Mary Queen of Heaven Newsletter Term 4 – Week 2

Implementing InitiaLit at Mary Queen of Heaven

We are pleased to announce that Mary Queen of Heaven will be implementing InitiaLit in 2025 for students in Prep, Year One, and Year Two. This evidence-based program aligns with the science of reading, providing explicit instruction in phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. By adopting InitiaLit, we aim to build our teachers’ capacity to understand how reading is learned and support every child’s literacy development.

This initiative is also in line with the Vision for Instruction and Flourishing Learners document from MACS, which outlines strategies to ensure all children in Catholic schools are flourishing as learners by 2030. To prepare for this transition, our teaching staff will participate in training later this term, ensuring a smooth and successful implementation in the new year.

We look forward to this next step in enriching our literacy program and supporting our students’ growth as confident, capable readers.

Fact sheet 

Learning Walks

We are thrilled to announce our very first Learning Walks in Week 4 of this term!

This is a unique opportunity for families to step inside our learning spaces and witness education in action at Mary Queen of Heaven. During the Learning Walks, our leaders will guide you through Discovery and Project sessions, providing insights into the philosophies that shape our approach. We invite you to experience firsthand how learning unfolds and the thinking behind our dynamic, child-centered environment

If you are interested in attending, please book via www.schoolinterviews.com.au/yar52 

Last term we had a very generous donation of basketballs from the Rijal Family (Celine and Cyrus).  These balls have been pumped up over the holidays and are being enjoyed by the children at recess and lunch times.  

Thank you also to Nadia and Kristie who have donated some hours of their time to supervise  First Aid at the upcoming Parish Fete – your volunteering is much appreciated.

Renae is currently visiting Scotland and Rome as part of a Principal study Tour.  This program explores the role of the Catholic school in realising the mission of the Church, and the implications this has for those who lead Catholic schools. It also explores how spiritualties and charisms can contribute to the culture of Catholic schools.  The program consists of three modules: Mission and Purpose of Catholic Schools; Realising Mission; and Schools as Communities of Faith. In addition to lectures and workshops, Renae and her principal colleagues will take part in visits to various churches, museums and basilicas of Rome, where Rome beyond the campus becomes the classroom. We look forward to Renae’s return at the end of week 3.

As you will have seen, our stage 2 building is now well underway, an exciting development for our school.  Many works will be taking place during term 4 and into the Christmas holiday period.  Please be assured that all areas are safe and secure for our children.

As we look towards planning for 2025, we can share with you that we have 73 preps enrolled for 2025.  We are delighted with these numbers and the growth our school is showing.  Below is the structure of classes for 2025:

3 x Prep classes

3 x Year 1 classes

3 x Year 2 classes

1 x Year 3/4 classes

1 x Year 4/5/6 multi age class

If your little one has outgrown their uniform, we would gratefully accept second hand uniform donations. Please bring them into the school office at any time.   These will build the foundation of our second hand uniform shop, of which all proceeds will go towards items for passive play.

Last Term Renae and Pauline had the privilege of being involved in the grand opening of the Helping Hands Mission Food Pantry in Airport West. It was a humbling and in some ways sad experience to know that there are so many in our own community in need.

With this in mind, we thought our community could have a positive impact this Advent. 

Between now and the beginning of December, we invite families and staff to join our Dignity Bag drive.  Over the coming months we invite you to add to your supermarket shopping some items to go into the bags: facial wipes, lip balm, tampons, pads, lipstick, nail polish, deodorant, moisturizer, cotton tips, tweezers, a block of chocolate.

Staff will pack individual ‘Dignity Bags’ to donate to Helping Hands, who will then give them to women in need at Christmas.  Many of these women put their families first and wake up to nothing on Christmas day other than heartache.

Mary Queen of Heaven is a SunSmart School, and our policy reflects the recommendations of the SunSmart organisation. The Bureau of Meteorology provides information about the times of day when UV levels are forecast to reach 3 or higher, meaning that sun protection is recommended for all skin types. In Victoria, UV levels regularly reach 3 or higher from mid–August to the end of April.

As part of general SunSmart strategies, our school:

• Requires all students and staff to wear hats that protect the face, neck and ears (legionnaire, broad-brimmed or bucket style) and suitable clothing whenever they are outside (e.g. recess, lunch, sport, excursions)
• Requires children outdoors without hats to sit in a designated shaded area during play times from the beginning of September to the end of April or whenever UV levels reach three or more. NO HAT- NO PLAY.

All staff and parents are encouraged to access the daily local sun protection times via the free Sun Smart app, sunsmart.com.au, or the widget on our website. All children are to wear hats beginning this week. We remind families and children that hats are required until the end of April. We also encourage parents to apply sunscreen before school and to pack a small container of sunscreen for children to reapply throughout the day. Please note the school does not supply sunscreen. 

The sale of Zooper Doopers will occur on Mondays and Fridays this term. The school will sell them at lunchtime for $1.00. 

The traffic continues to be an issue in and around drop off and pick up times.  Please follow the directions below to ensure the area is safe for all:

• When dropping children off, please park furthest away from the front gate as possible to allow for cars to queue up behind you; we often have cars banked up at the roundabout due to people parking in front of the French Road gate. 
• when dropping children off, do so swiftly and safely and then move off to make room for the next family.  Please don’t sit in your cars in the drop of zones.
• when dropping off and collecting please ensure you are in an actual parking bay and not stopping on the road blocking traffic.
• please do not park across footpaths or driveways ANYWHERE along French Rd or Hillview Rd.
• please utilise French Rd where possible, the gate is now being left unlocked until 9:15 to help with late comers.
• please ONLY cross Hillview Rd down near the roundabout where it is safe.  All children must be accompanied by an adult to cross the road.

We need all families to be making safe and sensible decisions on the roads in order to keep everyone safe.

If you witness any unsafe or unsavoury behaviour, please take registration numbers and/or photographs and report to the office for the school to follow up, please don’t approach other members of our community.  We appreciate your ongoing support with these issues.

Day for Daniel is held annually on the last Friday of October, Day for Daniel honours the memory of Daniel Morcombe. This day focuses on promoting child safety and upskilling Parents, carers, and educators to start a conversation with children about personal safety. Please note we will not be going into the details of Daniel Morcombe. We will wear a ‘splash of red’ on this day.

This year’s personal safety learning is all about enthusiastic consent. This learning highlights the importance of children understanding their own personal space boundaries. If someone makes someone feel bad about a boundary, children can report and tell a safety helper.  

1. What is enthusiastic consent? Permission that has been given truly, freely, and wholeheartedly without any boundaries being blurred or crossed.
2. What are body boundaries?
   The invisible line around your body that you are the boss of.

For more information visit https://danielmorcombe.com.au/day-for-daniel/

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. In the next series of newsletters, we will explore how the standards are met at our school.

Standard 1:

Schools must establish a culturally safe environment in which the diverse and unique identities and experiences of Aboriginal children, young people and students are respected and valued.

At MQH we:

• have an appointed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Leader
• have established a Reconciliation Action Plan Working Group
• make authentic links to culture through the curriculum
• Acknowledge Country at every gathering
• have representations of First Nations culture throughout the school
• provide literature and artworks created by First Nations people
• continually live out the school values of love, humility, courage and respect
• consistently enforce school rules and follow the continuum of response
• have clear policies with regard to racially motivated behaviour

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

Please see the attached brochure from Kids Love Learningland, a local business within the Greenvale community.

Kids Love Learningland DL FINAL ART

BASKETBALL FUN FOR ALL AGES!

Basketball is a popular sport for boys and girls of all ages and abilities. If your child already plays or wants to try, check out the affordable programs on offer in the area and help them improve their skills and confidence and make new friends in a fun, safe setting with professional coaches: Term 4 basketball programs: https://www.broncosbasketball.com.au/term-4-programs/