Despite the wet weather in the morning, the Cross Country went ahead with a small delay for the Primary students. The girls showed plenty of grit as they battled through 2, 3, 4 or 6 laps of the school. Although it was a demanding task for many, it was good to see the girls enjoy the sense of achievement after they completed their races.

Congratulations to our Year 11 House Captains who were badged at our last Whole School Assembly: Marion Lugod (Brindabella), Charlotte Aldous (Diamantina), Adelaide Mackenzie (Menindee) and Francesca Filamor (Tanami).  We also announced our Year 6 House Leaders at the Primary Assembly. Congratulations to Elise Jordan (Brindabella), Madeline Bolton (Diamantina), Sehaj Tung (Menindee)  and Elizabeth Grus (Tanami). I wish them all the best of luck in their new roles and look forward to seeing their initiatives throughout the year.

Today marks the 100^th anniversary of St Josemaria’s priestly ordination. Today could be a good day to pray for our chaplains and to entrust our special intentions to St Josemaria. We continue to pray for all those who are sick or going through a difficult time, especially little Raphaella Roberts – sister of Anna (Yr 12) and Azaliah (Yr 2). Thank you to all those who have been supporting the family with their prayers and practical assistance.

Lent is a time for spiritual renewal. There is often an emphasis on ‘doing without’ or offering sacrifices, but taking time out for reflection is also a great way to strengthen our relationship with God and to prepare ourselves for Easter. For those who would like to participate, there will be a Lenten Retreat for Women held here at Montgrove on Saturday 5^th April (details can be found later in this newsletter).

For our dads, there is also a special event being held at Redfield College focusing on the important role of fathers. There will be a series of presentations and time for reflection: Strong and Present – For Fathers Event | Pared Foundation. All dads are welcome to sign up and attend.

Congratulations to the following Montgrove families who have recently welcomed a new baby to their family:

On Thursday 20th March our Year 6 House Leaders for 2025 were announced.  Congratulations to:

• Elise Jordan - Brindabella 
• Madeline Bolton - Diamantina
• Sehaj Tung - Menindee 
• Elizabeth Grus - Tanami 

On Thursday 20th February our 2025 Primary Class Representatives were announced.  Congratulations to: 

Year 3 Blue

• Emily-Tresa Joseph

Year 3 Green

• Miya McGrath

Year 4 Blue

• Clarice Chen

Year 4 Green 

• Sofia Grus

Year 5 Blue

• Samara Sarza

Year 5 Green

• Gabrielle Centeno

Just over two years ago, I was fortunate enough to be on pilgrimage in the Holy Land, visiting the Basilica of the Annunciation, in Nazareth! I now go there “in spirit”, to pause before one of the side chapels. It was precisely there that I was quite stunned to find myself faced with the statue of the Virgin Mary, which represents her as setting off “in haste”, as St Luke tells us, just after the Annunciation, joyfully on her way to visiting her cousin Elizabeth. As Blessed Alvaro once pointed out, hers was to be a three day, rather rough and tiring journey, until she would arrive at ‘Ain Karim, the town where she was to stay for three months, until the birth of St John the Baptist. She no doubt spent the whole time turning her service into prayerfulness, and her prayerfulness into service.

As I write this, on the Feast of the Annunciation this year, it strikes me as a beautiful depiction of the “pilgrims of hope” that Pope Francis has signalled as the theme for this Jubilee Year of 2025. Now, as we move towards yet another Easter, the fact that Mary was at that time around 15 years of age, which is the age of a good number of high school students, shows that we should not wait for old age to try to be holy, although, even if that were to happen, it is never too late to make a new start.

Please pray for Isabella Tutton (1S Teacher) and Kristina Saoullis (KW Teacher) who have made the wonderful decision to get baptised into the Catholic Church this Easter. The sacramental ceremony will be held at the Easter Saturday Vigil Mass at 6:30pm at Saint Nicholas of Myra Church, Penrith.

All are welcome to attend! We wish them the best as they embark on this journey in their faith!

Please pray for our sick and injured family and friends:

Simon Elbayeh, father to Olivia (7G); Regine Bernacer(11B) daughter to Anne Bernacer (Formation team); Raphaella Roberts, sibling to Anna (12) & Azaliah (2G) Roberts, cousin to Seraphia (9B), Miriam (7B), Jacinta (5B), Danielle (3B) and Joseph (1S) Karam; Joshua Gibbons (Yr5 Wollemi), brother to Catherine (8B) & Madeleine (7B) Gibbons; Easter Nasayao-Montenegro, aunt to Lael Nasayao (4B); Lucy Bates, sister to Sarah Tuballa (Librarian and Religion teacher), aunty to Charlotte (10B) & Felicity (4B) Tuballa; Walter Daniel Valenton, uncle to Elyssa (8G), Marcela (3B) and Daniela (3B) Valenton; Vengie Pangilinan (Former teacher); Helen Stanojevic (KG Teacher); & Emmanuel Hanna, brother to Cecilia (10B) & Lucia (7G) Hanna.

Please also remember those who have passed away:

Bruce Kilpatrick, father to Julie Blazevic (school secretary), grandfather to Lisa Blazevic (library assistant) & great grandfather to Thylane Djurdjevic (2B); Benjamin Santiago, father to Agryna (12); Craig Walsh Jr, Uncle to Paula Catt (6B); Craig Walsh Snr Grandfather to Paula Catt (6B); Aiyana Cabanero (Yr10 2019) sister to Amara (9) Cabanero.

If you would like to add any intentions to the Prayer Board, please send them to melanie.merriman@montgrove.nsw.edu.au. Please also let Melanie know when your intentions can be removed. 

A Pandora bracelet has been handed into the office that was found in the Montgrove carpark.  If you believe this is yours, please see Mrs Merriman in the office.  

Siblings of current students are given priority during the enrolment process.  If you would like to submit an application for your son/daughter in Kindergarten 2026 please register via this form and an application form will be emailed directly to you.  Students enrolling in Kindergarten must have turned 5 years by March 31 of the year that they are to start school.

Those who have already submitted Kindergarten 2026 applications previously, there is no action required from you at this stage. This is just a reminder email for any current families who intend to but have not yet applied.

Please note that the Enrolment Acceptance Fee is now $200 for all families and that current families applying for Kindergarten places for 2026 onwards will be subject to a school readiness assessment prior to their child's year of entry. 

If you have any questions please contact our Enrolments Team enrol@montgrove.nsw.edu.au or call (02) 4749 4714. We look forward to assisting you in your enrolment journey.

Kindergarten to Year 6

Start:            8:50am

Finish:           3:00pm

Kindergarten and Year 1 students may be picked up at 2:45pm from their classroom. Please note that this is only applicable for parents who ONLY have children in Kindergarten and Year 1.

Kindergarten to Year 6 students arriving after 8:50am will be required to sign in at the office.

Year 7 to Year 12

Start:            8:30am

Finish:           3:15pm

Year 7 to 12 students arriving after 8:30am will be required to sign in at the office.

• If you have children in both Kindergarten and/or Year 1 AND a primary student, please collect them after 3:00pm. 
• If you have children in both Primary and Secondary school please collect them between 3:15pm and 3.30pm. 

SAVE THE DATE!

The 2025 School Photos will be held on Thursday 10th April 2025.     

On Photo day, please ensure that:

• Students wear full summer uniform with shoes polished
• Hair which is shoulder length or longer must be tied back
• Top knots and multiple braids are not acceptable
• Ribbons and hair accessories must be in school colours
• Any jewellery worn to school must be in line with school policy
• Girls are NOT permitted to wear makeup
• This applies to class photos as well as individual portraits

HOW TO ORDER PHOTO PACKAGES AND SIBLING PHOTOS

To reduce administration and potential security issues related to the return of cash and envelopes on photo day, orders for packages and sibling photographs will need to be placed securely online at www.advancedlife.com.au using our school’s unique 9 digit advanced order code. 

Step 1:  Go to www.advancedlife.com.au

Step 2:  Enter school code ZHR 8VP K65 in the “order and download box”.  This will take you to the school’s secure online ordering site. 

Step 3:  Click on “Order Photos” and complete your details.  During this process you can place orders for additional children and sibling photos.   

Step 4:  Pay for your photos using Visa, Mastercard, PayPal or Latitude Pay

PLEASE NOTE:

• Portrait and group package orders can be ordered online right up until photo day
• Sibling Photos must be pre-ordered online up to 24 hours before photo day.
  • Sibling photographs will only be taken if an order has been placed.
  • Only students enrolled at Montgrove can be included in the sibling photo.
• A Late fee will be applied to each package purchased after photo day due to the additional cost of producing these packages separately.

We do have a small number of envelopes available at reception for those families who are unable to order online.  Should you wish to purchase using an envelope, these can be collected from the office no later than Monday 31st March 2025.

Should you have any queries concerning school photographs or online ordering, please direct them via email to enquiries@advancedlife.com.au

On St Patrick's Day students were invited to celebrate the day by wearing something green.  In addition to this Year 7 held a Bake Sale to raise funds for the Chapel.

Absence forms are done through the Engage Parent Portal. The Engage Parent Portal allows you to access your children's reports, complete absence forms and see your account details for both Wollemi & Montgrove. You would have already received your username and password earlier in the year.

St Marys RSL sub-Branch, wish to invite families from Montgrove College to join the annual ANZAC Dawn Service Commemoration to be conducted at the Guns War Memorial in the grounds of St Marys Diggers Club Ltd, corner Hall Street and Mamre Road, St Marys on Friday 25th April.  Pre-Service videos will commence by 4.30am with the actual Service to commence at 5.00am.

The Service will occur within the open car park area of St Marys Diggers Club.  Parking within the Club grounds may be limited so that early arrival is recommended.  If medical assistance is required while at the Service, we have requested St John Ambulance to attend.

The NSW Premier's Reading Challenge is now open and Montgrove College is excited to be participating!

What is the NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge?

The PRC is a statewide Challenge that encourages students to develop a love of reading for leisure and pleasure in students and enables them to experience quality literature. It is not a competition, but a challenge to encourage each student to read, to read more, and to read more widely.

All students who complete the challenge and have their reading record validated by the school’s PRC coordinator will receive a certificate signed by the Premier of NSW.

How many books do students need to read?

Students in Kindergarten to Year 2 are challenged to read or experience 30 books. 20 of these books must be from the relevant Challenge booklists, and up to 10 books can be personal choice books. Books can be read with a parent, carer, teacher or another student. 

Students in Year 3 to Year 10 are challenged to read 20 books independently. At least 10 of these books must be from the relevant Challenge booklists, and up to 10 books can be personal choice books.

If a book is from an approved PRC series, students can enter up to 5 books as Challenge books, and can read up to 10 other books from the same series as Personal Choice books. More information on the rules of the Challenge can be found on the PRC website.

Books must be added to a student’s online reading record by Friday 22 August 2025 in order for their reading record to be validated and receive a certificate.

How do students log their reading?

Students can access the PRC’s Student Experience site using their DoE username and password, or can log into the site via the Student Portal. A video guide explaining how to use the Student Experience site can be found here. All students have been given their login details. 

How can students find books on the NSW PRC challenge lists?

Montgrove College library has a wide variety of titles on the NSW PRC.  In addition to our selection, Penrith City Library also has an extensive selection of PRC titles.

Sarah Tuballa

PRC Coordinator at Montgrove College

On Thursday 13th and Friday 14th March 2025, our Year 6 classes travelled to Canberra for an educational tour of the national capital. Students were given the opportunity to participate in a variety of educational programs with a focus on Australia’s history, culture, heritage and democracy. During their time there, they visited Mt Ainslie, both Old and New Parliament Houses to explore the way our government is run, cast votes during their own preferential election at the Electoral Commission Office and went back in time to visit the ANZAC soldiers at the War Memorial. There was also a special night time outing that you can read about below in the students' reports.

The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion the Australian Government contributes funding of $30 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program towards those costs. The rebate is paid directly to the school upon completion of the excursion.

Read on below to learn about what Year 6 thought of their excursion - it sounds like they had a fabulous time!

Canberra Excursion - Alexandra G

On Thursday the 13th of March 2025, Year 6 went on a two day trip to Canberra! The day started bright and early at 5:45am at Montgrove. The ride to Canberra started at 6:00am sharp, while we waved bye to our parents and started the three hour journey to Australia’s Capital City. We had various activities spreading from Parliament House to Questacon. On our bus ride we had breathtaking views and lots of memories!

Day 1

The bus ride to Canberra!

We were filled with joy and happiness as we entered the three hour bus trip to Canberra. We created lots of memories with each other, while enjoying the breathtaking views of Lake George! We passed through foggy areas and our altitude was 267 metres high! We had lots of fun and laughter singing, while we created tons of memories with each other! We had a pit stop halfway for morning tea on top of a hill. After a few hours, we arrived at Parliament House!

Parliament House!

We arrived at the new Parliament House with lots of amazement. We toured around  by our two tour guides walking through the two houses of Parliament, The House of Representatives and the Senate. We saw the portraits of all the Prime Ministers and we even saw a copy of the original Magna Carta! We were astonished by how the setup of the two houses looked, but also how detailed they were! Fun fact: you would never expect that the Parliament House would have 12 kitchens and a whole entire swimming pool! The last activity at Parliament House was acting out as if we were politicians in the House of Representatives. We all had special roles, playing a part of our role play. We sadly only had two hours at Parliament House and we headed on the bus to the Australian War Memorial. We had a short lunch at the Rose Gardens next to the Old Parliament House. 

Australian War Memorial!

We walked along special corridors as we got split into four groups, as we saw astonishing guns, bombs, and uniforms from the world wars. Our tour guide Nika showed us around the memorial, she shared sad stories about the war in remembrance of all the soldiers that fought in the war. We entered through the Hall of Memory in silence as we saw the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. All curious, walking past all the poppies in honour of the soldiers. The site was immaculate with all glittery tiles against the wall surrounding the grave and even the special photo of the senator. 

Mt Ainslie!

After the War Memorial, we headed to the top of Mt Ainslie. Sadly, due to a storm we couldn’t go outside and admire the setup of Canberra. 

National Capital Exhibition!

While the storm hit Canberra, we had some fun at the National Capital Exhibition. It had interesting games and activities we competed in. We made our own Capital city with blocks, trees and mini figurines using the map of Canberra. With our view of Lake Burley Griffin, it helped us map out and use our surroundings to  make our own Capital city. The National Capital Exhibition taught us about the layout of Canberra and how Canberra was made. 

Ibis Styles Hotel!

Ibis Styles was the hotel we stayed at for the night. We had limited time at Ibis Styles, especially when we headed to Questacon. We had dinner and got ready to have some fun at Questacon! 

Questacon!

Our excitement built up as we entered the building of QUESTACON! We had loads of fun building legos and adding our creations to the lego city! We had a lego duck area and we made a tower of duck legos which was one of my favourites! We were amazed by the human sized legos and all the history of lego. We did various activities like seeing bees make honey, science experiments and mind challenges that made our minds fizz! Our favourite activity of all was the two storey high gravity drop slide!!! It was about 9 pm as we finished off and headed to Ibis Styles to rest for another big day ahead of us!

Day 2

Australian electoral education centre!

Our first activity of Day 2 was the Electoral Education Centre where we had some interactive games on the TV! We learnt about democracy and how our nation federated. The main favourite activity was voting and holding an election for our favourite fruits, they ranged from peach, apple, orange or banana and peach won! We had loads of fun acting as if we were in a real election and doing the ballot box. 

St Christopher’s Cathedral!

Soon after, we took a drive to St Christopher’s cathedral as we had a special midday mass to thank God for blessing us on our journey to Canberra. We admired the Cathedral as we headed off to have lunch at the Rose Gardens. 

Bus ride back home!

We had loads of fun, laughter and memories in our capital city, Canberra! Sadly, we had to head home back to school to rest after two days in Canberra, with lots of stories to tell to our families! On our way back we sang lots, and talked about all of our favourite activities as we soon hit one of our favourite places McDONALDS!

Ending with lots of memories, we had lots of fun in Australia’s capital city. We hope to come back soon, as we have shared memories with each other! We had many adventures looking at our New Australian Parliament house, Questacon, St Christopher’s Cathedral and many more to share with our families. Year 6 stayed overnight at Ibis Styles and we hope to see Canberra once again. We wrapped up our two day camp at McDonalds as we made it back to school to our parents.

On Friday of Week 5, our 2025 Student Council held their first gathering of many. Beautifully led by our captains Maya and Clarissa and assisted by Mrs Grobler, it was a memorable afternoon. Students arrived at the Hall and were met with pizza to congratulate them for achieving their representative position. Soon after eating, the workshop was underway! Ranging from hectic icebreakers to useful tips on how to be an effective leader, it was most certainly a very advantageous workshop. But of course, the highlight was when our newly elected House Captains went head to head in a pillow fighting game which taught everyone the significance of proper communication.

All in all, it was a thrilling learning experience that solidified the foundations for a great Student Council year ahead. We would like to extend our gratitude to our School Captains for facilitating and organising the workshop, as well as Mrs Grobler for supervising and helping. 

In Week 7, a group of Year 11 and Year 12 Physics students accompanied by Miss Isip and Mrs Grobler, had the incredible opportunity to attend the World Engineering Day event at RAAF Base Richmond. This informative and engaging excursion allowed students to explore various STEM fields, with presentations from both military and civilian professionals showcasing cutting-edge projects and careers in Engineering.

Students enjoyed displays, a simulation of a live airdrop test, insights into ADF careers, and a chance to step aboard the Herculus C-130 aircraft!  Getting up close to this iconic military transport plane was an unforgettable experience for all.

The excursion was both educational and inspiring, leaving students with a deeper appreciation for the world of Engineering and Technology. A big thank you to the organisers for this fantastic opportunity!

Mrs Grobler

• Lessons during class time for infants and primary students.  Before school lessons for secondary (or after school at a nearby private studio)
• Beginner to advanced levels taught
• Two optional student recitals held each year at the Joan Sutherland Centre
• AMEB piano and music theory examinations offered
• Teacher is accredited and a full member of the NSW Music Teacher’s Association

Every dad wants to be there for his family, but it’s not always clear how to do it best. Take a day to pause, reflect, and reconnect with what truly matters.

Fatherhood isn’t about being perfect—
it’s about being present.

For more information: Growing Hearts for Fathers

BOOK NOW TO ATTEND

Montgrove College Trading Hours 2024

Mondays: 8:30am to 12:30pm

Ordering online couldn’t be simpler.

 Go to www.midford.com.au

1. Select Montgrove College from the online School Shops tab.
2. New users to click the ‘Register New Account’ button.
3. Start the registration process by selecting Montgrove College from the drop-down menu and add Montgrove unique school pass phrase: Montgrove2007
4. Add your personal information, create a username and password.
5. Order the items you need, select pick up from the uniform shop on Monday's or option of home delivery.

NOTE: Choosing home delivery is the fastest way of receiving your orders and home delivery is free for all orders over $50.

Please book appointments through our online appointment system by using the below link.  https://Midford.as.me/MontgroveCollege

For enquiries please email: montgrove@midford.com.au

Montgrove College Uniform Fitting Range Service will be open in the school holidays for fitting appointments and try on Services only.  No Sales or Orders will be placed on site. All orders are to be placed online only.  

If you’ve placed your order by Wednesday 7th April, your order will be ready for collection on Monday 14th between 11:00 am - 2:00 pm.  (School Holiday schedule hours only)

Orders placed after the 8th of April will be ready for collection on Monday 19th of April between 10:00am - 11:30am when the school returns.

Extended Term 2 Trading Hours  

• Monday 14th April: 9:00am-12:00pm 
• Wednesday 23rd April: 9:00am-3:00pm

The uniform shop will return to normal hours on Monday 28th April.

Date: Sunday 30th March

Time: 2:00-4:00pm 

Place: O'Brien Residence (see WhatsApp for Address)

Contact: Lucy O'Brien (0412 747 262)

All school fees must be paid via your Edstart account where you can opt for weekly, monthly, fortnightly, termly, or annual instalments. Pared will no longer accept direct payments.

As part of our commitment to parents, Montgrove will absorb the administrative fees for your Edstart Plus service, so that this service is free for families to use.

Edstart is a leading provider of payment and technology services for the education sector and currently works with thousands of parents at over 600 schools around Australia, with a key focus on providing personalised service for each family.

What are the benefits of partnering with Edstart?

1. Flexibility:

Edstart provides families with more options and greater flexibility when it comes to paying school fees, at no additional cost. For example, with an Edstart Plus account:

• Choose your preferred day for when payments are made

• Spread your payments over your preferred time frame during the school year

• Option to pay via direct debit, debit/credit card or BPay

• During difficult times, families can be offered flexible payment schedules

• Adjust your payments at any time

2. Paperless & secure:

●      Payment Information will be submitted and stored through Edstart’s secure online platform, so families can be assured of data security.

●      Direct debit forms no longer need to be printed. 

3. Customer Service:

●      Edstart provides Pared parents with a dedicated customer service team who can promptly respond to queries and questions over the phone, email or through their website’s live chat function.

If you haven't already, please set up your Edstart account online at edstart.com.au/pared.

1. PARED will issue the Invoice / Fee Account Statement once by week 2 of every Term 1, 2, 3 and 4.
2. This Invoice includes: Tuition Fees, Curriculum and Technology Levy (CTL) and Building Levy only.
3. The Pared Schools have partnered with Edstart to provide more flexibility and choice with your school fee payments. All school fees must be paid via your Edstart account where you can opt for weekly, monthly, fortnightly, termly, or annual instalments.
4. As it occurs, PARED will issue separate invoices for activities other than those in Item 2 above.  This will include major camps, major excursions, certain elective co-curricular expenses, band program, elective music software,  loss of or damage to laptop, PDHPE workbook, school diary, etc. 
5. These should also be paid via your Edstart account