Week 6/7 Newsletter Term 4 2024

Term 4 Week 8 & 9 - What's On

• Monday, 18 - Friday, 22 November - Book Fair 
• Friday, 22 November - Swimming Carnival
• Friday, 29 November - 1.00pm Pre Prep Graduation
• Friday, 29 November - 1.50pm MMBDO - Wet Play

Principal's Welcome

Playground Upgrades

I would like to let you know about some essential work taking place on our school playgrounds to ensure they remain a safe and enjoyable environment for our students. Unfortunately, our playground areas will be temporarily closed for the remainder of the year as we undertake these necessary upgrades.

Whitsunday Plants will be assisting us with this project, which involves removing the existing sand and replacing it with certified soft fall sand. This upgrade is in response to a requirement from Workplace Health and Safety in Townsville, ensuring that our playgrounds continue to meet current safety standards for all children.

We recognize that our playgrounds are a beloved part of the school experience, and we are committed to making these improvements as quickly and efficiently as possible. The new soft fall sand will not only increase the safety of the playground but will also create a refreshed and welcoming area for our students to enjoy for years to come.

Thank you for your understanding and patience during this time. We are excited to see the finished result and to have the playgrounds back in action in the new year.

Swimming Carnival Next Friday!

We are excited to announce that our annual Swimming Carnival is just around the corner, taking place on Friday of next week! This is a wonderful opportunity for students to showcase their swimming skills, cheer on their teammates, and enjoy a day filled with fun and school spirit.

For convenience, we are asking that parents drop students off directly at the pool in the morning and collect them from the pool in the afternoon. This will allow us to maximize our time for events and ensure a smooth start to the day. For families using Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) or whose children routinely catch the bus to school, we will have a bus available to transport these students to and from the pool.

Students should arrive dressed in their swimwear under their uniforms, with all necessary items packed, including towels, hats, water bottles, sunscreen, and lunch. Let’s make this a fantastic day of friendly competition and school spirit!

We look forward to seeing you there to support our young swimmers!

Final Day of School and Week 11

As a reminder, Catholic Education schools finish at 12pm on the last day of the school year. Our Mary Mackillop OSHC will be open from 12pm on Friday, 6 December, to provide care for students that afternoon, however numbers will be limited. Please see the coordinator, Theresea, as soon as possible to book your place if needed.

State schools operate for an extra week after Catholic schools finish. While Mary Mackillop OSHC will not be offering vacation care, Bowen OSHC has offered vacation care for St Mary's students that week. Please see the flyer below for more information.

God bless,
Alicia Ninnes

Religious Life of the School

This week, our Year 4 students led a beautiful Remembrance Day liturgy on November 11th. We’re grateful to everyone who attended and so proud of Year 4 for putting together such a heartfelt service.

Remembrance is a powerful act, especially in this month, as we reflect on the pain and tragedy of wars both past and present. Today, war and conflict remain as vicious and widespread as ever in many parts of the world. However, remembrance is also an invitation to step beyond ourselves, to see the human condition more clearly – flawed and fragile, yet capable of hope. The Catholic faith is heavily based upon acts of remembrance. As Jesus celebrated the remembrance of Passover with his followers, he gave them a new act to remember at each Mass in which the Eucharist is re-enacted. For Christians remembrance is an act of faith, love and hope. 

 We hope that with each Remembrance Day service, students deepen their understanding of how their faith connects with the world they are growing into.

Thank you to Mrs Menzies and Year 2 for planting poppies around our school Anzac tree on Remembrance day as well, what a special gesture! 

Lest we forget. 

Mrs Windridge. 

A Prayer for Peace, St Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is error, the truth;
where there is doubt, the faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled, as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen.

My New Gallery

Please note the Parish cent sale is now scheduled for the 15th of December, see details below. Donations can also be dropped at St Vincent de Paul's. 

A reminder that the Mini Vinnies Christmas Appeal is finishing up soon. If you are able, please send in a small item with your child to donate to those in need. Thank you so much to those who have contributed already. 

Learning and Teaching

As we look ahead to NAPLAN 2025, it's important for students, parents, and schools to understand the changes, challenges, and opportunities this national assessment presents. While NAPLAN has been a staple in Australian education for over a decade, the landscape is always evolving to better support learning outcomes and provide valuable insights into students’ academic development. Here’s what you can expect for NAPLAN 2025 and how you can prepare.

What is NAPLAN?
NAPLAN (National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy) is a nationwide assessment administered to students in Years 3, 5, 7, and 9. It measures skills in reading, writing, language conventions (spelling, grammar, and punctuation), and numeracy. The results help identify strengths and areas for improvement, both for individual students and for schools at large.

When is NAPLAN?

NAPLAN is held during Term 1 from Wednesday 12 March to Monday 24 March 2025.

Key Changes in NAPLAN 2025
Online Testing Expansion
The transition to online testing will continue, which started in 2019, as it aims to provide a more flexible and efficient testing experience. The digital format allows for a quicker turnaround in results and more precise measurement of student abilities through adaptive testing. Students may encounter different types of question formats, including drag-and-drop or interactive tasks, which reflect real-world applications of literacy and numeracy.

Increased Focus on Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
While NAPLAN has traditionally tested fundamental literacy and numeracy skills, 2025 will see a stronger emphasis on assessing students' ability to think critically and solve complex problems. This shift aligns with the growing importance of these skills in both education and future careers.

Adjustments to Reporting
NAPLAN results will continue to be reported on a 10-band scale, but there will be enhancements to make the results clearer and more actionable for both students and educators. More detailed feedback will allow for a better understanding of where a student is excelling or may need additional support.

School-approved adjustments

Last week teachers met to identify which students need a school-approved adjustment for their learners so that all students feel successful under test conditions when completing NAPLAN. If your child brought this permission slip home, please return it to the office by Fri 29th November. 

External Therapeutic Providers:

At times parents/carers request for External Therapeutic Providers to work with students in the school environment, for example, a speech pathologist providing sessions via video conferencing. This week forms have gone home ready for 2025, please remember to return these to the office if you wish to continue accessing an External Therapeutic Provider in the school setting. 

Kind regards,

Krystal Land

Acting Assistant Principal Pedagogy and Learning.  

Guidance Counsellor News

A SPECIAL REPORT: Starting Year 7

When a child starts high school, they suddenly become one of the youngest and newest kids at school all over again - a small fish in a big pond! The transition between Year 6 and Year 7 is one of the biggest jumps in a child's life and is a very important milestone. This can easily become a daunting time for students and parents alike.

Starting Year 7 poses many new challenges, but also exciting opportunities. It comes with a number of mixed feelings. Some students may be feeling a little anxious about their expectations of starting Year 7 and finding their place in the “big pond”. As your child grasps new skills and engages in new study practices, it is important for parents to be supportive, but also realistic in their expectations. Parents and students can easily become overwhelmed during this time of transition but, there are a number of strategies that can be implemented to start things off on the right foot!

We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this Special Report, and as always, we welcome your feedback.

If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school guidance counsellor for further information or seek medical or professional help. Here is the link to your special report:

https://smbtsv.catholic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-starting-year-7

Week 5 - "Be My Best"

Week 6 - "Show Respect"

Birthdays

✨Year 6 Reflection✨

As we approach the final weeks of Term 4, let’s take a moment to reflect on our amazing Year 6 students' journey. From the very beginning of the year until now, it’s truly incredible to see just how much they have grown 🌱, learned 📖, and achieved 🎉.

Their dedication and hard work have been nothing short of inspiring! Here’s to finishing the year strong  and celebrating every moment of their success. Well done, Year 6! 🙌🎓

Reef Guardian

As a Reef Guardian school, we encourage you to please take the time to log onto http://4planet.au and register. For every person that registers, 4Planet donates $1 to coral reservation initiatives; vital for the continued survival of our Great Barrier Reef🌊🐟🐢🪸

Introducing our Year 2 Future Authors

We have some future authors in Year 2. They used book creator to publish their stories. 

Well done and keep up the great work! 

Around the Grounds at St Mary’s

Prep: letters and sounds

Year 1: publishing their writing

Year 2: attributes of shapes

Year 3: publishing their writing

Year 4: anointing the sick

Year 5: Leadership Speeches

Year 6: guided reading 

Keep shining bright everyone! 

P&F Number Board Winner

Congratulations to Kendall Malone who picked the winning number on the P&F's number board. She was the lucky winner of $200! Thank you so much to all who supported this fundraiser!

Wise words from our Prep

Our Prep students were given the first half of some famous quotes, and asked to complete them. The answers were both eye opening and amusing. 

Christmas Book Fair - 18 -22 November

Mary's Munchkins Playgroup - Christmas Celebration

Bowen OSHC Vacation Care

After School Sport - Netball Training

Swimming Lesson Timetable

Breakfast Club - Tuesday & Thursday, from 8am in the little shed

Gardening Club - Thursdays

The Murri Bus Project

Community News

The Resilience Project

Mary's Munchkins Playgroup

Mary Mackillop OSHC

OSHC at St Mary’s Catholic School is now operating Monday to Friday from  6.30 am to 8.30 am and 2.45 pm to 6.00 pm.

The government has announced changes in the way that Child Care Subsidy is worked out. The income limit for CCS will be increasing to $530,000, meaning that the cost of OSHC will reduce for the majority of families. The changes came into effect on 10 July.

Currently the service costs $17.50 for Before-School Care, and $22 for After-School Care, before CCS reductions are applied. Food (breakfast and afternoon tea) is provided at no extra cost. Please see below for more information about the upcoming reduction in fees.

If you would like more information or to register, please contact Theresa on 0428 216 062 OR at bowenoshc@mmcnq.catholic.edu.au

Cooinda Family Centre

School Dental Service

Tuckshop Menu