LINKS: Term Two, Week Three

From the Principal

Farewell Pope Francis

Over the past few weeks, I have been intrigued by the life of Pope Francis and the events since his death on Easter Monday. As someone who has seen Pope Francis on a number of occasions and visited Rome and the Vatican, I have been reflecting deeply on my own personal experience with this extraordinary, humble, Christ-like man. I am currently teaching about the structure of the Church to my Year 7 Religion class, and it is such a poignant time to be discussing this, with the upcoming conclave. We pray that the conclave elects someone that will lead our Church with humility and service, following the example of Pope Francis.

Busy start to Term 2

Thank you all for your support in what has been a very busy start to Term 2. With Parent-Teacher Interviews, Cross Country, Easter Liturgy, ANZAC Day Services, March and Liturgy, many sports trials, Goondiwindi Show and our core business of teaching and learning, we have certainly hit the ground running.

I wanted to especially thank Rommy Beckinsale for her leadership in the Cross Country Carnival. It is difficult to change dates due to weather conditions and make sure it is fair for all, but Rommy did this beautifully – thanks Rommy!

I also wanted to thank all of those people who were involved in ANZAC Day celebrations. Our huge attendance at the March made me incredibly proud, again, to be a part of this community. Thanks also to Lotte, Bronson, Ned and Zara for laying wreaths on our behalf and Ned and Zara for speaking so well. A huge thanks also to Mrs Morrissy and 4M for leading our school liturgy. Thanks also to our guests on the day: Russell Billsborough, Greg Rixon, Shannon Billsborough, Clint Billsborough and Ron Kyte – it was such an honour to have you join us for our liturgy. I also wanted to thank Mr Sam Jessen who always plays The Last Post and the Rouse so well at all of our community services.

Upcoming Events

The public holidays are now behind us, so good luck to everyone for what will be a very full and exciting term. This Friday, we celebrate our Mums with our Mother’s Day Liturgy and we thank Mrs Leadbetter and 1L for leading this special prayer assembly. Next Tuesday 13^th May, our Year 7 cohort will participate in their retreat, and I thank Mrs Suhr for her leadership throughout this day.

Next Wednesday night 14^th May, we celebrate our mums with “Mums at the Movies” – please make sure to buy your tickets for a great night out!

During Week 5, St Mary’s School will host the Toowoomba Catholic Schools Leadership Forum with Bishop Ken, Senior Leaders from TCS, including Dr Pat Coughlan and all the Principals from the Diocese joining us in Goondiwindi from Monday 19^th to Thursday 22^nd May. It will no doubt be an excellent week for our community.

Parent Engagement Network:

Our first PEN Forum is on Tuesday 13^th May from 5.30 – 6.30 pm in the Library. Please come along for a discussion on how we, as a community, see this new parent body working for us at St Mary’s School. Please come along – the more the merrier. This is the group that is the voice of the parent body, so it would be great to hear from as many of you as possible.

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,

I trust your family was able to enjoy the four-day weekend and could take the time to do something special together.

ANZAC Day

St Mary’s had a wonderful turn out of students at the ANZAC march and ceremony on ANZAC Day. Our Mayor, Lawrence Springborg, commented afterwards on the large number of students who attended, the way in which they were dressed, and the respectful manner in which they conducted themselves. It is a credit to our students and their parents for supporting such important traditions, ensuring they are passed to the next generation.

Learning: A Jigsaw Puzzle Adventure

I wonder if you enjoy jigsaw puzzles? These can be a great way to spend time with family members.

This year, we have had a challenging jigsaw puzzle on the table in our staffroom, providing a fun way for staff to contribute, engage, and spend time together.

Which is all to say that it made me think about the analogy of a jigsaw puzzle…

Imagine learning as a giant jigsaw puzzle. Each piece represents a bit of knowledge or a skill we acquire. At first, the pieces might seem scattered and unrelated, but as we start to fit them together, a beautiful picture begins to emerge.

In our classrooms, every lesson, project, and discussion adds a new piece to our puzzle. Sometimes, we find pieces that fit perfectly straight away, while other times, we need to try different approaches before finding the right spot. This process teaches us patience, perseverance, and problem-solving.

Just like a puzzle, education is about seeing the big picture. It's not just about memorising facts but understanding how they connect and apply to the world around us. Occasionally, we might notice a missing piece that draws our eye, reminding us that there's always more to learn and discover. As we continue to learn and grow, our puzzle becomes more complete, revealing the unique and vibrant image of our knowledge and potential.

Happy puzzling, everyone!

God bless,

John Shaw
Deputy Principal

Religious Life

Dear Students, Families, and Staff,

This week marks a significant moment for the Catholic Church as the Conclave begins—the sacred process where a new Pope is chosen. As the cardinals gather to discern the future of Church leadership, we pray for wisdom, guidance, and the blessing of a leader who will inspire faith and unity.

Wishing everyone a wonderful fortnight ahead!

Calling for Participants in our Sacramental Program

We are excited to announce that our upcoming Sacramental Program is now open for enrolments! This is a wonderful opportunity for students and their families to deepen their faith journey and participate in the preparation for key sacraments within our community.

Whether your child is preparing for First Reconciliation, First Holy Communion, or Confirmation, we warmly invite you to be part of this meaningful program.

If you are interested in joining or would like more information, please don’t hesitate to contact me either by phone or email (karra.suhr@twb.catholic.edu.au)

If you’re interested in joining, please attend a short meeting on Wednesday 7^th May at 5:30pm in the Library.

Secondary Tie Presentation  

On Sunday 18^th May at 9am, you’re invited to celebrate a beautiful Mass celebration with the Parish and secondary students. All new secondary students will be presented with their ties from a Parishioner at this Mass. This is another lovely way to celebrate the strong relationship we have between our Parish and School. Please join us in this celebration.

Mother’s Day

We invite you to our Mother's Day Liturgy, prepared with love by our Year 1L class. This special celebration will take place on Friday, 9th May, at 8:45 am in the Centenary Centre. It will be a heartfelt occasion to honour and cherish the incredible mothers and mother figures in our community.

Additionally, at the back of this newsletter you will find more information about our Mum’s at The Movies Night. It promises to be a fun and social evening, so please RSVP through the link or at the front office.

Wishing you all a great fortnight!

Karra Suhr
Assistant Principal Mission & Identity

Secondary News

Term 2 has begun with lots of activity, and it promises to be an exciting few weeks as we continue to prepare for what's ahead.

Our students demonstrated respect and appreciation during this year's ANZAC Day remembrance events. It was especially inspiring to see our secondary school captains show their dedication by writing, practicing, and delivering heartfelt speeches for this meaningful occasion. We are very proud of their effort and commitment. Thank you to all students from St Mary’s who attended. 

We’re excited to continue our lessons on Gratitude, Empathy, Mindfulness, and Emotional Literacy, all part of The Resilience Project (TRP). These lessons help students build resilience, self-confidence, and better understand themselves. The Year 7 and 8 camps, along with work experience for Years 9 and 10, offers great opportunities for students to step outside their comfort zones, learn new skills, and realise their full potential. Thank you to everyone who attended the recent TRP Parent Information session.

It’s that wonderful time of year when we organise a fantastic coastal camp for Year 7, and a journey style camp for Year 8 students. The Year 7 camp will be at the Gold Coast, while Year 8 students will explore the Noosa area, where we will explore Noosa North Shore as well as the Noosa Everglades. These camps, along with the year 9/10 city camp in Term Three, are thoughtfully planned to support students’ growth into well-rounded young adults. Stay tuned for a full report in the Week 7 newsletter! 

A Thought-Provoking Quote:
“A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.”

How to use the The Eisenhower Matrix and Pomodoro Technique 

The Eisenhower Matrix is a simple way to organise your tasks based on how urgent and important they are. Imagine a box divided into four parts: 

1. Urgent and Important (do these first)

2. Important but Not Urgent (schedule time for these)

3. Urgent but Not Important (do these quickly or delegate)

4. Not Urgent and Not Important (these can often be skipped or done later)

For students, this helps prioritise homework, studying, and other chores, so they focus on what's most important and avoid wasting time on less important things.

The Pomodoro Technique involves working in focused bursts, usually 25-40 minutes long, called “Pomodoros,” followed by a 5-minute break. After four Pomodoros, take a longer break, about 30-60 minutes. This method helps improve concentration, makes studying less tiring, and keeps you motivated by breaking work into manageable chunks.

Finally, I would like to acknowledge the imminent coming together of parish and school at this year’s annual tie ceremony. If your child is either in Year 7 or is new to our school this year, we would love it if they could attend this ceremony where parishioners lovingly donate a secondary tie to accompany their winter uniform.

Bevin Goodes
Assistant Principal Secondary

Pastoral

Thank you to our parent community who took the time to attend our TRP Parent Information session last night. We received some lovely feedback from the evening. We understand that we all live busy lives and many parents who were unable to attend the night have asked for some information from the evening. Please find attached a link to our presentation in a PDF document. 

Attached below is a ‘TRP Parent and Carers’ flyer, which will give you a QR code to find activities and resources to implement the GEM + EL principles at home.   

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

We have had a great start to Term 2 with lots of sport trials already!

Darling Downs Rugby League

Congratulations to Fred Giltrow who was successful in making the Darling Downs Rugby League team last week. Fred will represent DD in Mount Isa at the end of Term 2. All the best, Fred!

Mac Zone Cross Country

Congratulations to the 34 students who competed at Mac Zone Cross Country on Thursday, 1st May in Texas. St Mary’s students represented the school proudly, cheering for their team, running up some tough hills, and St Mary’s came away as Overall Winners of the competition!

Special mention to the following students who were selected in the Mac Zone Team and will compete at Darling Downs Trials on Tuesday, 20th May:

10 Years Girls: Laura Bourchier 2nd, Lucy Illing 4th, Scarlett Dowling 6th.

10 Years Boys: Ace Johns 1st, Flynn McNaulty 3rd, Thomas Leadbetter 5th, Archer Heath 6th.

11 Years Girls: Bridie Doherty 1st, Payton McNaulty 2nd, Lucy Coleborn 4th, Ivy Offerdahl 5th, Bella McInnerney 6th.

11 Years Boys: Joey Rocks 3rd, James Benson 4th, Sandy McClymont 5th, Finn De Bortoli 6th.

12 Years Girls: Lotte Persse 3rd, Emma McDougall 4th, Maggie Prior 5th, Georgia Wild 6th.

12 Years Boys: Bronson White 1st.

Mac Zone Touch

Mac Zone Touch Football Trials will be on Tuesday, 13th May in Goondiwindi for students who are successful in making the team. Best of luck!

Mac Zone Rugby Union

Good luck to the following students who are attending Mac Zone Rugby Union Trials on Wednesday, 14th May: Jim Jekyll, Hudson Derbidge, Charlie North, James Benson, Oscar Browne, and Harrison Carey.

Mac Zone Tennis

A reminder for families: due to the amount of interest and limited spots available (4 girls & 4 boys in total), I will be conducting school trials to nominate students for Mac Zone. 

The school trials will be on Thursday 8th May (Week 3) at the Goondiwindi Tennis Courts from 7:00am to 8:15am. Students must bring their own racquet. 

Mac Zone Tennis trials are on Friday, 16th May in Goondiwindi for students who are selected in the team. Good luck!

Mac Zone Soccer

Best of luck to the following students who will be competing at Mac Zone Soccer Trials on Friday, 9th May in Texas: Arsalan Mohammed, James Griffin-Hunt, Thomas Leadbetter, Charlie Carrigan, Oscar Eulenstein, Hunter Reid, Piper Rose, and Alfred Charles.

Border District Cross Country

Good luck to the following students who will be attending Border District Cross Country Trials in Warwick on Friday, 9th May: Kaleb Alexander, Robert Marchant, Eddie O’Connor, Dalziel Anderson, Jacob Erbacher, Pip Mooney, Will Robertson, Eliza Scudamore, and Asher Solomon!

Term 2 Primary Sport Dates

Term 2 Secondary Sport Dates

Rommy Beckinsale 
Middle Leader: Sport

rommy.beckinsale@twb.catholic.edu.au

Library News

My child doesn’t know what to read next….what can I do?

Part of my role as Teacher-Librarian is keeping up to date with the books children like to read. It is also about observing what each individual child prefers to read (or not read as the case may be). Please be in contact via e-mail, phone call or come on in to see us as we can offer some suggestions and show you what we have available in our fabulous library.

It can be overwhelming for students to find books they enjoy – even as reading is declining as a preferred activity, the number of books published and purchased has soared, there is more available to read than ever before. Our job is to help sort through that chaos and pin point what our students might like.

The next step is at home, scheduling reading time like we do sports training for example if it is something that is encouraged but often overshadowed by the rush of life. Just 5 minutes independently reading can make a huge difference, add in 5 minutes of reading together and you will see so many benefits.

Happy reading!

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

goondiwindilib@twb.catholic.edu.au

Bookclub

BOOK CLUB ISSUE 3 is due Monday 12^th May at 8pm

This issue contains:

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

All purchases contribute to funds for our school library with all popular fiction titles in our library purchased due to the funds raised through orders – we are most grateful for this – THANK YOU!

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

goondiwindilib@twb.catholic.edu.au

Student Support

The Primary School Nurse Health Readiness Program is coming to our school.

If your child is in Prep and you would like their vision screened, please complete a consent form using the below link or QR code.

The following video explains the benefits of having your Prep child’s vision screened – “What is Prep Vision Screening?”

Screening commencement date: Wednesday, 21 May, 2025

Link and QR code will close on Monday, 19 May, 2025

https://visionscreening.health.qld.gov.au/ParentalConsent/1003DvCv

Allison Marsh 
Middle Leader - Learning Support & Student Services

Guidance Counsellor

Who is Emerging Minds? – Take this opportunity to engage with a culturally appropriate resource to support your child’s mental health & wellbeing

For over 20 years, Emerging Minds has been dedicated to advancing the mental health and emotional wellbeing of Australian infants, children, adolescents and their families. The organisation now leads the National Workforce Centre for Child Mental Health, delivered in partnership with the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS), the Parenting Research Centre (PRC) and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP).

Emerging Minds develops mental health policy, interventions, in-person and online training, programs and resources in response to the needs of professionals, children and their families. They partner with family members, national and international organisations to implement evidence-based practice into the Australian context. Their resources are freely available at this web hub.

https://emergingminds.com.au

Paul Fomiatti
Guidance Counsellor 

E Paul.Fomiatti@twb.catholic.edu.au 

Extension & Enrichment

Storyfest at Somerset

At the end of Term 1, a group of Year 4 emerging writers attended Storyfest at Somerset on the Gold Coast.  Thankyou to the parents who transported their children to the festival – the rain depression of ‘Alfred’ was in the west and we had to head home on our second day to beat the road closures!  Thankyou also to Emma Petrie and Debbie Par who guided us in which authors to see and accessing their books prior to Storyfest.

Storyfest provided our students with author and illustrator sessions – tailored to our groups age and ability.  The professionals we saw included Melanie La’Brooy, Ashleigh Barton and Lili Wilkinson.

Here are some quotes from our attendees:

Bruce Clark – Lili Wilkinson was so inspiring with her love for fantasy books. Her words are so rich and powerful.

Josie Jackson – the festival atmosphere had so much energy with lots of students talking in the bookshop, eating at the food stalls and a school band playing.

Petals Van Heerden – Lili Wilkinson was very funny talking about how she hates Cinderella. She likes stories where the main characters helps themselves.

Grace Mills – I loved how Lili Wilkinson talked about characters – working on making a simple mouse, fierce!

Hugo Aylwin – Daniel Gray-Barnett (an illustrator) was so creative and did many jobs where he drew, for example in magazines, posters  and adds for bands.

Harrison Prior – Lili Wilkinson was such a good presenter – she had the audience hooked the whole time.

Louise Cowley
Student Support Services/Extension & Enrichment 

COMMUNITY NEWS