LINKS: Term Two Week One

From the Principal

Easter

I hope you all enjoyed a beautiful and Holy time with your family this Easter. While we finished Term 1 with a very solemn liturgy for Good Friday, the joy of Easter always brings the hope of new beginnings. I hope the start of a new term brings you all hope and happiness in your lives.

Road Safety

It is becoming increasingly alarming that parents are not following road rules at drop off and pick up, including crossing the double lines at the front of the office and doing illegal U-turns. The safety of our children is paramount. I know we are all busy, but the extra few minutes to do the right thing could save a life!

Busy term and the importance of attendance

This term, we are once again very busy, with schoolwork, sporting, and cultural pursuits in amongst many public holidays. Perhaps this is a timely reminder of the importance of every day! I encourage you to discuss this with your child to ensure they come to school as much as possible and make the most of every opportunity. This 10-week term has already been reduced to less than 9 weeks of class time with a Pupil Free Day, ANZAC Day, Show Holiday, Labor Day, Mercy Day, Cross Country, and Athletics Carnival. It is vital that students are in class as much as possible to achieve their potential.

Year 7 Retreat

A huge thank you to Mrs Karra Suhr for leading our first ever Year 7 Retreat on Tuesday 16^th April. In war, the word retreat means to step back and re-evaluate your position. So too, does a retreat day, like this, offer this opportunity to our students. The day explored our theme for the year “Come as Guest” and the students gained so much from the day. Thanks Mrs Suhr!

Miss Angela Collins
Principal

From the Deputy Principal

Hello St Mary’s community,

Welcome back everyone! It’s great to see all the excited children back at St Mary’s, even if they may have been dragging the chain this week getting up and getting ready for school!

I hope you had a really good break, or if you did not have a holiday, that you were able to spend some quality and quantity time with your child/ren.

Uniform

Last time I mentioned that we were waiting for larger sized sports socks (size 11-14) to become available at our local stores. I am pleased to report that they have now arrived and are in stock at Gundy Clothing. 

As the weather is still quite warm, we will not begin the transition to winter uniforms just yet. Stay tuned for when this is announced, and rest assured there will be a two-week transition period at that time. In the meantime, students are to please continue to wear their summer uniforms.

Parent-Teacher interviews

By the time you read this, we will have had our parent-teacher interviews. We trust that they went well. If you did not manage to catch up with a teacher and would like to chat with them about your child, please email them, or phone the school office, to arrange another time.

I am sure this term will fly, as always. Have a great Term Two!

God bless,

John Shaw
Deputy Principal

Religious Life

Welcome to Term 2! Yesterday we gathered to celebrate Jesus’ Resurrection and the notion of new life. All new life is special; the birth of a newborn baby, the opening of a flower bud or the birth of a new animal, new life is always celebrated. The Resurrection of Christ is no different. It was a momentous occasion in history and one of the most significant events in our Church calendar. May the Resurrection always remind us to embrace the beauty and fulness of new life around us.

Year 7 Retreat

Yesterday, our Year 7 students participated in a retreat day with the theme, ‘Come as Guest’. The students took part in a range of team building activities and explored how they could further shape and strengthen friendships around them. The day was a massive success and I’d like to thank Miss Collins and Mr Goodes for assisting with the day. I’d also like to thank the students for their full participation and infectious enthusiasm. 

Mums at the Movies

To celebrate our Mums, grandmothers, aunts and female companions this Mother’s Day, we will be hosting Mum’s at the Movies on Thursday 9^th May. The movie screening is ‘Wicked Little Letters’. Nibblies and drinks start at 5:15pm with the movie starting at 6:15pm. Dinner will also be provided. Tickets are $15 and are to be purchased from the front office by Monday 6^th May. Invite your Mum friends and family, we’d love to see you there!

Staff Blessing and Secondary Tie Blessing 

On Sunday 28th April at 9am, you’re invited to celebrate a beautiful Mass celebration with the staff and secondary students. All teaching and school staff from all schools in Goondiwindi will receive a special blessing for a great year ahead and our new secondary students will be presented with their ties at this Mass. Please join us in these celebrations.  

ANZAC Day

Our school will be celebrating ANZAC Day with a liturgy led by 4M on Friday 26^th April at 8:45am. We will also be marching as a school on ANZAC Day and will gather in Bowen Street at the Anglican Church at 9:30am. Students are to wear their formal summer uniform (jumper if it’s cool). We pride ourselves on our large turnout each year to this significant event. We ask all students to participate in the March if they are available.

 Family Mass 

Our next Family Mass is Sunday 21^st April at 9:30am where we will be focusing on the story of the Good Shepherd. Please join us for a lovely morning of Mass, craft and a BBQ.  

St Mary's Sacramental Program 

St Mary's Parish offers children a sacramental journey that begins with Reconciliation at Year 3 or above. Following on from these, children receive the sacraments of Confirmation and First Holy Communion. This is a journey that fully initiates the children into the Catholic Faith. If your child wishes to further their formation and make their Sacraments this year, there is an information session next Wednesday 1^st May at 5:00pm in the St Mary's Church. If you have any questions or information about the program, please contact Karra Suhr karra.suhr@twb.catholic.edu.au 

 Wishing you all a wonderful fortnight,

Karra Suhr
Assistant Principal Religious Education

Secondary News

Welcome to Term Two and hope you help us make it as productive as possible. Like every term, this one promises to be full of exciting and unique opportunities where learning will take place an memories will be made.

Congratulations for everyone who competed in the swimming carnival. The effort and comradery on display was wonderful to be a part of.

Celebrating the Wins: The Key to Big Success

In the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, it's easy to get caught up in chasing big goals and overlooking the small victories along the way. However, it's important to remember that celebrating even the smallest achievements and milestones can have a significant impact on our overall well-being and success.

At St Mary’s School, we believe in fostering a culture of celebration and recognition, where every accomplishment, no matter how small, is acknowledged and celebrated. Whether it's mastering a new concept in class, completing a challenging assignment, or simply showing kindness to a fellow classmate, every achievement deserves to be celebrated.

But why is it so important to celebrate these small wins? The answer lies in the science of happiness, particularly the role of dopamine, one of our brain's happy chemicals.

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a crucial role in our brain's reward system. It is released in response to pleasurable experiences, such as achieving a goal or receiving recognition for our efforts. When we celebrate small achievements, our brain releases dopamine, which makes us feel good and reinforces the behaviours that led to the achievement.

By celebrating small wins, we not only boost our mood and motivation in the short term but also create a positive feedback loop that encourages continued effort and success. Additionally, celebrating small achievements helps to build confidence and self-esteem, as students learn to recognise their own progress and capabilities.

Celebrating small wins fosters a sense of community and support within our school. When we take the time to acknowledge and celebrate each other's accomplishments, we create a positive and encouraging environment where everyone feels valued and appreciated.

Together, let's celebrate every step of the journey towards success, no matter how small, and create a culture where everyone feels encouraged and supported to reach their full potential.

We take great pride in acknowledging and congratulating Georgia Henderson, one of our valued past students. On March 19, 2024, Georgia attended the University of Southern Queensland Headstart Graduation Ceremony, where her unwavering dedication and exceptional effort were recognised. Congratulations to Georgia from all of us!

Mr Bevin Goodes
Assistant Principal Secondary

Sports Report

Dates for Mac Zone 2024 – Term 2

St Mary’s School Cross Country 

Our annual school cross country is on Friday, 19^th April.  A rough time line of events is set out below.  Students will need to meet with their class teacher at 8.35am to mark attendance and then they will be directed to their age group teacher to walk the track.  Buses will transport students from prep to year 4 back to school with the remaining students walking back at the completion of the carnival. 

(These are approximate times only)

9am -  Prep boys and  Prep girls – 400m

9.15am – Boys and girls 2009 or older  - 4km

                    Boys and girls 2011 – 3km

9.20am -  Year 1 boys and Year 1 girls -  500m

9.45am – 2012 boys and 2012 girls – 3km

9.50am – Year 2 boys and Year 2 girls -  500m

10.05am – 2013 boys and 2013 girls – 3km

Approximate presentations for junior students 10.30am.

Preps - Year 2 bussed back to school

11.15am – Fun run – 1.2km

11.30am – 2014 boys and 2014 girls – 2km

11.45am – 2015 boys and 2015 girls – 1.2km

12noon – 2016 boys and 2016 girls – 800m

Mac Zone Rugby League trials

The Mac Zone Rugby League trials are set for Wednesday 17^th April.  All boys will need to meet with Mrs Spicer at the Riddles Oval complex for a 9am start time.

State Swimming

Congratulations to Jim Jekyll who competed at the State Swimming Championships late last term.  Jim competed in the relay races on the first day of competition and swam in 50m butterfly.  Well done Jim on your achievement to get to the state swimming championships!

DD Touch 

Best wishes to Hudson Derbidge, Max Burrow, Harry Baker, Annie McDonald and Bridie Bate who compete at the Darling Downs touch trials on Wednesday, 24^th April. 

DD tennis 

Best wishes to Charlie North, Jono Webb, Alfred Charles, Milly Doherty and Penny Quinlan who will  head to the Darling Downs Tennis trials on Tuesday, 23^rd April

Dates for Secondary School Sport

DD Touch

Best wishes to Lachlan Henderson who will compete at the Darling Downs Touch trials on Tuesday, 23^rd April.

Athletics Training 

At this stage we will try to offer some athletics training of a Thursday afternoon at the high school.  Students can chose whether to do jumps, throws or a running session for the duration of the afternoon.  Please keep an eye out for the weekly overview for when this will start.

“If you don’t have massive dreams, you may as well stay in bed”.

Sonny Bill Williams

Yours in Sport,

Kathy Spicer

(Kathy.Spicer@twb.catholic.edu.au)

Library News

A big term ahead!

This term we enjoy a number of literature related events. We have a Primary and Secondary Reader’s Cup team heading to Toowoomba in June. The students are currently reading their way through 5 set texts and meeting each week to quiz each other on their knowledge of the books.

We also have a class heading to Toowoomba to meet Nat Amoore, the author of the very popular ‘Secrets of a school Yard Millionaire’. We are very excited to meet Nat!

In May we will host ‘National Simultaneous Storytime. The book this year is ‘Bowerbird Blues’ written by Aura Parker.

Return of holiday items – thank you!

Thank you so much to all students who have returned their holiday borrowing this week, it was great to see many students excited by new finds in the library!

If you have any questions or concerns, please e-mail the library staff at:

goondiwindilib@twb.catholic.edu.au

Book Club

BOOK CLUB ISSUE 3

Catalogues will be sent home this week.

Issue 3 orders close Thursday 2^nd May at 8pm.

This issue contains:

Please order online through ‘the loop’ as we no longer accept cash orders at school.

Parents have mentioned they find it easier to order through the website than the app as it can be difficult to find our school on the app.

All purchases contribute to funds for our school library with all popular fiction titles in our library purchased due to the funds raised through orders – we are most grateful for this – THANK YOU!

Emma Petrie
Teacher Librarian

Extension and Enrichment

Check out this great opportunity available at Gateway to Training!

After school has never been so much fun! Get creative using design, code and logic to build your own games.Your child will love the fun and interactive way we teach children to code. It’s so much fun, they won’t realise they’re learning! Over 8 weeks, our students discover the basics of coding and take their first steps to becoming a coding superstar.

Children will learn drag & drop coding with algorithms logic, and more. Your child will be provided with their very own Code Camp World account which they can use to continue creating at home and to share their projects with family and friends.

Lou Cowley
Extension and Enrichment

Guidance Counsellor

This free webinar will be streamed on ZOOM on Friday morning at 7.30am Brisbane time.

When registering for the webinar you will be listed to receive a recorded version. So, if your domestic duties prevent your viewing at this time, you can always watch it at a more convenient time.

Enjoy your viewing.

Paul Fomiatti
Guidance Councellor

Cultural Report

Choirs of Angels:

Term 2 Choirs of Angels rehearsal schedule for weeks 1-10 returns to normal:

Upcoming performance dates:

Lion King Jr Musical:

Musical rehearsals commence in week 1, as per the Sentral calendar.  Please note that the rehearsal schedule has been updated for Term 2 to take into account ANZAC Day holiday and week 10 Athletics Carnival, hence there are eight rehearsals instead of ten in term 2.

Students and parents can access the updated rehearsal schedule which list the focus points for each rehearsal for Term 2 in the Sentral app, in the activity section.  Named characters should check which specific scenes or songs they should be preparing at home each week to ensure productive rehearsals.

Benita Klowss
Middle Leader - Culture

Student Council

Colour Warrior

Colour Warrior is always a much-loved event and a fun way to end Term One.  For those reading who don’t know what it is, we are about to tell you. 

You start at the hay bales and climb up and over them.  This year we had a mountain of three bales high thanks to the Uebergang Family and in particular Mark Uebergang for all his efforts in getting it perfect.

Then you crawl under the net and up and over the benches.  There are plenty of squeals as you run up and down the car wash – think soaker hoses wetting you and pool noodles whacking you as you run. It did get quite muddy by the time the Year 6’s got through. 

Before you enter the spiders web (rope on the ramp) you travel through the first colour station…PINK!

You then run up the hill and cruise down the waterslide and crawl through the long dark tunnel.  It is then time to get splattered with BLUE colour. 

After that you jump a few hurdles, dodge a few agility poles and hop it through the tyres you are met by the GREEN coloured powder. 

After a short stroll down the hill you get your final colour burst of YELLOW.  Then it is time for a quick run around the block showing off your amazing colours before you enter the COLOUR FIGHT ZONE!  Each student gets their own packet of colour in preparation for a colour fight with the cohort.

You end up with colour all over your clothes and in every crevice of your body and hair but the smile on everyone’s face is priceless!  Doesn’t that sound just amazing?

The fun didn’t stop there.  Five lucky students were selected to throw water bombs and colour bombs at Miss Collins, Mr Shaw, Mr Goodes, Mrs Suhr and Fr Bony. It was hilarious!

A special thank you to the Rice Family, the Collyer Family, the Druery Family, the Offerdahl Family, the Kerlin Family, the team at Laurenz, and the team at Facet Accounting for your donations towards all the coloured powder. 

We are lucky to go to a school that organises fun things for us to do and have families that are always willing to support us.  From all the students, thank you!

Belle Larkin & Luke Aylwin
Student Council Executives

P & F News

The next P&F meeting is Tuesday, 30th April at 5:15pm in the library. 

 Denise Ellis
P&F President