Newsletter - 24 October 2024
From our Principal
Dear Parents,
How often do we find ourselves thinking, that what we have is not enough? Satisfaction for some, has become a fleeting feeling, that comes and goes with each new purchase, promotion, house, car, prize etc., which once obtained, has an inclination to lose its appeal.
As described in the Parable of the Rich Fool, the man was indeed blessed with an abundance of grain. Can we assume that it was not enough for him to have one small barn filled with grain that he had to go and build larger barns, that his satisfaction was only fleeting?
Through this parable, Jesus invites us to think about what it really means to be rich. Today, we are spending more than we can afford, through credit cards, loans etc. We all have to have the latest computer, phone, car, television. We are in an era where technology is outdated the moment you buy the latest and greatest gadget and so too is our satisfaction. Have we become like the rich fool, filling our homes not with grain, but with materialistic goods?
Richness comes from within, our hearts and minds. We need to strive to be the best people we can be and share our goodness, whether it’s our time, talents, listening skills, visiting others, comforting, nursing or teaching and to give these gifts freely.
Best wishes to all of our staff as we celebrate World Teacher’s Day on Friday. Despite all that technology can offer, the personal relationship between the teacher and student is vital to learning. I would like to encourage you to discuss with your child how they might be able to say thanks to their teacher/s. A kind word, a short poem or story would add to every teacher’s day this Friday.
Thank you to ALL STAFF of Emmanuel for all that you do to ensure the best possible learning for the children in your care. Happy Teacher’s Day!
Wishing you every blessing for the coming week,
Geraldine Rostirolla
Principal
FAMILIES LEAVING
At this time of the year, plans are being made for 2025 and the key factor upon which planning is based is enrolment facts and figures. Whether it’s class composition, number of classes, number of staff members or budget planning, it is essential to be as accurate as possible in predicting the number of students at Emmanuel come January next year. Can I ask then that you keep us informed about potential moves between now and the beginning of the year? Thank you for helping us to be well-prepared for the year ahead.
RE Matters
ONE FOR THE TEACHERS – A PRAYER
MONTH OF THE ROSARY
“The Rosary is a magnificent and universal prayer for the needs of the Church, the nations and the entire world.” (Pope John XXlll)
It has been wonderful to see so many students and staff gathering in the chapel to say The Rosary at lunchtimes this October. We have prayed for peace in our families, our school and in our world.
As the Month of The Rosary draws to a close, I encourage families to continue to share this beautiful prayer and to reflect on the mysteries of our faith which it memorialises.
“Confidently take up The Rosary once again. Rediscover The Rosary in the light of the Scripture, in harmony with the Liturgy, and in the context of your daily lives.”
(Pope St John Paul ll)
To find out more about The Rosary and how to pray it, go to Catholic Online:
http://www.catholic.org/prayers/rosary.php
SOCCERTOBER
Our World Mission Month SOCCERTOBER activities are coming to an end. We have learnt about the work of Catholic Mission and this year’s focus country Timor Leste. We have raised funds and awareness, prayed and walked in solidarity with children around the world who are not as lucky as we are.
Tomorrow we will announce our 2024 MISSION CHAMPIONS and students in 4D, 4M, 6T and 6D will play in the finals of our exciting WALKING SOCCER competition. A big THANK YOU to our staff who have coached their classes, refereed games and supported all of our SOCCERTOBER activities.
FREE RICE CHALLENGE
This online quiz challenge, that rewards correct answers with donated rice, is an initiative of the United Nations World Food Programme. It is great to think that we can have fun, practise our skills, increase our knowledge and help to feed the hungry in our world at the same time. There are lots of different quiz categories. A great family activity.
RE CURRICULUM
Our Year 4 classes are currently learning about the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick. Yesterday Fr Andrew accepted an invitation to work with these students. They were keen to share what they had already learnt in class and through their participation in Anointing Masses at St Joseph’s Church this year. Fr Andrew talked about the sacrament, its rituals and symbols, when and how it is celebrated and Jesus’ mission and ministry of healing. The session was both informative and interactive. We thank Fr Andrew for his ongoing support and encouragement. Our students and staff appreciate his time and willingness to share his expertise and answer our questions. We look forward to learning and celebrating with him again soon.
ARE YOU RED RED READY FOR DAY FOR DANIEL?
Tomorrow we will join with the rest of Australia in acknowledging ‘Day for Daniel’. It is a child safety and protection initiative that aims to help empower our children to RECOGNISE, REACT and REPORT if they feel something is not right. ‘Wear Red and Educate’ is the theme of ‘Day for Daniel’.
All students are invited to wear something red (t-shirt, socks, shoelaces, ribbons) with their school uniform on this day. It is not a free dress day. Donations are welcome, but not required for participation. Badges will be on sale in the week leading up to the day. All monies raised will be forwarded to the Daniel Morcombe Foundation.
For more information about the Daniel Morcombe Foundation and ‘Day for Daniel’ go to: http://www.danielmorcombe.com.au/
CHRISTMAS RAFFLE
Our annual parish Christmas Raffle is back in 2024! With $15 000 in Cash Prizes, tickets are great value at $5.00 each. The raffle will be drawn on Friday 20 December, just in time for Christmas. You’ve got to be in it to win it!
Tickets are available online, before and after weekend Masses and from St Joseph's Parish Office
(Monday - Friday 9am to 12:00pm - phone 49574855).
For weekly Gospel readings, reflections and meditations go to http://www.prayasyoucan.com.au/
Download this week’s parish bulletin @ https://rok.catholic.net.au/parish/mackay-st-josephs/#
For Parish News, updates and to book for weekend Masses go to the Catholic Parishes of North Mackay and Farleigh Facebook page.
VIRTUE OF THE FORTNIGHT – GRATITUDE
Gratitude is the quality of being thankful and showing appreciation. It is a mindful acknowledgement of all that we have been given. When we focus on the abundance in our lives, we discover a greater capacity for generosity, cheerfulness and contentment.
“If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.” (Meister Eckhart)
Noeleen Kliese
Assistant Principal Religious Education
Curriculum Corner
If you wish to utilise this year's Book pack service, you can order online (TODAY) via the link below:
Book pack orders placed by today Thursday 24 October, will be available for collection from school Monday 25 November 2:30pm-3:30pm and Tuesday 26 November 8:00am-9:00am and 2:30pm-3:30pm.
ICAS COMPETITION
During Term 3 we had a small group of students participate in the English and Mathematics ICAS competition. This competition recognises academic performance in a way similar to sports or the arts, with engaging, fun questions designed by psychometricians, education measurement experts and experienced teachers to test students’ higher-order thinking skills. Emmanuel are so proud of the following students who participated in this competition! Well done: Hudson, Koby, Hunter & Charlotte.
100 DAYS OF PREP!
Recently, our Prep students celebrated their 100 days of learning in Prep! This special day gives us the opportunity to celebrate the dedication and progress that our Prep students have made this year. A special shout out to our fabulous Prep teachers and Teacher Assistants who help our Prep students achieve wonderful things each day.
MATHEMATICS - CHALLENGING TASKS
Recently, teachers at Emmanuel had the opportunity to meet with other teachers in our region to discuss the concept of open ended, challenging mathematics tasks. Teachers at Emmanuel have been designing mathematic tasks that give students the opportunity to explore the concepts prior to an explanation. These activities encourage our students to think more deeply about the content. We have found that posing a question that challenges, rather then giving the student the direct answer sparks conversation and encourages them to think on a deeper level. Having these conversations with colleagues helps us to reflect and inform our future practices. We thank our colleagues from St Francis for meeting with us.
KINDY BUDDIES - 6T
Throughout the school year, our Year 6 students have been collaborating with Emmanuel Kindy in a series of engaging activities. The 6T class explored The Three Little Pigs from the perspective of their kindy buddies, working together to design and build houses capable of withstanding the elements. After thoughtful planning, designing, and constructing, Mrs. Refalo put their creations to the test using her blower to see if any houses would be blown down! These activities provide wonderful opportunities for students to learn while having fun, fostering creativity, teamwork, and hands-on problem-solving.
Brooke Tomkinson
Acting Assistant Principal Curriculum
APA News
BOYS HAIRSTYLES
We have noticed a number of boy’s hairstyles that need attention. As per the uniform guidelines, we ask boys hair styles to be neat and tidy in appearance. The following styles are NOT permitted:
NOT PERMITTED:
- Variations to natural hair colour
- Cut less than gauge three
- Boys’ hair longer than collar length and fringe past the forehead
- Spiked cuts
- Wedge cuts
- Track cuts
- Multiple braiding
- Rat’s Tail
- Mullet Cuts
We greatly appreciate your support in ensuring your child meets the school’s expectations for hair styles, and ask that any breaches of the required standard be rectified ASAP.
If parents are unsure of school uniform or hair style requirements, please contact the school office for clarification.
PREP to YEAR 2 SWIMMING LESSONS – Commencing in Week 7
Prep to Grade 2 Swim and Survive lessons begin shortly at Marlins Swim Centre. A letter outlining dates / costs was distributed to students. These lessons are designed to ensure our children possess the basic water skills to operate safely around the pool. Please see the schedule below:
| Date | Classes | Time |
| Week 7 | ||
| THURSDAY 7 November | 2M | 11:15am - 2:25pm |
| TUESDAY 12 November | Prep S & Prep G | 11:15am - 2:25pm |
| WEDNESDAY 13 November | Prep S & Prep G | 11:30am - 1:30pm |
| THURSDAY 14 November | Prep C & 1C | 11:15am - 2:25pm |
| Week 8 | ||
| MONDAY 18 November | Prep C & 1C | 11:30am - 1:30pm |
| TUESDAY 19 November | 1N & 1D | 11:15am - 2:25pm |
| WEDNESDAY 20 November | 1N & 1D | 11:30am - 1:30pm |
| THURSDAY 21 November | 2J & 2C | 11:15am - 2:25pm |
What to bring:
PLEASE BE SURE TO NAME ALL ITEMS CLEARLY
- Togs
- Towel
- Thongs
- Shirt to wear over togs to/from the pool
- Sunshirt (optional)
- Swimming cap
- Goggles (these are highly recommended from the Marlins Swim staff due to the amount of time in the water)
- Packed lunch and water bottle
- Bag to hold everything
It would be beneficial to send a LARGE AMOUNT of morning tea (Tuckshop may be ordered at first break ONLY). There will be a lunch break at the pool, please provide a PACKED LUNCH and WATERBOTTLE.
Amanda McDonald
Assistant Principal Administration
Strategic Priorities 2024
SchoolTV
There are lots of amazing resources available on SCHOOLTV to support and empower parents to better deal with the challenges of raising happy, well and resilient young people.
For short video clips, articles and fact sheets, from leading specialists and key wellbeing organisations, check out the tab via the link below or on our school website.
Sporting News
Lots of fun was had at today's Swimming Carnival. Please see next week's newsletter for a round up of the events and trophy winners.
Lisa Bottcher
HPE Teacher
Around the School
SHOEBOXES NEEDED - YEAR 6 HaSS / SCIENCE
This term in HaSS and Science, the Year 6 students are learning about Migration and adaptions to our ecosystems. Their assessment tasks for these subjects require students to create two diagrams. For students to fully engage in this task we are asking for donations of old shoe boxes. We would love for every student to have their own shoe box each (x2).
Please drop shoe boxes to the office or Year 6 classrooms if you have any to spare. Thank you.
Awards
Congratulations to the students pictured below who received a Principal Award in Week 3.
School Choir
Finance
TERM 4 SCHOOL FEE STATEMENTS - OVERDUE
Term 4 School Fee Statements were emailed to all families on Tuesday 8 October, with payment now overdue. Statements can also be viewed via Parent Lounge using the ‘make a payment’ tab from the menu bar and clicking on the paperclip. If you did not receive your statement, please advise the finance office immediately.
Tuckshop News
Please Note: It is imperative that volunteers DO NOT attend tuckshop if they are unwell or have anyone at home who is unwell.
Parent Orbit
We're excited to announce a new mobile app for Emmanuel Catholic Primary School, Parent Orbit, is now ready for you to download and use.
We will be decommissioning our current Emmanuel Catholic Primary School on Friday 29 November 2024. We suggest you have the Parent Orbit app downloaded by Friday, 22 November 2024.
The Parent Orbit app, which is connected to Parent Lounge, will improve our communication with each other as it offers a quick and easy way to receive notifications, view academic reports, book Parent/Teacher interviews, add and acknowledge Student Absences, view and pay School Fees, accept or decline excursions via the Events and Payments tile, update student details, email class teachers and much more.
Notices
NON STATE SCHOOLS TRANSPORT ASSISTANCE SCHEME
The Non State Schools Transport Assistance Scheme provides financial assistance for families transporting students to non-state schools in Queensland. To find out more about eligibility requirements click here:
Do you want to make a difference in your community? Have a spare 1 to 2 hours a week? You're invited to join our Support Centre and/or Groups. How your passion and skills can help make a difference:
- Interviewing people in need, listening to their stories, giving them grocery assistance etc.
- Packing hampers, re-stocking shelves, etc.
- Answering phones, booking appointments, updating the database
- Picking up groceries, cleaning and sorting goods, rotating stock
- Visiting people who are isolated, lonely or in hospitals, nursing homes
- Visting newly arrived migrants or refugees
- Visitations to tenants at St. Vincent de Paul housing units
- Listening to stories of people who need emotional support
- Undertake training in mental health first aid courses
- Participating in Mental Health week each year
- Visiting people Sunday mornings at the Mackay Watchhouse, for inmates to pass on messengers to family. Listening to their stories/chatting to them.
- Bus transport to the Rockhampton Capricorn Correctional Facility for families to visit their loved ones.
- Provides support to volunteers in the Vinnies stores.
- Cooking BBQ's every now and then for chats with the volunteers
- Visiting people who are in need with their grocery hampers.
- Enhancing and sharing your faith journey with other like-minded people.
Meetings are also held at various times (mostly monthly, sometimes weekly) depending on which group you join, but it isn’t necessary for helping. Training provided, police check required, no experience necessary.
Family Support is open: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (9am to 11:30am). There are other skills required not listed, why not enquire now? Email: office.mackay@svdpqld.org.au Phone: 4339 3751, Forms: https://forms.office.com/r/MHsttcDpq8 If you would like to help with youth participation activities, please also reach out.”
SAFETY ISSUE – MACKAY BUCASIA ROAD
Parents who park in the parkland along Baxter Drive (ie: the grassed area opposite the Emmanuel Bus Stop) are asked to ensure they DO NOT enter or exit this area via Mackay Bucasia Road. We have been advised by Queensland Department of Transport that this is a significant safety issue and we ask that this practice does not continue. Mackay City Council have advised us that this area should not be utilised for parking in the morning or afternoon and that all vehicles need to park within the designated areas assigned for parking purposes outside Emmanuel Catholic Primary School and Holy Spirit College.
We appreciate and understand that there are considerable parking issues across both campuses, but would like to take this opportunity to remind parents that the preferred drop-off / pick-up site for Emmanuel students is the STOP, DROP, GO area, and parents are strongly encouraged to use this facility. Students are supervised until 3.30pm allowing for parents to delay pick-up of students so as to ensure a smooth flow of traffic within a timely manner. We thankyou for your assistance and cooperation in ensuring all members of our school community experience a safe and stress-free arrival to and departure from school.
CASH ONLY - Please remember to bring small change when purchasing from the Uniform Shop.
Community News
