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Mary Queen of Heaven Newsletter Term 3 – Week 5

1st January 1970

A word from the Principal 

Dear Families,

WOW have we had a Wonderful Start to Term 3!

A heartfelt thank you to all our families for helping make the first four weeks of Term 3 such a wonderful success. Although it has been a short term, it has certainly been a busy one, with so many opportunities for our students to learn, connect and give back to others.

Our year 4s celebrated the Sacrament of First Eucharist.  It was the most beautiful sacrament, shared with School of The Good Shepherd.  We thank Father Dishan for leading us in the pace and for working with us on our faith journey

 

Our community once again showed incredible generosity through our Egg Carton Collection in support of Helping Hands in Airport West. Every donation will make a real difference to those in need, and we are so grateful for your kindness.

Our Pyjama Day was another fantastic success, raising valuable funds for the incredible Make-A-Wish Australia. This remarkable organisation creates life-changing wishes and treasured memories for children living with critical illnesses. While we hope none of our families ever need the support of Make-A-Wish, we are proud to partner with such an inspiring charity and to teach our students the importance of compassion, generosity and giving back to the wider community.

On behalf of everyone at Hungry Jack’s and the Make-A-Wish Foundation, I would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude for the generous donation and the incredible support that Mary Queen of Heaven School has shown once again this year.

Raising $615 for Make-A-Wish is a fantastic achievement, and doing so for the third consecutive year speaks volumes about the school’s dedication, generosity, and compassion. At the last day of Term 2, you told me, “We’ll do better/bigger this year,” but I certainly didn’t expect this much! Your outstanding effort has truly exceeded expectations, and I couldn’t be more grateful.

Thank you for being such a valued part of this mission. I sincerely appreciate your continued support and look forward to working together again to create even more smiles, hope, and unforgettable memories for the children living with critical illness.

Congratulations to Red Joseph House, who were our highest fundraisers on the day and celebrated their efforts with a well-deserved hot chip lunch last Friday.   Many thanks to our friends at Seafood Delish on Barrymore Road for donating the prize!  Thank you to everyone who embraced the fun by coming to school in their pyjamas and supporting such a worthwhile cause.

We also celebrated Friendship Day, with students enthusiastically taking part in activities that strengthened connections and celebrated what it means to be a good friend. It was especially exciting to officially launch our Friendship Tree, a beautiful symbol of belonging, kindness and inclusion. The day was a wonderful reminder of the importance of living our school values each day and ensuring every child feels known, valued and connected within our community.

 

Hillview Road Crossing – Our Ongoing Advocacy for Safety

A sincere thank you to the families who have taken the time to contact Hume City Council and advocate for greater safety at our Hillview Road school crossing. Your voices matter, and I greatly appreciate your support.

I continue to advocate regularly and relentlessly with Hume City Council, the relevant traffic authorities and our local Members of Parliament, calling for a crossing supervisor to be instated as a matter of urgency.

I want to acknowledge just how concerning and frustrating the ongoing safety situation along Hillview Road is. I share your concerns and am deeply frustrated by the lack of adequate supervision at our crossing, particularly given the significant number of children, families and pedestrians using this area each morning and afternoon.

I strongly encourage all families to continue contacting Hume City Council directly and requesting that a crossing supervisor be provided as soon as possible. The more voices we have advocating for the safety of our children and community, the stronger our message will be.

  • customerservice@hume.vic.gov.au

In the meantime, please take extra care when travelling along Hillview Road. We ask that all drivers exercise patience and courtesy, particularly during drop-off and pick-up times, and remain highly alert to the large number of children and pedestrians moving around the school.

The safety of our children and families must remain our collective priority. Thank you for continuing to stand with us as we advocate for a safer Hillview Road.

 

Please refer to the nForma shared earlier today about our change over to MACSEYE as the provider for Before & After Care.  This change will take place in term 1 2027.  BIG Childcare will remain our provider for the January holiday period.  More information will be here in due course.

 

Late arrivals continue to be an issue for some families.  As per the information shared earlier this week, individual families will be contacted in the coming weeks so that we can work together to ensure all children arrive at school on time and don’t miss crucial learning opportunities.

 

In recent weeks we have had some exciting news from our staff.  Congratulations to Lisa Michielin and her family on the arrival of their precious daughter and sister Hazel Millie.

 

Congratulations also to Amy and Dana who recently announced their pregnancies!  With both babies due in January, both Amy and Dana will finish up at the end of the school year.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bullying No Way: National Week of Action – Monday 17 August

Creating a school where every child feels safe, respected and valued continues to be one of our highest priorities.

On Monday 17 August, we will recognise the Bullying No Way: National Week of Action by reinforcing the importance of kindness, inclusion, courage and respect.

We encourage our students to speak up whenever something doesn’t feel right. We can only address concerns if we know about them, and we want every child to know there are always trusted adults ready to listen and help.

Students are invited to wear a splash of purple with their school uniform as a visible reminder that everyone deserves to feel they belong.

Together, let us continue building the culture we are so proud of—a community where kindness is celebrated, differences are embraced and every child knows they are valued.

Thank you, as always, for your ongoing partnership, encouragement and support. Together, we continue to create something truly special for our children, and I feel incredibly blessed to share this journey with you.

Our 2026 NAPLAN Results Are Shining!

We are delighted to celebrate the strong learning outcomes reflected in our 2026 NAPLAN results across Years 3 and 5.

When we look at our Year 3 and Year 5 results together, our students are performing above the state mean across all five NAPLAN learning domains – Reading, Writing, Spelling, Numeracy, and Grammar & Punctuation.

NAPLAN Domain Our School State Mean Above State
Reading 471 458 +13
Writing 474 461 +13
Spelling 468 456 +12
Numeracy 462 461 +1
Grammar & Punctuation 492 466 +26

Figures represent the simple combined average of the Year 3 and Year 5 school and state scores. 

These results are a wonderful reflection of the dedication of our students, the expertise of our teachers and the strength of our approach to learning and teaching.

Behind every number is a student who has been challenged to think deeply, encouraged to persevere and supported to grow. We are particularly proud of the progress and achievement represented across all areas of learning.

A heartfelt thank you to our students for their hard work, our teachers for their commitment to knowing and responding to the needs of every learner, and our families for the encouragement they provide at home.

Together, we continue to let the light shine.

Learning and Teaching – Literacy

MQH PROMO 4
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Poetry Cafe – 3-4

 

At Mary Queen of Heaven, we strongly value children’s voice, providing authentic opportunities for them to share their learning and express themselves through various mediums, including in writing.  Our children in Grade 3-4 have been immersed in the wonderful world of poetry as part of our Literacy program. They have been exploring, unpacking and experimenting with a variety of poetic forms, discovering how poets use language, rhythm, imagery and creativity to express ideas and emotions.

This learning journey provided students with the opportunity to find their own voice and express themselves through poetry.

To celebrate their learning, our young poets proudly shared their poems with  families at our very special Poetry Café. 

It was a beautiful afternoon filled with courage, creativity and connection as students took to the stage to share their words. 

Below are some of the poems created and shared by children in 3-4. 

Jacob, 3-4B

Who am I? Some would say I am Jacob 

I have hazel eyes and I am bright and creative like my mum and dad 

But what you might not know about me is that… 

I am a Cat 

I am protective of my friends and also like to play 

I make new friends and am cuddly towards my Mum and Dad 

I am my Grandmas alarm clock 

I wake my parents up at 3.30am 

I always dig into my Mum and Dad and kick them to make more space for myself, leaving them on the edge 

I am a Lambogini Shereghini

I love cutting through everyone in line and move at 10km per hour in fun races

 I am a Lightbulb 

I come up with new ideas with my curious, bright and shiny mind 

I help my friends find their way 

So, who am I, you might ask? 

I have hazel eyes I’m bright and creative like my parents 

I am Jacob

 

Sarah, 3-4B

Who Am I?

Some would say I am Sarah

I have brown eyes and dark brown hair

And long sighted like my sister

but what you might know about me is…

I am a rainbow

Colourful and pretty like my mum says

Bright with many ideas, leading ahead

I shine at school as I light my class

Spreading joy wherever I pass

I am a book

I love to read and write –

discovering new kinds of learning in my sight

I enjoy all genres to imagine the story

Creativity is my glory

I am a butterfly

I am calm and patient

Sometimes I can be shy

But sometimes outgoing and love to explore

As my energy comes through everyday to see the world in all forms

So who am I, you might ask …

I have dark brown hair and brown eyes

I am long sighted like my sister

I am Sarah

 

Who am I?

Written  by Xavier Dolor

 

Some would say I am Xavier.

I have dark brown eyes- long sighted like my brother

I have black hair- thick and warm for heating

But what you might not know about me is…

 

I am a Brain

I am very smart

Very, Very good at art

Ultra good at helping

So you don’t resort to yelping

 

I am an ant

I help my colony hunt

Doing more than just some stunts

Even though I’m just a plain worker

I do more than hunt and torture

 

I am Australia

Home to many roos 

I’m very historical too

With beautiful sights waiting for you.

 

I am the land

Yes, the one you’re standing on now

There are many wars but I try to keep peace somehow

I bring comfort and home to others

So don’t just watch me decay and smother

 

So who am I, you might ask?

I have dark brown eyes

Long sighted like my brother,

Have black hair- thick and warm for heating

I am Xavier. 

 

 

The Ant’s Next Journey

By Xavier Dolor             

 

The sugar ant left in the night-

To visit the woodland filled with firefly light .

Tall, glorious trees peaked out of the fog –

Many were made of leaves and log .

An eight legged arachnid- maybe a spider-

Attacked and claimed he was such a  fighter.

Suddenly the night sky filled with luminescent firefly light-

Which made the spider flee in fright .

The little ant was so relieved –

And so he went back, tree by tree.   

Learning and Teaching – Maths

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Successful mathematicians understand and use mathematical ideas and methods, solve problems, explain and justify their thinking, and have a positive attitude towards learning mathematics. 

Below is a link to ‘NRICH’ – a curriculum-linked mathematics resources focus on problem-solving, to help all students become more curious, resourceful and confident learners.  As parents you can access this resource for free to support your child at home. 

https://nrich.maths.org/parents/primary 

 

Learning and Teaching – RE

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REflection

Our newly installed statue of Our Lady – generously donated by Jeni Whelan our wonderful CRT. 

 

Prayer for the Feast of the Assumption

Loving God,
We celebrate the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
and remember her deep faith, courage and trust in you.

Mary listened to your call and followed you with love and humility.
May her example inspire our Mary Queen of Heaven community
to welcome others, care for those in need
and bring hope and kindness wherever we go.

Help our students, families and staff
to recognise your presence in one another.
Guide us to live with love, respect, courage and humility,
and to let the light of Jesus shine through our words and actions.

May Mary, our Mother and Queen of Heaven,
walk beside us and lead us closer to her Son, Jesus.

Mary, Queen of Heaven, pray for us.

Amen.

First Eucharist Celebration  

Sunday 2nd August 2026

“I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry.”
John 6:35

 

Congratulations to our Grade 4 First Eucharist candidates who received the Sacrament of First Eucharist. This was a joyful and sacred milestone in their faith journey as they received Jesus in the Eucharist for the first time.

We sincerely thank our Grade 3/4 educators for preparing the students so thoughtfully and beautifully, and their families for the love, encouragement and faith-filled support they provided throughout this special journey.

We also extend our heartfelt thanks to Fr Dishan, Fr Samuel and Deacon Poukesi for leading such a beautiful celebration.

May God continue to bless our First Eucharist candidates, guide them as they grow in faith and help them always feel the love and presence of Jesus. May they remember that, through the Eucharist, we are united as one Body of Christ.

 

Feast of St Mary MacKillop – 8th August 2026

On Saturday 8th August we celebrated the Feast of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, Australia’s first saint. Mary MacKillop was a woman of deep faith, courage and compassion. She trusted God and dedicated her life to ensuring that children, particularly those experiencing poverty or disadvantage, had access to education, care and hope.

Mary encouraged others to “never see a need without doing something about it.” Her words remind us that faith is not simply something we believe—it is something we live through our choices and actions.

At Mary Queen of Heaven, Mary MacKillop’s example connects strongly with Catholic Social Teaching. She recognised the dignity of every person, treating each individual as precious and created in God’s image. She demonstrated a preferential option for those experiencing poverty, placing the needs of vulnerable children and families at the centre of her mission. Through education and service, she worked for the common good, helping communities to grow and flourish. She also lived in solidarity, standing alongside people and responding to their struggles with compassion rather than judgement.

Mary MacKillop challenges us to notice the needs around us and respond with love. We can follow her example by including others, speaking up when something is unfair, sharing what we have and helping those who need support. In doing so, we live the Mary Queen of Heaven values of Love, Respect, Courage and Humility, allowing our light—and the light of Christ—to shine brightly for others.

Reflection question:
What need can I notice and respond to so that another person feels valued, supported and loved?

 

       Grade 5/6 students creating a timeline of significant events in Mary Mackillop’s life of service.

RE Symposium July 2026 – Inspired by Faith

Recently Renae, Dani and Pauline attended the Religious Education Symposium, which shined a spotlight on Religious Education across the Archdiocese of Melbourne. Over two days, international and national keynote speakers and workshops supported educators to implement the new pending Religious Education Curriculum and further strengthen their knowledge and practice.

The Symposium was designed to inspire participants by celebrating what is already being achieved across our Catholic education system, while envisioning what can be achieved over the next twelve months and beyond. This important learning supports the MACS 2030 goal of becoming a system of schools where students and staff grow in virtue.

We look forward to bringing the learning, insights and inspiration from the symposium back to our Mary Queen of Heaven community, supporting our educators to continue creating meaningful, engaging and faith-filled learning experiences for all students.

Keynote speaker Professor Br David Hall.

 

 

 

Term 3 Class Masses – Growing Together in Faith

 

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

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

Term 3 Mass schedule:

Tuesday 18 August, 12.00pm Prep Year level Mass
Friday 14th August , 12.00pm Feast of the Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary  – Non-eucharist whole school liturgy  
Friday 21st August , 12.00pm Feast of the Queenship of Mary, whole school mass
Tuesday 1st September, 12.00pm Grade 2 Year level Mass
Tuesday 15th September, 12.00pm Grade 3/4 Year level Mass

 

Families as partners in faith                       

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.

 

Learning and Teaching – Inquiry

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Our Media Arts inquiry is well underway, and students have been discovering that a camera can do much more than take a picture – it can change the way we see the world!

Through playful exploration of photography and perspective, students have been experimenting with how position, angle, distance and focus can transform an ordinary subject into something surprising. They have been encouraged to look closely, try something new, make predictions and capture their ideas through images.   Children have also been exploring animation and how to bring static images or drawings to life.  Check out the creative learning that will posted on your child’s Seesaw over the coming weeks!

Learning and Teaching – Wellbeing

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World Friendship Day

Last week, our school came together to celebrate World Friendship Day, embracing the 2026 theme, “Friendships are the Heart of Wellbeing!”

Students proudly wore their house colours and enjoyed a day filled with kindness, connection and belonging. Throughout the day, students participated in a range of engaging activities that celebrated inclusion and the importance of positive friendships. Working in mixed-class groups with students from all year levels, they had the opportunity to build new connections, collaborate and reflect on what it means to be a good friend. A special Friendship Pizza Lunch provided another opportunity for students to come together, share a meal and strengthen friendships across the school.

A special highlight of the day was the launch of our new Friendship Tree. Students learnt how the Friendship Tree can be used as a safe and welcoming place to seek out a friend, invite others to play or offer support to someone who may need it. It was wonderful to see students already embracing its purpose and putting their learning into action.

Students also worked together to create a collaborative piece of artwork that celebrates friendship and belonging. This beautiful artwork will be proudly displayed at our upcoming Art Show as a lasting reminder of the connections made throughout the day.

World Friendship Day was a wonderful reminder that when students feel connected, valued and included, they thrive. We are proud to continue fostering a school community where friendships flourish and everyone has a place to belong.

Supporting Friendships at Home

All families have access to a free Parent Membership at URSTRONG.com. We encourage you to explore the parent resources, which provide practical strategies and common language to help children build healthy, positive friendships.

There are also some excellent short videos about the Language of Friendship that you can watch together as a family to reinforce the concepts students are learning at school.

Feel free to explore the resources, and keep an eye on our newsletter for more helpful tips and updates throughout the year.

Language of Friendship videos: https://urstrong.com/language-of-friendship/

 

Child Safety

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Learning Diversity

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Consent for information sharing

 

Many families ask their therapists to liaise with the school. This process can be helpful because it ensures that goals of therapy and school align, invites a sharing of strategies and promotes family school partnership. However, there are some steps that need to be taken before information can flow between these different parties.

 

It is important that families inform the school of their consent to share information before any details are provided to therapists to ensure that student privacy and confidentiality are respected. This includes when therapists ask educators to complete assessments as part of a diagnostic report. Schools are responsible for safeguarding sensitive information, and obtaining clear, informed consent from families helps protect students’ rights while complying with legal and ethical requirements. This process also promotes transparency and trust between families, schools, and external professionals, ensuring that everyone involved understands what information will be shared and for what purpose. By confirming consent in advance, we can confidently collaborate with therapists to support the student’s wellbeing and learning, while maintaining respect for the family’s preferences and boundaries.

 

If you would like the school to liaise with your child’s therapist. Please complete (if you have not already)the MACS consent to share information prior to asking your therapist to contact educators. A copy can be obtained by contacting the school office or our Learning Diversity Leader Loretta.

A word from our Specialist

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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