Week 6, Term 1 2023 - 28th February 2023
Social Justice Initiatives
With the Catholic Church's celebration of Ash Wednesday and the commencement of Lent, we have now commenced our 2023 Project Compassion fundraising campaign. Project Compassion, which is the main fundraising activity for Caritas Australia, seeks to raise funds for people living in some of the most vulnerable communities across the world. The collection spans across the six weeks of Lent each year.
The theme of Project Compassion is ‘For All Future Generations’, which reminds us that the good that we do today will extend and impact the lives of generations to come. St Mary’s has always given a whole-hearted effort to Project Compassion, raising many thousands of dollars over the years. In 2023 where our school is committed to Subsidiarity and Participation, we aim to multiply these previous efforts.
This year for Project Compassion students can choose to purchase seeds, a chicken, a pig, school items or a meal for a family.
The tokens will be purchased from classrooms and will then be displayed.
At the end of Term One we will again reward the class who raises the highest amount. This class may choose to dance the Chicken Dance at Assembly or nominate another class and teacher to do so.
We would also love to see families support our Care for our Common Home; Earth, by joining us for Clean Up Australia Day on Sunday. We will meet near the Ocean International at 9am and will be finished by 10am.
Children are to be supervised by parents. Please bring along gloves, water, a hat and a bag for rubbish collection.
We would love to see you there.
Peace and blessings,
Terri Leotta
Assistant Principal: Religious Education
From our Principal - Mr Wes Rose
P&F News
Thank you to the parents who attended last week’s P&F AGM and first general meeting of the year. I am glad to announce our new executive for the year is as follows:
President – Dan Kinnane
Vice President – Lisa McNamara
Secretary – Majella McGowan
Treasurer – Samantha Dawes
Events – Nikita Kinnane
On behalf of the school community, I sincerely thank these parents for assisting on our executive committee this year; I am sure you will do a wonderful job. A reminder to all parents that you are most welcome to attend the P&F meetings, which are held in the staffroom for a maximum of 1 hour.
Please note our next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday 21st March from 6pm-7pm. At the next meeting, we will discuss the 2023 P&F budget, and it would be great to have as many parents as possible make it along to assist with the decision making. We will also make plans for some upcoming events, including a Term 1 Pie Drive and the famous St Mary’s Trivia Night (tentative date of Friday 2nd June).
Shrove Tuesday
Thank you to Mr Gibbs and his helpers for organising the pancakes for Shrove Tuesday last week. I am excited to announce that we raised $944.25 for Project Compassion, a great start to the Lenten appeal!
Interschool Chess Competition
Congratulations to the 13 students who represented their school at this week’s Mackay Interschool Chess Comp. Players battled it out over 7 gruelling rounds, earning points for themselves and their 4-person team. A big congratulations to Cruz Patroni who won the primary schools comp with 7 wins from 7 matches! Creed Patroni finished 2nd with 6 wins and Woodley Gould received a merit ribbon with 5 wins. The St Mary’s Knights team (Cruz and Creed Patroni, Cooper and Sam Christie) also made the podium, finishing 3rd in the teams event.
Staff News
- I am away this Friday. Mrs Belinda Battaia is acting principal in my absence.
- Mrs Terri Leotta and Mrs Belinda van Lint attended a Religions Education video conference on Monday.
- Mrs Leotta will attend the regional Principal’s meeting on Friday, in my absence.
- Welcome to Miss Laura Kulmar, who is working in 1B Tuesdays-Thursdays each week. Laura’s is our CAP (Career Assistance Program) student, and will learn alongside Mrs Berardi and 1B in an ‘apprentice’ style arrangement.
- Welcome to Mrs Amina Benkania, a new volunteer assisting at St Mary’s each Wednesday. Amina is from Morocco and brings a wealth of knowledge to role as volunteer teacher assistant.
- Mrs Emily Dalglish, our Learning Support teacher, will attend the regional Learning Support meeting this Thursday.
- You may have noticed a relief teacher in your child’s class. Yr 1 to Yr 6 teachers have been released to undertake the DRA (Diagnostic Reading Assessment) with all students. The DRA assists teachers to understand each student’s reading strengths and areas for improvement; helping to set reading goals for students to strive towards.
School TV
St Mary’s is very excited to introduce a new initiative to help support the wellbeing of our students. After all, happy and well supported students are better equipped to learn and succeed.
We know that it can be difficult and time consuming for parents to source credible information when it comes to ongoing wellbeing support strategies for their children. To aid with this we have partnered with SchoolTV, an online resource designed to empower parents to better deal with the challenges for raising happy, well and resilient young people.
Because parenting doesn't come with instructions, the SchoolTV resource has now been implemented at our school to assist parents and caregivers in navigating the challenges of modern-day parenting. This outstanding resource delivers credible information with practical strategies featuring video interviews with leading specialists, supported by a host of resources from key wellbeing organisations.
SchoolTV offers parents a fresh approach to the issues and pressures faced by children and young people in our communities throughout Australia.
Some topics featured include:
- Youth Anxiety
- Raising Girls
- School Refusal
- Positive Parenting
- Digital Reputation
- Managing Screen Time
- Cyberbullying
We encourage you to visit our SchoolTV site and view the content but more importantly use this resource if and when needed to support your child and family through particular needs as they may arise. At a time when the wellbeing of our youth has never been more challenged, we are pleased to be able to offer this accessible, credible and empowering resource to our families.
Many thanks again to the support provided by Catholic Education Rockhampton Northern Region to get this up and running across all schools in the region.
Quote of the Week
"We cannot cure the world of sorrows, but we can choose to live in joy."
-Joseph Campbell
Drive Through Name Signs
A reminder to parents to please display your laminated name cards on the passenger side visor when using drive through. This will assist with the smooth running of the pick-up area in the afternoons.
If you have misplaced your name card or for those families using the drive through for the first time, please contact the school office.
Project Compassion-Second Week of Lent
Tereesa is a Gamilaroi woman from Western Sydney who struggled with homelessness while raising her four children. At just 16 years old, she had to leave school after falling pregnant with her first child. A single mother struggling with homelessness, Tereesa’s only concern was finding stability for her children.
Seeking a better future for her family, Tereesa joined Baabayn Aboriginal Corporation’s Young Mums and Bubs Group, supported by Caritas Australia. Baabayn helped Tereesa access housing and psychological support.
Today, Tereesa is studying a certificate in Community Services so that she can strengthen her skills and give back to her community. Tereesa now works at Baabayn, providing support to young mothers and mentoring the next generation of young people.
Please donate to Project Compassion 2023.
Together, we can help vulnerable communities face their challenges today and build a better tomorrow For All Future Generations.
You can donate through Project Compassion using donation boxes in classrooms, scanning the QR code, by visiting caritas.org.au/project-compassion, or by calling 1800 024 413.
Photo: Richard Wainwright/Caritas Australia
Caritas Classroom Tally
Sport News
2023 St Mary's Fun Run/Cross-Country
Letters were emailed to all Year 3-6 parents today with information regarding the 2023 St Mary's Fun Run/Cross-Country which will be held on Monday 27th March at Queen's Park.
Please click on the link below to view this letter.
Congratulations to Madison Malagueno and Lachlan Ware for making the Capricornia Swimming team. They will compete in Brisbane at the end of March. Good luck.
Basketball Gala Day
Notes will be distributed tomorrow to students who have shown interest in attending the Basketball Gala Day on Friday 10th March. The permission forms with payment included, need to be returned to the school office by this Friday 3rd March.
Please click on the link below for more details.
Simone Sibley
HPE Teacher
Simone_sibley@rok.catholic.edu.au
Good Lunch
Term one is well underway and it’s important to remember the importance of a good lunch. A healthy and balanced lunch not only provides students with energy they need to power through the rest of the day but it also has numerous other benefits.
First and foremost, a good lunch helps to keep students’ blood sugar levels stable. This means that they are less likely to experience that mid-afternoon slump, which can leave them feeling tired and unfocused. By eating a nutritious lunch, students are able to maintain their energy levels and stay productive throughout the day.
In addition to keeping energy levels up, a healthy lunch can also improve students’ academic performance. Studies have shown that students who eat a balanced lunch are better able to concentrate, have better memory retention and perform better on tests. So by making sure that students are eating a nutritious lunch, we are helping to set them up for success both in and out of the classroom.
A good lunch is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle for students. By making sure that they are eating a balanced meal in the middle of the day, we can help them stay energised, focused and healthy. So, let’s all make an effort to prioritise our midday meals and help our students thrive.
Belinda Battaia
Assistant Principal: Curriculum
Tuckshop News
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Student of the Week
Week 5, Term 1 Student Award Winners
| Prep P | Theo | For listening and working so hard during our daily soundwaves lessons. It is great to see you put in so much effort to make sure your book is completed correctly. Thank you Theo! |
| Prep P | Keira | For always listening and trying your best. It is great to see you putting up your hand to share ideas and answers in class. Thank you Keira and keep up the wonderful work! |
| Prep R | Easton | For always participating so enthusiastically in lessons. You are trying so hard and giving everything your best. Keep up the fantastic effort. |
| Prep R | Charlotte | For showing respect to your teachers by following instructions and listening. Thank you for always being ready to to learn. |
| 1B | Conan | For striving so hard to be a super helpful and kind student by listening and getting along with your friends. Well done! |
| 1K | Cayden | For outstanding behaviour and being a magnificent worker at all times. You are a fire cracker! |
| 1K | Porsha | For growing with confidence and answering important questions when engaging in work. Great progress in English. Well done Porsha! |
| 2A | Nicholas | For being a blessing in our classroom. You are always kind and willing to help without being asked. Thank you, Nicholas! |
| 2L | Maggie | For displaying the virtue of persistence when working in maths. You work so very hard to improve your learning and you should be very proud of your efforts. Keep up the great work!! |
| 2L | Mackenzie | Mackenzie, you are a very thoughtful, kind and caring student. Thank you for your assistance throughout the week to help another member of our class. You are a wonderful friend! |
| 3B | Elouise | For the fantastic use of reading strategies. You are monitoring and self-correcting without prompts to help clarify what you have read. You are a Reading Strategies Super Star! |
| 3B | Hugo | For the great choices you have been making in the classroom this week. You are listening carefully and staying focused on tasks. What a wonderful example you have set for your classmates. |
| 3P | Sonny | For approaching his work with enthusiasm and cheerfulness and a willingness to do his best every day this week. |
| 3P | Emerson | For using exciting and descriptive vocabulary when writing her sizzling starts. Keep up the great story writing! |
| 4A | Raj | For actively participating in classroom discussions and sharing your creative ideas. We are so impressed with your work in class, keep up the great work Raj! |
| 4A | Eirian | You are such a pleasure to have in the classroom, Eirian. Your work in Religion on subsidiarity and participation was outstanding and so were your pictures. Well done! |
| 4C | Reniel | For being a self motivated and industrious learner at all times. Your work ethic is one to be proud of. Keep up the great work! |
| 4C | Maisy | For being a polite and responsible member of our class who can be relied upon to complete all tasks and additional responsibilities in an enthusiastic manner. You are a great role model for others. |
| 5SA | Ryder | For being consistently eager to learn and always conscientious in your approach to each task. We love your positive outlook and attitude every day. Congratulations Ryder! |
| 5T | Lauren | For the persistence you showed in mathematics when learning fractions. You worked hard to overcome challenges to deepen your understanding. Well done, Lauren! |
| 5T | Zander | For the outstanding effort you demonstrate across all learning areas. You are a wonderful role model in our classroom and it is very pleasing to see. |
| 6M | Milla | For being such a wonderful leader. You are helpful, kind, respectful and always do your very best. You are an inspiration to others Milla! |
| 6M | Kai | For the effort and application you are putting into every subject area. Keep it up Kai! |
| 6V | Ariah | For the effort and determination you have displayed in maths this week. Your hard work has produced some great results. Keep up the great work Ariah! |
| 6V | Cruz | For showing enthusiasm for classroom activities and always striving to do your best. Your kind, caring attitude and wonderful manners are appreciated in our class Cruz. |
Community News
