19 September 2025
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
In September, we celebrate the Season of Creation, a special time for us to reflect on God's incredible gift of our planet. Our daily Garden Club is incredibly popular, and is a wonderful way to nurture the innate sense of wonder and appreciation that children have for the natural world.
As Christians, we are called to be stewards of creation, which means we have a responsibility to care for the Earth and its resources. At Assembly this morning, we talked about how the children can live out this calling right here at school. By taking small steps, such as ensuring our rubbish is placed in the correct bin, and not left on the ground, we show our gratitude for creation and do our part to protect our common home for future generations.
Congratulations to Kenshin Ticli who was the recipient of this week’s Walk Worthy of God Leadership Star. Kenny’s teachers say that he brings joy, positivity and kindness to Kindergarten. Well done, Kenny!
Warm regards,
Margaret
Margaret Ryan
Acting Principal
UPCOMING EVENTS
Term 3
- Sunday 21st - School-Led/Parish Mass at Sawtell Catholic Church - 9am
- Monday 22nd September - Clarence Regional Public Speaking Competition
- Monday 22nd - Wednesday 24th September - Year 5 Camp
- Monday 22nd - 23rd September - Year 4 Camp
- Friday 26th September - Presentation of Term 3 Effort Awards
- 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
- Wednesday 17th December - Last day for students
WHAT'S THE BUZZ?
Mosman Prep Excursion
As part of our ongoing connection with Mosman Preparatory School, our Year 5 Indigenous students joined them for their annual visit to Coffs Harbour, where students immerse themselves in Gumbaynggirr culture. This special day is to celebrate and learn about the rich traditions, history, and values of the Gumbaynggirr people, while building meaningful connections with our students.
Alongside cultural learning, students enjoyed bodyboarding and swimming at the Jetty Foreshores before heading to the Bonville Adventure Centre for canoeing and the commando course. It was an exciting and memorable experience that blended culture, friendship, and adventure.
Upcoming Year 4 and 5 Camps
Next week is a very exciting time for our Year 4 and 5 students, who will be heading off to their annual camps! Our Year 4 students will be going to the Bonville Adventure Centre, while our Year 5 students will be heading to the Great Aussie Bush Camp at Tea Gardens. These camps are a wonderful opportunity for our students to build new friendships, develop independence, and create lasting memories. We wish all our campers a fantastic and safe trip!
Join Us This Sunday!
We’re excited to welcome everyone to our student-led School & Parish Mass this Sunday at 9am. It’s a wonderful opportunity to see our students lead us in prayer and celebration together as a community. After Mass, please stay and join us for morning tea - a great chance to catch up and share some treats. We hope to see you there!
OSHC Vacation Care
Would you like to give your children a day or two of fun in the upcoming holidays? Maybe you just fancy a break? Check out the full MHOC OSHC Vacation Care program further down in this newsletter.
Presentation of Term 3 Effort Awards
Our Term 3 Effort Awards will be presented on Friday 26th September at 8:50am. All welcome.
LOVING LEARNING
What’s Happening in Year 1?
The children in Year One have been exploring the world of feelings!
We've been learning how to identify different emotions like happy, sad, angry, and worried, and more importantly, what to do when we feel them. The students have created some fantastic posters to help us remember different strategies for managing our feelings. These posters, which you'll see below, are a wonderful display of their understanding and creativity. We hope you enjoy seeing their incredible strategies!
MHOC Public Speaking Competition
This week, we held our annual MHOC Public Speaking Finals. It was an incredibly tight competition, with very little separating our talented finalists. Each year, our students raise the bar, and we couldn't be more proud of their hard work and courage.
Congratulations to the following students who will now represent our school at the Clarence Regional Public Speaking Competition next Monday at St John Paul College:
- Year 3: Indi Verbruggen
- Year 4: Betty Moore
- Year 5: Cleo Ellem
- Year 6: Ivy Meehan
We wish them all the very best of luck!
MHOC Celebrates Successful Waterwise Renewal
This week, our school successfully renewed its 'Waterwise' status. This important program helps our students learn about the importance of water conservation and how to be responsible stewards of this precious resource.
As part of the program, we hosted trained Waterwise Educators who led a variety of engaging activities. These included:
- Interactive lessons that are aligned with the new NSW Curriculum.
- A school-wide water audit, guided by educators, which was carried out by a group of Year 6 students.
- Professional development for our teachers to help them continue these important lessons throughout the year.
The visiting educators delivered fantastic lessons to our students throughout the week. Thank you to the educators for their time and expertise, and a special thank you to all our students for their enthusiastic participation.
Year 5 Geography Exhibition
This week, Year 5 students showcased their creativity and geographical knowledge at our Geography Exhibition. The focus? Houses around the world!
Throughout the term, our students have been studying different types of homes from various cultures and climates across the globe. From the snowy igloos of the Arctic to the stilted houses in Southeast Asia, they’ve explored how geography shapes the way people live.
The highlight of the exhibition was the students' personal creations. Each child designed and built a model of a house inspired by the diverse architectural styles they’ve been learning about. The results were nothing short of impressive!
The exhibition was a wonderful way to bring our geography lessons to life and celebrate the diverse ways people live around the world. Parents and peers were amazed by the students’ enthusiasm and attention to detail!
A big thank you to all the students for their hard work and to the parents for their support in making this event such a success.
We’re so proud of our Year 5 geographers and their innovative spirit.
Brendan Murphy
Assistant Principal
Learning & Teaching
FROM THE MISSION DESK
Caring for Our World
Pope Leo reminds us that when we pray together, we are also thinking about how important it is to take care of our world. Just like Jesus cared about the land, water, animals and people around Him, we are called to do the same. Taking care of creation and helping others is a special mission Jesus gave to all of us. When we listen to the earth and to people who need help, we are doing God’s work and sharing His love.
🌿 You're Invited – Help Us Build the Seasons of Creation Wall at the Church! 🌿
Theme 2025: Listening to the Voice of Creation
Season of Creation: September 1 – October 4
As part of this year’s Season of Creation, we’re inviting all families and parishioners to take part in a beautiful community project - our Seasons of Creation Wall!
You are invited to send in a photo of your favourite place in nature or your garden to the parish office, somewhere that makes you feel peaceful, close to God, and in awe of His amazing creation. These photos will be displayed in the church to help us reflect on the beauty of the world and our role in caring for it.
📸 How to take part:
- Email your photo to: pastoral@mhoc.org.au
- You can also include a short description if you’d like to share why it’s special to you
- Deadline: Friday, 26th September
Let’s come together as a parish family to celebrate God’s creation and listen to its voice with open hearts. 💚
“May our hearts be open to hear the voice of creation.”
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 23rd September - Kinder & Year 6
Year 3 Mass
Year 3 celebrated Mass on Tuesday at Sawtell Catholic Church. Fr Joy talked about the importance of helping other, even when it's not easy.
Amber Biddle
Assistant Principal
Mission
Toni Fletcher
Leader of
Catechesis
SPORT NEWS
Good luck!
Good luck to Aussie Foy who will be competing in the NSWCPS Golf Tournament in Baroonga next week.
Elective sports
Students in years 3-6 have been notified of their sport selection via compass today. We look forward to this kicking off in Term 4.
Rebecca Bennett
Sports Coordinator
Geraldine Hourigan
Sports Administrator
OSHC
October Vacation Care Program
Laura McDiarmid
Librarian
HABITS OF MIND AWARDS
Term 3 Week 9
Kinder | Patterson Andrews, Archer Mergulhao, Violet Roach, Ariya Dowdy |
Year 1 | Gurjap Kang, Maeve O’Donovan, Wren McDonald, Isabella Fox, Edie McCrimmon, Lua Ponciano Maciel, Arlo Stevenson |
Year 2 | Etta Johnson, Harper Hayton, Florence Van Hoeck, Alba McCrimmon |
Year 3 | Willow Strazzari, Zac Walker, Savannah Schweitzer, Alexander Masefield |
Year 4 | Lucas Donald, Axel Telford, Sonny Diacono, Aria Cole |
Year 5 | Isabella Hughes, Cheyse Blair, Ava Gallagher, Dominic Gosney, Nate Little, Mieke Appeldoorn, Willa Kennedy |
Year 6 | Andi Dennis, Evelyn Nicholls, Ashton Harding, Olivia Cheney |
CANTEEN NEWS
Volunteers
We are looking for more volunteers on Thursdays. If you are able to help, please contact the school office.
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
COMMUNITY NEWS
MHOC Stars
Come along and enjoy this wonderful show with some of our talented students in the cast. Congratulations to Jessica Melinz, Savannah Murphy, Emilia Nyhan and past student Ebony Davies who star in this production. To be able to see Emilia, Savannah and Jessica, please ensure you book tickets for the Shells cast, Ebony is in the Palms cast.
