Week 9, Term 1 2025 - 25th March 2025
From our Assistant Principal - Curriculum
As the term draws to a close, I look forward to collaborating with teachers during their planning meetings. These sessions are a valuable opportunity to reflect on how the dedicated educators at St Mary’s support the diverse needs of their students. I appreciate the structures we have in place that allow the leadership team to work closely with teachers, ensuring we assess and plan effectively for the best possible outcomes for our students.
Two key strategies that help us achieve this are the Boost reading approach and the RTI (Response to Intervention) approach in mathematics. These processes enable us to clearly identify what students need to learn and to design targeted teaching strategies that meet those needs.
From the students' perspective, they’ve shared the following thoughts:
“Reading in Boost takes you to other places” - Maisie
“Going through the book together in your group is what I love about Boost” - Willem
“In Boost, teachers help you to learn words that you don’t know when you’re on your own” Brooklyn
“The team work and group conversations in RTI, is what I love the most” - Flynn
“I love the difficulty and challenge of RTI sessions” - Jackson
“I always come away from RTI sessions learning something. Sometimes it’s just something small” - Levi
I enjoy the open ended questions in RTI - Theo
As teachers, we are frequently reflecting on the benefits of these processes but to talk to the students and hear such positivity and insight was a real buzz!
Belinda Battaia
Assistant Principal - Curriculum
From our Principal | Mr Wes Rose
Sacred Garden
Construction of our new Centenary Garden has commenced, however has been interrupted by the wet weather. I am sure that once completed, this space will be a lovely and well-used feature of our school for many years to come.
(Artistic Impression of our new Centenary Garden)
Staff Training
- This Tue-Thu, Mr Rose will be away, attending the Diocesan Principal’s Conference in Rockhampton.
- This Wednesday, St Mary’s will host the regional gathering of librarians. Thank you to our librarian, Mrs Lynne Camargo, for facilitating this meeting.
Year 3-6 Cross Country Carnival
Congratulations to the Year 3-6 students who participated in the senior Cross-Country yesterday. It was a lovely morning of racing, with a large crowd of parents and relatives cheering our students on. A special thank you to Mrs Sibley and Mr Clancy for organising the morning. 10-12year old students who placed in the top 3 received an email invitation to attend the Southern Suburbs Cross-Country race next Tuesday 1st April at the Gooseponds.
Quote of the Week
“You define your own life. Don’t let other people write your own script."
-Oprah Winfrey
Project Compassion - Fourth Week of Lent
Irene lives in a remote village in the Kongolo Region in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Life hasn’t been easy for Irene. After losing her father in a war, Irene and her family were forced to flee their home. Life became even more challenging when her husband left, leaving Irene to raise her 2 children alone. Without finishing her education and with few job opportunities in her village, she struggled to provide even the basics for her family.
Things began to change when Irene joined the Youth Capacity Strengthening Program (YCSP), run by Caritas Kongolo with the support of Caritas Australia. Through the program, Irene learned sewing skills and was provided with a sewing machine and fabric. Irene also gained farming skills. Now, she grows enough food to feed her family and even shares her sewing knowledge by mentoring other women in her community.
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.
Caritas Classroom Tally
Class | Total | Class | Total |
Prep C | $87.00 | Prep R | $44.00 |
| Year 1B | $113.90 | Year 1C | $77.90 |
| Year 2A | $83.25 | Year 2L | $51.70 |
| Year 3M | $55.00 | Year 3P | $173.95 |
| Year 4G | $23.00 | Year 4R | $84.20 |
| Year 5C | $60.70 | Year 5F | $66.00 |
| Year 6C | $56.40 | Year 6T | $50.10 |
| TOTAL | $1027.10 |
Tuckshop Pizza Day
PLEASE NOTE: You must choose the date 31st March in Quickcliq, then select different pizza options in the 'Select Meals' area.
Prep to Year 2 Fun Run
Cross Country Wrap Up
Yesterday we were blessed with a rain free morning for our cross country. Our year 3-6 students elected to run a competitive 1km, 2km or 3km race or a 1km fun run. Students had to push themselves in humid conditions to complete their 1, 2 or 3 laps of Queen’s Park. There were many exhausted students crossing the finish line who displayed great resilience to keep running even when they wanted to give up. With their last win being in 2016 it was a triumphant Iluka White who took out the honours over Illawong Blue and Eungella Green this year.
Congratulations to the following students who placed in their running event.
8 year boys- Lochlan Mordue, Emerson Mills, Lincoln Ricciardi
8 year girls – Cara Mordue, Havana Cornell, Audrey Hartl
9 year boys – Chet Carroll, Declan De Paoli, Louis Connors
9 year girls – Emilie Ford, Matilda O’Keeffe, Elena Vogler
10 year boys – Malachi Nyenuh, Alfie Moffat, Nicholas McNamara
10 year girls – Olivia Rose, Jessie Ricciardi, Emerson O’Keeffe
11 year boys – Ewan Ruddick, Finnley Suratman, Oaklan Marwood
11 year girls – Sienna Ware, Mia Moore, Mila Lorraway
12 year boys – Flynn Pearce, Levi Otto, Nate Peady
12 year girls – Nina Lucas, Aliyah Henderson, Mila Taylor
13 year boys – Creed Patroni
Thank you to all the parents who gave up their time to be a track marshal and to those that come to support their child as they ran their event.
Simone Sibley
HPE Teacher
Student of the Week
Week 8 Term 1 Student Award Winners
| Prep C | Myah | Myah, your enthusiasm and curiosity for learning is truly wonderful to see! You have worked so hard to master all the sounds taught this year. Every day, you bring a smile and a positive attitude to our classroom. Keep shining! |
| Prep C | Sophie | Sophie, your teacher is so proud of your determination and persistence this week. You were incredibly brave when sounding out and writing CVC words. Keep being a writing superstar! |
| Prep R | Inayat | For the effort you are putting into Soundwaves and Heggerty sessions. Well done, you are trying super hard and we are so proud of you. |
| Prep R | Charlie | Wow Charlie! What an improvement you have shown towards completing tasks and having a go in all lessons. You are being just like Pete Persistence and Ricky Reslience. Keep it up. |
| 1B | Nathan | For the way you clearly explain your math thinking and patiently demonstrate it for those that aren’t sure yet. Keep up the great work Nathan! |
| 1B | Mack | For the knowledge and ideas you brought to our discussion on how we can care for the environment, and the effects it has when we don’t. Keep up the great work Mack! |
| 1C | Huxley | For your super effort across all subject areas this week. Your mathematical knowledge and quick recall, have impressed your teachers in both the classroom and RTI groups. You have also been working hard to form and place your letters correctly on the red and blue lines. Wow! Keep up the awesome effort Huxley! |
| 1C | Rika | For your mature and caring work in class this week. Your teacher loved the way you drew 3D objects, then continued to teach other students to do the same. You’re always on task and genuinely care about your fellow classmates’ learning. Keep up the amazing effort Rika! |
| 2A | Andrew | For never giving up and having a Growth Mindset. I am so proud of the way you are so brave and put your hand up to participate in class discussions. Keep up the great work, Andy! |
| 2A | Harper | For the 'can do' attitude you have towards everything you do in 2A. You are like sunshine each time you enter the room. Harper, you fill my bucket! |
| 2L | Luis | Luis, it has been wonderful to see the huge effort you’ve made to be the best person you can be this week! Your teacher is blown away with your sound work when completing your writing tasks too! What a fabulous week! |
| 2L | Vance | Vance, your teacher has noticed how hard you are working to improve your spelling and your writing in class, and the confidence you are showing when having a go at challenging words. Keep up the persistence and determination to succeed! You are a star! |
| 3M | Adelynn | For her positive attitude and outstanding effort during NAPLAN testing. She approached each test with determination and confidence, setting a great example for her peers. Well done, Adelynn! |
| 3M | Havana | For her positive attitude and outstanding effort during NAPLAN testing. She approached each test with determination and confidence, setting a great example for her peers. Well done, Havana! |
| 3P | Livie | For being a cheerful and helpful member of our class who always tries her best. Livie, it's great to see you always trying to follow the 5Ps of our class by being positive, polite, prompt, productive and prepared. Keep working hard! |
| 3P | Bridie | For demonstrating great dedication to your learning across all subject areas. Bridie, it’s great to see you putting your hand up to ask questions and share ideas in class. Thank you for working so hard in class. Persistence pays off! |
| 4G | Imogen | Being outstanding in all that you do and always giving 100% effort. Your dedication, hard work, and commitment to your school work is truly inspiring. Keep it up Imogen! |
| 4G | Charlie | Showing curiosity and enthusiasm while exploring materials and testing their properties in Science this week. Your keen observations and scientific thinking were a great asset to our class discussions. Keep up the great work Charlie! |
| 4R | Kheiruz | For your responsible and conscientious attitude to all tasks in the classroom. Thank you for always trying your best and for the shining example you set for your fellow class members. Well done, Kheiruz! |
| 4R | Bianca | Your impressive narrative writing this week. The effort you put into your learning and classroom work is truly inspiring. |
| 5C | Leah | For your outstanding effort in science this week. Leah I am super impressed with your perfect score on the quiz! Keep up the great work. |
| 5C | Hailey | For your outstanding effort in science this week. Hailey I am super impressed with your perfect score on the quiz! Keep up the great work. |
| 5F | Jasleen | For developing meaningful questions in our Religion lesson. Your contributions had a positive influence on our interview preparation. Thank you and well done. |
| 5F | Artik | For your display of dedication and work ethic which serves as a role model to all. You inspire your peers through positive actions and attitudes in every aspect of your learning. Keep it up! |
| 6C | Flynn | For your endless acts of kindness, shown to your teacher and peers. It is lovely to see your hard work and commitment with set tasks and the way you support your peers, so that they can do their best. The qualities you demonstrate every day make you a wonderful role model for the class. |
| 6T | Paulina | For the maturity and dedication you have shown throughout the term, especially in Mathematics. Your consistent display of a growth mindset is yielding positive results. Keep aiming high Paulina! |
| 6T | Sam | For your positivity and ‘have-a-go’ attitude. You’re not afraid of a challenge and always give your best with 100% effort. Keep up the hard work, Sam! |
| Sport | Theo | Your teacher is proud of the way you made positive choices throughout PE this week. You displayed kindness and respect to everyone and gave great feedback to your group for their discus technique. |
| Sport | Class 2A | Wow, what an amazing class you are. You all showed your best efforts from the start to the finish of our PE lesson. Your teacher loved listening to the kind and positive way you gave feedback to each other during gymnastics. |
| Drama | Shanya | For your graciousness and putting others first. I am forever grateful. (Luv ya guts…...Mrs Wood ❤) |
| Drama | Violet | |
| Drama | Matilda | |
| Drama | Charlotte |
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