Week 2, Term 4 2024 - 8th October 2024
From our Principal | Mr Wes Rose
Staff News
- We welcome back to Mrs Donna Berardi and Miss Stacey Banks to their classes, following their period of Long Service Leave. It is good to have you both back at school.
- Mrs Donna Wood is on Long Service Leave until week 4. In her absence, Mrs Leigh Ford will teach Performing Arts.
- This Thursday, Belinda Battaia (APC), Belinda van Lint (Acting APRE) and I will attend the Regional Strategic Planning Meeting, where we will be working on our 2025 school improvement goals. While we are away, Mrs Paul is acting principal.
School Maintenance
Over the holidays the flooring in the Early Years amenities block was repaired and resurfaced. This area is now looking really good. Thank you to Mr Clancy for coordinating this with our contractor.
WHS/Technology Review
- This week, we welcome Leighanne Preston (Workplace Health and Safety Officer – Northern Region) who will work alongside our own WHS officer, Mrs Caroline Gordon, to review our policies and procedures.
- Also this week, we welcome Nigel Wadsworth (Chief Information Officer) and Paul Norton (Consultant: Technologies, eLearning, Science and STEM) from Catholic Education, who will assist us to review our Technology offerings. Paul will meet with students and staff to get a good gauge of things at St Mary’s, with view to setting a 5 year Technology plan.
Centenary Yearbook and Cookbook
We still have copies of these books available to purchase from the school office. All students who are enrolled this year have their photo included in this book, which will be a great keepsake for families. Please see the ladies in the school office to get your copy.
A message to children/families arriving before 8:15am
We have noticed that many students are arriving at school before 8:15am and are spread out across various areas of the school. I remind students and parents that before 8:15am, there are no teachers on supervision duty. Therefore, students are to either sit with their parents, or if unaccompanied, sit in the tuckshop area. There is to be no play before 8:15am. Once the 8:15am play bell rings, students can play handball/skip/walk the track/visit the library.
Uniform Guidelines
A reminder to all families of our uniform guidelines. Some important areas to note include;
- Students are to wear plain black footwear (formal shoes or joggers).
- No coloured nail polish or acrylic nails.
- Boys: No earrings.
- Boys hair styles. Be neat in appearance and not falling into eyes or past the collar. Hair may not be dyed or worn in a style that is extreme or inappropriate for school (e.g. no tracks, rat’s tails, mo-hawks, top knots, mullets, hair no shorter than gauge 2 or undercuts that have a large variance between length).
- Girls hair styles. Be neat in appearance and not falling into eyes. Girls with shoulder or longer length hair must have it tied back. Hair may not be dyed or worn in a style that is extreme or inappropriate for school. Hair accessories should be minimal and must be in colours of navy, blue or white.
- Please keep them basic, avoiding electronic watches that include games and cameras, etc.
Our students demonstrate pride in St Mary’s school by the way they wear their uniform correctly. From next week, an infringement letter may be sent home to notify parents of any areas that need to be addressed. If you have any queries about this, please do not hesitate to contact the school office.
Early Departure and Late Arrival at School
For the safety of all students, it is important that the following procedures are followed when students are collected early or arrive late for school;
- If your child needs to leave school during the day for any reason, they must be collected from the school office and signed out. Advanced notice to the school office will assist in having students ready at the collection time.
- Please do not go directly to your child’s class, as the class teacher is unable to amend the attendance roll.
- When returning to school following an appointment, students must report to the office so that the class roll can be marked accordingly.
- Students who arrive late to school in the morning (after 8:30am) must report to the school office before going to their classroom. This will prevent SMS messages being sent to parents when children are present at school.
Families Leaving
As our total enrolment drives many aspects of our school (staffing, budget, class sizes and structure) it is important that we try to be as accurate as possible in predicting the school enrolment for 2025. If you know that you will be leaving at the end of the year, please notify the office as soon as possible. Your assistance with this matter is greatly appreciated.
Quote of the Week
“Attitude is greatly shaped by influence and association.”
- Jim Rohn
APRE News
Introducing....
For those in the school community that I don’t already know, my name is Belinda van Lint. I have been a part of the St Mary’s school and parish communities for the past 12 years as both a parent and teacher, teaching prep and year 6.
As Acting Assistant Principal: Religious Education (APRE), my role in term 4 will be to support staff with implementing the Religious Education curriculum and enhance the religious life of the school. I look forward to being part of the leadership team, supporting teachers and organising some of the upcoming initiatives in our school that promote social justice and action such as Socktober and the upcoming St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal. Throughout term 4 I will be teaching year 6 Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and working in the office on Thursday and Friday.
Prayer for Peace
Last week, Pope Francis called for October 7th to be a day of prayer and fasting, the one year anniversary of the outbreak of the Israel Hamas war that continues today. I ask that you take some time to pray for world peace;
A Prayer for Peace
Lord Jesus Christ,
You are the true King of peace.
In You alone is found freedom.
Please free our world from conflict.
Bring unity to troubled nations.
Let Your glorious peace reign in every heart.
Dispel all darkness and evil.
Protect the dignity of every human life.
Replace hatred with Your love.
Give wisdom to world leaders.
Free them from selfish ambition.
Eliminate all violence and war.
Glorious Virgin Mary,
Saint Michael the Archangel,
Every angel and saint:
Please pray for peace.
Pray for unity amongst nations.
Pray for unity amongst all people.
Pray for the most vulnerable.
Pray for those suffering.
Pray for the fearful.
Pray for those most in need.
Pray for us all.
Jesus, Son of the Living God, have mercy on us.
Jesus, hear our prayers.
Jesus, I trust in You!
Amen.
Socktober
This month our students will be kicking goals for good through the Socktober initiative. We will be supporting Catholic Mission to help students in Mongolia while decorating socks and enjoying soccer challenges. The small acts of compassion we make in our school can make a big difference in the lives of others.
We had our first sock decorating kids club on Friday and lots of fun was had by all of the students who participated. Students are encouraged to continue to bring $1 each Friday and come and decorate a sock in the Learning Support room at 1st break.
October-The Month of the Rosary
We continue to pray a decade of the Rosary each day in October. St Mary's honours the Blessed Mother of Jesus and our school booklist requires that each student from Prep to Year 6 have their own set of Rosary beads.
If your child does not have rosary beads, please purchase a set through our school office for $12 or source them from home or St Vincent de Paul Store in Macalister St.
Belinda van Lint
Assistant Principal: Religious Education (Acting)
Booklists 2025
**PLEASE NOTE: 2025 BOOKLISTS HAVE BEEN EMAILED TO ALL PARENTS**
Orders can be placed online here or by emailing your order to admin@mackayschoolsupplies.com.au Orders are due by Tuesday 22nd October and must be paid for prior to delivery.
PLEASE NOTE: Orders can still be placed after 22nd October, however these packs will need to be collected directly from Mackay School Supplies located in the Mackay Showgrounds.
Book pack collection times are: Friday 29th November 2:30-3:30pm and Monday 2nd December from 8am-8:45am in the School Hall.
If you have any queries, please contact Michelle at Mackay School Supplies on 0432 515 407 or ask at the school office.
Each year level booklist can be viewed by clicking the appropriate link below.
P&F St Mary's Bike-a-thon
Registration Is Open!
We are excited for our next school fundraiser - the P&F St Mary's Bike-a-Thon. It was a super fun event last year giving everyone a chance to get out and enjoy this beautiful weather.
Meet at Caneland Park (near Bluewater Lagoon) and ride, walk or scoot to old Hospital Bridge and back - approx. 3km.
Invite your friends and family to join in, too. Prizes on the day for best dressed boy/ girl & best dressed family.
Please click on this link for ticket information.
If you are available to volunteer on the day please message Mel on 0439 375 509.
Tuckshop Pizza Day
PLEASE NOTE: You must choose the date 16th October in Quickcliq, then select different pizza options in the 'Select Meals' area.
2024 Swimming Carnival
Our annual school swimming carnival will be held on Monday 28th October at Mackay Aquatic Recreation Complex and we are looking for lifesaver volunteers for the junior carnival.
If you are available, please advise when you complete the students nomination form below, or contact the school office.
Senior Carnival Nomination Form
Junior Carnival Nomination Form
We are looking forward to a fun-filled, exciting day.
Simone Sibley
HPE Teacher
St Mary's Christmas Fair
Donations Needed
The St Mary's Christmas Fair is a wonderful social event and an annual end-of-year celebration organised by St Mary’s Catholic Primary School and St Mary’s Parish, South Mackay.
We are currently seeking donations for our Christmas Fair Raffle/Cent Sale and would greatly appreciate your assistance. Donations can be in the form of goods, cash, or gift vouchers for your business products or services.
As a token of appreciation, all supporters will be listed in our school newsletter, acknowledging your sponsorship and encouraging our school community to support your business.
If you would like to donate, can you please kindly respond by Friday, 1st November 2024.
We sincerely thank you for your generosity and hope that you will consider contributing to our Christmas Fair.
Tanya Davies
Fair Coordinator
Mobile: 0438 138 392
Jump Rope for Heart Wrap-Up
Congratulations St Mary’s on completing another term of JRFH. As a school we raised $3402 which will go toward fighting heart disease and improving heart health in Australia. We improved our skipping skills and tricks throughout the term and worked hard to improve our skipping endurance. Well done to all students who skipped their way into one of our skipping clubs (Kangaroo for Prep and Yr 1, 1 minute, 3 minute and the ultimate challenge 5 minute for year 2-6). As a school we skipped about 60 hours in PE lessons throughout term 3 with many of you doing extra skipping at home too.
Our final statistics for the term were:
Money raised: $3402
Hours skipped at home: 35 hours
Congratulations to all our fundraisers. Our top 5 fundraisers were:
- Eddie Richards - $763.20
- Ryker Harris – 581.94
- Adeline Cunningham - $486.98
- Hudson Long - $345.26
- Ella Smith - $292.31
Congratulations to all students who logged skipping hours at home. Our top 3 home skippers were:
- Adeline Cunningham – 450 minutes
- Emilie Ford – 385 minutes
- Eddie Richards – 300 minutes
All students who participated in fundraising for JRFH will receive their certificate and prize in the coming weeks.
Kind regards,
Simone Sibley
HPE Teacher
Student of the Week
Week 1, Term 4 Student Award Winners
| Prep P | Charlize | For trying your best in all that you do at school. Thank you for being a wonderful listener and independent worker. We are lucky to have you in our class! Keep up the super work Charlize! |
| Prep P | Reuben | For your enthusiastic responses during our carpet learning time in Maths and Science this week. You always have your hand up to share your ideas and answers. Thank you for being such a wonderful learner and thinker Reuben! |
| Prep R | Shanaia | For being a writing superstar. You are trying so hard to concentrate when writing you are doing a wonderful job. Keep being amazing! |
| Prep R | Rika | For using the vocabulary words we learnt about in your writing response to the Pear in the Pear Tree. Your sentences are fabulous and we are so proud of how hard you are working! |
| 1B | Rory | For working independently and always producing neat work of a high standard. You have tried very hard to form your letters correctly in all writing tasks. Keep up the great effort Rory! |
| 1B | Olive | For being a quiet, focused student who puts in her best effort to complete all set tasks. Great work Olive! |
| 1S | Tyson | For a great start to Term 4. You have been on task every day working hard. Keep up the awesome effort Tyson |
| 1S | Maisie | For your hard work during our maths lessons this week. I love the way you asked lots of questions and helped others. |
| 2A | Luca | For the outstanding effort you put in to all aspects of your learning. Your spelling is exceptional and your work is always neat. You are a great role model to your peers Luca! |
| 2A | Amber | For the enthusiastic way you enter the classroom each and every day. Your smile is infectious and you are a ray of sunshine. Keep being you Amber! |
| 2L | Conan | For your beautiful reverence during prayer time in class and your care and concern for your classmates. A wonderful way to begin the term! Your teacher’s heart is singing! |
| 2L | Adeline | Addy it has been such a joy to see you include others into your friendship circle this week, and also the generosity you have shown to your classmates. Your compassion for others shines!! What a beautiful heart you have! |
| 3C | Reuben | For your enthusiasm and willingness to share your ideas in math lessons have been wonderful to see. Your contributions have sparked many interesting class conversations and investigations. Keep up the fantastic work Reuben! |
| 3C | Claire | Your teacher is consistently impressed by your eagerness and willingness to complete set tasks across all curriculum areas. Welcome back to St. Mary’s - we love having you in our class! |
| 3P | Harry | For your incredible reading in BOOST groups. It is fantastic to see how engaged you are with the texts. I love how you consistently make connections to the texts and are willing to share your insights with your group. Way to go Harry! |
| 3P | Hunter | For demonstrating exceptional coding skills in Digital Technology. Your creativity, problem-solving abilities, and dedication to mastering coding concepts have set a high standard. Congratulations Hunter! |
| 4C | Oliver | Your energy, commitment and wonderful contributions to our class discussions. The insights you have offered during class have impressed me. Well done Oliver! |
| 4R | Nate | Your responsible attitude and the work you have been doing to improve in all areas of your school day. Your teacher is so impressed with your determination and focus, great effort Nate! |
| 4R | Gloria | For the effort you make in applying yourself to complete your work to the best of your ability. Keep up the great work, well done Gloria! |
| 5C | Kolby | For your outstanding mathematics work this week. Your attention to detail and processes has ensured you have had great success. Keep up the great work. |
| 5C | Hudson | For your great start to term 4. Hudson you have come in this week ready and willing to work hard. Keep up the great work. |
| 5M | Ava | For the beautiful prayer you have written for the class. Thank you Ava. |
| 5M | Ollie | For the beautiful prayer you have written for the class. Thank you Ollie. |
| 6T | Rahill | For always being organised and ready to learn. You put 100% into all tasks. You are a fantastic role model in our classroom. Keep up the hard work Rahill! |
| 6T | Sophia | For your enthusiasm and persistence, especially when the classwork is challenging. Your hard work doesn’t go unnoticed! Keep aiming high, Sophia! |
| 6V | Samantha | For your excellent effort and application in maths this week. You used a range of strategies and could clearly show your working. |
| 6V | Nikol | For writing a detailed and accurate summary of a current media topic and engaging in discussion with your peers about current media events. |
| Sport | Prep R | Wow, Prep R what a resilient and happy group of students you are. Our first 1 hour PE lesson and you were all still smiling and asking for more at the end of the session. Each of you kicked, threw, balanced and jumped as best you could at each different activity. Well done and keep up the hard work. |
| Drama | Malachi | Your expressive improvisation at Drama. You captured your audience and conveyed your message with enthusiasm. Well done! |
| Drama | Nikol | Your expressive improvisation at Drama. You captured your audience and conveyed your message with enthusiasm. Well done! |
Community News
“Do you want to make a difference in our community?
You’re invited to join the St Joseph’s Online Conference (St Vincent de Paul Group). We are taking expressions of interest from anyone throughout the Diocese. Meetings are monthly, online via Microsoft Teams.
Training will be provided. Email membership.rocky@svdpqld.org.au if interested.”
More about the St Vincent de Paul Society: We are the Society - St Vincent de Paul Society Queensland (youtube.com)
