Week 4, Term 3 2025 - 5th August 2025
Principal's Reflection
Helping Children Regulate Their Feelings in a Healthy Way
In today’s digital age, we exist in a world where feedback—both positive and negative—can come from anyone, anywhere, at any time. Social media and online platforms expose us to opinions from strangers, which can deeply affect our self-esteem and emotional wellbeing.
Science tells us that humans are wired to care about what others think. For most of human history, survival depended on being accepted by the tribe. Rejection meant danger. Today, while the stakes are no longer life or death, the emotional impact remains. Social rejection activates the same parts of the brain as physical pain.
Harvard Professor Arthur Brooks, a leading researcher on happiness, reminds us that emotional wellbeing depends not on popularity or perfection, but on how we manage our emotions and connect meaningfully with others. In his book ‘Build the Life You Want’ (co-authored with Oprah Winfrey), Brooks outlines four pillars of happiness: faith, family, community, and meaningful work. These pillars are just as relevant for children as they are for adults.
At St Mary’s, we nurture these pillars through our Catholic values, strong community ties and a supportive learning environment. We encourage children to express their feelings, reflect on their experiences, and learn from both positive and negative emotions. As Brooks says, “Feel the feel, then take the wheel”—a reminder that emotions are natural, but we can choose how we respond.
Just because our overconcern for other people’s opinions is natural does not mean it’s inevitable. We all can learn to care less and live more freely. Consider these three steps:
- Remind ourselves that most people aren’t watching or judging. Studies show we overestimate how much others notice our mistakes.
- Rebel against shame. Confront what we’re embarrassed about and encourage openness. Shame loses power when it’s named.
- Stop judging others. When we judge, we reinforce the idea that others’ judgments matter. Model compassion and humility instead.
If your child feels stuck in the prison of shame and judgment, remind them: they hold the key to their own freedom.
For more insights, visit Arthur Brooks’ website: https://arthurbrooks.com I highly recommend signing up to his newsletter, which always contain some thought provoking insights.
Wes Rose
Principal
From our Principal | Mr Wes Rose
NAIDOC Celebrations – Friday
Our students thoroughly enjoyed the NAIDOC activities last Friday. The day started with a wonderful performance from the ‘Tchundal Malar’ Aboriginal Dance group, led by Toasie Cora and involving Porsha Cora (yr3) and Santaigo Barba (yr5). Following our assembly, students enjoyed a myriad of cultural activities, including damper making, boomerang/spear throwing, indigenous games, arts and craft, stories, face painting, weaving and dance. Thank you to the staff and special guests that assisted in running a session. Students and staff also enjoyed a BBQ at first break, with kangaroo and crocodile sausages on the menu!
Year 5 Camp
This Wed-Fri, our Year 5 students will travel to Seaforth Pines for their school camp. This is always a great camp for our students and I am sure they will thoroughly enjoy the many activities on offer. Mrs Carmody, Mrs Eden, Mrs Gordon, Mr Marwood, Mr Reid and I will attend as the adult supervisors.
Staff News
- While I am away on school camp this Wed-Fri, Mrs Battaia is acting principal.
- Mrs Lewis and Mrs Aslette have been away Mon-Tue this week at the Diocesan staff retreat. I am sure Virginia and Renee will find this time rewarding in the beautiful natural surroundings of Eungella rainforest.
- All the best to our students as they commence their ‘Artist in Residence’ lessons with Ms Lenz. Over the next 4 weeks, students will learn a variety of artistic techniques to produce an artwork for our Art Extravaganza, to be held on Tue 16th Sep from 5pm-8pm. I thank Ms Lenz for sharing her artistic talents with our school and know that all students will appreciate this creative outlet.
- Miss Gaske (PC Assistant) is away for the next 3 weeks completing her Uni Prac. In her absence, we welcome Mrs Helen Brebner to the class. Helen is a very experienced teacher assistant who for the past 18 years has worked at St Joseph’s Mt Isa. Welcome, Helen!
Centenary Sacred Garden – Blessing & Opening - Next Tuesday
I warmly invite all families to attend the official blessing and opening of our Sacred Garden on Tue 12th August from 8:45am. Bishop Michael McCarthy and Fr Matthias will preside at this service, with morning tea provided afterwards. If you are able to attend this event, please RSVP here.
Education Qld Schools – Strike Action
Current media coverage regarding industrial action by Queensland teachers this Wednesday 6th August, does not involve staff from any Catholic Schools. Classes and school routines at St Mary’s are unaffected by the industrial action of staff in Education Queensland (State) Schools.
Quote of the Week
"A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal."
- Steve Maraboli
2025 Book Week Parade
Get ready to step into a world of wonder and whimsy!
On Tuesday, 19th August @ 8:45am St Mary's will hold its annual Book Week Parade.
Will you arrive as a fairy tale classic—perhaps Cinderella, Peter Pan, or the Big Bad Wolf? Or will you dazzle us as a mythical creature—a majestic unicorn, fierce dragon, or mischievous elf?
2025 Prime Minister's Spelling Bee
St Mary’s students in years 3-6 will once again be competing in the annual Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee. Students taking part in the Spelling Bee will be given 30 random words from their reading level word list. They have 25 seconds to spell each word. Students may not be familiar with all the words they are asked to spell. However, exposing students to new words and their definitions will help expand their vocabularies and encourage them to continue reading. The Spelling Bee allows students to complete 30 spelling words in a fun format where they have to aim for accuracy, to beat the clock and finish ahead of their fellow students right across Australia.
In preparation for the Spelling Bee, students may wish to use the online link to practice the online test: Play – Prime Minister's Spelling Bee
Please see Mrs Paul or Mrs Battaia if you have any questions.
From our P&F - Can you help?
Get your friends and family together to enjoy a day at the cricket and if you can, pop by and help the St Mary's P&F raise some money at our BBQ Stall. Whether you can spare a couple of hours or stay the whole duration, your support will be greatly appreciated! Many slots are yet to be filled.
~ Free Entry for all Volunteers ~
Please add your name to this schedule by 18th August.
Sport News
Play On! Sports Vouchers
Queensland’s new $200 voucher program – launched yesterday!
Vouchers can be used with most junior sporting providers and clubs. All families are eligible to one voucher per child.
Let’s get more Queensland kids moving, playing and having fun!
https://www.qld.gov.au/recreation/sports/funding/playon
Catholic Education Week Wrap-Up
Thank you to students, parents and staff for a great week spent celebrating Catholic Education Week.
Our Catholic Education Week Liturgy, teacher/student dodgeball game and school disco were wonderful ways to share faith, hope and love. Many thanks to the St Patrick's students who assisted at our disco on Friday, which raised $1117 for Mercy Works.
Spirit of Catholic Education Awards
As part of our Catholic Education Week festivities, we are proud to present the Spirit of Catholic Education Award to 14 outstanding students across our school. These students have been recognized for consistently embodying the values of Faith, Love, and Hope in their daily lives.
Congratulations to our recipients: Lincoln H, Charlie R, Ryker H, Edie C, Harper R, Easton B, Havana C, Bowen E, Olivia R, Alfie M, Theo P, Ruby H, Oliver D and Matilda A. Well done, your actions and spirit truly reflect the heart of Catholic education, and we are so proud of each of you!
Student of the Week
Week 3, Term 3 Student Award Winners
| PC | Evie | For your fantastic effort with writing this week, Evie! Your retell of our police visit was amazing. You’re working hard to create interesting sentences and confidently sound out tricky words. Keep up the great work! |
| PC | Lincoln | For the hard work and concentration you have been bringing to learning a new and challenging maths concepts this week. Keep up the amazing effort Lincoln! |
| PR | Audrey | For writing a fantastic recount of the Prep Police visit. You are writing more detailed sentences and taking care with your letter formation. Keep up the fantastic work |
| PR | McKenna | For working hard in maths sessions. You confidently partitioned and ordered numbers to 20. Keep up the fantastic work! |
| 1B | Peachie | For working hard in maths to find the pattern in our turn around facts to 10. By finding the pattern, you were able to make sure you had them all. Well done Peachie! |
| 1B | Tariq | For the empathy you have shown your classmates this week. You helped someone who you noticed was upset, and invited a new friend to play when they were alone. What a fantastic friend you have been Tariq! |
| 1C | Piper | For being a regular Heggerty Hero! You energetically follow all actions and make related sounds correctly. Mrs Cleaver loves the way you ask questions about the meanings of unknown words. Keep up the amazing effort Piper! |
| 1C | Kyle | For your super effort in mathematics this week. Mrs Cleaver loved the way you worked confidently while completing various repeated addition activities. Awesome work Kyle! |
| 1C | Rika | For being a super writer this term. You work hard to learn new spelling rules and then apply them in your writing like an expert! Keep up the awesome effort Rika! |
| 2A | All Students in 2A | For their teamwork, dedication, and heartfelt participation in the Catholic Education Week Liturgy. Each student brought something special to this celebration—whether through reading, singing, preparing, or simply supporting one another with grace and kindness. Well done 2A! |
| 2L | Year 2L Class | This week, you have all been shining brighter than ever! I’m incredibly proud of each and every one of you for the reverence, and participation of every student in the liturgy. Your beautiful singing reflected something deeper: a genuine care for each other, a shared purpose, and a joyful confidence that lifted everyone around you. Well done! |
| 3M | Lincoln | For showing resilience and always striving to achieve your best. |
| 3M | Cara | For showing initiative and always being ready to learn. Outstanding effort this week! |
| 3P | Declan | For excellent work during our maths lessons this week. It's great to see you showing persistence and determination in completing difficult tasks. Thank you Declan also for being a great helper to your classmates when completing partner work during maths lessons. Keep up the great work! |
| 3P | Poppy | For excellent work during writing sessions this week. You're working hard to learn your extension spelling words, and your sentences using our Charlotte's Web vocabulary are wonderful. Keep up the amazing effort Poppy —persistence pays off! |
| 4G | Jessie | Your teacher was very impressed with your use of extensive vocabulary and your continued growth in writing strong complex sentences. You are making thoughtful language choices and connecting ideas clearly, which is helping your writing become more detailed and engaging. Keep up the great work Jessie! |
| 4G | Jacob | Your teacher was very impressed with your continued growth in confidence when using different division strategies, including short division. You’ve shown a strong willingness to try new methods, apply what you’ve learned, and improve your accuracy and understanding. Keep it up Jacob! |
| 4R | Brooklyn | For showing perseverance with your learning in maths. You have tackled the challenges of decimals and division this week with a positive attitude, not giving up when the work became difficult. Your determination is inspiring, keep up the great effort Brooklyn! |
| 4R | Chet | For the effort you have made to improve the neatness of your work. You are trying to present your work with care and attention, and your teacher is so impressed with your effort and growing sense of pride. Keep up the great work, Chet! |
| 5C | Oliver | For your amazing work in mathematics this week. Not only have you been harnessing your basic arithmetic skills to a Samurai level but you have also managed to add and subtract fractions with related denominators like a pro! Keep up the great work. |
| 5C | Izaac | For your consistently thoughtful contributions to classroom discussions and your exemplary diligence in mathematics this week. Keep up the great work! |
| 5F | Joel | For showing initiative and responsibility by voluntarily cleaning the classroom floor at the end of the day. Thank you for taking pride in our classroom space—your care and leadership truly shine! |
| 5F | Nate | For your magnificent use of sensory language during our English lesson this week. You applied your knowledge and understanding of the five senses to alter a boring sentence. It is wonderful to see your writing come to life! |
| 6C | Maxwell | For your focus and commitment to learning this week. It is great to see you readily approach your tasks and be willing to share your thoughts and responses with the class. Keep up the great work Max! |
| 6C | Jackson | For the thoughtfulness and care you have shown this week. It is lovely to see you share the essence of our school rules, through your daily actions. Great effort Jackson! |
| 6T | Isabella | For demonstrating a growth mindset in mathematics this week. You continued to persist when challenged to achieve success in both percentages and area of compound shapes. Keep aiming high Izzy! |
| 6T | Mark | For your valuable input in our English lessons this week when learning about appositives. You clearly demonstrated how using them in writing adds more description to nouns and enhances sentence quality. Well done, Mark! |
Community News
