Week 6, Term 3 2025 - 19th August 2025
APC's Reflection
Our Book Week Parade
Today, our school community came together in a vibrant celebration of reading, imagination and creativity during our annual Book Week Parade. The event was a reminder of the power of stories to inspire, connect, and transform. While the parade itself is a one-day event, the preparation behind it spans weeks, sometimes months. Families thoughtfully plan and create costumes, often repurposing items from home or crafting something special just for the occasion. This dedication reflects the value St Mary’s places on celebrating literature and creativity.
In addition to the parade, our annual Book Week competition is a cherished tradition that requires careful planning and coordination from our staff. From designing engaging activities to organising judging and displays, we ensure every student has the opportunity to participate meaningfully. From the moment the parade began this morning, the diversity of characters brought to life was remarkable. Students and staff embraced the spirit of Book Week, dressing as beloved heroes, mischievous villains, and everything in between. From sporting stars to well known favourites, the parade showcased a rich tapestry of reading worlds.
One of the highlights was the incredible group costumes that added an extra layer of fun and collaboration. Whether it was a team of Mr and Mrs Men, a crew of Toy Story characters or a band of adventure seeking tourists, the creativity and teamwork on display were outstanding.
During the morning, I took the opportunity to ask students what they loved most about the parade—and their responses were as delightful as their costumes!
“It was fun and I got to dress up as my favourite character” Meeka
“I can let out my true creativity” Harlen
“I can let out my excitement and get creative” Havana
“I love dressing up and getting to walk around the whole school parade” Ivor
“It is so fun to parade around school and show your imagination” - Imogen
As we continue to encourage all students to participate in future Book Week celebrations, we’d love your help. If you have any unwanted costume pieces at home—capes, hats, accessories, or character outfits—we’d be grateful for your donations. These items will be made available to students who may be reluctant to dress up but often feel more confident and excited once they see their peers in costume. Your contributions can help make Book Week even more inclusive and magical for everyone.
Belinda Battaia
Assistant Principal - Curriculum
From our Principal | Mr Wes Rose
Staff News
- Welcome back to Mrs Karen McGovern, who has been away for the past 4 weeks. It is good to have you back at school.
- Welcome to Miss Jess Borg (6C) and Miss Emily Barbour (1C), who are completing their final university practicums over the next 5 weeks.
- This Thursday 21st August, I will attend the regional Principal’s meeting at Holy Spirit College.
St Mary’s Got Talent
It’s showtime! Mrs Wood, along with our Year 6 Cultural Leaders, Millie Allardyce and Isla McGowan, have been hard at work judging student auditions over the past few weeks. We warmly invite parents and families to join us for the grand finale of St Mary’s Got Talent, taking place next Monday, 25th August at 11:15am in the school hall. It promises to be a fantastic celebration of the amazing talent within our school community.
P&F BBQ at Harrup Park
Thank you to the parents who have indicated they can assist at the P&F BBQ this Friday 22/8 and Sunday 24/8. We still have a significant number of volunteer slots that need to be filled, so if you are able to assist for an hour or two, please add your name to this volunteer list.
Confirmation/First Holy Communion
Congratulations to the 32 children from our Parish who received the Sacrament of Confirmation from Bishop Michael at St Mary’s Church on Saturday evening. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Belinda van Lint, Tammy Kaddatz, and Nella Simpson for their dedicated preparation of the families and candidates. If you’d like to learn more about the Catholic sacraments of initiation, please reach out to Mrs van Lint through the school office.
Eisteddfod
On Monday, our Junior Concert Band performed at the Mackay Eisteddfod. Competing against 7 other schools in the ‘Beginner Concert Band’ section, our Band received a Very Highly Commended. Well done to these students and to our band teachers, Mr Sam Bauer and Mr Tim McClelland for their efforts with our students.
Interschool Mountain Bike Event
Last Friday, 11 students from St Mary’s took part in the Interschool MTB event held at the Finch Hatton trails. While the course presented a real challenge for many of our riders, the day was filled with fun and great spirit. Congratulations to Oaklan Marwood, who placed 3rd in the Year 5/6 boys category, and to Stella Goodwin, who secured 2nd place in the Year 5/6 girls race! A big thank you to Kyle and Tracey Marwood from Mackay Cycles for their support in designing the St Mary’s MTB jerseys.
Quote of the Week
"You do not find a happy life; you make it."
- Camilla Kimball
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 23rd 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.
Belinda van Lint
Assistant Principal - Religious Education
St Mary's Got Talent
Come along and see the amazing talent of our students, next Monday 25th August at 11:20am in the School Hall.
This is always a highlight of our calendar and parents and relatives are most welcome to attend.
Student of the Week
Week 5, Term 3 Student Award Winners
| PC | Laurence | Laurence, you truly stepped into the spotlight this week during BOOST sessions! Your loud, clear voice made it easy for everyone to follow along, and your expressive tone brought the story to life. Each day, your reading becomes more engaging—what a brilliant leap forward! |
| PC | Pippen | Pippen, your bright smile and positive attitude shine through in everything you do. Your kindness, initiative, and strong work ethic make our classroom a better place. Thank you for being a wonderful role model and always giving your best! |
| PR | Willow | For your insightful answers during Religion sessions. You are working hard to comprehend parables and engage thoughtfully during class discussions. Well done Willow! |
| PR | Adam | For working hard to become a more independent learner. You are showing more confidence, persistence, and a You Can Do it attitude. Keep working hard Adam! |
| 1B | Nina | For your confidence when presenting your Show and Share and Binky Diary to the class this week. Connie Confidence would be proud. |
| 1B | Claire | For your efforts this week in Boost reading. You are chopping up tricky words using learnt letter combinations and reading with fluency and confidence. Keep up the great work Claire! |
| 1C | Sierra | For being a Heggerty Hero this week! You have been following all actions and making the related sounds correctly. Mrs Cleaver loves the way you use your ninja hands to chop up words. Keep up the amazing effort Sierra! |
| 1C | Huxley | For your resilience this week during our ‘Automathic’ speed test practice. Mrs Cleaver loved the way you took a moment to recover from a setback. You bounced back then continued on and completed the task. Super effort Huxley! |
| 2A | Vinudi | For consistently giving her best effort in all tasks, actively participating, and approaching every challenge with determination and enthusiasm. Her positive attitude and dedication make her a true pleasure to have in the classroom. Well done Vinudi! |
| 2A | Jack | For showing a genuine passion for our solar system unit, eagerly engaging in discussions and activities with curiosity and excitement. His enthusiasm and involvement bring great energy to our science lessons. You are out of this world Jack! |
| 2L | Easton | Easton you are a curious and confident learner who brings fascinating insights to our classroom discussions. Your knowledge and thoughtful contributions make our classroom a richer place to learn and grow together. |
| 2L | Tobias | Tobias you show great leadership through your focus and attention in class. You complete tasks responsibly, give thoughtful answers, and show sensible and respectful behaviour. |
| 3M | Jasmine | For working diligently to complete your Maths tasks. You have shown incredible effort this week and should be so proud. |
| 3M | Hayden | For demonstrating initiative by catching up on your maths work and setting an outstanding example of dedication and work ethic for your peers. |
| 3P | Gwen | For showing fantastic effort and great ideas during our English writing lessons this week. You are trying hard to think of creative sentences using our vocabulary words, and your writing using expanded sentences has been wonderful. Keep up the super effort Gwen! |
| 4G | Mia | For consistently take pride in your work and present your book work neatly and carefully. Your attention to detail and effort show how much you care about doing your best. Keep up the great work Mia! |
| 4G | Nicholas | For showing initiative during learning time and are always a helping hand when needed. Your willingness to step up, offer support, and contribute positively makes a real difference in our classroom. Thank you for your readiness to help and your positive attitude – you are a valued and appreciated member of our class Nicholas! |
| 4R | Bianca | For being an excellent role model for your classmates. You consistently make good choices, uplift others with encouragement and show care and respect in all your actions. You help make our classroom a positive learning space. Well done, Bianca for your shining example! |
| 4R | Edie | For the way you have been trying hard to be organised, ready to learn and giving your best to complete your work. Your teacher is so impressed with your effort and positive attitude in the classroom. Keep striving for excellence Edie! |
| 5C | Malachi | For your insightful use of new vocabulary and your impressive application of literary techniques, especially pathetic fallacy and the power of triples in your writing about The Grandest Bookshop in the World. |
| 5C | Nate | For your determination when applying the distributive law to solve challenging four-digit multiplication problems. Your persistence and logical thinking helped you break down complex equations with confidence. A brilliant effort keep striving for excellence! |
| 5F | Emilie | For your impressive effort in BOOST; you created a detailed character profile from Bridge to Terabithia. Your confident and enthusiastic approach brought the character to life. Well done—keep aiming high! |
| 5F | Artik | For your excellent sportsmanship and leadership skills displayed at camp last week. Your ability to gel with your group members and your work it out attitude were inspirational to those around you. Well done, superstar! |
| 6C | Hannah | For your continued focus in all classroom activities. You are a role model for all of your peers and always work to the best of your ability. |
| 6C | Isla | For applying a growth mindset in your maths this week. It is great to see you attempting to tackle more complex problems and sharing your responses with the class. Keep up the great work, Isla! |
| 6T | Sam | For your maturity and proactive approach during Mathematics Rotations. You've truly led by example and been an outstanding role model in 6T. Well done, Sam! |
| 6T | Shanya | For consistently applying 100% effort to all tasks. Your work ethic is impeccable! You are a wonderful role model in our classroom. Keep up the fantastic work, Shanya! |
Community News
YOU'RE INVITED!
Please join us on Wednesday 17th September, for the upcoming Creative Arts Showcase at Catherine McAuley College Mackay!
This exciting event will feature a vibrant program of visual arts, music, dance, drama, and instrumental performances presented by our talented students, giving your students an insight to what we offer in Creative Arts at the College.
Please click on this link to register attendance so we can ensure there is enough food and seating available.
We look forward to welcoming your students to join us as an audience and share in the celebration of creativity!
