Week 1, Term 1 2025 - 28th January 2025

Principal's Reflection

Welcome back to the new school year! 

We are very blessed to have a wonderful school.  Two very important documents at St Mary’s are our School Mission and Vision statements, which articulate ‘Who we are’, ‘What we value’ and ‘What we stand for’.  They are important statements for all members of the school community to know and appreciate and for your reference, are included below;

As you can see, there is a real focus on the holistic development each child, based on the knowledge and inspiration of Jesus Christ.  The goal of educating ‘from and for a faith perspective’ is articulated, where the eventual goal is for students to grow as confident and well-rounded people who in adulthood, can ‘make a living, and have a life’.  It is optimistic, visionary, perhaps even a bit idealistic, but considering that we are dealing with the lives of our children, it has to be.

In addition to our Mission and Vision, our school rules are guiding statements that give all members of our school community a sense of the expected level of behaviour.  I include these below, for your reference.

Everyone involved with the school; staff, parents and students, has a part to play.  At the commencement of the school year, I invite all of us to work together to make real these statements in our school.

All the very best,

Wes Rose
Principal

From our Principal | Mr Wes Rose

Welcome Back
It has been wonderful to see our 386 students return; refreshed and excited for the new school year.  I extend a special welcome to the 44 new families that have joined the St Mary’s community.  If parents have any questions, please do not hesitate to come and see me. 

It has been lovely to hear many students and staff regale their adventures over the holidays.  The start of school is always filled with exciting stories and experiences, a time of renewal and fond memories.  I also acknowledge that during the break, some of our families received terrible news or experienced sadness and loss.  For these families, I offer my condolences and heartfelt support.  Please reach out if you need support of any kind.

New Staff to School
This year, we welcome the following new staff to St Mary’s. 

• Mrs Hollie Cleaver (Yr 1). Hollie joins St Mary’s after previously being a relief teacher with us in 2023-2024.  Hollie has undertaken several teaching placements across Mackay Catholic Schools, and is excited to be teaching Year 1.  A passionate Penrith Panthers supporter, we look forward to Hollie having similar success in her class as her NRL team!
• Miss Emily Graham (Yr 4). Emily commences her fulltime teaching career with us this year. Originally from the Sunshine Coast, Emily spent 2024 honing her craft as a relief teacher in the Mackay area, which is sure to hold her in good stead this year.  A country girl at heart, I am sure that she will love her time at St Mary’s.

• Ms Melanie Parrott (Yr 5). Melanie returns to St Mary’s following a period of maternity leave, where she welcomed her son, Gavin. An experienced teacher who has worked in Catholic schools for over 20 years, we look forward to Melanie teaching Year 5F each Monday and Tuesday.
• Mrs Leigh Ford (Yr 5). Leigh is no stranger to St Mary’s, with her eldest 2 children attending our school as well as being a relief teacher in 2024.  Leigh has a calm, organised approach to teaching and I am sure her students will greatly enjoy her teaching Year 5F each Wednesday-Friday.
  
• Mrs Kelly Leonard (CAP student). Kelly is a 3^rd Year Education student at CQUni and a new recruit of our Career Assistance Program (CAP).  CAP students work with a mentor teacher (an ‘apprentice’ type arrangement), deepening their knowledge and understanding of the demands of a classroom teacher.  Kelly is a mum of 2 children, and we are very blessed to have Kelly placed at St Mary’s, where she will work alongside Mrs Rokic in Prep R.

• Mrs Alanna Brake (Teacher Assistant). Alanna is a mum to 2 young children and is currently studying to become a primary school teacher. Alanna has worked in public relations, admin and advertising and I am sure her warm and friendly personality will be an asset to her as a teacher assistant.
• Ms Yasmin Gillis (Tuckshop Assistant). Possibly the most anticipated appointment of the new year is our Tuckshop Coordinator, Yasmin! Yasmin is mum to four children and has worked across several industries including finance, administration and construction.  She has a passion for good food an we can’t wait to see our tuckshop open in Week 2.

Tuckshop News
I am pleased to announce that our school tuckshop will open in Week 2.  Tuckshop days will be each Wednesday-Friday, for first break orders only.  Orders will be via Quickcliq, with the updated menu available on the app/website. 

Leadership Badge Ceremony
Congratulations once again to our 2025 student leaders:

Our Year 6 school leaders will be presented with their badges at our first school assembly this Friday 31st January.  All families are invited to attend the ceremony, which will start at 8:30am in our school hall.

Long Serving Staff Plaques
Last Friday, all Mackay Catholic Schools gathered for our Regional Opening Mass.  At this Mass, Mrs Jenni Motteram (one of our recently retired teachers) was recognised for her 30 year commitment to Catholic Education.  Congratulations Jenni on this important milestone and we wish you all the best in your retirement.

Baby News
Congratulations to Sam and Steph Dunn, who over the school holidays welcomed baby Chloe into their family.  Chloe is a baby sister to Elle in Prep.

Also, congratulations to Ben and Tegan Petersen on the birth of their daughter.  Sophie is a sister to Claire (Yr4) and Oliver (Yr5).

P&F AGM and First General Meeting
St Mary’s values the strong partnership between home and school.  This partnership has a host of benefits, positively impacting outcomes for all students. The St Mary’s P&F warmly invite all parents to attend the AGM/GM on Tuesday 11^th Feb from 6pm-7pm in the staffroom.  This meeting is a chance to review 2024, discuss goals and plan for some great activities for the year ahead.

Uniform Guidelines
A reminder to all families of our uniform guidelines.  Some important areas to note include;

• Fingernails. No coloured nail polish or acrylic nails.
• Boys earrings. Boys are asked to take out their earring, or alternatively wear a clear ‘invisible’ stud to school.
• Boys Hair. Be neat in appearance and not falling into eyes. Hair past the collar must be tied back.  Hair may not be dyed or worn in a style that is extreme or inappropriate for school (i.e. no tracks, rat’s tails, mo-hawks, mullets or undercuts that have a large variance between length).
• Girls Hair. Be neat in appearance and not falling into eyes. Girls with shoulder or longer length hair must have it tied back. Hair may not be dyed or worn in a style that is extreme or inappropriate for school. Hair accessories should be minimal and must be in colours of navy, blue or white.

Our students demonstrate pride in St Mary’s school by the way they wear their uniform correctly.  From next Monday, an infringement letter will be sent home to notify parents of any areas that need to be addressed.   If you have any queries about this, please do not hesitate to contact the school office.

Peanut Policy
The start of the school year is a timely opportunity to remind all families that we aim to be a ‘peanut free’ school.  We have a number of students who are highly allergic to peanuts and for their safety, we ask that you are vigilant with ensuring your child’s lunchbox is peanut free.  It is also best practice to discuss with your child the importance of not sharing their lunch with other students.

School Photo Day
This year’s school photos are booked for Wednesday 12^th February.  Students are to wear their formal school uniform on this day (Preps to wear their prep uniform).  Photo order packs will arrive at school in the coming days and will go home with students.

Afternoon Pick Up Procedures

• All students in Prep are to be collected from their prep classroom by a parent or guardian.
• For all other students, the car park works effectively when everybody follows the procedures. 
• Please allow others to come out of car parks. Drive slowly through the car park, especially when merging in front of the parking bays. 
• Cars should drive from MacDonald St. into Morley St. and turn right into the school car park. 
• Everyone must turn right into the car park in the afternoon and turn left when exiting. (In the afternoon those that turn left into the car park are pushing in and this upsets others!)
• If everyone is considerate it will be safe and fair for all users. I encourage parents who are not Prep parents to actively use our drive through pick-up protocol. 
• We have two staff members supervising this area. Parents are asked to drive on and line up if their child is not ready.  This avoids any unnecessary delays.
• Please ensure your name is displayed on your sun visor as this will speed up the process. 
• In the afternoon, please turn left when leaving MacDonald Street as this speeds up the line-up. 
• Please do not encourage children to wait outside of the school or church where they are not directly supervised.  We have had some unpleasant situations in the past when children have been told to wait outside the school by parents. It is simply not worth the risk!  

Please support us to ensure the safety of your children. For those families using the drive through for the first time, please contact the office for your laminated name card.

Parish Mass – 8am Tuesday
A reminder that the St Mary’s Parish Mass at 8am each Tuesday will continue this year.  Our Year 5/6 students are specially invited to attend next Tue 4^th February.

Quote of the Week

From the Office - Important Reminders

- Office hours are Monday to Friday 8am-3:30pm

- If you have had any recent changes to your personal details, please update through the Parent Orbit App or Parent Lounge on our school website.

- All medications administered during school hours require a completed medication form available from the office. All medication must be brought into the office by a parent and labelled by a pharmacist with your student's name and dosage. This includes over-the-counter medication (e.g. Panadol).

- Please inform staff of any student allergies. 

- Students who arrive late to school or are collected before 3pm, are to sign in/out at the School Office so the school roll can be updated.

- If your child is absent from school, the school must be notified before 9am.  Our preferred way of notification is via the Parent Orbit App. Please see details below on how to download this app. Parents can also use our designated absentee phone number 4994 8271 or email SMM_Absences@rok.catholic.edu.au  to inform the school if your student is to be absent.

St Mary's Wellbeing Day

St Mary’s Wellbeing Day will take place again this year. We are excited to share this day with staff and students to uplift, inspire, and promote the well-being of every student in our school community. Our Wellbeing Team is in the final stages of crafting the timetable to this special day dedicated entirely to fostering positive mental health, self-care, and connection.

Wellbeing Day is an initiative designed to provide our students with a variety of activities and tools to enhance their emotional resilience and wellbeing. Our goal is to equip them with strategies that they can carry with them and use whenever they feel the need for a boost.

Sessions this year, will range from mindfulness to creative arts to physical activities and relaxation techniques.  Where possible, we will endeavour to have the students participate in different activities to their rotations from last year. One of the unique aspects of Wellbeing Day is the involvement of our teachers and the wider parent community and we know they enjoyed the day just as much as the students last year!

We encourage all parents to mark Friday 7th February on your calendars. It promises to be a day filled with positivity, connection, and valuable well-being practices that will benefit our students.

Belinda Battaia
Assistant Principal: Curriculum

Cross Country Training

School Photos - Wednesday 12th February

Community News