Winter Holidays
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Term 2 will end on Friday the 28th of February at 1pm. We welcome our students back for Term 3 on Monday the 15th of July.
Mary Queen of Heaven Newsletter Term 1 – Week 2
3rd February 2025
Dear families,
Last week we welcomed many of the year 1-6 children for their initial testing for 2025. It was so wonderful to make those connections before school starts today.
The Preps had a wonderful start on Friday, lots of laughs, smiles and very few tears.
This year the Church celebrates the Jubilee year. This takes place every 25 years in our Catholic Church. This year Pope Francis has called us to be Pilgrims of Hope. We are all on a journey, as such we are all pilgrims. We journey towards Jesus with hope and love in our hearts. This Jubilee Prayer will be taught to the children throughout the school year.
The Jubilee Prayer
Father in heaven,
may the faith you have given us
in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother,
and the flame of charity enkindled
in our hearts by the Holy Spirit,
reawaken in us the blessed hope
for the coming of your Kingdom.
May your grace transform us
into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel.
May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos
in the sure expectation
of a new heaven and a new earth,
when, with the powers of Evil vanquished,
your glory will shine eternally.
May the grace of the Jubilee
reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope,
a yearning for the treasures of heaven.
May that same grace spread
the joy and peace of our Redeemer
throughout the earth.
To you our God, eternally blessed,
be glory and praise for ever.
Amen
Mary Queen of Heaven Newsletter Term 1
16th January 2025
Dear Mary Queen of Heaven Families,
Welcome to the school year of 2025. We are so delighted to be welcoming 74 prep students and their families to Mary Queen of Heaven. We sincerely hope you feel the warm welcome of our school community as you begin your time with us. Today’s newsletter is designed to remind our current families and introduce our new families to our systems and processes and to share general information with you all. As always, please reach out if you have questions or queries.
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Mary Queen of Heaven Newsletter Term 4 – Week 8
28th November 2024
Dear Families,
As we enter the Season of Advent, as a school community we will be focusing on ‘Looking Back, Looking Forward and Looking Around’ as we look, we seek to find Jesus. Jesus is with us every day in every way, but in our busyness sometimes we forget to look for and acknowledge his presence. This season of Advent, let’s try and slow down so that our looking for Jesus moments can indeed be intentional.
Families are invited to attend the sacred space each morning to compose a prayer and add to our Advent tree. Families are also invited to join us on a Monday morning at 8:50 for a prayer service during Advent.
Advent taking action Christmas Appeal – Helping Hands
Christmas is a time for giving and what better way than to partner with one of the most generous organisations in our Community – Helping Hands Mission.
Helping Hands Mission our local not-for-profit charity organisation, with five Op Shops across Melbourne’s north west suburbs. They rely on the sales in their stores to fund our Emergency and Material Programs. Helping Hands Mission accepts financial, material and food pantry donations.
This Christmas, our schools ‘Taking Action’ linked to our RE Units is to gather Christmas treats to give to the needy this Christmas. Beginning this week we invite families, extended family, friends – the whole community to drop items into our school office. On Tuesday 10th December our school leaders will deliver our goods to Helping Hands to be distributed out into the community. Items we are seeking for donation:
Chocolates
Lollies
Candy Canes
Biscuits
Gingerbread/Shortbread
Christmas Bon-Bons
Christmas Puddings
Custard
Lets all get behind this initiative and model to our children the real meaning of Christmas.
Come, Lord Jesus,
You who took time to notice lilies bobbing,
Birds soaring, and bread rising,
Come and slow me down.
You who took time to dine with acquaintances,
Go fishing with your apostles,
And barbecue breakfast on the beach for your friends,
Come and slow me down.
You who took time to play with children,
Listen to people’s stories,
And share their joys and sorrows,
Come and slow me down.
When my mind is crammed with plans,
When my “to-do” list is pages long,
When I feel carried away by conflicting concerns,
Come and slow me down.
Give me the grace to stop and to be—
With you, with others,
With my own hopes, fears, questions, and dreams.
Come and slow me down.
Help me to bear you slowly but surely into the world,
A world languishing and lovely,
Dark and delightful, sinful and saintly.
Come and slow me down.
Remind me each day that the race is not always to the swift; that there is more to life than increasing its speed.
Come and slow me down.
Through all of the external noise this festive season, let my heart and mind be still, calmy anticipating the joy and hope of Christmas Day.
Come and slow me down.
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Mary Queen of Heaven Newsletter Term 4 – Week 5
8th November 2024
Dear Families,
Today we welcomed our incoming Preps for 2025 for their first transition day. It was a wonderful day filled with curiosity, smiles and giggles. A smooth morning that gave our little learners and their families a taste of life at Mary Queen of Heaven. Today we gathered in prayer for our new little preppies;
Heavenly Father,
We give you our hopes, worries and fears as our little child starts school. We pray that you will fill their hearts with excitement and calm their worries with your love.
Please go before them, help them make friends, enjoy their learning and build relationships with their teachers. May we learn to entrust them each day into your care, and as we do may they grow in confidence and independence.
Father, may joy abound in their hearts as they enter this new exciting season of their lives.
In Jesus’ name.
Amen
IMPORTANT MESSAGE
School finishes at 1 pm Thursday 14th November and re-opens at 2:30 for the art show. Please be at school to collect children no later than 1pm
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Mary Queen of Heaven Newsletter Term 4 – Week 2
17th October 2024
Dear Lord,
We ask that you be present in this space.
Lord, as we prepare for the coming of a new term make us ready, attentive and available to hear you.
Thank You for the gift of being able to rise each day with the assurance that You walk through it with us.
Thank You for the gifts of creativity and uniqueness, and the energy to put them to good use.
May all that we are today, all that we try to do today, may all our encounters, reflections, even the frustrations and failings all be place in your hands.
May the work we do and the way we do it, bring new hope, new life, and courage to all we come in contact with this term. We thank you, Lord.
We make this prayer through Christ Our Lord, Amen.
Dear Families,
Welcome to term 4. We have so many exciting events planned for term 4 – some to celebrate our learning, some community events and some events in readiness to welcome our preps for 2025.
Fri 25th October – Personal Safety Day – Wear a splash of Red
Mon 28th Oct- Fri 1st Nov– Family Learning Walks (please book in advance)
Thurs 14th November – Art Show
Sat 16th November- Parish Fete
Wed 11th December- Christmas Carols
October is the Month of the Rosary. We will be taking time this term to teach the children how to pray the Rosary. Each class will also be creating their own Rosary Beads for our prayer spaces. Below is a graphic that explains how to pray the Rosary. It would be lovely if you could spend some time in your homes dedicating time to this prayer. The Rosary Project is a great resource that you may like to explore: The Rosary Project .
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Mary Queen of Heaven Newsletter Term 3 – Week 8
5th September 2024
Dear Families,
In recent weeks our year 6 children celebrated the sacrament of Confirmation. A celebration that reminded us of the power of the Holy Spirit and how we can allow it to work through us. It was an honor and privilege to take our candidates though the learning about The Holy Spirit and see them Confirmed. Many thanks to Rachel and Pauline who prepared our children and their families so thoroughly and ensured the sacrament was a beautiful celebration.
“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” –John 14:15-21 
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Mary Queen of Heaven Newsletter Term 3 – Week 5
15th August 2024
Dear families,
Today we celebrate the Feast of The Assumption. The feast of Mary’s Assumption is a preview of what our lives will be. At the end of her earthly life, Mary was assumed, or taken up, into heaven body and soul. She did not have to wait for the end of the world, as we do. God granted her this special privilege because of her sinlessness and her fullness of grace.
May we turn to Mary as a guide and beacon who shows us how to live a life of love, courage, respect and humility.
Mary, Queen of Heaven, Pray for us.
God chose Mary to be the mother of his son, Jesus. Mary was always ready and willing to do whatever God wanted. Because she was so special she was taken up body and soul to be with Jesus in heaven – this is what ‘Assumption’ means. What qualities of Mary would we like to grow in our lives?
In recent weeks we celebrated Grandparents day. It was so wonderful to see so many Grandparents take part in activities and engage with their grandchildren. It was our pleasure to host this special day and witness the love between the generations. The children absolutely loved this special time, thank you to all of those who were able to join us.
This beautiful image was captured on the day and used by MACS to commemorate Grandparents Day.
Last Monday our school closure day provided an opportunity for our staff to unpack the MACS 2030 Vision for Instruction. Our staff will work towards the goals set out in this document to ensure we are offering high impact teaching strategies and high levels of engagements in every aspect of our teaching and learning. Following an audit on Monday, it was pleasing to know we have many rich and rigorous practices emerging, consolidating and embedded happening across the school. We will do our best to share these with you via our newsletter and socials.
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Mary Queen of Heaven Newsletter Term 3 – Week 2
25th July 2024
Dear families,
Welcome to Term 3. We trust that you have had a restful school holiday break. The children have rested well and are ready for an action packed Term 3. We are so delighted to be hosting many community based events in Term 3, where families and extended community can come into our beautiful school and celebrate in all of our learning. Please keep a close eye on our social media platforms and Audiri for more information. Our school calendar is always live on the homepage of our school website.
As we reflect on the legacy of Saints Anne and Joachim, let us also reflect on the vital role played by all grandparents in completing the loving family unit and nurturing the faith of future generations. Grandparents can take a vital part in the training of their grandchildren, teaching them to love the ways of the Lord and honour his commandments. It was Saints Anne and Joachim who cultivated in the young Mary a love for God, preparing her for her role in the story of divine redemption.
From Pope Francis:
We look forward to welcoming many grandparents to our Grandparent Day celebration tomorrow.
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Mary Queen of Heaven Newsletter Term 2 – Week 11
27th June 2024
Dear Families,
As we come to the end of another term of learning, growth and connection we give thanks for all that has been achieved and welcome the holidays as a time for rest and rejuvenation. We thank you all for your ongoing support of your children and our school in ensuring we work together for the betterment of all in our community.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Mathew 11)
Father in Heaven,
As we come to the end of Term 2, we take this moment to reflect on the impact we have had as a community. We thank You for the opportunities we have had to teach, guide, and support one another.
Lord, help us to see the fruits of our labor, the growth in our students, and the strength of our community. May we recognize the positive changes we have brought into the lives of those around us and find satisfaction in our efforts.
As we enter this break, we ask for Your blessings of rest and renewal. Grant us the peace and tranquility needed to recharge our minds and bodies. Let this time be filled with moments of joy, relaxation, and reflection.
Help us to return with renewed energy and enthusiasm, ready to face the challenges and opportunities of the new term. May our time away be refreshing, and may it strengthen our commitment to our mission and each other.
We thank You for Your guidance and support throughout this term and trust in Your continued presence with us.
In Your loving name, we pray Amen.
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Mary Queen of Heaven Newsletter Term 2 – Week 9
13th June 2024
Dear Families,
The colder weather has certainly set in and Melbourne’s Winter is delivering its best! It has been great to see many of our children wearing their school beanie and scarf, great ways to keep warm in the outdoors. Whilst we will always ensure the children are inside for wet weather, where possible having them play and explore outside in all weather conditions is great for their growth, development and acts as a brilliant way for them to burn energy. With this in mind, please ensure children always have a coat, scarf and or beanie with them for outdoor play.
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First Eucharist
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This coming Sunday our Year 4 students will celebrate their First Eucharist. Please keep the following children and their families in your prayers as they are welcomed to the table of the Lord for the first time.
Chloe B
Temika L
Christiano M
Aleisha B
Marc Y
Maria Y
Savannah P
Isabella P
Adam B
We invite all Mary Queen of Heaven families to join this celebration at Mass 3:00pm Sunday 16th June – Good Shepherd Church Gladstone Park.
Lord Jesus,
Bless the children coming forward to receive Holy Communion for the first time. May this day be an initial step into a life-long love of the Eucharist. Give them a hunger for this sacred food so that they turn to You for comfort, guidance, and wisdom as they grow into full discipleship.
Amen.
5/6 Camp
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Our year 5/6s are getting very excited about their upcoming Winter Camp experience. Tomorrow, Felicity, Dani and Rachel will be accompanying the 5/6 group to Lake Mountain high country where they will experience snow and engage in some snow games and play. In our next newsletter we will have so much to share about their experience.
Make-A-Wish
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Right now, over 900 critically ill children are waiting for their wish. Our Social Justice leaders wanted to do something to support these children and the needy in our community. On the last day of term 2 our students are encouraged to wear Pyjamas to school and bring a gold coin donation for the ‘Make a Wish’ Foundation. This special Pyjama day is a great way to raise money for this incredible organisation and a beautiful way to celebrate the end of our Winter Warmer appeal – providing food to the hungry in our community.
Prep- Pasta or Rice
Year 1- Tinned Vegetable
Year 2- Tinned Fruit
Year 3/4- Long Life Milk
Year 4/5/6- Spreads (Vegemite, Peanut Butter, Jam)
Please bring in items listed above and encourage family and friends to do the same. How blessed our our children that we are modelling community initiatives such as this to help develop their sense of social justice in our world.
Learning and Teaching
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In recent weeks our staff have been engaging in professional learning to bring to life the MACS publication Vision for Instruction- Flourishing Learners Position Statement. We have been exploring our High Impact Teaching strategies and unpacking approaches such as the Science of Learning. We remain committed to an approach that is students centred and needs based. All of our learning and teaching is tailored to the needs of our learners and based on data collected.
SPS
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Reading with your child and reading to your child
Welcome to another SPS Speech Box for 2024. This Speech Box discusses reading with your child and offers some strategies you can implement at home to improve your child’s reading development.
Reading with your child and reading to your child
The reading practice your child gains from reading the books they bring home from school every night is invaluable for their reading development. Some strategies that you can implement at home to support your child’s reading while they read to you include:
- Encourage your child to sound out letters. For example, for the word ‘dog’, the child should say each sound individually: d-o-g. If they struggle to blend the sounds together, provide assistance by saying: “d-o-g. That’s right, that makes the word ‘dog’!” If a sound is incorrect or unknown, point to the letters and provide the correct sounds.
- Encourage your child to focus on letters and sounds rather than relying on pictures. Relying on pictures may encourage your child to ‘guess’ the word instead of actually read the word on the page (Hempenstall, 2016).
Not only can you support your child with the reading process (lifting the word off the page to read it and understand it’s meaning) but you can also have discussions about the book they are reading.
Discussion ideas when you are reading with your child:
- Discuss the cover, the author, and the illustrator.
- Ask questions about the book. Questions such as, “What do you think will happen next?” and “Why do you think that will happen?” can build inferencing and reasoning skills.
- Discuss the storyline and the pictures. This can help develop your child’s critical thinking and comprehension skills. It encourages them to think about the narrative and make connections to their own experiences.
- Talk about new and unfamiliar words. This will enhance their understanding of new words and may support their ability to use a wider range when they are speaking or writing.
Along with reading with your child, it is also good practice to read to your child. Researchers Mol and Bus (2011) found that shared book reading can “Facilitate children’s language, reading, and spelling achievement throughout their development”. Bedtime stories, where a book or part of a book is read each night, encourage children
to engage with books and build vocabulary and language skills.
References Mol, S. E., & Bus, A. G. (2011). To read or not to read: a meta-analysis of print exposure from infancy to early adulthood. Psychological bulletin, 137(2), 267–296. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0021890 Hempenstall K (2016) Read about it: Scientific evidence for effective teaching of read
Science of Reading
Staff Professional Learning: Enhancing Reading Instruction with Dr. Lorraine Hammond
Our dedicated teaching staff recently had the privilege of participating in a professional learning session led by the renowned Dr. Lorraine Hammond. This insightful session focused on the Science of Reading, aligning perfectly with the Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) ‘Vision for Instruction’. Dr. Hammond’s expertise and practical advice have equipped our educators with powerful strategies to enhance reading instruction, emphasising explicit teaching, daily review, and the application of high-impact teaching strategies.
Key Components of Effective Reading Instruction
- Breaking Down Learning into Manageable Chunks
Dr. Hammond emphasised the importance of breaking down complex reading skills into smaller, more manageable parts. This approach ensures that students can grasp each component before moving on to more advanced concepts. By sequencing lessons in a logical order, teachers can build a strong foundation of understanding. This method not only facilitates easier comprehension but also boosts students’ confidence as they master each step.
- Active Participation: Engaging Every Student
Active participation was highlighted as a crucial element in effective reading instruction. Dr. Hammond demonstrated various techniques to keep students actively involved in the learning process. By ensuring that students are continuously engaged, teachers can maintain high levels of interest and motivation, which are essential for effective learning.
- Checking for Understanding: Ensuring Mastery
Another critical strategy discussed was the importance of continuously checking for understanding. Dr. Hammond shared that teachers should frequently assess whether students have grasped the material through informal checks like questioning, and student feedback. If students struggle with a concept, immediate reteaching and practice are necessary to ensure they do not fall behind. This responsive approach helps identify and address learning gaps promptly, ensuring that all students progress together.
Moving Forward with High-Impact Teaching Strategies
The professional learning session with Dr. Hammond was an invaluable experience for our staff. The practical strategies and insights gained are already being implemented in classrooms, promising a transformative impact on our students’ reading abilities. By adhering to the MACS ‘Vision for Instruction’ and integrating high-impact teaching strategies, we are committed to providing our students with the highest quality education.
Our journey towards excellence in reading instruction is a continuous one, and with the tools and knowledge from this professional learning session, we are more equipped than ever to guide our students towards literacy success. We look forward to witnessing the positive outcomes of these strategies in our students’ reading proficiency and overall academic achievement.
