LINKS: Term Three Week Nine
From the Principal
The Lion King Jr
What about our Pride Land!!! I am so incredibly proud of the amazing production that our school was able to present for our community last week. It was heartwarming and inspirational to see what 10 months of hard work from dedicated cast, crew, volunteers, sponsors and parents can put together!
I would like to thank everyone who was involved in putting together such an amazing production.
- To our sponsors, thank you for your gifts of spirit, generosity and community – we couldn’t do this without you!
- To our parents who gave of their time, energy and talents to help with props, costumes, sets, makeup, hair, snacks, driving to and from rehearsals, listening to lines and songs over and over – the list goes on.
- To Mrs Klowss’ mum, Sandy, thank you for your dedication and commitment to making this musical such a success with your beautiful talents.
- To our amazing staff who gave selflessly of their time, talents and energy to afford our students with this opportunity
- To our brilliant actors, dancers, performers and singers – thank you for being brave enough to show your roar! We are incredibly proud of each and every one of you!
- To Benita Klowss – the ultimate professional! Thank you for demanding excellence because that is certainly what we saw last week! Your talent, passion, commitment and energy are an asset to this school and we are so very thankful for all you have done to make The Lion King Jr such a success.
New name for Assistant Principal Religious Education
Toowoomba Catholic Schools have undertaken a Religious Leadership review. One of the impacts of this review is that the title of the role of Assistant Principal Religious Education (APRE) will be changed to Assistant Principal Mission and Identity (APMI), effective from the start of Term 4.
The Religious Leadership review report recommended that “…with a role reality more centred around Catholic identity, mission, Catholic pedagogy and the religious life of the school the title must change” (p20). The APRE reference group in its deliberations and consultations overwhelmingly endorsed the change to Mission and Identity to better reflect the changing nature of the role as it operates in the different school contexts. Through this process the role of the APMI has been affirmed as crucial if Catholic schools are to be living witnesses to Christ’s message as expressed in the Gospels.
I would like to thank Mrs Karra Suhr for all the work she has done and will continue to do in this role. We are incredibly blessed to have Karra’s wisdom, passion and professionalism in this role and in our community.
2025 Class Allocations: last chance to inform concerns or requests
We are currently thinking about staffing and class allocations for 2025. Our staff work with great care and dedication to ensure that we place students appropriately, knowing their strengths and needs within the classroom. While we will not be able to accommodate all requests, if there is something that you would like us to consider when allocating staffing and classes for next year, can you please let me know before the end of Term 3.
I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday and I look forward to seeing you all back in Term 4.
Angela Collins
Principal
From the Deputy Principal
Hello St Mary’s community,
Volunteers:
This week I find myself in the “lull” between one big event and another: our Lion King Jr Musical and our Year 6 Canberra camp. That started me thinking about how invaluable our volunteers are. Our musical seemed to have a cast of thousands – doing hair & makeup, fundraising, baking, organising and manning the bar, costume repairs, transport, assembly and repairs of sets and props and countless other things. Quite simply, without our amazing volunteers, we would not have been able to stage a musical of any proportion, let alone the epic proportions of this one!
And our camps would also not be possible without our parent volunteers. Next week we take two camp parents to Canberra with the Year 6 cohort – Mrs Amanda Aylwin and Mr Scott Larkin. Thankyou both, for giving up 6 days of your life!
There are so many things that occur in our school community that rely on volunteers. I just want to give a big shout-out to all of you. Thank you so much!
Academic testing and parent-teacher interviews:
Amongst all of our extra-curricular activities, students and staff are continuing to work hard in our classrooms. This week and next week, students will be busy with whole-school testing, particularly with our PAT-Maths and PAT-Reading tests for Years 2 to 10. Just as with NAPLAN, we encourage students to have a red-hot go, do their best and demonstrate what they have learnt and mastered so far in their schooling.
These test results will be very timely, as our Semester Two parent-teacher interviews are scheduled for Tuesday 1st October, in Week 1 of Term 4. Bookings for interviews are currently being set up and will hopefully go “live” by the end of this week.
Since this is the last Links for the term, I wish you a safe and happy term break. Whether you are able to take a break yourself or have to work through, may you make the most of the time with your family. This also applies to our wonderful staff: I hope you will be able to recharge ready for Term 4.
John Shaw
Deputy Principal
Religious Life
Father’s Day
A very happy Father’s Day to all of our Dad’s for last Sunday. We hope you had a great day celebrating with your nearest and dearest. Congratulations to the students from 1C who presented a beautiful Father’s Day liturgy at assembly last Friday. Not only were they super cute, but they also all learnt their parts really well.
Family Mass
Our next Family Mass is scheduled for Sunday 20th October at 9am. Please mark this date on your calendar. We would love to see you there!
Blessings for a restful and rejuvenating break,
Karra Suhr
Assistant Principal Religious Education
Secondary News
The Resilience Project
We are excited to announce the implementation of The Resilience Project in 2025 for students in Years 7-10. This program aims to equip our students with essential skills to navigate life's challenges through resilience-building activities. Each student will be provided with a journal to reflect on their experiences and growth throughout the program. More information to follow!
Queensland Cricket Visits Our School
We are thrilled to welcome Queensland Cricket into our school to conduct four one-hour sessions with our students. This is a fantastic opportunity for our young athletes to learn from an expert and gain valuable insights into the world of cricket.
Lion King Jr Musical Success
A huge congratulations to everyone involved in our recent production of The Lion King Jr! The musical was a tremendous success, showcasing the incredible talent and hard work of our students and staff. Thank you to all who participated and supported this wonderful event.
Happy Father's Day!
Happy Father's Day to all the amazing dads in our school community! We appreciate all that you do and hope you had a fantastic day celebrating with your families.
Focus for the Final Two Weeks of Term
As we approach the end of the term, we encourage all students to:
- Enter and exit learning spaces quietly.
- Take an active role in your learning.
These practices will help maintain a positive and productive environment for everyone.
Maths Professional Development
I recently participated in a professional development workshop led by Joel Sparanza. The program included three sessions that focused on the explicit teaching of mathematics, preparing students in years 7 to 10 for the PSMT’s (problem-solving and modelling tasks) required in years 11 and 12, and how to foster a deep understanding of algorithms and their instruction. Throughout these sessions, it became evident that effective communication of understanding is a crucial focus for both teachers and students. The event was very informative, well-organised, and there was strong support for the idea of hosting similar gatherings where mathematics educators can collaborate to enhance numeracy across our schools.
Year 9 and 10 Work Experience
As Year 9 and 10 students prepare for their upcoming work experience, we encourage you to take advantage of every opportunity. Represent our school with pride, have fun, and make the most of this valuable experience. Wishing you all the best and a wonderful holiday ahead!
Mr Bevin Goodes
Assistant Principal Secondary
Pastoral
Child Protection Week 1-7 September
The theme for Child Protection Week this year is “Every Conversation Matters.” As parents and carers, conversations between you and your children are vital – you are the most important people in your child’s life to advocate for them, listen to them, and share messages of safety and support.
This year, during Child Protection Week, we encourage parents and carers to speak with their children about their understanding of safety and their support networks. The National Office of Child Safety launched their “One Talk at a Time” campaign earlier in the year. Alongside this campaign they released a list of resources about how to have a conversation with your children and young people about safety. You can access these resources here:
Having conversations with children and young people | National Office for Child Safety
On Monday morning parade our primary students were reminded about who their “Safe People” were. During Health lessons in Term 4, we will go into more depth with these discussions. Secondary students were provided with a business card sized “Every Conversation Matters” resource outlining some key support services they can access via phone and online, and also reminded about who they can speak to at school if they have concerns about the safety of themselves or others.
Should any student be concerned about how they are being treated by an adult, or another child or young person, they are encouraged to speak up to a trusted staff member or one of our School Student Protection Contacts (SSPCs). All students were reminded who our SSPCs are, and that they are depicted on the ‘Keeping Safe’ posters located around the school.
Child Protection really is everyone’s business, and we are committed to making our school a safe, secure, and protected place of learning for every student.
Eyes Open Social Media Safety
As mentioned in last week’s Links, we are excited to be welcoming Tricia Munn from ‘Eyes Open Social Media Safety’ to our school early next term on Tuesday 8th October.
We are pleased that we are also able to offer our parent body with the opportunity to listen to her in the evening. Apologies for the RSVP link not working in the previous newsletter. CLICK HERE TO RSVP
Please see the flyer attached to the end of this newsletter, for more Information regarding this Parent Social Media Safety session.
Nicki Wyllie
Middle Leader: Pastoral
Nicola.wyllie@twb.catholic.edu.au
Sports Report
Darling Downs 10-12 years Athletics Carnival
Congratulations to the following students who travelled to Toowoomba on Tuesday, 20th August for the Darling Downs Athletics Carnival. Congratulations to Spencer Heeson, Flynn McNaulty, Ace Johns, Annabelle Makim, Lucy Illing, Laura Bourchier, Oliver Rae, Oscar Brown, Emmert Parcell, Payton McNaulty, Molly Gleeson, Bridie Doherty, Alexis Wiggan, Ivy Offerdahl, Hudson Derbidge, Bronson White, Digby Morris, Lola Tomkins, Georgia Wild, Rory Wiggan, Harry Baker, Molly Giltrow and Dara Arenant.
A special congratulations to Hudson Derbidge on making the Darling Downs Athletics team and who will now compete at the State Championships in Brisbane in October.
Also congratulations to other medal winners on the day - Spencer Heeson (3rd in high jump ) and Alexis Wiggan (3rd in Discus).
Hudson Derbidge
Alexis Wiggan
Spencer Heeson
Darling Downs 13 – 19 years Athletics Carnival
Congratulations to Alice Pink 4th in Shot put and Mila Field 6th in high jump after competing at Darling Downs Athletics championships in Toowoomba on Thursday 22nd and Friday 23rd August.
Alice Pink
“With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts”.
Eleanor Roosevelt
Yours in Sport,
Kathy Spicer
Library News
Book Week Appreciation!
Thank you to our school community for your involvement in Book Week. We in the library understand that events often put some sort of pressure onto our families and we appreciate your involvement; whether it be helping to dress your child in a costume, coming along to the parade, reading books at the library open night or looking at the great door displays – thank you!
Holiday Borrowing
As always, students in Years 2+ are invited to borrow books for holiday reading. Please help your child to ensure they return all books neext week or bring along any books they are still reading to re-borrow.
Book Fair – A Change is coming!
For many, many years, our school has run a Scholastic Book Fair. Book Fairs provide children with the opportunity to look at books before purchase and also raise funds for books for our library. This year, we will be running a Book Fair from October 28 (week 5). However, the fair will be operated by ‘The Book Warehouse’. We have made this move after a lot of feedback regarding novelty items and the fact that we can still purchase scholastic items through Book Club twice a term. After the conclusion of the Book Fair, we will send out a form for parents to provide feedback and then we will make a decision regarding future fairs. We look forward to seeing you at the Book Fair in Term 4.
If you have any questions or concerns, please e-mail the library staff at:
Student Support
Free Prep Vision Screening
Good vision is important for a child’s educational, physical and social development. Vision screening checks for common eye conditions that may impact your child’s ability to see and therefore impact their learning and development.
A Registered Nurse will be visiting St Mary’s on 11th October 2024 to conduct vision screening for children in their prep year.
If you wish to have your prep child participate in this FREE vision screening program, please complete a consent form, this can be done online until Monday 8th May (Midnight) or paper forms can be handed in up until and including screening day morning.
Parents do not need to be present for screening, however if you would like to be, please contact the office to arrange this.
If you have concerns about your child’s eyes at any time, please take your child to see an eye health professional (optometrist/ophthalmologist).
For further information, please scan the below QR code to visit the Program website or contact the Primary School Nurse Health Readiness Program on 1800 687 372.
Allison Marsh
Middle Leader - Student Support
Careers
School-Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships 2025
Are you interested in kickstarting your career with a School-Based Apprenticeship or Traineeship (SBA) in 2025? Now is the perfect time to start planning.
Who can apply?
- Students seeking SBA Information: Even if you are not yet eligible due to specific age requirements, all secondary students are encouraged to submit a form. This will prompt the Career Development Practitioner to schedule a discussion about your future options.
- Students who have received an SBA Offer: If you have completed work experience or casual work and received an apprenticeship offer, submit the SBA referral form to explore how the school can support you.
- Students applying for an SBA Vacancy: If you have found an opportunity on a job-seeking site, submit the SBA referral form to determine how the school can assist you.
For more information regarding School-Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships visit the following websites:
- https://www.qld.gov.au/education/apprenticeships/school-based
- https://www.qld.gov.au/education/apprenticeships/for-apprentices
- https://desbt.qld.gov.au/training/apprentices
- https://www.apprenticeships.gov.au/
- https://www.qtis.training.qld.gov.au/Traineeship
Collect your SBA referral form from Mrs. Carly Sheridan in the Secondary staffroom.
Upcoming Events:
Goondiwindi Medical Muster – 6th – 8th September 2024
As part of the 9th Biennial Gundy Medical Muster, the committee are hosting an information session specifically focused on careers in health. This session will take place on from 4-5pm, Saturday the 7th of September at the Goondiwindi Cinema, and is designed to provide valuable insights into the various pathways within the healthcare field. This session will be particularly beneficial for high school students who are exploring their future career options.
The session will feature presentations from a range of healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses, allied health practitioners, and medical students. Attendees will have the chance to learn about the different roles within healthcare, the educational paths required, and what a day in the life of a healthcare worker entails. There will also be an opportunity for students to ask questions and engage with these professionals directly.
Year 9/10 Work Experience (Week 10 - 9th – 13th September):
Year 9 and 10 students participating in Work Experience are encouraged to contact their host employers to confirm all details (first day meeting location/time, uniform requirements etc.).
Both students and parents/guardians are encouraged to read through student pack documents sent home via email and hard copy with students to refresh on all requirements of the placement.
For any questions or concerns, please contact myself, Carly Sheridan via email or school phone number.
Carly Sheridan
Career Development Practitioner
Guidance Counsellor
On September 12 we’re supporting R U OK? to remind everyone to stay connected and make asking, ‘are you OK?’ a part of our everyday. That way if someone we know is struggling with something big or small they’ll know we care.
When we genuinely ask, ‘are you OK?’ and are prepared to talk to them about how they’re feeling and what’s going on in their life we can help someone who might be struggling feel connected and supported, long before they’re in crisis.
You don’t need to be an expert to ask someone, ‘are you OK?’. Try and make time for regular chats about life’s ups and downs so you can build trust. That way when someone is struggling, they’ll know you care and will feel comfortable opening up to you.
It also helps to choose the right time and place for a meaningful conversation.
- When you’re spending time together socially
- When you’re doing an activity side-by-side
- When you’re sharing a meal
- On breaks from work or study
- When exercising together
- When connecting or doing activities together online Sharing the message
R U OK?
- When you’re travelling together, even a short trip can be a good time to talk.
We’ll be sharing information and resources to help you ask, ‘are you OK?’ and meaningfully connect with the people in your world. Your RUOK Resources
Ask R U OK? because a conversation could change a life.
If you need immediate crisis or emotional support, you can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.
R U OK? is a national charity dedicated to inspiring all of us to have regular, meaningful conversations to support anyone going through a difficult time. You can learn more at ruok.org.au
Paul Fomiatti
Guidance Counsellor
Extension & Enrichment
Opti-Minds Competition 2024
This year we had 2 teams participate in the Regional Opti-Minds Competition held at The Glennie School on Sunday 25th of August. Our teams prepared a performance over six weeks in the Language Literature section and the challenge was this: select a literary text published before 1999, translate the text to modern setting and language and deliberately build in a TWIST!
Team 1 – Rory Wiggan, Hugo Heath, Wil Robertson, Hudson Derbidge and Robert Walker chose ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ and their twist was that cheats do prosper – Controversial!
Team 2 – Dara Avenant, Lyla Parcel, Lydia Aylwin, Abbie Clarke and Shermayne Kogen chose ‘Beauty and the Beast’ and their twist was that the ‘Prince – a cancelled pop star’ was kind at heart and did not need to change his appearance, ever, to be loved.
Our Opti-Minds teams worked hard during their lunch times, during their playtimes, to produce a ten minute performance meeting the brief. Team 1 received Honors for their performance and Team 2 received First Place!
Congratulations students on your perseverance, teamwork, communication and creativity.
Opti-Minds Practice Photos
ICAS Participants
ICAS (International Competitions and Assessments for Schools), is an independent, skills-based assessment program. This competition recognises and rewards student achievement in areas such as English, Mathematics, Science, Writing, Digital Technologies and Spelling. The series of tests are designed to match and test skills that are learned in the school classroom and are sat voluntarily by students across Australia.
Students are assessed on their ability to apply classroom learning to new contexts, using higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills. They are asked to demonstrate a deeper, integrated, and thorough level of knowledge. This year students from Years 2 to 7 participated in ICAS – pushing and challenging themselves in an unfamiliar format.
Lou Cowley
Extension & Enrichment
Curriculum News
Last year we spent the year familiarising ourselves with the Mathematics and English v9 Australian Curriculum. We mapped out our teaching and learning sequence across all year levels ready to roll out in 2024. One part of the English exploration was to adapt a whole school approach to ‘Structured Synthetics Phonics (SSP)’ that aligned with the new ‘Diocesan Approach to Reading’ and aligned with our school goal to develop more capable spellers.
The teaching staff completed professional development over the January holidays in preparation to hit the ground running in Term One. Although it was a new approach that brought different classroom routines, the fundamentals and phonic content remained the same. Each term we work in our PLCs (Professional Learning Communities) to analyse spelling results, find class trends and individual observations to help guide the next terms learning and offer . The SSP connects phonics, spelling and reading together. The data analysis protocol mentioned above for spelling is replicated each term in our PLCs to analyse our reading data. We then triangulate this data with NAPLAN, classroom assessment and Whole School Testing.
Although v9 is new this year, our processes and willingness to stay up to date with current research, implement change in our classroom and monitor student growth has been well established for years.
After meeting as a whole staff last week to explore our NAPLAN data, there were key takeaways on what we can improve on and what is worth celebrating.
- Numeracy has consistently been above the national average. This year, we have 80% of each year level in the strong and exceeding category for Numeracy.
- Reading, Grammar and Punctuation have been consistently above the national average. This year, we have 70-80% of each year level in the strong and exceeding category.
- Writing has been above the national average, but we are seeing it continue to rise each year. This year, 90% of our Year 3 and 9’s scored in the strong or exceeding category with 70% of our Year 5’s and 80% of our Year 7’s scoring in the strong or exceeding category.
- Writing is completed online for Year 5, 7 and 9 and we need to improve our typing skills to ensure our students are equipped with the skills they need to be successful.
- Provide more opportunities for digital literacy to be read in the classrooms. This will help students navigate and comprehend information online/screen.
- Although our spelling results are at the national average, it is a school wide goal to improve our student’s phonic knowledge and encoding capabilities.
These results and goals aren’t possible without the support we get from families. When you combine parents who value and support education and teachers willing to go above and beyond to meet the needs of our students, you witness just how special our community is and why our students’ flourish.
Christine Border & Tenille White
Middle Leaders: Curriculum
P&F
Wow – the musical! What a talented, professional group of students and staff we have. I was blown away by the standard of the production and inundated with positive feedback to pass on. The P&F extends a huge congratulations to everyone involved.
Helping behind the scenes gave me an opportunity to witness how positive and resilient the cast were. Amid hard work and tight schedules, they were polite, cheerful, and positive to the parent volunteers. On that note, it is always great to be part of a team of volunteers who jump in and do what they can to help. From set up, to taking it all down, and working alongside a big team before the shows doing intricate stage makeup and hair under time constraints - there were plenty of smiles, laughter and a general feeling of friendly positivity.
Thank you to our leadership team for nurturing the importance of the Performing Arts.
Market day is fast approaching. Remember, if you would like to promote your products you can hand an A4 poster to the office for display at the school. You will also get a chance to stand up at the final assembly of this term hold up your poster if you have one and tell everyone what you have for sale. All families are welcome, and encouraged to come and support our young entrepreneurs, from 5.30 to 7.00pm Friday, 4 October. They have a wide selection of goods and services on offer, from food to crafts, and everything in between.
Denise Ellis
P&F President
Community News
