LEADERSHIP // Yesterday our new 2023-24 Senior School student leadership team were inducted into their positions at a special assembly attended by the whole Senior School and the families of our new leaders. After taking their oath of office, our new School Captains, Tamara and Flynn, paid tribute to the outstanding service of our outgoing Year 12 leaders and reflected on the importance of us all being leaders, not just those with official roles. Year 12 then handed over the “baton of leadership” by pinning badges on our Year 11 leaders. #mamrelearning

THE GREAT OUTDOORS // Last week Kindy, Year 1 and Year 2 attended Mamre’s first Day Camp, with exciting activities including shelter building, tent building, catapulting, scavenger hunts, fire building and art leaf rubbing. It was a beautiful spring day that was enjoyed by all. Outdoor Education is crucial for building skills such as communication, resilience, self-confidence, leadership, teamwork and initiative. It’s also great at just getting students interested in the outdoors. Mamre students are very blessed to have a place to learn outdoors whilst being watched by the local kangaroo neighbours! #mamrelearning

R U OK? // A conversation could change a life. Have you checked in on anyone today with that simple question: R U OK? Looking after our mental health is so important, not just today, but everyday. We are excited to have Lira the therapy dog with us at Mamre today as part of R U OK Day. #mamrelearning #RUOKDay2023

YOUNG VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR // Congratulations to Year 8 student Wesley on being awarded the NSW RFS Young Volunteer of the Year (12-15 years) at RFS Headquarters in Sydney Olympic Park yesterday. The Minister for Emergency Services and the RFS Commissioner both acknowledged Wesley's high level of commitment to his service in both Mamre Cadet Rural Fire Brigade and Orchard Hills Rural Fire Brigade, and the way in which he exemplifies the values of the NSW Rural Fire Service. Wesley's acceptance speech impressed all those present! #mamrelearning

LEARNING IS SHARED // There are many ways we celebrate the learning of our students at Mamre. Year 4 students recently conducted their first ever Student Led Conferences, where they showcased and discussed their learning across a range of subjects with their parents and carers. #mamrelearning

CELEBRATING OUR DADS! // We were delighted to welcome many of our dads, granddads, uncles and other special men in our lives to our annual Fathers Day Breakfast this morning. The BBQ breakfast was accompanied by a short talk by our Chaplain Mr Foxall about the importance of dads and other men in the lives of children. We hope that this Sunday is a special time for all our school families. #mamrelearning

BOOK FAIR NOW ON // The Book Fair has arrived in time for our Book Week celebrations next week! Look out for student wish lists in Junior School student school bags. All profits from the Book Fair go towards buying new books for the Library. The Fair is open 8am-4pm each school day from Friday 1 September to Wednesday 6 September. Payment options include cash or EFTPOS in the Library or pay online using the QR code on your wish list. #mamrelearning

100 DAYS OF LEARNING IN KINDERGARTEN // Recently our Kindy students reflected on their first 100 days of learning at "big school". They have some big plans for their futures! #mamrelearning

CULTURAL PATHWAYS // Six of our Senior School students attended the Wingara Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student Leadership Day at WSU Parramatta on Monday. They engaged in a series of workshops that focused on leadership, culture and post-school aspirations. The highlights were meeting Greg Inglis, learning some traditional dances and connecting with other students from schools all across NSW. #mamrelearning

YEAR 10 CAREER PATHWAYS // One of our Year 10 students, Jacob, recently undertook work experience at the Fire & Rescue NSW Emergency Services Academy. This program attracts students from all over Australia. Jacob participated in live fire training, urban search and rescue, and visited a number of fire stations throughout Sydney. Our main Year 10 Work Experience program takes place in mid-November, enabling our students to explore possible career pathways for the future. #mamrelearning

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS IN YEAR 9 // The sparkling waters of Port Hacking and the lush bush land of the Royal National Park south of Sydney is currently home for our Year 9 students on their outdoor education camp. Existing friendships are strengthening and new connections developing as students engage in challenging activities such as dragon boat racing, river raft building and paddling, rock climbing, natural cliff abseiling, teamwork challenges and Christian discovery sessions. Last night we had a Matildas party watching the FIFA Women’s World Cup semifinal. One more day of adventure awaits tomorrow! #mamrelearning

HOME RUN // Congratulations to Chloe in Year 6 who was selected to be part of the NSW CIS Softball Team today! #mamrelearning

FOR OUR ELDERS // This week our school has been celebrating NAIDOC Week (which actually takes place during the school holidays). Students were involved in a range of activities celebrating Aboriginal cultures, histories and people, especially focusing on our Elders. Today we held our Annual NAIDOC Chapel service, where we were delighted to have Uncle Leon, Aunty Kaylene, Uncle Rick and Uncle Joe share with us. Throughout the service, 15 of our Aboriginal students presented Bible readings, prayed, performed music and shared about their own Country and the significance of their Elders to them personally. A special part of the service was when Year 1 and Year 2 students presented the school with the beautiful murals they had created this week featuring their year group totems of the crow and the kangaroo, along with Aboriginal symbols showing that our school is a meeting place for many people on their learning journeys. Thank you also to school parent Mr Joshua Jansons who took the aerial drone photography of Junior School students forming the Aboriginal flag on the oval! We are truly blessed as a school community to be able to celebrate the rich diversity of our school and to be connected to Country through our Aboriginal students and our visiting Elders. #mamrelearning #NAIDOC2023 #ForOurElders

RATION CHALLENGE // For the next three days, a group of our students and staff are eating the same rations as a refugee — just a small amount of rice, flour, lentils, chickpeas, beans, fish (or tofu) and oil. The aim is to raise money to bring emergency food, healthcare and life-saving support to the people who need it most. If you would like to donate/sponsor, please follow the link and find the name of a participant to sponsor. As they each reach certain amounts raised, they can access things like salt, a small amount of milk and so on. If you don't know who to sponsor, how about sponsoring the person with the lowest total and give them a boost! Thank you for your support. https://schools.rationchallenge.org.au/t/mamre-2023?fbclid=IwAR0hHYMsPCmtWA2iH5QbQx-i-0yWxUXzgvthbiMJQOsgcDKhBV2QlO9CXXU #mamrelearning #rationchallenge #actforpeace #refugees

TITRATION CHAMPIONS // Year 12 Chemistry students Harman, Ella and Alexander recently competed at Sydney University in the NSW Schools Titration Competition. Students competed in teams of three and, in ninety minutes, must complete a set of acid-base titrations to determine the unknown concentration of a weak acid. Our Mamre team’s superior accuracy placed them at the top of the field of Sydney schools. Well done team! #mamrelearning