Week 10, Term 2 2025

Dear Families and Friends of Mary MacKillop Memorial School,

What a wonderful term of learning it has been! I’m proud of the enthusiasm our students continue to show and the way they share their love of learning with others. Over the course of the Semester we have seen significant growth in students’ academic progress, and this only occurs through hard work by students, in collaboration with teachers and education support workers and most importantly families.

SRC Crazy Hair Day and Toastie Tuesdays

Last Thursday, our SRC hosted a fun Crazy Hair Day to support the St Vinnies Winter Appeal. Students brought gold coin donations and wore some truly creative hairstyles! The SRC’s Toastie Tuesdays have also been a big hit and will continue in Term 3.

Student Reports

All families should now have received their child’s Semester 1 report. If you have any questions, please reach out to your child’s teacher. Reports, Seesaw updates, and learning conversations are key ways we share student progress with families.

Term 3 Calendar

The Term 3 calendar will be emailed to all families. Please note that while accurate at the time of printing, any updates will be shared via the newsletter or Seesaw. We’re working towards an online version on our website, which we hope to launch in Semester 2.

As we wrap up the term, I want to acknowledge our hardworking students who strive to be their best every day, our dedicated staff who provide rich learning experiences, and our supportive families who help make our school community so strong.

In this Jubilee Year, we have truly been Inspired by Hope. I wish everyone a safe, restful holiday and look forward to seeing you in Term 3, ready to set new goals and continue our learning journey.

Take care and God bless,

Nicole

Vinnies Winter Appeal

Winter Appeal Success – Thank You, Mary Mac Families!

A heartfelt thank you to our wonderful Mary MacKillop community for your incredible generosity and compassion this term. Together, we collected an amazing total of 168 non-perishable food items, each one helping to support those most in need within our wider community.

This remarkable effort is a true reflection of Mary MacKillop’s legacy: “Never see a need without doing something about it.” We believe she would be immensely proud of the kindness and community spirit shown by our families.

To add a little fun to this year’s Winter Appeal, there was a friendly house competition. The winning house earned a casual day on Friday and 20 points towards the Gardiner Cup, awarded at the end of the year. Congratulations to Woods-MacKillop (Green) for leading the way with an impressive 52 donations!

Thank you once again to everyone who contributed. Your generosity truly makes a difference.

1st Place                           Woods/MacKillop                Total of 52 donations

2nd Place                          Cameron                             Total of 49 donations               

3rd Place                           McCormack                         Total of 45 donations

A special mention to our MMMS Staff and Parishioners who donated a total of 22 items.            

NAIDOC WEEK

National NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia in the first week of July each year (Sunday to Sunday), to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC Week is an opportunity for all Australians to learn about First Nations cultures and histories and participate in celebrations of the oldest, continuous living cultures on earth.

MASS AND LITURGY

This week the Yr 4/5 class and R/1 class celebrated their class Mass and Liturgy. The Yr 4/5 group reflected on what it means to be courageous and how the disciples demonstrated faith in Jesus when he calmed the storm. Fr Prathap asked us to show the same faith when times in our lives are difficult, and we need to be courageous.

The R/1s liturgy focussed on kindness and that small acts of kindness make a difference to others. Fr Prathap helped the children to understand this, through his story telling.

Well done to both classes on their excellent engagement and participation in the Mass and Liturgy and reflecting on these important values.

TERM THREE MASSES AND LITURGIES

Week 3 Friday 8^th August               

Whole School Mass to celebrate the Feast of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop at 9:15am

Week 4 Friday 15^th August              

Whole School Mass to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption at 9:15am

Week 6 Tuesday 26^th August          

Yr 6 Class Mass at 9:15am

Week 7 Tuesday 2^nd September     

Yr 4/5 Class Mass at 9.15am, R/1 Liturgy at 10:30am

Week 8 Tuesday 9^th September     

Yr 2/3 Class Mass at 9.15am

2025 School Photos - Save the Date! 📸

Please note that our 2025 school photos are scheduled for Monday, 25th August (Term 3, Week 6). This is a wonderful opportunity to capture lasting memories of your child’s school year.

To help you prepare, envelopes with further information regarding photo packages, pricing, and how to order will be sent home with students in Week 1 of next term. Please keep an eye out in your child’s bag and return completed forms by the date provided.

School Holidays Brithdays 

A big happy birthday to our wonderful students who will be celebrating during the school holidays!

Wishing lots of fun and special memories to:
🎈 Harry D – 12th July
🎈 Ellis and Harry G – 14th July
🎈 Jett – 15th July
🎈 Alfie – 16th July
🎈 Henna – 19th July

We hope you all have a fantastic birthday filled with joy, laughter, and celebration.

Sincere Condolences

We offer our sincere condolences to Jack on the passing of his Pa - Peter Muhovics.

May the warmth of God’s love wrap firmly around your family at this difficult time.

Lions Mad Minute 2025

On Wednesday, June 25th (Week 9) MMMS participated in the Lions Mad Minute at the Soldiers Memorial Hall in Lucindale.

MMMS was represented by Max, Anna and Eli. I went along as the school journalist. Mrs Coote drove us to Lucindale in the car, and we practiced on the way with a jar of questions.

When we arrived we had a delicious morning tea. Then we sat down in the hall and the action began. Each school was called up one by one, and one student at a time spoke for 1 minute about a topic. The topic was pulled out of a jar and a bell rang when time was up. Students could pick from a jar with 'challenge' questions or a jar with 'super challenge' questions. Most students chose from the 'super challenge' jar. 

Our school was called up third to last.

First up was Eli. His topic was 'students should wear hats at school'. He used a lot of hand actions, expressions and describing words. He spoke about sun protection, what would happen if students didn't wear hats, and said that all students should wear the same hat with a name label. There was a lot of clapping at the end of his talk.

Next up was Anna. Her topic was 'all kids should get pocket money'. She talked about how pocket money teaches responsibility. She used hand gestures and didn't even have to stop at all to think.

Finally, it was Max's turn. His topic was 'living in the South East". He spoke about all the good things about living here in the South East but also about the South East in other countries like Malaysia. He used alot of humour and expression.

Once everyone had spoken, it was time to announce the results, starting with individuals. In third place was Anna! In second place was Whitney from Naracoorte Primary School. In first place was Eli! They all received a trophy and prizemoney.

Then the overall school winner was announced; MMMS!!!!!! Max, Anna and Eli were given a big trophy and certificates and everyone clapped.

To celebrate, Mrs Coote took us to a shop for a treat. When we arrived back at school, Eli dropped his trophy!

Overall, it was an exciting day out for MMMS.

Freya Giles

Lions Mad Minute Journalist

Round Robin Basketball in Millicent 🏀

This week, our students travelled to Millicent on Wednesday and Thursday to take part in the Round Robin Basketball tournament. It was a fantastic opportunity for students to develop their skills, work together as a team, and represent our school with pride.

Across both days, players showed great determination, teamwork, and sportsmanship, competing with enthusiasm and supporting one another throughout each game. The energy on and off the court was incredible, and it was wonderful to see so many students enjoying the spirit of the game.

A big thank you to the staff, coaches, and supporters who helped make the event such a success. Well done to all involved!

Our community Playgroup takes place on a Friday morning from 9 – 10.30am. It is an opportunity for families to come together and play together, capably coordinated by our Playgroup coordinator Ebonie Moulton. Come and enjoy a cuppa and catch up, while your child has a number of playful learning activities to explore in a safe and welcoming environment.

For enquires/questions:

Click here to email Mary MacKillop Memorial School

Click here to email Ebonie Moulton

School holidays are here!

As we wrap up the school term, it's normal for students to feel a mix of tiredness, excitement, and maybe even a bit of worry. The last week can feel like a whirlwind of finishing off work, saying temporary goodbyes, and getting ready for a short but well-earned break.

Even though it’s only two weeks, the holidays are a great chance to rest, reset, and enjoy some downtime. Try to keep a bit of routine, while also making space for play, creativity, and connection. It could be as simple as a walk outside, a movie night, baking together, or visiting family and friends.

Some children thrive on the break, while others may miss the structure and social side of school, and that’s okay too. Checking in with your child, talking about how they’re feeling, and gently preparing them for the return to school can help ease the transition both ways.

Wishing all our students and families a happy and safe holiday, see you back soon, refreshed and ready for a great new term!

Regards, 

Bec Baker 

School Counsellor

We are excited to be taking part in Catholic Education South Australia's Open Week in Week 3 of Term 3, and warmly invite families to come and experience the vibrant, welcoming community of our school.

Join us for one of our school tours:

• Monday 4th August at 4:30pm
• Tuesday 5th August at 9:00am

We’re also hosting special Come & Try Days:

• Early Learning Come & Try on Monday 4th and Tuesday 5th August
• Reception Come & Try Day on Thursday 7th August from 10:00am – 11:00am

These events are a fantastic opportunity to meet our staff, explore our learning environments, and see how we support every child to grow, learn, and thrive.

Keep an eye out for more information coming soon—we look forward to welcoming you!