LINKS: Term Four, Week Nine
From the Principal
Wishing you all a Happy and Holy Christmas
“And so, this is Christmas, and what have you done, another year over, and a new one just begun” John Lennon.
Wow, here we are at the end of the 2024 school year. It certainly has been a full and action-packed year. I would like to applaud our great community for all that we have achieved this year. So many people work very hard to put our young people first and it was clear at last week’s Awards Night, that our students are certainly shining. The efforts put in by staff, parents and students are incredible and I sincerely hope you have a restful holiday break surrounded by friends and family.
Christmas is such a special time of year. I always get a little bit sentimental at Christmas Mass reflecting on what has happened in the previous year and what is yet to come in the future year. The hope in the birth of Jesus Christ gives a fresh perspective on life. I pray that you and your family enjoy this special time together reflecting on the past, with great hopes for the future.
Awards Night and Strategic Plan Launch
Thank you to all who were involved in our Awards Night and Strategic Plan Launch on Monday 25th November. It was tremendous to see our students recognised for their hard work throughout the year.
Our Strategic Plan will set a great foundation for our future, and I would like to thank the staff, students, the School Advisory Council and P & F Association for their assistance in putting this document together. I would especially like to thank Mrs Philippa Sly and Mrs Tenille White for their assistance with the photos and video. Thanks again ladies for going above and beyond.
Please find a copy of the Strategic Plan and Strategic Plan Launch video below:
Student Leaders 2025
Congratulations to our Student Leaders for 2025:
Student Council Executive:
PRIMARY: Lydia Aylwin, Genevieve Capp, Grace Morrissy, Alexis Wiggan
SECONDARY: Philippa Mooney, Gurshaan Dhaliwal
Cultural Captains:
PRIMARY: Lucy Hanna, Tara Sim and Robert Walker
SECONDARY: Jarin Charles
McAuley Captains:
PRIMARY: Max Burrow and Hudson Derbidge
SECONDARY: Bronte Dennis
Mackillop Captains:
PRIMARY: Harrison Carey, Patrick Gleeson and Piper Rose
SECONDARY: Lexi Boyd
Coolock Captains:
PRIMARY: Fred Giltrow and Payton McNaulty
SECONDARY: Grace Leadbetter
Loretto Captains:
PRIMARY: Charlie North & Grace Vukovich
SECONDARY: Eliza Scudamore
School Captains:
PRIMARY: Charlotte Persse and Bronson White
SECONDARY: Zara Dennis and Ned Cilento
Congratulations Year 6 2024
A huge congratulations to our Year 6 cohort for finishing your primary schooling in the next week. Please do yourselves proud as we come to the end of this special journey. All the very best for a bright and happy future.
Congratulations Year 10 2024
On Friday 22nd November, we bid farewell to our year 10 students Jack, Parker and Anne. We celebrated last week with a Mass, Dinner and Final Assembly. It was very special to share this occasion with these three incredible young people.
Instrumental Concert
On Friday 22nd November we were treated to a night of entertainment with the Instrumental Concert. Congratulations to all students involved for the hard work that you have put in throughout the year to perform so well on the evening. A huge thanks to Mr Sam Jessen and Mrs Benita Klowss for your support of our students.
Office Closure
Please note that the School Office will close on Friday 13th December at 3.30pm and will reopen on Monday 20th January 8am. Any urgent enquiries can be emailed to me on angela.collins@twb.catholic.edu.au
Start of 2025
The hopes of the new year aren’t very far away. All students will start back to school on Wednesday 29th January. Please note: Book Drop Off for Prep – Year 6 will be on Tuesday 28th January from 8.30 – 9.30am. Please be conscious of the time as staff will have meetings on this day.
PEN Information Night
There has been a suggestion that we move away from our two parent bodies, the Parents and Friends Association and School Advisory Council to one body – the Parent Engagement Network (PEN). Please note that no decision has been made and there will be an information session in the library on Tuesday 4th February from 6 – 7pm. Tracey Jacklin from Toowoomba Catholic Schools will come out to discuss with parents the options and answer any questions that you may have. I would like to thank our School Advisory Council (SAC) and Parents and Friends Association (P&F) for all their hard work throughout 2024. I would also like to thank and acknowledge Mr Geoff Webb and Ms Denise Ellis for their leadership of these two bodies over recent years.
Angela Collins
Principal
From the Deputy Principal
Hello St Mary’s community,
Accessing reports:
Just another reminder to those of you who have children who are finishing up at St Mary’s at the end of the year. You will need to access and download your child’s reports from the Parent Portal app before the end of December, because after that time you will no longer have access to the Parent Portal.
End of year events:
Recently, we have had a number of big events in quick succession:
Saying goodbye to our Year 10 Graduates last week was bittersweet. While we’re proud of their achievements and excited for their future, it’s always hard to see them go. We wish them all the best in their next adventures and hope they carry the lessons and friendships from their time at St Mary’s with them always. The same applies to our Year 6 Graduates who will be moving to another school.
Congratulations to all the instrumental students who performed Friday evening at the Instrumental Concert! It was a fantastic showcase of the hard work and talent our students have developed throughout the year. A big thank you to Mr. Jessen for his inspiration and dedication in guiding our young musicians.
The St Mary’s Awards night was another great evening. Congratulations to students who received awards and leadership positions. And congratulations to all the students who put themselves forward and out of their comfort zone to nominate for a leadership position. I was pondering the idea that not everyone can win an award (or first place in a sporting competition). The value of awards and first-place finishes comes from their exclusivity and recognition of exceptional achievement. If everyone received the same award, it would lose its meaning. While it is disappointing not to win, this hopefully motivates students (and adults) to improve and strive for excellence. The challenge and effort involved in winning make the victory special and inspiring for others.
Christmas:
As we approach the Christmas holidays, I ask you to think about the true meaning of Christmas. Beyond the decorations, gifts, and celebrations, Christmas is a time to reflect on the birth of Jesus Christ.
Christ’s birth symbolises hope, love, and the promise of salvation. It is a reminder of the importance of kindness, generosity, and compassion towards others. As we celebrate, I encourage you to take a moment to appreciate these values and share them with our community.
Wishing everyone a joyful and meaningful Christmas and a safe and wonderful time with family and friends! See you next year.
God bless,
John Shaw
Deputy Principal
Religious Life
As the year draws to a close, we take a moment to reflect on our theme for the year, "Come as Guest." This theme has guided us to open our hearts and minds, welcoming each other with kindness and respect.
As we move into the Christmas season, let's continue to embody this spirit of hospitality. Consider how you can come as a guest to those around you—offering your presence, your kindness, and your compassion. Whether it's sharing a meal, lending a helping hand, or simply being there to listen, let's make this Christmas a time of true connection and warmth.
We wish all our families a safe and joyful Christmas. Enjoy this special time with your loved ones and may the holiday season bring you peace and happiness.
Thank you for your unwavering support and trust in our mission to educate your children. Your partnership has made this year truly wonderful, and we look forward to another amazing year together in 2025. To those families and students leaving our school, our blessings go with you in your new adventures.
WHOLE SCHOOL END OF YEAR MASS
Next Monday, 2nd December at 9:30am, we will gather to celebrate our End of Year Mass. This is an uplifting celebration, where our Prep students will act out the Christmas Story and we will also farewell and bless our departing families. Please join us in the Centenary Centre to help celebrate the wonderful year we have had!
Other upcoming end of year events:
Monday 2nd December | Prep Christmas Play and End of Year Mass 9:30am |
Wednesday 4th December | Year 6 Graduation Mass 9:30am followed by Pool Party |
Wishing you all a blessed and happy Christmas with your nearest and dearest,
Karra Suhr
Assistant Principal Mission & Identity
Secondary News
As we approach the end of the year, I would like to take a moment to express my gratitude to everyone who has contributed to making this year so memorable and enjoyable for us. I am immensely proud of our students for the way they have conducted themselves and the dedication they have shown in developing their personalities both inside and outside the classroom.
Reflecting on the year, it is clear that we should be defined by our greatest achievements, and this year has provided us with many to celebrate. Whenever our students are in the public eye, I find myself filled with pride, especially when community members take the time to share how impressed they are with our students conduct.
Our school as a whole is laying a solid foundation for future growth, ensuring a positive trajectory for the next five years. This progress is largely due to the invaluable support and feedback from our parents and students, as well as our commitment to self-reflection and professional development.
I want to sincerely thank you for your ongoing support in every capacity; it is greatly appreciated.
Recently, we held our transition days for our 7-10 campus, and once again, we feel blessed. We eagerly welcome our beautiful cohort of students joining us next year as the 2025 Year 7 class. I must also commend our current 7-10 students, who have been exemplary ambassadors, interacting with our incoming students with kindness and respect.
As we head into a well-deserved break, I encourage everyone to take full advantage of this time to rest and recharge for the upcoming year. I also recommend maintaining good study habits through some intellectual engagement to ensure we hit the ground running when the new year arrives, setting the stage for an even greater success than we've had in 2024.
Thank you all for your support and the fantastic memories we've created together this year.
Bevin Goodes
Assistant Principal Secondary
Pastoral
Friendship Spotter Awards
‘Research shows that relationships are the heart of wellbeing and learning. When we get friendships right in schools, children flourish!’
This information from our URSTRONG program underpins the initiatives and reasons why we place so much emphasis of explicitly teaching friendship skills at St Mary’s.
Our friendship spotter boxes, have provided students with the opportunity to highlight those around them who demonstrate these critical skills on a regular basis.
On Monday morning parade, our school captains Bridie and Jono drew out 5 names from our P-3 nomination box and 5 names from our 4-6 nomination box.
Congratulations to the following students who received a Friendship Spotter award: Eliza, Liz, McKinley, Mila, Evie, Charlie, Hunter, Reuben, Rupert and Kelsea.
Nicki Wyllie
Middle Leader: Pastoral
Nicola.wyllie@twb.catholic.edu.au
Cultural Report
Choirs of Angels:
After another very busy year of singing in 2024, the Choirs will finish off the year singing at the End of Year Mass on Monday December 2. We hope to see you there as we finish out the year with some Christmas Carols.
Instrumental Music Concert:
What an incredible evening! Our talented St Mary’s students from Years 4-10 wowed a large audience of family and friends with their amazing performances at the end of year School Instrumental Concert.
Concerts like this provide invaluable growth opportunities, helping our students to develop their performance skills. These experiences build confidence, foster creativity, and instil a lifelong appreciation for the arts.
A special thank you to our dedicated and multi-talented Instrumental Music teacher, Mr. Sam Jessen, for his unwavering support and guidance throughout 2024. Your passion and commitment have truly inspired our young musicians. Thanks also to our secondary students and Cultural Captains for acting so capably as Emcees, sound/tech, lighting and stage crew: Lexi Boyd, Sophia Woods, Alfred Charles, Gurshaan Singh, Lachlan Henderson, Jarin Chrales, Grace Leadbetter, Zara Dennis, Stella Reardon and Will McNulty.
Here's to many more musical moments in 2025!
Benita Klowss
Middle Leader: Culture
Library News
Thank you
Thank you to all families for ensuring books were returned last Friday. It saves us a LOT of time when we are not chasing items and it is very appreciated.
Use of websites on the holidays
Our P-2 students are welcome to access Reading Eggs over the break. Their current log in will remain through the holiday period. Years 4 to 8 also have access to Mathletics with log in details to remain valid over the break.
Students can access RedELearn by clicking on the link provided. There is some great reading material available on the site.
Best wishes for a fabulous holiday period, we hope you get some summer reading in, and we look forward to seeing all our little readers in 2025!
If you have any questions or concerns, please email the library staff at:
Student Support
We would like to thank our amazing Student Support team, for all their hard work and constant care for our students and staff at St Mary’s this year.
We wish Tanya Dorey all the very best for her move back home and thank her greatly for her years of heart-warming support and dedication to our students and teachers. We have been so very lucky to have you at St Mary’s and you will be greatly missed.
Blessings to you and your family, and a Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday to all our team.
Allison Marsh
Middle Leader - Student Support
Guidance Counsellor
Drum Beat – Holding Their Thunder for Healthy Relationships
Rhythmic based activities offer a perfect entry point for relationship focused interventions, as harmonious communal music making employs many of the skills necessary for healthy relationships and can be utilised safely to develop key skills and awareness. Many victims of people being ‘mean on purpose’ are socially isolated lacking in social confidence and unable to call on peer support in the face of others being ‘mean on purpose’. They often associate with other victims and lack the skills to broaden their social circle (Rodkin and Hodges, 2003). A focus on relational skills and particularly communication, can assist young people develop healthier relationship networks and reduce their propensity for victimisation while at the same time increasing the likelihood of others standing up for them when they are attacked.
This group of volunteer drummers were keen to help us trial this rhythmic philosophy and have their beat heard loud and clear. They have learnt to use their rhythms as a new mode of communication to make new connections with others. The group has changed over the year but these true believers are drumming on to have their message heard. Allythia Holmes, Katelyn Galvin, Abi-Jean Solomon, Grace Morrissy and Shermayne Kogen have been very committed to trialling a new rhythmic language and have acquired some new skills in their social emotional toolbox in the process. The Thunderbirds drumming group will be recruiting again next year and will look forward to the guided direction of Sgt Jason Watts (PCYC), Mrs Philippa Sly and myself. The beat goes on!
Paul Fomiatti
Guidance Counsellor
COMMUNITY NEWS
