Week 5, Term 2 2023 - 16th May 2023

Principal's Reflection

On last week’s assembly, we had the privilege of a visit by our mayor, Mr Greg Williamson.

Always an engaging and thought-provoking speaker, Greg spoke about the importance of care for others, and in particular, caring for those in our local community.  Greg explained the council’s new ‘Be a Legendary Neighbour’ initiative, which looks to connect people to their neighbours.  As Mayor Williamson says,

“We want to help build a more connected community because connected communities are resilient – they look out for each other. That can take the form of checking in on each other’s physical and mental wellbeing or helping to prepare for, or recover from, natural disasters.”

It was a wonderful example of how, as people of care, it is our duty to look out for others.

As we know, care for others was central to the life and teachings of Jesus. Jesus taught us to love one another, to care for the sick and the vulnerable, and to treat others as we would want to be treated. As followers of Jesus, Christians can practice care for others by extending our love and compassion to our family, local community, and our global family.

Caring for our family: One of the most important ways we can care for others is by taking care of our own family.  Spending time with them, listening to their concerns, and providing emotional support when they need it is important. We can also help with household chores and responsibilities and offer practical assistance in times of need.

Caring for our local community: We can also extend our care to our local community by getting involved in community service projects and volunteering our time and resources. We can support local organizations that help those in need, such as food banks, homeless shelters, and community centres. We can also get to know our neighbours and offer help when they need it, whether it's running an errand, mowing their lawn, or simply being a listening ear.

Caring for our global family: Finally, we can care for our global family by becoming advocates for social justice and human rights. Supporting Catholic aid agencies like Catholic Mission and Caritas-  who do wonderful work in this space in advocating for policies that promote peace and justice - is also another practical way to show care for our global family.

Remember, we can all make a difference in the lives of others by practicing care and compassion, inspired by the life and teachings of Jesus. Let's extend our love and compassion to our family, local community, and our global family, and work towards creating a better world for all.

Reaching out to neighbours and the infirmed, was the focus of our MJR sessions last Friday. All students received a Power of Kindness note which you may like to use to reach out to your neighbours.

All the very best,

Wes Rose
Principal

From our Principal - Mr Wes Rose

Staff News

• This week, we welcome Mrs Therese Fitzgerald (Catholic Education Library Co-Ordinator) who is working alongside Mrs Camargo this week.
• Over the next couple of weeks, teachers be released from class on various days to give them some time to prepare the Semester 1 report cards.

Indigenous Artist in Residence

This Friday we welcome local indigenous artist Ms Tia Dodds to St Mary’s.  Tia will be working with our indigenous students to create some aboriginal artwork on canvas.  I am sure the students will absolutely love working with Tia.  These artworks will be displayed at our National Reconciliation Week afternoon tea, next Friday 26^th May from 11:30am-12:30pm in the Hall.  Mrs Tatchell and Mrs Loban will also be assisting Tia and our students.

Screen Time in Children

Many parents have reported excessive screen time as the number one health concern affecting kids, especially now in the hyperconnected world we live in. Parents around the world have experienced the ‘Tech Tantrums’ when kids don’t get the screen time they want.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that there should be no screen time at all for children under two, less than an hour a day for children aged from two to five, and less than two hours for five to 17 year olds. However, these guidelines have been disputed by experts and often ignored by families. Parents must play an important role in modelling a positive approach to using screens, and assisting children to navigate the content they access.  For some useful information about this, please visit our School TV page.

Prep 2024 Enrolments

St Mary’s are currently taking enrolments for Prep 2024. We encourage both existing and new families who have a child starting Prep next year to lodge their enrolment application as soon as possible. Applications are to be made via our online enrolment form available from our website https://www.smmrok.catholic.edu.au/enrol-now and close on 2nd July.

 Please contact the school office for further information or any assistance required.

Quote of the Week

Walk Safely to School Day

When:       Friday 19th May
Where:      Mackay Basketball Stadium Car Park
                     Students will walk from the car park to school, supervision                         will be provided
                     A free Breakfast will be provided upon arrival at school
Time:         Student drop off 7.30am, for a 7.45am walk 

St Mary's Schoolzine App

Did you know St Mary's has a school app?

Download this free app today to;

• advise student absences
• view the newsletter
• access Parent Lounge
• order tuckshop
• receive notifications
  

Once downloaded, please complete your registration, using our school passcode 4142. 

Click here for more details.

St Mary's Trivia Night

Roll up, roll up! You are officially invited to our upcoming Trivia Night with a fun 'Carnival' theme. Join us on Friday, June 2nd, from 6pm on the Basketball Courts for an unforgettable night of games, laughter, and prizes.

PRIZES:
- $1,000 cash prize for First place
- Best Dressed Team
- Side show alley games & Raffles

Come dressed in your best carnival-inspired outfits and get ready to test your knowledge on a range of subjects.

So, lock in your brains trust and start studying. But that's not all! We will also have some carnival games, delicious food, and both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks to keep you entertained throughout the event.

Whether you're a parent, teacher, or local trivia buff, this is an opportunity to come together as a community and enjoy a night of friendly competition and fun. Hurry and purchase your tickets before they sell out!

Tickets are available at https://events.humanitix.com/st-mary-s-trivia-night-2023. We can't wait to see you there! 

Sacramental Program

Sea of Hearts Challenge

We are creating a Sea of Hearts which will depict our commitment to ensuring that Reconciliation lives in the hearts, minds and actions of all Australians. We are working to create a nation strengthened by respectful relationships between the Australian community and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

We request that you

• decorate the heart (click on the link below) and fill in "What Does Reconciliation Mean To You". Cut out the heart and return it back to the school.
• The hearts will be used to create a Sea of Hearts.
• We thank you for your support in making positive changes in our community.

Terri Leotta
Assistant Principal: Religious Education

Prep Mother's Day Celebration

Our Prep Mums enjoyed a very special “Mother’s Day Celebration” last Friday.  We hope all our Mums were spoilt and had wonderful day on Mother's Day!

Prev

Showing images 1 - 8 of 30

Next

Mother's Day

On Saturday and Sunday, St Mary's parishioners and residents of Good Shepherd Lodge were presented with Mother’s Day cards and flowers prepared by all St Mary’s Students. They were overjoyed to be in our hearts and prayers.

May - The Month of Mary

This term the Year 5 students have been investigating the life of Mary our Mother and sharing her virtues. These are some more artworks from our Yr 5SA class.

Terri Leotta
Assistant Principal: Religious Education

Sport News

2023 Interhouse Athletic Carnivals

Our Interhouse Athletic Carnivals are to be held across 3 days in week 8 and 9 this term.

• Monday 5th June will be the Interhouse Field Events for 9, 10, 11 and 12 year old students (2014 – 2011) on St Mary’s oval.
• Friday 9th June will be the Interhouse Track Events for all Year 3, 4, 5 and 6 students at the Mackay Aquatic and Recreation Complex, Boundary Road, Ooralea.
• The Prep- Year 2 Carnival will be held on Thursday 15th June on St Mary’s oval. Prep- Year 2 will participate in a 65m sprint and rotate through modified field events and tabloid activities. Students in Year 3 who were born in 2015 will also participate in this carnival.

The Interhouse Field Event Day will be broken into two sessions; session 1 starting at 8:40 and session 2 staring at approximately 11:45. Students born 2014 and 2013 will rotate through Discus, Shot Put, Long Jump and High Jump during session 1. Students born in 2012 and 2011 will compete in the same events during session 2. Students should be wearing their sports uniform and remember their hats. Students in year 3 who were born in 2015 will stay in their classrooms for the day.

The Interhouse Track events will be at the Mackay Aquatic and Recreation Complex, Boundary Road, Ooralea. All year 3-6 students will bus over to the venue first thing in the morning so please ensure your children arrive to school on time.  Snack, lunch, water bottles and hats will all need to be taken to the field with the students. Students are asked to wear running shoes and socks, HPE shorts and their house shirt.  They will need to sit with their team rather than with family to ensure they do not miss their race. Events on this day include 800m (optional), 100m, 200m and relays. There is room for spectators if you would like to bring a chair or rug, but please take photos from behind the fence.  If you choose to take your child home early, please let one of the staff members know.

I will need volunteers for our Interhouse Track Carnival. Helpers are needed for marshalling, timing, ribbon writing and set up/pack up. Please email simone_sibley@rok.catholic.edu.au with your preferences if you can help out. Thank you in advance for your support.

Simone Sibley
HPE Teacher

St Mary's Battlers

Another tight but great game by the St Mary’s Battlers, gaining the win over Emmanuel with a finishing score of 6-0. The one and only try and conversion of the match was by the mighty Tom Hurley but his forward pack consisting of Jax Fidler, Will Symons, Campbell Smith and Kai Norris certainly helped to gain us metres in the middle and hold tight in defense. 

It was again great to have so many parent supporters, especially those of Justin Arbuthnot and Griffin Russell who took to the field for the first time as senior Battlers players.  An apology to Sefton Tass from Mrs Battaia, who may need some help with her stats as she misrecorded his triumphant try in the first game against Sarina, well done Sefton! 

Tomorrow, we play Bucasia on field 3 at 4pm.

Belinda Battaia

Second Hand Uniforms For Sale

We have an abundance of pre-loved uniforms in stock in the School Office.

We are asking for a gold coin donation for uniforms, with the exception of jumpers which are $5.

Please note we do not have unlimited stock and not all sizes and uniform types are available-first in best dressed. 

All proceeds will go to Caritas.

Student of the Week

Week 4, Term 2 Student Award Winners

Community Thanks

Community News