Week 6, Term 1 2025 - 4th March 2025
From our Assistant Principal - Curriculum
Last Friday, our leadership team had the privilege of working with Stephanie Salazar, an experienced educator, instructional leadership consultant, and coach. This collaboration aligns perfectly with one of our key priorities for the year: Leadership, Partnerships, and Resourcing. Our goal is to implement an instructional coaching model at St Mary’s, and Stephanie's expertise was invaluable in guiding us through this process.
The day began with a deep dive into our personal values, both as individuals and as educators. This reflection set the stage for a meaningful and productive session. Together, we developed a shared definition of what coaching means at St Mary’s. We also envisioned what a coaching culture would look like, sound like, and feel like within our school community.
One of the highlights of the day was brainstorming our agreed practices and the implementation cycle for coaching. This collaborative effort ensured that we were all on the same page and committed to the same goals. By the end of the day, we all agreed that the session was highly productive and, most importantly, centred around achieving the best possible learning outcomes for our students.
We are excited about the journey ahead and look forward to working with Stephanie again as the year progresses. As we transition into the role of coaches, we are confident that our shared agreements will guide us towards a successful implementation of the coaching model at St Mary’s.
Belinda Battaia
Assistant Principal - Curriculum
From our Principal | Mr Wes Rose
Ash Wednesday
Tomorrow we mark the beginning of Lent with Ash Wednesday, a sacred time in the Church that calls us to prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. The ashes placed on our foreheads remind us of our humility before God and our commitment to grow in faith during this season of preparation for Easter. Lent is a journey of reflection and renewal, inviting us to deepen our relationship with God and live out God’s call to love and serve others. It is a time to pause, reflect on our lives and embrace the opportunity for spiritual growth.
We warmly invite you to join us for our Ash Wednesday Liturgy at 10:15am in the school hall. This special gathering will allow us to begin Lent together in prayer, seeking God’s grace as we embark on this season of renewal. We look forward to sharing this meaningful time with you.
In our Prayers
- We keep Mrs Kathy Parrish and her family in our prayers following the passing of her nan over the weekend.
- We keep Janaka Balasuriya and his family (wife Dulani and Vinudi in 2A) in our prayers as he recovers from major surgery in Townsville.
Baby News
- Congratulations to Ryan and Chelsea Ramsamy on the birth of their daughter, Blaire. Blaire is a sister to Spencer (Prep) and Logan (Yr 2).
- Congratulations to Taylah and Rayza Bein, on the birth of their new son, Harto. Harto is a brother to Sari(Yr 1).
Sacred Garden
You may have noticed that our outdoor classroom space has been cleared, ready for the construction of our new Centenary Garden. Thank you to our groundsman, Phil Clancy, for coordinating the earthworks over the weekend. Our landscape gardener is scheduled to commence works next Monday 10th March.
(Artistic Impression of our new Centenary Garden)
Just 1 Thing
We continue to promote our Just 1 Thing campaign and ask all parents complete this short, 1-minute survey. This survey will be extended until this Friday afternoon.
The ‘Just 1 Thing’ campaign was hugely successful last year and it is our aim to gather 200 responses this year. We have 165 entries thus far, so please make time to consider the ways to can be involved in your child’s education. Well done to 4G and 2A who lead the school in form submissions. If you haven’t submitted your response yet, please do so by this Friday!
Chess Competition
Congratulations to the 24 students who represented St Mary’s at the Mackay Inter-School Chess Competition yesterday. A special mention to the St Mary’s Knights (Creed, Woodley, Mitchell and Kolby) who won the teams competition, with Mitchell and Woodley tied for individual 1st place overall with 7/7 wins and Creed placing 3rd overall with 6/7 wins! Merit awards also went to Kolby, Jacob, Levi, Bowen, Banjo and Paulo. Well done!
School Funding Explained
Australia’s school system is one of the most equitable by global standards, consistently ranking above the OECD average in both excellence and equity. It is important to note that in Australia, non-government school (like us) receive needs-based funding. Essentially, schools which enrol students from higher income families receive less funding than schools where the students are from families which earn less. For more information about this, please visit https://keepfundingfair.org.au/
Staff Training
- This Tuesday, all teachers will be involved in a Religion Curriculum ZOOM with teachers from St Anne’s and MacKillop. This ZOOM will be facilitated by Catherine Simmonds, CEDR Religion Consultant.
- This Wednesday and Thursday, Mrs Battaia, Mrs van Lint and Mrs Rokic will travel to Rockhampton for the Diocesan ‘Maths Project’ conference.
- This Thursday I will attend the Regional Principal’s meeting at St Joseph’s School. Mrs Paul is acting principal on this day.
Quote of the Week
“A coach is someone who sees beyond your limits and guides you to greatness.”
-Michael Jordan
Project Compassion - First Week of Lent
This Lent, we’re invited to Unite Against Poverty with Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion. This year is especially significant as we celebrate the Jubilee Year - a time of renewal and solidarity.
Project Compassion 2025 shares three stories from around the world. We’ll meet Toefuata'iga - (Toy-foo-ah-tah-ing-ah) from Samoa, Lam from Vietnam and Irene from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Each of this year's stories reflects diverse challenges, yet they are united by the shared determination to overcome adversity and create better futures for themselves and their communities.
Please donate to Project Compassion.
You can support Project Compassion using donation boxes in student classrooms, scanning the QR code, by visiting caritas.org.au/project-compassion or by calling 1800 024 413. There are also envelopes available from your parish.
Clean Up Australia Day -This Sunday
REMINDER: Clean Up Australia Day is this Sunday 9th March. St Mary’s will be running an event to help clean up our local community.
When : Sunday, 9th March
Where: Quota Park, East Mackay (near Ocean International)
Time: 8:30am - 10am
What to bring: Water bottle, hat, gloves (these will be provided)
A School Clean Clean Up Australia day is a great way to inspire our students to learn about the impact of rubbish on their local environment while playing an active role in their local community. We hope to see as many students there as possible, playing their part in keeping our environment clean and being stewards of creation.
Belinda van Lint
Assistant Principal - Religious Education
Sport News
Cross Country - Save the Date
More information about our St Mary's Cross Country has been emailed to all years 3-6 parents. If you are able to assist on the day, please email me at simone_sibley@rok. catholic.edu.au
Simone Sibley
HPE Teacher
Shrove Tuesday
St Mary’s celebrated Shrove Tuesday today with pancakes to raise money for Project Compassion, Caritas’ annual Lenten fundraising appeal. During Lent, millions of Australians come together in solidarity to help end poverty and promote justice.
Thank you to those who supported the day. The pancakes were certainly enjoyed by the students.
Student of the Week
Week 5, Term 1 Student Award Winners
| Prep C | Connor | You always give your best effort in everything you do! You have settled into Prep beautifully, and we are so lucky to have such a kind and caring friend in Prep C. |
| Prep R | Angus | For the kindness and positive attitude you show your teachers and peers each day. You are a wonderful friend to all and show the Spirit of Jesus in everything you do. |
| Prep R | McKenna | For always listening and following instructions. You are trying your hardest in everything you do and are very lucky to have you in Prep R. Keep being amazing! |
| 1B | Ryker | For the way you have become such a valued member of our class. You are kind and helpful to your friends and your confidence is blooming. |
| 1B | Summer | For the great example you have set for others in the classroom this week. You are attentive, organised and always do your best. Well done, Summer! |
| 1C | Isla | For your amazing effort in writing this week. You worked hard to write an example of an imaginative, factual and instructional sentence. You contributed to classroom discussion with a thoughtful and mature approach. Keep up the awesome effort Isla! |
| 1C | Walter | For your awesome effort in class this week! You have been working hard to sound out words, form letters correctly, and identify factual and imaginative texts. Keep up the super effort Walter! |
| 2A | Aleyna | For the excitement and enthusiasm you showed towards our creative writing time. You have already spent time in the writers chair and I can see you visiting again. Great work Aleyna! |
| 2A | Rory | for the effort you put into your learning each and everyday. You are a great role model to your peers. Keep up the fantastic work ethic Rory! |
| 2L | Cash | Cash, it’s so lovely to see the respect and reverence you show when praying during Prayer Circle in the morning. |
| 2L | Harper | Your teacher is super-impressed with your attention and focus when the teacher is speaking and your eagerness to learn and participate in class. Keep up the amazing effort! |
| 3M | Edie | For their outstanding engagement during writing lessons this week! They have been working hard to stretch their sentences using the 5 W’s (who, what, when, where, and why), adding great detail and depth to their writing. Keep up the fantastic effort! |
| 3M | Jovi | for their outstanding engagement during writing lessons this week! They have been working hard to stretch their sentences using the 5 W’s (who, what, when, where, and why), adding great detail and depth to their writing. Keep up the fantastic effort! |
| 3P | Asha | For your positivity and bright smile that you bring to our classroom daily. Thank you for always being on task and giving your best. Keep shining Asha! |
| 3P | Gwen | Your outstanding focus and dedication across all learning areas. Gwen, you always strive to do your best. Keep up the wonderful work! |
| 4G | Alice | For demonstrating active listening during our reading of Leo and Ralph and sharing insightful ideas and comments related to our novel vocabulary and sentence writing. Keep up the good work Alice! |
| 4G | Jessie | For consistently contributing to class discussions and activities! Keep up the good work Jessie! |
| 4R | Ellie | For your cheerful and enthusiastic attitude to all tasks in the classroom. Your happy smiling face brightens up our day. Keep up the great work Ellie! |
| 4R | Ila | For the enthusiasm and focus you showed when working on our religion task this week. Your positive ‘you can do it’ attitude sets a great example for others in the classroom. Well done Ila! |
| 5C | Makinlee | For your hard work in mathematics this week. Makinlee I am so impressed with your determination to succeed in mastering multiplication and division concepts. Keep up the great work. |
| 5C | Olivia | For your hard work in mathematics this week. Olivia I am so impressed with your determination to succeed in mastering multiplication and division concepts. Keep up the great work. |
| 5F | Bethany | For your excellent organizational skills and proactive attitude. You always ensure the necessary equipment is ready on your desk before each lesson begins. |
| 5F | Kevin | For always looking for opportunities to extend your learning. Your determination will ensure you achieve greatness. Keep working hard, asking questions and seeking to improve your knowledge. |
| 5F | Mila | For the kindness and compassion you have demonstrated in making a new student feel welcomed and supported. We are so grateful for your gentle, nurturing heart. |
| 6C | Ainslee | For your commitment to learning and active participation in all class activities. It is wonderful to see the way you engage with tasks. Keep up the great work Ainslee. |
| 6C | Hudson | For being a true example of our school rules of encouragement, care and respect. The support and encouragement you have offered to your peers has been wonderful to see. Keep up the great work Hudson. |
| 6T | Jake | For your effective use of persuasive devices to convince your audience about the need to look after animals. Your argument was well thought out, clear, and cohesive. Keep up the impressive effort with your writing, Jake! |
| 6T | Shanya | For the maturity and effort you demonstrate in your learning. Your use of high modality words and emotive language to enhance the persuasive text example was outstanding. Great work, Shanya! |
| Sport | Reegan | For the positivity and kindness you display each week in PE class. Your teacher loves seeing you smile during all of the PE activities. |
| Year 6T | The kindness, support and encouragement you show to each other in all PE activities. Your teacher loves the team spirit your class displays every week. | |
| Performing Arts | Year 6C & 6T | For applying exceptional storytelling techniques and enhancing performances through mime and narration. Thank you for sharing your fond (and maybe not so fond!?!) memories. |
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