Mel Maria Catholic Primary School

Dear Parents and Carers

Over the past two weekends, many of our Year Six students received the Sacrament of Confirmation, marking a very special and significant milestone in their faith journey. Both masses were wonderful celebrations of faith, commitment and community, and we congratulate each of the students who received this important sacrament with reverence and pride. Our students that receive their sacrament last Saturday were fortunate to have Bishop Don Sproxton confer the Sacrament of Confirmation this year. We thank Bishop Sproxton for sharing in this celebration with us.

Confirmation is a sacred moment in the lives of our young people as they are strengthened by the gifts of the Holy Spirit and continue their journey as active members of the Catholic Church. We pray that they continue to grow in faith, courage, compassion and wisdom as they live out the values of Christ in their daily lives.

I would sincerely like to thank Fr Joseph and Fr Don for their ongoing support of our school community and for guiding our students so beautifully throughout their sacramental journey. Their commitment to nurturing the faith life of our students and families is deeply appreciated.

A special thank you is also extended to Mrs Teresa Marra, Mrs Ros Nichols and Mrs Anne Chew (Pater Noster Sacramental Coordinator) and Kathleen Pavey (St Joseph Pignatelli Sacramental Coordinator) for their outstanding coordination and organisation of the sacramental program and for the strong partnership they continue to foster with the school - parish communities. Their dedication and attention to detail ensured that the celebrations was both meaningful and memorable for our students and families.

I would also like to acknowledge our Year Six teachers for the care, preparation and support they provided the students in the lead-up to Confirmation. Their work in helping students deepen their understanding of the sacrament and prepare spiritually for this important occasion is greatly valued.

Thank you also to Mr Luke Murphy for leading the singing throughout the celebrations. The music added to the reverence and joy of the occasion and helped create a beautiful atmosphere of prayer and celebration.

A special acknowledgement must also go to the parents and families of our Year Six students. The Sacrament of Confirmation is an important step in your child’s faith journey, and the love, guidance and example you provide as the first educators of your children is an essential part of their ongoing faith formation. Thank you for the support you have given throughout their preparation and for continuing to nurture their relationship with God.

Finally, I would like to thank the staff members who attended the Confirmation celebrations in support of our students and families. Their presence reflects the strong sense of faith, community and partnership that exists within our school.

Congratulations once again to all of our Confirmation candidates and their families on this very special occasion. May the Holy Spirit continue to guide and inspire them always.

We ask our school and parish community to continue to keep our Year Six students, their families, and teachers in your prayers as they prepare to receive this very special sacrament. May the Holy Spirit guide and inspire them as they take this important step in their faith journey.

At the heart of our Catholic faith is the profound gift of the Eucharist, a sacrament that nourishes and strengthens our relationship with Jesus Christ. Our school community has been privileged to accompany many of our Year Four students as they prepare to receive the Sacrament of First Eucharist for the first time.

The Sacrament of First Eucharist is a special and significant milestone in a child’s faith journey. Through this sacrament, students are invited to deepen their relationship with Christ as they receive His Body. It is a sacred moment that marks a deeper participation in the life of the Church and the celebration of the Mass.

The students have been learning about the meaning of the Eucharist, reflecting on God’s love, and developing a greater understanding of the importance of prayer, community, and service. We encourage them to approach this special occasion with open hearts, gratitude, and excitement as they prepare to welcome Jesus in a new and meaningful way.

We keep our Year Four students and their families in our prayers as they prepare to celebrate this joyous occasion and take this important step in their lifelong journey of faith.

Mel Maria Catholic Primary School continues to make significant progress in the area of STEM education, with our commitment to innovation, creativity and future-focused learning recently recognised at a national level.

Earlier this year, Mel Maria Catholic Primary School was honoured to receive the prestigious Engineers Australia Award, becoming the first school in the organisation’s 100 year history to receive this recognition. This remarkable achievement reflects not only the outstanding work of our students and staff, but also the school’s long-term commitment to excellence and innovation in STEM education.

The award was presented in recognition of Mel Maria’s exceptional contribution to STEM learning and our success in achieving first place in the International Tournament of Minds STEM Primary Division. Engineers Australia acknowledged the school’s innovative approach to engaging students in areas such as robotics, coding, CAD design, problem-solving, critical thinking and collaborative inquiry learning. The award also recognised Mel Maria as a leading example of how schools can inspire and strengthen future pathways in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

This recognition is particularly significant as it aligns strongly with our school vision of “Excellence in Catholic Primary Education” and our ongoing commitment to preparing students for a rapidly changing and increasingly technological world. Across both the Early Childhood and Primary Campuses, STEM learning opportunities continue to grow through intentional teaching practices, inquiry learning, hands-on exploration and authentic problem-solving experiences.

At the Early Childhood Campus, students are introduced to STEM through purposeful play, creativity, exploration and inquiry-based learning experiences that encourage curiosity and innovation from an early age. On the Primary Campus, students continue to develop these skills through increasingly sophisticated opportunities that promote design thinking, collaboration, leadership and innovation.

Importantly, our approach to STEM is not simply about technology. It is about developing capable, confident and creative learners who can think critically, communicate effectively, solve problems and contribute positively to the world around them. These are the very skills that will support our students well into the future.

Last Friday, the staff of Mel Maria participated in a professional learning day with a consultant from Catholic Education Western Australia, focusing specifically on the area of STEM education. This important work will provide staff with the opportunity to further develop their knowledge, understanding and teaching practices in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics across all year levels.

Throughout the day, staff explored innovative and engaging approaches to STEM learning, examine contemporary educational practices, and work collaboratively to identify ways we can continue to strengthen and enhance STEM opportunities for our students. This professional learning aligns strongly with our ongoing commitment to innovation, excellence in teaching and learning, and ensuring our students are equipped with the skills, creativity and problem-solving capabilities needed for the future.

We are incredibly proud of the Engineers Australia Award. I thank our dedicated staff, led by Ms Teresa Marra and Mr Roman Popadynec in the STEM space, as well as all staff for the way they have embedded and supported innovative STEM practices at Mel Maria. We are also grateful for our supportive families and enthusiastic students who continue to embrace innovation and excellence in learning each day. As a school community, we remain excited about the future of STEM at Mel Maria Catholic Primary School and the opportunities that continue to emerge for our students.

National Reconciliation Week 2026

May 27 – June 3

National Reconciliation Week (NRW) is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.

The theme for National Reconciliation Week 2026 is All In, a call for all Australians to commit wholeheartedly to reconciliation every single day.

All In makes clear that reconciliation is not a spectator sport and that all of us must step away from the sidelines and take action to make change.

The theme also reminds us that reconciliation and advancing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ rights isn’t a passive activity, and it is not solely the responsibility of First Nations people, who have carried the weight of championing, explaining and acting for far too long. Reconciliation will not happen by itself, and it will not happen without all of us.

Some areas where we are lowering our standards as individuals in the wearing of the school uniform. Of particular concern are some of the following:

Student’s Hair

For health reasons, when a child’s hair is of collar length or longer, it must be tied back off the face. The following regulations also apply to hair:

· Hair that touches your child’s collar must be tied up. It should be pulled away from the face and secured. Hair to be tied back with plain red, green or white hair elastics, ribbons, scrunchies (to match summer dress or winter tartan skirt/pinafore) or headbands.

Hair Colour/tint is not permitted

· The school colours of red, white and green should be used when using ribbons or other hair accessories and must not be too large.

· Children’s haircuts need to be conservative and appropriate to uniform expectations. Radical haircuts and colour are no acceptable. This includes spiked hair, rat tails, tracks, mullets or cut-ins or any other hair style that would be considered radical.

The Principal reserves the right to decide the acceptability of hairstyles at Mel Maria Catholic Primary School.

Make-Up

· No Make-up is not to worn to school.

· Fake eyelashes are not permitted.

School Shoes and Sport Shoes

· Students are expected to wear Black lace-up shoes or Mary-Jane’s

Kindergarten 2027 – Applications are Now Due

Enrolments are now being taken for new students wishing to commence Kindergarten at Mel Maria Catholic Primary School in 2027.

Mel Maria Catholic Primary School will continue to offer three, four or five days of Kindergarten in 2027.

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.

Best Wishes

Paul Hille

Principal

#MakingADifferenceEveryDay

We keep in our prayers our Year Six and Year Four students as they make their commitment to receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation and Sacrament of First Eucharist. A very special times in their lives indeed. The following prayer keeps these children and their families in our thoughts.

Father

We ask you to send the Holy Spirit into our lives.

Open our ears to hear what you are saying to us in the things that happen to us, and in the people, we meet.

Open our eyes to see the needs of the people around us.

Open our hands to do our work well and to help

when help is needed.

Open our mouths to tell others the Good News about Jesus, and bring comfort, happiness and laughter to other people.

Open our minds to discover new truth about you and the world.

Open our hearts to love you and all people as you

have loved us in Jesus.

Amen.

Our recent mid-term break has afforded us all a much-needed pause in the busyness of life. Moments when we are free from our daily distractions and routines to slow down and be truly present, offer beautiful opportunities of stillness and connection.

This is especially important for our Early Childhood students who thrive on these experiences to build their wonder, curiosity and understanding of the world around them. In the early years, big emotions are a natural part of this development and align with Being, Belonging and Becoming – the underpinning of our Early Years Learning Framework.

Emotional regulation is the ability to feel big emotions and take steps to de-escalate them. As Dr Marc Brackett, author of Permission to Feel explains, “The goal isn’t to get rid of emotions. It’s to embrace and experience them as they are and learn strategies for how to manage them.’ When children feel big emotions their brains’ amygdala may trigger automatic fight, flight or freeze responses that impact how they deal with their friendship fires, making small conflicts feel bigger than they really are. Through caring relationships, children begin to understand how to express and manage their emotions, building confidence and resilience along the way.

Our URSTRONG program compliments your valuable work at home in providing our students with a common language to build their friendships as they learn to manage their emotions. At home, you can support this by staying calm, listening first and assisting your child in naming their feelings. The URSTRONG activity below offers an age-appropriate, fun way to empower your child to regulate their emotions and to calm themselves down when they’re feeling big emotions inside.

• Head to www.urstrong.com
• Print out: Big Emotions Snow Globe
• Follow the prompts on the ‘Big Emotions Snow Globe’ to create a hands-on reminder for your child that even big emotions, settle, just like snowflakes!

On Wednesday 27 May, our Kindergarten and Pre‑Primary classes joined thousands of children across Australia for National Simultaneous Storytime. The soccer‑themed story Luna Roo: The Kangaroo Baller by Adam Jackson and Adrian Lloyd, highlights courage, teamwork and perseverance – qualities that reflect our school values of justice, respect, compassion and service in action. A thank you to Mrs Windsor for hosting this session in our beautiful library.

Our Pre‑Primary students recently designed and created their own teddy bears as part of their Design Technologies learning, with STEM thinking woven through food preparation, literacy, numeracy and problem‑solving tasks. Linked to the story, ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’, these interactive projects supported key EYLF outcomes such as creativity, collaboration and confident communication. The week concluded with a joyful Teddy Bears’ Picnic and plenty of imaginative play with their favourite teddies. Oh, the joys of childhood!

A gentle reminder that toys in the innovation space after school remain covered as their use at pick up is not permitted. We respectfully ask that your child/ren remain supervised and, in your care, following their dismissal from their class(es).

Additionally, we ask all families to practise safe and vigilant use of the drive through, prioritising safety and modelling care.

As we move into the cooler months, we seek your support in keeping unwell children at home so they can recover. If a child becomes unwell during the day our staff will contact families to arrange collection. This helps us care for the health and wellbeing of all students, staff, and families within our Mel Maria community.

We would also like to share that in 2026; Western Australia is offering free influenza vaccinations from 1 May to 30 June for people aged 12–64. Additionally, children aged 2–11 years can access a free needle-free nasal spray vaccine (FluMist) through the WA Influenza Nasal Spray Program.

https://www.health.wa.gov.au/Articles/F_I/Influenza-immunisation-program/Free-influenza-vaccine-program-May-and-June-2026

Thank you for your ongoing partnership and care.

Danielle Damjanovic

Head of the Early Childhood Campus

The Year Ones have been busy becoming number detectives, exploring partitioning numbers in lots of different ways. We have been learning that numbers can be split into smaller parts and then put back together again, helping us to build confidence and become stronger, quicker mathematicians.

In Science, we have been exploring Biological Science by looking closely at different animals and their special features. We have been curious scientists, discovering how these features help animals survive, move, and live in their environments.

This has linked beautifully with English, where we have begun our journey into report writing. We started by using wonderful adjectives and descriptive language to describe animal features in detail. Soon, we will move on to researching animals and writing our very own information reports.

We have also connected our learning to Design Technologies through the delightful book Feathers for Phoebe. Inspired by Phoebe’s journey, we designed and created our own imaginative birds, thinking carefully about their unique features and how these might help them fly, move, and live in their own special habitats.

At Mel Maria we have approached the design and role out of our new school uniform with our contemporary learners in mind.

Designed for comfort and active learning, our students are wearing new pieces of the uniform to suit their personality and approach to learning.

Our early years students are encouraged to be active and outgoing in their play , as they react and respond to creative outdoor learning spaces that inspire confidence and risk taking.

Wearing our school uniform fosters a strong sense of community and belonging. It symbolises unity and school spirit, reminding students that they are part of something bigger than themselves. This shared identity can enhance collaboration and mutual respect among students, creating a supportive and cohesive school culture.

"The school uniform is not just a dress code; it is a vital part of our educational environment. It promotes discipline, equality, community, and pride."

Mel Maria uniform also instils a sense of pride in students. When they wear their uniform, they represent their school and its values. This pride can translate into intentional behaviour and a more positive attitude towards school activities and responsibilities. It encourages students to take their roles seriously and strive for excellence in all they do.

Families play an important role in supporting our students to be uniform ready each

Day. Our students take pride in being ready for learning and any planned activities that a learning day can bring.

During the transition phase of our new uniform role out, it is important that whichever version is being worn is worn in its entirety.

This term, our Year 4 students have been engaged in an integrated unit across English, HASS, and Design and Technologies, exploring world explorers and their impact on society. Students researched and wrote information reports, supported by an excursion to the Fremantle Shipwrecks Museum. Following this experience, students designed and created impressive 3D explorer portraits. They carefully planned their designs and used recycled materials to bring their explorers to life.

A big thank you to the parents who generously gave their time to support us during this creative process. The finished projects are a testament to the students’ effort, creativity, and enthusiasm for learning.

Nate and Gus Wigger recently competed in The All Schools Cross Country Championship held at Yokine Reserve. Nate completed his 2km in 7.57, and Gus completed his 2.5km in 9.49. Well done on a great effort boys.

eSafety Commissioner -Parental controls for Gaming Consoles and Smart TV’s

Major gaming console provides parental control measures to help parents manage their child’s gaming activity. Some online gaming platforms for PC (desktop/laptop computers) such as Steam and Epic Games also provide parental controls.

Smart TVs offer all the exciting opportunities – and the risks – that come with being online. Most provide some form of parental control, even if it is just a code locking certain features. You could also consider disconnecting the TV from the internet if you are not using the ‘smart’ features.

For more information click on the link below from the eSafety Commissioners website

https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/issues-and-advice/parental-controls#parental-controls-for-your-devices-apps-and-services

Metacognition is a word for something most of us do every day without even noticing: thinking about our own thoughts. Reflecting on our own thoughts is how we gain insight into our feelings, needs, and behaviours, and how we learn, manage, and adapt to new experiences, challenges, and emotional setbacks. When children hit challenges such as a hard math test, it can be tempting for them to give up. In order to thrive, children need to be able to go from “I can’t” to “How can I?” Metacognition can help.

Metacognitive skills can also help children manage their feelings and boost self-esteem. The strong feelings children have when they feel frustrated can easily turn into negative self-talk. For example, “if I failed the test, that means I’m not smart.” Metacognitive thinking can help children think things through. For instance: “I failed the test because I wasn’t ready. How can I be more prepared next time?”

Parents can help children learn metacognitive thinking. Start by asking open-ended questions that will help your child begin thinking in a more reflective way. For example, “can you tell me more about why you think that?”

It’s also important to help children think through times when they get upset. Asking them to think about their behaviour can help them learn to manage difficult situations in a better way: Why do you think you got so upset when Dad changed the channel?

For the full article click on the below link:

https://childmind.org/article/how-metacognition-can-help-kids/

Reference

Child Mind Institute. (2024, Feb 5). Metacognition: How Thinking About Thinking Can Help Kids. https://childmind.org/article/how-metacognition-can-help-kids/

Sharlene Epis

Social Worker

BEd, MSW

sharlene.epis@cewa.edu.au

School Term Dates for 2026

• Term 1 (Monday 2 February to Thursday 2 April)
• Break (Friday 3 April – Sunday 19 April)
• Term 2 (Monday 20 April to Friday 3 July)
• Break (Saturday 4 July to Sunday 19July)
• Term 3 (20 July – 25 September)
• Break (Saturday 27 September to Sunday 11 October)
• Term 4 (Monday 12 October to 11 December)

Pupil Free Days for 2026

• Term 1 – Friday 27 February
• Term 2 – Friday 29 May
• Term 3 – Monday 20 July & Friday 25 September
• Term 4 – Monday 12 October