LINKS: Term Four Week Three
From the Principal
A time of transition
Term 4 is a very busy time. It is a time of closing one chapter and looking forward to the next. Over the past few weeks, we have seen this in our students. As we have welcomed our 2024 Preps for their transition days, our current Preps and Year 1s have seen what it is like to be in Year 1 and Year 2 respectively. Likewise, our Year 6 students are looking at the close of their primary years and eagerly awaiting what awaits them as they approach Year 7. Those students who will be staying on for Year 7 in 2024 will have a transition day on Monday 23rd October.
Different people experience change in different ways. For some it may be trepidation, while for others – excitement. Either way, it is comforting to know that all students (and parents and staff) are in our constant thoughts and we pray that the new chapter for each of us is hope-filled. Last year, I met a Native American woman as I was travelling around Italy. She told me that in her culture, whenever you see a feather on your travels, you know you are on the right path in life. Ever since, I have been amazed at how many feathers I have seen as I walk along. I hope each of you see a feather on your path as well.
Staffing changes 2024
I just wanted to update you all on some staff changes for 2024. At the end of this year, we will bid two of our teaching staff farewell.
Hayley Fairweather has accepted a transfer to St Thomas More's in Toowoomba, we thank Hayley for the work and care she has put into her teaching during her time at St Mary's. We will miss her kindness, incredible organisation and her warm smile. We wish Hayley well and know that she will be a great asset to St Thomas More's in Toowoomba.
Rachael Reeves has accepted a teaching position at Marist College, Emerald as her family moves there to begin their new Emerald life. We thank Rach for her passion and enthusiasm in her role as teacher and Career Development Practitioner. We also thank Rach for the work she has done on the Parish Council.
Last week, we also farewelled Tanya Peck, who has accepted a role at a local childcare centre. We thank Tanya for her commitment and work in her time at St Mary’s, particularly in Learning Support and in playgroup.
We will miss all of you and we wish you all the very best in this new and exciting chapter in your lives!
Year 5 Camp
Thank you to our Miss Sophie Frahn, Mrs Lou Leven, Mr John Shaw, Mr Paul Fomiatti and our parent volunteer Mr Rae who accompanied our Year 5 cohort to Emu Gully for their camp this week. I spoke with the Year 5 cohort last week and they were very keen to attend and challenge themselves as they prepare for their leadership journey over the next few weeks as they ready themselves for Year 6. We all look forward to hearing about the fun, excitement and challenges that were overcome during the camp. I also look forward to speaking with the applicants for Year 6 leadership roles in 2024 upon their return.
Starry Starry Night
Thank you to our performers and P&F for Starry Starry Night. Thanks, also, to Mrs Benita Klowss and Mr Sam Jessen for your leadership in making this event possible. What a fantastic night of community building and a great display of the talent we have at St Mary’s!
First Communion
Congratulations to our students who received the sacrament of First Holy Communion on Sunday 8th October. Thanks also to Mrs Karra Suhr for all the work put in to prepare these young people for such an important event in their faith journey.
Optiminds
Congratulations to our Optiminds team who represented St Mary’s over the weekend at the Queensland State Finals for Optiminds: Stella Reardon, Olivia Houston, Pip Mooney, Josie Adornato and Stella Reeves. They worked incredibly hard and made us all very proud. Thanks also to Lex Adornato and Mrs Rachael Reeves for being with the girls to embrace this opportunity!
After school pick up
Just a reminder that all students should be picked up at 3pm at the end of the school day. Should you be unable to get here by 3.15pm at the latest, you are welcome to use our Outside of School Hours Care facility.
Miss Angela Collins
Principal
From the Deputy Principal
Hello St Mary’s community,
Our lost property cupboard (near the undercover area) is practically full of uniform items, including brand-new looking jumpers. Unfortunately, these items are not named, so we cannot return them to their rightful owners. Can you please take a look at your child’s uniforms and see if there is anything missing (particularly jumpers), and if so, see if you can find it in the lost property cupboard?
After this week, we will be taking all unclaimed items to the St Mary’s Op. Shop, as we do each term. (We wouldn’t want you to have to pay twice for the same item of clothing!)
This week I have been attending the Year 5 Emu Gully camp. This camp is focussed on challenging students, shared stories and values. Our Year 5 students will be exploring their leadership qualities and the notion of mateship. Each of our camps is tailored to provide growth through unique experiences for our students. We truly have a wonderful camp program at St Mary’s.
God bless,
John Shaw
Deputy Principal
Secondary News
This past fortnight of Term 4 has been a whirlwind of activity, setting a solid foundation for what promises to be an extraordinary remainder of the year.
The "Starry Starry Night" event was an absolute blast, showcasing the fruits of countless hours of dedication and hard work from both our students and staff. It also encouraged individuals to step out of their comfort zones, to embrace and learn new skills. The entire evening was truly impressive. Well done to all involved!
Our 7-10 students are relishing the opportunity to engage in tag touch footy alongside their Year 6 counterparts during the first break. The excitement is palpable as they eagerly await the Year 6 students' arrival, all geared up and ready for action. Reports indicate a remarkable display of skill and sportsmanship, a heartwarming testament to the camaraderie among our students.
As we head towards the term's end and our Awards Night, allow us to share a glimpse of the special accolades reserved for our dedicated Year 7-10 cohort in our vibrant Prep-10 community.
- Pope Francis Award
Pope Francis is well known and will be remembered for his ability to radiate the joy of the Gospel by weaving simplicity into their everyday approach to life. The winner of this award is presented to a student who displays humility and joyfulness while respecting others in their daily life. They demonstrate the qualities of Pope Francis in all they do.
- Cultural Award
The Secondary Cultural Award is presented to this student for their achievements in the cultural aspects of school life throughout the year. They enthusiastically participated in school cultural activities.
- Sportsperson of the Year
The Sportsperson of the year award is presented to someone who has represented St Mary’s School (7-10) with distinction at all sports carnivals and excelling in a variety of representative school sports.
- Instrumental Music Award
These awards are given to students who enthusiastically participate in the school’s instrumental music program. These students have given much of their time to their music and have excelled in the music program.
- SBA Award
This is awarded to a student who has excelled in the workplace and has completed the course requirements in addition to maintaining outstanding achievements at school.
In addition to this the award winner continues to pave the way for others to follow.
- Secondary All Rounder Award
The All Rounder Award is presented to a student who has represented the school with merit and excelled in several different sports. They need to have displayed high academic achievement and have a commendable approach to learning.
- Secondary Diligence Award
This is awarded to a student for consistently endeavouring to do their best and striving to achieve above and beyond what is expected. For being self-motivated to reach their potential, displaying exceptional work habits and a love of learning. In addition to this, the recipient of this award is independent, co-operative and inspirational in the classroom and is an excellent role model.
- Secondary Dux Award
The Secondary Dux is awarded to a student who has received the highest academic results in their cohort across the school year. This award is a testament to the dedication and commitment that this student applies to his/her studies.
Mindsets
One of the lead researchers on “mindsets” is Professor Carol Dweck, and according to her there are two types of mindsets: a fixed mindset and a growth mindset.
In a fixed mindset, people believe their qualities are fixed traits and therefore cannot change. These people document their intelligence and talents rather than working to develop and improve them. They also believe that talent alone leads to success, and effort is not required.
Alternatively, in a growth mindset, people have an underlying belief that their learning and intelligence can grow with time, experience, and effort. When people believe they can get smarter, they realize that their effort influences their success, so they put in extra time, leading to higher achievement.
Common beliefs
- Fixed mindset
- “How smart I am is all genetic and so I don’t have any control over it.”
- I can’t change who I am. My personality is hard-wired.”
- “Failure sucks!”
- Growth mindset
- “Anyone can increase their intelligence through effort.”
- “The harder you try, the more you will learn.”
- Failure is OK, It’s part of learning!”
"Becoming is better than being.
~ Carol Dweck
Mr Bevin Goodes
Assistant Principal Secondary
Religious Life
Grandparents Day
Grandparents Day is scheduled for Friday 27th October. We have made a change to this special day this year with grandparents from ALL year levels invited to join us for a special morning. If your child’s grandparents are unable to attend, they’re more than welcome to invite their godparent, uncle or family friend. Those students without a grandparent will be partnered up with a friend who has theirs in attendance.
The morning will commence at 8:45am and conclude at 11:00am. Please inform your grandparents about the details above, we would love to welcome them to our special day.
Remembrance Day
St Mary’s will stop and remember our fallen soldiers and those impacted by war on Friday 10th November at our assembly starting at 8:45am. Our secondary School Captains will be attending the town service on Saturday the 11th November at the Town Park from 10:30am. All are welcome to attend either event.
Year 12 Mass
St Mary’s will host the Year 12 Mass for the graduating class at Goondiwindi State High School. All of our families and friends are invited to join us in this celebration Tuesday 14th November at 9am.
Family Mass
Our final Family Mass is on Sunday 19th November at 9:30am. During this Mass we will be looking at the Christmas story and completing a craft activity. Please join us for our last gathering for 2023.
Crazy Sock Day
Thank you to all of our families who helped to raise vital funds for catholic Missions. As a school, we raised $453 which will be used to fund vital medicines and health support to vulnerable children in Timor-Leste. A huge thank you to 4L who prepared and presented a thought-provoking liturgy about Catholic Missions and the work that they do.
First Communion
Congratulations to the 23 students who made their First Communion on Sunday 8th October. These students have worked really hard to further their sacramental journeys. We will be starting our 2024 Sacramental group in the new year. Keep an eye out in LINKS for more information about our Sacramental program and you can enrol your child.
Karra Suhr
Assistant Principal Religious Education
Primary Sports Report
Sport for the year is drawing to a close
Darling Downs Aquathlon
Best wishes to those heading off to the Darling Downs Aquathlon trials in Dalby on Friday, 27th October. Best wishes to Angus O’Toole, Jono Webb, Charlie North, Hudson Derbidge, Rocky Heeson, Sam Bishop, Fergus Murray, Milly Doherty, Annie MacDonald, Polly Wild, Molly Giltrow and Bridie Bate.
P-2 Swim Carnival
The annual P-2 Swim Carnival has been set for Friday 3rd November, from 8.45 – 10.45. More information will come out next week.
State Athletics Championships
A huge congratulations to Elkie Wood on her recent achievements at the State Athletics Championships. I was fortunate enough to be sitting in the grand stand as she ran the 800m heat. What a run! A country girl, mixing it with the best of state. The quality of runners was very impressive and Elkie finished a remarkable 2nd in her heat, cutting her previous personal best by 20 seconds. She then had to back up that afternoon for the final and finished 8th. She also competed in the high jump and 1500m where she placed 17th in the 1500m and 18th in the high jump. Super effort Elkie!
“The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender”.
Yours in Sport,
Kathy Spicer
Secondary Sports Report
13 – 19yrs Darling Downs Track & Field
At the end of last term Lachlan Henderson competed and qualified to represent the Darling Downs 13yrs – 19yrs Track and Field. He was training hard and accomplished some very impressive new PB’s in high jump, clearing 160cm and his 100m, with a time of 12.3 sec. Unfortunately, the weekend before Lachlan was scheduled to compete, he sustained an injury in training and was unable to attend. We want to congratulate Lachlan on his amazing efforts and I’m sure we will be seeing him compete again next year.
Our secondary students have started their Term 4 sport rotation. This term they had the opportunity to select town bike ride, boxing (NuPeak Gym) and lawn bowls/croquet. Thus far all students are enjoying their time out in the community and gaining some valuable new experiences and skills. Last week we had some Yr. 6 students join us and continue to experience the opportunities provided at St Mary’s 7-10.
Abbie Rose
Middle Leader: HPE & Arts
Library News
Book Fair
Our annual Book Fair is nearly here!
What is a Book Fair?
A Book Fair is a mobile book shop. Scholastic provide trolleys of books for our school to sell and the school receives a percentage of this through scholastic rewards to spend on books and resources for the library.
Week 4 – 23rd to 27th October
Day Open | Time Open | Info |
Monday | 8:15am to 8:35am 1pm to 1:30pm 3pm to 3:45pm | Books only for sale – no novelty items |
Tuesday | 8:15am to 8:35am 1pm to 1:30pm 3pm to 3:45pm | Books only for sale – no novelty items |
Wednesday | 8:15am to 8:35am 1pm to 1:30pm 3pm to 3:45pm | Novelty items available along with books |
Thursday | 8:15am to 8:35am 1pm to 1:30pm 3pm to 3:45pm | Novelty items available along with books |
Friday | 8:15am to 10:30am | This session is for parents/grandparents to browse without students after bell time. |
Book Fairs are a great opportunity to purchase Christmas presents for your little book lover! Book Club forms will also be sent home for those who cannot make it to our Book Fair.
Would you like to know what books we have in our fabulous library?! Find us at: https://au.accessit.online/STM25/
If you have any questions or concerns, please e-mail the library staff at:
goondiwindilib@twb.catholic.edu.au
Book club
BOOK CLUB ISSUE 7 is now open for ordering. Orders are due online by Friday 20th October.
All sales contribute to funds for resources in our library. If you are ordering items for gifts, please select gifts when placing your order as we then keep hold of the items at the office for pick up.
You can view the catalogue here
Due to the ordering system, no late orders will be accepted. Please order online using ‘the loop’ platform. Information can be found on the order forms. Thank you for your support of Book Club, all purchases contribute to reward points for our school library.
Emma Petrie
Teacher Librarian
Careers
Apprenticeships vs. University – what are the benefits?
When it comes to planning your future career, there’s always more than one road to success. While university is usually the most popular route, an apprenticeship can be a practical and rewarding alternative. Let’s explore the advantages of opting for an apprenticeship vs university, and why it might be the right choice for you.
Hands-on learning experience
Apprenticeships are unique in the way they offer a hands-on approach to learning. Instead of spending most of your time in a classroom, you’ll have the opportunity to work directly in your chosen field. This means you’ll gain practical skills and experience right from the start, and is a great way to apply what you learn in real-world situations.
Earn while you learn
Perhaps one of their biggest benefits is that apprenticeships come with a paycheck. While you’re learning and developing your skills, you’re also earning a salary. This can be a huge advantage over university, where you’ll need to find a job on the side if you want to earn some cash. With an apprenticeship, you’re essentially being paid to learn and grow in your chosen profession.
Early career progression
Another benefit is the opportunity for early career progression. In many apprenticeships, you’ll have the chance to work alongside experienced professionals, leading to faster advancement in your career compared to a traditional academic route. You’ll be building a network and making valuable industry connections from day one.
A direct path to employment
Lots of apprenticeships come with a direct pathway into a job. Many employers who offer apprenticeships end up hiding their apprentices as full-time employees after they complete the program. This means you could have a job waiting for you at the end of your training period, which isn’t always the case with a university degree.
Is an apprenticeship right for me?
As you can see, there are heaps of benefits to jumping into an apprenticeship over university. If you thrive in a hands-on environment and prefer practical learning over traditional classroom settings, an apprenticeship could be perfect for you. But don’t forget, your apprenticeship will still involve some study too, just not as intense as what you might expect at university.
For some people, university might be a better fit – and that’s OK too. If your dream job requires a specific academic qualification or demands a deep theoretical understanding, you’ll need to study. You might find you learn better in an academic setting rather than getting hands-on, and university will be a better choice in this case too.
Remember, your decision should be based on aligning your goals and learning style with the educational path that suits you best. And if you try one pathway and decide it’s not for you, it’s never too late to try something else.
Rachael Reeves
Career Development Practitioner
Guidance Counsellor
School Success
If you are like most parents, you want your child to do well and enjoy their time at school. School can be a hectic place, for some children more than others. Listed below are several ways you can increase your child’s success at school.
- Establish good routines and create a stable home environment
- Help your child to be organised and encourage independence
- Read together and ask your child about their day at school
- Help your child to learn that it’s ok to make a mistake
- Support your child’s friendships and development of social skills
- Support your child’s wellbeing by encouraging good eating and sleeping habits, as well as encouraging physical activities
- Manage screen time and technology
- Encourage regular relaxation time, as well as time to connect and listen to your child
- Support your child to complete their homework and provide encouragement by noticing any hard work or effort made
- Communicate any concerns to your child’s classroom teacher or school principal
Other useful sites to visit for tips relating to school success:
https://raisingchildren.net.au/
How to help your child get motivated in school (Childmind.org)
10 ways to help your child succeed in primary school (KidsHealth.org)
Mental Health Month Update - Head to Health
Whether you are looking for information about Living well, Finding Help or giving Support to others. Head to Health is a great place to start to connect you to Information and Support. A handy online quiz will help you find out what you are after alternatively give them a call on 1800 595212 and they can provide free guidance and advice. Take the Head to Health Quiz to understand what you’re experiencing and what you can do about it. You’ll need 5-10 minutes to answer a few questions and access information and services tailored to you.
Paul Fomiatti
Guidance Counsellor
P&F Term Three Meeting
Starry Starry Night was a blast. Thank you to everyone who participated and helped in the lead up and on the night. We greatly appreciate the many volunteers, staff, and students who pitched in and made it such a wonderful night.
We are now looking ahead to 2024 and will hold a P&F planning and budgeting meeting in Term 1 for the forthcoming year. We welcome input or requests and we will put a reminder out for agenda items closer to the date.
Denise Ellis
P&F President
Upcoming Events
Community News
Don't miss this opportunity to hear Samuel Johnson & Aaron Williams speak. Their 'Life Stuff' talk will take a hilarious look at how we can cope with life's challenges & that is ok to struggle from time to time...
LIFE-STUFF is a live, interactive presentation by accredited mental health social worker Aaron Williams and Gold Logie Award winning actor and philanthropist Samuel Johnson. This uniquely structured presentation has been developed to smash the stigma around mental health. Samuel’s personal anecdotal style is complemented by Aaron’s positive, practical strategies.
Together they help their audiences to feel happier, healthier and stronger – at work and home.
This is FREE & includes dinner. RSVP to Care 46700700.
See flyer below for more information.
