Mel Maria Catholic Primary School

A warm welcome back to Term Two. We hope you had a joyful and refreshing Easter break, enjoying special moments with your family and friends. The Easter season reminds us of hope, renewal, and the strength of community, values that continue to shape our mission here at Mel Maria. We’re excited for the term ahead and all that it will bring.

It is with deep sadness that we acknowledge the passing of Pope Francis. A man of profound humility, compassion, and unwavering faith, Pope Francis made an indelible mark on the Church and the world.

His messages of mercy, care for the poor, interfaith dialogue, and environmental stewardship will echo for generations to come. As a school community, we keep Pope Francis in our prayers and also pray for the College of Cardinals as they gather in Conclave to discern the next successor to St Peter. May the Holy Spirit guide them.

"Peace be with all of you!" - the first words of Pope Leo XIV. The Conclave has elected Robert Francis Cardinal Prevost as the 267th Bishop of Rome.

We join Catholics around the world in celebrating the historic announcement of our new Pope, Pope Leo XIV. This significant moment marks the beginning of a new chapter for the Catholic Church, filled with hope, renewal, and faith. As our new Holy Father steps into his sacred role, we offer our prayers for wisdom, strength, and guidance as he leads the global Catholic community. At Mel Maria Catholic Primary School, we look forward to sharing this journey of faith with our students and families, deepening our connection to the universal Church and the mission of Christ in the world today.

At the end of Term One, Mel Maria Catholic Primary School completed its Quality Catholic Education School Review (QCESR) a significant opportunity to reflect on our journey, celebrate our achievements, and affirm our direction for the future. This review, led by Catholic Education Western Australia (CEWA), provided an external lens on the work we have done across the four pillars of Catholic Identity, Education, Community, and Stewardship.

We are proud to share that the review team commended Mel Maria for the outstanding progress and development the school has made over the past four years. In particular, there was high praise for the strong, visionary leadership and the dedicated efforts of our staff in creating a dynamic, inclusive, and faith-filled learning environment. Across both campuses, the commitment to continuous improvement, innovation in teaching and learning, and a clear sense of purpose were clearly evident and deeply appreciated by the reviewers.

One of the most affirming outcomes of the QCESR was the acknowledgment of our bold move toward implementing the new campus model, with the Myaree Campus now operating as an Early Childhood Centre (Pre-Kindy to Year Two), and the Attadale Campus serving as the Primary Years Campus (Years Three to Six). This re-structuring is already showing significant benefits for students, families, and staff. The review noted our school as being a ‘leader within CEWA,’ particularly in how we have embraced change, remained student-focused, and thoughtfully managed the complexities of transition with care and professionalism.

The positive feedback we continue to receive from both campuses—whether from parents, staff, or visitors, affirms that we are on the right path. This new model, underpinned by a clear strategic direction and strong community engagement, is not only enhancing the learning experience for our students but also positioning Mel Maria as an exemplar of future-focused Catholic education.

I extend my sincere thanks to the entire Leadership Team and Staff for their unwavering dedication, many, many hours of extra work, passion, and unity in bringing this vision to life. Their commitment to our students and their flourishing is both inspiring and deeply appreciated.

As we move forward, we do so with confidence, knowing that we are building something truly special for current and future generations of Mel Maria students.

This Sunday, we celebrate Mother’s Day, a very special occasion to honour the incredible women who nurture, guide, and inspire us every day, our mothers, grandmothers, and mother figures. At Mel Maria, we recognise the profound impact our mums and grandmothers have in shaping the lives of our children and the heart of our school community. Whether through their strength, tireless support, or boundless love, their influence is felt in every corner of our school.

On behalf of our staff and students, we wish all our mothers and grandmothers a beautiful and joy-filled Mother’s Day. May it be a time where you feel deeply appreciated and lovingly celebrated for all that you do, both seen and unseen. You are the first teachers of faith, love, and resilience, and we are incredibly grateful for your partnership in our children’s journey.

We also extend a sincere thank you to our dedicated P&F Association for organising such thoughtful and memorable Mother’s Day activities across both campuses. Your creativity and care have brought so much joy to our students as they prepared gifts and cards for the special women in their lives. A heartfelt thank you especially to Mrs Bec Foster and her amazing team for their generosity, time, and effort in making these celebrations so meaningful. Their commitment to our community spirit truly embodies the values we hold dear at Mel Maria.

We pray that this Mother’s Day brings moments of rest, laughter, and love for all the remarkable women in our lives. Happy Mother’s Day!

This term, we are incredibly proud to launch our new Learning Diversity Model, a significant milestone in our commitment to meeting the diverse needs of every child across the learning continuum. This model reflects our belief that every student is unique, with individual strengths, challenges, and pathways to success. Rooted in inclusion and equity, the model has been thoughtfully developed to ensure all students, from those requiring additional support to those needing extension and enrichment are empowered to flourish academically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually.

The Learning Diversity Model is a direct outcome of the strategic vision of our school and the dedicated work of our staff. It has been built around strong collaborative practices, enhanced use of data to inform teaching, and the integration of tiered supports to guide classroom practice and intervention. This model supports both students and teachers by embedding a whole-school approach that strengthens teacher capacity and promotes high-quality learning for all.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Mrs Michelle Fanowris, Mrs Teresa Marra, Mrs Ros Nichols, Mrs Cathleen Massimi and Mrs Tania Tsagaris, and the many classroom teachers who have played a central role in shaping this framework. Their expertise, care, and deep commitment to student growth have been instrumental in bringing this model to life. Their collaborative spirit reflects the very best of what we stand for as a Catholic learning community.

As we continue to implement this model across both campuses, we are confident it will help foster an environment where every learner is known, valued, and supported, a hallmark of the Mel Maria Catholic Primary School experience.

A reminder that all students should be in their full winter uniform by Week Three. We thank you for your support in ensuring our students take pride in wearing their uniform correctly, as it reflects our shared sense of belonging and commitment to excellence.

Congratulations to Mr John and our Interschool Swimming Team for their wonderful efforts at yesterday’s carnival! The students competed with heart, determination, and true Mel Maria spirit. We are proud of every swimmer who represented our school so admirably. A sincere thank you also goes to Mr John and Mr William for their dedication, coaching, and support of the team, your leadership has been invaluable.

This year, we are committed to keeping parents up to date with current and upcoming school events. Follow us on Instagram to stay informed and engaged with our school 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.

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

Loving God,

We thank you for the love of the mothers you have given us,

whose love is so precious that it can never be measured, whose patience seems to have no end.

May we see your loving hand behind them and guiding them.

We pray for those mothers who fear they will run out of love or time or patience.

We ask you to bless them with your own special love.

We ask this in the name of Jesus, our brother.

Amen.

Thought for the Week

The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness.

Honore de Balzac

Early Childhood Learning

We have enjoyed a busy week at our Early Childhood Campus culminating with Mother’s Day morning tea on Thursday morning. It was such a great opportunity for our students to host their mums and to show them around their campus. Students were encouraged to show parents their favourite part of the playground and where they play each day.

Play and scaffolded play is such an important part of our Early Years Learners daily interaction with their world of learning. Our teachers set play provocations that engage, provoke and invite students to participate and interact in a variety of settings inside and outside of our classrooms. Our playgrounds are specifically built to support this outdoor learning.

Schemas of Play

Schematic behaviour is the way a child explores a certain idea while they play. This is often seen as repetitive behaviour that may not always make sense to the adult, but it’s a way for children to really dig into the idea and try to understand it. We call them schemas, and each schema involves particular behaviour, like throwing objects to the ground repeatedly or unscrewing lids over and over again.

Our Early Years teachers understand the characteristics of different play schemas, we can identify when our children are using these and then provide opportunities for children to play in ways that extend their learning. Seen in this light, play schemas are a stepping stone toward developing key skills later in life, and a motivating factor in early childhood brain development. Schemas play a vital role in early childhood development.

Cognitive Development - Understanding and Learning: Schemas help children explore, understand, and make sense of the world around them. By engaging in repeated actions and behaviours, children develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Ros Nichols

Vice Principal - Early Childhood Campus

It has been a meaningful and busy time in Year 2! To start this new term, we’ve been learning about the significance of ANZAC Day, exploring the story of Simpson and his donkey, and reflecting on the importance of remembrance through the picture book My Grandpa Marches on ANZAC Day. These stories have helped deepen our understanding of bravery, compassion, and national pride.

In Mathematics, students have been revising and extending their knowledge of number operations and place value. We've been working on building strong foundations by using a range of strategies to solve problems and explain our thinking.

We’re also excited to begin our new Inquiry Unit: “Where is my place in the world?”
In this unit, students will explore geography and develop a sense of their place in the wider world. Our key inquiry questions are:

• Where is my place in the world?
• What is the location of my town, state, country, and continent?
• What are the features of my city, state, country, and continent?
• What is the traditional name of the country where I live?
• 
  

We will be learning about maps, continents, oceans, landmarks, environments, and cultural heritage — including the important knowledge of Traditional Owners and the Country we live on.

We look forward to sharing more about what we discover soon!

Growing in Faith: Sacraments of Initiation and the Sacrament of Penance

At our school, we are blessed to support our students from Year 3 to Year 6 as they prepare to receive important sacraments in their faith journey: the Sacraments of Initiation, Eucharist and Confirmation, and the Sacrament of Penance.

These sacraments are special moments in a child’s life, marking their deeper connection with God and the Church community. Through the Eucharist, students receive Jesus in Holy Communion for the first time, and through Confirmation, they are strengthened with the gifts of the Holy Spirit to live out their faith. The Sacrament of Penance teaches the importance of forgiveness, helping children understand God’s mercy and love.

To support our students, we teach the RE curriculum, host workshops, organise retreats and have rehearsals across the campus, creating space for learning, reflection, and preparation. These sessions help our students understand the meaning of each sacrament and give them the confidence to participate fully when the time comes.

Parents play a vital role in this journey. You can support your child by:

• Attending Mass together regularly.
• Talking about your own experiences of the sacraments.
• Encouraging prayer at home, especially during this time of preparation.
• Participating in family prayer or reflection during special preparation nights.

We are grateful for the partnership between school, parish, and families as we help our students grow in faith.

A Prayer for Our Students Preparing for the Sacraments

Loving God,

We thank You for our students who are preparing to receive Your sacraments.

Fill their hearts with joy, peace, and a deep love for You.

Guide them on their journey of faith and surround them with the support of family and friends.

May they always feel Your presence in their lives.

Amen.

Let us keep our students in our prayers during this special season of preparation.

Cathleen Massimi

Vice Principal - Primary Campus

This term, our Year 6 students are deepening their understanding of the Sacrament of Confirmation as they prepare to receive this important step in their faith journey. In Week 1, they participated in an engaging and enriching Confirmation Retreat, where they explored the meaning of the sacrament through activities and reflection. This week, students attended a Confirmation Workshop alongside their parents, fostering a shared experience of faith and learning. Throughout this time, they have been learning about the significance of Confirmation and the gifts of the Holy Spirit they will receive. We continue to keep our Year 6 students in our prayers as they prepare for this sacred milestone.

In Year 3 Japanese class, students recently had the opportunity to make sushi as part of their exploration of Japanese culture. This hands-on activity not only gave them a chance to try their hand at making a traditional dish, but also helped them understand the significance of sushi in Japan.

Sushi is a key part of Japanese cuisine, often served on special occasions or as a regular part of family meals. Through this experience, students learned about the care and attention to detail that goes into making sushi, as well as the values it represents, such as respect for ingredients and the importance of presentation.

This activity allowed students to connect with the culture in a fun and meaningful way while gaining a deeper appreciation for the role food plays in Japanese society.

Thursday, 8 May, 52 of our students took part in the Interschool Swimming Carnival. After finishing 4th overall last year, our Year 5 and 6 students were eager to improve on that finish. For most of the day, it was neck and neck between Mel Maria and Our Lady of Grace, with Holy Rosary hot on our heels. OLG made a break on us during the backstroke events before we were able to make up ground through the freestyle relays to finish second overall.

The girls were up against some tough competition and finished equal fourth, 26 points away from third place. Our boys were dominant in the pool, finishing first by 30 points ahead of OLG. These two strong results left us in second place overall, just 61 points shy of top spot and 14 points ahead of Holy Rosary in third.

It was a huge effort from all our swimmers and a great experience for our Year 4's ahead of next year. Our Year 5 students will move on to be a very strong Year 6 group and our Year 6's did an amazing job of leading the students throughout the day in and out of the pool. Hopefully a strong group of Year 3's can push us up one more spot next year!

Thank you to Fiona and Bill Armaro, Mel Coleman and Sam Clemesha for the help with timing and ribbon awarding throughout the day. Thanks to Mr Williams, Miss Taylor and Mr Pyne for their help organising the students and getting them ready for their races, very ably supported by injured swimmers Zoe Morin and Hayden McCurrach. On top of their support, our parent and grandparent group were out in numbers and voice, thank you to those of you who were able to attend to cheer the team on.

Running Club

Our Running Club kicked off of the last fortnight on both campuses, Wednesdays at 8:00am at the EC Campus and Fridays at 7:50am at the Primary Campus. We had 126 student for the first Primary event last week which was amazing, and 80 at the EC Campus on Wednesday. Just a reminder that anyone from Kindy to Year 6 can attend at their campus as all of these students have a personalised QR card printed, sorted by faction. Our Year 6 Sports Ministry have done a great job of helping out at the Primary Campus and I appreciate the assistance of our staff at the EC campus handing out cards and supporting the runners. It's been fantastic start to the day so far, let’s keep that running!

Koby in Year 5 participated in the Australian Youth Water Polo Championships. He was a part of the under 12 competition! Well done on this awesome achievement.

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)

• 14 May, 12.30pm
• 3 June, 3.30pm

More information can be found here:

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

Why some children are different at home and school

Some hold it together at school, only to lose it at home. Others stress out in the classroom

Some children seem very different at home and at school. That can be confusing to parents and teachers.

Some kids with learning or behavior issues do great at school, where structure makes them feel secure. At home, though, they totally lose it. For other kids, the opposite is true. School triggers their symptoms because it is stressful for them. They seem like different kids at home, where they’re more relaxed.

There are also kids who work so hard to keep it together at school that they melt down the second they get home. That’s because parents may not be as strict and will love them no matter what. These kids include some with autism, OCD, anxiety or ADHD.

To understand what your child’s behavior might mean, the first thing to do is talk to the teacher and compare notes. This helps you both figure out what’s causing stress for the child and what’s causing the behavior. Then you can work on ways to help your child feel better, which helps with behavior.

For kids who do better at school, adding more routine and structure at home can help. If the change from school to home is hard, then downtime and a snack can help. It goes the other way too. If parents have routines that help kids at home, then sharing those with the teacher can help kids at school.

For kids who need more help with behavior, the best treatment is called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT teaches kids how to manage their emotions when they get too big and strategies to control their behavior. And parents also get trained in how to help their kids.

For more information, click on the link below:

Why Are Kids Different at Home and at School? - Child Mind Institute

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