Dear families,

We are now into our third week of term 3.  We hope that the term 2 school holiday break was a restful and relaxing one for you all.  It has been so lovely to see all of the children return to school with such enthusiasm and love for learning.

We are now very much settled into the hum of term 3.  The children are very much enjoying the challenge and diversity of the explicit instruction embedded into our key learning areas of Literacy, Numeracy and Inquiry.   

This week we celebrate and call to mind Australia’s First Saint, Mary of The Cross Mackillop.  

Mary MacKillop was Australia’s first saint and a truly inspiring woman. She was born in 1842 and spent her life helping others, especially poor and disadvantaged children. Mary believed that every child deserved an education, no matter where they lived or how much money their family had.

With her strong faith and determination, she started the Sisters of Saint Joseph and opened many schools across Australia. Mary faced many challenges, but she never gave up. She trusted in God and always worked with kindness, love, and courage.

Mary MacKillop’s famous words, “Never see a need without doing something about it,” remind us to be people of action—helping others and living out our faith every day.

We celebrate Saint Mary MacKillop as a role model of compassion, resilience, and hope.

God of compassion, God of all people, we praise you for your servant, Mary MacKillop, who gave her life to serve you in the poor and oppressed.

As she is honoured in our world, may we continue to learn to share her vision.

Help us to recognise, as she did, that the poor of our time will hear the gospel in the way we serve them. Be with us as we strive to follow her and carry out our mission of service and care. 

Amen

MACSISS

In the coming weeks you will be invited to complete a MACSISS survey.  This survey provides us with important feedback from our families and helps us set goals for future improvement. Our year 4,5 and 6 students will complete the survey as will our staff.  We strongly encourage all families to complete the survey.  Once you have completed the survey, bring evidence into the office and we will enter you into a draw to win a $200 Coles gift voucher.

A morning tea session will be offered to all families where we can support you with a device and how to navigate the survey.

SWIMMING

1. The Big Picture

Australia loves water—with 34,000 km of coastline, swimming is the top physical activity for kids aged 0–14 – but a concerning gap

remains in safety and skills.

• Despite being our most decorated Olympic sport, participation alone doesn’t guarantee safety – proficiency does.

2. Drop-off & Drop-out

• Alarm bells ring when Royal Life Saving reported a drop-off in participation among 8 – 10 year-olds in swim programs.
• Shockingly, up to 40% of students enter secondary schools without meeting basic national swim benchmarks.

3. Schools: Policies vs Practice

• Victoria’s updated Health & PE curriculum sets clear standards – but implementation varies widely.
• Many states require school swim hours, but no national tracking system exists to monitor reach or effectiveness.

4. Real-World Barriers

The Swimming in Schools initiative allocates $92 million over 4 years to government and Catholic primary schools – but geography,

staffing, transport, and teacher replacements can limit uptake.

• “Dry” lessons and beach-based theory are cheaper, but practical water time is essential – both are critical for competency.

5. Equity Matters

While 85% of families enroll when lessons are available, children from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities and

financially constrained household face disproportionate barriers.

• Barriers include cost, pool access, transport, and cultural awareness of swimming’s value.

6. Diverse Delivery Models

Schools implement swimming in different formats: one-day intensive, weekly lessons, beach trips, or two-week daily blocks –

context-driven, but this diversity leads to inconsistent outcomes.

Victoria’s Water Safety Certificate stipulates that students leaving Year 6 should be able to swim 50 m continuously, yet lack of

consistent monitoring obscures real progress.

7. What We Need Moving Forward

• Consistent data collection across all schools to track student progress.
• Standardised implementation of curriculum expectations.
• Continued investment to overcome logistical and staffing barriers.
• Focused intervention for underserved communities.
• Blended models combining practical water time and dry theoretical learning.

At Mary Queen of Heaven we STRONGLY encourage all families to enrol their children in swimming lessons, an absolute gift you can give your children, especially living in a country like Australia.

Each year, to meet our Water Safety obligations and to ensure our learners are educated in the area of water safety,  we offer our children 2-3 sessions (Dry) onsite lessons with Life Saving Victoria.  These sessions are planned in term one and have all been conducted this year.

This year we are also offering water based education for Prep- Year 6.

Prep – Altona Beach excursion run by Life Saving Victoria to build confidence around water, understand beach safety, and learn what to do in an emergency.

Year 1/2 – Water safety activities run by Life Saving Victoria at Altona Beach incorporating safety near water, what to do in an emergency, and enjoy games on the beach. 

Year 3/4 – Splash Water Park to enjoy inflatable aqua park, waterslides, and take part in dedicated water safety activities, including rescue scenarios and discussions about staying safe in different aquatic environments. 

Year 5/6 – Water safety built into Summer Camp Experience (Surfing/Paddle Boarding)

These water components are fully funded with no cost to parents.

Uniform

Last week we shared with families reminders about our school uniform.  Below are some examples of our uniform being worn well.  Please ensure your children are wearing the correct school uniform at all times. Reminder slips will be issued to children who are not in the correct school uniform as a means of communicating to you so that you can have the conversations with your child.

Last Tuesday evening we welcomed our Prep 2026 families for their first Prep information session.  It was so refreshing to see the new, eager and beautiful faces that will soon form part of our vibrant school community.  It was an absolute pleasure to tell the story of MQH so far and speak of our close knit, supportive and kind community.

Thank you for using the two school crossing safely and with care.

With the new crossing now installed along Hillview Rd, it has been so wonderful to see our families using the crossing each morning and night.  PLEASE only cross Hillview Rd at the crossing, it is safer for pedestrians and drivers.  I am still working with HUME council to establish when flags will be installed and when the crossing will be manned.  I will keep you updated with any further developments.

Last term we held ‘Silly Hair Day’ as a fundraiser for ‘Make a Wish Foundation.’  Please see below the letter of appreciation:

On behalf of everyone at the Hungry Jack’s and Make-A-Wish Foundation, I want to extend our heartfelt

gratitude for your generous donation and the incredible support Mary Queen of Heaven School have shown once again this year.

Raising $260 for Make-A-Wish is no small feat—and doing it for the second year in a row speaks volumes about your dedication and compassion. Your ongoing efforts are helping bring hope, joy, and strength to children facing critical illnesses by making their heartfelt wishes come true.

It’s inspiring to see the strong connection you’ve helped build between Mary Queen of Heaven School and Make-A-Wish Foundation. Your commitment is not only making a real difference in the lives of sick kids but also setting an amazing example of community spirit and kindness.

Thank you for being such a valuable part of this mission. We truly appreciate your continued support and look forward to working together again to create even more smiles and unforgettable memories.

Dear families,

This week we dedicate our prayer to Peace.  With so much unrest in the world, we are reminded of the small ways we can all work towards peace.  May we all take a moment this week to consider how we can bring kindness and peace to those around us, we implore our world leaders to do the same.

“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy.” 

100 Days of Prep

Last week our Preps celebrated 100 Days of Prep.  It was a day filled with fun, laughter, dress ups, reflection and celebration of just how far our little learners have come in their 100 days of Prep!  Thanks to all the parents who went to a significant effort for the dress up, it was great to see everyone get so involved. Huge thanks to our Prep team for organising the day and for your continued dedication to ensuring our preps get the best out of themselves each and every day.  

Winter Camp Experience

Last Friday our year ⅚ students attended their winter camp experience.  Our students and staff took the early morning and chilly bus ride to Lysterfield Park, Lysterfield, where they engaged in fun team based activities that ensured their camp experience was a memorable one.

Winter Uniform

With the cold weather now upon us, it is so delightful to see our children in full Winter uniform.  The mornings are cold, so seeing MQH beanies and scarves is fabulous and the outer spray jackets are a great addition to keeping the children nice and cosy.  Please be reminded that items NOT purchased at the uniform shop cannot be worn.  In recent weeks we have noticed some of the older students deviating from our uniform, we will be attending to this to ensure it is fair for all.

Lost Property

Our lost property box is overflowing with beautiful uniform items that are unmarked.  Please ensure all pieces of your children’s clothing is marked with their first and surnames.  Please come into lost property to collect any lost items.

Traffic

Thank you for the efforts you are all making to ensure that the areas immediately at the French Rd and Hillview Rd gates are now used as drop and go zones.  We want to try and help the flow of traffic by ensuring these areas are quick stop, drop and go zones.  If you use these areas, your children need to be independent in getting in and out of the car.  They are NOT extended parking areas for families.  If your children need support getting in or out of the car, we encourage you to park elsewhere and walk the children in to school.  

Over the coming weeks, staff will be monitoring this and encouraging quick drop offs.  Please don’t be offended if our staff ask you to move along.

Finally, our school is situated in a residential area.  Please be very mindful of private driveways.  At NO TIME should anyone park across a private drive way or in a private driveway.  Our residential neighbours have the right to access their own driveways at anytime.  

Let’s all work together to ensure our streets are safe and traffic movement is a positive experience for all.

New school crossing

You will all have noticed that a new school crossing is being installed at the Hillview entrance of our school.  At its completion this will be a manned crossing.  This addition will add a level of safety to the crossing of Hillview Rd for all in our community. Please start the conversation with your children now about the need to use the school crossing when crossing Hillview Rd.  We will be monitoring this and ensuring that everyone only crosses at the crossing.

Late arrivals

With the traffic along Mickleham Rd still a little unpredictable, we often have children coming into school late.  Can we please ask, if your children are later than 9am, they must be walked into the school office by an adult and signed in.

Junior Rockers Private Music Lessons

Each Friday, private music lessons are offered for children in years 1-6.  If this is of interest to your family, please contact Junior Rockers directly for more information.  

https://juniorrockers.com/

• PH: 1300 467 625
• info@juniorrockers.com

For those families with children in the music program, please be sure to check the parent portal on a regular basis where our music teacher will upload weekly class notes.  At the end of term 2 a more comprehensive report will come home to each family.

A word from the Principal

Dear Families,

It has been a busy couple of weeks at Mary Queen of Heaven.  We have loved having families join us for Family Engagement initiatives such as Learning Walks, Reconciliation Week acknowledgement, Assemblies, First Eucharist etc.  It has been a great couple of weeks on connections and engagement.

We understand that families engage in schools differently these days, with many of our families working for part or all of the week. We are trying as a community to create ways families can engage with us, without necessarily coming on site.  

We have an active presence on social media and we are using Seesaw more consistently to ensure families know, understand and feel connected to the learning that is happening at MQH.  We appreciate your interactions with us on social media and encourage you to get your family and friends to follow us and to like or comment on our online posts.

In recent weeks, the ‘Review’ function on Facebook has been removed for all schools.  This is a shame for us as we had some really lovely reviews, highlighting what we offer here at MQH.  If you feel inclined to do so, we would very much appreciate you writing a review for us on True Local

Last week our year 1 and 2 children were lucky enough to have an excursion through the new build.  In linking to their learning on Design and Construction, they looked at plans, the footprint of the new build, the materials being used and the timeline the builders are working to.  They met the builders, the site managers and the two owners of Jardon Group, who kindly and generously offered their time for our school community.  The children absolutely loved this experience and we are so grateful to Jardon Group for their generosity.  You never know, we may have some budding architects, builders or engineers among our year 1 and 2 year levels.

I recently came across this poem, one that I have reflected upon many times over the years.  I share it with you today as a reminder that the little people in our care are vulnerable and are learning from us adults at every step of their childhood.

Children Learn What They Live

by Dorothy Law Nolte

If children live with criticism,

They learn to condemn.

If children live with hostility,

They learn to fight.

If children live with ridicule,

They learn to be shy.

If children live with shame,

They learn to feel guilty.

If children live with encouragement,

They learn confidence.

If children live with tolerance,

They learn to be patient.

If children live with praise,

They learn to appreciate.

If children live with acceptance,

They learn to love.

If children live with approval,

They learn to like themselves.

If children live with honesty,

They learn truthfulness.

If children live with security,

They learn to have faith in themselves and others.

If children live with friendliness,

They learn the world is a nice place in which to live

Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) is once again a major supporter of the Australia’s Best Teachers campaign.

Building on its success in 2023, the campaign invites students, parents and community members to nominate teachers for the special contribution they make to the lives of students in our schools.

To nominate a teacher, visit the Herald Sun website.  We have so many wonderful educators at MQH, we hope to see some be nominated.

Drop off zone along Hillview Rd

As our school continues to grow and in readiness for next year when we welcome another 80 students to MQH, we ask that families try and use the drop off area along Hillview Rd just for children who are capable of getting out of the car on their own.  For any families who need to park and help their children out, please use other parking areas (French Rd, Hillview Rd along the North side or Hillview Rd down past the round about.)  In the coming weeks staff will be out the front in the mornings and afternoon, encouraging this drop and go zone to ensure the safety and smooth traffic movement for all.

Collecting Children after school

Please be reminded that you can only collect your child after school.  If another child has not been collected by their parents, our staff have systems and processes in place to ensure they are well supervised until their parents arrive to collect them.  Please don’t assume supervision of other children as this can cause confusion and worry for us and for families.

Please ensure that your car is parked in the allocated bays before calling your child to get into the car. Please do not call children to enter cars while sitting in traffic in the middle of the road.

Thank you to the families who ride to and from school.  We have seen a great improvement in the safe use of bikes and scooters, with children disembarking when they arrive at school and not riding their bikes at all on school grounds.  Your support with this is much appreciated.

Donations Required!

Each year we hold a Father’s Day Raffle in contrast to the stall we hold for Mothers Day.

If you or a business you know is in a position to donate something for our raffle we would be most grateful.  Items such as:

Vouchers for car services, wheel alignments, tyres

Vouchers for restaurants 

Vouchers for  massages or hair cuts

Or anything else you can think of.

Our school will also make significant contributions to the raffle prizes.

School Lunches

As the Winter months take hold, our little ones can get increasingly hungry.  Please ensure that your child has enough food packed for their lunch, fruit/veg snack and recess snack.

Crazy Hair Day

Every year we work with the Make a Wish foundation, a foundation who brings wishes to life for very sick children. This is supported by our friends at Hungry Jacks, who provide encouragement awards for our children- Felicity hands these out in her PE classes.  This year as a fundraiser for the Make a Wish Foundation we will be holding a CRAZY HAIR DAY.  Friday 27th June, please come to school with your most creative, most crazy hair and donate a gold coin to the Make a Wish.

Book Week

This year’s book week theme is ‘Book an Adventure.’  We will be hosting a Book Week Parade on Friday 29th August.  We are giving you plenty of time to plan your creative outfits for our Book Week dress up and parade!  Costumes can be related to the theme or to any book or character.  

CARNEVALE 

Thursday 11th September we will be hosting a Grand Italian Carnevale.  This extravaganza will showcase all of the learning our students have been doing during their LOTE (Italian)  lessons.  The children are invited to dress inspired by all things ‘ITALY.’ This will be an after school event for the whole family and other members of our community, we hope to see extended family and friends attend.  More information to come

Dear families,

Traditionally May is the month of Mary.  A month of devotion to the Mother of Jesus.  You will have noticed we are posting devotions on our social media platforms and praying the Hail Mary each day with the children to honor the name sake of our school – Mary Queen of Heaven.  All families are welcomed into our sacred space to pray for mother Mary each day during May.

In recent weeks we have mourned the death of Pope Francis, giving thanks for his great life of service to our universal church.  We have practiced gratitude for his loving ways and the gentle and contemporary way in which he led.   We have also welcomed our new Pope, Pope Leo X1V.  May God Bless Pope Leo in his new role and lead him in the same way Jesus leads us, his flock.  May Pope Leo always know the love and strength of Jesus the Good Shepherd.

This week the leadership team has been engaged in Prep 2026 enrolment interviews. We have had over 125 applications for the 75 positions we can offer for 2026.  It is so exciting that our community holds Mary Queen of Heaven in such high regard, we have had wonderful feedback from our new families so far.  We would like to sincerely thank our current families for your positivity, word of mouth and for championing our school within the wider community.

Our stage 2 build is coming along at quite a pace.  Many of you have commented at the gate at how progressive the build is.   The builders aim to have the building at lock up stage by the end of  May, with handover on schedule for November.  This will be such a beautiful and exciting addition to our growing school.

It has been so pleasing to see many of our students wearing  the newly introduced quarter zip as an alternative for the school jumper.  This is an excellent option as the winter months take hold.  We have recently introduced an option of a white skivvy to wear under the jumper or under the tunic in winter.  This is an alternative to wearing the shirt under these items. We are always trying to ensure that we have multiple options to ensure the children are comfortable and there is a variety of choices.  Noone have the white skivvy in stock now.

Thank you to all of the families who have been using our roads and parking around the school in a safe and law abiding manner.  The traffic flow in the morning and evenings has been much much better – it’s been so wonderful to see so many children walking or riding bikes and scooters to school also.  What a healthy  and invigorating way for them to start the day!  Please be reminded that the area directly in front of Hillview Rd gate is a 2 minute drop of zone.  Ideally, this should only be used by families who drop quickly and do not exit the car.  Hume Council have been patrolling and issuing fines for those parking for an extended periods in these bays.

 We recently inquired with our Lunch Mums lunch order service if they could increase their service to two days per week.  It has been confirmed that we can move to two days, we will advise of the days and when this will begin in the coming weeks.  At this stage it looks like the second day will be introduced in term 3.

Thank you to all of our families who are using the Audiri App to log your children’s absences if they are sick or have an appointment.  This is very helpful for our admin team who need to ensure all absences are logged prior to 10am each day.

If your family is planning an extended or long holiday, please ensure you let the classroom teacher know and the office know  We need to plan for such absences from school.  While the school cannot provide work for the children to complete while on holidays, we will support you with strategies to keep them engaged in learning while they are away.   It is important for families to know and understand that we cannot guarantee we can ‘catch the children up’ on what they might have missed for lengthy absences.

Parent Code Of Conduct

Upon enrolment all families signed a MACS Parent Code of Conduct.  The signing of this document  is your pledge to work in the spirit of our school with our staff, other parents, children and community.  I draw your attention to the expected behaviors of all parents/carers and remind you that these behaviours are also expected in communication via email, text messaging and Whats App groups.

Expected Conduct and Bearing of all Parents/Guardians/Carers:

It is expected that every parent/guardian/carer will:

• uphold the school’s core beliefs and values
• behave in a manner that does not endanger the health, safety and wellbeing of themselves or

others

• abide by all health and safety rules and procedures operating within the school and other locations

at which they may visit while representing the school

• ensure that their actions do not bring the school into disrepute
• respect school staff and accept their authority and direction within the exercise of their duties at

the school

• observe all school rules as required
• strictly adhere to the school’s policies and procedures as required
• behave with respect, courtesy and consideration for others
• refrain from all forms of bullying and harassment
• refrain from any form of verbal insult or abuse and from any form of physical abuse or intimidation
• refrain from activities, conduct or communication that would reasonably be seen to undermine the

reputation of the school, employees or students of the school, including activities on social media

• respect school property and the property of staff, contractors, volunteers and other students
• not be intoxicated by alcohol or under the influence of illicit drugs or other substances harmful to

health while visiting the school site, attending school functions or engaging in school-based

activities

• respect school staff and accept their authority and direction within the exercise of their duties at

the school

• use the school’s Complaints Handling Policy to seek resolution for any problems

Dear Families,

As we return from the school holidays and the Easter break we are filled with the joy and elation of our Risen Christ.  The rising of Jesus Christ is considered the cornerstone of Christian faith, signifying victory over death and offering hope for eternal life.  It seems almost poetic that Pope Francis passed on the very day after Easter.

Pope Francis was an amazing, revolutionary person for the Catholic Church, and the whole world.  His commitment to humility, compassion, and justice helped us all understand what it means to lead with love.  He called on each of us to care for the marginalized, protect the environment, and engage in meaningful dialogue rooted in dignity and respect.  The fact that Pope Francis returned to his Fathers arms on Easter Monday seems just right.

Let us honor His Holiness by walking with courage, creating a more just, more inclusive, and loving world.

May his soul rest in eternal peace.

This afternoon each family will receive a prayer booklet and a prayer card for you home in readiness for the funeral of Pope Francis.

Dear families,

As we come to the end of the term, it is a great time to stop and reflect on all that we have achieved as a school and community in one short term.  Our new preps, all 71 of them have settled well and our year 1-6 children are settled and engaged in the explicit teaching happening in classrooms across the school.

This week saw the culmination of our Lent and Easter learning come together in our whole school Passion Play.  Our passion play reflected the learning our children have engaged in during  Religious Education throughout term 1.  The reverent manner in which they all engaged and the storytelling that came from the experience was quite special.  Thank You to our families who were able to attend.

I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to each of you, our wonderful families, for your ongoing support and commitment to Mary Queen of Heaven. Your involvement, encouragement, and partnership make such a positive impact on our students and their learning. We are truly grateful for the strong community we are building together, and we look forward to all that we will achieve in the months ahead.

A huge thank you to our incredible children for a fantastic term. Your hard work, enthusiasm, and kindness bring our school to life every day. We are so proud of all that you have accomplished and can’t wait to see what the rest of the year holds!

Wishing everyone a safe and relaxing break.

Dani De Luca

Acting Principal

Dear families,

The last couple of weeks have seen us settle into the school year with learning and teaching taking top priority.   Our classes are all following the MACS ‘Vision for Instruction’ in ensuring we are being explicit in our instruction and ensuring our students receive the very best.  We remain committed to making the learning visible for our learners.  Linked is the MACS ‘Vision for Instruction’ for parents so you can align the vision with our practices here at MQH.

Last week we gathered as a school for Ash Wednesday Mass.  It was so  lovely to see our students gather in faith, it was equally beautiful to welcome many of our families to the Mass.  We thank Father Dishan for always making these special Masses meaningful and relatable to our children. 

Dear families,

The start to our school year has been a really smooth and beautiful one.  The children are settled into the routines of the day and our learning and teaching programs are a buzz with questions, curiosity and challenge. 

In the coming weeks we will enter the season of Lent, a time when we  remember the love of God that is poured out through His son Christ Jesus.  It is a time for self reflection and to seek forgiveness for the wrongs we have done.

“Heavenly Father, I’m truly sorry for the moments today where I missed the mark. I ask for your forgiveness and the strength to better follow Your call tomorrow. Amen.”

The past weeks have seen us gather together at our Welcoming Mass.  This was a beautiful celebration of our growing community.  It was a special time to gather in prayer and acknowledge that it takes many parts to make a school successful and we are all contributors to that success.  The children’s reverence and prayerful approach to Mass was beautiful to witness.

Today’s newsletter has a section on the importance of Cyber safety.  Please ensure, as parents, you are monitoring your children’s online behavior including what  they are watching. Viewing anything over PG is not recommended or primary aged children.  We are currently actively stopping games on the yard related to Squid Games and the like – this is inappropriate for 5-12 year olds.

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

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.