Mel Maria Catholic Primary School
Dear Parents and Staff
Welcome to Term Three. It promises to be an engaging and busy term ahead at Mel Maria.
Our students have started the term with enthusiasm and energy in response to our teachers leading learning programs that are inclusive and focused on students interests and passions.
Well done to the Interschool Cross Country Team who represented the school beautifully on Tuesday, 23 July. Our students showed great sportsmanship, gave 100% and won the overall shield.
Our Twilight Tour at Pater Noster Campus this week highlighted our commitment to an innovative and creative Early Childhood space. Each week a new dimension of the plan is added, and we are looking forward to it reaching completion very soon.
Saint Joseph Pignatelli Campus courtyard is expected to be completed within weeks, and we are looking forward to hosting the next Twilight Tour at our Primary Campus.
Our Kindy students enjoyed a great transition morning of exploration in the newly designed space at Pater Noster on Thursday morning. They looked confident and at home connecting with their new friends.
Thank you to our parents and staff who were able to be present to join in the fun.
All year levels are enjoying high quality transition experiences organised by their teachers and it has added a newfound energy to our school community.
Our students are excited by the new experiences when crossing campus and discussing the new opportunities ahead. It has been such a pleasure for all members of our school community getting to make new connections in readiness for 2025.
Please keep our Year Three students and their families in your prayers as they prepare to receive the Sacrament of Penance at the end of this term. Year Six students who attend Pater Noster Campus will be celebrating Confirmation in the next couple of weeks, and we wish all families our prayers at this special time.
Thank you for supporting your children with all that is being offered this term at Mel Maria. Our students are thriving by participating in NAIDOC week celebrations, Olympic events, Author visits, Performing Arts opportunities, Robotics, STEM conventions to name a few.
We are looking forward to a great term of learning.
Kindergarten 2025 – Applications are Now Due
In 2025, we will have a whole new Early Childhood space for students from Pre-Kindergarten to Year Two. This is going to be very exciting for the students, teachers and parents.
Enrolments are now being taken for siblings and new students wishing to commence Kindergarten at Mel Maria Catholic Primary School in 2025. Families with children eligible for Kindergarten in 2025 are required to fill out a Kindergarten Enrolment Application Form. These can be collected from the office or please follow the link provided. https://melmaria.wa.edu.au/assets/Uploads/General/Application-for-Enrolment-Form.pdf.
Kindergarten places are limited so it is important that parents within the Mel Maria Catholic Primary School community submit their applications as soon as possible.
Congratulations to Year Six PN Community Service Leaders
At the end of Term 2, the Year Six Community Service Leaders at Pater Noster organised a PJ day to collect donations for Perth Children's Hospital, a cause they deeply care about. The students raised over $500 thanks to the generosity of the school community.
Sacrament of Penance – Pater Noster
Over the weekend, the Year Three students at Pater Noster took part in commitment masses where they vowed to receive the Sacrament of Penance later in the year. We ask that you hold these students in your prayers as they continue their journey towards this important sacrament.
The Sacrament of Penance, also known as the Sacrament of Reconciliation or Confession, is a sacrament of healing. It offers individuals the opportunity to confess their sins, receive absolution from a priest, and experience God's forgiveness and grace, thereby reconciling themselves with God and the Church. It is a beautiful and meaningful sacrament that allows for spiritual growth and renewal.
Penance workshop SJP – 29 August
The Saint Joseph Pignatelli Penance workshop will be held on Thursday August 29, with two sessions scheduled at 3:30pm and 5:00pm. We are eager to welcome parents as primary educators of their children's religious education to join alongside their children in exploring more about the sacrament.
Feast of Mary Mackillop – 8 August
Join us in celebrating the Feast of Mary MacKillop! All parents are invited to join in the Mass and commemorate this special occasion. Mary MacKillop is a significant figure in Australia as the country's first canonised saint. Her dedication to providing education for the underprivileged and her work in establishing schools throughout Australia have left a lasting impact on the country's educational landscape. Mary MacKillop's values of compassion, service, and equality continue to inspire Australians today.
Sacrament of Confirmation PN – 9 August
Pater Noster students will be making the Sacrament of Confirmation on the 9 August at 6 pm. Please keep the students in your prayers as they receive this important sacrament, which strengthens their connection to the Holy Spirit and helps them grow in their faith.
What is co-regulation?
Emotions allow us to express ourselves and connect with others — but they can also cause conflict and harm if we don’t know how to handle them. Self-regulation — the ability to manage, or regulate, our own emotions and behaviours — is a skill that most adults have mastered over time.
Co-regulation, on the other hand, happens when two people help each other regulate their emotions. For adults, it can also mean teaching kids how to manage their emotions on their own.
There is science behind co-regulation. Our own stress can make another person feel stressed; our calm can make another person feel calm. Successful co-regulation between a responsible adult and a child involves helping the child calm down on their own — which is why the first step to co-regulation requires you to deal with your own stress in a healthy way.
It’s important to consider the specific things that tend to upset us and think about how we react to them. This is called a stress response. Knowing your own stress responses can help you recognize stress responses in kids — which can look very different depending on the child and the situation — and offer support.
Whether you’re a teacher, parent, or caregiver, there are a few strategies you can use to help a child calm down before their emotions get out of control. For instance, say a child is screaming and crying. Does this cause a stress response in you? First, take a deep breath to calm yourself and then get on the child’s level. Make eye contact with them and tell them what you see: “It looks like you’re really upset right now.” Be sure to use an even tone of voice. The goal is to begin to cool emotions that are running hot. Finally, try to guide them in a calming or breathing exercise. If they don’t want to do it with you, do it yourself, letting them know that such exercises are a good way to deal with intense emotions.
See the link below for more tips.
