Newsletter - 31 October 2024

From our Principal

Dear Parents,

It is a wonderful experience to see something that takes your breath away. It may be a beautiful night sky, the majesty of a mountain, the might of the ocean or the music of a dawn chorus. We call this emotion ‘awe’ and researchers have discovered that feelings of awe can actually make our bodies and minds healthier and stronger.

For our own well-being, we need moments when we are struck with wonder. For that moment, time seems to stop and we experience feelings of pleasure, amazement and excitement.

Often our deepest feelings of awe are found in simple moments of nature – the intricacy of a butterfly’s wing, a perfect rose, a thunderstorm, a waterfall, waves rolling onto a beach, galloping horses in a paddock, a new-born baby.

We all need to find feelings of awe in the world around us. We can do this by exploring our natural world and learning more about it, getting a sense of something bigger than ourselves, opening our eyes to the wonders around us.

How can we find moments of awe? Spend time out of doors – there are marvels at every step. Visit a museum to learn about the vast world. Change your routines so you see different places and views. Watch people doing amazing things – in sports, in works of art, in dance and music. Many people do incredible things and they are around us every day.

A child gazes in wonder at the moon. Our world is full of such wonders as long as we keep our eyes open and our minds full of curiosity. Teachers and parents are fortunate, each and every day our children engage in experiences that provide us with the opportunity to witness them learning, watch them experience something for the first time, see them overcome something that may be difficult. Each one of these moments is a privilege that all of us should savour. Our children are only children once, enjoy the moments of awe that they create.

There are lots of good things in our world. There are lots of great things. There are also many things that are truly awesome. Before you use that word again, try to find something that has filled you with the inspiring feeling of awe.

Wishing you every blessing for the coming week,

Geraldine Rostirolla

Principal

A very big THANK YOU to the Emmanuel P&F Association who provided a fabulous morning tea for our staff last Friday. We appreciate your ongoing support and love working with you and your child/ren.

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

SUPERHEROES – A REFLECTION

When I say SUPERHERO many of you will think of Batman, Flash or The Phantom. If you are a Marvel fan you might think of Iron Man, Captain America or the big green guy…… but what about the superheroes of the church? I am of course talking about the saints. They might not be members of the Justice League, have super powers, be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, fly an invisible jet or even have a golden lasso, but they are heroes - heroes of kindness, mercy, compassion and love.

In November we celebrate All Saints Day and All Souls Day. We remember those who have gone before us, those who have answered God’s call and those who have taken up the challenge and become the very best version of themselves.

It is our challenge too! We ask God to help us to live the life that He has called us to live.

Father, may the inspiration and example of the saints help and challenge us as we go about our lives now and always. Amen.

We trust in God’s mercifulness and ask Him to welcome our loved ones home.

Merciful God hear our prayer and console us. Strengthen our hope that all our departed brothers and sisters will share in Christ’s resurrection and attain the joy of eternal happiness in your kingdom. Amen.

PARISH MASSES AND CELEBRATIONS

MISSION CHAMPIONS

At Assembly last Friday, we announced and acknowledged our 2024 Mission Champions. These students consistently show their love for God and others in the way they greet, speak to and treat everyone in the school community. They honour our Core Values (respect, dignity, love, justice, honesty, faith) and practise virtues like kindness, generosity, helpfulness and consideration. Their words and actions Make Jesus Real and reinforce that God is truly with us at Emmanuel.

SOCCERTOBER

The finals of our WALKING SOCCER Carnival were AMAZING! The sun was shining, the competition exciting, goals were kicked and teamwork on show. 4D and 4M played off in the final of the Year 3/4 competition and 6T and 6D in the Year 5/6 competition.  4M and 6D were crowned champions, and Mikito and William were named the carnival’s Best and Fairest.

A very big THANK YOU to all of our staff who refereed games and assisted with the setting up and packing up of tents and equipment. It really was a wonderful way to wrap up SOCCERTOBER. We are already looking forward to next year.

MASSES AND PRAYER CELEBRATIONS

Please find listed below upcoming Masses and prayer celebrations. Fr Andrew will be here to celebrate year level Masses at 9am on the dates indicated. Parents and families welcome.

Thursday 31 October              Year Four Mass

Thursday 7 November            Year Five Mass         

Tuesday 12 November           Year One Prayer Celebration

Wednesday 13 November     Year Two Prayer Celebration

Thursday 14 November          Year Six Mass

Tuesday 19 November           Year Three Prayer Celebration

Wednesday 20 November          Prep Prayer Celebration

CHILD SAFETY IN FOCUS

Last Friday our school community joined with the rest of Australia in acknowledging Day for Daniel.  It was great to see lots of students adding something red to their school uniform (t-shirt, socks, shoelaces, ribbons) and red balloons all over the school.  All classes revisited the key safety messages of the Daniel Morcombe Child Safety Curriculum: RECOGNISE, REACT, REPORT.

For more information about the Daniel Morcombe Foundation and ‘Day for Daniel’ go to: 

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 – UNDERSTANDING

“I am the thankful for the gift of understanding. It enlightens my viewpoint.” (Unknown)

Understanding is sympathetic and sensitive. It is being aware of other people's needs and feelings. When you understand you are tolerant, accepting and forgiving of yourself and others. Understanding gives us the power to care, to show compassion and to learn.

“If we could look into each other’s hearts, and understand the unique challenges each of us faces, I think we would treat each other much more gently, with more love, patience, tolerance and care.”  

(Marvin J Ashton)

Noeleen Kliese

Assistant Principal Religious Education

Curriculum Corner

Brooke Tomkinson

Acting Assistant Principal Curriculum

APA News

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:

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 by 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

SWIMMING CARNIVAL

Our annual swimming carnival was held last Thursday at the Pioneer Swim Centre. It was a wonderful venue and we were blessed with fantastic weather. All students participated with great sportsmanship, smiling faces and plenty of splashing. 

Our Year 2 students were invited to compete at their first swimming carnival, participating in a width race and novelty events, whilst our senior students were able to decide between swimming the competitive strokes in 25m or 50m races.

The results are as follows.

The Rasmussen Family Trophy awarded for House Spirit was won by Carroll House.

The Prime Rentals Trophy awarded for the most points accumulated for relays was won by Wallace House.

The Sister Joan McBride Champion House Trophy was presented to the House that accumulated the most points for spirit, participation, relays, width finals, length finals and the Open 100m Freestyle event. The final result for Champion House was as follows:

Castles House 315 points

Wallace House 313 points

McBride House 280 points

Carroll House 251 points

Congratulations to Castles House for winning a very close competition!

Congratulations to the 2024 Swimming Age Champions who are listed below:

Girls 8 years - Isabella 

Boys 8 years - Yuhas 

Girls 9 years - Audrina 

Boys 9 years - Jaxon 

Girls 10 years - Josephine 

Boys 10 years - Boston 

Girls 11 years - Lila 

Boys 11 years - William  and Max 

Girls 12 years - Joleigh 

Boys 12 years - Fraser 

At this year's swimming carnival we held an Open 100m Freestyle race which showcased the best of our swimming talent. We had 7 swimmers put their hand up to enter this race. Well done to Lila, Joleigh, Maggie, Luka, Luke, Rhys and Brax for participating in this event. The winners were awarded with a special trophy. Congratulations to the winners of this event.

Open 100m Freestyle Boys Champion - Rhys

Open 100m Freestyle Girls Champion - Joleigh

A day like this does not happen without a team of people. Thank you to Mrs Kliese and Mrs McDonald who did a lot of work on the day and behind the scenes. Thank you to the office staff who prepared the paper work in the weeks leading up to the carnival. Thank you to the staff of Emmanuel who supported each other in their roles to make the day run smoothly. Thank you to the tuckshop staff who rearranged their day to make beautiful lunches for the staff. Special thanks also to David Coburn, Chris Simonsen, Brad Simonsen and Lucas Clelland who answered the call for parent helpers and kindly gave up their morning to assist with the set up for the day. A final thank you to all the parents that came along to cheer on the students.

FUN AND GAMES AT THE BLUE WATER LAGOON

While the rest of the school was at the Pioneer Pool, our Prep and Year One classes participated in their own water adventure at the Blue Water Lagoon.  There were lots of smiles, laughter, splashing and fun! Students enjoyed playing in the water and on the grass. 

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A big THANK YOU to our FABULOUS staff and the parents who volunteered to assist with this exciting activity. We could not have done it without you.

Lisa Bottcher

HPE Teacher

CONGRATULATIONS LUKE

Luke P has recently represented Capricornia in state titles for athletics. Luke placed 5th in the 200m and 2nd in the 100m finals. He also placed 3^rd in the 4x100m relays. He will now represent Queensland in Nationals in November. Congratulations on your achievements Luke, and good luck for this next stage of athletics!

Around the School

YEAR SIX CAMP

Our Year Six students are on camp at Seaforth and Cape Hillsborough this week. All the details and photos will be shared in next week’s newsletter.

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.

2025 FAMILY DISCOUNT FORMS

The 2025 Family Discount/Confirmation of Enrolment form was sent home on Monday with the youngest student in each family.  (These forms are on Pink paper).

This document is required in order for families to receive their Family Discount in 2025. Please ensure you complete the form based on students year level and school in 2025. The form needs to be returned to the classroom teacher by Friday 15 November. It is a requirement that even single student families complete and return the form. If you have any queries, or do not receive your form, please contact Therese or Robyn in the Finance Office.

Please note: Some families may have received this form more then once, please only complete one form per family.

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.

Lost Property

Please see unnamed items currently located in the Lost Property box outside the office.

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: 

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