Week 7, Term 2 2023 - 30th May 2023

Principal's Reflection

Yesterday the 29^th May, the world remembered the 70^th anniversary of the summiting of Mount Everest.

In the history of human achievements, few can match the awe-inspiring feat accomplished by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay on 29^th May, 1953. On that day, these two remarkable individuals became the first to conquer the mighty Everest, the world's highest peak.

Edmund Hillary, a New Zealand mountaineer and amateur beekeeper, had set his sights on the summit of Everest, a challenge that had eluded many previous expeditions. Alongside him was Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa guide from Nepal, who brought his immense knowledge and experience of the treacherous Himalayan terrain.

The arduous journey to the top of Everest demanded unwavering determination, physical strength, and exceptional skill. Battling harsh weather conditions, thin air, and dangerous crevasses, Hillary and Tenzing pushed their bodies and minds to the limits. Their unwavering perseverance, resilience, and teamwork propelled them forward, step by treacherous step.

Finally, after weeks of gruelling effort, they stood atop the world, on the summit of Mount Everest, a pinnacle that had seemed insurmountable to many.

Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay had achieved what was once considered impossible. Their success reverberated around the globe, inspiring generations to push beyond their limits and conquer their own metaphorical mountains.

Edmund Hillary's legacy extended far beyond his mountaineering conquest. After his historic Everest summit, he dedicated his life to the welfare of the Sherpa community and the people of Nepal. He established schools, hospitals, and numerous philanthropic projects that continue to benefit the region to this day. His commitment to giving back and making a positive impact on the lives of others has left an indelible mark on the world.

Norgay's ascent of Mount Everest not only marked a ground breaking feat in mountaineering history but also shattered long-standing barriers. As a Sherpa from Nepal, he challenged prevailing notions that only Western climbers were capable of conquering such treacherous terrain. His achievement highlighted the expertise, resilience, and immense knowledge possessed by Sherpas, who had been indispensable in Himalayan expeditions for decades.

The conquest of Everest by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay will forever be etched in the annals of human history. It serves as a reminder that with determination, teamwork, and a spirit of adventure, seemingly insurmountable obstacles can be conquered. Their story continues to inspire us to reach for our own summits, to overcome challenges, and to make a difference in the lives of others.

As we commemorate the incredible achievement of these two extraordinary individuals, let us draw inspiration from their indomitable spirit and strive to reach new heights in our own lives, both metaphorically and literally. Let us remember that the power of human potential knows no limits, and that through courage, perseverance and compassion, we can make a lasting impact on the world around us.

All the very best,

Wes Rose
Principal 

From our Principal - Mr Wes Rose

Personal and Social Education
Today, we welcomed Ms Kristen Honeyball (Education Consultant: Catholic Education) with worked with our Year 6 students in exploring life relationships and their changing bodies.  Key concepts included bodily changes for both boys and girls, the male and female reproductive system and who can students go to if they need assistance or further information.  I thank Kristen for visiting our school and assisting us in offering this important learning opportunity to our students.

School News
This week, we farewell Miss Elli Gee, who has been a teacher aide at St Mary’s for the past 2 years. Elli is currently studying to become a teacher and leaves St Mary’s to pursue an exciting opportunity at Beaconsfield SS.  On behalf of the school community, I wish Elli all the best for her new career move.

We look forward to Friday’s Trivia night with excitement and anticipation. Sincere thanks to the organising committee for once again coordinating a signature St Mary’s event.  There are still a few tables  of 10 available, so if you are interested in joining the fun, click here to book.

Baby News
Congratulations to Cassie and Luke Bourke who last week welcomed to their family a baby girl, Romy. She is a little sister to Easton (Prep R) and Navy. 

Checkmate!
Congratulations to the 13 students who participated at the Mackay Inter-school Chess competition, held at Mackay Christian College yesterday.  Led by our chess club coordinator Mrs Berardi, our players battled it our through 7 rounds of chess against a record 240 players! Special mention to Woodley Gould and Cruz Patroni who finished with individual awards, and to the St Mary’s Knights (Cruz and Creed P, Woodley G and Cooper C) who placed 3^rd in the teams competition. To view the full results for the comp, click here.  

Quote of the Week

Sacramental Program

Sea of Hearts Challenge

Our Sea of Hearts heralded Sorry Day and the beginning of National Reconciliation Week last Friday. Each student wrote their response to the question, “What does Reconciliation mean to me…”

St Mary's Trivia Night

TICKET SALES CLOSE 7PM SHARP TONIGHT

Don’t miss out on your tickets to our annual St Mary’s Trivia Night.

Theme: Carnival
First Place Prize: $1,000 cash
Carnival Games & Prizes for Best Dressed

Our event is almost sold out! Buy your tickets here: https://events.humanitix.com/st-mary-s-trivia-night-2023 

From our APC - Mrs Belinda Battaia

Reporting to Parents

Regular reporting to parents and carers on student achievement helps build the school-parent/carer partnership that can be instrumental in improving student learning outcomes. Semester reports enable parents and carers to understand:  

• learning expectations
• the student’s achievement against expected standards
• progress that the student has made since the previous reporting period (with insights into what may have contributed to this learning growth)
• specific recommendations on actions and strategies that will support ongoing improvement.

In addition to providing written reports at least twice a year, schools typically offer parents and carers formal and informal opportunities to meet with teachers to discuss their child’s learning progress.

As the end of the school semester approaches, many teachers are preparing to report on student progress to parents.  This is a crucial part of the educational process, as it allows parents to stay informed about their child’s academic performance and to work with teachers to support their child’s learning.  

Beginning this semester, St Mary’s will use an A-E reporting scale for Years 1-6.  A school wide A-E reporting scale is an important tool for teachers and schools when reporting to parents as it provides a clear and consistent way of evaluating student achievement, helps to ensure consistency across different subjects and classes and can motivate students to strive for higher grades.  Prep students will use the 5-point reporting scale (see below).

Effort and Attitude 
The scale used to report on effort and attitude in each subject area considers diligence, behaviour and engagement.  

Social and Personal Learning Three Point Scale
The three point scale to rate effort and attitude and social and personal learning uses Commendable, Satisfactory and Needs Improvement.  

An example of a social and personal learning descriptor can be found below:

Student reports will be accessible to parents via Parent Lounge on Friday 23rd June and parent teacher interviews will take place in the first few weeks of term 3.  If you have any queries about the reporting process, please don’t hesitate to contact the office. 

Belinda Battaia
Assistant Principal: Curriculum

Curriculum News

Last Friday, staff from Mackay Regional Council Disaster Risk Reduction Team visited our year 5 students. The team spoke about how to prepare for floods and fires and the learning tied in perfectly with the current English and Geography units of work.

Our community partnership with Mackay Regional Council is certainly a valuable one. Thank you for the visit.

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 - Week 4 - 24th May

The Battlers went down to a well drilled Marian State School last Wednesday.  The team fought till the end and were kept motivated by a sneaky try from Kai Norris and a brilliant intercept try by Justin Arbuthnot.  Cooper Christie was close to the line at one point and Cooper Ricciardi had some great dummy half scoots.  Nev Lucas and Sefton Tass also put in a strong effort in defence and line attack. 

We now have a week off for State of Origin and come back to play on Wednesday 7th June at 4:50pm against Victoria Park State School on field 1.  

Sport Gala Days – Friday 23 June

Yesterday, we emailed parents information for the upcoming sport gala days.  If you would like your child(ren) to attend, please accept the event through the parent lounge and return the medical forms to the office via smm@rok.catholic.edu.au. 

No experience is necessary, this is a great opportunity for your child to come and try out the sport, and enjoy a fun day with their friends. 

Please note that this is the day after the Mackay Show holiday and the last day of Term 2.

1. Netball Gala Carnival – Years 4, 5 & 6

• 8:30am to 2:30pm
• Mackay Netball Courts, Casey Avenue. (Access via Leisure Ct)
• We are also seeking parent volunteers who would like to manage a team on the day, if you are interested, please contact Belinda_Vanlint@rok.catholic.edu.au

• 9:00am to 2:30pm
• Abbott Park fields
• Mouthguards are mandatory
• We are also seeking parent volunteers who would like to manage a team on the day if you are interested, please contact Belinda_battaia@rok.catholic.edu.au

Library News

The 2023 National Simultaneous Storytime took place on Wednesday 24^th May, we all enjoyed Ms Lenz’s wonderful reading of “The Speedy Sloth”.  Many students also entered our Speedy Sloth Colouring-in Competition.  There were so many impressive entries.  The competition winners were chosen by Ms Lenz and announced on Monday.  Well done to all our winners;  Charlie C (Prep), Luca R (year 1), Bianca W (year 2), Cooper A (year 3). Mila T (year 4), Addison C (year 5).

Mrs Lynne Camargo
Librarian

Student of the Week

Week 6, Term 2 Student Award Winners

Community News