Mary Queen of Heaven Newsletter Term 1 – Week 2

Today’s newsletter comes with a great deal of reminders to ensure we are all informed and ready for a smooth start to 2025.

• Children are dropped off at the school gate each morning (Hillview or French Road).  There will be a number of staff there to welcome them, we will assist you with any reluctant children and take them to their lines where their teachers will be waiting.  
• It is so important that you are on time for drop off. Gates open from 8:30am.  Children who are late can get very anxious.
• School jumpers are not compulsory. In the hot weather it’s a good idea to keep them at home.
• School hats are compulsory in Terms 1 and 4.  Please label them and ensure the children know where they are in their bag.
• Please label EVERYTHING!
• Monday and Friday we sell Zooper Doopers for $1.  Please pack the coins into the zip section of their bags and show the children where the money is.
• Please encourage your child to be independent.  They carry their bag to school, they unpack and pack their bag, unpack their water bottle etc.  They are such capable little learners.
• On your child’s birthday they can wear casual clothes so we can identify them and celebrate them.  You can also bring in goodie bags and muffins or cupcakes.  Please no large cakes as these are hard to serve.  Store bought items are preferred as they have the ingredients clearly marked.  Children with allergies will be given an alternate treat.

Children with allergies – please ensure you have provided alternate treats to the classroom teacher to keep in their rooms so that your child never feels like they miss out.

• In the hot or wet weather we revert to a different timetable. The children remain inside and have passive play items to entertain them.
• At all times during the school day, children are thoroughly supervised by staff.
• At the end of each school day the children will be brought to the area where they line up.  You can meet them there.  If you are running late please don’t worry, a staff member will be with them the whole time.
• Children not collected by 15 minutes after the bell will be taken to BIG Childcare at the cost of the parents.
• In the interests of safety for all, NO EQUIPMENT is to be used for play after school.  The ovals, balls, piano, adventure playground and sandpit are all out of bounds.  Please collect your children and make your way to the gates.
• Please be reminded that our school is a smoke and vape free zone.
• Our staff are available to communicate with you in many ways.  A chat at pick up, an email etc and we use Audiri for longer or more urgent announcements.  Seesaw is used only for learning and teaching and to report your child’s progress in an ongoing manner. 
• Parking for families is along Hillview Rd and French Rd as well as in the side streets off Hillview Rd.  Please note the parking on Hillview Rd closest to our school is a 5 minute drop off zone and this monitored by the council.
• Lunch orders take place on a Thursday.  Orders need to be in by 8am on the day.  They are delivered fresh to our children just before the lunch break each Thursday.  
• Our school community calendar can be accessed on the school website, please scroll to the bottom so that you are aware of our school events.
• Class Mass is held in the sacred space each fortnight.
• Assemblies are hosted by classes on a roster, they are every third Friday afternoon

As always, please reach out to any staff member if we can assist you with anything at all.  

Our Catholicity over arches and underpins all we do and all we are as a Catholic School.  Each day your children will gather in morning and afternoon prayer and they will be involved in formal RE lessons throughout the school week.  

We are blessed to be a diverse community with a multitude of religious denominations we can learn about, celebrate, acknowledge and respect.  Regardless of your family’s religious denomination, all children are expected (as part of our enrolment policy) to be involved with RE lessons, prayer and Mass.  

Class Masses are held fortnightly at school.  All of these are on the school calendar that can be accessed on the school website.  Families are invited to join us for all class masses.  We are very blessed to have Father Dishan and Father Samuel lead us in faith, they are wonderful with the children and a great asset to our school community.

Our sacramental program begins this term with Reconciliation (Year 3).  Children in year 4 will celebrate Eucharist and those in year 6 Confirmation.  More information will follow.

In preparing for our students’ return, our staff came together with our two other parish schools for a powerful day of faith formation, led by Father Rob Galea. Father Rob shared in own faith journey with such vulnerability and authenticity, inspiring our team to reflect deeply on our own faith, particularly in times of challenge. Through his words, we were reminded that faith is something we experience and live, that true joy flows “like rivers of running water”, and that trusting in God allows him to step in and catch us when we fall. By nurturing our relationship with Jesus we open our hearts to serve others with love and purpose. 

Are you handy with a sewing machine, or know someone who is?  Our liturgical cloths used for our class prayer tables need to be edge stitched. If you are able to volunteer your services please email Pauline at pboylemqhgreenvale.catholic.edu.au

NAPLAN: Understanding Your Child’s Progress

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is an annual assessment for students in Years 3, 5, 7, and 9. It provides insights into your child’s literacy and numeracy development, helping parents, teachers, and schools understand their progress. 

At Mary Queen of Heaven, we have a comprehensive assessment schedule informed by research. These assessments help us track student progress, guide our teaching, and identify key focus areas for staff professional learning. While NAPLAN is one important assessment, we do not teach specifically to it. Instead, we use it alongside other assessments to identify school-wide trends in literacy and numeracy, ensuring a well-rounded approach to student learning.

Grade 3 and Grade 5 children will sit the NAPLAN tests from 12–24 March.  More information will be provided to families in the lead up to this. 

Literacy approach

Our Literacy Approach in Prep–Year 2

At Mary Queen of Heaven, our literacy approach is grounded in the Science of Reading, ensuring all children develop strong foundational skills. In Prep–Year 2, we explicitly teach the five essential components of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension.

This year, we are implementing the InitiaLit program to support literacy development. Educators will use assessments endorsed by the program to monitor student progress and tailor learning to each child’s needs.

For more information, please see below.

Whole-class instruction in literacy 

What is InitiaLit–2? 

InitiaLit–2 is a literacy program for all children in their third  year of school (Year 2). It has been developed by MultiLit, a  research-based initiative of Macquarie University. 

What does InitiaLit–2 do? 

InitiaLit–2 teaches children how to read and spell through  daily lessons, using research-based teaching methods. It also  uses a range of engaging storybooks to develop children’s  vocabulary, oral language and writing. InitiaLit–2 will be used  daily during the time set aside for literacy. InitiaLit–2 meets the  requirements of the Australian National Curriculum. 

How does InitiaLit–2 work? 

By the time children are in Year 2, they have learnt that words  are made up of sounds represented by letters. They should be  able to work out most words they encounter for reading and  spelling without guessing. The focus now moves to reading  comprehension and spelling. 

There are four main teaching components in InitiaLit–2 spread  across the week. 

• Comprehension and fluency 
• Spelling 
• Grammar 
• Vocabulary (using children’s literature) 

During the first 25-40 minutes of a lesson, the teacher will  introduce a new concept to the children in a very clear,  explicit way. A number of areas will be covered during the  course of the program. Children will learn to use different  comprehension strategies to help them understand what they  are reading and they will practise reading with expression.  They will learn the various ways to spell the sounds of English,  as well as some spelling rules to help them make the correct  choice. They will also be introduced to some simple and useful  grammatical concepts to help with their writing. 

After the new concept has been taught, the teacher will  work with different groups of children in turn, helping them  to develop their reading fluency and comprehension using a  variety of reading material. The rest of the class will be engaged  in different activities to consolidate what they have learnt. 

How does InitiaLit–2 develop oral language and  vocabulary? 

Throughout the year, children will enjoy listening to a number  of quality storybooks. There are four teaching sessions  dedicated to each book. They will learn three new vocabulary  words per book and do fun activities to help them understand  

when and how to use those words. They will also discuss the  themes surrounding the book and think about how the story  relates to their own world. There is also a writing task used  alongside the book. 

How will my child be assessed in InitiaLit–2? 

Your child’s developing reading comprehension and spelling  skills will be assessed regularly. Spelling is formally assessed  twice a term and comprehension is assessed once a term. 

Will my child only be doing InitiaLit–2 during literacy? 

In addition to InitiaLit–2, your child will be spending time  during the week on different writing tasks. Sometimes the  writing tasks will be based on the storybook used in InitiaLIt–2  or on the grammar lesson taught in InitiaLit–2. 

How can I help with my child’s reading and spelling at home? 

Take the time to listen to your child read regularly. They may  like to choose their own book, or they may have brought a  book home from school. Even if your child can read well, it is  still appropriate and pleasurable to read to your child. This is a  way of exposing your child to books that they may find difficult  to read themselves. Provide a mix of non-fiction and fiction  books to enjoy together. Discuss the story, pointing out any  new words that may enrich their vocabulary. 

It is also useful to help your child learn to read and spell the  tricky words taught in class. A list of these words is found at  the back of the Home Reading Diary. Your child may also bring  home spelling words to practise. 

In addition to supporting your child’s reading and spelling,  there are many ways to build your child’s vocabulary and  oral language. Talk about words in the environment: the way  they are spelled, what they mean, what they convey. Make up  stories together, do a crossword, play I Spy, sing songs, answer  riddles, visit the local library, limit screen time. 

What if my child is struggling to learn to read? 

Some children do struggle to learn how to read. Talk to your  child’s teacher if you are worried about their reading or  spelling. It is important to address any difficulties as early as  possible so that extra support can be put in place to help them  catch up.

At Mary Queen of Heaven, students in Years 3–6 engage in novel studies as part of our literacy program. Novel studies provide rich opportunities for students to develop their comprehension skills, expand their vocabulary, and explore themes, characters, and ideas in greater depth.

Through guided reading, discussion, and written responses, students learn to think critically about texts while deepening their understanding of story structure and language. These studies also help foster a love of reading and an appreciation for literature.

Teachers carefully select novels that are age-appropriate, engaging, and aligned with the curriculum to support students’ reading growth.

This term, children in Grade 3-4 will be exploring ‘Matilda’ by Roadl Dahl.  Children in Grade 4-5-6 will be exploring ‘Kensuke’s Kingdom’ by Michael Morpurgo

At Mary Queen of Heaven, our approach to Numeracy focuses on hands on experiences, Target teaching groups and following the learners curiosity. All target groups are created and guided by ongoing weekly data, with instruction tailored to meet each child at their current level of learning. 

Through participation in daily reviews, students have an opportunity to consolidate learning and automatise essential skills that they can apply in future Mathematics learning.

Numeracy sessions include explicit instruction and students are provided with clear step by step guidance when introducing new mathematical content and given opportunities to practice independently while providing feedback. Educators address the curriculum, ensuring that they teach the content as well as the capabilities that support children to build life-long skills, such as metacognition, reasoning and problem-solving. 

The following evidence based practices are embedded into Numeracy sessions: 

• Developing Number Sense: Helping students understand the meaning of quantities and numbers, and how to represent them using objects and numerals. For instance, use number lines, encourage students to count fluently, and teach them to compare quantities.
• Building Fluency: Ensuring students become fluent in fundamental operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
• Teaching Mathematical Concepts: Focusing on helping students grasp the core concepts of mathematics. Emphasis not just the ‘how’, but also the ‘why’ behind mathematical procedures and rules.
• Incorporating Concrete Materials: Encouraging students to use hands-on materials and visual aids to represent and understand mathematical concepts and procedures.
• Using Problem-Solving Strategies: Teaching students specific strategies for solving problems and reasoning. Helping students to learn how to read problems carefully and organise their work based on the structure of each problem.
• Promoting Precise Mathematical Language: Encouraging students to use accurate mathematical terminology when explaining their thought process and steps for solving problems.

At Mary Queen of Heaven, our Discovery approach in Prep-2 is a play-based, evidence-backed, and developmentally appropriate way for young learners to explore and grow. Carefully designed learning spaces encourage children to discover, create, and engage in meaningful play, while educators guide and influence their experiences, making connections to other learning areas.

This approach fosters oral language development and builds important lifelong skills such as collaboration, problem-solving, resilience, and persistence.

In Our Project, children explore Humanities, Science, Health, Wellbeing, and life skills through hands-on inquiry. They develop critical thinking by asking questions, solving problems, and reflecting on their world. Using our local context, we connect learning to real-life experiences in meaningful ways.

For Years 3-6, Rapid Cycles of Inquiry provide tailored inquiry processes that nurture curiosity and problem-solving. Children express their discoveries creatively through clay, wire, light and shadow, collage, and construction, deepening their understanding through multiple forms of expression.

We look forward to welcoming families to Learning Walks in the future, where you can learn more about both approaches and see it in action. Stay tuned for more details!

Our school is well resourced with devices for children to access.  These devices compliment and support their learning.  Children in years 3-6 have a 1:1 Chromebook.  Children in year 1/2 have shared Chromebooks and our Preps utilise ipads.  In the coming weeks we will be sending home an ICT user agreement.  Please go through this with your children and ensure you all understand the importance of looking after our technology for the safety of all.

This is Part 4 in the series of explanations of the standards

Child Safe Standards are guidelines designed to protect children from harm and ensure their well-being in various environments, particularly in organisations and institutions that engage with children. In Victoria, there are 11 Child Safe Standards. 

Standard 4:

Schools must ensure that families and communities are informed and involved in promoting child safety and wellbeing

At MQH we:

• Use various platforms to communicate with families, Audiri, Newsletters, Seesaw, school website
• Have members of the parent community consult on the School Advisory Board and the Reconciliation Action Plan
• Ensure a point of contact for families at dismissal time
• Open the school doors for Learning Walks, Wander and Wonder, Parent Teacher Chats, Program Support Groups, assemblies and special events
• Plan and engage families in family learning events
• Have a pastoral culture that cares for the community

An overview of all standards can be found at: https://ccyp.vic.gov.au/child-safe-standards/the-11-child-safe-standards/

Our school rules and continuum of response are very clear.  These are taught to the children from day 1 and reiterated throughout the school day with positive modelling and reminders. The children quickly learn the rules and know the consequences when rules are broken. We teach them the importance of rules and how they keep us safe. 

Alongside these expectations we set consequences. These are designed to complement positive behaviour and offer reflection on behaviour that needs to be modified. At times, children forget the rules and need reminding of expectations. All of our interactions in addressing this are positive and learning focussed.  Parental support is crucial in ensuring that together we are teaching the children how to be wonderful citizens.  This positive partnership is crucial in ensuring we present as a united team for the betterment of the children. 

At Mary Queen of Heaven, explicit Wellbeing Lessons are planned and embedded throughout the week that focus on specific personal and social skills driven by the curriculum, such as turn-taking or resolving conflict. Some examples of learning and teaching opportunities might include a Ready to Learn focus, Social and Emotional Learning target groups, social stories, exploration through literature, role play, sentence starters, Zones of Regulation and a range of provocations.

As summer comes to an end and the school year begins, here are some tips to help make the transition a little smoother:

Acknowledging Feelings: It’s important to let your child know that feeling nervous or uncertain about going back to school is completely normal. Everyone, both kids and adults, can struggle with adjusting to the school routine after a long break. Reassuring your child that he or she isn’t alone in feeling this way will help them feel heard and supported.

Establishing Morning Routines: One of the biggest changes when school starts is the shift to a new morning routine. To set your child up for success, have a conversation about what their mornings will look like during the school year. This helps your child understand what’s expected of them and gives them a sense of control during the often rushed time of getting ready. Break down the steps into simple, clear actions that are easy for him or her to follow. Using a visual schedule with pictures can also be helpful for young kids, giving them a reference point throughout the process. 

Making Bedtime Easier: Adjusting to an earlier bedtime can be one of the toughest parts of the back to school transition. Like with the morning routine, establishing a consistent nighttime routine can help create structure. Provide clear expectations and simple, easy-to-follow steps for your child to follow before bed.

Please see the attached flyer for Kolbe’s ‘Kids in the Kitchen’ program.

This popular after-school program is designed for students in Grades 4, 5, and 6, offering them a fun and engaging way to build confidence in the kitchen while also becoming more familiar with a secondary school setting as part of their transition to high school.

After School Program Kids in the Kitchen Term 1 2025

Say goodbye to the hassle of making dental appointments, taking time off work, and disrupting your schedule just to ensure your child receives dental care.

Smile Patrol is coming to Mary Queen of Heaven Primary School so your child will benefit from dental care during school hours, so easy!
Smile Patrol provides free dental health education to all students. If your child is eligible under the Childcare Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) treatments can be done for free depending on the remaining benefits. If your child is not eligible we will send you an email with an option for a private checkup. But to do this we need your consent.

To sign up you can visit : https://smilepatrol.com.au/consent-form/
It’s very easy and takes less than 5 mins to complete.

For more information please feel free to contact us.
Email: info@smilepatrol.com.au
Thank you for prioritising your child’s dental health. We want to make sure every Victorian child has access to quality dental care.

Parent info Smart Forms

Smile Patrol Schools Information Booklet 2024

Please see the attached flyer from Hall’s Taekwondo which entitles students to receive a free Taekwondo uniform valued at over $90 and allows them to have a free Taekwondo trial. Open nights are an excellent opportunity to learn more about Taekwondo and the range of programs on offer

Open Nights Feb 2025

Please see the attached flyer for the Greenvale Jets Football Team

rego flyer updated