“Frame your mind to mirth and merriment, which bars a thousand harms and lengthens life” – William Shakespeare

What a fabulous performance by the girls at last week’s Shakespeare Evening. Their interpretation of scenes from A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Much Ado About Nothing showcased their talent and displayed a real understanding of the two plays. The girls had us thoroughly entertained throughout the evening. It was also lovely to have some of our alumnae from the Class of 2024 involved with the production. A big thankyou to Mrs Ryan, Miss McCarthy and Mrs di Natale for all their hard work in directing the girls and organising the evening.

The students have been having some great wins in both the sport and public speaking front. Congratulations to our Triathlon and Cross Country Teams for their performances at the Hills Zone Competitions. Our Triathlon Team won the Secondary Girls trophy and the Cross Country Team had a good number advancing to AICES. Congratulations also to Amelia G (Yr 11) and Summer A (Yr 8) who both represented Hills Zone at the AICES Netball Carnival, and Raphaelle C (Yr 12) and Madeleine J (Yr 11), who were both selected to compete in the CIS Basketball Championship. These are fantastic achievements!

In public speaking, Anastasia V (Yr 8) and Mikha J (Yr 9) competed in the Regional finals of Rostrum Voice of Youth, with Mikha being awarded runner-up. The mock trial team also had a very convincing win against Marsden High School.

I hope you found the topics that were addressed at the Key Parent Function very useful. As I went around the different groups, I could see people deep in discussion, which was a good sign. Thank you to our facilitators and the Formation Team for all the work they put into preparing and presenting the topics. They spent a considerable amount time sourcing the stimulus material and discussion questions and it could be worthwhile to keep these resources for future reference.

During this month of May, the students have been doing their pilgrimages, filling their prayers with many special intentions. As a special treat for the Jubilee Year, the older students went to the Shrine of the Holy Innocents in Kellyville. They enjoyed their pilgrimage to the Shrine and wanted to take full advantage of the special graces of the Jubilee Year.

We continue to pray for the Dowsett family. Thank you to all those who helped with the funeral and fellowship lunch on Monday. Your prayers and support are very much appreciated.

The Year 7 to 10 half-yearly exams are fast approaching and the girls have been busy preparing for them. Our school counsellor, Mrs Kelly Allen, has been visiting each of the classes to give the girls some tips on how to balance their study while looking after their wellbeing. You can find a few tips later in this newsletter that you can use to help your daughters.

Congratulations to the following students who have recently received Principal's Awards

• The Infants Orchy went to Alessio Fekos for noticing that another student was struggling to pack his school bag and stopped to help.
• The Primary Monty went to Remma Issa for helping another student who had tripped over and offering her a soft toy to comfort her. 

Congratulations to

• Mary-Dem (Enrolments) and Alexander Campbell on the birth of Xavier John brother to Anastasia (5G) and Jacinta (KB)

Please pray for our sick and injured family and friends:

Cecilia Obeid (5G), sister to Clare (4G) & Lucy (2G); 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:

JamieDowsett, father to Marcus (KG); Argyna Santiago (Class of 2025); Bruce Kilpatrick, father to Julie Blazevic (school secretary), grandfather to Lisa Djurdjevic (library assistant) & great grandfather to Thylane Djurdjevic (2B); Benjamin Santiago, father to Argyna (Class of 2025); Aiyana Cabanero (Yr10 2019) sister to Amara (10) 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. 

Pope Leo XIV, at last Sunday’s Regina Caeli prayer, in St Peter’s Square, declared: “How many conflicts there are in the world!” He had previously quoted Pope Francis’ description of this world situation as a “piecemeal third world war”, and then added: “I entrust a heartfelt appeal to the [Blessed Virgin Mary, the Queen of Peace, so that she may present it to the Lord Jesus, to obtain for us the miracle of peace.”

In view of the above, I would like to recall here what St Josemaría recommended, in “Furrow”, no. 874: “Holy Mary is the Queen of peace, and thus the Church invokes her. So, when your soul or your family are troubled, or things go wrong at work, in society or between nations, cry out to her without ceasing. Call to her by this title: ‘Queen of peace, pray for us’. Have you at least tried it when you have lost your calm?… —You will be surprised at its immediate effect.”

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.

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. We kindly ask that you do not collect any students from the Year 2 to 6 classrooms.

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. 

Kindergarten to Year 6

• Students arriving after 8:50am need to have their name recorded at the office.
• An Engage Late Arrival note needs to be completed for students arriving after 9:00am. 

Year 7 to 12

• Students arriving after 8:30am need to have their name recorded at the office. 
• An Engage Late Arrival note needs to be completed for students arriving after 8:35am. 

Parents are reminded of their responsibility to ensure students are dressed in the correct school uniform each day, including sports days.  Montgrove has a summer and winter uniform which are worn during the different terms. 

In Term 2 and 3 students are to wear the Winter Uniform

Winter Uniform

Boys

• Long Sleeve shirt
• School Tie
• Shorts
• Knee-length socks
• Navy Pullover

 Girls - Kindergarten to Year 6 

• Long sleeved white shirt - peter pan collar
• Checked Winter tunic with bow tie
• Navy-blue tights 
• Navy Pullover
• Blazers (Years 2-6)
• Straw Hat (Years 2-6)

 Girls - Year 6 to Year 12

• Long sleeved white shirt - pointed collar
• Checked Winter skirt
• School Tie
• Navy-blue tights 
• Navy Pullover
• Blazer
• Straw Hat 

Sports Uniform

Kindergarten to Year 1

• Infants Sports Polo Shirt
• Track pants
• V-neck sloppy joe

Girls - Year 2 to Year 12

• House Polo Shirt
• Microfiber Navy Shorts
• Microfiber Navy Pants
• Microfiber Jacket

Band Night 2025 is fast approaching, and our students are well into their preparations for the evening. Please save the date and we hope to see you there! More details to come.

Thank you to all the beautiful volunteers who helped on Friday morning. A special thanks to Mal Weber, who is dedicated to making sure all students at Montgrove have a gift for their Mums. Hope you all had a Happy Mother’s Day and enjoyed your gifts! 

On Thursday 8th May 2025, we held our Annual Mother's Day Blessing and Morning Tea.  It was so wonderful to see an ever growing number of mums and grandmothers join us for this special occasion.  They were treated to wonderful performances by our Drama and Ukelele groups and a beautiful slide show put together by our primary classes. 

Thankyou to our Year 6 students who provided and served morning tea and Cecilia Hanna and Julia Sukkar from Year 10 for taking photos.

The AISNSW are hosting an art competition open to students in K-12. Students are invited to create an artwork using the theme “Teachers: Empowering every student to shine”. Montgrove is eligible to enter 2 artworks from Primary (K-6) and High School (7-12. For a chance to enter your artwork, submit your entry by Week 8, Friday 20th June 2025 to Mrs Lianne Guevarra. Please visit this link for more information.

For other inquiries about the art competitions, please contact Mrs Lianne Guevarra, Head of CAPA (lianne.guevarra@montgrove.nsw.edu.au)

Staedtler’s Secondary School Artists of the Year Competition is coming soon and open to Year 7 to 12 students. For more information, please visit this link.

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

Last Friday, Montgrove College hosted Penrith Christian School for an exciting round of debating. The topic up for discussion was "That school assemblies should be banned." Both our Affirmative and Negative teams did a fantastic job representing our school.

The Affirmative team argued confidently and clearly, presenting well-structured points supported by solid reasoning and examples. Their strong case convinced the adjudicator, securing them a well-deserved win.

Our Negative team also performed exceptionally well, especially when it came to rebuttals. Although they narrowly missed out on the win, their ability to challenge the opposing case and respond under pressure was highly impressive—particularly for a first debate of the season.

What stood out most was the preparation and teamwork shown by all the students. From drafting speeches to anticipating counterarguments, their commitment was evident. The Montgrove students also demonstrated warm hospitality, hosting Penrith Christian School with grace and excellent manners.

Well done to all involved—this was a promising start to the season, and we look forward to many more debates ahead!

Our next debate is on Friday 16th May and we are travelling to Amity College, Prestons.  

On Tuesday 20th May, a group of Year 5 girls held a bake sale for students in Years 2 to 4.  It was a fantastic stall enjoyed by all and $322.05 was raised to go towards our new Chapel.  

Thankyou to Cecila Farah, Clare Le Grand, Antoinette Chaghouri, Catherine Armour, Lucy Powell, Jacinta Karam, Mary-Jean Japon and Hannah Justin for organising this event.

📝 Supporting Your Child During Exams: Tips for Parents

Years 7-10 will be sitting their Half-Yearly Exams in Week 6, and we know it can be a challenging time for students and families alike. Your support can make all the difference! Here are some simple, effective ways to help your child feel prepared, confident, and calm during this period:

📚 Create the Right Environment

• Set up a quiet, clutter-free and a distinct space for studying.
• Establish a consistent daily routine with time for study, rest, meals, and sleep.

🗓️ Support with Time Management

• Help your child make a revision timetable and stick to it. Block out times for non-negotiable events, e.g. there may be a family party/event one weekend and study times could be arranged around this.
• Specific revision goals rather than trying to study for an entire subject.
• Encourage them to prioritise their most challenging topics first, when they're most alert.

🥦 Encourage Healthy Habits

• Provide nutritious meals and snacks to fuel the brain.
• Prioritize 8–10 hours of sleep and regular physical activity.
• Avoid excessive screen time and late-night cramming.

💬 Be Emotionally Supportive

• Check in regularly—listen, reassure, and stay positive.
• Celebrate effort, not just results. Remind them that mistakes are part of learning.
• Look out for signs of stress and don’t hesitate to seek support if needed.

📣 Stay Positive & Involved

• Avoid adding pressure—stay encouraging and calm.
• Know the exam schedule and help your child stay organised.
• Keep in touch with teachers and mentors if you have concerns.

The exam schedule will be released shortly and together we can help students approach exams with resilience and confidence.

Other resources for your reference:

https://headspace.org.au/explore-topics/for-young-people/prepare-for-exams/

https://www.youthcentral.vic.gov.au/study/studying-and-exams/top-10-exam-tips

https://www.raisingteenagers.com.au/high-school-exam-support-tips-for-parents/ 

https://kidshelpline.com.au/parents/issues/helping-kids-cope-exam-stress-0 

On Tuesday 13th May the Montgrove Mock Trial team competed against Mardsen High in Round 2 of the Law Society Mock Trial competition. The civil case centered on a slip-and-fall incident at a Westfield food court, with Montgrove representing the Plaintiff.  The team delivered an outstanding performance, securing both the case win and valuable points for the round.

On Monday 12th May 2025, Anastasia Vu Nguyen (8) and Mikha Joseph (9) competed in the ROSTRUM Voice of Youth Reginal Finals.  Both girls spoke very well and represented Montgrove wonderfully.  

Mikha was awarded Runner Up in her division. 

Congratulations Anastasia and Mikha.

This term, our Secondary students are participating in an Interhouse Sports Competition. A fun and energetic way to foster house spirit and encourage friendly rivalry among students.

The competition began with Volleyball, and it’s been a fantastic start to the term! Students have embraced the challenge, showing great teamwork, sportsmanship, and enthusiasm, both on the court and from the sidelines. The atmosphere has been filled with excitement, with plenty of cheering and some impressive rallies in each game. 

In Week 1, our junior teams took to the court, with Tanami and Brindabella claiming the wins. Week 2 saw our senior teams compete, with victories going to Tanami once again and Menindee.

Well done to all houses for their participation so far, we look forward to seeing more great moments as the competition continues!

Clare Bolton

During last term, Amelia G (Year 11) and Summer A (Year 8) showcased their talent at the highly competitive Hillszone Netball trials, earning selection into the HZSA Open Girls and U15s Netball teams, respectively.

The AICES Netball Carnivals were held at Netball Central, Olympic Park, with the Opens competition taking place on Tuesday, 29th April, followed by the U15s on Wednesday, 30th April. Throughout the event, the HZSA teams faced off against strong representative sides from across various AICES zones.

Both the Opens and U15s HZSA teams performed exceptionally well, finishing the competition in 2nd place overall. This is a fantastic accomplishment for HZSA and Montgrove. A big congratulations to Amelia and Summer for their dedication and impressive efforts!

On Tuesday, 13th May, Montgrove College proudly participated in the NSW Schools Netball Cup, with teams representing Years 7&8 and Years 9&10.

Although it was the first time either team had played together, both groups showed impressive teamwork and determination. Competing against some very strong schools, each team managed to secure a well-deserved win throughout the day.

The girls had a fantastic time, enjoying the challenge and camaraderie, and truly appreciated the opportunity to represent Montgrove on the court.

A special thank you goes to Amelia G and Mary R in Year 11 for generously giving their time to umpire on the day, your support was greatly appreciated!

Congratulations to all involved for your effort, enthusiasm, and school spirit!

On Monday, 19th May, Madeleine J (Yr 11) and Raphaelle C (Yr 12) were selected to join a Barbarians team to compete at the CIS Basketball Championship trials. The girls competed on a team with students from other associations and their selection was a result of their outstanding performance at the AICES Carnival earlier last term.

The CIS Championship trials are a high-level competition, and both girls did exceptionally well to represent Montgrove on the day. Congratulations to Madeleine and Raphaelle on this fantastic achievement.

• 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

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.

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