LINKS: Term Two Week Seven

From the Principal

National Reconciliation Week

This week, Australia remembers National Reconciliation Week, so I’d like to begin this week’s newsletter with a prayer:

Loving God, Creator Spirit, we ask you to bless us with the courage to accept any past wrongdoings and take action to contribute to the healing process of those impacted. We pray for greater strength to build relationships with others and for honesty within our communities. We pray for compassion and for justice. We pray for change and hope that with deep listening and respect, we can grow our knowledge and understanding of First Australians, their culture, lore, and stories. We pray that we can work together and move forward for a better Australia for all.
Amen.

News from the Vatican: First World Children’s Day

Pope Francis has announced the Catholic Church's first World Children's Day will occur this coming weekend. The event focus will take place in Rome on 25-26 May, but Pope Francis has called on Catholics around the globe to celebrate the day in their own diocese. His letter is addressed directly to children. He speaks of the need to pray, to pray a lot, to pray every day, because prayer connects us directly to God.  In particular he asks children all over the world to pray the Our Father. He also advises that with Jesus, we can dream of the renewal of our human family and work for a more fraternal society that cares for our common home.
'This starts with little things, like saying hello to others, asking permission, begging pardon, and saying thank you. Our world will change if we all begin with these little things, without being ashamed to take small steps, one at a time,' Pope Francis said.

Staff v Students Netball

Last Friday, our Secondary Netball team played against a staff team. The staff came out the victors on the day 20 – 14, but it was a great game and everyone played well. Thanks to Tammy Gallucci for umpiring and Mrs Nicki Wyllie for orgainsing. Thanks also to the huge cheer squad who came down to support both teams.

Secondary Information Night

A huge thank you to all who came and supported our Secondary Information Night on Wednesday 22^nd May. Please feel free to email or phone with any questions following this event.

Year 9/10 Camp

Next week, Mr Bevin Goodes and I will be accompanying our Year 9/10 students to their camp in the Gold Coast Hinterland. As you watch the State of Origin from the comfort of your loungeroom, please think of us in our tents, but we will still be cheering loudly! It will be a great week! I thank Mr John Shaw for being Acting Principal in my absence.

Miss Angela Collins
Principal

From the Deputy Principal

Hello St Mary’s community,

We are getting close to the tail end of the term, with Semester 1 reports well underway. With a lot of sickness going around, the change in weather, additional assessments etcetera, there are quite a few tired children (not to mention teachers, and parents!). Please be vigilant to ensure proper sleep habits for your child/ren.

eSafety for Parents:

I thought this week would be a timely reminder to parents/carers to take a look at the Australian Government’s eSafety website, particularly the eSafety for Parents tab. It provides advice and valuable resources on such topics as: Cyberbullying, How much screen time is too much?, Parental controls, etc. eSafety is something that has been mentioned quite a bit lately in the media. Please take the time to become familiar with the resources offered on this website. It can be found using the following link: https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents or by searching esafety, and selecting the Parents tab.

Uniform:

I am pleased to see the changeover to Winter uniforms has gone very smoothly. One thing I have noticed is a number of faded and frayed school hats. Can you please take a look at your child’s hat, and if it appears faded or frayed, replace it at your earliest convenience? Please ensure the replacement hat is clearly named!

God bless,

John Shaw
Deputy Principal

Religious Life

National Reconciliation Week

This week is National Reconciliation Week (27^th May to 3^rd June). Students from Prep – Year 10 have created a joint art piece which is on display in the Undercover Area. At Friday’s assembly, 31^st May, we will pray for reconciliation amongst our nation.

World Environment Day  

Friday 7^th June, 3R will be presenting a prayer liturgy highlighting the importance of World Environment Day. All families are warmly invited to attend this liturgy.  

Family Mass 

Our next Family Mass is Sunday 16^th June at 9:00am – Please note the new time! During this Mass, we will be focusing on the Parable of the Mustard Seed. Please join us for a lovely morning of Mass, Craft and a BBQ.  

Mercy Day

On Friday 21^st June the school will be holding its inaugural Mercy Day. This is a day for us to remember and learn about our founding the body, the Sisters of Mercy and celebrate the 113 years of education at St Mary’s. During the day we will be holding rotational activities (in place of Friendship Day). Students will have the opportunity to choose an activity of their choice (fishing, craft, cooking etc). We are seeking volunteers to help run an activity (with a teacher). If you would like to come in from 11:15 – 12:45 on Mercy Day please send me an email so I can add you to a group. An outline of the day is as follows:

Wishing you all a great fortnight

Karra Suhr
Assistant Principal Religious Education

Secondary News

At St. Mary’s, our foundation is built on the pillars of Faith, Community, Compassion, and Respect. These values are not just words to us; they are the guiding principles that shape our interactions, decisions, and the vibrant culture of our school.

• Faith is the bedrock of our beliefs, instilling trust in ourselves and each other. It guides us through uncertainty, keeping us aligned with our values and principles.
• Community binds us together, reminding us of our strength in unity. By supporting one another and celebrating our diverse backgrounds and talents, we foster a sense of belonging and togetherness.
• Compassion propels our actions, urging us to show kindness and understanding, especially in times of need. It inspires us to extend a helping hand and offer comfort to those facing challenges.
• Respect forms the cornerstone of our community, teaching us to appreciate differences and similarities. Through mutual respect, we create a safe and inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and heard.

Last week, our students showcased their talents at the Science and Engineering Challenge in Toowoomba, representing St. Mary’s with pride and enthusiasm. The feedback from both students and staff was overwhelmingly positive, highlighting commendable work and dedication across various challenges. Thank you to everyone involved in making this day possible!

Our recent information evening was a testament to the collaborative efforts of our dedicated parents, caregivers, staff and students. These evenings leave us all feeling grateful for our growing community. We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who contributed to the success of the event. As we strive for continuous improvement, we will refine our approach to foster more opportunities for community engagement and knowledge sharing. On the same day as the information evening, we welcomed our Year 5 students for a delightful barbecue and treats. Their respectful behaviour was a joy to witness, and we eagerly anticipate their return in Term Four.

We are pleased to report positive attendance figures for this academic year, reflecting our community’s commitment to learning and growth.

The addition of new concrete playing spaces has been well-received by our students, providing them with more room for recreational activities.

Our Year 7 and 8 camps were a resounding success, with students returning full of excitement and stories to share. These experiences contribute to shaping our students holistically, instilling confidence and a sense of purpose. The camp staff were again extremely impressed by the quality of our students and eagerly anticipate future camps.

We are proud of the vibrant community we are all continuing to cultivated at St. Mary’s and look forward to continued growth and success together.

Mr Bevin Goodes
Assistant Principal Secondary

Sports Report

Dates for Mac Zone 2024 – Term 2

Athletics Training 

Athletics training started in Week 3. Please join us on a Thursday afternoon at the high school from 3.30pm – 4.30pm.  Students can chose whether to do jumps, throws or a running session for the

State Netball Championships

Congratulations to Jono Webb, Bronson White and Sam Bishop (12 years boys) who competed at the State Netball Championships in Toowoomba from 23-26^th May.  Sam and Jono made it into the possible vs probable selection.  From all accounts the Darling Downs boys played very well and came away with some close scores.  Well done.

Abby Pimm (11 years girls) also had her state netball championships in Toowoomba on the weekend.  A two day carnival, saw her team come up against some tough opposition. Well done Abby on your efforts in this team.

State AFL Championships

Best wishes to Ella Dunmill,  Jono Webb  and Sam Bishop who are off to the Sunshine Coast for the State AFL Championships from 30^th May to 2^nd June.

DD Rugby Union

Congratulations to Charlie North and Harry Baker who were selected in the Darling Downs Union team.  They will now compete at the State Championships in Brisbane from 18-21 July.

DD Soccer

Congratulations to Piper Rose, Molly Giltrow, Mim Makim, Jax Field and Macauley Woods who competed at the Darling Downs Soccer Trials in Dalby on Monday 27^th and Tuesday 28^th May.

Dates for Secondary School Sport

Broncos Cup

Congratulations to our Broncos Cup netball team who travelled to Stanthorpe on Thursday.  The girls played 4 games in total and won 2 of their 4 matches.  It was so great to see the skills they had learnt in training,  really come to life on the court.  Super proud of your efforts girls. We do it all again on Wednesday in Goondiwindi.

Athletics Training 

Athletics training started in Week 3.  Please join us on a Thursday afternoon at the high school from 3.30pm – 4.30pm.  Students can chose whether to do jumps, throws or a running session for the duration of the afternoon.  This is for those students born 2014 and older.

“You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.”

Yours in Sport,

Kathy Spicer

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

Library News

Step Into Stories 2024

Well done to the Year 2 and 3 cohorts and 4/5F on representing our school beautifully for ‘Step Into Stories’ 2024. This event is organised by Toowoomba Catholic Schools each year with many other schools in the Toowoomba area invited to participate. Thank you to our school administration for supporting the event also.

A big well done to Katelyn and Evelyn in 4/5F for speaking at assembly to let all of our students know what a great experience they had!

National Simultaneous Storytime

Last week we read and read and read ‘Bower Bird Blues’ by Aura Parker for NSS. It is a lovely story providing many talking points with students. Thank you to Ariana in Year 1 for your beautiful picture!

Reader’s Cup – Tuesday 11^th June Toowoomba

We are on the homestretch of preparation for the Reader’s Cup competetion in Toowoomba on Tuesday 11^th June.

We have had many disruptions this term between other events, Mrs Petrie’s absence and student absences but the team are managing to get through their books. Well done to our Year 6 team – Eddie, Jonno, Reuben, Sophia and Alfred. Our year 7/8 are also doing a fantastic job with their reading with many, many disruptions. Well done to Gurshaan, Jarin, Pip and Bronte!

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

goondiwindilib@twb.catholic.edu.au

Book Club

BOOK CLUB ISSUE 4

Issue 4 orders close Monday 3^rd June at 8pm.

This issue contains:

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

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

Guidance Counsellor

As part of our Guidance Program for 2024 St Mary’s is running a social and emotional development program, based on the Rhythm2Recovery model of experiential music and cognitive reflection. This program will involve participants playing rhythmic music (drums and percussion) and discussing relevant themes that facilitate social and emotional awareness and education. This years forthcoming RU OK day at the end of term 3 will showcase various student representatives as they utilize this rhythmic medium to promote schoolwide mental health.

Rhythm2Recovery is an integrated model of practice that combines experiential rhythmic music with cognitive reflection and draws upon several well documented therapeutic approaches, that deliver positive psychological and physiological outcomes. These include research on the benefits of participatory music, the vast documentation that supports cognitive behavioural therapy, and more recent studies showcasing the benefits of acceptance and commitment therapy, positive psychology and mindfulness.

Throughout history rhythm has been used to embed learning. All of us remember using rhythmic processes for remembering information such as the number of days in the different months of the year, or our mathematical times-tables. We have also passed down social learning, ethics and values this way through traditional folksongs, and nursery rhymes, and maintain this tradition in much of our popular music. Memories embedded rhythmically are amongst the most lasting. A visit to a dementia ward will reveal how after almost everything else is lost, musical memory remains. The Rhythm2Recovery model draws on this understanding to deeply embed social and emotional understanding through a flexible combination of rhythmic musical exercises and reflective discussions.

Ms. Philippa Sly’s Year 4 group has embraced this rhythmic model in the classroom setting and she also assists with the proactive schoolwide program. She finds it very supportive with brain breaks, a supplemental resource for wellbeing modules taught in the schoolwide ‘friendology’ program and helping to build resilience with playground issues.

Testimonials

Simon Faulkner is an articulate and professional researcher, who can isolate and describe the social principles involved when people entrain via rhythm. This combination of skills served him well when he designed a sequence of classes using group rhythm activities to promote social skills gains in youth at risk in his native country of Australia. The DRUMBEAT program, he designed, grew to become one of the most successful and best documented programs of its kind in the world. Simon’s new work with Rhythm2Recovery has applications in corporate settings to examine team relationships, among incarcerated populations to encourage appropriate socialization and self-esteem, in schools, in rehab centers, and dozens of other settings. The work is of high value to music teachers, music therapists, and music performers who wish to add new levels of audience involvement to their concerts. While his work is taught through a medium that requires no prior musical experience, it applies to all instruments at all levels of sophistication.

Dr Jim Oshinsky, Clinical Psychologist, Adelphi University, New York

Careers

National Careers Week 13^th – 19^th May 2024

In week 5, we celebrated National Careers Week. Our students had lots of fun guessing some of our teachers’ first jobs, guessing the ‘tools’ that a range of jobs use, and participating in our ‘Bluey and Bingo do work experience’ colouring competition.

We had an overwhelming number of colouring in entries, our judges had a very difficult time choosing only one winner for each category!

Our colouring in competition winners were Georgie in Year 1, Finn in Year 4 and Milly in Year 6.

We also had one extra prize that was awarded to Rocky, one of the students that went in the draw to win as they were able to guess all the items in the 'Guess the job' game. 

Year 9/10 Mock Interviews:

This week, our Year 9 and 10 students engaged in a simulated job interview process as a key component of our Careers Education program. To enrich their preparation for real-world job interviews and upcoming work experience placements, we’ve facilitated mock interviews with various staff members throughout the school.

Students were asked to prepare for their interview by researching a prospective employer that they would like to engage with for work experience, rehearse their responses to common interview questions and demonstrate their ability to be punctual and organised when arriving to an interview with a ‘mock’ employer.

This has proven to be an extremely valuable experience for our Year 9 and 10 students.  

Career Event Reminders:

• White Card Course –
  • Who: Year 8, 9,10 (Mandatory for work experience students who intend on working in any type of construction/outdoor industry)
  • When: 19^th June 2024 (Week 10)
  • Where: Gateway to training facility
  • Note: For further information, see email from Carly Sheridan. Please hand in the registration form and $90 course fee to the front office ASAP.
• Goondiwindi Region Careers, Skills, and Opportunities Expo –
  • Who: Year 9 and 10
  • When: 11^th June 2024 (Week 9)
  • Where: Goondiwindi Waggamba Community Cultural Centre
  • Note: For further information, see email from Carly Sheridan
    

Carly Sheridan

Career Development Practitioner

Under 8's Day

Community News