25 July 2025
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
In this Jubilee Year, with the theme Pilgrims of Hope, it is a great opportunity to celebrate grandparents for the incredible hope they bring. In our Catholic faith, hope is a special gift from God, helping us trust in His promises. Grandparents truly show us this hope.
Their stories often tell of challenges overcome and faith that stayed strong. These aren't just tales; they're living proof of resilience and hope.
Having grandparents in our lives is like a steady anchor. They offer endless support, a listening ear, and wise advice from years of experience.
Grandparents’ Day is the highlight of our year at MHOC when we celebrate these important people and thank them for their enormous, unconditional love! (The scones are pretty good, too!). Thank you to all those who were able to join us for this joy-filled day.
Warm regards,
Margaret
Margaret Ryan
Acting Principal
UPCOMING EVENTS
Term 3
- Tuesday 29th July - Sacrament of Confirmation
- Tuesday 5th August - Parent/Teacher Interviews
- Friday 8th August - Barney Barselaar Cup
- Friday 8th August - Jammies for Joeys Day
- Wednesday 13th August - Spelling Bee Finals
- Wednesday 20th August - Book Week Parade
- 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
- Wednesday 27th August - Parenting in the age of Distraction Parent Night
- Thursday 28th August - Year 5 & 6 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
- Monday 22nd - Wednesday 24th September - Year 5 Camp
- Monday 22nd - 23rd September - Year 4 Camp
- Monday 22nd September - Clarence Public Speaking Competition
WHAT'S THE BUZZ?
Grandparents Day
What a wonderful day! Thank you to all those who were able to join us for this annual celebration, especially those who have travelled from afar to be with us.
The students loved showing their grandparents around, sharing their work, and enjoying the activities planned just for them. Grandparents’ support and presence truly enrich our school, and we are so grateful for the love and wisdom they bring to our community. We look forward to welcoming everyone back again next year
Save the Date
Check the Upcoming Events section above for some important dates you may like to add to your calendar including the Jammies for Joeys Day, Book Week Parade and the Fathers’ Day Breakfast.
LOVING LEARNING
Get Ready to Spell! Our Annual Spelling Bee is Just Around the Corner!
Get ready to cheer on our amazing spellers! The annual MHOC Spelling Bee is rapidly approaching and we're excited to see our students showcase their fantastic spelling skills. Practice word lists have been sent home this week for students to begin preparing and class teachers will be holding in-class competitions from Week 3. The Spelling Bee Finals will take place in the school hall on 13th August. We'll share more details about attending this event closer to the date.
We encourage all students to get involved, practise their words, and embrace the challenge! It's a fantastic way to boost literacy skills and build confidence.
Number Fluency Program Now Fully Implemented Across All Classes!
We're thrilled to announce the full implementation of our Number Fluency Program across all classes, which began rolling out throughout last term! This exciting initiative is designed to build strong foundational number skills in every student. The program focuses on developing quick recall of essential number facts and fostering effective mental maths strategies. By engaging in targeted, regular practice, students will enhance their accuracy, efficiency, and overall confidence in working with numbers, setting them up for success in all areas of mathematics.
Parent-Teacher Interviews: Tuesday, August 5th
We're excited to invite you to our upcoming Parent-Teacher Interviews, taking place on Tuesday, August 5th. This is a valuable opportunity to connect with your child's teacher to discuss their academic progress and overall well-being at school. Booking for these interviews will open on Compass early next week. We look forward to seeing you there!
Brendan Murphy
Assistant Principal
Learning & Teaching
FROM THE MISSION DESK
Staff Spirituality Day
On Monday, MHOC staff took part in The Bishop’s Spirituality Retreat held at The Link. What a gift it was to begin the term in a spirit of stillness, connection, and renewal. The day focused on the theme of types of prayer and finding space for prayer - a vital aspect of spiritual life.
During the day, staff reflected on three modules: Making Space for Prayer, Prayer as Relationship, and Prayer as Friendship. Each session offered a rich invitation to deepen one’s understanding and experience of prayer, not as something to be achieved, but as a way of just being with God. Staff explored how prayer is not only about words or rituals, but about opening the heart, entering into relationships and nurturing a genuine friendship with God.
The day served as a gentle reminder of the importance of stepping away from noise and giving God time and space in our lives. In doing so, staff found strength, peace, and a renewed sense of purpose grounded in faith and prayer.
Confirmation - Tuesday 29th July
Next Tuesday, we’ll be celebrating our The Sacrament of Confirmation. Confirmation is a meaningful sacrament where students receive the Holy Spirit’s gifts to help them grow stronger in their faith and friendship with God. The candidates have been preparing in class, learning and reflecting on what this important step means for them.
You will find more info about the Confirmation liturgy and what’s happening on the night via Compass.
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 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
Amber Biddle
Assistant Principal
Mission
Toni Fletcher
Leader of
Catechesis
SPORT NEWS
Athletics superstars!
While we were not crowned champion school at the Clarence Zone Athletics Carnival in Week 10, we did finish a close second. We are very proud of all of our competitors, and a special congratulations goes to the following students who will represent Clarence Zone at the Diocesan carnival in August:
Frankie Barreto Gunn, Ollie Brandon, Peyton Brown, Asha Cook, Andi Dennis, Sonny Diacono, Luke Doust, Ella Duncan, Eli Fernie, Jacob Harrington, Victoria Jones, Alba McCrimmon, Zac Pearson, Selva Ponciano Maciel, Ned Rapley, Laila Summers, Layla Verbruggen, Lillian Whitehill.
Lacey Lightning!
Our resident long distance specialist, Lacey Van Hoeck, attended the PSSA Cross Country Championships in Sydney this week. Lacey is very familiar with this track and this level of competition, being a competitor here on numerous occasions.
She is nothing if not consistent, finishing within 10 seconds of her 2024 & 2025 Polding times despite recovering from a knee injury which saw her bow out of the Zone Athletics Carnival a few weeks ago.
We are so very proud of Lacey, putting the MHOC name up in lights on the big stage and consistently giving her best! Go girl!
Rebecca Bennett
Sports Coordinator
Geraldine Hourigan
Sports Administrator
LIBRARY WHISPERS
The Book Fair got off to a great start this year and with 40 boxes of books to unpack, there was a lot to choose from! We were run off our feet on Grandparent’s Day and the library was jam packed with families buying books. All the money we make comes back into the library with reward points through Scholastic. Don't worry if you missed out this week, the Book Fair will be open for a final day on Monday.
Rachael Hewitt
Librarian
OSHC
MHOC OSHC – Vacation Care Highlights
Thank you to all our wonderful Vacation Care families! Over the holiday break, we had a fantastic time filled with fun and engaging experiences. Some of the highlights included a trip to Springloaded, incursions with Cool Kids First Aid, Evolution Archery, a wellbeing support dog visit, and our exciting Crazy Science Day.
It’s been great to welcome back all our BSC and ASC children this week for Term 3—we missed you! We’re looking forward to another fun-filled and rewarding term ahead with you all.
Laura McDiarmid
OSHC Coordinator
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
Jo Melinz
SCF President
COMMUNITY NEWS
FREE ShowerStar Trial
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