Welcome back to Term 2! I hope the first three days went smoothly for everyone. It was nice to have a few extra days on top of the usual two week break. Congratulations to Stephanie Attard (now Zammit) and Ana Blanco (now Instance) who were both married in the holidays. We also welcome Miss Jennifer Younes who will be taking Kindergarten White while Mrs Melissa Prcevich is on leave.

It has been a busy start to the term. As is now customary, we began the term with our Anzac Ceremony. We are grateful to the Honorary Secretary of St Marys RSL Sub-Branch, Mr Tony Fryer, and Assistant Secretary, Mrs Lesley Ayres, who kindly attended the ceremony. Mr Fryer spoke about the four qualities of the Anzac spirit that has been passed down to us today – courage, endurance, mateship and sacrifice. He emphasised the value of sacrifice and how empathy and the ability to look beyond ourselves will give us the capacity to sacrifice ourselves for others. This is a very important connection that we need to remind ourselves of today. That ability to give to others is increased when we learn to think beyond ourselves and understand the needs of those around us.

Our Year 12 students will be relieved to have had their Half-Yearly exams done and dusted. The HSC timetable has just been released and the girls must now be feeling that the end is in sight. This week they will be attending a two day retreat at Mount Schoenstatt Retreat Centre. It will be a great opportunity for them to unwind, connect with God and spend some time with each other before they embark on the final leg of their school journey.

Band Night is shaping up to be an exciting evening. I have been hearing some of them perform during their rehearsals and have been most impressed with the quality of their performances. Band Night is being held this Saturday night at 7.30pm. I highly recommend coming to watch our girls. Tickets can be purchased using this link: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing?eid=1044743& . Hope to see you there!

Congratulations to the following staff members who were married over the holiday period:

© Stephanie (Year 2 Green Teacher) & Zane Zammit; and

© Ana (Gap Student) & Max Instance

We wish them all the best for their future together. 

Congratulations to:

© Kinga & Marek Grus on the birth of Kinga, sister to Gabriela (6B), Veronika (4B) & Dominik (KG)

© Mary & Elias Kottatis on the birth of Sebastian Louie, brother to Mila (1B)

© Monica & David Collits on the birth of Charlotte Joan, sister to Alice (5B) & Peter (KW) 

© Chloe & Christian Stephens the birth of Paul Augustine, brother to Gianna (3B), Kateri (2G) & Chiara (KG)

Mass

Mass is held Monday to Friday at 12:15pm.  Parents are welcome to attend Mass in the Chapel.

Chapel Visits

Parents are welcome to visit the Chapel from 2:30pm for prayer. 

Confessions

Fr Anthony Khoudair is available for confessions on:

• Tuesdays from 2:45pm to 3:30pm
• Wednesdays from 2:45pm to 3:30pm 

 Fr Felix Navarro is available for confessions on:

• Thursdays from 3:00pm to 3:30pm
• Fridays from 3:00pm to 3:30pm 

Please pray for our sick and injured family and friends:

Ella Muema, mother to Josephine (8) and Nicole (11) Muema; Wilson Arce Filamor, father to Sonia Concepcion (Secondary Teacher), grandfather to Emilia Concepcion (12) and Francesca Filamor (9G); Amelia Acasio, mother to Anne Bernacer (Teacher's Aide) and grandmother to Renae (11) and Regine (9G) Bernacer; AntoineScoulou, grandfather to Mona-Maria Scoulou; Candido Valenton, grandfather to Elyssa (6G), Marcela (1W) & Daniela (KW) Valenton; Benjamin Santiago, father to Agryna (10B); Kathrin Triantoplous mother to Nektaria (12B) & Irene (9B); & Emmanuel Hanna, brother to Cecilia (8B) & Lucia (5B).

Please also remember those who have passed away:

Adele Doko, mother-in-law to Christine Lay (Primary Teacher), grandmother to Amelia (12), Anna (8B) & Elyse (KG); John Russell, grandfather to Emily Di Natale (Secondary Teacher), great grandfather to Isabella Di Natale (KS); Joan Sattler, grandmother to Emilie-Kate Maslak (10); Mary Mallett, grandmother to Angelica (10), Clare (8) & Antonia (4); Rajko Ivanac, Great-Grandfather to Angelina (12B) Adriana (10B) and Natalia (8B) Badrov; Aiyana Cabanero (Yr10 2019), sister to Anthea (12B) & Amara (8B) 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. 

In PARED, we talk about "integral education", the development and growth of the whole person, of which the deepest dimension is that which has to do with God . So, too, for the "true development" of societies, we must address  the deepest dimension, the nub of "true development".

This issue of true development is tackled head on by Pope Benedict XVI, in his  encyclical letter, entitled "Caritas in veritate ("Charity in the Truth"), no. 52,  where he declares: "Truth, and the love which it reveals, cannot be produced: they can only be received as a gift. Their ultimate source is not, and cannot be, mankind, but only God, who is himself Truth and Love. This principle is extremely important for society and for development, since neither can be a purely human product; the vocation to development on the part of individuals and peoples is not based simply on human choice, but is an intrinsic part of a plan that is prior to us and constitutes for all of us a duty to be freely accepted. That which is prior to us and constitutes us — subsistent Love and Truth — shows us what goodness is, and in what our true happiness consists. It shows us the road to true development.

St Josemaria says as much in  his book Furrow, 308: "Religion cannot be separated from life, either in theory, or in daily reality."

And so, as we enter the Easter Season,  we can do so with redoubled optimism & cheerfulness, as we gratefully & prayerfully go about our daily activities, during the holiday break, and then upon returning, for the new school term.

In an effort to teach our students to take personal responsibility and to be accountable for their own items, we have been trying not to have a lost property box at Montgrove for a few years now. 

We kindly ask that all personal items be labelled with your child's surname and first initial, so that any items that are misplaced can be returned to the owner immediately.

In an effort to return items to their owner and minimise the amount of lost property accumulated the following will happen with lost property this term. 

1. There will be a box on the Year 1 Demountable balcony for students and parents to look though. 
2. Each Monday's these items will be taken to the office and the items that have names on them will be returned to students via the office bags. 
3. Anything without names will be kept in the office and parents may come to the office to look through the box. 
4. A few times a term, a table with unclaimed item's will be on carline.   
5. Anything unclaimed at the end of the term will be thrown away or donated.

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.

Year 7 to Year 12

Start:            8:30am

Finish:           3:15pm

• 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. 

Late Arrivals

• Year 7 to 12 students arriving after 8:30am; and  
• Kindergarten to Year 6 students arriving after 8:50am

• Secondary students who arrive after 8:35am; and
• Primary students who arrive after 9:00am.

• The office door will be locked from 9:00am
• Mrs Merriman will unlock it remotely when she sees you
• To enter please wait for the click before pulling the door towards you gently
• If reception is unattended please ring the door bell and a staff member will let you in

Montgrove College invites you and your families to attend our Inaugural Band Night on the 6th of May 2023 at 7:30pm.  Come along for a fantastic night of entertainment provided by our talented students.  

For a sneak peak at what to expect please watch the following short YouTube clips. 

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMTGqRKLgEs 
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUi-8P697UE  

Click on the link below to purchase tickets and secure your spot at this fantastic event.  Be quick as seats are limited!!!

https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing?eid=1044743& 

Drinks and snacks will be available for purchase on the night. 

We look forward to seeing you all there.

Montgrove College warmly invites our beautiful mothers, to attend a Mother's Day Morning Tea & Blessing on Thursday 11th May 2023.

If you could please send your donated gift/s (no money yet) before Thursday, 11th May, with the note that was sent home with your child today.

On the day of the stall, Friday 12th May,please give your child/ren the EXACT money for the number of gifts they are buying in an envelope or CLEAR ziplock bag, with the child’s name and class CLEARLY printed on it.

Welcome to Term 2. I hope you all had a fantastic time with your children during the school holidays.

Thank you to those who attended the holiday rehearsals and especially to the parent-organisers who took time from their busy schedule to rehearse the students. The performances are looking great!

DRESS REHEARSAL 

Wednesday 17th May 

• Primary classes will be watching the dress rehearsal. There will be NO dress rehearsal for the parade, so students who are only joining the parade will come in their national costume on Friday 19th May.

HARMONY DAY PROGRAM

Friday 19th May 2023

• 8:45-9:15am - Mass (NOTE Special time for Mass)
• 9:30-11:00am - Classroom Exhibits – Classes will take turns visiting the classroom displays that the parents will be organizing.
• 11:00 – Whole school Recess
• 11.30 – Parade which will be followed by the Cultural Show. The Audience for the Cultural show will consist of:
• Students from Years 7-12
• Parents and Guests (maximum of 3 tickets to be issued per family @$5/guest)
• 1:00pm – International buffet
• Primary students will bring in a dish from their country to be shared with the class in the classroom.
• Secondary Students and parents are to bring in food to be shared by the secondary students, parents, and guests in the Secondary Undercroft

*** TICKETS will be available a week before Harmony Day ***

Costumes MUST be traditional.  Students may wear an orange shirt or the school uniform if they are not coming in a traditional costume. Jerseys are NOT allowed.

CLASSROOM EXHIBITS & INTERNATIONAL BUFFET

We are still in need of parent-organisers for the classroom exhibits and the international buffet. Please email Vengie Pangilinan at harmonyday@montgrove.nsw.edu.au if you can assist in this area.

• For the Exhibits, you will be in charge of receiving items from parents, and these will be displayed and be talked about when the students visit the different classrooms. It will be a fantastic opportunity for the students to learn more about your country and your culture.
• For the International Buffet, you might want your cultural community to bring individual dishes, or you might opt to contribute financially and one or two persons will order the food for your community. Secondary students will bring in food that will be shared by the high school students, parents, and guests.

Just a friendly reminder that food must NOT contain nuts. For those who cannot bring a dish from their country, you may bring in ‘generic’ food like sandwiches or sausage rolls.

NATIONAL PARADE OF COSTUMES

Below is the list of countries that will be participating in the National Parade of Costumes the day.  If your child is representing a country that is not listed here, would you kindly let me know by emailing harmonyday@montgrove.nsw.edu.au.

A million thanks to all of you for supporting us in making this day a meaningful cultural celebration.

Vengie Pangilinan

Harmony Day Organiser

On Wednesday 26th April 2023, Montgrove College held our annual Anzac Day Service.  Mr Tony Fryer (Honorary Secretary of the St Mary’s RSL Sub Branch) and Mrs Leslie Ayres attended.  Mr Fryer shared with us some beautiful reflections of what Anzac Day means.  

The Challenge aims to encourage a love of reading for leisure and pleasure in students, and to enable them to experience quality literature. It is not a competition but a challenge to each student to read, to read more and to read more widely.

2023 Challenge dates

Students can include any books read from the end of the 2022 challenge on their 2023 reading record. Key dates for the 2023 challenge are:

27 February 2023 - challenge opens for student entries

Friday 18 August 2023 - challenge closes for student entries

The PRC rules have been updated for the 2023 challenge. Students can now include up to 10 choice books on their reading records, and can count 5 books from an approved series as PRC books.

www.premiersreadingchallenge.nsw.edu.au

Any questions regarding the PRC should be directed to sarah.tuballa@montgrove.nsw.edu.au

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. 

On the last day of Term 1, High school was involved in Easter activities run by the Year 11’s and Secondary Student Council.

All the classes showed their competitive spirit in trying to find clues and there were plenty of chocolate eggs to go around.

We hope everyone had a safe and restful break. Happy Easter to all!

We also have another student from Japan coming from 9th August until 18th August. 

If you are interested in hosting this student please contact the office for more information. 

Montgrove College Trading Hours 2023

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.

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 Shop will open in April for Fitting’s & Try On by Appointment Only.

Please Note: No sales or orders will be placed onsite - all orders can only be placed online only.

 All families are able to make their own uniform fitting appointments through our online appointment system by using the below link.

https://Midford.as.me/MontgroveCollege

April Opening Hours By Appointment Only:

Wednesday 12th April 9:00am – 3:00pm Monday 17th April                              9:00am – 3:00pm

Normal Trading Hours resume on Monday 24th April.

Normal Trading Hours are Monday’s 8:30am to 12:30pm Email: montgrove@midford.com.au

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