A spring in our step!

As the cold, dark nights finally get shorter, we’re looking ahead to warm Spring days and hours spent writing in the sun.

To get us into the spirit, here are some cheery Spring writing ideas that are sure to awaken your writing bones, as we head into the school holidays. Dust off those creative cobwebs, crack the spine of a fresh journal, and grab your favourite writing pen. It’s time to fire up the imagination.

Spring writing prompts

These Spring writing ideas are ideal for quieter moments during the weekends and school holidays – and also sneakily allows children to practice their lettering and handwriting too.

If you were in charge of a garden, what would you want to grow and why?

Baby animals are often born in the Springtime. If you could choose any baby animal to be your pet, what would you pick and why?

Write a short story about your life as a butterfly.

Describe five ways children can help take care of the planet.

Write a persuasive essay to convince your teacher to hold class outside more often.

Imagine you have been cooped up all winter and finally the snow has melted. It’s now a beautiful Spring day. How would you feel being able to go outside? What would you do on a day like this?

Take a walk outside, and write about your experience using the five senses.

Describe your favourite things to do outside in the Spring.

Write about the things you will miss about Winter when Spring starts. Why will you miss them?

The best thing to do during Spring is…

Write a story about an animal being born in Spring.

Spring cleaning is a great time to get rid of old things. What items could you Spring clean in your bedroom?

Choose any Spring flower to describe yourself. Make a list of at least five things you and this flower have in common.

Write a story about Spring using the words: daffodils, sunshine, showers, eggs, and holiday.

Spring is often thought of as a time for “new beginnings” or “starting fresh”. What is something you would like to start doing this Spring?

Imagine you are a botanist (a scientist who studies plants) and you have just discovered a new species of plant. Write a fictional report for a science journal describing the plant you’ve discovered.

If you could go anywhere in the world for the Spring holidays, where would you go and why?         

Save the Date – Tuesday 13 October, 3:15–4:15pm

We are excited to invite families to join us for a hands-on Maths Afternoon at Mary Queen of Heaven.

This will be a wonderful opportunity for families to explore how we teach mathematics at MQH, participate in engaging activities alongside your child, and discover practical ways to support mathematical learning at home.

Please see the attached flyer for further information.

We look forward to welcoming you and sharing the fun of learning mathematics together!

Fathers Day 2026

Proverbs 20:7

“The righteous walk in integrity—happy are the children who follow them.”

This Scripture reminds us that fathers and father figures guide children not only through their words but also through the way they live. Their love, integrity, patience and example help children feel safe, supported and encouraged to become the people God calls them to be.

Loving God,

Today we pause with grateful hearts to give thanks for the fathers and special father figures in our lives.

Thank you for the love, wisdom, encouragement and strength they share with us each day. Thank you for the many ways they teach, nurture, support and help us to grow.

May the fathers and special father figures in our lives be inspired by Your example of patience, compassion and unconditional love. May they continue to be positive examples and sources of guidance, strength and encouragement to those around them.

Bless all fathers, grandfathers, stepfathers, uncles, mentors and other special men who make a difference through their kindness, generosity and presence in our lives.

This Father’s Day, we celebrate the men who inspire us, strengthen our families and help us become the people we are called to be. May they feel appreciated, valued and loved today and always.

Amen.

Catholic Social Teachings in Action!

Catholic Social Teachings are principles that guide Catholics in following Jesus and building a fair, loving and peaceful world. They help us decide how to treat people, care for creation and respond to injustice.

In our 2026 Annual Action Plan we are highlighting opportunities where our families can see, name and access opportunities to engage in our faith community.  An example of this was our recent call out for egg cartons. Thank you for actioning our call to assist Helping Hands with this request.  We were overwhelmed and very appreciative of your response.  The cartons have been delivered to Helping Hands continuing to assist their Egg Program. 

Our Social Justice Leaders, Daniel and Charlie with the help of Farrah and Jasper, our Sustainability Leaders packed all our donated egg cartons ready to be sent to Helping Hands.

Art Show

We look forward to welcoming our families to the Mary Queen of Heaven Art Show next Thursday, 10 September.

As part of the exhibition, students will proudly display their Religious Education artworks, expressing their understanding of faith, prayer, Scripture and discipleship through colour, symbols and creativity.

Silent Auction 

Each class has also collaboratively designed a unique set of Rosary beads, which will be available through a silent auction. These special creations celebrate our devotion to Mary and reflect the faith, creativity and connection shared within our community.

We look forward to seeing you there and celebrating our students’ expression of faith through the creativity of art!

Year level themes to be displayed in the Sacred Space

Prep – Symbols of our Church

The Preps have created artwork on the symbols in the Church.  Each child has selected their symbol from a chalice, cross or praying hands based on the one that helps them to connect with God. 

Grade 1 – The Easter Story

Students explored important Scripture stories and symbols of our Catholic faith. They reflected on the Fruits of the Holy Spirit and how these can be lived through kindness, patience, helpfulness and good choices. They expressed their learning by creating symbolic pieces using modelling clay. Students also explored The Last Supper and the significance of bread and wine as part of Jesus’ journey through Lent and Holy Week. They expressed their learning in watercolour.

Grade 2 – Inspired by Mary 

Year 2s artwork celebrates Mary, Queen of Heaven, and her beautiful example of Love, Respect, Courage and Humility. Mary showed great love for Jesus and others, trusted in God with courage, and humbly accepted God’s plan for her life. Through her gentle and faithful example, Mary teaches us to respect others, care for those around us and have the courage to do what is right.

This artwork reminds us that, like Mary, we can live out our school values each day through our words, choices and actions.

Grade 3/4’s – Guided in Faith

Students have reflected on a special person who helps them grow in their faith. They chose someone who inspires, encourages, or supports them in their relationship with God. Each child has created a silhouette of their chosen person and filled it with meaningful words that describe their qualities and the positive impact they have on their faith journey. 

Grade 5/6  –  Dignity is in our hands

Through their unit on Human Dignity, Grade 5/6 students researched global issues that affect the dignity, rights and wellbeing of others. Drawing on new digital media art skills developed through Inquiry, students have used images, colour, symbolism and composition to communicate their understanding and perspectives. Their artworks remind us that every person has inherent worth and that protecting human dignity is a responsibility held in all our hands.

Term 3 Class Masses – Growing Together in Faith

This term, we warmly invite our families to join us as we celebrate our Grade Level Masses and continue to strengthen the partnership between home, school and parish.

With our parish community continuing to grow and now serving three Catholic primary schools, our class Masses have moved to Tuesday mornings to allow all schools the opportunity to celebrate the Eucharist throughout the term. We are grateful to our Parish of the Good Shepherd for making these celebrations possible and look forward to gathering together in prayer.

Term 3 Mass schedule

Tuesday 15th September, 12.00pm        Gr 3/4 Year level Mass

Save the Date – Term 4 2026:

Tuesday 6th October  – Grade 1

Tuesday 20th October – Grade 5/6

Tuesday 10th November  – Prep

Tuesday 24th November  – Combined Grade 2 & 3/4

Friday 11th December – Whole school end of year/Graduation Mass

This week, our educators will be planning our next Inquiry Project that will begin in Term 4.  The project is called ‘Lines of Country’ and will take shape from the Geography Curriculum: 

Lines of Country

As Inquirers, we explore the places and spaces around us with curiosity and care. We investigate how natural and human features shape the character of places in Australia and the wider world and how these places change over time. We examine how people interact with environments, influence them, and depend on them to meet their needs.

We investigate how resources such as water, energy, food and materials are used, distributed and managed. By studying examples like the Greenvale Reservoir, we explore the relationship between natural systems and human-made decisions, recognising the environmental impacts of these choices. We learn to gather, interpret and represent geographical data to deepen our understanding of patterns, connections and changes in our landscapes.

We learn from First Nations knowledge systems whose custodianship of Country reflects sustainable resource use, deep interconnection and long-term care for the land.

Together, we imagine how we can design, innovate and advocate for

more sustainable and equitable futures, recognising our role as

active stewards of the places we belong to and the environments we depend on.

Every Day Counts!

Regular school attendance and arriving at school on time each day are important parts of your child’s learning, friendships and wellbeing.

When children attend school every day and arrive on time, they have the opportunity to:

• build strong learning routines and confidence
• participate in important classroom learning from the beginning of the day
• connect with friends and build positive relationships
• develop independence, responsibility and lifelong habits
• feel settled, prepared and ready to learn.

Arriving on time is particularly important as the beginning of the school day helps children settle in, organise themselves, connect with their teacher and classmates, and understand what they will be learning that day. Missing these first few minutes can make it harder for children to feel settled and can mean they miss important instructions and learning.

We understand that there are times when children need to stay home, such as when they are unwell or for important family reasons. However, every day at school makes a difference.

Let’s work together to support our children to be at school, arrive on time and be ready to learn every day!

When We Work Together, Children Benefit

Supporting a child’s learning, wellbeing and development is most effective when the adults around them work together. A child may have a team that includes parents and carers, classroom teachers, school leaders, learning support staff, speech therapists, psychologists, occupational therapists and other professionals. Each person brings a different perspective, area of expertise and understanding of the child. When these perspectives are shared openly, we are much better placed to understand the whole child and respond to their needs.

Transparency is an important part of effective teamwork. When information is shared openly and appropriately between the people supporting a child, it allows everyone to build a clearer picture of what is happening across different environments. What a teacher observes at school may be different from what a therapist sees in a clinic, and what a family observes at home may add another important piece to the picture. Sharing these observations helps the team identify patterns, understand strengths and challenges, and develop consistent strategies that support the child.

When there is limited transparency, opportunities to support a child can also become limited. If important information, professional recommendations or concerns are not shared with the wider team, people may be working with only part of the picture. This can lead to different approaches being used, important concerns being missed, or valuable opportunities for early intervention and support being lost. The more complete our understanding of a child, the more effectively we can respond.

Being Open to Different Perspectives

Effective teamwork also requires us to be open to perspectives that may be different from our own. Sometimes a teacher, therapist, psychologist or parent may raise an observation or concern that is challenging to hear. It can be tempting to become defensive, particularly when we care deeply about a child. However, a challenging perspective can also provide valuable information. Listening with curiosity rather than immediately seeking to defend our own position allows us to ask, “What can we learn from this?” Different perspectives do not necessarily mean that someone is wrong; they can help us see a situation from another angle and develop a more complete understanding of the child.

At the centre of this collaboration should always be the child. The purpose of sharing information and hearing different perspectives is not to decide who is right, but to work towards what is most helpful for the child. When families, schools and external professionals communicate respectfully, honestly and transparently, we create a stronger support network around each child.

Children benefit when the adults around them are willing to share what they know, listen to what others see, and work together towards a common goal. Collaboration is not about everyone having the same perspective — it is about bringing our different perspectives together so that the child receives the best possible support.

Our Annual Art Show is just around the corner, and we are so excited to welcome our school community for a joyful afternoon filled with creativity, fun, and celebration!

📅 Thursday, 10 September
🕒 3:00–6:00 pm

Children to be collected from school at 2pm for Art Show set up.

There will be so many exciting activities for children and families to enjoy, including:

• Face painting
• Hair braiding
• LEGO Masters challenge
• Turtle weaving
• Colouring competition
• Artwork scavenger hunt
• Family photo opportunity
• Silent auction class rosary beads
• Staff artwork auction 

Feeling hungry? We’ve got you covered! Enjoy a delicious range of food and treats available for purchase, including:

• Pizza
• Pancakes
• Cheryl’s homemade cakes
• Coffee van
• Popcorn.  

Bring the whole family along to explore the incredible student artwork on display, including the collaborative class pieces being prepared for auction, join in the fun activities, and enjoy a wonderful afternoon together.

The following Artworks will be up for Auction – 1 per class 

Don’t forget to save the date—we can’t wait to see you there!