This week we have been able to finalise our teacher arrangements for Year 1. Miss Rebecca Brown will be working with Mrs Ali O'Brien in 1 Ochre. Miss Brown will be teaching in 1 Ochre on Thursdays and Fridays; we are delighted to welcome Rebecca to our teaching staff.  

Student Behaviour and Uniform

I request that parents monitor that their child is following our uniform code. There should be no makeup or nail polish, and shoulder-length hair must be tied back.

We do have beautiful children at MTS, however, I have had several reports this week of children excluding others in games or being disrespectful to their peers. Parent support is critical; we can only deal with a situation when we are advised by the children early so we can follow up immediately. Thank you to parents for keeping the teachers and school leadership well informed.  

Class Contact Network

We would like to invite parent volunteers to join the Class Contact Parent network we introduced last year at MTS.  One or two parents per class would be fabulous. Thank you to the parents who have responded, however, we still have lots of classes that do not have a Class Contact Parent Rep. We would love to fill our the gaps by early next week so we can organise a gathering of our class contacts.

Class Contact Reps needed for:    

• K Rose
• 1  Ochre
• 2 Jade
• 2 Mint
• 4 Amethyst
• 4 Magenta
• 4 Indigo
• 5 Platinum
• 5 Pearl
• 5 Ivory
• 6 Onyx
• 6 Charcoal
• 6 Ink

The aim of the Class Contact Parent initiative is to continue the tradition of building strong community partnerships at Mother Teresa. The Class Contact Parent is a fun and rewarding liaison role between class teachers and families and can be shared between parents if there is more than one volunteer. 

We invite you to consider this opportunity to get to know your child’s class and teacher and become a vital part of fostering and building a supportive community at Mother Teresa School.  If you are interested in volunteering as a Class Contact Person for your child’s Class, please contact communitycouncil.mts@gmail.com and respond to the questions provided in the email link. 

Kinder Health Check

On Monday the Kinder Health Check envelopes were sent home to all Kinder families, the 2025 Kinder Health Check includes:

• A physical health check of vision, hearing and growth(height,weight and BMI)
• Two questionaires - the Parent Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS) and the Strenghts and Difficulties Questionaire (SDQ)

The Child and Adolescent Immunisation Team will arrange the collection of the completed forms by the 3rd March 2025. The health check will occur later in the year, we are waiting on dates.

Food Allergies

We have a young boy in Year 2 who has a serious anaphylactic reaction to cheese, cheese spores, and cheese-based products. As we are now eating in the classroom for 10 minutes at 10.50am we are trialling no cheese in just 2 Lime for this term. Please remember we do have lots of children with allergies to many types of nuts; avoid peanut butter and Nutella as a sandwich spread. 

Absentee Notification

The school class rolls are considered legal documents regarding a child's attendance. It is essential that absences are submitted as soon as possible via Compass. Children who arrive after the bell need to come through the office. For children being dropped off at 8.55 am they need to be formally signed in by a parent. 

Cheer Teams Kick Off the Season!

Our MTS cheer teams, Mini Magic and Luminosity, are officially back in action! Training has started at Sirens Cheer Gym in Mitchell. The first session was all about meeting teammates, getting to know the coaches, and jumping right into skills and stunts for the season ahead.

Every Thursday, the teams will be working hard to learn their new routines and perfect their skills. It’s amazing to see their dedication and teamwork come to life.

A huge shoutout to our incredible coaches and the families who support these cheerleaders every step of the way. We can’t wait to see what Mini Magic and Luminosity achieve this year—stay tuned for updates on their progress and upcoming performances!

Let’s go, Mini Magic and Luminosity!

Appointment of a New Counsellor 

I am happy to inform you that Lauren, our new school counsellor from Catholic Care Marymead, will be starting at Mother Teresa on Tuesday 25^th February. Lauren will be working from Tuesday to Friday each week. New referral forms will be available on request from the office.

Reminders 

Do not forget to complete the following

• Kinder to Year 6 - IT Agreement via Compass Events
• Kinder to Year 6 - Photo permissions via Compass Events
• SeeSaw - Kinder to Year 3
• PG Movies - Year 2 to 6
• NAPLAN Year 3 & 5
• Netball for Years 3 & 4
• Netball for Years 5 & 6 - Event Closed 
• Year 6 Camp Permission

Class Overviews were sent out last weekend, via Compass, so parents can review what is being taught this term. 

Playground arrangements

We have spent time this week reviewing our playground equipment arrangements. We plan to let the children know what is happening on Monday, at our school morning assembly. 

Have a lovely weekend and enjoy the Canberra Show if it is on your list of things to do this weekend

Kind regards 

Carmel Maguire  

Principal