The Whole School Mass last Thursday was a beautiful celebration for the Feast of the Assumption. Thank you to the staff and volunteers who organised the setting up of the Mass, the flowers and the singing. Everything contributed to the joyful and prayerful atmosphere of the Mass. It was nice to see many parents and families join us for the Mass, and seeing the many people present, I was giving thanks for our growing school community while asking Our Lady to continue to look after us. Last weekend I attended a gathering organised by the Parramatta Diocese for the launch of their Pastoral Plan. As I introduced myself to different people, I was very edified to hear the positive feedback that I received from people who have come in contact with Montgrove families in their parishes or other organisations. We can not underestimate the joy and hope we bring to others by trying to live a life of faith.

The Secondary students enjoyed a variety of activities for Science Week last week. Working in teams, the girls were able to challenge their logic and scientific thinking during lunch time. The week ended with the Year 8 Science Fair. Once again the girls produced some creative and thought provoking projects, that impressed their fellow peers and judges. They covered topics such as the relation between colour and taste, wind turbine design, acidity content of food, autism and gender, and the effect of screens on sleep quality. Well done to all the Year 8 students and congratulations to those students who won prizes: Penny W (1^st), Sienna P (2^nd) , Mikha J (3^rd) and Annabella M (people’s choice). Thank you to the Science Department for a great week.

This week is Book Week and a good opportunity to encourage our children to develop the habit of reading. Wide reading allows them to expand their world and understand more about human experiences. It can increase their sense of wonder and curiosity, and help them gain an appreciation for what is good and beautiful. I hope many of you will be able to join us for Grandparents Day and the Book Week Parade on Friday.

On Thursday we will be reviving an event that has been put on hold for a few years. Some students from Tangara will be coming to Montgrove to join us for some friendly games as they compete for the Tangara v Montgrove Cup. Good luck to all our teams.

As you are aware, we are looking at introducing a private school bus that can service both Montgrove and Wollemi families. We are currently asking families who are interested to send an expression of interest by filling out a form. An email with all the details was sent out to all families in Week 4. The information and link to the form can also be found later in the newsletter. If you are interested, please make sure you fill out the form by this Thursday.

Congratulations to:

• Elena and Joshua Lanzarini on the birth of Grace Maria, sister to Elizabeth (6G) and James (1W); 
• Jessica and Mark Karatovic on the birth of Maria Lucia, sister to Isabella (4B); 
• Amelia and Charles Burfitt on the birth of Lucia Jean, sister to Cecilia (1B);
• Christine and Joseph Chaghouri on the birth of Michael, brother to Antoinette (4G)

 I fondly remember my school days, under the Good Samaritan Sisters and the De La Salle Brothers. I would like to quote some words from one of the patron saints of teachers, St John the Baptist De La Salle, which can be applied, I think profitably,  not only to teachers, but especially to parents: “They must get to know their pupils, and discern the manner in which to act towards them… Some require great mildness, others need to be directed with firmness;… This varied approach must depend upon knowledge and discernment of character… This grace you must beg of God most earnestly, as being one of the most essential for you in the direction of those over whom you have charge.”

St Josemaría, for his part, chimes in, in his book “Furrow”, 575: “Some people listen and want to listen to nothing but the words they carry in their own heads.”  he surely must be underlining the importance of respectful observation, without bias, of each child’s distinctive temperament and behaviour, and careful listening to, among others, the other parent, the mentor and above all to God in prayer.

We can ask the good Lord every day for these blessings upon all who have a hand in the education and formation of all young people.

Please pray for our sick and injured family and friends:

Joshua Gibbons (Yr4 Wollemi), brother to Catherine (7G), Madeline (6B) and Lucas (1W) Gibbons; Gregory Haines, husband to Marina Haines (Mentor); Vengie Pangilinan (Mentor & Diverse Learning teacher); Helen Stanojevic (KG Teacher); Judy Lynch's mother; Carolina Quianzon Alvarez, grandmother to Maria Zamora (12);  Paul Ruhl, uncle to Mary (10G), Clare (8B) and Lucia (7B) Ruhl; Zenaida Oringo, grandmother to Aiesha (Secondary Teacher) & Kara (12) Oringo; Charles Rafanan, father to Jiannah-Marie (8B); Tom Gelevski (PARED Maintenance); Nikita De Souza, girlfriend of Michael Carrington (PARED Maintenance); Fr John Flader, Tangara Priest; Amelia Acasio, grandmother to Renae (12) & Regine (10G) Bernacer; Victor Sciberras, father to Raelene Pirotta (former Registrar); Benjamin Santiago, father to Agryna (11); & Emmanuel Hanna, brother to Cecilia (9B) & Lucia (6G) Hanna.

Please also remember those who have passed away:

Ludenlia Gavera Flordeliza, Great-great Aunt to Mari Bonus (5G); Ruben Oringo, grandfather to Aiesha (Secondary Teacher) & Kara (12) Oringo; Fortunato Meduri, great-grandfather to Alessandra Agius (KW); Melanie Khoury, great-grandmother to Catherine (2B) & Alyssa (KB) Mattar and Adelaide-Rose (3G) & Catilin (KG) Mowad; Dorothy James, grandmother to Eliza (12) and Lucy (7) James; Antonio Singson, grandfather to Marina Fahkry (KS); Jeannette Azzi, grandmother to Maria (7) and Jane (4) Azzi; ReginaldSantos, uncle to Santiago Santos (1G); Peter Ruhl, grandfather to Mary (10), Clare (8) & Lucia (7) Ruhl; Antoine Scoulou, grandfather to Mona-Maria Scoulou (3B); Victor Asdiollo Tuballa, father-in-law to Sarah Tuballa (Religion teacher), grandfather to Charlotte (9B) & Felicity (3G) Tuballa; Priscilla De Leon Yabut, grandmother to Samantha Magat (12); Aurea Ingco, great grandmother to Mila Kottatis (2G); 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. 

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 

Confessions for Families

• Every Saturday from 11:00am to 1:00pm (including school holidays)

Absence forms are done through the Engage Parent Portal and must be completed with 7 days of the last day of the absence. If your child is going to be late please complete the absence form indicating that they will be late and the approximate time of arrival.  Students will be marked present once they arrive at school.  If an absence form is not received you will receive a text message advising that your child is absent and a form has not yet been completed. 

In response to feedback from our parents, and in our effort to support our growing community, Wollemi College and Montgrove College are exploring options to introduce a private school bus that will service as many surrounding suburbs as possible. This service aims to provide a convenient and reliable transportation option for students from both schools.

This initiative is particularly aimed at families who do not have convenient access to public transport or have younger students who are too young to travel alone. Additionally, we are exploring the possibility of including a shuttle service between Wollemi College and Montgrove College as part of the route.

Please note that the included bus design is a mock-up and not the final design.

We Need Your Input!

To determine if there is sufficient interest to make this paid service viable, we kindly ask you to complete a 1-minute survey. Your feedback is crucial in helping us understand your needs and preferences.

Please click the button below to express your interest by Thursday 22nd August, and provide your input:

 EXPRESS YOUR INTEREST HERE

We appreciate your time and look forward to hearing from you. Should you have any questions or need further information, please do not hesitate to reach out to communications@pared.edu.au.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership.

Lourdes Mejia, Montgrove College Principal 

James Ramos, Wollemi College Headmaster

Between the hours of 8:15 and 9:15am and 2:45-3:45 pm all traffic turns left when exiting Montgrove. 

We would like to thank everyone for their assistance in adjusting to the new traffic conditions. The traffic in our carline and along Bringelly Road seems to be flowing more steadily as a result. The feedback has been very positive. 

We would like to take this opportunity to remind parents to please not park your car in the Medical Centre carpark next door or use this area as a pick up or drop off point.  If the Montgrove car park is full please use Oag Crescent and the surrounding streets to park your car. You are able to use the pedestrian crossing on Bringelly Road to safely pick up your children.   

Please join us to celebrate Grandparents Day at Montgrove College

• 9:10am – 9:30am: Kindergarten to Year 2 Book Parade in the front playground
• 9.30am – 10:15am:  School Choirs, Ukulele and Drama Performances in the front playground
• 10:15am – 10:50am: Enjoy Morning Tea prepared and served by some of our students.  Then spend some time outdoors with your grandchild/ren.
• 10:50am – 11:30am: Kindergarten to Year 6 Open Classrooms. Spend some time indoors or outdoors with your grandchild/ren. They can take you on a tour of the school, read a book with you or even show you some of their work.
• 11:30am: Students farewell and thank their grandparents for coming.  Students return to class for normal lessons.

IMPORTANT REMINDER:

• Please DO NOT PARK in the Medical Centre Carpark as this is reserved for their staff and patients. 
• Please park in the Montgrove Carpark and surrounding streets. 

We would like to invite you to our Term 3 Key Parent Function, which is on the important topic of Navigating the Challenges and Opportunities of Fatherhood in the 21st Century. We are very lucky to have the Hon John Anderson AC FTSE coming to address all parents of Kindergarten to Year 12 (please see flyer attached).

The KPF will take place on Thursday, 26 September 2024 in Montgrove's COLA (7pm Registration for a 7:30pm start). Please RSVP using this LINK.

As the Hall will be set up for the Year 12 Graduation, the supper will take place in the Undercroft instead. Could we please ask Montgrove parents of Years 3, 4, 8 and 10 to bring a plate to share for supper afterwards. 

Thank you and we look forward to seeing you there!

Junior Group - Year 4 to 6

• When: Every Monday starting 22nd July 
• Time: 3:30-5:00pm  
• Place: Montgrove Hall
• Dance Teacher: Mildred Yap

High School - Year 7 to 12

• When: Every Friday starting 26th July 
• Time: 3:30-5:00pm 
• Place: Montgrove Hall
• Dance Teacher: Mildred & Andrei Yap

Year 2 had an amazing day up in the mountains! The sun was shining, and we were all thrilled by the beautiful scenery as part of our Geography unit. We climbed lots of steps, shared lots of smiles, and soaked in wonderful stories and delightful scents during our bush walk. We enjoyed a fantastic lunch high in the hills and had tons of fun. Everyone made it back safe, but we were definitely tired from such an exciting day!

The Infants Cross Country for Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 will be held in Week 9 on Wednesday 18th September, starting at 11:30am (weather permitting). 

Kindergarten will run first, then Year 1 followed by Year 2.

The children will need to wear their sports uniforms and hats. They should bring water and wear sunscreen.

You are welcome to come and cheer for your children at this event.

It is a normal school day and students are expected to remain at school after the Cross Country.

Many thanks for your cooperation and we look forward to seeing you.

The Amazing Maths Race was a thrilling event that combined teamwork, competition, and problem-solving, creating a memorable experience for all involved. The students' enjoyment was palpable as they worked together to solve challenges and raced to different 'countries' to find the correct answers. The interactive format, which included running between locations, kept energy levels high and made the event engaging.

'My favourite part was working with my classmates and the satisfying feeling of finding the answers,' shared one student. While most students felt involved throughout the race, a few found the more challenging questions discouraging. However, the event's competitive nature and well-explained format kept motivation strong. 'The introductions made the game engaging,' noted another participant. In addition to having fun, many students learned new mathematical strategies and improved their problem-solving skills. One student mentioned, 'The incursion helped me think outside the box to find better solutions.'

Overall, The Amazing Maths Race was a resounding success, showing that combining physical activity with learning can create an engaging and enjoyable educational experience. 

Till the next race!

Students from Years 8-10 took part in the Interschool Chess Competition held from May to August this year. Montgrove College had a Junior Team (Year 8) and an Intermediate Team (Years 9-10).

Students took part in home matches and away matches playing against nearby local schools such as Wollemi College, Kingswood, Penrith Anglican School, Cranebrook as well as against schools a distance away such as Blue Mountains Grammar. While the 2 teams lost a few matches and won a few, they played with enthusiasm and perseverance.

Thank you to the parents who transported teams to various schools on Friday afternoons.

Congratulations to all the players who will receive a Chess Certificate later this month.

Do you live in Glenwood, Baulkham Hills, Bella Vista, Quakers Hill and surrounding areas or on route to Montgrove and Wollemi Colleges. We are also able to do transfers between Montgrove and Wollemi.

Our driver has his RMS Driver Authority and completed his Working with Children checks.

Reliable Service at competitive prices.  There are currently spots available so call now and register your children.

Shokr Yassa 0411 575 782

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

As announced at the end of Term 3, our school has partnered with Edstart to facilitate the payment of your school fees. 

The deadline for setting up an Edstart Plus account has already passed. If you have not already set up your account, please do so as soon as possible by visiting edstart.com.au/pared – it only takes a few minutes to create your account. The friendly Edstart customer success team will be able to assist you should you have any questions, you can contact them at 1300 139 445 or contact@edstart.com.au.

From 2023, 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