Week 7, Term 2 2024 - 28th May 2024
Principal's Reflection
Q: What does the Christian feast day of Pentecost and our very own Whitsundays have in common?
A: Anchored off the coast of Mackay on the 1st June 1770, Captain Cook set sail North upon the Endeavour for what was going to be one of the most spectacular stretches of his first voyage around the world. Two days later on the feast of Pentecost (which is also known as Whit Sunday), the crew of the Endeavour found themselves sailing between island paradises dotted throughout the crystal clear waters of the Coral Sea. While sailing through the then unnamed passage, Cook proclaimed it 'Whitsunday Passage,' which it is still known as today. (As a side note, Captain Cook believed it to be Whit Sunday, but Cook didn't know was that it was actually Monday the day they sailed through, since the Endeavour had passed the international date line. And so, the Whitsundays were actually discovered on Whit Monday!)
The feast of Pentecost is celebrated around 50 days after Easter (pentecostos is Greek for fiftieth) and emerged from the Jewish ‘Festival of Weeks’, a harvest festival. In England, the day is also known as Whitsunday. In the Christian tradition, Pentecost is the celebration of the Holy Spirit coming upon the Apostles, Mary, and the first followers of Jesus, who were gathered together in the Upper Room.
Scripture tells us that a “strong, driving” wind filled the room where they were gathered, and tongues of fire came to rest on their heads, allowing them to speak in different languages so that they could understand each other. The Holy Spirit also gave the apostles the other gifts and fruits necessary to fulfil the great commission - to go out and preach the Gospel to all nations.
It was right after Pentecost that Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit, preached his first homily to Jews and other non-believers. It is good to keep in mind that these Jewish men and women disciples emerged from their spiritual experience with the courage and resolve to broadcast the message of Jesus to their fellow Jews. The Jesus movement at this point was thoroughly Jewish and yet it is easy for us to forget that when Peter stood up to speak he was neither Catholic nor pope, but a Galilean fisherman, on fire with the love of his Lord. His passionate address convinced his audience that Jesus was truly Israel’s messiah and that the way of Jesus the Christ would lead to quality life here and now and ultimate unity with God.
This is the powerful message that come from Pentecost. Each one of us, emboldened by God’s love, can achieve great things. The question we must all answer for ourselves is, “How will I use my gifts and talents to make the world a better place?”
All the very best,
Wes Rose
Principal
Sources: Sailing Whitsundays Catholic News Agency Dr Laurie Woods
From the Principal | Mr Wes Rose
Time Capsule Unearthing
Last Monday in front of the entire school and many current and past staff members and parents, we ‘unearthed’ the 75th Anniversary time capsule. Thank you to Mr Clancy, Mr Kinnane (P&F President) and our school and vice Captains (Ryder, Kalani, Jaylah and Zander) for excavating this piece of St Mary’s history yesterday; it took us a lot longer than expected! We have tentatively opened the time capsule and found the contents in very good condition. The contents include approximately forty sealed envelopes, submitted by families and parishioners back in 1999. In the coming weeks, we will advise these families that we have a letter from 25 years ago waiting for them!
St Patrick’s Cultural Performance
I sincerely thank the students and staff of St Patrick’s who performed for our school community last Thursday. Consisting of several bands, ensembles and vocal groups, their performances really showcased the rich music co-curricular opportunities on offer at the College.
Trivia Night
I look forward to another successful Trivia Night this Friday evening, with the theme of ‘Mexican Fiesta’. I extend a sincere thank you to the organising committee and to our generous sponsors for making this event happen.
Staff News
- I advise that Miss Wendy Parker (school counsellor) will be on leave from this Wednesday to Term 3, week 2. During this time, we will have limited counselling services on offer at St Mary’s. If you have any query or concern, please reach out to your child’s teacher or a member of the school leadership team.
- This Wednesday to Friday, Mrs Lisa Sorbello (Learning Support Teacher) will be attending the Diocesan Learning Support Conference in Rockhampton.
Bishop Michael McCarthy – 10 years as Bishop of Rockhampton
This Friday at St Patrick’s College, the parishes of Mackay will celebrate Bishop Michael McCarthy’s 10th anniversary of his episcopal ordination. On behalf of the school community, I warmly congratulate Bishop Michael on this milestone and thank him for his service as Bishop of our Diocese. At this time, Mackay will also host a visit from Archbishop Charles Balvo, Apostolic Nuncio to Australia. For an insight into the role of a Papal Nuncio, please view this video.
Quote of the Week
“Success is like a tree; its roots are in dedication and its branches in vision.”
- Ave Mateiu
Reconciliation Week | 27th May to 3rd June
The National Reconciliation Week theme for 2024, Now More Than Ever, is a reminder to all of us that no matter what, the fight for justice and the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will —and must —continue.
St Mary's Battlers
The St Mary’s Battlers took out another great win on Wednesday afternoon with a 24-4 score over Victoria Park State School. Reggie and Raidyn co captained the team and showed their skills in team work and leadership by passing of a sneaky ball to allow Chase Tudman to claim a try. It was great to see the team spreading the ball and backing each other up. Tomorrow we play a tough and capable combined St John’s and St Brendan’s side at 4:25pm on field 3.
Mackay Readers Cup Competition
Next Thursday St Mary’s School will host the Mackay Readers Cup Competition. The competition is provided by the Queensland branch of The Children's Book Council of Australia. It is a trivia style event where students will be asked a range of questions from five set novels. Eleven Mackay schools will compete against each other with one school claiming the Readers Cup. Our team has been reading and studying during Boost sessions and further preparation at home.
Good luck to our St Mary’s team – Ellis, William and Blake.
Year 6 Caritas Stalls
Next Wednesday and Thursday the Year 6 students will be running their annual Caritas Stalls to raise money for this very important charity.
The stalls will be active during both breaks and will have a variety of wares available for purchase. They will have home baked goodies, games, jewellery, hair bands, icy cups and much, much more.
Please send along some spending money with your child(ren) to support this initiative and the hard-working year 6 students.
Confirmation Workshops
Trivia Night | Volunteers Needed
Student of the Week
| PP | Thomas C | For wonderful work during our literacy learning this week. You are our rhyming words star! Keep working hard Thomas! |
| PP | Julian C | For great reading in class this week. You set a wonderful example for your classmates when reading words on the board. Thank you Julian! |
| PR | Quinn O | For trying hard in every lesson and completing your bookwork so neatly. You should be so proud of how hard you are working. Keep up the great work Quinn! |
| PR | Eva V | For always paying attention during learning time and being eager to share your thoughts and ideas also. Keep up the great work Eva! |
| 1B | Ivor S | For great work with your writing this week. You're working so hard to spell words correctly and write neatly in the red and blue lines. Thank you Ivor and keep up the great work! |
| 1S | Vinudi B | For the detailed descriptive sentences you wrote this week. I love your ideas Vinudi! |
| 2A | Lincoln Z | For of all the work you are achieving in 2A. I think it is amazing that you have finished your first chapter book and you did it in four days. You are a star, Lincoln! |
| 2A | Delancee C | For the growth I have seen this term so far. You are becoming more confident and I can see the improvements in your spelling and reading. Way to go Delancee! |
| 2L | Bridie M | For working really hard to finish assessments. Your brain is in ‘super’ mode Bridie! Keep up the huge effort! |
| 2L | Emily Z | Emily, you have worked really hard to put in extra effort into your sound work and reading this term! You are amazing!! |
| 3C | Ella S | For the outstanding effort and persistence, you have shown when constructing your information report on your chosen animal. Keep being amazing Ella! |
| 3C | Jacob R | For your improved focus on all learning tasks this term. Fantastic effort Jacob! Your teacher is proud of you. |
| 3P | Holly H | For excellent work in math inquiry activities and applying statistical data to her answers. Well done Holly! |
| 3P | Dillon M | For taking his time to create a poster about Capybaras and working very hard on his handwriting and presentation. Great work Dillon! |
| 4C | Sienna W | For your conscientious approach towards your work. It is wonderful to see the way you approach every task with a high level of energy and enthusiasm. |
| 4C | Lexi T | For your efforts in class this week. It is wonderful to see you actively listening to instructions and attempting your work straight away. Keep up the great work! |
| 4R | Archer C | For the effort and enthusiasm you have put into your maths and spelling work over this term. Well done for working so hard Archer! |
| 4R | Alexca R | your positive attitude and persistence in completing tasks in class this week. Keep up the 'You can do it' attitude Alexca! |
| 5C | Harlen C | For your superstar effort with angles this week! You have learnt how to use your protractor effectively to measure angles accurately. |
| 5C | Harvey S | For outstanding work in class this week! Harvey you have impressed me with your work ethic and attention to detail. Keep up the hard work. |
| 5M | Alice C | For your diligence and hard work in every subject area. You set a great example to others Alice! |
| 5M | Ollie D | For your insightful and creative contributions to class discussions and learning experiences. You enrich so many lessons Ollie! |
| 6T | Aylee P | For the effort you have applied this week during our writing lessons. Your short story vividly captured Martha’s mother’s journey during migration. Great work Aylee! |
| 6T | Georgie D | For outstanding effort and hard work you've consistently demonstrated throughout this term. Your dedication is clearly yielding positive results. Keep up the excellent work and continue to strive for success! |
| 6V | Ryder R | For approaching your learning with maturity and dedication. You have worked diligently to complete assignment tasks and ensure that your writing task contained extensive vocabulary choices and great ideas. Keep up the great work Ryder! |
| 6V | Riley H | For your persistent effort to understand harder maths concepts through active engagement in class and asking for assistance when it is required. Great effort Riley. |
| Sports | Class 1B | For showing amazing resilience when the games and play area were changed in PE this week. It was great to hear positive comments about the fun you had even though it was not what you thought we would be doing. Two thumbs up for attentive listening as the filming happened near our lesson. Well done. |
| Sports | Class 2L | For showing amazing resilience when the games and play area were changed in PE this week. It was great to hear positive comments about the fun you had even though it was not what you thought we would be doing. Two thumbs up for attentive listening as the filming happened near our lesson. Well done. |
| Drama | Prep R | For playing our singing games so happily! The exuberance you bring to music class each and every week is truly joyous! Thank you – you are ALL amazing! |
Community News
