Week 7, Term 3 2024 - 20th August 2024
Principal's Reflection
Engagement Matters!
Did you know that as parents, your involvement in your child's education can make a huge difference? Research consistently highlights the positive impact of parental engagement on academic success and overall well-being. Here are practical ways to be an active part of your child's learning journey.
1. Stay Connected:
Keep the lines of communication open with teachers. Attend meetings, conferences and have regular check-ins. Your insights help us meet your child's needs.
2. Nurture Learning at Home:
Create a study-friendly space, establish routines, and read together daily. A positive home environment boosts your child's educational experience.
3. Attend School Events:
Participate in fairs, sports events and cultural celebrations. Connecting with the school community shows your child that you value their education. Our annual Art Show (Tue 10th Sep from 5:30pm) is always a wonderful evening. Be sure to come along!
4. Homework Support:
Monitor your child’s homework, encourage critical thinking and encourage good time management. Your involvement fosters responsibility and growth.
5. Lead by Doing:
Your own enthusiasm for learning sets an example. Engage in educational activities, hobbies and discussions to inspire your child.
Research Proves It.
Studies reveal that engaged parents lead to higher grades, better attendance and improved behaviour. Your involvement boosts your child's confidence and sense of belonging in school.
The staff at St Mary’s appreciate your partnership in nurturing your child's growth. Your active role enriches their learning journey and builds a strong school community. Thank you for being a vital part of your child's education.
All the very best,
Wes Rose
Principal
From our Principal | Mr Wes Rose
Book Week Dress Up Parade
A huge thank you to our fantastic students and staff for turning our Book Week Dress-Up Parade into a true spectacle! Today, our school transformed into a realm of imagination and wonder, as students and staff donned an array of captivating costumes inspired by beloved books.
Heartfelt gratitude to everyone who participated and embraced the spirit of the day. Your creativity and enthusiasm breathed life into characters old and new, fostering a vibrant atmosphere of shared excitement and literary appreciation. We extend our thanks to parents and guardians for their support in making this event a success. Your involvement is key to nurturing a love for reading and storytelling in our students.
A special mention to the Prep/Year 1 teachers and aides, who together with Ms Lenz, Mrs Wood, Mrs Leotta, and I, performed a pantomime of ‘Pete the Cat’ for the early years students. It was a groovy dance spectacular with the message that it is okay to be ourselves.
Year 6 Camp
Next Tuesday-Thursday, our Year 6 students will travel to the Capricorn Coast for their camp, enjoying Great Keppel Island, The Capricorn Caves and Cooberrie Park Wildlife Centre. Mrs van Lint, Mr Townsend, Mr Rose, Mrs Tass, Mrs Gordon and Mr Iain Clarendon will be in attendance. During my absence, Mrs Leotta is acting Principal.
Pupil Free Day
Please note that next Friday 30th August is a pupil free day. Staff will undertake professional learning and training during this time.
Centenary Yearbook and Cookbook
We still have copies of these books available to purchase from the school office. All students who are enrolled this year have their photo included in this book, which will be a great keepsake for families. Please see the ladies in the school office to get your copy.
Father’s Day Stalls
Our P&F helpers will run a Father’s Day stall this Wednesday-Friday in the school hall. There will be various gifts available for students to purchase for Fathers’ Day, prices starting from $4.
Staff News
- Miss Danah Gaske is away from 20-26/8, celebrating her 21st birthday with her family in Toowoomba. Mrs Simpson is replacing her as Prep P teacher assistant.
Quote of the Week
“My best successes came on the heels of failure."
– Barbara Corcoran
Important Dates
Tuckshop News
Father's Day Stall
Reminder: St Mary's P&F Father's Day Stall will be this week Wednesday to Friday from 8am-8:30am in the school hall.
We wish all our fathers a very happy Father's Day on Sunday 1st September.
Youth Mass & Children's Liturgy
PLEASE JOIN US!
St Mary's School will join with St Patrick's College to celebrate our Youth Mass on Saturday 24th August, St Mary's Church at 5pm. Children's Liturgy will be also be held.
Mass will be followed by a pizza outside the church. Everyone is most welcome to attend.
We look forward to seeing you there.
Terri Leotta
Deputy Principal/APRE
St Mary's Feast Day Celebrations
On Friday 6th September, we will be celebrating St Mary's Feast Day with the following activities, all parents are welcome to attend the Assembly and Mass:
- 8:30am: Assembly
- 9:00am: St Mary's Feast Day Mass
- 11:20am: Time Capsule Dedication and Burial
- 12:30pm: International Food Day
International Food Day
Last week we sent out communication to all parents asking if they are interested in sharing their culture through a food dish for the International Food Day. All groceries costs can be reimbursed. If you are able to assist, please complete the following google form here.
Students are asked to bring money to purchase tokens for food, with all funds raised on the day go to support Caritas’s work in Australia and around the world.
St Mary's Art Extravaganza
The annual St Mary's Art Show is back for 2024! We will be showcasing artwork from students Prep to Year 6 following their lessons with our resident artist, the talented Ms Maria Lenz and also from our Year 5 Camera Club, under the direction of Mrs Lewis. The entry fee is a gold coin donation.
This year we will have Nonno's Woodfired Pizza onsite, and you can pre-order pizzas from www.quickcliq.com.au, enter the date 10/09/2024 for the items to be available.
We will also have live music and a bar set up on the green.
This event is always a highlight of the St Mary’s calendar and we look forward to seeing everyone from the St Mary’s community on the evening.
If any parents would like to volunteer on the night, please complete the following:
https://forms.gle/ncSwUchoTKimp8vn9
We are also looking for any talented student and parent artists who would like to display their artwork.
Jump Rope for Heart
Congratulations St Mary’s. It is only the start of week 7 and we have exceeded our fundraising goal of $3000. What a fantastic effort.
A big shout out to Eddie (2L) who is our top fundraiser with over $700 raised so far. Great work Eddie. I loved seeing you in a JRFH shirt (on our Free Dress day) that you designed and wore to promote raising money for JRFH.
We still have 4 weeks left to log on and raise money or log your skipping hours so it is not too late to sign up.
Here are our results thus far:
- 27 students registered on the portal.
- 14 students actively fundraising.
- Raising $3015.44 to date.
- Logging 21.5 hours of skipping practice! ♥
Let’s continue this great effort until the end of our program!
Simone Sibley
HPE Teacher
Pupil Free Day
Student of the Week
Week 6, Term 3 Student Award Winners
| Prep P | Huxley | For super work with your reading and writing. It’s wonderful to see you have a go at sounding out tricky words. Keep working hard Huxley! |
| Prep P | Skylar | For being a wonderful classroom worker - you are always listening and trying your best. Thank you also for being such a helpful member of our class. Keep up the wonderful work Skylar! |
| Prep R | Greta | For the work you have been putting into your reading and writing. You are improving every week and doing a fantastic job. Keep it up. |
| Prep R | Isla | For being a reading superstar. You read fluently with expression and confidence and are able to answer tricky comprehension questions. Well done! |
| 1B | Ariana | For being super fast at solving subtraction problems using the strategy count back 10s and 1s. Well done! |
| 1B | Theo | For showing resilience to work hard and try your best even with a very sore thumb this week. Great effort Theo! |
| 1S | Lucy | For the wonderful improvement you have made in your reading. Your fluency and expression brings the story to life. Well done Lucy! |
| 1S | Logan | Wow Logan! Your speed and accuracy when counting coins is impressive. You zipped through your shopping list during rotations. Well done! |
| 2A | Remy | For the enthusiasm, effort and persistence you showed whilst working on your information report about the Blue Whale. I cannot wait to see the end result. Keep up the great work Remy! |
| 2A | Gwen | for being brave and getting up in front of the community to sing at the Centenary Open Day. You can do hard things. Way to go Gwen! |
| 2L | Lishwanth | Thank you, Lish, for showing friendship, kindness and selflessness when giving up something you enjoy doing, to spend time with another member of the class so that they didn’t play alone at lunchtime. You are a valued member of our class. |
| 2L | Hudson | Hudson you should be very proud of your efforts to focus on work in class, especially when making the effort to include capital letters in your writing. Keep up the great work! |
| 3C | Hudson | For sharing your thoughtful predictions during science experiments. You effectively use scientific language to explain your ideas and observations. Keep up the great work Hudson! |
| 3C | Tayla | For the effort and determination you apply when learning new concepts in Maths. You always approach challenges with a positive attitude and never give up. Keep up the great work and continue striving for success Tayla! |
| 3P | Evan | For always being a conscientious learner and trying your best across all learning areas. Keep up the fantastic work Evan! |
| 3P | Kheiruz | For being a responsible class member of 3P by always being prepared, completing work on time, and helping others when needed. Your dedication and positive attitude make our classroom a better place! Thank you! |
| 4C | Oaklan | For the enthusiasm and commitment you showed in our problem solving session in Maths this week. Your great team work skills are an asset and it is lovely to see you discuss your method when solving problems. |
| 4C | Jayda | For your wonderful attitude towards learning. Thank you for being attentive, hard working and respectful! Keep it up! |
| 4R | Cohen | For working well and applying yourself to completing learning tasks. Your happy and enthusiastic attitude is a great example for others. Great effort Cohen! |
| 4R | Alanna | For the great effort you have been making this term to be a responsible and helpful member of the class of our class. Well done, Alanna! |
| 5C | Harvey | For your consistent hard work in the classroom. Harvey you always apply yourself diligently to all tasks and complete work to such a high standard. |
| 5C | Gemma | For your persistence with mathematics. Gemma you are always working hard to ensure you understand concepts thoroughly so you can succeed in maths, keep up the great work. |
| 5M | Olivia | For the positive attitude you had on camp. You had a go at everything, stepped way our of your comfort zone and made new friends. Way to go Olivia! |
| 5M | Max | For the suspenseful, mysterious and intriguing beginning you have made to your narrative. I can't wait to read it when you have finished it. You are a very talented author Max. |
| 6T | Alex | For your patience and persistence in working on your Dragon's Eye. Your dedication has truly resulted in a masterpiece! Well done, Alex! |
| 6T | Chase | For the mature and proactive approach to learning this week. The quality of work you have produced reflects your effort. You have set a great example to your peers. Keep it up Chase! |
| 6V | Oliver | For excellent focus and attention to detail during our 'Artist in Residence' lessons this week. Your teachers were very impressed with your effort Ollie! |
| 6V | Mackenzie | For sharing your very unique creative writing ideas with the class. Your use of imagery and descriptive language to create your fantasy world is amazing and your teacher can't wait to read the finished story. |
| Sport | Brady | You have worked exceptionally hard in PE over the last few weeks. You have listened well, tried your best in skipping and volleyball, and demonstrated great teamwork and sportsmanship. Be proud of your efforts. |
| Sport | Aleyna | You have continued to show confidence when learning new skipping skills and worked hard to skip continuously for 1 minute. Your patience and persistence when working in small groups this week allowed your peers to achieve success when skipping in a long rope. Well done. |
| Drama | Class 1S | Sharing their talents and performing with confidence. You are STARS!!! |
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