Scholastic Book Club Issue 5

Book Club Issue 5 has arrived with a fresh new look, offers that give back to families, and a selection of affordable, high quality books. 

There are 163 titles priced at $10 or under, including 91 books discounted by 50% or more. Please check your child’s bag for the new catalogue and take a look at the latest offers available.

Orders can be completed online through Scholastic Book Club, making it easy to browse and order books. Catalogues have also been sent home. Please keep an eye out for the catalogue in your child’s schoolbag. 

CLOSING date for issue 5 is the 31st of July. 

Book Week

This year’s Book Week theme is ‘Symphony of Stories’. On Monday 24 August, children are invited to dress up as a book character for our Book Week parade.  You need not purchase a costume; feel free to get creative with what you have at home!  

If you have any concerns or need support with this, please reach out to your child’s Educator. 

In addition to this, children will engage in a fun workshop run by Australian children’s Author and Illustrator, Michael Salmon on Friday 28 August!

P-2 Home Reading: Building Confident, Independent Readers

A huge thank you to families for your support of your child’s home reading routine each evening. While reading together is an important way to develop literacy skills, our Home Reading program is also designed to help children build positive habits, independence, and a lifelong love of reading.

After your child has finished reading, take a few moments to chat about the book. Simple questions such as:

• What happened in the story?

• Who was in the text?

• What was the text about?

• What did you enjoy about the text, and why?

These conversations help develop comprehension, oral language, and a deeper understanding of what they have read.

You may notice that your child’s home reading book appears “easy.” The purpose of these texts is to build confidence, accuracy, and reading fluency. We want children to experience success by reading smoothly and with expression, rather than struggling to decode too many unfamiliar words. When children repeatedly experience success as readers, they become more confident and willing to take on new challenges.

Our educators regularly review each child’s reading level using the most up-to-date assessment data. This ensures that the books your child brings home are matched to their current reading needs and support continued growth.

Thank you for partnering with us to foster confident, capable, and enthusiastic readers.

Dani De Luca

Literacy Leader

Mathematics at Home: Building Fluency Through Everyday Practice

At Mary Queen of Heaven, we believe that mathematical fluency develops through regular practice, meaningful conversations, and opportunities to apply skills in everyday situations.

For our junior students, developing a strong number sense is a key focus. Families can support this learning at home by encouraging children to use strategies such as:

• Part-Whole Thinking – breaking numbers into smaller parts and putting them back together (e.g. 8 + 5 can be thought of as 8 + 2 + 3).
• Addition Doubles – recognising and recalling doubles facts (e.g. 6 + 6 = 12) and near doubles (e.g. 6 + 7).
• Bridging to 10 – using friendly numbers to solve calculations efficiently (e.g. 8 + 5 becomes 10 + 3).

Simple activities such as counting collections, playing card games, discussing prices while shopping, or solving quick number challenges together can make a significant difference.

For our senior students, continued practice of multiplication and division facts remains essential. Automatic recall of these facts supports success across many areas of mathematics, including fractions, decimals, measurement, and problem solving. Short, regular practice sessions, maths games, flashcards, or verbal challenges can help students build confidence and accuracy.

As outlined in our school Homework Policy, home learning is optional. There is no expectation for educators to assign regular homework tasks or mark home learning activities. We encourage families who wish to support mathematics at home to engage in brief, enjoyable learning opportunities that fit naturally into family life.

A few minutes of meaningful mathematical conversation each day can have a powerful impact on a child’s confidence, fluency, and enjoyment of mathematics.

REflection for Term 3

Faith Reflection – Growing in Good Soil

As we begin Term 3, we reflect on the Gospel of Matthew 13:1–23, The Parable of the Sower, where Jesus tells of a farmer scattering seeds onto different types of ground. Some seeds struggle to grow, while others fall on good soil and flourish, producing an abundant harvest. Jesus reminds us that when we listen to God’s word, nurture our faith and choose to live with love and kindness, we become like the good soil, allowing God’s gifts to grow within us.

This Gospel invites us to consider how we can prepare our hearts for a new term of learning and growth. At Mary Queen of Heaven, we are called to be “good soil” by listening with open hearts, showing kindness and respect to one another, persevering when learning becomes challenging, and encouraging those around us to flourish.

As a faith community, may we embrace the opportunities that a new term brings, trusting that God continues to nurture each of us. Together, let us grow in wisdom, compassion and hope, so that the seeds of faith planted in our hearts may bear fruit in our classrooms, our families and our wider community.

Community Action Reaching Beyond Our Community

At Mary Queen of Heaven, we believe that even small acts of kindness can make a big difference. During Term 2, our school community generously supported Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion 2026, demonstrating our commitment to living out our faith through compassion, justice and service.

Thanks to the incredible generosity of our students, families and staff, we joined thousands of schools and parishes across Australia in helping to raise an extraordinary $10.26 million for vulnerable communities around the world. Together, these funds will support life-changing projects that provide access to education, healthcare, clean water, sustainable livelihoods and opportunities for people experiencing poverty.

This achievement is a wonderful reminder that our actions at Mary Queen of Heaven can reach far beyond our own community. By responding to Jesus’ call to love and serve others, we have helped bring hope and dignity to people across the globe.

We sincerely thank our entire school community for embracing the spirit of Project Compassion and for making a meaningful difference through your generosity. Together, we continue to be people of faith, compassion and action, working towards a more just and hopeful world.

Sacramental Program 

Preparing for the Sacrament of First Eucharist

We keep our Grade 4 students and their families in our prayers as they prepare to celebrate the Sacrament of First Eucharist on Sunday 2 August. This is a significant milestone in their faith journey as they come together to receive Jesus in the Eucharist for the first time.

As part of their preparation, candidates and their families from our three parish primary schools gathered for a combined Sacramental Family Workshop. We were privileged to welcome Sarah Smith, whose engaging and inspiring presentation encouraged families to reflect on the meaning of the Eucharist and the important role they play in nurturing their children’s faith.

Following the presentation, our Principal Renae, shared a thoughtful reflection. “It was wonderful to hear from several parents who described the evening as interesting, practical and thought-provoking. Many shared that they were leaving inspired and looking forward to continuing meaningful faith conversations with their children. For us, this is a wonderful sign of a successful family engagement evening”.

Thank you to our dedicated Year 4 educators and school leaders who attended the workshop in support of our students and families. Their presence reflected the strong partnership between home, school and parish as we journey together in faith. Please continue to keep our First Eucharist candidates in your prayers as they prepare to receive this beautiful sacrament and deepen their relationship with Christ.

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.

Our Term 3 Mass schedule is:

• Tuesday 21 July – Grade 1

• Tuesday 4 August – Grade 5/6

• Tuesday 18 August – Prep

• Friday 21 August – Whole School Mass – Feast of the Queenship of Mary

• Tuesday 1 September – Grade 2

• Tuesday 15 September – Grade 3/4

A special highlight of the term will be our Whole School Mass celebrating the Feast of the Queenship of Mary. As our patron, Mary holds a special place in the life of our school, reminding us to live with faith, humility and love as faithful disciples of Jesus.

We warmly encourage parents, grandparents, carers and family members to attend these celebrations. Your presence demonstrates to our students the importance of faith and the value of coming together as a community to pray and celebrate the Eucharist. Sharing Mass together strengthens the connection between our families, school and parish and provides a wonderful witness of faith for our children.

We look forward to celebrating with you throughout the term as we continue to grow together in faith and community.

Hidden in the Frame: Our New Media Arts Inquiry

This term, our students will step behind the camera, beyond the screen and inside the story as we begin our new whole-school Inquiry project, Hidden in the Frame.

Through Media Arts, students will explore how stories, ideas, emotions and perspectives can be communicated using images, sound, movement, film, photography, animation and digital technologies. They will discover that every creative decision, from the angle of a camera to the choice of music, can influence what an audience notices, feels and understands. Nothing in the frame is there by accident…even when it looks like it is!

Throughout the project, students will take on the roles of storytellers, artists, designers, directors and producers. They will view and respond to media artworks, experiment with different materials and technologies, and create their own works for an intended audience.

Learning beyond the screen

Although technology will play an important role, Hidden in the Frame is about much more than using devices. Students will develop creativity, communication, collaboration and critical thinking as they ask questions such as:

• Whose perspective is being shown?
• What might be happening outside the frame?
• How do images and sounds influence our emotions?
• How can we communicate our ideas clearly and responsibly?
• What choices do artists and creators make to shape an audience’s response?

Helping Families Build Healthy Screen Time Habits

Finding the right balance with screen time can make a big difference to children’s wellbeing. This helpful infographic, kindly shared by DKM Psychology, offers simple, practical ideas for reducing screen time and replacing it with activities that support learning, connection and play. It also highlights the many benefits of balanced screen use, including better sleep, improved focus, calmer emotions and more quality family time.

We are partnered with DKM Psychology and provide an onsite Provisional Psychologist to support the wellbeing of our students and families. We appreciate their ongoing collaboration and for sharing valuable resources such as this with our school community.

Remember, small changes can make a big difference!

Here are the lunchtime clubs for Term 3. Our Lunchtime Clubs provide students with a welcoming and engaging space to connect with others, explore their interests and build positive relationships. These clubs promote a sense of belonging by encouraging teamwork, inclusion, creativity and social connection, while giving students opportunities to develop confidence, communication and friendship skills in a fun and supportive environment.

FULL STEAM AHEAD IN PE!

TERM 2 – WINTER CAMP

The Grade 5/6 Winter Camp was a fantastic success! Students were bursting with excitement as they headed to Lake Mountain to experience the snow and enjoy a day of tobogganing. Throughout the camp, students had an incredible time building friendships, stepping outside their comfort zones, and, for many, experiencing snow for the very first time. It was a memorable adventure filled with fun, laughter, and new experiences. We look forward to another exciting camp at our Summer Camp in Term 4.

TERM 3 – ATHLETICS CARNIVAL

The Greenvale District Athletics Carnival will be held this term in Week 6. A selected team of Grade 4, 5 and 6 students from Mary Queen of Heaven will represent our school, competing against other schools in the district across a range of athletics events. Students will aim to earn valuable points for our school while demonstrating teamwork, determination and sportsmanship. All other year levels will also be practising and developing their skills in these athletics events, preparing them for when they are old enough to represent our school at future district carnivals.

Over the coming weeks, students will train during PE lessons for the events featured at the carnival, building their skills and confidence to perform at their very best on the day. We wish our athletics team every success and look forward to cheering them on at this exciting event!

ERM 3 – GET READY…OUR COLOUR RUN IS BACK!

Our much-loved Colour Run is returning for its 3rd year, and we can’t wait for another action-packed afternoon of fun, colour and laughter! Fundraising will officially begin in Term 3, Week 6 (from Monday 17 August), giving students plenty of time to collect donations and work towards some fantastic prizes. The Colour Run itself will be held in Term 4, Week 1 and promises to be one of the highlights of the school year.

Every dollar raised helps support valuable school projects and resources that benefit all of our students. We encourage everyone to get involved, have fun, and see how much they can raise. Start thinking about your fundraising ideas and get ready for an unforgettable Colour Run!