It was good to see many of our parents at the Key Parent Function last Tuesday evening. As information and communication technologies continue to develop and enter more areas of our lives, it is important to reflect on how we can help our children not just to be safe online, but also how they can form positive habits in the use of technology. The digital space is just as much a place where we need to remember the virtues as any other aspect of our lives. Our speaker, Trent Ray, spoke about the importance of parents having regular conversations with their children about their digital habits, and gave advice on training them to be more responsible in their technology use. Not to be underestimated is the influence our own digital habits have on our children, having a family digital plan and making sure our digital use doesn’t encroach on family time.

What an enjoyable time we had on Harmony Day! It really was a wonderful occasion for the school to get together and appreciate the great variety of cultures and backgrounds in our school community. The joy that comes from sharing and learning from others’ lives was evident throughout the day. When we make that effort to expand our heart and look beyond ourselves we can be, as St Josemaria used to say, ‘sowers of peace and joy’. We can all contribute to making our world a more harmonious place.

A huge thank you to Mrs Vengie Pangilinan for coordinating so many aspects of the day, and to all our parent volunteers who helped with the stalls, international buffet and preparing the students for their cultural performances. I am sure the students will treasure these moments of their school life when they look back in years to come.

We welcome Miss Yasmin Kaballan, who is starting as the classroom teacher for Year 6 Green, replacing Ms Musa. We are looking forward to having her on our staff and wish her all the best for a great start here at Montgrove.

Congratulations to our Cross Country team who ran so well at the Hills Zone Cross Country on 23 May. We had a team of about 60 girls from Primary and Secondary. Both teams gave their all and had an incredibly successful day. Montgrove was awarded the Primary Girls Champion School (tied with Tangara) for the most points in the Primary age groups. We were also awarded Secondary Best Performed School, which is based on points and the size of the school. Well done to the students who placed in their races. Somtochi Igbojiaku came 1st in 18 years age group, and Wing Li came 2nd in the 9 years age group. Somtochi also competed in AICES and came 6th, qualifying for CIS Cross Country. We wish her and the 9 Primary girls who were selected for CIS the best of luck this coming Thursday.

On Wednesday 14 June, it will be our youngest Montgrove students’ turn to test their mettle at the K-2 Cross Country, which will be held at the school. Parents are welcome to come and support our little champions as they lap around the top and bottom ovals.

Parents are also invited to our Eucharistic Procession, which will be held on Friday 16 June at 9.30am. This is also the feast day of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and a good opportunity to thank Our Lord for wanting to be with us and for the blessings he gives to each of us and our families.

Congratulations to:

© Jolene & Sean Reynolds on the birth of Gabriel, brother to Abagail (6B)

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all the prayers and support before, during and after Ella’s surgery. We are incredibly grateful for the kindness, generosity and affection shown to us in various ways towards Ella’s recovery and the wellbeing of our family. May Our Lord reward you and your families abundantly. 

Muema Family

You're Invited!

You, your family and friends are cordially invited to attend Holy Mass in honour of St Josemaria Escriva, Founder of Opus Dei. People residing in the NSW will have the option to attend Masses at Sydney CBD, Penrith and Canberra. Please refer to more details here:

PENRITH

WHEN: 7:30 PM, Thursday 22 June 2023

WHERE: St Nicholas of Myra, 326 High Street, Penrith NSW 2750. 

Principal Celebrant: Mgr Victor Martinez

Confessions start at 6.30 pm.

Parking is available in the parish carpark as well as on the street.

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 

** Unfortunately there will be NO confessions for parents on Wednesday 21st June from 2:45pm to 3:30pm ** 

Please pray for our sick and injured family and friends:

Raphael Burfitt, brother to Cecilia (KG); 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:

Josip Blazevic, father-in-law to Julie Blazevic (School Secretary/PA), grandfather to Tatijana Blazevic (11) & Erika Trivarelli (9B) and great-grandfather to Thylane Djurdjevic (KS); Mariam Challita, grandmother to Jacinta (11), Maria (9) & Michaela (8) Challita; 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 his “Letter to Families”, 1994, Pope John Paul II alerted us to what is still a present-day, worldwide situation:

“…our society, which certainly contains many positive aspects on the material and cultural level… is a society which is sick and is creating profound distortions in man. Why is this happening? The reason is that our society has broken away from the full truth about man, from the truth about what man and woman really are as persons. Thus, it cannot adequately comprehend the real meaning of the gift of persons in marriage, responsible love at the service of fatherhood and motherhood, and the true grandeur of procreation and education. Is it an exaggeration to say that the mass media, if they are not guided by sound ethical principles, fail to serve the truth in its fundamental dimension? This is the real drama: the modern means of social communication are tempted to manipulate the message, thereby falsifying the truth about man. Human beings are not the same thing as the images proposed in advertising and shown by the modern mass media. They are much more, in their physical and psychic unity, as composites of soul and body, as persons. They are much more because of their vocation to love…”

In his book “Furrow”, 318, St Josemaría goes on putting out this challenge: “Children of God at the very heart of society, of the world, have to let their virtues shine out ‘like lamps in the darkness’ (2Pet 1:19)”.

In the light of the above, and especially when we pray the Rosary, we can ask Mary, Help of Christians and Patroness of Australia, as we do each year, on her feast day, to inspire wisdom in the leaders and integrity in the citizens.

There have been quite a few cases of influenza and COVID over the recent weeks at Montgrove. In the interest of the health of our students and staff, we kindly ask that you keep your children at home if they are unwell or displaying any cold and flu symptoms.

Please encourage your children to wash their hands frequently with soap and water and not to share food and drink.

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 through. 
2. Each Monday 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

Many medications are now available in a form which minimises or eliminates the need to provide students with medication during the school day.  If this is not possible, medication should be brought to the office in its original packaging which displays the prescription instructions together with a signed note providing permission for office staff to administer the medication. 

Medication should be dropped off and collected by a parent.

On Tuesday, 30th May, we had our joint KPF with Wollemi College on Helping our Children to Thrive in the Digital World.  A good number of parents commented that the session was excellent and provided a lot of practical information on how to raise responsible, courageous and empathetic digital citizens.

One message that Trent Ray reiterated is that knowledge is power! Parents and educators need to be aware of the digital environment in which young people operate, in order to choose settings on apps that ensure childrens safety and well-being. He emphasised that technology should be a regular topic of conversation between parents and their children. 

In line with this, the CyberSafety Project is offering a special discount ($22.50) to the parents and staff of Montgrove and Wollemi, to sign up to the Family Hub. This will give 12-months access to the following resources:

• Parent and Guardian Webinars: 4 sessions (30 mins each), which covers important topics to assist parents and educators to understand current digital trends.
• The Whole Family Workshop: 6 modules, which can be done by parents with their children, teaching cyber safe skills and establishing healthy digital habits.

We encourage all parents and educators, especially those who were not able to make it to last night's KPF, to take advantage of this deal, to upskill themselves in this important area. 

To sign up, please register on this link, which will be available for one week: https://www.trybooking.com/CIRTD

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

Thankyou to all the parents who supported Harmony Day. It was a huge success! Everyone had a great day celebrating our fabulous cultural diversity at Montgrove College. It was beautiful to see the students show pride in their culture and also embrace other cultures - the true essence of Harmony Day. We are fortunate to have a multicultural community that can showcase the different cultures in our midst. People went home with a full stomach and a full heart!

Thank you and congratulations to all the students who participated in the parade and in all the performances. People commented on the high standard of all the performances.

Thank you to the staff and teachers who assisted in making the day run smoothly.

Please join me in thanking and congratulating the following organisers who helped with the performances, the exhibits, and the international buffet.

And to all the unsung heroes who helped unnoticed, we are most grateful.

Till the next Harmony Day!

Signing out now…

Vengie Pangilinan

Harmony Day Organiser

PERFORMANCE ORGANISERS

• China – Anna Yu
• Choir - Aiesha Oringo
• Croatia - Angelina Badrov, Sanja Surkic
• India - Lincy Joseph, Sandeep Kaur, Neha Jimmy, Shinta Jimmy, Sheeja Aji
• Indonesia - Ella Muema
• Ireland – Marian Seecy, Rose Lynch
• Korea – Jennifer Chae, Heejin Kim
• Lebanon – Paula Morched, Karen Sukkar, Souraya Challita, Lydia Elias, Christine Chaghouri, Alison Farah
• Malta – Anne Portelli, Lucy Ciapparra
• New Zealand – Lovine Devine, Sarah Aldous
• Philippines – Anne Bernacer
• Poland – Pola and Margaret Romanowska
• Spain – Catherine Mendoza, Valeria Vargas
• Spanish costumes - Anna Mierzanowski, Gabriela Grus, Lola Tabone

EXHIBIT ORGANISERS

• Malta - Alice Cassar, Raelene Pirotta, Christine Rodricks, Rebecca Spiteri
• Philippines – Giah Bernadino, Anika Bernadino, Nhem Rhoncesvalles, Edester Williamson, Des Cacho, Christine Besa, Marianne Deveza, Anne Bernacer, Regine Bernacer
• Lebanon - Paula Morched, Karen Sukkar, Souraya Challita,  Lydia Elias and Rita Obeid.
• Croatia – Angelina Badrov; Lara Pavkovic, Isabella Trinajstic
• India – Lincy Joseph, Asha Petson, Kukku Jis, Anu Rajagopalan, Sherin Jobin, Roshni Prince
• Vietnam - Taylor Dong
• Spain - Catherine Mendoza, Anna Instance, Valeria Vargas
• Poland – Tomasz and Margaret Romanowska

SCHOOL DECORATIONS

• Teresa Ruhl
• Ana Instance
• Vielle Marquez
• Jahziel Obliga
• Mikha Joseph
• Minna Joseph
• Ibrat Gill
• Regine Bernacer

INTERNATIONAL BUFFET

• Coy Tapang
• Herg Lay
• Jeff Bernacer
• Bianca Yee
• Sherlyn Chin

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 Thursday 1st June Montgrove College had 5 students attend the AICES Cross Country at the Sydney International Equestrian Centre. All the girls did a fantastic job, showing outstanding perseverance and determination as they ran with some extremely competitive athletes in each of their age groups.

Congratulations to the following girls for their outstanding effect and representing Montgrove College.

• Sophia Johansson
• Hanna Romanowska
• Mia Hanson
• Trinity Centeno
• Somtochi Igbojiaku

Well done to Somtochi Igbojiaku who placed 6th in the 6000m 18 years Girl’s race and has progressed through to the CIS Cross Country Carnival which will be held on Thursday 8th June at the Sydney International Equestrian Centre. Wishing Somtochi and our 9 primary students who will also be attending this event the best of luck.

We received two school awards for the day:  

1. Primary Girls Champion School (tied 1st place with Tangara).  To get this award we had the most points combined in the primary age groups.
2. Secondary Best Performed School (awarded to schools based on their points and size of the school - as we are a smaller school it is harder for us to receive some of the bigger awards, therefore the Best Performed School recognises school achievements based on their size).

• Somtochi Igbokiaku (Year 12) 1st place age champion.  Not only did she run 6km in under 26mins. She overlapped a number of the 18 year old male runners, and completely overlapped at least 1 other female 18 year old runner.   Quite an impressive effort.
• Wing Li (Year 3) 2nd place age champion.

• Somtochi Igbokiaku
• Trinity Centeno
• Mia Hanson
• Sophia Johansson
• Hanna Romanowska 
   

• Wing Li
• Clara Chircop
• Elizabeth Gil
• Sophia Zhang
• Bethany Turner
• Maryann Instance
• Chloe Leggatt
• Nicole Nuwamanya

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. 

Children’s Sacraments 2023

Confirmation: Sunday 12th November 10:00AM

Sessions:     

• 30th July (Registration& 1st Session);
• 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th August;
• 3rd, 10th,17th, 24th September;
• 8th, 15th 22nd, 29th October;
• 5th November (Rehearsal)

Eligibility:

Children who are in Year 6 and above, received the Sacrament of Baptism, Reconciliation & First Holy Communion are eligible to be enrolled in the Sacrament of Confirmation.

Please bring a copy of your Baptism & First Holy Communion Certificate at registration.

All Sessions are compulsory and are to be attended by the child accompanied by their parent/guardian.

Sessions are held on Sunday after 10:00am Mass (around 11:30am) in the parish hall. If you cannot attend a session; please inform Father and he will schedule a make-up session.

Further information and details will be provided at registration. For any additional information please call the Parish office on 4721 4080 or email parish@stjosephskingswood.org or kingswood@parracatholic.org

Pared families have the opportunity to participate in a Holy Land pilgrimage organised by Terra Dei Tours in 2024. You should have all received an email during the Easter holidays about this proposed pilgrimage. Demand already has been strong so don't miss out on registering your interest by clicking here. More details can be found by clicking the pdf flyer below.

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: online@midford.com.au

The year 3 girls had a fantastic turn out for the Dad’s and Daughter’s walk today.

We are glad and thankful for all the Dad’s who made the effort to spend today with their girls.

Thank you
Maricar and Robert Centeno

Kindy Green and Kindy White Mum's are invited to attend dinner: 

Date: Saturday 17th June 2023

Time: 6:00pm 

Place: Poppi Tino, Caddens Corner

RSVP: Clare 0424 155 084 or Jess 0423 132 158 by Tuesday June 13.

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