Dear Parents

As a Catholic learning community,

all at Mother Teresa School are called

to care, to dream, to innovate, to inspire!

Thank you for helping to make our first week run so smoothly. As always we return to school and the hot weather sets in. Please remember to send a cold bottle of water each day. The children are permitted to access their water bottles as needed.

Before the children returned to school the staff engaged in four intense professional learning days to support their personal faith life, develop an understanding of new programs to be introduced which you hear about as the term unfolds, and refine teaching practices and programs to meet the needs of the children. 

A very warm welcome to all our new families and staff who are joining our community. This term we welcome 

• over 40 new students in Year 1 to Year 6 
• 80 new kindergarten students
• Ms Marcia Quinane  and Mrs Kathleen McGuire to the Year 4 teaching team
• Mrs Xandria Davern is our new music teacher

During the week I had the opportunity to meet with the team responsible for the design and scheduling of our hall project. While it is very exciting to be refurbishing and increasing the size of the hall, it will not be available for use for all of Semester 2. Lots of planning will occur as we look for ways to bring the community together and relocate our school care program within the school. The school has received an Australian Government Capital Grant for $863,000 toward the cost of our hall extension project. 

The 5Cs are often referred to by the school staff to support our approach to student action and behaviour. This week we have focused on Being Courteous.

Chess Club

Unfortunately, Shaun Press, our Chess Coach, has taken this year to travel. I have looked into another coaching company but believe the cost of $15.00 per child per session is not acceptable. If anyone knows of a grandparent keen to come in, once or twice a week, to take a session ask them to contact the school. They must hold a WWVP card to work with children.

School Fees
We are waiting to hear from Catholic Education (CE) when the school fees will be released. Do not expect anything formal until at least Week 3 of this term. The annual school fee for 2024 will be  

1 Child - $3,858     2 Children - $5,734     3 Children - $7,068    4 Children - $7,861.

This does not include a sibling discount if you have an older child at a Systemic high school. The Building Fund is not included in these fees as it is an opt-in contribution. 

ACT Government’s Future of Education Equity Fund

Eligible ACT families can now apply to access yearly one-off payments to help cover the costs of 2024 education expenses through the ACT Government’s Future of Education Equity Fund.

The fund helps ACT students from eligible families access everyday essentials to assist with their education and well-being, such as book packs, uniforms and excursions, sport equipment and activities, tuition and music lessons.

It supports financially disadvantaged families with students who are enrolled in preschool through to Year 12 in any ACT school.

Payments include:

· $400 for preschool students

· $500 for primary school students

· $750 for high school and college students

In 2023, the fund supported more than 5,000 students, with more than $2.9 million distributed to families experiencing financial stress.

Applications for the 2024 school year will remain open until 29 November 2024. Information about the fund is available at: https://bit.ly/3O3vV1u

Car Park
Our car park was never built to accommodate parking for a school of our size. Please, patience is what is required, and following staff directions is essential. We have worked hard to develop a flow of traffic if parking on the tennis courts. Your assistance is very much appreciated - great work today!

Kinder Pick Up

Following discussion with the Kinder teacher the children will assemble in the Kinder Courtyard at the end of the day, not on the tuff as discussed. Parents, please collect your child from the courtyard as this will assist with supervision and provide the opportunity for the teacher to see you briefly if required. The teacher will then walk them to the carline if required.

Code Camp

Code Camp is returning for another year and I have opened up the opportunity for children from Years 3 - 6. This is not a school program but rather an opportunity for those children with an interest in coding. Refer to the Compass notification for cost and registration details sent out today.

Dance Club 

Cassie our professional dance instructor is returning and will be offering a dance club on a Wednesday at lunchtime. This is another opportunity that is open for parents to consider. Cassie is responsible for the registration and collection of fees as it is a program run separately from the school opportunities that occur during class time. Refer to the Compass notification for cost and registration details sent out today.

Year 6 Camp 

Year 6 camp information is to be released. As camp is occurring very soon please take the weekend to complete all the required documentation and permission requirements. Camp dates are Wednesday 28 February to Friday 1 March.

ICT Agreements 

Granting permission is critical if your child is to continue to access our school network. Please refer to the Compass Event: ICT Acceptable Agreement 2024.

PG Movie Permissions - Years 2 to 6

Please search for the Compass Event: PG Movie Permission 2024. Parents also need to advise their intentions regarding the type of movies they are comfortable for their child to watch.

Swimming Carnival

Information regarding our Swimming Carnival to be held on Thursday 15 February has been released. This year the carnival is for Years 3 to 6 students and the competitive 8yrs students in Year 2. This year we have booked the Dickson outdoor pool. 

Uniform Shop

Our uniform shop volunteers have advised that they will be opening the uniform shop every Wednesday and Friday from 8:30 until 9:00. 

God bless and have a lovely weekend

Carmel Maguire

Principal

WHOLE SCHOOL FOCUS

The Whole school focus theme for this year is ‘COME HOLY SPIRIT’ and the Bible

reference that supports our theme is Acts: 15-28

This term at Mother Teresa School we will use the theme that: We are called to care

We will share our gifts and talents with each other throughout the year. The values we will be focusing on this term are:       

Compassion, Courage, Unity, Courteous & Consideration

 WELCOME TO THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR

Welcome to the new school year! We sincerely hope that everyone in our school community has returned with joy and anticipation, ready to renew old connections and forge new ones.

As we begin this journey together, let us reflect on the words of Psalm 24:1, which remind us that the earth and all its inhabitants belong to the LORD. This serves as a gentle reminder, to use our talents and gifts not only for our own benefit but also for the betterment of others and the world around us. Within each of us lies the most precious gift of all - love. It is through this love that we have the opportunity to make a profound impact, in a way that is uniquely our own.

It is crucial to recognise that our abilities are not meant to be hoarded for personal gain. Rather, they are meant to be shared generously with those around us. By viewing our talents as gifts to be given upon others, we open ourselves to new opportunities for connection and service. Indeed, the act of giving becomes more rewarding than receiving.

Have you pondered the significance of sharing your gifts with others? Have you identified your own unique talents? And, most importantly, have you found ways to share them with those in need?

I firmly believe that each of us has been endowed with special abilities by God. These gifts, or special abilities that we have the privilege of developing to help us serve God and humanity. Let us embark on this new school year with a renewed sense of purpose and a commitment to sharing our gifts with others. Together, let us strive to create a community where love, compassion, and service are the guiding principles as we are called to care.

COMMISSIONING MASS

This Saturday 3rd February @ 5:00am Mass we will have a commissioning for staff at Holy spirit Church, Burdekin Ave Amaroo.  All welcome!

Peace and best wishes
Anne Leet REC

Student Support Referral

To assist our families in accessing the best support available through Mother Teresa School, we are setting up the following process to assist with referrals and the most appropriate use of our resources.

1. Enquiry (teacher or parent) – Request a referral form from the office and return to the Principal
2. The Principal will talk with you and guide you to appropriate support

Support types:

• Diverse Learning Teacher and team,
• Student welfare officer (individual or small group guidance and/or mentoring support),
• Defence School Mentor,
• School counselling (individual or small group)
• External agencies

If school counselling is recommended the School Counsellor will contact the parents and go through the online CatholicCare referral process if school counselling is suitable. Our School Counsellors, are available on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays to speak with parents or to work with the students who may be suitable for school counselling.

It is the CatholicCare and Mother Teresa School’s policy that the counsellor always contacts parents before meeting with any child. 

Our new Counsellors are

• Cameron Day - Mondays to Wednesdays
• Nik Nur Shuhaimi - Wednesdays

A referral is required each new school year. Please return to the Principal.

If you are going to purchase a Chromebook for your child, now is an excellent time to have a look around. 

At Mother Teresa School teaching and learning in Years 4, 5 and 6 involves a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program. Students in Years 4, 5 and 6 bring their home-owned device to and from school each day and use their device to support some of their learning throughout the school day. The devices are used to complement the curriculum, and are used purposefully. Technology provides different opportunities for collaboration, creativity and independence. Technology does not take the place of good teaching.

Our BYOD program is currently in transition from iPads to Chromebooks, with the vast majority of Year 4 students bringing Chromebooks in 2023. If you are purchasing a new device, we ask that it be a Chromebook.

Teachers have reported that Chromebooks are much better suited to the research, publishing and typing needs of student learning compared to iPads.

BYOD devices other than Chromebooks and iPads are not supported at Mother Teresa School. 

Devices do not have to be brand new. Please contact the office if sourcing a device is difficult.

Please see below for device requirements.

Further information about the BYOD program, policies and setup instructions will follow later in the year but we know parents are keen to find out about specifications now.

BYOD Chromebook specifications - Years 4 - 6

The transition of BYOD (Bring your Own Device) to Chromebooks continues in 2023. If purchasing a new device, we ask that it is a Chromebook. A Chromebook is a kind of laptop running Chrome OS, an operating system made by Google. Chromebooks are made by a range of known technology brands like Lenovo and ASUS. There often is not a lot of difference between brands. 

You may like to shop around and see if there are student or education deals around or keep an eye out for upcoming shopping events like Black Friday (October/November), Cyber Monday (November), Boxing Day (December).

When purchasing, please be aware of the following specifications: 

• 4GB Memory (RAM) minimum
• 32GB Storage for use in primary school is fine, many will have 64GB anyway
• 11-13 Inch screen minimum 
• personal preference
• please consider the size and weight of the device - your child is transporting the device to and from school each day - not too heavy or large
• consider if it fits into their school bag (this was an issue we discovered in 2023)
• At least 8 hour battery life 
• Must have the ability to connect to headphones, whether it be via a port or bluetooth - whatever your student has access to
• Must have a camera
• A touchscreen can be useful for some students (but it's optional) 
• Stay away from Chromebook tablets without keyboards - these are not recommended
• In terms of price, don't spend too much on the Chromebook. A budget of up to $500 is reasonable. One of the deciding factors in moving from iPads to Chromebooks was the comparable/cheaper price.
• A protective case or cover for the Chromebook is required
• Headphones or earphones are required
• Some students have a mouse (optional)
• Warranty should be a consideration when purchasing a device
• We recommend that you consider adding the device to your insurance policy

Chromebooks do not require active firewalls, or anti-virus and anti-malware software. When the Chromebook is connected to the school network via specialised BYOD WiFi, it will utilise the online security settings set up by Catholic Education.

Dear Parents,

Thank you for providing your student with a Chromebook for their learning.

After experiencing some teething problems during 2023 with Chromebook setups, we have determined that the following is the most reliable setup for students to access their account at school.

 In order for the Chromebook to be used at school, please set up the following:

 1. Personal Account

We recommend parents sign into the Chromebook using a personal account first. It can be their own account, or the account they create for the student. 

The first account will automatically be the owner account of that device. By doing this, parents can set up parental controls and students won’t have admin. The family will still have access to the iPad in the case the student leaves Catholic education.

Instructions:https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/1047362?hl=en

2. Child personal account

If the personal account set up in Step 1 belongs to an adult, please set up a child personal account. The student will need this in order to add their school account. If the child already has a personal account on the Chromebook, you can skip this step.

Instructions:https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/1059242?hl=en

3. Child school account inside the child’s personal account

Please add the school account inside the child’s personal account. 

1. Student signs in to their personal account
2. At the bottom right, select the time.
3. Select Settings cog.
4. In the "Accounts" section, at the top, select your Google Account.
5. Select Add Student Account
6. Follow the on-screen steps.
7. Parents will need to enter their email password to allow this.

The student needs to use their school account to access Google Classroom, Google Drive, and other apps in the Google Suite. The student account is managed by Catholic Education.

Your child has a record of their school account. It is in the form of their school email address

Eg. mrobit02@cgstudents.catholic.edu.au and a password they nominated with their teacher. This password has more complex requirements as soon as students begin Year 4. Teachers will guide students through choosing a suitable password.

Students will then be able to switch between their home and school accounts in Chrome by clicking on their letter icon in the top right corner.

Family Link controls

If parents would like to apply extra supervision to the Chromebook, they can set up Family Link.

However, at this stage Catholic Education ICT and Mother Teresa Staff are not in the position of supporting parents with Family Link on BYO devices. 

Some information and instructions are below:

https://support.google.com/families/answer/7101025?hl=en

https://support.google.com/families/answer/7680868?hl=en

https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/9900467

Over the school holidays Romeo had an opportunity of a lifetime to attend the Real Madrid Academy, Romeo trained every day from 7:30am to 2:30pm. From intense physical training sessions, to psychology sessions, to nutrition sessions.

Returning back to Canberra he went straight into the Asia Pacific Cup 2024 with nearly 400 players from Singapore, Japan and all of Australia attending.

After a gruelling 4 days, Romeo was selected by Coerver Vice President Jason Lancsar and Coerver Academy coaches to represent the ACT in the 1 on 1 Finals, which he proudly won. He was also selected to represent the ACT in the group finals, which they won too.

Having one day break in between Romeo then had the pleasure of attending the Western Sydney Wanderers Advanced Academy, braving the extreme heat on the synthetic pitch and giving it his absolute best.

Romeo has been invited to join the Elite Squad U10’s at the Football Star Academy at the AIS, which starts next week.

Romeo’s dream is to be like Ronaldo!