Week 10, Term 3 2025 - 16th September 2025
Principal's Reflection
The Power of Dialogue: Listening to Understand
In an increasingly polarised world, the ability to engage in meaningful dialogue with those who hold different ideologies, religions or perspectives is more vital than ever. True progress—whether in communities, schools or societies—depends not on uniformity of thought, but on our willingness to listen with the intent to understand.
Dialogue is not simply about winning an argument; it’s about building bridges. When we approach conversations with curiosity rather than judgment, we open ourselves to learning. We begin to see the humanity behind the beliefs, the stories behind the opinions, and the values that shape another’s worldview.
Peaceful debate is a cornerstone of democratic and inclusive societies. Reflecting on last week’s tragic turn of events in the US, this is more important than ever. It allows us to challenge ideas without attacking individuals, to disagree without division. This kind of engagement fosters empathy, sharpens our own thinking, and often reveals common ground we didn’t know existed.
In schools, workplaces, and communities, we must model and teach the art of respectful conversation. It starts with listening—not to reply, but to understand. It continues with asking thoughtful questions and being open to having our own views refined.
Let us commit to dialogue not just as a skill, but as a mindset. In doing so, we cultivate environments where diversity is not just tolerated, but celebrated—and where peace is not just hoped for, but actively pursued.
All the very best,
Wes Rose
Principal
From our Principal | Mr Wes Rose
Staff news
We wish Mrs Donna Wood all the best for her daughter’s upcoming wedding. Please note that Mrs Wood is on leave this week and also Week 1 next term.
End of Term Notices
Term 3 concludes this Friday 19th September. I wish all students, families and staff a relaxing school holiday. Please note that Term 4 commences Tuesday 7th October.
Art Show
Sincere thanks to the staff and parents who have worked together to prepare for tonight’s Art Extravaganza. I particularly thank;
- Ms Maria Lenz, this year’s ‘Artist in Residence’, for sharing her time and talents with all our students to assist them with their artworks.
- Mrs Louise Randall (one of our previous artist in residence), for judging our exhibition.
- Mrs Virginia Lewis for her efforts with the Year 5 ‘Snapshots’ camera club. Over the term, students have learned about composition, perspective as well as the technical aspects of photography. The student work showcases these newly learnt skills.
- Sarah Rosenkranz, Isaac Rokic, Olivia Rose, Elly Wang and Isla McGowan for providing the entertainment on our main stage in the middle-years precinct. Your talent is notable!
- Mr Sam Bauer, for assisting us with the stage and lighting.
- Mrs Katrina Wilkes, for her event coordination of the Art Show. This is a large community event and her organisation and planning has once again made it a success.
Holiday Maintenance
The following maintenance jobs have been scheduled over the school holidays;
- Annual servicing of our solar system.
- Newly acquired block on MacDonald St will be back bladed and contoured, ready for a new irrigation system and turf to be installed.
- Emergency Lighting and ‘testing and tagging’ of specific electrical items.
- Air-conditioner servicing in the Early Years precinct.
- Basketball lighting and hall lighting/fans to receive a safety check and maintenance.
- Plumbing works in the church carpark, to rectify some drainage issues.
Rugby League Gala Day
All the best to our team of players who will compete at this Friday’s ‘Steve Jackson’ U11 Rugby League Gala Day. I thank Mr Townsend and Mr Clancy for accompanying our team to the carnival.
Quote of the Week
“Stand up for what you believe in, even if you are standing alone.”
- Sophie Scholl
Christmas Fair Meeting
REMINDER: St Mary’s Christmas Fair Meeting this Thursday, 18th September. We warmly invite you to join us at our upcoming meeting to share your ideas and help shape this festive event. Whether you have suggestions, want to volunteer, or simply want to be involved — we’d love to hear from you!
Green Card Draw
This Friday, the green card pizza voucher winners will be drawn.
There will be one winner from each year level.
Congratulations to our students for being organised, persistent,
resilient, confident or for getting-along with others.
Thank you to our parents for supporting our behaviour management plan.
Student of the Week
Week 9, Term 3 Student Award Winners
| PC | Madelyn B | For your persistence in Boost reading sessions. Your confidence is blossoming beautifully, and you’re now sounding out tricky words and reading your heart words with ease. You’re becoming a reading superstar! Keep up the amazing work, Madelyn! |
| PC | Connor M | For your super work in our literacy sessions. Connor, you always bring such creative ideas to writing time. It’s great to see you making thoughtful spelling choices when tackling tricky words, as well as applying punctuation confidently in your writing. Keep up the wonderful work, Connor! |
| PR | Rhys Q | For working hard during literacy rotations. You are becoming more confident when reading and writing and doing a fantastic job. Keep it up! |
| PR | Elle D | For working hard during maths sessions. You are proving to be a confident mathematician and keep wowing your teachers every week with your skills. Amazing work! |
| 1B | Anaya B | For the effort you have shown in our Heggerty this week. You were chopping up your sounds and blending them like a champion. Well done Anaya. |
| 1B | Julian C | For working to improve your writing this week. You stayed focused and added detail to your sentences. Well done Julian! |
| 1C | Merci P | For your thoughtful responses in the ‘How do we honour Mary?’ Religion assessment. You confidently shared your knowledge of Mary’s life, and the way she made people feel. Awesome effort Merci! |
| 1C | Greta S | For your outstanding explanations in the ‘How do we honour Mary?’ Religion assessment. It’s clear you have a deep understanding of Mary’s life and significance. Awesome work Greta! |
| 2A | Lucy H | For consistently demonstrating courage, courtesy, and impeccable manners in everything she does. Her enthusiastic participation and positive attitude make her a shining example in our classroom. Way to go Lucy! |
| 2A | Andrew T | For the dedication and effort you are putting in while working on your information report about the platypus. Andrew is taking his time to carefully craft his writing, showing persistence and pride in his work. Well done Andrew! |
| 2L | Ariana J | Ariana you have been stretching your vocabulary wings this week, choosing words that help your stories soar. Your use of the word ‘exquisite’ and other rich, descriptive language painted vivid scenes that danced off the page. I’m so proud of your growing confidence and the way you are bringing your imagination to life. |
| 2L | Maisie S | Maisie brings quiet determination to every school day, staying focused and completing her work with impressive consistency. Her mature approach and strong work ethic are shining through, and it’s been a delight to watch her progress with purpose and pride. Keep up the huge effort!! |
| 3M | Adelynn L | For showing amazing confidence and a fantastic 'give it a go' attitude. This week you have shared your thoughts and ideas, asked for help when needed and taken on every task with a positive attitude. We are so proud of your progress - keep shining! |
| 3M | Thomas O | For fantastic effort and initiative in your narrative writing this week. We love hearing your creative ideas! Keep up the wonderful work. |
| 3P | Amber B | For being a wonderful classroom helper while Ms Pembroke was away. Your kindness, responsibility, and teamwork made a big difference! Thank you, Amber, for stepping up and shining bright! |
| 3P | Hudson B | For excellent work in mathematics. You worked with focus and determination during our lessons and you're making great progress in improving your maths mentals speed and accuracy, both in your workbook and during our 99Maths online game. Keep working hard Hudson! |
| 4G | Olivia R | For confidently using effective strategies in mathematics to solve your work. You have shown clear thinking, persistence, and a strong ability to choose the best methods to tackle problems. Keep up the awesome work Olivia! |
| 4G | Charlie B | For sticking with tricky tasks and not giving up, showing excellent persistence in your learning. Your determination and positive attitude help you overcome challenges and continue making great progress. Keep up the great work Charlie! |
| 4R | Ellie Camilleri | For demonstrating outstanding mathematical skills in this week’s mathematics assessment. Your accuracy and confidence in solving problems across all four operations is truly impressive. Keep up the fantastic work Ellie! |
| 4R | Dillon M | For your creative and thoughtful approach to exploring the Holy Trinity in your Religion assessment. The image you drew showed your understanding of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in an imaginative and meaningful way. Keep up the great work Dillon! |
| 5C | Charlie M | For your persistence and perseverance with mathematics this term. Charlie you should be so proud of your results! |
| 5C | Boston J | For you persistence and perseverance in mathematics this term. Boston you attention to every small detail has made such a difference in your work and success! Keep up the great work! |
| 5F | Cooper A | For your reading between the lines and using clues to develop more in-depth answers involving inferencing in Boost Reading and our poetry lesson this week. Well done - keep aiming high! |
| 5F | Oaklan M | For striving to do your best work, always! Oaklan, you consistently apply yourself to every aspect of learning. You constantly complete tasks with care and seek feedback on how to improve your work. Your love of learning is evident in your work. Well done - keep up the great work, Oaklan! |
| 6C | Emily Peno | For the perseverance and resilience you have demonstrated throughout the term. It is wonderful to see you tackle new challenges and show pride in your achievements. |
| 6C | Maxwell B | For a fantastic effort during Maths rotations this week. It was wonderful to see your energy and enthusiasm when commencing tasks this week and to hear you explain your process. Keep up the great work! |
| 6T | Ashton C | For showing great determination with your Skount piece for the art show. You showed great perseverance and turned your art into a real masterpiece. I am proud of your efforts. Well done, Ashton! |
| 6T | Kolby F | For volunteering on short notice to read at our liturgy this week. You read with confidence and demonstrated exceptional leadership among your peers. I was very impressed. Well done, Kolby! |
| Sport | Emily H | You are a great role model for your class. You showed excellent listening and freezing skills during our basketball activities. Keep it up Emily! |
| Sport | Class 5F | You excelled at Strategecki this week, Mrs Sibley was proud of the way you worked cooperatively with each other and tried a variety of different strategies to win the game. |
| Drama | Cultural Leaders, Sound and Backstage Crew | Your teamwork, leadership and behind the scenes support in making our SMGT Grand Finale a success. Thank you for helping every performer shine. |
Community News
