Mel Maria Catholic Primary School

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

We have come to the end of the fourth week in Term Three. It is amazing just how quickly time passes and yet we diligently manage to fit so many activities into our daily routines. In this busy world we live in, we can sometimes lose sight of the fundamental small aspects which keep us positive and hopeful. We all like to be appreciated and valued and in turn, demonstrate this to others in a genuine way.

Since the beginning of this year, as we transitioned to our new model, I have noted the strong community spirit which is evident at both campuses. This is practised by all members and leads to a happy, caring environment. I commend community members for their willingness to nurture community spirit through their readiness to assist in so many different ways.

We continue to keep in our prayers our students who will be receiving sacraments later this term. As principal, and I am sure the staff would agree, that the receptiveness and willingness of parents to support their children in all facets of their learning, particularly their faith journey is most encouraging here at Mel Maria Catholic Primary School

The Feast of the Assumption

On 15 August each year, the Catholic Church around the world celebrates the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This special feast reminds us of the deep love God has for Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and honours the moment when, at the end of her earthly life, Mary was taken, body and soul, into Heaven at the end of her life.

The Assumption is not just about Mary’s special role in God’s plan, but also about hope for all of us. Mary’s journey to Heaven is a promise of what awaits those who follow Jesus faithfully. She is our model of faith, humility, and trust in God’s will, showing us how to live with love, courage, and kindness.

At our school, we mark this feast with prayer and reflection, recognising Mary’s place as the Mother of the Church and our heavenly Mother. We remember how she said “yes” to God at every moment of her life and how she continues to care for us from Heaven.

Today, at our school, we celebrated this feast by coming together for a special Mass. We sang songs about Mary, listened to readings from the Bible, and prayed to thank God for giving us such a wonderful Mother in Heaven.

This year, our school community will gather to celebrate with a whole school Mass. Students will participate through readings, prayers, and hymns dedicated to Mary. It will be a time to thank God for the gift of Mary and to ask for her intercession in our lives.

As we honour the Feast of the Assumption, may we be inspired to live like Mary—faithful, humble, and open to God’s call—knowing that she always leads us closer to her Son, Jesus.

Mary, Queen of Heaven, pray for us.

Success – How Should It Be Measured

As some of you may be aware, last week I celebrated another birthday. A “friend” sent me a rather unflattering checklist titled “50+ Ways to Know You are Getting Older”. Some indicators were:

· You feel like the morning after but there wasn’t a night before

· You look forward to a dull evening

· The best part of the day is over when your alarm clock goes off

· Your knees buckle and your belt won’t

· You regret all those times when you resisted temptation

· Everything hurts and what doesn’t hurt doesn’t work

· And so on . . .

Whatever our age, we all get that little flutter of worry about a number of years we seem to be notching up and whether we have sufficient material possessions to illustrate the success of our life to date.

When the Prophet, Elijah, was told that the Lord would be passing by, he waited at the opening of his cave and watched a succession of natural phenomena: a strong wind that levelled mountains and crushed rocks, an earthquake, and a fire. However, the Lord was not to be found in any of these.

Then came a “tiny whispering sound” and when he heard it, the prophet hid his face. In this gentle breeze the Lord was present.

Perhaps we tend to see the hand of God at work in those events which command our attention and to which we feel compelled to respond, grief, failure, personal loss, tragedy, catastrophes, and natural disasters. We may not so readily see God active in simple things, in the routine and commonplace, the small and insignificant.

It is probably true to say that our society gauges success in life, by either material possessions a person has accumulated or by what the person has achieved. These evaluations are concerned with the external rather than the internal quality of life.

To accept this view of life is to run the danger of making possessions or prestige, our personal gods. It is to ignore Jesus and his values. To Him, having and doing were secondary to being. What you had and even what you did was not as important as what you were.

It is people who are made in the “image and likeness of God” and not material things. Christ encouraged us time and again, by his example and teaching, to understand that the important things in life dealt with people. He left no material goods to his followers, but he did leave the gifts of the Spirit.

It is through people that life’s real qualities come to the fore; kindness, love, sharing, forgiveness, understanding, encouragement, support and so on; it is daily that we receive and dispense these qualities and in so doing we are experiencing God’s presence amongst us. This is true success.

Dates to Remember

P&F Meeting - Tuesday 19 August at 6pm – Primary Campus
Book Week - Monday 18 August (Primary Campus) Tuesday 19 August (EC Campus)
Pupil Free Day – Monday 25 August
CSAC Meeting – Tuesday 26 August at 6pm – Primary Campus

Kindergarten 2026 – Applications are Now Due

Places are filling fast for our Kindergarten program in 2026 which is most encouraging. There has been so much positive feedback from parents, educators and most importantly, the students that our numbers are growing.

Enrolments are now being taken for new students wishing to commence Kindergarten and Pre-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 a 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 parents within the Mel Maria community must submit their applications as soon as possible. Forms can be obtained from the office or on our website.

Kind regards

Paul Hille

Principal

#MakingADifferenceEveryday

Prayer for the Week

Prayer for the Feast of the Assumption

Loving God,
On this Feast of the Assumption,
we thank You for the gift of Mary,
the Mother of Jesus and our Mother too.

Mary said “yes” to Your plan with love and trust.
She lived her life faithfully,
always helping others and following Your ways.

Today we celebrate that You brought Mary to Heaven,
body and soul, to be with You forever.
Help us to follow her example—
to be kind, humble, and open to Your will.

Mary, Queen of Heaven, pray for us,
and guide us always closer to Your Son, Jesus.

Amen.

Thought for the Week

Mary always followed God’s plan, and now she lives with Him in Heaven. She is our Mother in Heaven, cheering us on to be kind, helpful, and loving—just like her.

Pre-Kindergarten has had an incredibly enriching and fun start to the term. Learning about Noah’s Ark, creating a Pre-Kindergarten community rainbow, and engaging in various creative activities like playing, painting, and collaging are just some of the many wonderful ways to foster friendships and spark imagination. The focus on ‘play’ and social experiences is highly beneficial for early development in oral language and communication, creativity and imagination, cognitive development, social and emotional development, and physical development. Most importantly, we are having so much FUN!

During our recent Master Mind sessions, we have been actively involved in inquiry-based learning. This approach encourages deep investigation and hands-on problem-solving. By tackling thought-provoking challenges, we are developing essential skills such as asking insightful questions, designing our own investigations, analysing evidence, forming well-reasoned explanations, and clearly communicating their findings.

In addition to this, in HASS, we have been expanding our geographical knowledge by exploring the diverse cultures, landscapes, and features of North and South America.

Nine Mel Maria Teams were selected to present their Master Mind inquiry projects at the annual CEWA MAD STEM convention. Students have been engaged with inquiry-based learning focusing on investigation and problem-solving.

This showcase was held on Wednesday, 13 August at Chisholm Catholic College. During the day students had a chance to interact with 11 local and national industry professionals who set up interactive booths to inspire and engage students with real-world STEM applications, listen to a panel of speakers who boldly took the stage for a student-led Q&A panel (Suzanne Wharrier – DPIRD, Jess Silva – Questacon, Matt Wood - Perth Observatory. Danka Sampson - Lions Eye Institute) and then showcase their prototypes to other students, teachers and parents growing their futures as STEM thinkers and problem solvers.

Below are the teams who represented Mel Maria and a briefing on their design products. MAD STEM projects combine empathy, critical and creative thinking, ingenuity and team collaboration skills.

SEA LIFE SAVER (Sofia, Eleanor, Ava, Isabella – Year 6)

The minute you turn on the motor of your boat, you are putting marine life at EXTREME risk! With the SEA LIFE SAVER marine life will be assured safety. This invention warns the boat driver that there is marine life passing through the area. The sensor on the boat will alert the driver through live 360 video camera, lights and noises.

KOALA CUBBY (Ellyse, Isla, Aria, Rafael, Noah– Year 6)

Do you empathise with the koalas who die in Australian bushfires? We have a solution! The koala cubby is a place where koalas can come and stay safe when there is a bush fire. This space provides resources that koala’s usually find in their natural habitat. If they have to stay in the cubby for a prolonged period of time they have what they need to survive and the cubby contains cameras to make sure they stay safe.

FIRE FIXER 3000 (Felix, Henry, Monty, Harrison, Christian – Year 6)

Did you know that bushfires can destroy up to 0.53 million hectares of farmlands per year. The Fire Fixer 3000 contains a series of sprinklers that you put around properties with high fire risk, a water storage tank system that collects annual dew and rainfall and a solar panelled alert system for emergency services. The Fire Fixer 3000 is an extraordinary product that helps moderate fires until the firefighters get there to do the rest!

THE SUGAR SAFE SWEETENER SET (Sadie, Saidhbh, Alfie, Henry – Year 6 )

Do you have diabetes, or your body just can't process sugar? If so, the sugar safe sweetener set is perfect for you. Our product allows you to enjoy eating sweet food without getting affected by the nasty side effects of sugar. Picture this, a normal spoon, with a layer of crystallised allulose (a natural sweetener) on top. Things will taste 75% as sweet as sugar.

BETA DOORS (Anya, Liam, Gabe – Year 6)

Do you want to feel truly safe in your home? Our product BETA doors provide front and rear access doors and even pet doors that can’t be compromised by criminals. Our electromagnetic technology works to hold doors securely in place and let animals into their home through a specialised microchip reader that allows them entry.

HELPING HEALTH SKINCARE APP (Isla, Lilly, Alexis, Natalia, Sofia - Year 5)

Our app helps people from age 7 to 15 who have skin issues, from acne to dry skin. We believe that children use skincare that is way too strong or not effective for their skin. Our app will help you see if the product is age appropriate and good for your skin so you can look good and feel good.

PROCRASTINATION STATION (Hallie, Autumn, Seryn, Zoe - Year 5)

Many people procrastinate and struggle to focus and get things done quickly and easily. Our app plays calming music in the background, keeping you focused when you are stressed, improving creativity. The app locks down other apps that might distract you and gives you points that rewards your focus.

THE DANGEROUS TACKLE SENSOR (Isla, Max - Year 5)

Young footy players walk out onto the fields happy to play their favourite game until bang one of them gets seriously hurt in a tackle and doesn’t want to play anymore. Our ‘Dangerous tackle sensor’ will help detect how dangerous the tackle was via a force transducer and alert the umpire through a wristband.

ALL IN ONE SLEEPING BAG (Saoirse, Elsie, Scarlet, Zoe, Florence, Hope – Year 1)

How can we harness empathy and creativity to create practical solutions for our community’s most vulnerable members? Motivated by this question our students embarked on developing an all-in-one bag; a practical solution aimed at keeping our homeless residents warm and dry during winter. This project exemplifies how even the youngest changemakers, through compassion and creativity, can make a significant impact on the world around them.

We are excited to announce that the school/P&F will be holding a Monty’s Colour Fun Run this term. The event will be held on 18th September from 2.00pm to 2.50pm at the Primary Campus Attadale.

The event will be held on 25th September from 2.15pm to 3.00pm at the Early Childhood Campus Myaree.

You will receive a sponsorship form booklet in your classroom, which will have the steps to go to the My Profile Page to create an online profile. From here, you can share your page with family and friends to receive online donations.

You only need to raise $10 to receive an incentive prize, from there you can win more and more as your fundraising total soars!

The donations raised will be going towards School Bus.

We can’t wait to get colourful with you all! Here is a quick video of what to look forward to.

Show Video Link – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdISxq-TxLU

Pater Noster Parish Book Sale

Saturday 30 August from 9.00am to 4.00pm

Sunday 31 August from 9.00am to 3.00pm

Helpers are needed on :

• Wednesday 27 August from 6.00pm to set up trestles in the hall.

• Thursday 28 August from 9.00am to transfer books to the hall.

• Friday 29 August from 9.00am to set up books in the hall.

• Sunday 31 August from 3.00pm to pack up books and clear the hall.

Donations of cakes/slices/preserves/plants can be dropped off in the hall on the weekend (Saturday 30/ August and Sunday 31 August) of the Book Sale from 9.00am.

Craft and bric-a-brac items can be left in the Church at any convenient time during the day and can be dropped off as well on the Saturday and Sunday of the Book Sale in the hall from 8.00am.

Thank you to the many volunteers who have helped so far. We hope to have as many helpers as possible on the abovementioned dates as well as on the 30th and 31st of August.

Should have any queries, please contact Liliana Nussey on 0402 306 300.

eSafety Commissioner

Social media age restrictions

The Australian Government is protecting young Australians at a critical stage of their development, through world-first social media age restrictions.

From 10 December 2025, age-restricted social media platforms will have to take reasonable steps to prevent Australians under the age of 16 from creating or keeping an account.

The restrictions aim to protect young Australians from pressures and risks that users can be exposed to while logged in to social media accounts. These come from design features that encourage them to spend more time on screens, while also serving up content that can harm their health and wellbeing.

More information can be found on the safety website below:

https://www.esafety.gov.au/about-us/industry-regulation/social-media-age-restrictions

12 Tips for Raising Confident Children

Right from birth, children learn new skills and along with those new abilities, they also acquire the confidence to use them.

As children get older, that confidence can be as important as the skills themselves. To thrive, children need to trust in their own capabilities while, at the same time, knowing that they can handle it if they are not successful at something. It’s by experiencing mastery and rebounding from failure that they develop healthy self-confidence.

Here are 12 tips for raising confident children:

1. Model confidence yourself.

2. Don’t get upset about mistakes.

3. Encourage your child to try new things.

4. Allow children to fail.

5. Praise perseverance.

6. Help children find their passion.

7. Set goals.

8. Celebrate effort.

9. Expect children to do age-appropriate jobs.

10.Embrace imperfection.

11.Set them up for success.