E-News
In this Issue:
Important Notices
Events
The Arts News
Technology News
Languages News
Sports & Outdoor Education News
Sustainability News
Community News
Important Notices
The Principal, Ms Geri O’Keefe, will be on leave from the College from Monday 11 September through Friday 13 October. In her absence, Mrs Susan Macdonald who is currently the Vice Principal will be the Acting Principal during Ms O’Keefe’s absence.
Are you leaving the College?
If you do not intend to return to Mother Teresa Catholic College in 2024, you must provide a term's notice in writing by 22 September 2023. Failure to do so will result in a term’s fees charged in lieu of notice.
If you have any questions, please contact our Community Engagement Manager, Mrs Catherine Conway:
catherine.conway@cewa.edu.au
Fee Account Settlement Deadline - 30 September 2023
Please be advised of the deadline for the settlement of fee accounts. Unless you have an agreed payment extension in place, please ensure that all fee accounts are settled in full by 30 September 2023. Timely settlement of fee accounts is crucial to ensure the smooth operation of our financial processes.
If you have any questions or concerns about your fee account, please do not hesitate to reach out to our Finance team at finance@motherteresa.wa.edu.au.
Uniform Shop School Holiday Opening Hours
School Holiday
Wednesday 4 October 8.00am to 12.00pm & 1.00pm to 3.45pm
Thursday 5 October 8.00am to 12.00pm & 1.00pm to 3.45pm
Extra Opening Day - Back to School
Monday 9 October 8.00am to 12.00pm 12.30pm to 3.45pm
Normal trading days resume in Week 2.
Summer Uniform
Paul Litherland - Parent Information Evening
Wednesday 20 September 6.30 – 7.30pm
Cyber safety educator and campaigner | 2022 WA AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR
In the last five years of his career as a police officer in Western Australia, Paul Litherland worked in the force’s Technology Crime Unit. While there, he became acutely aware of just how vulnerable kids were on the internet. He also felt frustration at the lack of legislation available to help fight internet crime. In response, Paul began conducting cyber safety presentations at schools. By 2014, he’d turned his passion into a business – founding Surf Online Safe to educate teachers, students and parents about internet awareness and safety.
Today he’s one of Australia’s leading experts in the field. A highly sought-after speaker, Paul has spoken at more than 550 schools and organisations across the country, sharing his cyber safety educational presentations with upwards of 250,000 people.
We are fortunate enough to have Paul speaking to our Year 7 – 12 students on Wednesday 20 September and our Year 5 and 6 students on Thursday 21 September. He will deliver a parent information session on Wednesday 20 September from 6.30pm – 7.30pm.
This is a free event, reserved only for parents and caregivers of students at Mother Teresa Catholic College. Students are not to attend this session. Please use the link provided to book your ticket.
2024 ICT Levy Mother Teresa Digital Learning Package
Dear Parent and Caregivers,
At Mother Teresa Catholic College, our top priority is to cultivate a contemporary and supportive learning environment that empowers students. To achieve this, we have carefully chosen Apple iPads as our primary devices, offering a wealth of creative tools to explore various disciplines, including graphic design, music production, and videography.
The 'College iPad' program, launched in 2021, has been incredibly successful in equipping students with essential digital learning skills. By providing a guided learning experience and limiting non-educational apps during school hours, we create a focused learning atmosphere. Teachers benefit from the Apple Classroom app, facilitating effective teaching, monitoring, and timely feedback on students' electronic work. Additionally, this program enables robust monitoring measures, ensuring students' internet usage is closely overseen at school while prioritising their safety and privacy. Central, to our approach is encouraging students to go beyond being passive knowledge consumers to becoming content creators. This is made possible by leveraging Apple Education management software, which offers vital support and security for our students' devices.
Recent changes in policy from Apple have prompted us to transition away from devices provided by parents and caregivers. In 2024, the College will launch the 'Mother Teresa Digital Learning Package' for Year 1, 4-7, 10 students, and newcomers to the College. This will include the device, accessories, warranties, insurance, management, and learning software as a single charge – ICT Levy, seamlessly integrated into the College fees. This shift ensures enhanced privacy protection and adherence to updated security and privacy policies from all relevant parties involved in supporting our students' education, such as CEWA, Apple Education, Microsoft, and SEQTA. Our dedicated IT Helpdesk team will also be readily available to assist with any iPad service, repair, warranty, or insurance claims, ensuring a smooth digital learning experience. We believe it will elevate the overall quality of education at Mother Teresa Catholic College. Our students will benefit from an innovative and secure digital learning environment that effectively prepares them for future success.
For detailed information about the College ICT Levy, please go to this webpage - www.motherteresa.wa.edu.au/mtcc-ict-device-program
More information will be released at the beginning of term 4 which will include details of the associated costs. if you have any questions or concerns, please share them with us via this online form.
Parents and Caregivers of any students in 2024, who have an existing MTCC Parent/Caregiver Hire Agreement for a school-owned iPad for the year, will automatically transition to the Mother Teresa Digital Learning Package on 1 January 2024. This will terminate the existing agreement with the school as at 31 December 2023. If you do not wish to terminate your agreement, please notify the Finance office in writing to Finance@motherteresa.wa.edu.au by 30 October 2023.
Events
Mother Teresa Feast Day
On Wednesday 6 September, our College community came together to celebrate the Feast Day of St. Mother Teresa and our 10-year anniversary as a College. The day began with a special Feast Day Mass at St Teresa of Calcutta Parish, followed by the entire College - students and staff alike - gathering on the Junior School oval to form a gigantic number 10! Our foundation students, staff and Principal Ms Geri O'Keefe, gathered to blow out the ten candles on our birthday cake to commemorate this special milestone.
We enjoyed a shared sausage sizzle lunch provided by the College before setting up stalls for our Mini-Fair. Each year group and homeroom set up a stall or activity to raise money for charity. There was a fantastic variety of stalls including temporary tattoos, plants, books and toy stalls, baked goods, lucky dips, mini golf and much more!
All monies received will be donated to the Missionaries of Charity, an organisation founded by St. Mother Teresa in 1950. We hope everyone had a fantastic day celebrating the life and canonisation of our Patron Saint, Mother Teresa! With the inspiration of Mother Teresa’s example of outreach and love for all human beings, we strive each day to grow, in the words of our motto, “Strong in Faith and Love".
Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee
In Week 6 in Junior School, we had 104 students across Year 3 to 6 nominate themselves to compete in the Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee, which was held online. Congratulations to all students who competed.
The following students were Champions of their class:
3K: Madison Simons 3D: Ella Glendenning 3W: Victor Mbugua
4B: Adele Preisser 4W: Sofia Twissell
5B: Lachlan Pavletich 5W: Mackenzie Lang
6B: Raphael Dass 6W: Max Tammen
Our School Champions for the Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee are:
Year 3/4 School Champion: Ella Glendenning Year 5/6 School Champion: Raphael Dass
Ella and Raphael were in the Top 100 Spellers in the State of Western Australia and competed in the State Finals Competition last week. We congratulate them both on their efforts in this Competition.
EA Appreciation Week
Last week (Week 7) was the Australian Teacher Aide Appreciation Week. We took this opportunity to thank our amazing Education Assistants (EAs) for all they do for our College. Our EAs are an integral part of the College community and we appreciate the invaluable work they do in supporting our students and teachers every day. Thank you!
Father's Day in Kindy
On Wednesday 30 August, we celebrated Father's Day early in Kindy! Fathers and father figures were invited into the classroom to join their little ones for a play and morning tea. Our special guests had the opportunity to craft wooden toolboxes with their children, kindly supplied by Bunnings Warehouse. To finish off the wonderful morning, our students gave their fathers and father figures a gift and a cuddle as thanks for joining us on this special occasion. We hope our guests enjoyed the morning as much as our students and staff did!
Year 8 Father's Day Breakfast
On Friday 1 September, our Year 8 students hosted our annual Father's Day Breakfast. It was lovely to see so many dads, uncles, brothers, grandads, and other loved ones attend. The morning began with a beautiful liturgy, students recounting on what makes their dads so special, and lots of dad jokes! Guests were then treated to some delicious breakfast rolls before joining a fun (and surprisingly competitive) parent/caregiver VS student basketball match.
It was a wonderful morning and a good chance for students to honour their fathers and father figures. A special thanks go to the staff and students who cooked and served breakfast for our invited guests.
The Arts News
2024 Production The Little Mermaid - Sign up for Presale Tickets
To register for pre-sale tickets, fill in the form below! Early registration will grant you access to discounted early bird tickets before they go on sale to the general public. Stay tuned for further information.
Registration on this waitlist does not constitute a booking.
Arts and Technologies Week
Technology News
From Our Kitchen to Yours: Student Creations
Banana and Strawberry Muffins
250g strawberries
1/3 C self-raising flour
2/3 C wholemeal self-raising flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/3 C brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 C rice bran oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 C buttermilk
2 over-ripe bananas, mashed
1. Preheat oven to 180C fan-forced. Line a 12-hole muffin tray with paper cases.
2. Chop 200g strawberries. Thinly slice remaining strawberries, leaving the stem and leaves attached. Combine flours, baking powder, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Make a well.
3. Whisk oil, eggs, vanilla, buttermilk in a jug. Add to flour mixture with chopped strawberries and banana. Stir until just combined (some lumps are okay).
4. Divide mixture among prepared muffin tray. Top each with 1 thin strawberry slice. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until firm to touch.
Recipe origin: www.nibbledish.com
Languages News
2024 Indonesia Study Tour - Expressions of Interest
Open to all current Year 8 students (Year 9 in 2024) up to Year 11 (Year 12 in 2024)
Dates: 20th - 26th September 2024 (7 days, 6 nights)
Destination: Bali, Indonesia
Priorities are given to:
Current Year 8 students who will continue to study Indonesian in Year 9 in 2024
Year 9 - 11 students who are currently studying Indonesian
Students who are not currently studying Indonesian, but have actively participated in Christian Service-Learning (CSL) activities at MTCC, and would like to participate in CSL activities in Indonesia
Estimated Cost: $4,500 (may be less with more participants)
Inclusive of:
Return flights Perth - Denpasar
Airport transfers and in-country transportation
Accommodation in Ubud and Sanur
Daily breakfast and dinner, and some lunches
School immersion, guided tours, cultural and Christian Service-Learning activities
Notes:
No payment is required when expressing interest
Limited numbers are available
More detailed information will be available early Term 4 for those expressing interest. Fill in the form below to express your interest.
Sports & Outdoor Education News
Peel Winter Basketball Carnival
On Thursday 24 August, MTCC participated in the Peel Winter Basketball Carnival at the Baldivis Indoor Sports Complex. The girls team was competitive all day, finishing with 2 wins and 2 losses to qualify for the semi-finals. The girls had their chance to score the final basket to qualify for the final but John Tonkin scored the winning basket with about 20 seconds to go. The girls should be proud of their effort and never-say-die approach to each game. Well done!
Rugby - Western Force Cup
The Western Force Cup Rugby regular season has drawn to a close, with the final fixtures at Lark Hill wrapping up on Wednesday 6 September. The Year 7/8 boys have performed so well throughout the season that they have been promoted out of the Southern division to play in the grand final series with schools from all over the Greater Perth Metropolitan region. The team has earned the right to head to McGilvray Oval in Mount Claremont in Week 10 to test their newly attested Rugby prowess against established Rugby schools. This is an incredible feat for MTCC as we are only getting started with the sport (a considerable effort to knock out already-established teams like Kolbe and Kings College in our first season).
Hopefully the success of the Year 7/8 Boys team will encourage further participation in the categories of Year 9/10 Boys and Year 7/8/9 Girls next year and in the future. It is great to add another sporting option for our students to get involved in.
The old saying goes that it takes a village to raise a child. It certainly takes a village to start a new sport at a school. We thank all the staff involved for supporting this season and Mr Mitchell in particular for his work in establishing Rugby as a sport at MTCC.
Touch Football - Peel District Winter Carnival
On Wednesday, the 23rd of August, Year 7s and 8s took part in the Touch Football Peel District Winter Carnival hosted by School Sports WA and John Tonkin College. The students finished in the middle of the table with wins against John Tonkin B, Coastal Lakes and Ridge View B—a great effort for a new team with minimal subs. By the end of the day, the students had built great team cohesion, ran plays and scored some excellent tries. We have lots of talent and plenty to look forward to for next time.
Particular commendation has to be given to Amarli Simmons and Abbey Johnston, who did not substitute throughout the day due to two injuries and one illness to 3 of their female teammates at short notice. Abbey and Amarli were on the field for the entire duration of all games and did not complain once and got on with the job with smiles.
![IMG_5786[47].jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ed7226e6cd7d9667d41555e/1694146304589-21ABA3MP1LWLMI1TSC4Z/IMG_5786%5B47%5D.jpg)
Year 12 Outdoor Education Camp
On Monday 28 August, our Year 12 General Outdoor Education (ODE) students embarked on their final ODE camp, a thrilling three-day adventure. This expedition was thoughtfully designed to challenge their abilities in mountain biking, campcraft, and endurance.
Arriving at Marrinup Campsite, students quickly set up camp and had the entire site to themselves! Splitting into two groups, one group conquered a 10km cross country circuit on bike which included a single track, inclines and a fun downhill section before meandering back to camp. The other group completed a walk around Marrinup falls and the P.O.W. Camp. Students were interested to learn about what happened there, as well as the several escape attempts. After lunch, the groups swapped activities. Dinner and a game of spotlight were a fun way to end day one.
All students got up bright and early for the start of day two and packed away the campsite, leaving no trace that they had been there. They then began to head South along the world famous Munda Biddi Mountain Bike Trail for a 23km ride to Nanga Mill campground. With some fast flowing downhill sections paired with three really tough hill climbs, the Year 12s performed admirably. Lunch was at Baden Powell before heading through the Murray Valley trails and down into Nanga Mill to set up camp for the second night.
The last day allowed students to ‘choose their own adventure’. One group chose a bushwalk around Nanga Mill, while the other group went on a fun 18km ride, climbing to the top of the Murray Valley before using the Fawcett Trail and Munda Biddi to return to camp. A quick stop in Dwellingup for a pie was a great way to finish the camp and the course.
Everyone had a marvellous time and the students created great memories they can share with their peers and friends in the years to come. Thank you to Mr Norris who coordinated the event and the team of Mr Scarterfield, Ms Llanos, Ms McRedmond, and Mr Mitchell who accompanied the students!
Sustainability News
The students have been caring for the vegetables growing in their garden beds and some are ready to be picked. The Pre-Primary classes enjoyed picking the beetroots from their garden and collecting the eggs which they used when making beetroot and chocolate muffins. They followed the recipe, measured the ingredients, cracked the eggs, poured the milk, mixed everything together and then spooned them into patty pans. Later, they all tasted a mini beetroot and chocolate muffin.
Students from Year 3 participated in planting a variety of native plants around our school garden to attract more local birds. Sercul (South East Regional Centre for Urban Landcare) donated the native plants to our school as part of the Phosphorus Awareness Project Grant it receives from the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA), which aims to educate the community about the environmental impacts of too many nutrients entering our waterways.
Our Year 4 students have been busy drawing a plan of ways we can update our Bush Tucker gardens. In groups, they have come up with some amazing ideas which they will be working on over the next few weeks. This week the Year Two students read the book, “Caterpillar and Bean” by Martin Jenkins. Then they planted some beans and, using magnify glasses went looking to see which bugs had been eating some of our vegetables.
The polish chickens are happy to be back at school to see all their friends after a long holiday. Our bigger chickens have been enjoying all the weeds the students have been picking from their vegetable gardens.
On Tuesday 19 September we will be having our last market stall for the term. The Green Team will be selling worm wee, freshly grown vegetables, eggs, apple slinkies and pots of herbs. We will be at the front of the junior school before and after school.
Community News
OSHClub - New Flexible Pricing
OSHClub Mother Teresa is pleased to let you know that with our commitment to ensuring we continue to best support our staff and the children within our care, we have introduced a new structure to our pricing model.
These changes are important so that we can keep our current fees on hold for any increases until Term 1 2024, and to ensure we can roster affectively and ahead so that families can continue to receive the highest of care and more consistency of staffing at the service.
We need to focus on what we do best and creating more joy for children.
The changes consider:
The new Child Care Subsidy (CCS) has ensured that families are receiving more money back in their pockets to alleviate the increased cost of living pressures.
Our fees did not increase as of July 1st, and we will not be implementing any fee increases until Term 1 2024
We want to absorb the cost-of-living pressures, despite our costs going up
Award wages increase by 5.75% on July 1st 2023
Superannuation has increased to 11%
We want to continue to retain and attract the best people, so we pay above award
No shows at service create disruption and are very time-consuming for our staff.
Safety of the children within our care is paramount and all children must be accounted for always
The safety and wellbeing of our staff is also critical
We want to keep OSHC affordable for longer and provide consistent care and quality
What is changing?
A flexible tiered pricing structure reflecting the individual needs of families and the ability to roster appropriately.
Bulk Pack purchase option with 15% discounts for families
Modified no show and late pick up fees
In the attached letter, you will find further information regarding all the above.
VacSwim - Enrolments now open
Primary School
Enrolments are now open for VacSwim swimming lessons during the Summer school holidays. VacSwim offers fun lessons at beach or pool locations. They are a great school holiday activity and they teach valuable safety skills to help keep your child safe in the water.
Secondary School
If your child has turned 14 years old, or will be turning 14 years in the same calendar year of the course, you can enrol them in VacSwim so they can get their Bronze Medallion during the Summer school holidays. They’ll learn advanced survival, rescue and resuscitation skills to help keep them and others safe in the water.
Enrol now at education.wa.edu.au/vacswim
Murdoch University - A Day in the Life
BRICKS 4 KIDZ - Spring School Holiday Workshops
This Spring School Holidays we are running Workshops with LEGO® and Coding with Robotics. Our holiday programs are designed for kids ages 5 -12. We have many themes to inspire creativity and fun.
Our Spring School Holiday Workshops are located at the following locations:
Mary Davies Library and Community Centre @ Baldivis
Providence Christian College @ Souther River
Baldivis Touch Football - All Abilities Program 2023
Supporting Teens to Eat Well in a Food Confused World - FREE Parent Webinar
Join Butterfly and two Practicing Accredited Dietitians and learn how to help your teen have a positive and balanced relationship with food. Topics covered include: Why it's hard to charter a healthy course | What's helpful diet information and what's problematic | Supporting eating through puberty | Troubleshooting common eating dilemmas - 'junk food', 'high protein diets', veganism, not eating at school.
Details
Tuesday, 12th September
7 - 8pm (AEST), plus question time
Via Zoom (time-limited recording available)
FREE Register: https://events.butterfly.org.au/portal//event/?id=EP_BCCT_Parent_Webinar477928020&Name=12/09/23
Contact: education@butterfly.org.au
Masses
Tuesday - Friday: 9.00am
Saturdays: 6.00pm
Sundays: 9.30am & 5.00pm
1st Friday of each month: Adoration (following 9am Mass)
Benediction 10.15am
Reconciliation
Saturday: 5.30 - 5.50pm (prior to Mass)
Online Community
Join our online College community to keep up to date with news as it happens. Click the links below!