Principal's Message Term 1 Week 1 - 2023
Dear Parents
We have had a wonderful start to the 2023 school year with all the children very settled. A special welcome to the many new families who have joined our community this year. While I know there were a few with first-day nerves, it was beautiful to see children reconnecting or reaching out to greet new class members.
Our school theme for 2023 is "Journeying Together". This theme will give our community the opportunity to look for ways we can strengthen the links between school, home, and community as we provide a faith-filled learning community that endeavours to live out our vision.
As a Catholic learning community,
all at Mother Teresa School are called
to care, to dream, to innovate, to inspire!
Swimming Carnival
It was so wonderful to be able to have our annual swimming carnival again after missing out due to Covid! Despite the weather being cold, it looks as though everyone had a fun-filled day!
Community Welcome
Next Friday 10 February, between 7.45am - 8.45am, the teachers will open their classrooms for parents to drop in and say a quick hello. More information to follow early next week.
Welcome to our new staff
This year we elected to employ a PE specialist to provide weekly PE skill sessions across the school. Geoff Howarth is our new PE specialist who will be filling that role.
A word from Geoff:
It was with great excitement and enthusiasm that I accepted the new Physical Education specialist role at Mother Teresa School for the 2023 school year. I’m extremely passionate about Education and Sport and have been blessed to be able to share this passion with students both here in Canberra with previous roles at St Vincent’s Primary and Canberra Grammar and more recently abroad at the American International School in Hong Kong. It was wonderful to meet many of the students this past week. I was particularly impressed with the broad range of sporting and physical pursuits that the students participate in and look forward to sharing many more with them this year.
Council Executive Members 2023
Our Mother Teresa Council Executive for 2023 are listed below. Please approach any of our members should you have any issues or suggestions to raise during the year:
- Damien Kelly - Chair
- Lyndsay Hackett - Deputy Chair
- Simon Morgan - Secretary
- Natalie Zanco - Parent Rep
- Adelle De Zilva-Stewart - Parent Rep
- Janice van Zomeren - Parent Rep
- John Mikita - Parent Rep
- Cheryl Harris - Parent Rep
- Janene Sadler - Teacher Rep
- Amy Thomas - Preschool Director
- Craig Hart - Assistant Principal
- Carmel Maguire - Principal
Sports Days for Term 1
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
| All Kinder | All Kinder | |||
| All Year 1 | All Year 1 | |||
|
2 Emerald 2 Mint 2 Jade |
2 Lime | All Year 2 | ||
| All Year 3 | 3 Aqua |
3 Cobalt 3 Turquoise |
3 Saphire | |
| All Year 4 | All Year 4 | |||
| All Year 5 | All Year 5 | |||
| All Year 6 |
6 Charcoal 6 Ink 6 Onyx |
6 Ebony |
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | |
| Before School |
8.20 Ukulele Music Room |
||||
| 1st Break | Defence Club |
Choir Music Room |
Sustainable Garden + Defence Club |
Dance Club - registration required | |
| 2nd Break | Japanese CLub | Chess - registration required |
Morning School Drop off
The school gates leading into the basketball courts will be opened at 8.00am so parents can drive in to drop their child/ren near the play area. Please note staff supervision does not commence until 8.15am. Children requiring supervision prior to this time should be booked into the school care program. Gates are locked by 9.00am.
Afternoon School Pick up
The school gates leading to the basketball courts will not be reopened until 2.40pm as the area is use by the children and teachers. From 3.00pm the children will wait near the artificial turf and covered walkway next to the basketball courts to be collected until 3.20pm. Any students not collected by 3.20pm will be walked to the front of the school. Any children still not collected by 3.30pm will then be taken to the office as that is the time staff supervision concludes. Parents will then be contacted.
School Parking
Parking is an ongoing issue and I wish there was a simple solution, we just don’t have the land! Parents should never park in the no parking area outside the preschool. This creates a bottle neck at the main entry to the school during peak times. Once the Preschool refurbishment starts in mid-February, the area will be blocked off. Please park on the gravel car park areas or the basketball courts and avoid using the parking areas in residential homes near the school. Delaying pick up to after 3.10pm is worth considering for older children.
Don’t forget there is no right turn on exiting the school car park area during peak times as this helps with traffic flow.
Basketball Courts for Parking
With the new year, I would like to see the traffic arrangement on the courts improved. A clear flow of traffic coming in and going out. The gates at the oval end of the fence (that divide the basketball courts) will be open to allow for a better flow of traffic both morning and afternoon.
Uniform Shop Opening 2023
2022 School Fees
School fees must be finalised urgently. If you have not already done so, please arrange for fees to be paid to avoid the issue being handed to a fee collection agency. The 2023 school fee will be issued in Week 3 of this term.
Canteen News 2023
A reminder to families to change their child's grade level on the Flexischools app before submitting an order in 2023. Our canteen will open from Wednesday 1 February.
NAPLAN Dates for Years 3 & 5 in Term 1
Parents wishing their child to participate in NAPLAN need to note the following NAPLAN testing dates - 15 March to 27 March. More information to follow soon.
Looking forward to a great year of learning.
God Bless
Carmel Maguire
