What a special occasion it was to have the Prelate of Opus Dei come to visit our school. It was beautiful to see the Prelate taking an interest in our school and giving his full attention to each person that he met during his visit. His prayerfulness and devotion when he crowned Our Lady was something that will forever be engraved in my memory. There are some beautiful photos of his visit and an article on his visit later in this newsletter.

I asked the Prelate whether he had any message that he wanted to pass on to the school, and his advice was that we should always be joyful. Even if there are difficulties, we can still have joy. If we are not happy, we can ask for more faith, and joy will return to us, because we can always be joyful.

We had a perfect day for Grandparents’ Day last week. Thank you to the staff and all the students who performed on the day. Special thanks to Trish Warda who carried the day and was MC in my absence. Thank you also to Miss Isip and Year 6 for taking care of the catering.

The Science Fair was another great success. All the girls should be congratulated for the effort they put into each one of the projects. It was great to see the variety of projects and the amount of thought and effort that went into each one. I hope the girls continue to be inspired to develop their STEM skills in the future.

The HSC Creative Arts students have had a big week. The Year 12 Drama girls completed the performance section of their HSC last Friday. The Year 12 Music students will be doing their HSC performances on Tuesday next week. We were treated with a preview of the Music performances this week and I think everyone was impressed with the quality of each performance. We were equally impressed with the HSC Visual Arts major works which were also on display that evening. We wish our HSC Creative Arts students all the best and continue to support them with our prayers. 

Wishing all our dads a wonderful Father’s Day this Sunday! And I look forward to seeing some of you at our Father’s Day afternoon tea on Monday.

Congratulations to: 

• Jessica and Nathan Quan on the birth of Mariel Rose, sister to Isaac (1G) and Jordan (KW)
• Mary and Alexander Campbell on the birth of Zara, sister to Anastasia (3)
• Geraldine and Leon Ortega on the birth of Rosalie, sister to Marie (3)

Congratulations to the following students on receiving the Principal's Award at our recent Infants and Primary assemblies: 

• Lucia Ruhl (6B) for jumping in to help a child who had been unwell in the classroom;
• Reema Issa (1B) for picking up papers and encouraging others to do the same, and helping to keep the toilets tidy; 
• Charles Weber (KW) for cheerfully greeting his teachers and putting out the lunch tubs without being asked to. 

Montgrove College will be holding Doctrinal Classes on the Sacraments in the Montgrove Cottage during Terms 3 and 4. They will go for 1 hour commencing at 9am and will be presented by Fr Anthony Khoudair (School Chaplain).

It will be a series of 5 classes and the dates and topics are as follows:

• Wednesday 23rd August - Sacraments, Nature & Necessity of Sacraments - Grace
• Wednesday 13th September - Baptism & Confirmation
• Wednesday 11th October - Holy Eucharist
• Wednesday 8th November - Penance & Anointing of the sick
• Wednesday 22nd November - Marriage & Holy Orders

For any enquires and to RSVP please contact Melissa Japon or Cat Abacum

RSVP: Friday 18th August with your name and contact number

On Tuesday 22nd August we honoured by a visit from the Prelate of Opus Dei,  Mgr Fernando Ocariz.

He was surely pleased and impressed by the good behaviour of all who welcomed him. We can be sure of a special place in his thoughts and prayers; and, as some of our youngest pupils assured him, the feeling and goodwill is mutual.

As the feasts of the Birthday of Mary and the Triumph of the Cross approach in September, we can remember some words of St Josemaría, in Furrow, 995: "A Christian always triumphs through the Cross, through his self-renunciation, because he allows God’s omnipotence to act."

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:

Igor Mileusnic, uncle to Olivia Giles (2B); Priscilla De Leon-Yabut, grandmother to Stephanie (12) and Samantha (11) Magat; Raphael Burfitt, brother to Cecilia (KG); Amelia Acasio, mother to Anne Bernacer (Teacher's Aide) and grandmother to Renae (11) and Regine (9G) Bernacer; 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:

Andrew Serge, family friend to Sophia (5G) and Matthew Piscopo (1B); Ryan Jackson, brother to Adam Jackson (KS); Brian McLaughlan, grandfather to Tahnae McLaughlan (Yr3 Teacher), Patricia Pacho, grandmother to Pio Platon (KG); Wilson Arce Filamor, father to Sonia Concepcion (Secondary Teacher), grandfather to Emilia Concepcion (12) and Francesca Filamor (9G); Michael Farah, grandfather to Maria (9G), Grace (7G), Rose (6B), Cecilia (3B) and Elijah Farah (1W);  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); Aiyana Cabanero (Yr10 2019), sister to Anthea (12) & Amara (8) 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. 

Car Park

• Please DO NOT PARK in the Medical Centre car park next door
• Students ARE NOT TO BE collected from the back gate or Quigg Place - Use the front carpark only. 
• Children are NOT to be left unattended in cars in the car park.
• Please park your car in a parking spot - DO NOT use the car park as a “kiss and drop area”
• Please DO NOT stop or park your car on the pedestrian crossing to let children out of the car
• Please use the car park pedestrian crossing to take children to and from parked cars.
• The large fig tree and surrounding garden in the carpark is out of bounds at all times.  Could you please ensure that you do not allow your children to play around the base of the tree or climb in it.   Please also do not park here.  This is both for the safety of your children and the health of the tree.
• We have 2 disabled spots in the car park, these spots are on either side of the Fig tree. We request that you please only park in the marked disabled spots if you currently hold and display a valid disabled parking permit

General

• For the safety of our students, parents, staff and visitors please remember that the speed limit in all parts of the car park and driveways is 5 km/h at all times. 
• All children up to the age of 7 must be seated in an approved child booster seat.
• When you are dropping off your child/ren please do so in either the drop off zone, or park your car in a designated car space.
• If you are dropping your child/ren off before 8.15am, please remind them that they are to stay seated at the main gate

Could any current parents with a child turning 5 years before the 31st March 2025,  and who have not yet submitted the application form for Kindergarten in 2025, please register via this form to be emailed the link for the online Application Form.  Those born in January, February and March will be assessed to determine their school readiness. If you are unsure if you have already submitted an Application Form, please contact enrol@montgrove.nsw.edu.au 

IMPORTANT NOTICE: If the Enrolment Form for a 2025 sibling has not been received by the end of November 2023, a place at Montgrove will not be guaranteed. 

An invitation to Wollemi and Montgrove Dads.

Wollemi would like to extend an invitation to our Wollemi and Montgrove fathers to join us at a Dads’ Night on Friday 15 September at 6 pm here at Wollemi.

This night will be an opportunity for dads to come together and enjoy a meal, beer and one another's company.  

Montgrove would like to extend an invitation to our Montgrove and Wollemi mothers to join us for a Mums' Night as follows:

What: Spring Celebration!  

Where: Montgrove College Hall

When: Saturday 16th September 2023

Time: 8:00-10:00pm

Come dressed in your favourite spring outfit and come for a night of good food and good fun with great company! Karaoke, games and lucky door prizes to be won!

Please RSVP by Saturday 9th September via this form. 

On Tuesday 22nd August, Monsignor Fernando Ocáriz, the Prelate of Opus Dei visited Montgrove College, as part of his Pastoral Trip to Australia and New Zealand. Upon arrival, he was greeted by the enthusiastic cries and excited waves of the Infants and Primary students who had lined the entrance to welcome him. At the Front Office, he signed the guest book and met Montgrove’s first principal and deputy, Mrs. Haines and Mrs. Edminston. Afterwards, he made his way to the Chapel, where he spent some time in prayer. Then, in front of the COLA, he was met with a surprise – 14 students from Kindy and Year 1 who greeted him in Spanish: ¡Buenas tardes Padre! ¡Bienvenido a Montgrove! ¿Como esta? Two students then gave him each an Orchy bear, wearing the Montgrove uniform.  Fr Fernando was delighted, and told him that he would pray for them, and asked them to pray for him too.

Afterwards, Fr Fernando proceeded to the Secondary area, where Years 5 - 12 were gathered around the Shrine. The Year 11 and 12 captains led the ceremony to crown Our Lady, as that day was the feast of the Queenship of Mary. The choir led the singing, as Fr Fernando placed a beautiful crown of beads and flowers on the statue of Our Lady. It was a symbol to show our gratitude for Mary’s motherly protection and to ask her to continue to draw us closer to her Son, Jesus. Fr Fernando was then presented with a sketch of Our Lady in the Shrine. He was then led to the Undercroft, where he was treated to a Montgrove tradition, a ukulele performance. 

His visit to Montgrove was capped with a brief meeting with the Class Parents in the Hall. Fr Fernando thanked them for all the work they do for the school, and reminded them that collaborating in the education of their children is both a responsibility, and an opportunity to be grateful for. He said that through all their efforts, they can show the families of Montgrove that they are not alone, and that there is always someone to accompany them through the ups and downs of raising children. He then gave them his blessing.

Although his visit lasted only 45 minutes, we were able to experience his genuine interest and concern for the work done at Montgrove. Fr Fernando surely keeps Montgrove families and staff in his prayers, and we would like to support him with our prayers as well.

We would like to thank all those who collaborated in preparing the visit of Fr Fernando to Montgrove College. A special thanks to: Mrs. Charisse Filamor for providing the flowers on the day, to Ilana Lapid (class of 2020) and her parents Cindy and Ian who made the beautiful crown for Our Lady, to Mrs. Raelene Pirotta for making the Orchy bears, to Mrs. Lauren Issa for preparing the choir, and to May Cook (Year 10) for doing the sketch of Our Lady in the Shrine.   

Kristine Malabanan

Head of Formation

Last August 28, the Montgrove Dance Crew had its first Open Day class! We have some amazing dancers already!  It is not too late to sign up and secure a spot for your daughter! MDC Registration Form

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 occasion, when your child arrives at school late or is picked up early due to an appointment or other reason, you will be required to fill in the 01 Absence, Late arrival or Early Departure form on Engage on the day of their early departure/late arrival.

If you need to pick up your child(ren) up for an appointment that can’t be arranged outside of school hours, we kindly request for you not come during recess (10:15-10:30 for Secondary & 10:55-11:25am for Primary) or lunch (12:45-1:30pm) as it is difficult to get messages to students on the playground. 

We also kindly ask that you arrive at school with enough time before you need to leave the school premises with your child, so that we can have time to call their classroom and arrange for them to come to the office. Students will only be called to come down to the office once a parent or guardian arrives. 

If your child is attending a morning appointment, you may receive an absence text message.  Please disregard this message as their presence at school will be amended once they arrive at school (and you have submitted the absence form). 

From the 14th to the 18th of August, Montgrove College participated in National Science Week, an Australia wide celebration of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths! The theme for this year was Innovation: Powering Future Industries, focusing on the technological advancements in today’s society. Secondary students took part in numerous science-filled activities each day presenting opportunities for students to win some science pins and key chains.

Science Week kicked off with a paper plane competition. Tuesday saw the girls making balloon powered rockets, focusing on Newton’s Laws of Motion. The Science lab got wet on Wednesday as students made their very own water pumps. Thursday began with an extremely competitive Science Quiz and finished with binary bracelet making, using binary codes to spell out initials. And on Friday, the moment all primary and secondary students were waiting for-- the Science Fair!

From 9 to 11am, students from Year 8 and 10 showcased their STEM spirit at the Cola for the whole school to see. The girls conducted their own experiments from various areas of science, and paired it with eye-catching display boards, videos and models. Judges from different universities and schools were invited to Montgrove to view the innovative experiments conducted by each student. It was clear that the cohort had put effort into their practical investigations, and it was a joy to see so many students taking an interest in STEM.

2023 was a truly memorable experience for Montgrove College. We can’t wait to see what next year’s science week brings!

Maria Z (Year 11 House Captain)

On the 18th of August 2023, Montgrove College held the annual Science Fair Competition for Years 8 and 10, which saw a wide variety of different science projects. Multiple judges attended the event, including lecturers from Western Sydney University and Penrith Lakes Environmental Education Centre. Students were nervous after so much time was devoted to their projects, but everyone presented excellently. After an exciting 2 hours at the Science Fair, visitors' votes and judges' opinions were gathered to determine the winners of the Science Fair Competition. 

The Year 8 winner of the Science Fair was Mia H, who observed bacteria growth on different surfaces. She tested multiple items, including things that were used by the public such as coins or shopping trolleys. The Year 10 winner was Maya H, who compared the effectiveness of 24hr disinfectants on tables compared to UV light.

Congratulations to all the participants and winners of the 2023 Montgrove Science Fair!

Stage 4 

• 1st - Mia H 
• 2nd - Mariah S
• 3rd - Neha A 
• People’s choice - Eloise R

Stage 5 

• 1st - Maya H 
• 2nd - Raphaelle C 
• 3rd - Claire V 
• People’s choice - Rica T

We would also like to show our gratitude to the Science Department for providing us with resources for our projects, as well as their unwavering support throughout the Science Fair preparation. Furthermore, we would also like to thank all the students who put in so much effort to create their science projects and presented their ideas so enthusiastically.

Mia H and Maya H

• Dustin at dustin.uyeda@wollemi.nsw.edu.au or
• Jacob at jacob.berryman@wollemi.nsw.edu.au

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

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