Week 2, Term 4 2023 - 10th October 2023

Week 2 Reflection

Resisting peer pressure: teaching children how

Standing up to peer pressure is often one of the greatest challenges any child can face. No child wants to feel excluded and no child wants to feel ‘different’.   Most children will at some time feel uncomfortable about either saying yes to something that doesn’t feel right, or no to their friends. Knowing how to recognise peer pressure and ways to resist it, is essential learning for all school-aged children…

Teaching about peer pressure

Peer pressure is all about acceptance. It’s about conforming to dress code, behaviour or preference. There are those children who don’t recognise peer pressure for what it is and there are others who are so super-sensitive, they crumble under the weight.  It’s important that as parents, we teach what peer pressure is and isn’t, so that they know how to recognise it, and how to react.

Peer pressure can be positive

Peer pressure often gets bad press, but peers can play an important role in our childrens’ lives. Being with children of similar age provides opportunities for friendship and acceptance. Social skills and how relationships are formed and kept are learned. They can also find encouragement, ask for advice, share experiences and benefit from others’ good example and  leadership.

In a positive peer group, children will often recognise another’s risky behaviour or silly decisions and be comfortable to call out the behaviour.  Children often give in to peer pressure if they’re led to believe this is the only way they’ll keep their friends. If reciprocal, balanced friendships are formed children are not threatened by exclusion.

Once at school, language, clothes, electronic devices and toys become influential peer pressure focusses. As they get older, peer pressure can be more subtle : cool kids wear this wristband, so let’s laugh at the ones who don’t… let’s not let him into the group. If we’re hearing ‘everyone else is doing it’, or ‘everyone else has one’… or ‘because Sasha said we should’…it’s time to sit them down for a little chat.

Ways to help our children handle peer pressure

When children are coached in how to stand up to negative peer pressure, their confidence soars. They can recognise peer pressure for what it is and have the courage to say no; which is essential to healthy future relationships.

We can help our children by:

• Building their self-esteem
• Offering genuine praise when it’s appropriate
• Role modelling responses
• Teaching ways to say no and feel comfortable
• Encouraging independence, including developing good decision-making skills
• Keeping home communication lines open
• Talking about our own experiences

Children who are comfortable in their own skin usually do better at resisting peer pressure. They know their opinion matters, that true friends can take no for an answer, and that walking away from risk taking behaviour is good thinking. They also know how much they mean to us, and how much they matter.

https://youcandoiteducation.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Parent-Brief-008.pdf

From our Principal - Mr Wes Rose

B Block Lift Installation
Many of you would have noticed the newly installed elevator in B Block.  This lift was commissioned today and is now available for use by staff and students when needed.  Sincere thanks to the Hannan Mason charitable trust for their generous support of this important project.

New Junior Playground Installation
Our new junior playground has now been installed and our junior students are thoroughly enjoying this new play space.  Thank you once again to our P&F for their fundraising efforts to provide this playground.

St Mary’s Bike-a-Thon
I warmly invite all families to attend the P&F Bike-a-thon this Sunday from 8:30am at Caneland Park.  As an added incentive, the class with the most students riding will receive the following incentives;

• Afternoon session of Free Play
• No homework for 1 week
• A ride on the new B Block elevator

I urge all families to register and come along to this fun morning! Registration via this link.

More details are available later in the newsletter.

Staff News
Today, Mrs Terri Leotta (APRE) and Mrs Belinda van Lint attending a religious education conference.

• This Wednesday, Mrs Belinda Battaia (APC) will attend the Regional Curriculum meeting.
• This Wed-Fri, Mr Paul Gibbs will be in Rocky attending the Diocesan WHS conference. Tuckshop will still be operational this week, albeit on a reduced menu.
• This Thursday our school leadership team (Wes, Terri Leotta and Belinda Battaia) will attend the Regional Strategic Planning meeting, which assists us to reflect on our 2023 school goals and help formulate our 2024 priorities. During our absence, Mrs Belinda van Lint is acting principal.
• All the best to Mrs Battaia for her performance review, which is being held this Friday.

Year 5 Camp (Week 3)
All the best to the Yr 5 students who are attending their camp next Monday -Wednesday at Seaforth Pines.   Students will enjoy several activities focusing on active team work, effective communication and problem solving. Thank you to Mr Townsend, Mrs Albert, Mrs Yet Foy, Mrs Gordon, Mr Cookson who will accompany the students.  I will also attend camp. A reminder that students are to assemble at school by 8:15am Monday morning, so we can depart at 8:30am.  We will return to school on Wednesday approx. 2:30pm.  Parents are reminded that any student medication requires a pharmacy label and needs to be given to your child’s teacher Monday morning.  If parents need to contact us whilst on camp, the school mobile phone is 0472 873 882.

Year 6 Graduation Meeting
I Invite any interested Yr 6 parents to attend the Graduation meeting at 2pm tomorrow (10/10) in the staffroom.  We will be finalising menu, costings, theme, etc. at this meeting.

A message to children/families arriving before 8:15am
We have noticed that many of our students arrive to school before 8:15am and are spread out across various areas of the school.  I remind students and parents that before 8:15am, there are no teachers on supervision duty.  Therefore, students are to either sit with their parents, or if unaccompanied, sit in the tuckshop area.  There is to be no play before 8:15am.  Once the 8:15am play bell rings, students can play handball, skip, walk the track, visit the library or go to their classroom if their teacher is available.

Early Departure and Late Arrival at School
For the safety of all students, it is important that the following procedures are followed when students are collected early or arrive late for school;

• If your child needs to leave school during the day for any reason, they must be collected from the school office and signed out.
• Please do not go directly to your child’s class, as the class teacher is unable to amend the attendance roll.
• When returning to school following an appointment, students must report to the office so that the class roll can be marked accordingly.
• Students who arrive late to school in the morning (after 8:30am) must report to the school office before going to their classroom. This will prevent SMS messages being sent to parents when children are present at school.

Families Leaving
As our total enrolment drives many aspects of our school (staffing, budget, class sizes and structure) it is important that we try to be as accurate as possible in predicting the school enrolment for 2024. If you know that you will be leaving at the end of the year, please notify the office as soon as possible. Your assistance with this matter is greatly appreciated.

Quote of the Week

School Fees

Please note that school fees were emailed last Friday and are due for payment by Friday 20th October. If you haven’t received your email, please don’t hesitate to contact me at smm_finance@rok.catholic.edu.au or phone 4951 1743.

Kathy Parrish
Finance Officer

Sacrament of Reconciliation

Students in Yr 3 or above are invited to begin preparing to receive their sacraments.

Workshop 1 will be held Thursday 12th October 3:15pm (Early Years Classrooms)

Enrolment Mass: Saturday 14th October 5pm

Workshop 2: Thursday 26th October - 3:15pm (Early Years Classrooms)

Reconciliation Sacrament: 9th November 6:30pm (St Mary’s Church)

October - Month of the Rosary

This week we will continue to pray the Rosary each day. Thank you to our year 5 students who have created the corresponding artworks and who lead us over the intercom.

During October, St Mary's honours the Blessed Mother of Jesus. Our school booklist requires that each student have their own set of rosary beads throughout Prep to Year 6.

If your child does not have rosary beads, please purchase a set through our school office for $12 or source them from home, St Vincent de Paul or South Mackay Newsagency.

Thank you. 

Terri Leotta
Assistant Principal: Religious Education

Socktober

During the month of October, students can buy badges to earn points for their sports team which will be included in the Swimming Carnival Tally and also to raise money for Catholic Mission.

Badges are on sale from 8.15am outside the library. 

St Mary's Bike-a-Thon

CALLING ALL SUPERHEROES

St Mary’s P&F is proud to host a Bike-a-Thon fundraising event! 

The past two years have been a huge success and it would be great to see as many families and friends of St Mary’s in attendance.

Date:       Sunday 15^th October from 8:30am – 10:30am
                  (Registration will open from 8am)  
Venue:   Caneland Park (Playground/Park near Bluewater Lagoon)
Cost:       $ 8 per person (entry fee covers sausage on bread) 
                 $30 Per family 2 Adults 2 Children  
Theme:  Superheroes    

Prizes for :
* best dressed boy/girl
* best dressed family
* class prize for most student attendance

Scan The QR code Or Follow the link to purchase tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/st-mary-s-bike-a-thon 

For more information if needed please contact Event Coordinator Melissa McGuiness 0439 375 509.

St Mary's Swimming Carnival

Our annual school swimming carnival will be held on Friday 3rd November 2023 at the Mackay Aquatic Recreation Complex.  

We invite all parents and friends to attend as spectators.  If you choose to collect your child following their races, please advise their class teacher.

Once again the day will be divided into two sections: 

1. 9am Junior Carnival; and 
2. 11am Senior Carnival.

Junior Carnival

• The “noodle event” will once again be available for any students who cannot swim but who would like to participate in the carnival;
• The noodle event consists of students swimming the pool with a noodle as support and a lifeguard on hand;
• Students who enter any of the 25m events CANNOT enter the noodle event.

Senior Carnival

• Students have the option of swimming 25m OR 50m for each stroke;
• They CANNOT do both distances for one particular stroke; 
• They can vary distances amongst the strokes depending on their ability for that particular stroke. (e.g. 50m freestyle, 50m breaststroke, 25m backstroke).
  

To participate in the carnival, please click on the link below to complete the applicable Google Form by Monday 16th October. One form entry per student please.

We are looking forward to a fun-filled, exciting day.

Simone Sibley
HPE Teacher

St Mary's Christmas Fair

Chess Championships

Congratulations to our Chess team who participated the Qld Schools Chess Championships at St Joseph’s Gregory Terrace over the weekend. Our team, consisting of Cruz, Creed, Anirudh and Woodley, played really well, scoring several good wins and forcing some thrilling stalemates.

Thank you to Mrs Berardi who accompanied our team to this Championships. 

St Mary's Got Talent Wrap Up

Congratulations to all the students and staff who performed at last Thursday’s St Mary’s Got Talent Showcase.  It was a wonderful session of singing, dancing, instrumental music, magic tricks, fire twirling, poetry, stunt jumping, towel folding and Rubik’s cubing.  A special mention to Lacey Cheyne, who took home 1^st place with her great singing.  I sincerely thank Mrs Wood for her efforts in organising this event that has established itself as a mainstay in the St Mary’s calendar.

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Week 1, Term 4 Student Award Winners

Community News

Learn To Skate!

If you are interested in learning to skate come on down to the Mackay Leisure Centre on Thursdays from 4pm to 5pm and get your skate on. The first lesson is free and all abilities and ages are welcome. For further information contact Mackay Roller Sports Association at mrollerhockey@gmail.com or phone Lyle Denman on 0432170997.