Week 1 Term 2

From the Principal

We hope you had a restful and enjoyable Easter break. As we welcome everyone back to school, I would like to remind you that enrolments are now open for the 2024 school year. If you have a younger child who will be starting school next year, or know someone who is interested in joining our community, please encourage them to apply as soon as possible. We will also be holding a Prep Open Day on Saturday, 27 May, from 9am to 11am. This event is open to the wider community and will be a fun morning of activities, food and showcasing the wonderful world of Prep at St Mary's.

Our school prides itself on providing a supportive and inclusive learning environment, where every student is encouraged to reach their full potential. We offer a range of academic and extracurricular programs that cater to diverse interests and abilities, and we have a dedicated team of teachers and staff who are committed to helping students succeed. Mrs Krystal Land has been consulting with students to find out what type of activities they would like on offer during break times. Next week we will begin offering extra activities as per the roster below:

In other news, we would like to remind our community that ANZAC Day will be on Tuesday, and our school will be participating in the annual ANZAC Day march. This is an important occasion to pay our respects to those who have served our country and to remember their sacrifices. Details for the times to meet for the Dawn Service and the community march are outlined in the section on ANZAC Day below. We encourage students and families to attend the march and to wear their uniforms with pride.

God bless,

Alicia Ninnes

Religious Life of the School

Welcome back everyone. We hope you all had a truly joyful and replenishing Easter break. This term has many important events in the Religious Life of the school. We are going to continue our youth group and mini vinnies programs, including a visit to Murroona Gardens to spend time with the elderly residents for Mothers day, and volunteer work at St Vincent de Paul’s. We are also busy organising a Social Justice day in which the Youth Coordinator for St Vincent de Paul’s Townsville will run an interactive day based upon Social Justice issues. We are hoping students will also have the opportunity to purchase an outfit from St Vinnies to model on the day!  

In Term 1 the students raised nearly $600 for the Catholic aide organisation, Caritas. We want to thank you for your support in this endeavour. Making an effort to support these ventures encourages your child to be a positive contributor to society. This is part of why attending a Catholic school can have a lasting impact upon a students character, as they are immersed within a rich learning environment that also focuses upon faith and service of others. 

I have attached the important dates for gatherings this term below. Father Sibi will also continue his weekly visits to classrooms to discuss life’s bigger questions! You can reach me at any time to become involved in and to support any of our events or programs. More information will be sent out about specific events as the term progresses. I have attached some pictures of our very special Anzac day liturgy that the Year 6 class ran on Friday, thank you to Miss Cooke, Miss Julyan and Miss Strambini for a beautiful service. 

May God bless you all and keep you safe and happy this term, 

Mrs Windridge. 

Celebrating 150 Years of St Mary's

1923: New school buildings were completed, allowing for St Mary's convent to be renovated and relocated next to the church.

The school assisted the parish to raise funds by taking part in a tableau "Calvary" in a concert at the Tivoli theatre. This was a major fundraiser that strengthened the ties between the parish and the school. In the same year, the parish built a tennis court at the school, as the Sisters of Mercy were concerned for the health and wellbeing of the students.

From the Guidance Counsellor

In this edition of SchoolTV - POSITIVE PARENTING

Despite the best efforts of parents around the world, the reality is, there is no such thing as the ‘perfect parent’. However, arming yourself with the right information is a good start!

Research shows, that one of the most important protective factors in the lives of young people, is a close relationship with a supportive adult. With the mental health of today’s young people being at an all-time low, it is simply not enough to parent effectively. Parents need to familiarise themselves with practical skills, knowledge and strategies when it comes to raising children.

Many parents today are over-protective, resulting in children being less independent, unable to problem-solve or self-regulate. Parents are failing to set clear boundaries, which is unfortunately making kids feeling less secure. There is too much pressure on kids today. Parents fill their days with too many activities in an effort to avoid their child’s boredom.

In this edition of SchoolTV, parents will learn what is the best approach for primary and secondary school aged children.

We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this edition of SchoolTV and we always welcome your feedback. If you have any concerns about your child, please contact the school guidance counsellor for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to the Positive Parenting edition of SchoolTV
https://smbtsv.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/positive-parenting

ANZAC Day

This year St Mary’s Catholic School will again be attending both ANZAC Day ceremonies on Tuesday, 25 April. The Dawn service will be at 5:30 am at the Cenotaph, on Herbert Street. For the second service, we will be meeting at 8:50 am outside of the RSL on Williams Street. Students are asked to wear their formal uniforms, including their school hat. 

The services are very moving, beginning with the march followed by the laying of wreaths, sounding of the Last Post and observance of a minute's silence. We hope that you are free to join us in honoring all Australians and New Zealanders who have served or sacrificed in wars and conflicts since  World War I.

We hope to see you there.

Award Winners Week 10, Term 1

In Week 10, our weekly awards were presented to students who have been following Mary's Way by showing Safe, Just and Fair.

Mary's Way Award Winners:

Back row: Matthew Pugh, Ben Pilcher, Aislinn Ninnes

Front row: Maddy Ericksen, Archie Yabsley, Matilda Teitzel, Delaney Yabsley

Praise Note Winner of the Week:  Arthur Watson

Star Reader:  Kye Land

Award Winners Week 1, Term 2

In Week 1, our weekly awards were presented to students following Mary's Way by Being Their Best.

Mary's Way Award Winners:

Back Row: William Dau, Colten Ward, Alsu Aminova, Liberty-Grace Fellows

Front Row: Finn Maguire, Rose Gonzalez, Hunter Dodd

Paise Note Winner of the Week: Kye Land 

Prep Open Day

Birthdays

Birthdays

Tate Buckley                                                                                Hunter Dodd

Liberty-Grace Fellows                                                                  Emerson Graf

Ava von Pein                                                                                Jordan Saffell (absent)

William Kelly

Violet Mackay

Mila Smith

P&F

The P&F committee would like to thank all who helped make the Easter Disco a fantastic event, from donations for the raffle to selling tickets, setting up and serving or providing entertainment, we appreciate every little bit! 

Any feedback is welcome and we will be discussing the event at our next meeting on the 4th May at 5.15pm in the staffroom. All are encouraged to come along and see what we have coming up for the rest of the year and have input into what we can do for our school.
Mother’s Day is coming up and we have a little something special planned to celebrate all the mothers in our St Mary’s community.

Keep an eye out for our Mother’s Day celebration details as it gets closer.
We hope everyone has had a great first week back and is ready to tackle the term head on!

Tuckshop Menu Term 1

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 will come 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 Miss Rob on 0428 216 062 OR at bowenoshc@mmcnq.catholic.edu.au

Weeks 2 to 3 Important Events

• 25 April - ANZAC Day public holiday
  
• 28 April - Year 6 excursion to see St Catherine's musical
• 28 April - Bowen sub-district cross-country trials
• 1 May    - Labour Day public holiday
• 2 May    - 150th Anniversary meeting (4.30pm, staff room)
• 4 May    - P&F meeting (5.30pm, staff room)
• 5 May     - Year 5 Class Mass (9am, church)

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