LINKS: Term Three, Week Nine

From the Principal

Long Service Leave

Many of you would be aware that in 2017 and 2018 I lived and taught in Papua New Guinea. This year, PNG celebrates 50 years of independence. As such, I have taken Weeks 9 and 10 as Long Service Leave and I am visiting my old school, where my brother is now Principal, to share in the celebrations for this milestone of Independence. During Week 9, Karra Suhr will be Acting Principal while John Shaw is away at Year 6 Canberra Trip. During Week 10, John will be Acting Principal. Bevin Goodes and Karra Suhr are also away during Week 10 at Year 9/10 Camp, so our Senior Education Leader, Chris Golightly will be spending the week in Goondiwindi to support our community. I would like to thank all of these people for their efforts in my absence.

Email Etiquette: Clear Communication between home and school 

As part of our commitment to effective and respectful communication, we’d like to share some guidance on email etiquette when corresponding between parents and staff. We hope that these tips help to streamline our communication between home and school. 

As per our Right to Disconnect Protocols staff will reply to electronic communication within one business day of receiving. Please note that this refers to working days: e.g. not on weekends or when part-time staff are not rostered on duty.  

Format: How to address/Who should reply? 

Please ensure you are addressing emails to the most appropriate person and that matters are dealt with at the lowest level possible. To avoid duplication or missed responses, when emailing multiple staff members, clarifying who is responsible for replying can be achieved through formatting:

To: Use this for the person(s) expected to take action/respond. This person should reply promptly and acknowledge receipt.

Cc: (Carbon Copy): Use this for those who need to be informed but are not expected to reply unless specifically requested within email. For example, if a parent emails both the class teacher and the deputy principal, and the teacher is best placed to respond, the teacher should be in the “To” field and the deputy in “Cc”. 

Subject line: As many of us, both at home and school, receive numerous emails each day, please provide a clear subject line (1-5 words) to ensure this communication is clear. For example, Year 7 Music Timetable Change. 

2026 Class Allocations

We will soon be thinking about staffing and class allocations for 2026. Our staff work with great care and dedication to ensure that we place students appropriately, knowing their friends, 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.

Op Shop Volunteers

The St Mary’s Op Shop are seeking volunteers to assist. If you are interested, or know of anyone who would be interested, please contact Annette Billsborough on: annetteb06@bigpond.com

Angela Collins
Principal

From the Deputy Principal

Hello St Mary’s community,

Starry Starry Night

Last Friday night was a fantastic evening, and the stars even came out to match the theme! A huge congratulations to all our performers and a big thank you to everyone who helped make the night such a success.

Special thanks to the Parent Engagement Network (PEN), Benita Klowss and Sam Jessen, and many others who pitched in behind the scenes. We also really appreciate our staff and parents, not just for coming along and supporting the event, but for helping their children get ready, rehearse, and organise costumes and props.

It was a great example of what makes the St Mary’s community so strong.

Year 6 Canberra Trip

Right now, I’m in Canberra with our Year 6 students, staff, and two wonderful parent helpers, Pip Rocks and Natalie Alexander. We’ve had a busy schedule, and the students have been soaking up everything Canberra has to offer.

So far, we have visited Parliament House, the National Capital Exhibition, National Gallery of Australia, National Arboretum, Royal Australian Mint, Australian Institute of Sport, and Questacon. We even wrapped up day two with a game of tenpin bowling!

The educational programs have been excellent, and we hope the experiences will stay with our students for years to come. And we’re only halfway through the trip!

Parent-teacher Interviews

Stay tuned for some more information about our upcoming parent-teacher interviews, which are scheduled for the evening of the first day back of Term 4, Tuesday 7th October.

As this is the last Links for Term 3, have a wonderful break with your family in readiness for Term 4!

God bless,

John Shaw
Deputy Principal

Religious Life

As we step into the last two weeks of Term 3, there’s a wonderful sense of achievement and celebration across our school community. This term has been packed with learning, growth, creativity, and connection. The past few weeks have truly showcased the spirit and energy that make our school so special.

From the excitement of camps to the magic of student performances, we’ve seen our learners step outside their comfort zones, embrace new experiences, and shine in ways that make us all proud.

City Camp for Years 9 & 10:

Next week, our Year 9 and 10 students will head off to Brisbane for their City Camp. Students will be visiting the University of QLD, Abseiling Kangaroo Point, Kayaking the Brisbane River, visiting Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary as well as immersing themselves in all of the wonderful opportunities that exist at Southbank.

Child Protection Week:

This week marks Child Protection Week. Students have been engaging in important conversations about what safety looks like at school. This is the week where we also like to remind our students about our Student Protection Contact within our school. People they can feel safe to approach if they are feeling unsafe. These people include; Miss Collins, Mrs Wyllie, Mrs Castle and Mr Fomiatti. Our secondary media students also created a powerful video for our community to watch and learn from. A heartfelt thank you to Mrs Wyllie for bringing this initiative together so thoughtfully.

2026 Prep Orientation:

 Today we welcomed our 2026 Prep students and their families for the first of our orientation mornings. It was lovely to see so many smiling faces and excited new learners. We look forward to another half-day session next Wednesday!

Uniform Transition Reminder:

As we prepare for Term 4, please note that students will be required to wear their full summer uniform from the start of the term. Students are welcome to wear either their winter or summer uniform for the remainder of the term.

Wishing you all a wonderful fortnight!

Karra Suhr
Assistant Principal Mission & Identity

Secondary News

The Resilience Project (TRP)
This week in the Year 9 TRP lesson, students explored wealth from multiple angles around the idea that “you require money to be rich.” They noted discussion points from both sides of the debate and reflected on the hedonic treadmill. The activity fostered critical thinking, empathy for opposing viewpoints, and collaboration, while underscoring the value of open-minded, structured discussion.

Some quotes that emerged from our discussions were:

• COMPARISON IS THE THIEF OF JOY!
• YOU SHOULD COMPARE YOURSELF TO WHO YOU WERE YESTERDAY RATHER THAN WHO SOMEONE ELSE IS TODAY!
• LIFE REWARDS EFFORT

Starlab
Excitement filled the air as Sophie from Starlab arrived and the giant dome/planetarium was set up for two days of cosmic discovery. Our students were treated to cosmology experiences tailored to their year level and interests, from the order and uniqueness of planets, seasons and tides, why the sky is blue, lunar and solar eclipses, the origins of the universe, and the lifecycle of stars. It was a jam-packed, awe-inspiring program designed to help our students look up and appreciate the night sky. A big thank you to Sophie for an amazing two days, and her kind words about how welcoming and well-behaved our students were. The photos capture some memorable moments from the experience.

The highlight came with Sophie's note about the upcoming lunar eclipse and blood moon, which I witnessed early Monday morning this week. Sophie also mentioned she’d love to return in two years’ time, which speaks volumes about the energy and curiosity in our community.

Cultivating Positivity: Keeping the Negativity Bias in Check
Every day, our brains tilt toward negative interpretations - the negativity bias.

While this helped our ancestors stay vigilant, it can colour our perceptions and raise stress in today’s world. We can counterbalance it by focusing on the positives, assuming positive intent, and keeping our own “cup” full of goodness. When life bumps us, the spillover should be kindness, patience, and steadiness.

NB:

• Choosing the positive doesn’t mean ignoring challenges. It means noticing the good alongside the difficult. If a teammate slips up, we recognise the effort and room for growth. After a setback, we pull out one small, constructive takeaway rather than dwelling on the whole issue.
• Assuming positive intent reshapes how we read others’ actions. Instead of jumping to conclusions, we ask questions, listen deeply, and consider context. This reduces defensiveness, boosts collaboration, and protects relationships.
• Our “cup” metaphor invites daily habits: regular exercise, enough sleep, balanced meals, moments of quiet, and small acts of kindness. When life gets busy, the cup should spill out goodwill (patience, empathy, and steadiness_ - not frustration.

The Coffee Cup Analogy

1. The Scenario: You are holding a cup of coffee. Someone bumps into you, causing the coffee to spill. 

1. The Question: "Why did you spill the coffee?"

1. The Wrong Answer: "Because someone bumped into me". 

1. The Right Answer: "Because there was coffee in the cup". 

1. The Deeper Meaning: If you had tea in the cup, you would have spilled tea. Whatever is inside the cup is what comes out when the cup is disturbed. 

The coffee cup analogy explains that you spill the contents of your cup not because of the disturbance (the bump) but because of the contents themselves. Similarly, in life, when you are "shaken" by challenges, your reaction reveals what is truly inside you, your inner state of joy, peace, or anger, not the challenge itself. The analogy encourages self-reflection to fill your "cup" with positive qualities like gratitude, forgiveness, and resilience.  

What It Teaches Us

Challenges Expose, Not Create:

Life's challenges, like being bumped, don't create your response but rather expose what is already within you. 

Inner State Revealed:

Your true inner state is revealed under pressure; what spills out is what you have been filling yourself with. 

Cultivate Positive Qualities:

The analogy is a call to action to consciously "fill your cup" with positive qualities such as:

• Gratitude and forgiveness 

• Patience, love, and joy 

• Kindness and compassion 

• Resilience and hope 

How to Apply It 

Self-Reflection:

Regularly examine what you are holding inside. Are there negative emotions like bitterness or fear?

Mindfulness Practices:

Incorporate habits like meditation or journaling to cultivate inner peace and awareness.

Emotional Regulation:

Develop strategies to manage your emotions so you can respond thoughtfully rather than impulsively when life gets tough.

Bevin Goodes
Assistant Principal Secondary

Pastoral

Child Protection Week 7- 13 September

The theme for Child Protection Week this year is “Shifting conversations to action.” 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. Real change happens when adults have productive and safe conversations with children that prevent them from harm. Conversations between adults and children have the potential to shift from discussion to action, to ensure the child not only feels heard but also experiences real safety, care and protection.

Please see the attached website for 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

During the week, students will be participating in activities and being reminded about who their “Safe People” are. They will be reminded about the importance of having conversations with safe adults in their lives. These conversations help them feel heard when they have a worry or concern and help adults to take actions to keep them safe.

Secondary students will be provided with a QR code sticker that links to our Toowoomba Catholic Schools website, to a webpage containing links to external services (such as Headspace and Kids Help Line.) They will also be 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.

For more information or pastoral concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Nicki Wyllie
Middle Leader: Pastoral

Nicola.wyllie@twb.catholic.edu.au

Sports Report

Darling Downs Track & Field Trials

On Monday and Tuesday last week, 24 of our students proudly represented the MacZone team at the Darling Downs Track & Field Trials in Toowoomba.

Track Highlights:

Our students gave it their all in the 800m, 200m, and 100m events, with four students qualifying for sprint finals — congratulations to Lucy Illing, Bronson White, Spencer Heeson, and Hugo Aylwin on this fantastic achievement!

Field Highlights:

There were some standout performances in the field events:

• Oscar Browne– 3rd in Discus
• Spencer Heeson – 3rd in High Jump
• Anthony Heeson– 2nd in Shot Put
• Emmett Parcell – 2nd in Shot Put

A massive shoutout to Anthony and Emmett, who have qualified for the State Championships in Townsville in October!

Cricket

Best of luck to Piper Rose and Georgia Wild who will be representing Darling Downs next week at the Cricket State Championships (10-12 Years Girls). The girls have been dedicated to their training since March, and we’re excited to see their hard work pay off!

MacIntyre Schools Rugby 7s Carnival

Thank you to all the families who have signed up for the Rugby 7’s Gala Day on Friday 24^th October. Please check your emails for more information, including permission forms which must be returned by the end of Term 3.

Swimming Lessons

Swimming lessons for students in Prep to Year 6 will commence in Week 2 and continue through to Week 7. Lessons will take place on each class’s regular PE day. Classroom teachers will share further details with families closer to the start of the program.

Term 3 Sport Dates

Term 4 Sport Dates

Rommy Beckinsale 
Middle Leader: Sport

rommy.beckinsale@twb.catholic.edu.au

Cultural

Starry Starry Night Success

What a beautiful evening we shared under the stars! With perfect spring weather, a large and enthusiastic crowd, and excited performers, Starry Starry Night was a true celebration of our school’s vibrant cultural spirit. Congratulations to all students who performed—you were outstanding!

While I offered a vote of thanks on the night, I’d like to take a moment to make a few special mentions:

• Student Stage Crew: Huge thanks to the students who gave up their Pupil Free Day to assist with stage setup and preparations. Building the stage and preparing instruments and sound gear is a full-day task, and your help was invaluable. Special thanks to:
  Riley Gore, Lexi Boyd, Jacob Erbacher, Dara Avenant, Luke Aylwin, Callan Klowss, Bronson White, Liam Klowss, and Hugo Aylwin.
• Parent Engagement Network (PEN): A heartfelt thank you to the newly formed PEN, especially Denise Ellis and Tenille White. Your support with food and drinks made the night even more enjoyable. Events like this thrive because of your generosity and commitment.
• Instrumental Teacher – Sam Jessen: Thank you for your ongoing support of our students and school. Your time, generosity, and personal sound equipment helped make the performances shine.

Inaugural Interhouse Cultural Shield

This year marked the launch of our Interhouse Cultural Shield, a fantastic addition to our cultural calendar and House trophies. Our House Captains and Spirit Leaders created inspiring performances around the theme “Together We Shine”, reflecting our Mercy Charism and 2025 theme “Mercy in Action.”

Special thanks to our guest judges:
Councillor Susie Kelly, Councillor Jason Watts, and John Shaw.
Their scores came down to a thrilling one-point margin between first and second place!

Congratulations to Coolock, the inaugural Cultural Shield winners, scoring 121 points for their energetic performance of “YMCA.”

Judges’ Feedback Highlights:

Coolock

• “Great costumes, enjoyed retake on classic tune, led well by seniors.”
• “Catchy tune, own lyrics, lots of energy—well done!”
• “Definitely highlighted the theme ‘Together We Shine’.”

MacKillop

• “Great stage presence, loads of energy, good use of props.”
• “Drumming tied in well with the African song—excellent!”
• “Good number of students and great use of levels.”

Loretto

• “Good senior involvement, great dance energy and costumes.”
• “Loved the house chant and gymnastics—fun and creative!”
• “Special shirts and strong singing start were a highlight.”

McAuley

• “Great props, colour, and energy for a small group.”
• “Packed a punch—loved the gym workouts!”
• “Energetic chorus singing and great costumes.”

Choirs of Angels - Term 3 Rehearsals

A reminder for upcoming afternoon rehearsals to finish off Term 3:

2026 Musical Term 4 Audition Timeline

All dates will be available in the Sentral Calendar for Parents.

Benita Klowss
Middle Leader: Culture

benita.klowss@twb.catholic.edu.au

Building Cultural Capacity one experience at a time.

Library News

Making use of our online catalogue

The Year 2 to 5 students have been looking at and learning skills/building on skills to use our AccessIt online catalogue more efficiently and successfully. It is a great tool to assist in borrowing choices so if you would like some input into what your child is borrowing without coming into the library, have a look around this great website. It is user friendly but if you have any questions feel free to e-mail me for tips.

Holiday borrowing

Who can believe we are at this point of the term again!!

Please ensure your child/ren have all books at school next week to ensure they can return what they don’t want for the break or borrow / reborrow for the break should they wish to do so.

We find books get lost over the break if students are not reading them so if you know reading is not on the agenda these holidays, please ask your child to return their books.

Happy reading!

If you have any questions or concerns, please email the library staff at:

goondiwindilib@twb.catholic.edu.au

Bookclub

BOOK CLUB ISSUE 6 items have left the warehouse in Sydney and will be sent home as soon as they arrive ready for holiday reading!

Thank you for your orders – we have been able to purchase the following books due to your purchases!

If you have any questions or concerns, please email the library staff at:

goondiwindilib@twb.catholic.edu.au

Student Support

Limited number of free Hearing Screeners Available

At St Mary's this year, we offered free Sound Scout hearing checks to all prep students. We still have a few free screeners available to use before the end of the year, so would like to open this opportunity up to any student in the school.

An estimated 1 in 10 children suffer from hearing loss which left undetected can lead to speech, learning and behavioural problems. The Sound Scout App allows us to screen our students through 3 interactive games, testing speech-in-quiet, tone-in-noise and speech-in-noise. Collaborating with the National Acoustic Laboratories, Sound Scouts have created this online hearing test app that delivers an immediate report, including next steps if a hearing loss is detected.

If you would like your child to have a free Sound Scouts hearing screener, please complete the form through the link below, and I will email you once the screener has been completed.

https://ssimpl.soundscouts.com.au/portal/players/intake_form/3730ec53-d30c-41f2-afe6-bcd4d072dab9/

Allison Marsh
Middle Leader - Student Support Services 

Guidance Counsellor

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Each day’s interviews will go live concurrently—9:00 a.m. Eastern Time (USA)—and remain available for 24 hours. In other words, all of that day’s interviews are released at the same time each morning. You can access them whenever you wish in that 24 hour period for Australian time zones. An email will be sent to you when you register to provide more information and resources.

Paul Fomiatti
Guidance Counsellor 

E Paul.Fomiatti@twb.catholic.edu.au 

Careers

Exploring Health Pathways: Hands-On Learning for Year 9 & 10

Our Year 9 and 10 students recently had the opportunity to take part in yet another exciting hands-on excursion, visiting the Heart Truck - a mobile clinic operated by Heart of Australia, which delivers essential health services to the Goondiwindi region each month.

Students learned about a range of services provided by the Heart Truck, including:

• New and review cardiology consultations
• Exercise stress testing
• Stress echocardiograms
• Sleep consultations and studies
• CPAP trials
• Respiratory function tests
• Overnight blood pressure and Holter monitoring

A huge thank you to Bec Uebergang for inviting our students to participate in this valuable experience. The excursion not only showcased the importance of accessible healthcare in regional communities but also introduced students to exciting career pathways in the health sector.

Professional Development: School-Based Apprenticeship Coordinator Day

Last week, I had the privilege of attending a School-Based Apprenticeship Coordinator Information and Networking Day in Toowoomba. This event provided a fantastic opportunity to connect with colleagues from across our diocese and gain insights into current practices and future directions in vocational education.

Keynote speakers from organisations such as the Department of Employment, Trade and Training, Regional Development Australia, Gimbal Training, Construction Skills Queensland, TAFE, and WorldSkills shared valuable updates and data on emerging career pathways and industry demands.

It was eye-opening to see the trends and statistics shaping the future of work, and I look forward to sharing these insights with our students to help guide their career planning.

If you're seeking information about specific career pathways or have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch I'm always happy to help!

Karen Sullivan 
Secondary Teacher: Careers

karen.sullivan@twb.catholic.edu.au

Curriculum

Strengthening Our Practice: Consistency of Teacher Judgment Day

Last week, our primary teaching team came together for a powerful professional learning experience focused on ensuring consistency and accuracy in our reading assessments. The Consistency of Teacher Judgment Day provided a valuable opportunity for teachers across Prep to Year 6 to moderate student work and align our grading practices.

Throughout the day, teachers engaged in collaborative moderation using the Diocesan Reading Monitoring Tool and the Australian Curriculum Achievement Standards. By examining student samples and discussing our judgments, we ensured that the grades we assign truly reflect each learner’s progress and achievement.

One of the highlights of the day was the cross-year level sharing. Teachers from different year levels provided feedback on each other’s assessments, fostering rich dialogue and deeper understanding of progression in reading development. This process not only strengthened our professional knowledge but also built a shared language and approach to assessment across the school.

We are proud of the commitment our teachers show to maintaining high standards and consistency in their practice. Days like these reinforce our collective responsibility to ensure every student receives fair, accurate, and meaningful feedback on their learning.

Consistency of Teacher Judgement Day (CTJ): Secondary

Key areas: Writing Improvement

• Professional use of Generative AI
• Literacy components of writing genres
• Annotated exemplars
• Individualised and targeted feedback

During CTJ Day, Secondary teachers engaged in collaborative professional learning to strengthen student writing across Key Learning Areas (KLAs). Building on the implementation of Subject Discipline Literacy (SDL) and incorporating tools such as Generative AI, teachers created annotated exemplars to explicitly teach the literacy features of subject-specific writing genres.

By analysing student work samples, teachers refined their feedback practices to ensure a consistent approach across subjects. This shared focus on clarity and precision in feedback enables students to better understand the expectations of each genre and receive individualised guidance on how to improve their writing.

Generative AI supported this process by allowing teachers to efficiently produce high-quality exemplars and deliver targeted feedback tailored to each student’s needs. These tools help students identify specific areas for improvement and build confidence in applying subject-specific conventions.

The day provided a valuable opportunity for staff to deepen their professional expertise and align their feedback strategies. As a result, students will benefit from clearer, more consistent instruction and personalised support—preparing them for success in the middle years, senior schooling, and future pathways in study and industry.

Tenille White & Christine Border
Curriculum Leaders: Middle & Secondary 

PEN (Parent Engagement Network)

I would like to start by saying what a resounding success Starry Starry night was last Friday.

34 performances, each of them as good as the last. It even took a panel of three to find 1 point difference in the house performances.

There are many people that contributed to making this night what it was: Benita Klowss and Sam Jessen and all the St Mary’s staff that mentored, coached and encouraged the budding performers; and Denise Ellis and Tenille White that dragged the three stalls into submission.

The other helpers are too numerous to name, but each contribution was equally as valuable.

We had a team of high school students and men that gave up their Friday to pursue their alternate careers as stage engineers; a master-chef cookoff between our barbecuers and the takeaway containers; we filled all 48 parent volunteer slots for the bar and food service and student council pitched in for the glow stall.

Finally, thank you to all of you who showed up to support our budding performers. Great entertainment deserves a great crowd.

The next PEN forum is scheduled for 28 October (Tuesday week 4), where Susan Long will enlighten us on the adolescent brain. Susan has come highly recommended, so block it our in your calendar and I look forward to seeing you there.

Mr Andrew Erbacher
PEN - Chair

COMMUNITY NEWS