Mel Maria Catholic Primary School

Dear Parents

Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the absolute pleasure of meeting with many new families during our Kindergarten and Pre-Kindergarten enrolment interviews. These conversations have been incredibly uplifting, filled with genuine excitement and optimism about the future of Mel Maria Catholic Primary School.

A consistent message emerging from these meetings is how strongly our new two-campus model is resonating with families. There’s a clear sense that the direction we’re taking as a school is instilling confidence and inspiring enthusiasm. Parents are noticing the difference, in the learning environment, the warmth and professionalism of our staff, and the clarity of our shared vision.

It’s heartening to see how this positive momentum is spreading throughout the wider community. Word-of-mouth is powerful, and we’re seeing increased interest in enrolments as more families hear about the transformation taking place at Mel Maria. This growing “buzz” is a wonderful affirmation of the work we’re doing together.

The feedback we’re receiving is both humbling and encouraging. It reflects a shared belief in our commitment to excellence, innovation, and authentic Catholic education, a belief that Mel Maria is more than just a school; it’s a place where children are known, nurtured, and empowered.

This incredible wave of support stands as a powerful testament to the unwavering dedication, passion, and shared purpose of our entire school community, from our inspiring staff and enthusiastic students to our deeply committed families. Together, we are not only embracing change but actively shaping a vibrant and hopeful future for Mel Maria Catholic Primary School. What we are building is something truly remarkable. The road ahead is filled with promise, and the collective spirit driving us forward is nothing short of extraordinary.

Firstly, I extend my heartfelt thanks to Mrs Cathleen Massimi, who so graciously and courageously stepped into the role of Vice Principal for the first 15 weeks of the school year. Taking on a leadership role of this magnitude is no small feat, and yet Cathleen approached it with grace, determination, and a deep sense of purpose. She brought with her a steady hand, a kind heart, and a sharp professional acumen that inspired confidence in all those around her.

Throughout her time in the role, Cathleen has been nothing short of exceptional, a true embodiment of our mantra, #MakingADifferenceEveryday. Whether leading with vision, supporting our staff, or connecting with students and families, her impact has been felt widely and deeply across the school community. She has led with integrity, compassion, and a can-do spirit that has made a lasting impression on us all.

Cathleen’s unwavering commitment, calm leadership, and tireless work ethic have been sincerely appreciated by everyone fortunate enough to work alongside her. On behalf of the entire Mel Maria Catholic Primary School community, we congratulate her on a job incredibly well done and offer our deepest thanks for her outstanding contribution during this important period.

I would also like to extend my sincere appreciation to Mrs Ros Nichols for her exceptional work in establishing and leading the Early Childhood Campus this year. Ros has embraced the challenge with both creativity and dedication, always looking for better and more effective ways to support our youngest learners. Her innovative thinking and can-do attitude have helped lay strong foundations for the EC Campus. Ros will remain at the campus for the next couple of weeks to ensure a smooth and seamless handover to Mrs Joanne Scouler, who returns to us next week.

We are delighted to welcome Mrs Joanne Scouler back to Mel Maria after her successful term as Acting Principal at Star of the Sea in Rockingham. From all reports, Joanne did a wonderful job and was warmly embraced by the school community there. We’re thrilled to have her back with us, bringing with her a wealth of experience, wisdom, and renewed enthusiasm.

Finally, I wish to take a moment to shine a light on the truly remarkable work of our Educational Assistants within our school, the quiet achievers whose impact on our students and classrooms is nothing short of extraordinary. Across every year level and learning space, these dedicated professionals bring compassion, patience, and an unwavering commitment to the individual needs of our children.

Whether it’s offering a reassuring word, adapting learning activities, celebrating small victories, or providing a steady hand to guide a student through the day, our Educational Assistants are constantly going above and beyond. Their work may sometimes happen behind the scenes, but its significance is felt in every smile of success, every moment of growth, and every child who feels seen, safe, and supported.

They are not just supporting learning — they are shaping lives. They are an integral part of what makes Mel Maria such a nurturing and inclusive school, and we are incredibly blessed to have such a dedicated team working alongside our teachers and students.

On behalf of our entire school community—staff, students, and families, I offer my deepest thanks and heartfelt appreciation. You truly are making a difference every day, and our school is stronger because of you.

As our mornings are getting colder and darker the challenge of getting our children off to school is more difficult. Believe me, I know!

“Come on Sarah! Get a move on.

School starts in ten minutes and you’re not even dressed yet!”

If this scenario sounds familiar, then you are not alone. Anecdotal evidence suggests that getting children to school or Pre-school on time can be one of the most difficult tasks for parents. Missing a few minutes each day may not seem like a big deal, but your child may be missing more than you realise if he or she is continually late. Current research shows that mornings for most children are the most productive time of the day with 10.00am the peak period for productivity.

When children arrive late and take time to settle, as they inevitably do, precious minutes are lost. A child who is fifteen minutes late to school each day misses one week of school every year.

How can you get your dawdling kids out the door without yelling yourself hoarse? Here are a few techniques and ideas for you to try to get your punctually-challenged children to school on time:

Establish a morning routine

Make sure your children know what is expected of them in the morning, and also what you will do. Resist nagging, but be willing to take them to school even if they have not fully prepared for the day.

Identify and remove distractions such as television

If the children are regular watchers before school change the routine and keep the TV off. It should only be turned on when children are completely ready for school.

Teach some of the basics of time management

The average adult underestimates by about 25 per cent the time it takes to do various jobs. Make sure you have realistic time estimates and stop packing so much into the time you allocate. Encourage older children to estimate how long it takes to do activities such as getting ready in the morning. Then they can measure the time taken to do these tasks and compare their estimates with real time.

Arrive at school ten minutes early

Plan to arrive at school early rather than be there on time. This idea works well for perpetual latecomers, whether young or old. Our classes open at 8.30am each morning so all children should be at school by this time.

Model a good routine

It is pointless expecting children to be organised in the morning if you are in a muddle yourself. Set a good example by being as methodical as possible and avoid sleeping in unless your children are so organised that they get you breakfast in bed!

All students should now be wearing their full winter uniform. We understand that during this transition period, some students may not yet have the complete Mel Maria uniform. However, we encourage families who have begun moving to the new uniform to ensure students wear the full uniform where possible, as I do understand that some stock items may currently be in limited supply.

Thank you for your continued support in helping our students take pride in their appearance. Wearing the uniform correctly reflects our shared commitment to excellence and a strong sense of belonging to the Mel Maria community.

Enrolments are now being taken for new students wishing to commence Kindergarten at Mel Maria Catholic Primary School in 2026.

Mel Maria Catholic Primary School will continue to offer three, four or five days of Kindergarten in 2026.

Pre-Kindergarten will be offered (depending on enrolment numbers) over the five days of the week., with families having the opportunity to book at maximum of two days of Pre-Kindergarten to commence with. This may change over the course of the year.

Both Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten places are limited so it is important that parents within the Mel Maria community submit their applications as soon as possible. Forms can be obtained from the office or on our website.

Paul Hille

Principal

#MakingADifferenceEveryday

Prayer for the Week

Prayer for Pope Leo XIV

Faithful God,

Be with our new Shepherd, Pope Leo XIV,

May he walk with you,

Thought for the Week

“Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by a kindly word; always doing the smallest right and doing it all for love.”

― St. Therese of Lisieux

Your child is naturally curious. Right from birth, they are wondering and exploring.

They are watching and listening. Moving and feeling. The daily interactions and experiences you share with your children is how they learn about the world around them. These interactions involve play. Play is a powerful and important activity. It has a natural and positive influence on children’s social, physical, emotional and cognitive development. The best learning happens when children play. It is important to let your children play every day.

Within our Mel Maria Early Childhood Campus, you will observe all levels of play being constructed for our students from Pre-Kindergarten to Year Two.

Educators are observing uninterrupted play to assess and evaluate where next to scaffold each learners needs.

Play-based learning involves careful decisions and support from teachers, so your

child grows to accept responsibility for their learning while still receiving purposeful guidance and feedback. It promotes important opportunities for your child to understand how to learn, develop critical thinking skills, adapt to change, and work independently as well as with others.

Ros Nichols

Vice Principal - Early Childhood Campus

We’ve had a great start to Term Two in Kindergarten! Our current learning has focus has been on the beautiful changes that happen during autumn and how the seasons are part of God’s wonderful creation.

We read the story Leaf Man by Lois Elhert and explored our natural environment to collect autumn leaves and sticks. Using these treasures, the children created their own unique leaf people through transient art, bringing the story to life in a hands-on and creative way.

We also learned about the Noongar season of Djeran, a time when the nights grow cooler, the mornings are crisp with dew and when many red flowers bloom. The children enjoyed discovering how this season connects to the land around us and deepens our appreciation for the world God has made.

As I complete my 15 week role as Vice Principal of the Primary Campus at Mel Maria Catholic Primary School, I want to express my heartfelt thanks. Your warm smiles, support, and partnership that have made this experience incredibly meaningful.

To our students, thank you for your energy, curiosity, and kindness. To our families, your trust and encouragement have been truly appreciated. It has been a privilege to work alongside you all for the benefit of the children.

This role has been both rewarding and challenging, filled with personal growth, ongoing learning, and a deepened respect for school leadership. I’m especially grateful to Mr Hille and the entire team for their guidance and collaboration. To the incredible staff, your passion, dedication, and professionalism inspires me daily. I admire the way you bring care and excellence to everything you do.

As I now transition into a support role alongside Mrs Fanowrios, I look forward to continuing our shared commitment to evidence-based learning and fostering a strong, united school community.

With gratitude and hope for what lies ahead.

Faction Friday Fun—Launching Week 5!

We’re excited to introduce Faction Friday Fun at the Primary Campus—a new reward system where students earn Faction Tokens for demonstrating positive behaviours aligned with our school values: justice, respect, compassion, and service to others.

Students can even earn tokens for attending the running club, in addition to demonstrating positive behaviours in class, on the playground, and around school!

Tokens will be collected weekly and counted by Year 6 students, contributing to faction points, weekly winners, and end-of-term celebrations. Every five weeks, the leading faction will enjoy a bonus playtime!

This initiative complements existing class reward systems and aims to build a strong, values-based school culture.

Let the fun—and positive behaviour—begin!

Cathleen Massimi

Vice Principal - Primary Campus

Learning with Energy and Imagination

Our Year 3 learners have been bursting with creativity, curiosity, and collaboration this term. From food journeys to fractions, every week has been full of discovery and fun!

Design Technology: From Farm to Fridge – Exploring the Journey of Our Food

This term, we followed the journey of food from the paddock to the plate. Students explored each stage, growing, harvesting, transporting, storing, and delivering food to our homes. Along the way, we discovered the incredible care, technology, and effort involved in feeding our communities.

To finish the unit, students took on a tasty design challenge: creating their own ice cream flavour! Each child imagined a unique recipe and then designed packaging to match. This fun project helped us think about food production, marketing, and what makes a product stand out in the freezer aisle. Who knows? We may have a few future food entrepreneurs among us!

Formula Fun Fridays

Every Friday, Year 3 students take part in hands-on problem-solving challenges that encourage teamwork, imagination, and creative thinking.

One recent highlight was learning about fractions using playdough! Students explored how the size of each piece changes with different denominators, bringing a tricky Maths concept to life in a fun and tactile way. With persistence, collaboration, and a little squishiness, we’re turning Maths into magic!

Library Lovers Rejoice!

Our library is open again, and Year 3 readers are thrilled to be back among the shelves. With new books and exciting stories waiting to be discovered, our students have loved diving into fresh adventures, one page at a time.

Parables with a Purpose

In Religious Education, we’ve been exploring Jesus’ parables to learn more about God’s love and forgiveness. These meaningful stories have inspired thoughtful conversations about kindness, compassion, and how we can live out these values every day.

There’s no stopping our Year 3 learners—we’re on the go, go, go!

Understanding and using parental controls to help protect your child online

Parental controls can be a useful addition to the strategies you use to help protect your child online. Parental controls can help protect children and young people by preventing access to harmful content, as well as helping manage time spent online and who they communicate with.
Join us at this 45-minute webinar to find out about:

• the types of parental controls available and how to set them for your child’s safety including smart devices, in apps, gaming platforms and computers
• using parental controls with other online safety strategies to help your child build digital and critical skills to have safer experiences online.

It’s suitable for parents and carers of children in primary school.

Term 2 (Australian Eastern Standard Time)

• 3 June, 3.30pm

More information can be found here:

https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/webinars

How to help kids show (and feel) appreciation

Saying “thank you” is one of the first social rules many parents teach their children, and for good reason. We want our kids to be appreciative and not take things for granted, and learning to be grateful can improve kids’ relationships, ability to empathize, and overall happiness. If you are looking for ways to reinforce the importance of gratitude or would like to find other meaningful ways your kids can show appreciation, here are some tips:

1. Set an example

2. Point out generosity

3. Have a talk

4. Find fun ways to say thanks

5. Share the love

6. Put things in perspective

7. Let kids choose

8. Get involved

9. Make gratitude part of bedtime

10. Give kids credit.

https://childmind.org/article/10-tips-raising-grateful-kids/

Christine Pittman

christine.pittman@cewa.edu.au

School Term Dates for 2025

Term 1: Wednesday 5 February - Friday 11 April

Term 2: Monday 28 April - Friday 4 July

Term 3: Monday 21 July - Friday 25 September

Term 4: Tuesday 14 October - Friday 12 December

Pupil Free Days for 2025

Term 1: Friday 28 February

Term 2: Tuesday 3 June

Term 3: Monday 25 August, Friday 26 September

Term 4: Monday 13 October