Dear Parents,

Father's Day 
Wishing all of our dads and father figures a Happy Father's Day for Sunday. On the morning of Friday 6 September from 7:45am to 8:45am we will celebrate our Dads with a special 'Donut for Dads' event here at school. Please RSVP through Compass today to secure your donut. Thanks to the hard-working members of our Community Council, who are coordinating the event. 

Mother Teresa Feast Day
Next Wednesday, September 4 we will celebrate Mother Teresa Feast Day with a Liturgy, Mini Missions Day and whole school BBQ. Please ensure that you have registered your child, including the payment of $7 for your child to participate in the event through Compass. The proceeds are going towards Catholic Mission and Indigenous Literacy Day.

North Gungahlin Athletics Carnival
Good luck to our students who are representing Mother Teresa at the North Gungahlin Athletics Carnival next Thursday September 5. We know that you will be inspired by our Olympians and Paralympians to strive for your best.

First Reconciliation Retreat Day
This special day, to be held on  Friday 6 September, is for those children who have registered to make this First Reconciliation this year as part of the Holy Spirit Parish. We have approx 50 students involved from Mother Teresa School. Please keep the children and their families in your prayers. Please check you have accepted the events invitation in Compass, released yesterday.

Staffing Arrangements
In line with doctor's orders Ms Carmel Maguire will be on leave for another week. Mrs Julie Douglas will continue in her part time Acting Principal role to support the leadership team with Mr Craig Hart. Carmel is recovering well and is grateful to the staff for ensuring the school continues to run efficiently.

Emergency Contact Updates
Recently we have had some issues in contacting parents, grandparents or listed emergency contacts due to invalid phone numbers. Can parents please ensure that the emergency contacts provided on COMPASS are up to date, including business hours contacts and that contact numbers are in service.

Enrolments
In order to meet the demand for places in Year 1 in 2025 the CE have opened up a fourth class at Mother Teresa School. Many of our grade levels are reaching capacity with families now being placed on a waiting list. Should families know they are leaving, please advise as soon as possible. We have noticed a marked increase in Defence moves this year, especially relocating into Canberra.

Tell Them From Me survey
Thank you to the 111 parents who participated in this years survey. We look forward to reviewing your reflections and suggestions.

God Bless,

Craig Hart & Julie Douglas

Acting Principals

WHOLE SCHOOL FOCUS
The Whole school focus theme for this year is ‘COME HOLY SPIRIT’

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

“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well." Psalm 139:14

PRAYER FOCUS
Thank you to Ms Sadler along with the students in Kinder Rose for presenting a fabulous Prayer Focus on Kindness and Care. They did a terrific job breaking open the meaning of this important value. They shared The Parable of The Lost Sheep. It is a wonderful story told by Jesus to illustrate the love and compassion that God has for every person. The Shepherd showed Kindness and Care. They sang a catchy tune treating everyone with Kindness and Care. A big thank you to all the parents and friends who come along to support the students.

RECONCILIATION 2024
Please pray for our Year 3 teachers and students who are currently preparing for the Sacraments of First Reconciliation. A special reminder to all those students, Peace

Day for Mother Teresa students is Friday 6 September. Parents, please check Compass and send in permission for students to attend. Everyone should have registered their preferred time and date for Reconciliation by now. If you have not please contact me or Mel urgently. Please contact anne.leet@cg.catholic.edu.au or mel.unwin@cg.catholic.edu.au if you have any questions.

St Teresa of Calcutta
School Feast Day Tuesday 4^th September
Liturgy 9:15

Special Guests: Missionaries of Charity and Peter Hade - Catholic Mission
This year we will be doing things a little differently to ensure the true spirit of St Teresa of Calcutta is celebrated in the humble but fun filled way in which she would appreciate.

Please ensure you have paid on Compass and sent an extra $2 in if your child requires an extra sausage.
Teachers will be collecting the money in their classroom. Parents and friends are most welcome to attend the liturgy.

Something to Think About
What makes a ‘good person’?  Who in your life is a really good person?

The Story
In today’s story, the Pharisees and teachers question Jesus because they have seen some of his disciples eating without washing their hands. The rules and processes for hand washing were very complex and were an important part of the Jewish law. Jesus says that it is what comes from within us that really matters. We need to have good hearts, speak kind words, and let our actions match what we say.

Video
Click to watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2TGqnRj5F4?

Peace and Best Wishes,

Anne Leet
Religious Education Co-ordinator

On Mother Teresa’s Feast Day, Kindergarten are holding a Great Book Swap to support the Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF). The ILF provides books and learning resources to children living in remote Communities across Australia. 

We're asking all students (P-6) to donate a pre-loved children’s book in good condition. Books can be anything suitable for P-6 children. Please send these in any time from now and hand to your class teacher. 

On MTS’s Feast Day (Wed 4 Sept), all the children will have an opportunity to choose a book from this large collection to bring home to keep, making it a true 'book swap!' 

A portion of the funds raised on MTS’s Feast Day will go towards the Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF). Feast Day is $7 per child – paid for on Compass – flyer sent out this week. More details to come via Compass. 

If you would like to find out more about the foundation or indeed donate additionally, check out our MTS Book Swap Page! https://edu.greatbookswap.org.au/mtssgreatbookswap

Any queries, please contact Amy Slaven – amy.slaven@cg.catholic.edu.au

Mother Teresa School was excited to celebrate Book Week 2024 with the theme "Reading is Magic!". The Book Week festivities wrapped up with the much-loved Book Week Character Parade, where students and staff alike dressed as their favourite book characters. The day also featured an original teacher play, bringing the magic of stories to life on stage. 

The week was filled with activities designed to spark creativity and a love for reading. A special highlight was the visit from renowned author, Sue Whiting, who shared insights into the writing process and encouraged the budding storytellers among us. Alongside this, students dived into the CBCA shortlisted books, participating in creative responses through art, writing, and performance. The excitement also spread to the school’s colouring competition, where students showcased their artistic skills.

"Book Week isn’t just about dressing up; it’s about fostering a love for literacy that will stay with students for a lifetime."

This term the shop will be operating Wednesday and Friday from 8:45am to 9:15am, with payment by QKR! app and cash. The QKR! by Mastercard app can be dowloaded via Apple or Google store.

Please ensure your car is off the basketball court by 8.50am as we must close and lock the gates for safety. 

Donations of uniforms that have no rips or stains and are freshly washed are always welcome to be dropped off at the front office.

This term our school will be teaching Protective Behaviours to students using current resources from the Daniel Morcombe Curriculum and Education 2 Empower Publishing. We understand the content of Protective Behaviours can be confronting for some students and we are therefore keen to ensure there is an opportunity for families to engage with the contact before lessons are taught. To achieve this an overview of the program is attached and weekly updates will be provided.

Interested in Cheerleading? Want to be part of the team?

MTS Cheer is holding mid-year registrations

‘Come and try’ sessions will be held at Sirens Cheerleaders (1/19 Dacre St, Mitchell):

• Kinder to Year 3 on Monday 2^nd September from 4 – 5.30pm
• Years 4 – 6 on Thursday, 5^th September from 4 – 5.30pm

All MTS students welcome. No experience required.

Contact cheermts@gmail.com for more information.

Water Polo ACT have started up a schools competition.

The competition runs on a Friday night from 6-8:30pm. Students from years 3-6 are eligible to play. Please see the attached flyer for details.

If you are interested please contact kieran.russell@cg.catholic.edu.au