Week 8, Term 1 2024 - 12th March 2024

Week 8 Reflection

Teaching Persistence Helps Change Your Child

The impact persistence plays in student success becomes truly evident in events such as our School Cross Country and NAPLAN testing.  You Can Do It founder Dr Michael Bernard (Phd) equates  teaching persistence as helping charge a child’s batteries.

Dr Bernard believes that in this world of instant gratification, media and consumerism, it is easy to see why so many children think that little effort is required when they need or want something.

Hungry? Meals can be prepared in minutes thanks to the microwave or a kettle – hello, two-minute noodles! Want a special toy? No need to wait till your birthday or Christmas - ask Nan, or just nag until you get it.

Renovating your house? Just turn on the TV and the transformation takes place over a couple of episodes.

The You Can Do It programme recognises that it is critically important for children to understand that learning a new skill takes a great deal of effort, persistence, practice and struggle. There are no shortcuts to learning your times tables, spelling those tricky words on the list, building a complicated Lego construction, or even tying your shoelaces. All these accomplishments are only ever made by being persistent, putting in effort and practising repeatedly.

Consequently, parents and teachers are reminded to look for ways to create opportunities for  children to learn and understand this. It is also important that we explain the difference between luck and effort to children.

Students may respond to other children’s successes by saying how lucky they are. A piano piece well played – ‘she’s so lucky that she can play the piano like that.’ Ten out of ten for a spelling test? – ‘He’s lucky he is good at spelling.’ A race won, times tables learned off by heart, no training wheels on a bike, a perfect score on a maths test – yet, they have nothing to do with luck.

Hard work, effort, practice, and repetition are the keys to success – not blind luck. The child who wins the Easter Raffle or the ‘Guess the Lollies in the Jar’ contest – he’s the lucky one.

So we celebrate all those who have participated in the 7:50am Thursday morning training and the parents with the persistence and wherewithal to get them here, as well as those who continually support the homework routines, not the nagging for instant gratification and seemingly infinite shoe-lace tying lessons….Your persistence will be rewarded as well – in the form of shaping an adult who understands the keys to success!

Terri Leotta
Assistant Principal: Religious Education

© The Bernard Group youcandoiteducation.com.au
For further information: https://edu.youcandoiteducation.com.au/pluginfile.php/5527/mod_label/intro/WWH-DR-37.pdf

From our Principal - Mr Wes Rose

Enhancing Catholic Schools (ECSI) Survey
All parents received an email outlining the ESCI process and how they can assist by completing a survey. 

Currently we have had 21 parents complete the survey, a long way from our goal of at least 120 families.

As we want as many parents as possible to participate, we have several incentives, including;

• A pie voucher for each family that completes the survey. This voucher can be redeemed by your child for a free pie for lunch on Tuesday 26th March
• A class party for the highest percentage (per capita) of completed surveys. Well done to Prep P who currently have the most parent responses.
• A raffle that parents enter once they have completed the survey;
  • 1^st Prize $200 school fee discount
  • 2^nd Prize $100 school fee discount
  • 3^rd Prize $50 gift card

Please note, upon completion of the survey, you will need to print the certificate of completion and hand it in to the office to be eligible for the incentives. 

HOW TO COMPLETE THE SURVEY

1. Go to www.ecsi.site/au/user/
2. Enter the ECSI Website password: Ghj654
3. Click on "new user" and enter our school’s survey access code cC7uQg so that your input will be linked to our school.
4. The ECSI survey should take approximately 30 minutes to complete.
5. Upon completion, print the certificate of successful participation and return to our school office.

For further information, please refer to the letter that was emailed to you.  I thank you for your assistance with this important initiative and ask that you take the time to submit a response.

In our prayers
Over the weekend, we heard the terrible news where a local father has passed away in a boating accident at Kinchant Dam. The Craig family is well known to Catholic Education, with the children attending St John’s Walkerston and Mrs Craig a staff member of Catholic Education.  On behalf of the St Mary’s community, I extend my heartfelt condolences to the Craig family at this very sad and distressing time.

NAPLAN
All the best to our Year 3 and 5 students as they embark on their NAPLAN Online tests this Wednesday.  Students will sit four tests covering writing, reading, language conventions (spelling & grammar) and mathematics.

Cross Country
All the best to our Year 3-6 students who will participate in our senior cross country this Friday at Queen’s Park from 9am.  Parents and friends are most welcome to attend.  I thank Mrs Sibley for organising this event. I also advise that we will have house war cry practice on Thursday from 2:25pm.

Principal’s Conference – Wes away
Next week, I will attend the Diocesan Principals conference in Rockhampton from 18^th -21^st March.  Mrs Leotta is acting principal in my absence.

P&F Meeting
I advise that our next P&F meeting is scheduled for Tuesday 30^th April from 6pm in the staffroom.  All parents most welcome.  At this meeting, we will discuss the upcoming Trivia night, as well as finalise our P&F Wishlist items for 2024.

Quote of the Week

Prep 2025 Enrolments

Do you have a Prep student beginning in 2025?

Thank you to those families who have already submitted their enrolment application online. We encourage both existing and new families who have a child starting Prep in 2025 to lodge their enrolment application as soon as possible. Applications are to be made via our online enrolment application available on our website www.smmrok.catholic.edu.au/enrol-now

Applications close on the 3rd May, with interviews commencing on the 17th May.

Please contact the school office for further information or any assistance required.

St Mary's Centenary Shirt Competition

To commemorate 100 years of St Mary’s, we are holding a competition to design artwork that will feature on a polo shirt which will be on sale during the celebrations later this year.

        To enter the competition: 

1. Reflect on what makes St Mary’s a wonderful school.
2. Decide on how to present your thoughts artistically.
3. Fill a 20cm diameter circle (click on link below) with your coloured design.
4. Submit your design to the School Office by Thursday 28 March.

Project Compassion - Fifth Week of Lent

Partnership in action  
The work of Caritas Australia is only possible with the dedication, passion and tenacity of our local partners who implement the programs. They are the heroes on the ground, working tirelessly behind-the-scenes every day to create a better future for their communities.

Caritas Australia partners with the Faithful Companions of Jesus (FCJ) to support communities living in urban slums in the Philippines. FCJ runs a number of programs that include house renovating, food processing, basic literacy skills, urban gardening, upcycling and income generating activities. They also have a clinic visited weekly by a doctor and community nurse. 

Caritas Australia partners with Caritas Samoa to assist communities to have increased access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene to ensure human health and well-being by providing water tanks and sanitation facilities.

Caritas Australia partners with the Catholic Development Commission in Malawi through the A+ program. Since 2016, the A+ program has helped 7,397 families across Malawi improve their food security, access to basic water and sanitation, boost women’s income generation and strengthen child protection.  

Please donate to Project Compassion.
Together, we can help vulnerable communities face their challenges today and build a better tomorrow for all future generations.

You can donate through Project Compassion using donation boxes in student classrooms  and envelopes available from your parish, scanning the QR code, by visiting caritas.org.au/project-compassion or by calling 1800 024 413.

Photo: Richard Wainwright/Caritas Australia

Caritas Classroom Tally

Holy Week Prayer Service

We invite all students to dress in the custom of Jesus' time for our whole school liturgy to be held on Thursday 28th March in the School Hall.

Year 6T will lead each class as they present The Stations of the Cross. The picture at left is an indication of what to wear. Please ensure students wear their school uniform underneath along with normal school shoes.

Thank you.

Terri Leotta
Assistant Principal: Religious Education

P & F News - St Mary's Trivia Night

It’s a Mexican Fiesta!

The P&F are excited to announce our biggest fundraiser of the year - St Mary’s Trivia Night.

St Mary's Trivia Night is a highlight in the Mackay community social calendar. With an excess of 250 attendees, it is a night not to be missed.

Guests are seated at tables of 10, and have 8 rounds of questions to try win the $1,000 Cash Prize! 

This year we aim to deliver a fun community event with all funds raised going towards projects that will enhance the educational experience for the students of St Mary’s Catholic Primary School.

Drink tickets can be purchased on the night or Pre-Purchased Drink Tickets can be bought through the link below -  10 tickets for $30 (1 ticket = $3 water/soft drink), (2 tickets = $6 beer/wine), (3 tickets = $9 slushies, UDL, spirits)

https://events.humanitix.com/st-mary-s-trivia-night-2024

Book Club Orders

Swap It - Week 8

Student of the Week

Week 7, Term 1 Student Award Winners

Community News