Around the School 

YEAR 4M

First Eucharist

Noel   On the day of the First Eucharist, we were given stoles with bread and wine designs, necklaces with the Holy Communion, and everyone was wearing special clothing. At Mass, we read the readings. I was nervous, but I did it perfectly and was proud of myself. Then came the time to receive Jesus’ body. I stood up, slowly walked towards Father Jerome, bowed, put my hands up, ate the host, and blessed myself.

Pearl   On Sunday, I had my First Eucharist. In the morning, I put my dress on and got my hair done before we went to church. I got to wear a stole and a medal. Then we went to church and I received the Body of Christ. After church, we took photos with Father Jerome, and he blessed my rosary beads. I had an amazing time.

Austin   I got to the church dressed in my tie, white shirt, blue pants, and jacket. The teachers gave me a necklace for free and let me borrow a stole. When I got into the church, I genuflected and sat in my seat. After a couple of readings and songs, I walked up to Father and received the bread. After my First Eucharist, I had a couple of photos with my whole family (all 11 of us). Then I chose to drive in my uncle’s and aunty’s car to a restaurant called "L’Olivo" that served pizza, pasta, and tapas. At the restaurant, I had a Hawaiian pizza.

Max   Before having my First Eucharist, I had breakfast with my family, then we got ready to leave for Mass. I read the first Prayer of the Faithful and after that, I received the Body of Christ.

April   On Sunday we wore a stole and a necklace. After getting into the church, I sat with my family. When we received the Holy Eucharist, I went back to my seat and prayed. After Mass, we took a group photo together, and I even got a photo with Father Jerome. Afterward, we went to Alma Park for a picnic. Lots of people came so we could all enjoy the delicious chocolate mud cake and some Pepsi.

Francesca   Before we went to Mass, I got ready by putting my dress on and getting my hair done in a bun with a plait. When we arrived at church, we were given a stole and a very pretty necklace. We walked up the aisle and Father Jerome gave us the Body of Christ and we said “Amen.” We all walked back down the aisle and went home to have lots of celebrations.

Atharv   When we were learning about the First Eucharist, Father Jerome told us lots of interesting facts—like what to do after receiving the Body of Christ. When he says “The Body of Christ,” you say “Amen,” and the host goes straight into your mouth. Otherwise, Father Jerome will chase you—which would be embarrassing!

Rory   On the day of the Eucharist, I was nervous and excited. When I got there, I saw everyone in their fancy outfits. Mrs Perri handed me a white stole and a golden Eucharist necklace. We got our photos taken and headed to the church. We genuflected beside our seats and the Mass began. The first reading was read and then it was time for my Prayer of the Faithful. Then I received the Body of Christ. I felt special and holy, and I can’t wait until I do my second Eucharist.

Thomas   On Sunday, most of Year Four made their First Holy Eucharist. We walked into the church with our hands together and quietly walked down the aisle to our seats. We all genuflected, blessed ourselves, and then sat down. First, we listened to some readings. I read a sequence and then other students read the Prayers of the Faithful. After we all received the Body of Christ, we had some more hymns, and then we went outside to get our medals blessed by Father Jerome.

Alyssa   On Sunday morning, I woke up with excitement because I was making my First Eucharist. I got ready straight away and headed to the church. All of us slowly walked into the church where our families were waiting in their seats. I read the last Prayer of the Faithful about all the people who had died and were listed in our bulletin. Then we received the Body of Christ. I loved the day.

Braxson   On the day of the Eucharist, at the start of Mass, Olivia and I carried the wine up to Father Jerome. After I had my First Eucharist, we went to the pub for a nice meal and had a cake for dessert.

Stonnington Kindergarten

Pearl  We went to Stonnington Kindergarten. It was so much fun. We got to play with all the little kinder kids. I played with Francis and Olive. We read them stories, did some paintings, and played with the ducks.

Atharv   The kindergarten children were so little, so we were gentle and not so loud. We felt like we were being role models. We were teaching them new languages, reading them stories, and playing with them. In the end, I was upset because I had to leave my new friend, but we will visit again soon.

Rory   When we arrived at the kindergarten, I saw lots of cute and nervous toddlers. I didn’t know who I wanted to be buddies with because they were all so cute. I decided to work with Francesca and Athira. We chose Lulu as our buddy. She was so tiny and cute. We played on the swings and fed the ducks, which she loved because she was laughing a lot. Inside, Lulu wanted to play with the puzzles. She was so good at them, but they were quite hard. With Lulu’s help, we managed to complete one. Just as we were about to read a book to her, it was time to pack up. I was so sad we had to leave, but I know if we go back, we’ll have a blast again!

Anthony L   At the kindergarten, we got to teach the small students and kindly play with them. I loved going to the fun kindergarten.

Thomas All of Year Four went to Stonnington Kindergarten so we could learn what it feels like to have a buddy. Atharv and I got a toddler named Leo. First, we played inside with Leo using magnetic tiles. After that, we went outside and played basketball. Then Leo wanted to go on the seesaw. He showed us the ducks, and we got to feed them. When you feed the ducks, it feels like a little snip.

Amelia   We arrived at Stonnington Kindergarten and were put into groups. I worked with Pearl, and we found two sweet girls named Frances and Olive. We played with them, fed the ducks, made Mrs McDonald an amazing pizza, and read them a story. We went inside and made a beautiful painting, drew on the whiteboard, and played with kinetic sand. Then the worst part came—leaving. Sadly, we said goodbye to our buddies.

Alyssa   Last week we went to Stonnington Kindergarten and it was amazing. We were split into two different groups—one started outside and the other started inside. I had two kindergarten buddies. Their names were Mayla and Leilani. My favourite part had to be feeding the ducks, but I thought the duck would eat my finger! Luckily it didn’t. I was sad when we had to go, and so were my buddies.

Braxson   At Stonnington Kindergarten, I had a buddy. I played outside with him and fed the ducks. We kicked the footy together.

Mareena   We went to the local kindergarten. It was fun. Some of the kinder students will be coming to St Mary’s next year. We hope we can see them one more time.

Anthony B   When we went to the kindergarten, we played with the little kids and enjoyed ourselves. We got to feed ducks, play basketball, and go into the sandpit. We also played in the dirt pit. The kids were very kind. It was fun talking to them about school.

St Mary’s College Science Lab

Noel   At the Science Lab, we experimented with magnets and tested the shape of the magnetic field. We played a game called “Magnetic or Not?” We had to find which objects were magnetic and which were not.

Anthony L   At the big Science Lab, we have been learning about force and magnets. We happily strolled to the lab, looking for lots of things that are magnetic. We also flung toy cars from strong slingshots to test force. I learnt that gold is not magnetic and that iron filings exist. You can get iron filings from certain types of iron and even extract them from red sand using a magnet. Fun fact: iron filings are what make red sand red!

Max   The first time we went to the Science Lab this year, we were all so excited. We got to learn about force and look at a dissected rat. I felt bad for the rat. The second time we tested force using slingshot cars to see how far they would go. The last time we went this term, we learnt about magnetic pull.

Athira   We were learning about hypotheses. We wore lab coats, but they didn’t fit us. They had axolotls in a tank and one blue yabby!

Atharv   The Science Lab was amazing. We did fun experiments like how magnets extract metal, how force can push a car very far, and how we can measure heat. It was so cool that the iron filings moved, even though they were inside a plastic bag.

Anthony B   When we went to the Science Lab, we learnt about force. We used toy cars, a wooden ramp, and an elastic band to launch the cars across the room. Another time, we learnt how metal is conductive, how energy travels through wires, and how iron filings connect to magnets. We even looked at a dissected rat and some of us touched the heart and kidneys!

Polly   Last Wednesday, 4M went to St Mary’s College Science Lab to do some experiments. When we got there, Tim (the science teacher) handed us all a magnet and told us to test what was magnetic. We recorded our answers as magnetic or non-magnetic. After that, we created an electrical circuit using a circuit board, wires, and a light. We plugged everything in, turned it on—and the bulb lit up! I love the Science Lab!

Amelia   We went to the Science Lab and sat down to listen to Tim. We learnt about force using slingshot cars and measured how far they went using a tape measure. It was so much fun.

Mareena   We went to St Mary’s Science Lab and had fun. We did experiments with magnets. Science is the best!

Library News

Wednesday is Library Day!  We are always excited to get students back to the library after the holidays!  Over the holidays I  was very excited to visit the Scholastic Book Warehouse Sale.  It is often on during the school holidays over in Campbellfield and usually I am off camping and have previously missed out. Not these holidays!  I was lucky enough to have a special driver take me. OK she's a learner, but she's also really good at packing boxes full of books!  We were so excited to get (all new!) a massive stack of books and some that I have been covering and had many students ask for. We've now got the latest Diary of a Wimpy Kid and we found our missing Babysitters Club, which I know once put into circulation will not be in the library for long! Luckily the new library system allows for reservations!  Another great find was that we found a brand new boxed set of the Alex Rider graphic novels. We have this series in chapter books in the Senior Section and they have been popular. The bonus of graphic novels is that they give a shorter, easier to follow version of the chapter book with images to support. Our graphic novels fly off the shelves. 

Book Week is coming in August. There will be a Book Fair that week and Book Club catalogues will be going home this week as well. Return date for orders is the 10th August (before Book Week) and this date is final, so please pop it in your diary and order early. Some of these books will be at the Book Fair, but not all and I never know what's coming. It's always worth a look at the catalogue (and as it turns out the warehouse sales during the holidays!). Head to the LOOP for this and you'll see they're running a book week competition - see website for details - www.scholastic.com.au/LOOP

Which book do you think should come to life at the movies and why?

Please email your answer and costume preference to competitions@scholastic.com.au byThursday, 7 August 2025.

Welcome back and Happy Reading!

Miss Kat