Newsletter - 30 January 2025

From our Principal

Dear Parents,

Welcome back everyone!  I hope that your time spent together as a family over the Christmas holidays was a very relaxing and enjoyable one for you all. The first day of school went very smoothly and I thank all parents for the ‘behind the scenes’ work and the expense that went into ‘readying’ the students for school.  So too, I thank our staff for their own thorough preparations to ensure a smooth start for one and all.  We have begun the new school year with 596 students which includes our new Prep students.   

In 2025 we see some new faces in the staff at Emmanuel:

• Mrs Ashleigh Atterton who joins Mrs Sue Dries in Year 1.  Ashleigh taught Prep for 2 years at St John’s School, Walkerston prior to the birth of her children.  Last year Ashleigh taught Prep at Mackillop Catholic Primary School.

• Mrs Hannah Deguara who joins Mrs Amanda Wilkes in Year 6.  Hannah is no stranger to Emmanuel having worked as a relief teacher at Emmanuel for the past several years. 

• Mrs Ali Gordon joins us as a Teacher Assistant in our Learning Support Team.  Ali has a wealth of experience in this role having worked for many years as a Teacher Assistant at Calen College.

• Mr Michael Tibaldi will be working 3 days per week in the role of Facilities Officer. He will be helping Mr Bill in his duties as Groundsman. Michael’s daughters attended Emmanuel and his grandchildren are currently enrolled in our school.

We wish our new staff all the best for the year ahead and look forward to supporting them in their role as educators. 

I would like to congratulate and thank all parents for your co-operation with parking and traffic procedures.  Thank you also to those parents who are using the laminated name cards in their vehicles which assists us in enabling ease of communication allowing for the smooth flow of traffic.  Pick up time is always a challenging time and it is important that everyone is patient when in the queue at the Stop, Drop and Go.  Modelling patience sets a great example for your children to follow.  A reminder to parents whose children access the Outside School Hours Care service of an afternoon that parking in the Staff Carpark at the back of the Administration Building and within the designated Administration Carpark at the front of the school is NOT PERMITTED.  Parking is provided within the Stop, Drop and Go area when collecting children in the afternoon or in the short term carpark outside Holy Spirit College. 

May 2025 be a year filled with many blessings and opportunities to realise the potential of our community – parents, staff and students.

Wishing you every blessing for the coming week.

Geraldine Rostirolla

Principal  

RE Matters

A NEW SCHOOL YEAR – A Reflection

I dreamt I stood in a studio and watched two sculptors there,
The clay they used was a young child's mind and they fashioned it with care.

One was a teacher; the tools she used were books and music and art;
The other a parent with a guiding hand and a gentle and loving heart.

Day after day the teacher toiled with a touch that was deft and sure
While the parent laboured by her side and polished and smoothed it o’er.

And when at last their task was done, they were proud of what they had wrought,
For the things they had moulded into the child, could neither be sold nor bought.

And each agreed they would have failed if each had worked alone,
For behind the parent stood the school and behind the teacher, the home.

(Author Unknown)

We acknowledge parents as the primary educators of their children and look forward to working in partnership with all of our families in 2025.

“You can do what I cannot do. I can do what you cannot do. Together we can do great things for God.”  (St Teresa of Calcutta - Mother Teresa)

OUR MISSION

This is our recontextualised Mission Statement. This simple child-friendly visual version is accessible and easy to understand by all members of our community. Teachers regularly unpack this statement and discuss what it looks like, sounds like and feels like at Emmanuel with their students.

MAKING JESUS REAL

MJR emphasises the spirituality of the everyday.

Every day is an MJR Day at Emmanuel!

This poster, which is displayed in all classrooms, reminds students of the simple things they can do every day to Make Jesus Real in our school and in their life at home.

Friday 14 February                 Year Six Leadership Induction Prayer Celebration

Friday 21 February                 Bishop’s Inservice Day (Pupil Free Day)

Sunday 23 February               Children's Mass (St Joseph’s Church - 9:00am)

Tuesday 25 February             Parish Sacramental Program - Parent Information Evening

Wednesday 5 March              Ash Wednesday

WOW WEDNESDAY - WIPE OUT WASTE

Help us answer God’s call to love others and to care for His beautiful world by supporting WOW Wednesdays. Each Wednesday we have a ‘nude food’ day – NO disposable packaging please. 

By packing lunch in containers that can be REUSED or RECYCLED we will REDUCE waste and help to save the planet. Plastics and other disposable packaging will be sent home in lunchboxes.

All families are encouraged to take up this challenge and help us to achieve our goal of ‘Bin Free’ Wednesdays.

Our first WOW Wednesday will be next week on Wednesday 5 February.

MINI VINNIES RECYCLING CHALLENGE

Our Mini Vinnies group challenges everyone to once again make a difference by recycling containers brought to school in lunchboxes and purchased at the tuckshop. By putting plastic bottles, Glee cans and popper boxes into the recycling bins near the tuckshop and in the P-2 eating area we can help others and the environment.

A big THANK YOU to the many students who have already started recycling these containers. 

JUBILEE 2025 – PILGRIMS OF HOPE

In the Catholic Church, a Jubilee or Holy Year is a special year of forgiveness and reconciliation, in which people are invited to come back into right relationship with God, with one another, and with all of creation.

A Jubilee Year is celebrated by the Church every 25 years. This has been the case since 1470, when Pope Paul II changed it from every 50 years. A Pope can also proclaim an Extraordinary Jubilee, like the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy held in the 2015/2016 Church Year.

The 2025 Jubilee Year began on Christmas Eve 2024 and concludes on 6 January 2026.

The theme ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ is an invitation to renew hope and discover a vision that can "restore access to the fruits of the earth to everyone."   It is also an invitation to rediscover a spirituality of God's creation in which we understand ourselves as "pilgrims on the earth" rather than masters of the world. (Pope Francis)

In this Jubilee Year, may we respond to God's call to turn to him, look for signs of hope in the world around us and work together for peace and justice.

The Jubilee Year will be opened in our diocese this Sunday 2 February.  This Mass will be live streamed from St Joseph’s Cathedral Rockhampton at 9:30am.

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 go to the Catholic Parish of North Mackay and Farleigh Facebook page.

VIRTUE OF THE FORTNIGHT - CO-OPERATION

Co-operation is working together for the good of everyone. It is a willingness to respect others and to follow rules which keep everyone safe and happy. Co-operation is being helpful to one another, sharing the load.  It is joining others in order to do something that cannot be done alone.

Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much. (Helen Keller)

Noeleen Kliese

Assistant Principal Religious Education

Curriculum Corner

We are thrilled to be back at school! It's wonderful to see our students settling into the routines of their classrooms. A huge THANK YOU to our amazing teachers who have worked tirelessly to ensure a smooth transition for the 2025 school year. Your creativity and dedication in making the classrooms welcoming are truly appreciated! 

A big thank you to the parent body for preparing your children so well for the return to school!  I would like to share with you one of the most important tools you can provide for a successful school year…READ

The proven benefits of Reading with your child are:

• Relationship Building: Reading is a relationship and it is the bond between children and parents that is enhanced through reading together. It only takes 20 mins a day to build this relationship.
• Children’s reading improves: Research is conclusive – when parents support teachers with their child’s reading habits, learning outcomes improve.
• Children read more: Students who read with their parents are better prepared for school.  They begin school with knowledge of book language and familiarity with concepts of print.
• Children’s self-esteem improves: knowing someone cares enough to take time out of a busy day to provide undivided attention around a book makes a significant difference to how students perceive themselves as learners and readers
• Reading unites families through shared stories: When a family reads together, stories from a common ground for communicating.  Stories bind families and help students make sense of where they fit in the world.

At Emmanuel, all classrooms begin the day with reading, this time is known as the “Read to Self” component. During this time children are encouraged to read a book for enjoyment to encourage all children to foster a love for reading. We have received feedback from many parents since introducing this routine that many students have developed or rekindled their love of reading. Research shows that regular reading routines such as this at home and school turn children from being able to read into “avid readers”.

If you would like further information about supporting your child’s reading at home please contact me via the front office.

INFORMATION & TECHNOLOGY FORM (ICT)

The information below pertains to the ICT Code of Practice forms for Students in Early Learning (Years P-2) and Students in Years 3-6. It is important to read through ICT attachments (in the link buttons below) and 'accept' via Parent Lounge or Parent Orbit App (see 'how to' guide's in the link buttons below) by Friday 14/02/25. Accepting the ICT Code of Practice will allow the use of ICT within school.

NAPLAN - SAVE THE DATE

Brooke Tomkinson

Acting Assistant Principal Curriculum

APA News

STUDENT PROTECTION - SCHOOL CONTACTS

At Emmanuel any concerns or reasonable suspicions about a student’s safety and wellbeing or the behaviour of a staff member or volunteer which a student considers to be inappropriate, will continue to be managed in accordance with Rockhampton Catholic Education Student Protection Processes. The Student Protection Contacts at Emmanuel are:​

Geraldine Rostirolla (Principal)

Amanda McDonald (Deputy Principal)

Noeleen Kliese (APRE)

Hayley Francis (School Counsellor)

Alexandra Martin (OSHC Co-Ordinator)

Further information about Rockhampton Catholic Education's commitment to Student Protection is available here:  website: https://www.rok.catholic.edu.au/our-schools/student-protection/

STUDENT PROTECTION – USE OF TOILETS

At Emmanuel, we are committed to the safety of all students in our care.  It is imperative that students understand the importance of using the toilet facilities at school in an appropriate manner. Classroom teachers regularly remind students of these behaviour expectations, and use the poster below (located in all school toilets) to ensure all students understand these important messages.  We ask that you discuss these expectations at home with your children, so that we are all doing our part to keep children safe at school.

DESIGNATED TOILETS FOR PARENTS

At Emmanuel we have lots of volunteers, parents and contractors visiting our school each week. Therefore, it is important that we provide toilet facilities for their use. From a student protection perspective, we ask that parents do not use the student toilets. There are two toilets designated for the use of all parents, toddlers and visitors.  These are the disabled toilets which are located at the back of the Library and beside F Block (Year 6 Classrooms and OSHC room) and at the end of R Block (Year 1 Classrooms).  There is a yellow sign on the doors of these toilets advising parents that they are welcome to use this facility.  Hope this helps you to not be ‘caught short’!

STOP DROP GO ZONE

CAR TAGS

Car tags are to be placed on your FRONT LEFT SUNVISOR when moving through the STOP DROP GO. This assists us in enabling ease of communication allowing for the smooth flow of traffic.

If you have misplaced your family car tag, please contact the office on 4994 8255 for a replacement.

All new families will receive a car tag within the next week.

ANAPHYLAXIS AWARENESS

Parents should be aware that there are a number of students at the school who are anaphylactic. Anaphylaxis is a severe and sudden allergic reaction. It occurs when a person is exposed to an allergen to which they are sensitive.

There are many potential allergens that can result in an anaphylactic attack, however the most common (and most publicised) are nuts and eggs.

Schools have a duty of care to take reasonable steps to keep students safe at school. With regard to anaphylaxis procedures, our school ensures we meet our duty of care by:

* Training staff in the signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis and how to respond in the event of an anaphylactic attack.

* Ensuring a general use Epipen is available for use by first time anaphylactic sufferers.

* Ensuring Individual Action Plans and individual Epipens are available in an emergency, when they have been provided by parents.

* Communicating known allergens to camp staff if anaphylactic students are attending camp.

* Encouraging parents of relevant year levels not to bring known allergens if a severe anaphylactic is present in that year level.

* Encouraging all parents not to send food containing the most common allergens.

The school cannot and does not claim to be nut or egg free. It is not advised schools do this, because a school has no day to day control over what food is placed in lunch boxes in the home and is not in a position to be checking lunch boxes during the school day and determining what the ingredients of all items in the lunch box are. 

However, we do request that parents avoid sending products that contain nuts or eggs to school.

Exposure to allergens is impossible to manage in public places (such as a school); the most effective risk management procedures with regard to anaphylaxis are:

* Parents of anaphylactic children educating their child so that, as they become more independent they are more likely to identify their own signs and symptoms of an anaphylactic emergency and raise the alarm.

* Parents of anaphylactic children educating their child about their allergies and how to minimize the risk of exposure (such as not sharing food or utensils if allergic to food, or precautions outdoors if allergic to insects).

PARENTS OF ANAPHYLACTIC STUDENTS

 It is also requested that parents of anaphylactic children:

* Notify the school of the student’s allergies and risk of anaphylaxis and provide appropriate medical information.

* Ensure that the school is notified of changes to the student’s medical condition or medication order.

* Ensure the student has an anaphylaxis emergency kit which includes their Action Plan completed by the student’s doctor and the student’s personal adrenaline auto-injector.

* Monitor the expiry date of the student’s adrenaline auto-injector and replace if used and before it reaches its expiry date.

Your support with such procedures is truly appreciated and will greatly enhance the creation of a safe learning environment for the increasing number of children who are enrolled with life threatening allergies. 

BIRTHDAYS AND TREATS AT SCHOOL

Here at Emmanuel, we like to acknowledge children’s birthdays at school. Teachers do this by providing a birthday sticker for students and the class sings “Happy Birthday.”  Birthdays are also acknowledged every second Friday at our whole-school Assembly. When it comes to providing birthday treats from home, we need to be mindful of the amount of sugar children are consuming, as well as food allergies and intolerances. If parents wish to acknowledge a birthday at school, they are asked to provide only healthy food options such as fruit platters (eg: pieces of watermelon). Cakes laden with icing/lollies, bags of lollies and ice-blocks are discouraged at school and should be reserved for birthday parties. Unfortunately we do not have the freezer space to store ice-blocks. 

Parents are also asked to NOT send whole class treats (such as chocolates/marshmallows/candy canes) for events such as Easter, Christmas, End of Year. This practise puts teachers in a difficult position when students are unable to partake of treats due to food allergies. You can also appreciate that some parents are not happy for their child to consume unknown food-stuffs, and for this reason parents are asked to be mindful and respect the decision which has been made by the school for the safety and well-being of all students.

THANK YOU – HAIR, JEWELLERY AND UNIFORM EXPECTATIONS

A big thank you to the vast majority of parents who have ensured that students have returned to school in the correct uniform. Please find below the school’s expectations in regards to hairstyles and jewellery. Since returning from holidays there are some students who are in breach of these guidelines. We ask that you read carefully and ensure that students meet expectations by FRIDAY 7 FEBRUARY.

HAIR GUIDELINES

HAIRSTYLES ARE TO BE APPROPRIATE FOR A PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENT

Students attending Emmanuel are expected to wear their uniform in a way which reflects pride in their school and in their own personal appearance.  Accordingly,

• Hairstyles should be appropriate to this expectation – extreme hairstyles are not acceptable.

• Hair should be clean, brushed and generally neat – not unruly.

NOT PERMITTED:

• Variations to hair colour
• Cut less than gauge three
• Hair longer than collar length and fringe past the forehead is to be tied back
• Spiked cuts
• Wedge cuts
• Track cuts
• Multiple braiding
• Rat’s Tail
• Mullet Cuts

• If hair bands or scrunchies are to be worn, they are to be gold or blue of the school colours.  No decorative hair bands are to be worn.

IF PARENTS ARE UNSURE OF SCHOOL UNIFORM OR HAIR STYLE REQUIREMENTS, PLEASE CONTACT THE SCHOOL OFFICE FOR CLARIFICATION OR REFER TO OUR WEBSITE FOR UNIFORM GUIDELINES.

JEWELLERY GUIDELINES

As per the Uniform List:

- Girls are permitted to wear only small sleepers or studs in the lobe of the ear – one pair only. NO drop

  earrings are to be worn, in accordance with Workplace, Health & Safety. 

- Boys are not permitted to wear earrings.

- A small cross and chain around the neck is permitted, preferably long enough to be worn inside the uniform

  for safety purposes. 

- Rings are not permitted under any circumstances.

- Fitbit / smart watches may be worn, however, communication / messaging functions MUST be disabled.

ABSENCE FROM SCHOOL

If a child is absent from school, it is imperative that the school is notified. There are several ways to notify the school of your child's absence:

* Mark absence through 'Parent Orbit' App (preferred method)

* Absentee Hotline Ph: 4994 8256 (This is a direct line and is available 24 hours a day)

* Phone School Office: 4994 8255

It is very important that parents notify the school BEFORE 9.00am each day if their child is absent. If notification is not received, a text message alerting parents that their child has been marked absent will be sent. All students arriving late, or leaving early, are required to be signed in/out of the office by a parent or guardian.

PARENT HANDBOOKS/PARENT LOUNGE

New families to the school will receive a copy of the Parent Handbook towards the end of next week. A copy of the handbook will also be available on Parent Lounge/ Parent Orbit. Please contact the office on 4994 8255 if you have not received Parent Lounge (Parent Orbit) log in details.

STUDENT LEADERS 2025

Congratulations to the following students who have been elected to student leadership positions for the 2025 school year:

School Captains:                          Josephine B and Austin J

McBride House Captains:            Sophia W and Max C

Wallace House Captains:             Claudia D and Liam D

Castles House Captains:             Neila Z and Jonty W

Carroll House Captains:               Alexandra C and Luke P

Congratulations to the following students who have been elected by their peers as Student Representatives for Term One.

6M: Reid B and Milla R

6D: Declan W and Luka H    

6WD: Maggie D and Xavier D    

Badges will be presented at the Leadership Induction Ceremony on Friday 14/02/25 at 9:00am.

WELCOME BACK ASSEMBLY

Amanda McDonald

Assistant Principal Administration

Playground Areas - After School

At the closure of the school day, all students are required to move immediately to the Pickup Zone. Students who are going to After School Care or walking /riding home are required to be on their way as soon as they are released from class. 

The Pickup Zone is supervised by teachers. Other areas of the school are not supervised after school. Our school’s Prep Adventure Playground is out of bounds before and after school. Any play areas within the school must be supervised by staff members.

We ask parents to ensure that their children are not on this equipment before and/or after school. Our school rules must be adhered to by all students at all times. Students should not be running around or playing after school whilst waiting for parents. Parents who collect their child after school and remain on school grounds are reminded that their children are under their supervision during this time. We ask all parents to please adhere to these rules and thank you for your understanding and co-operation.

Strategic Priorities 2025

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 ‘ALL TOPICS’ tab via the link below or on our school website.

Sporting News

MDSS SPORTS SELECTION

Welcome back to another year of sport! Term 1 and 2 are the busiest terms for students interested in representative school sports. For some sports this year such as Netball, Rugby League, Football and Athletics, Northern Suburbs will be hold a sub district trial. For other sports this year, MDSS requires students to be assessed and nominated at a school level straight to Mackay trials without a sub district trial beforehand.  

For MDSS trials, students who attend must have experience in their chosen sport. Unfortunately, we are unable to send all interested students to trial due to restrictions set by Northern Suburbs and MDSS. Some sports will require a school trial to select students if the interest in the sport is high.

Most representative sports offered to primary school students are open to 10 - 12 years. Please be aware that a child who is currently 9 but turning 10 in 2025 is eligible to attend representative trials.

Please see below the Emmanuel process for selection to attend MDSS and Northern Suburbs trials. We follow this process for all sports so that it is fair for all students:

1. Emmanuel receives an email from Mackay District School Sports notifying us of an upcoming trial.
2. A meeting is called for interested students. The meeting is advertised to parents via Parent Orbit and the school newsletter. The meeting is advertised to the students via the School communication document, the Morning Bulletin. 
3. The Morning Bulletin is read out by the classroom teacher each day so students are aware of any upcoming meetings.
4. Once all Year 3 – 6 students have arrived in the eating area at Morning Tea, Mrs Bottcher blows a whistle to announce that the meeting is about to commence. 
5. At the meeting, names of interested students are recorded and students are asked to advise of their experience in the sport.
6. If attendance at the meeting is high, a date for a school trial is set.
7. The school trial is advertised to parents through the Parent Orbit App and school newsletter. The school trial is advertised to students via the Morning Bulletin.
8. The school trial is attended by a minimum of 3 Emmanuel staff.
9. Successful students receive paperwork at the conclusion of the trial which is taken home to be filled out and then returned to school with levy payment by the due date.
10. The paperwork is then signed by relevant school staff and returned to the student who then needs to take the paperwork to trial.

If you have a child who is a keen sportsperson and might be interested in participating in interschool sport or attending an MDSS trial this year please ensure you have downloaded Parent Orbit and have enabled notifications. 

Please also ensure your child understands it is THEIR responsibility to listen to the Morning Bulletin / lunchtime messages and attend meetings / trials as directed.  It is not up to school staff to provide multiple opportunities / chances for students to express their interest in a sport trial.

If your child is absent for a sports meeting you can register your child’s interest by contacting Mrs Bottcher (lisa_bottcher@rok.catholic.edu.au). If your child is absent from a school trial for genuine reasons, you are required to submit an application for sports selection form which is found in the forms and documents section of this newsletter and also available on parent lounge.

MACKAY DISTRICT SCHOOL SPORTS - FORMS AVAILABLE FOR COLLECTION

The following Mackay District Sport forms are available for collection from Mrs Bottcher who will be in the Tuckshop area at Morning Tea. Nominations are due back to the SPORTS BOX in the LIBRARY by the due date with the levy payment.

* MDSS 10-19 yrs Boys and Girls SQUASH TRIALS (Due Monday 10 February)

*MDSS 10-12 yrs Boys and Girls AFL TRIALS (Due Monday 10 February)

Students who wish to nominate should be clearly competent and have played a reasonable amount of the sport

CAPRICORNIA SWIMMING NOMINATIONS

Parents of competitive swimmers at Emmanuel please be aware of the procedures for Capricornia 10-12yrs Swimming Team nominations which are due early in 2025.

• The regional team will be selected from times submitted.
• Regional selections will be based on times recorded at a QSA sanctioned long course meet in a 50m pool during the current season (as of Sept. 2024 - Current 2025) ONLY.
• There will be regional qualifying standards applied for nominations.
• Individuals will be requested to send ALL NOMINATIONS to the Capricornia School Sport Office for purposes of regional selection.
• To avoid confusion and misplacing of nomination forms, Regional Nomination Forms will be available through SCHOOLS, CAPRICORNIA SCHOOL SPORT OFFICE and WEBSITE www.capsport.eq.edu.au
• Swimmers may nominate their best times for selection in the following events from a QSA sanctioned event ONLY (this does not include Club Night participation):
• 50-metre events (all strokes / all age groups – i.e. 10, 11 & 12 years – born 2015, 2014, 2013)
• 100 metre events (all strokes / all age groups)
• 200 metre Individual Medley (all age groups)
• 200 metre events (all strokes / 10-12yrs age group)
• 400 metre Individual Medley (10-12yrs age group)
• 400 metre Freestyle (10-12yrs age group)
• ALL nomination forms must have attached a printout copy from either Swimming Australia’s ‘Results Central’ or ‘Swim Central’ ONLY, highlighting the child’s name, Long Course verified event and the nominated event/s times from 1st Sept. 2024.
• Each nomination MUST have the “Principal Approval Form” attached filled out and submitted along with the Nomination Form to be considered for selection.
• Ages are calculated on Year of Birth - Maximum age is 12 years (Born 2013)
• Confirmation of receiving your nomination will be emailed to the address indicated.
• NOMINATIONS ARE DUE TO CAPRICORNIA SCHOOL SPORT BY- Wednesday 12th FEBRUARY 2025.
• Complete Online Registration & Cap Trial $13.00 Levy Payment by Wednesday 23th February 2025.

ALL students wishing to nominate will be required to register and pay the Capricornia Trial ($13.00 Inc GST) non-refundable Levy ONLINE prior to being considered for selection. Capricornia Trial levies can be paid online at https://rssshop.education.qld.gov.au/ Please select the Capricornia Region and Regional (10-12yrs Swimming) Trials to register and make payment.

Lisa Bottcher

HPE Teacher

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

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

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