Week 5, Term 1 2023 - 21st February 2023

Principal's Reflection

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the season of Lent.

Lent is a period of spiritual reflection, fasting, and self-discipline observed by Christians around the world, particularly those of the Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant traditions. Spanning 40 days and concluding on Holy Thursday, Lent is often seen as a time for reflection, renewal, and sacrifice.

Lent is based on the biblical account of Jesus fasting in the wilderness for 40 days, and it serves as a way for Christians to imitate his self-discipline and draw closer to God. During Lent, many Christians choose to give up certain luxuries or comforts, such as sweets, alcohol, or television, as a way of demonstrating their devotion to God and their willingness to sacrifice for the sake of their faith.

The spiritual discipline of Lent is not limited to simply giving up things. It is also a time for spiritual growth and renewal, with many Christians using the season to read their Bibles more, attend additional worship services, and participate in acts of charity and service.

In the Catholic Church, Lent is a time of fasting, penance, and almsgiving, with Ash Wednesday marking the beginning of the season. On this day, ashes are placed on the forehead of each person as a symbol of penitence and as a reminder of our mortality. The fasting that takes place during Lent requires Catholics to reduce the amount of food they consume and to refrain from eating meat on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays during Lent.

In conclusion, Lent is a time of spiritual reflection, sacrifice, and renewal for Christians. It is a season of preparation for the celebration of Easter and a reminder of the importance of self-discipline and devotion to God. Whether through fasting, almsgiving, or other spiritual practices, Lent provides an opportunity for believers to deepen their relationship with God and to strengthen their resolve to live a life that is faithful and obedient.

From our Principal - Mr Wes Rose

P&F Meeting
A reminder to all parents that our AGM and first meeting of the year will be held this evening (6pm-7pm) in the staffroom.  All interested parents are invited to attend.  At this meeting, we will elect the 2023 committee (newbies, don’t worry!) and also brainstorm ways how we can spend P&F funds this year.  We like to keep meetings to 1 hour or less and our association is a practical and supportive group.  Look forward to seeing you there!

Shrove Tuesday

Many of our students enjoyed a pancake today to mark Shrove Tuesday.  Special thanks to Mr Gibbs who cooked over 300 pancakes and to the teachers and Yr 6 helpers who assisted in serving. 

Funds totalling $944 will be donated to Project Compassion, Caritas Australia's main annual fundraising campaign.

Just 1 Thing Campaign
To assist the school and P&F to engage parents in their preferred ways, we ask that all parents complete this short, 1-minute survey. This survey will be extended until open until this Friday 24^th February. 

We have received 180 responses to our just 1 thing campaign thus far.  It is our aim to achieve over 200 responses this year, so please make time to consider the ways to can be involved in your child’s education at St Mary’s School.  Please see below a graph of entries by class. It would be great to get a few more submission from parents in 3B, 3P, 4A, 5T, 6V and 6M!

If you have any questions, please contact the school office. Complete the survey here.

Interschool Touch Football Term 1 Comp
Round 1 went well last week, with 3 wins for our St Mary’s teams.  A reminder that games are played at the Mackay Touch Association, Norris Rd North Mackay.  Students are to play in their school sport’s shirt and can wear touch footy boots or joggers.  Further announcements and game times will be communicated through our St Mary’s Facebook page.

RACQ Streets Ahead Program
This week we are fortunate to host Penny from the RACO Streets Ahead program.  ‘Streets Ahead’ is free to all Queensland primary schools and includes age-appropriate lessons on passenger, pedestrian, and bicycle safety.  RACQ’s presenters are qualified teachers who will enthuse and educate your students through a variety of teaching methods including demonstrations, interactive activities and meaningful discussions.

The specially designed road mat gives Prep to year 2 the ability to learn correct road safety behaviours and practice crossing the road safely. For Years 3 - 6 students, presenters will demonstrate the importance of responsible behaviours and safety equipment, like helmets and seatbelts, through engaging lessons.  For more information, click here.

School TV
St Mary’s is very excited to introduce a new initiative to help support the wellbeing of our students. After all, happy and well supported students are better equipped to learn and succeed.

We know that it can be difficult and time consuming for parents to source credible information when it comes to ongoing wellbeing support strategies for their children.   To aid with this we have partnered with SchoolTV, an online resource designed to empower parents to better deal with the challenges for raising happy, well and resilient young people.

Because parenting doesn't come with instructions, the SchoolTV resource has now been implemented at our school to assist parents and caregivers in navigating the challenges of modern-day parenting. This outstanding resource delivers credible information with practical strategies featuring video interviews with leading specialists, supported by a host of resources from key wellbeing organisations.

SchoolTV offers parents a fresh approach to the issues and pressures faced by children and young people in our communities throughout Australia.

Some topics featured include:

• Youth Anxiety
• Raising Girls
• School Refusal
• Positive Parenting
• Digital Reputation
• Managing Screen Time
• Cyberbullying

We encourage you to visit our SchoolTV site and view the content but more importantly use this resource if and when needed to support your child and family through particular needs as they may arise. At a time when the wellbeing of our youth has never been more challenged, we are pleased to be able to offer this accessible, credible and empowering resource to our families.

Many thanks again to the support provided by Catholic Education Rockhampton Northern Region to get this up and running across all schools in the region.

Quote of the Week

Ash Wednesday Liturgy

Youth Mass & Children's Liturgy

PLEASE JOIN US!

St Mary's School will join with St Patrick's College to celebrate our Youth Mass this Saturday 25th Feburary St Mary's Church at 5pm. Children's Liturgy will also be held.  

Mass will be followed by a pizza outside the church. Everyone is most welcome to attend.

We look forward to seeing you there. 

Mrs Terri Leotta
APRE/Teacher

Project Compassion-First Week of Lent

Laxmi, 16, lives in in Jajarkot, a remote district in Nepal where almost half of the population live below the poverty line. Tragedy struck when Laxmi was 10 years old and her father passed away. Her father worked hard to pay for his children's education and after losing him Laxmi was at risk of falling further into extreme poverty.

With the support of our partner Caritas Nepal, Laxmi joined a child's club at her school where she was encouraged to resume her education. Through the child’s club, Laxmi developed the skills and confidence to become a leader, advocating for clean water taps at her school. 

Laxmi is now excelling in her studies and working towards her dream of becoming a civil engineer. She continues to be involved in the child's club, serving as an advisor and mentoring the next generation of young leaders at her old school.   

Together, we can help vulnerable communities face their challenges today and build a better tomorrow For All Future Generations.

You can donate through Project Compassion using donation boxes in classrooms, scanning the QR code, by visiting caritas.org.au/project-compassion, or by calling 1800 024 413.

Nude Food

This Thursday at lunchtimes, our Eco Heroes will be issuing green cards to any students who show their “Nude Food” lunches.

Ideas for waste free lunchboxes are shown below.

Sport News

Congratulations to Ava Proberts and Hamiora Borchardt who were selected in the Southern Suburb 10-12 basketball teams. They are both trialling for the Mackay District team today. Good luck.

Congratulations to the following girls who were selected in the Southern Suburb 10-12 netball teams. The girls will try out for the Mackay District team at the start of March.

• Harriet Shields
• Kalani Van Lint
• Lauren Shields
• Ava Proberts
• Georgie Duncan
• Addison Cookson
• Magenta Newland
• Harper Standish
• Jordan Wood
• Mayson Vassallo
• Amara Daley

Congratulations to Oliver Standish, Max Kinnane and Chloe Moore who were selected in the Mackay District 10-12 Boys and 10-12 Girls AFL teams. They will try out for the Capricornia team at the start of March. Well done and good luck.

Congratulations to Madison Malagueno for her 3^rd place in the U11's Queensland Aquathlon in Hervey Bay recently.

Run Club

Run Club has started off with fantastic numbers of eager students.  It has been lovely to see many parents coming along to watch the children.  Remember, if you prefer, your children can be dropped off at 3.00pm and collected at 3.45pm. 

We have noticed younger siblings (under 5’s) keen to have a go, which is great; however, safety is very important and therefore all children need to be wearing shoes. Also, if a younger sibling is participating we ask that a grown up joins in with them.  We also welcome any willing parents who might like to take the younger siblings for their own running session.  This will enable our students to get the best out of their time at Run Club.

Touch Footy Draw

Round 2 - Wednesday 22nd February

Tuckshop News

Order now on Quickcliq.

Community News

Can you Donate?

Caritas have launched an appeal for people in Turkey and Syria following the devastating earthquakes.

For further information view here.

Message from our Most Rev Bishop Michael McCarthy