness, the importance of speaking up, and how sticking together can help stop bullying. The lesson reinforced the message that everyone belongs and that we all have a role to play in making our school a welcoming and supportive place.
Book Week Parade
Get ready to celebrate the magic of reading! Our Book Week Parade will be held on Friday 22nd August. Students are invited to come dressed as their favourite book character. We’re excited to see everyone bring their favourite stories to life!
Father’s Day Breakfast
To RSVP to the Fathers' Day breakfast, please click here.
MHOC Discos
Our school discos are coming up fast! Keep costumes simple - it's all about the dancing fun.
LOVING LEARNING
The Bees Knees: A Spelling Bee to Remember
The air was thick with anticipation and silent whispers of "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" as our school's annual spelling bee got underway this week. It was a nail-biting, dictionary-wielding showdown, and we are so proud of all our participants.
A huge congratulations to all our stage finalists who battled their way through some of the toughest words in the English language. Each of these students showed incredible poise and intelligence under pressure. They spent countless hours preparing and practising, and it truly showed. Whether they were spelling "pneumonia" or "chrysanthemum," their dedication was clear.
A special round of applause goes to our three stage winners:
- Stage 1: Etta Johnson
- Stage 2: Henry Jones
- Stage 3: Layla Verbruggen
All Aboard for Bus Safety!
This past Thursday, our Kindergarten students embarked on an exciting and educational adventure with the Busways Bus Program. The program, designed to teach young students about bus safety, was a huge success and a fun experience for all involved.
The session focused on important lessons about how to behave on and around a bus, and how to properly catch the bus. The children learned about waiting safely at the bus stop, using the handrails, and finding a seat quickly.
The highlight of the day was an actual trip around town on a Busways bus! The students got to practice their new skills with their friends, experiencing firsthand what it's like to be a responsible bus rider. It was a fantastic opportunity for them to learn about road safety in a practical and memorable way.
A big thank you to the team from Busways for providing such a valuable and engaging program for our youngest students.
What's Happening in Year 3?
In Year 3, we have been learning about characterisation, dialogue and first person narrative while reading Rowan of Rin by Emily Rodda. Students have used the Freeform app to record story maps, important quotes and summaries of the chapters.
Brendan Murphy
Assistant Principal
Learning & Teaching
FROM THE MISSION DESK
Feast of the Assumption of Mary
Today, we celebrated the Feast of the Assumption of Mary, a special day in the Catholic Church that honours the belief that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was taken into heaven, body and soul at the end of her earthly life.
To mark this holy day, our School Captains, along with our Leaders of Evangelisation and Leaders of Social Justice, represented our school community at a beautiful Mass held at the Lady of Our Way Chapel at Marian Grove. It was a lovely celebration, shared with residents and members of the wider faith community.
Back at school, students from all grades participated in their own special class liturgies, taking time to reflect on Mary’s role as a model of faith, love. These liturgies provided a quiet moment to come together in prayer and celebrate Mary’s importance in the life of the Church.
Peer Groups
This week, our school participated in Bullying No Way Week, with the theme: “Be bold, Be Kind, Speak Up!”
As part of our peer group activities, students gathered in mixed age groups to explore what belonging means in our school community. Through discussions, they reflected on the importance of inclusion, kindness, and standing together against bullying. A key message students focused on was: “When we belong, we stick together. When we stick together, we can help stop bullying.”
To visually represent this message, each group created a colourful fish collage. Every student designed and decorated a unique fish, which was then added to a larger display, a vibrant and powerful reminder that although we are all different, we each have a place in our school. Just like a school of fish, we are stronger and safer when we move together.
As one student shared, “Belonging is like a superpower against bullying. It helps us understand each other and be kind.”
What’s Been Happening in Religious Education in Kinder?
In Religious Education, Kindergarten have been learning about ‘God’s Great Family’ by listening and responding to the story of Abraham and Sarah. Students have been reflecting on experiences of promise and trust. They have reflected on their own experiences of promise and trust, and through role play, artwork, and prayer, have brought the story to life. These activities have helped students discover how families can guide us in growing closer to God.
Term 3 Class Mass Roster
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 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
Save the Date
Our Parish/School led Mass will be held on Sunday, 21st September at 9:00am at Sawtell Catholic Church. We hope you can join us for this special celebration with our parish community.
Amber Biddle
Assistant Principal
Mission
Toni Fletcher
Leader of
Catechesis
SENSEI'S CORNER
In Japanese Club, we are slowly making 1000 cranes for peace. A lot of interested students turned up to learn how to make origami paper cranes.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, so with all the troubled places in the world, it’s more important than ever to pray for peace each and every day. The crane has become an international symbol of peace and MHOC students will have the opportunity to join in this activity at lunchtime on Thursdays until we reach our 1000 crane goal. We will be calling for volunteers later in the term to thread the cranes onto cotton or fishing line with a button stopper in strands of about 50 to make a wreath. More on that later.
Janine Boyd
Japanese Teacher
SPORT NEWS
AFL Coaching Sessions
Our Year 3 & 4 children have been lucky enough to be involved in some AFL coaching sessions for sport this term. These sessions are run by local AFL development officers over 4 weeks and are designed to provide basic skills required for AFL gameplay: handballing, marking, kicking etc.
Rebecca Bennett
Sports Coordinator
Geraldine Hourigan
Sports Administrator
LIBRARY WHISPERS
If you’ve been wondering what we do with the proceeds from the Book Fair, here are some beautiful new books that we’ve just received into the library, which were purchased with Scholastic Rewards points from the Book Fair.
Overdue notices have started going out this week. If you think that your child has returned their book or you’ve looked but can’t find it anywhere, please let me know. I try to talk to the children about finding the books if they have been lost, but I never want children to be anxious about coming into the library if they can’t find their book. I would always rather have borrowers back, than books.
Don’t forget the Book Week Parade is on next Friday. Please don’t go to heaps of trouble with costumes, some of the best are home made! Here are some more ideas https://www.bountyparents.com.au/expert-advice/easy-book-week-costumes/
Last but certainly not least, is a big thank you to my wonderful helpers this week. They’ve been cutting and organising craft for Story and Songtime and tidying up the games after children have been playing. It makes my job so much easier with such great help!
Rachael Hewitt
Librarian
CANTEEN NEWS
Bookweek Treats
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
Father’s Day Stall
This year's Father’s Day Stall will be held on Thursday, 4th September.
Students will have the opportunity to choose a special gift for their dad or a father figure in their life. A variety of affordable gifts will be available for purchase on the day. All orders must be made through Flexischools, so please be sure to place your order ahead of time.
Parenting in the Age of Distraction
We have a wonderful opportunity to take part in a live webinar presented by Angela Lockwood. There are two ways you can take part:
- Join with other MHOC parents to take part in the webinar here at school. You can drop your Year 3 or 4 child at the school disco first and yummy nibbles will be provided or;
- Register and Zoom in from home.
See the flyer below for more details or click here to register.
Jo Melinz
SCF President
COMMUNITY NEWS
Building Resilience Training
The Building Resilience workshop gives participants the chance to take ownership of their mental health and build new strategies to control their thoughts and emotions. Participants reflect on the personal management of their own mental health, in collaboration with others, and end the workshop with new techniques and healthy habits.
