Week 3/4 - Term 3

Principal's News

Dear Parents and Caregivers 

Thank you to all of the families who were able to respond last week to the 2026 enrolment intentions form that was emailed out. We have been able to update the expected enrolment intentions for most of our students for next year which has been very helpful. If you have not yet completed that form, it would be greatly appreciated if you were able to complete that to enable me to more accurately plan for staffing, budget and facilities purposes. 

Our Pre-Prep program for next term is currently being organised, including staffing, programming and resourcing, with details coming out in our next newsletter in Week 6, if not beforehand. As mentioned previously, to participate in this program, commencing on Friday 10th October and running for 8 consecutive Fridays, families need to have had an enrolment meeting with me and returned their signed enrolment agreements to the office. This also applies to existing families with a Prep child for next year. If it is difficult for you to come into the office for a meeting, please let the office know and we can have a conversation over the phone, and you can return your signed enrolment agreement at a subsequent time. 

I had the privilege of accompanying our Year 5 and 6 students to Murroona Gardens last week and it was a wonderful morning for all. The morning was an exemplary initiative of our Mini Vinnies team, and one that enabled our students and staff to both contribute and receive from the amazing residents and staff at the home. I got to speak to one resident with the same name as me and another who was turning 101 years young. Our students held conversations with the residents, sang a beautiful song to them, and shared a cake for morning tea. All of our St Mary’s students commented that the time there went too quickly. 

The Bowen Sub-District Trials were eventually held last Monday, and all of our students competed to their best ability. Over and above their competitive approach on the day, a number of our students represented St Mary’s admirably by encouraging and spurring a student from another school to complete their 800m race when they were struggling to finish. Congratulations go to Rafferty Pilcher, Kendall Malone, Knite Land, Holly Kahler and Aaliyah Klaus for their success in making it through to the Whitsunday Trials. 

Next week is Anti-Bullying week and all teachers will be using this week to speak into the appropriate and various actions to adopt when this occurs and the many forms that bullying can present as. I will also be visiting classes to speak on this topic, along with consequences for bullying. As part of this process, I will speak with our older students about our Student Code of Conduct, which can be viewed below on the hyperlink.  The student code of conduct is also available on the website of all of the schools in the Townsville diocese. 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/13_gBwyicycZ40pHN32g3zajO9nmDWFPv/view

It gives me great pleasure to announce that we have initiated today, the purchase and installation of two new full-sized basketball backboards and hoops to be installed on brackets at either end of our existing basketball court. The backboards will be able to be lowered and raised on hinges so that they can be at modified heights for our younger students as well. We are hoping for a speedy installation so that we can commence a basketball program to operate during school time. Our aim is to commence a local competition with other schools as part of the program. We are also in the process of purchasing new soccer goals this term to replace the older PVC goals and get our soccer fields marked out again. We have a lot of interest in soccer across all year levels, and this will be advantageous in further developing our students’ soccer skills and the potential for soccer competitions as well. We have a 4-week soccer clinic commencing next Thursday 14th August which will be led by a coach from Football Queensland in Mackay. 

Our school board AGM will be on Wednesday 20th August at 5:15pm and will be held in our school staffroom. The AGM is the meeting where all positions are declared vacant and people make themselves available for the subsequent 12 months. We are currently looking for new Board members to join our existing Board, so please make contact with me through the front office if you are interested in serving the school community in this manner. Membership is open to all members of the school and parish community with some eligibility criteria that apply. Examples of eligibility criteria include such things as a commitment to uphold the Catholic ethos, identifying strongly with the Catholic identity of the school and in possession of a blue card. St Mary’s School Board is a body with consultative responsibilities and functions limited to those set out in the school board constitution.

I would like to thank everyone for their commitment to St Mary’s Catholic School, and it is a privilege for me to serve our school community for another term until the end of this year.  

Yours sincerely

Rodney Lane

Acting Principal

Religious Life of the School

St Mary’s Receives ‘Laudato Si` Award’ & Celebrates the Spirit of Giving

We are delighted to share the exciting news that St Mary’s has once again been awarded the Director's Laudato Si` Award in recognition of our commitment to Catholic Social Teaching. This special honour acknowledges the many ways our school community lives out Gospel values—through acts of kindness, care for creation, and support for those in need.

Thanks to this award, we have received a grant that has already helped families in our community through food vouchers and financial support. If you or someone you know is in need of confidential help, please don’t hesitate to come and speak with me in my role as School Chaplain. We are here to support each other with dignity and compassion.

As part of this ongoing mission, students have been invited to complete a Quick Write activity to suggest how the remaining grant funds could be used to benefit others. We are looking forward to reading their heart-warming ideas! We will also be purchasing a “Dear Chaplain” letterbox for students to seek help when needed.

On Friday, August 8, we joyfully celebrated the Feast Day of Saint Mary MacKillop with a beautifully led prayer service by our Year 3 students. Mary MacKillop, Australia’s first saint, founded the Sisters of St Joseph, the order responsible for founding our school in 1872. Her words continue to inspire us: “Never see a need without doing something about it.”. Thank you to those who joined us for the service.

Whole school meditation and prayer for our Mary MacKillop Feast Day Gallery

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Many Blessings,

Mrs Suzette Windridge.

Assistant Principal and Chaplain

Mini Vinnies - Murrona Gardens

Parish News

Our parish gift shop is located just inside the parish foyer! Come and explore our beautiful selection of religious gifts, sacramental items and inspirations books. From bibles, rosaries and medals, to prayer cards, candles and thoughtful keep sakes there's something for everyone. Reflect for Baptism, First Holly Communions, Confirmations and special moments of faith. Open after Mass on Saturdays and Sundays or by appointment during the week. Contact Sheena on 0448 644 732 to arrange a suitable time. Your purchase supports our parish community and helps share the love of Christ. Visit us soon and find something special! Faith-filled gifts for every heart.

Learning and Teaching

Dear Parents and Carers,

Over the past two weeks our Prep and Year 1 students have completed their Post-Test for their Early Years Test. We are looking forward to going through this data with our Speech Language Pathologist and Curriculum Adviser prior to parent-teacher interviews in Week 8. Teachers will then share this data with parents who attend interviews. 

We have been advised that on Tuesday 7th October (Day 1 of Term 4) will now be a Pupil Free Day, which means we will resume school for Term 4 on Wednesday 8th October. The Townsville Catholic Education Office have given teachers this day of Professional Development, to upskill themselves on the latest Education Guidelines which have been released by the Non-State Schools Accreditation Board. This day will be spent familiarising ourselves further with Version 9 of The Australian Curriculum, along with, changes to timing allocations for Learning Areas for the 2026 school year. 

The Premiers Reading Challenge is quickly coming to an end, please remember to return your reading log by no later than 22nd August 2025. 

As part of school improvement agenda and changes with Version 9 of the English Curriculum, one of our goals this year is to implement uninterrupted Literacy blocks across our school for every year level, along with, embed the Science of Reading across our school so that all students leave Year 6 as a proficient reader. 

We believe that it is a human right for children to learn the skills that they need to read and write independently by the time they finish primary school. For some further information regarding the evidence driving our work please have a look at The Reading Guarantee:

https://grattan.edu.au/report/reading-guarantee/

It has been wonderful to get into the classrooms this term during Literacy blocks. The focus of getting into the classrooms during literacy is to allow the teachers to feel supported in their journey whilst changing their literacy practice. We have been co-teaching and co-reflecting on our current practice so that we can celebrate our growth and identify where we need to go to next to ensure that we are providing students with an uninterrupted literacy block that uses evidence-based Science of Reading strategies.

The commitment from our teachers to prioritise the teaching of literacy has been wonderful to see, and I am looking forward to seeing how far we continue to progress with our goal by the end of this year, as well as, seeing a positive trend in our student’s literacy data. I would also like to thank all parents and carers who prioritise the completion of literacy-based tasks for homework, as this helps to consolidate the skills being taught to children daily.

Kind regards,

Krystal Land

Assistant Principal Pedagogy and Learning

Premier's Reading Challenge

Keep dropping those reading logs into the office, not long to go now!

Music & Art News

It has been another fortnight of creativity in The Arts, with students diving into new artistic concepts and musical challenges.

Year 5: Playing with Space and Patterns!
In Visual Arts, our Year 5 students have been exploring the concept of positive and negative space. They’ve learned how artists use these spaces to create balance, contrast, and interest in their work. Using bold patterns and clever designs, they’ve produced some truly incredible artworks that draw your eye in and keep it exploring. The results are striking—full of creativity and precision!

Year 6: Instrument Jungle Run!
Over in Music, our Year 6 students have been on an exciting Instrument Jungle Run! This interactive video challenged their ability to name a variety of musical instruments and identify them just by their sound. From strings to brass, woodwind to percussion instruments, students raced to match each instrument correctly, combining listening skills with quick thinking. It was a fun, energetic way to sharpen their musical knowledge.

Year 6 leaders report

Charlotte - Tournament of Minds- On the 24th of August, our thirty-four Tournament of the Minds students will head over to Bowen State High to compete against other schools in North Queensland. All of our teams have worked hard and given up their lunch times and after-school time to work on their scripts and props. Good luck! :) 

Harry, Connor, Jacob: Catholic Education Week- Last week we went to Maroona Gardens, we go there a couple times a year.  We go there to sing and care for the elders.  It is very enjoyable to speak to the people there. We can’t wait to go back.

Mahir, Bailee - Book week- there is going to be a parade on Tuesday week six.  Year Six are also creating all different types of worlds because the theme this year will be Book an adventure. There will be a Book Fair in the library in Week Six.

Sport William and Tate -Last term we did basketball and netball.  This term we are doing volleyball and we have 4 weeks of football starting on 14th August.

Elishia and Ezekiel -Mary MacKillop meditation- We went to the Bigshed to join the rest of the school in a special meditation led by Year 3 for Mary MacKillop. They did a lovely job. 

Mary MacKillop is best known for founding the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart, an order dedicated to providing education and social services to the poor and marginalized in Australia and New Zealand. She was also a strong advocate for education, especially for those in rural and remote communities, and established numerous schools and charitable institutions according to the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney. She was canonized as Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop in 2010, becoming Australia's first saint. 

Dancing - We are learning the Waves of Bondi.  It is a good dance and lots of fun to learn.  We are very lucky that Mrs Lowcock is coming in to help us.  Thank you Mrs Lowcock for helping us!

Class Awards - Week 2 - Show Respect

Class Awards - Week 3 - Mercy & Outreach

Birthdays

Acting Principalship continuing for Term Three

We are very pleased to share that Mr. Lane will be staying at our school for the remainder of the 2025 school year.

Mr. Lane has made a wonderful impact during his time with us, and we’re thrilled that he will continue to be part of our school community. His dedication, professionalism, and positive rapport with students and staff have been truly valued. We look forward to the continued contributions he will make throughout the rest of the year.

Spirit of Catholic Education Awards

The Townsville Catholic Education Office presented the Spirit of Catholic Education (SOCE) Awards as part of Catholic Education Week in 2025. The awards celebrate outstanding contributions to Catholic education across the diocese, with nominees recognised for their significant work in supporting Catholic schools. We are delighted to have Sue Lawless named as St Mary's Spirit of Catholic Education Award recipient!

HELP ST MARY’S CATHOLIC SCHOOL WIN $10 000!

St Mary’s Catholic School has registered to be in the running for Star 101.9 Mackay’s School of the Year competition where we could win $10 000!

All you need to do is click on the link below and vote for our school! You can vote once per day and every vote counts!

https://www.star1019.com.au/win/stars-school-of-the-year-voting/#enter-now

If we win the $10 000 prize, it will go towards purchasing big fans for our Big Shed to keep our students and families cool in the warmer months!

We only have 6 days left to vote so please vote as much as you can for our wonderful school!!

Kind regards,

St Mary’s Catholic School.

Book Week Parade & Mary's Munchkins Playgroup

Congratulations to Our Bowen Sub District Athletics Team!

We would like to extend a huge congratulations to all the students who participated in the Bowen Sub District Athletics Trials held on Monday, 4 August. Your effort, sportsmanship, and determination made us all proud!

A special shoutout to the following students for their outstanding performances and for progressing through to the Whitsunday Trials:

🌟 Rafferty Pilcher
🌟 Kendall Malone
🌟 Knite Land
🌟 Holly Kahler
🌟 Aaliyah Klaus

Well done, and best of luck as you compete at the next level!  Your school community is cheering you on all the way!

Bowen Sub District Athletics Trials

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Well done, Jaxon!

A big congratulations to Jaxon for participating in the Challenge Games in Townsville on the 23rd & 24th of July! Your energy, effort, and enthusiasm truly stood out, and it’s clear you had a fantastic time.

Keep shining bright, Jaxon! we're all so proud of you!

Soccer Lessons

We are thrilled to share that we have been successful in getting Sporting Schools funding for Term 3 and Football QLD have sourced a coach to deliver 4 clinics to our students. Thank you to the Australian Sports Commission and Football Queensland for providing us with this amazing opportunity!

Catholic Education Week - School Mass

My New Gallery

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100 Days in Prep!

100 Days in Prep!

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Why Attendance Matters!

Did you know that every day at school counts? Regular attendance builds routine, confidence, friendships, and a strong foundation for learning.Check out our simple tips below to help make mornings smoother and get your child to school, every day!

Bowen and Whitsunday Sub District

Friendly Reminder

Stop, Drop, Go Zone

Uniforms

Uniforms are available for purchase from the school office. Reminder that uniform days have now changed, please see below:

Formal Uniform - Monday, Tuesday, Thursday

Sports Uniform - Wednesday and Friday

Specialty, commemorative and representative shirts - Friday

Community News

Mary Mackillop OSHC

OSHC at St Mary’s Catholic School is now operating Monday to Friday from  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.

Food (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 Sue on 0428 216 062 OR at bowenoshc@mmcnq.catholic.edu.au

School Dental Service

Tuckshop