Newsletter - 01 May 2025

From our Principal

Dear Parents,

Raising children can often be a struggle. No one has the perfect answers on how best to raise their children. However, despite this, there are many families who successfully manage to share and instil in their children gospel values and high academic standards.

We all struggle with time – time is a lot like money – you can choose to spend it, or you can choose to invest it. If you routinely come home, turn on the television, sit in front of it as you eat dinner, and then watch it until you go to bed – then you’ve spent your time, but you won’t have much to show for it.

On the other hand, when you sit with your child as they do homework, encourage him or her when they play sport, make time to take your child to dancing, drama, for a walk or to the library – then you are investing your time. The time you have invested will pay dividends and both you and your family will be rewarded for it. The busiest of people, don’t spend their time – they invest it.

Successful parents seem to be able to make judgements intuitively.  The only way to make such calls is to see past the moment and determine what is for the best in the long term.

If for example, your child comes home upset because the teacher has given a consequence for not having done homework, or a classroom misdemeanour etc. - your immediate reaction may want to be to comfort your child – certainly most of us do.  “It’s ok.  the teacher is not being fair – and I’ll go and see him or her tomorrow and straighten things out.”  How will this type of reaction set your child up for the future – past this moment?

Successful parents guide their children through challenging experiences – but they don’t fully insulate their children from them.  It is only through encountering these challenges that children grow in confidence and independence.

Staff at Emmanuel are also great role models for our children.  So often you will see staff working with children in their own time.  Cross-country, Rugby League, Hockey, Netball, Soccer, Choir, supervision duties, additional professional development to name a few.  It’s not that they have spare time – it’s that they want to invest their time into our students.

Similarly, when they hold children to account for their choices – they do so because this sets them up for the future.  How easy it would be to ignore poor performance or behaviour.  The staff here don’t ignore such things - simply because they want the best for their students.

Have a wonderful week with your children – enjoy them for who they are.

Geraldine Rostirolla

Principal  

COLOUR FUN RUN

Tomorrow, we will be having our Colour Fun Run. To participate in the Fun Run students must be registered. Please go to the website:  www.myprofilepage.com.au to ensure your child is registered.

Important Parent Information:

An area near our STOP DROP GO will be flagged for spectators. Please ensure you remain within this area for the safety of all concerned. 

Please note: This is school event for our students only - younger siblings and parents should not be on the circuit at any time.

- bring a chair/picnic rug and umbrella and come to watch everyone get colourful

- you are welcome to take your child/ren home after they have run. Please sign your child/ren out with their classroom teacher before departing

Below is a guide for the running of the day. Please remember, this is a guide only!

11:30am        Year 6

11:50am        Year 5

12:10pm        Year 4

12:30pm        Year 3

1:00pm           Lunch – whole school only eating, no play

1:20pm           Slime the Teacher (whole school watching – no play)

1:45pm          Year 2

2:05pm          Year 1

2:20pm          Prep

We are looking forward to a great day.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the school office.

RE Matters

MONTH OF MARY - PRAY THE ROSARY THIS MAY

May has always been a special month in my life. During May we celebrate our mums and our heavenly mother, Mary. As a child it was a time for our family to gather with other families in the neighbourhood to pray The Rosary. As an adult and a mother myself, it is a time to appreciate my mum and give thanks for the gift of motherhood.

‘The month of May is approaching, a time when the People of God express with particular intensity their love and devotion for the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is traditional in this month to pray the Rosary at home within the family.’ (Pope Francis)

This May all classes will be learning about Mary and praying various Marian prayers. I encourage you to do the same.

CELEBRATING OUR MUMS

Each May our school community comes together to thank God for the gift of mothers. This year we will be celebrating with a school Mass at St Joseph’s Church on Friday 9 May at 9:15am.

All mothers and grandmothers are invited to join us at the church and to bring morning tea to school to share with their children afterwards. We expect to be back from Mass by around 10:30am for the usual morning tea break. The picnic will take place in the playground between the library and Year Two/Prep building. Please bring a chair or rug to sit on. Looking forward to sharing this time with as many mothers as possible.

SACRAMENTAL PROGRAM

Students enrolled in the parish Sacramental Program will be confirmed by Bishop Michael McCarthy and receive Eucharist for the first time in June. Please continue to pray for all of these students and their families.

MASS FOR THE REPOSE OF THE SOUL OF POPE FRANCIS

In communion with the Universal Church, Masses during the week following the Funeral of Pope Francis will be offered for the repose of his soul. A Solemn Mass will be held at St Joseph’s Church, North Mackay. on Saturday 3 May at 9.00am. All welcome.

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 - JOYFULNESS

Joy is not in things ….. it is in us. (Richard Wagner)

Joyfulness is an inner sense of peace and happiness that fills us with delight and hope. It allows us to enjoy simple pleasures and to appreciate the gifts that each day brings. Joy can carry us through the hard times, even when we are feeling very sad.  Joy gives us wings.

“Joy is the sound of love, the colour of gratitude and the song of hope.”  (Mary Davis)

Noeleen Kliese

Assistant Principal Religious Education

Curriculum Corner

SHOWCASING WRITING

What an incredible opportunity it was to join 2J for an engaging writing lesson! Together, we dived into the enchanting world of secret rock pools through a wonderful story. The students showcased their creativity by listing animals found in these habitats, using vivid adjectives to bring their descriptions to life. Their rock pool creations were imaginative and full of colour.  Well done, 2J!

YEAR THREE - DESCRIPTIVE PIECES

This week, students in 3C had a blast putting their imaginations to work! They came up with their own sixth character for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, writing amazing descriptive pieces to bring them to life. Then came the fun part—using an AI feature to turn their written ideas into pictures of their characters! The results were absolutely fantastic, showing off just how creative and clever our students are. Well done, everyone!

Brooke Tomkinson

Acting Assistant Principal Curriculum

APA News

ANZAC DAY MARCH

On Friday, a large group of students and teachers participated in the Mackay ANZAC Day Parade. Our School Captains laid a wreath at the service that followed the parade. Thank you to all who marched and to those who supported our participation. 

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UNIFORM IN COLD WEATHER 

With the cooler weather upon us, a reminder that the Emmanuel School jumper is to be worn. The Uniform Shop has second hand jumpers for sale if you wish to purchase this item of clothing. Our Uniform Shop is open on Tuesday and Thursday, 2:30pm – 3:00pm.

LUKE KENNEDY GUEST SPEAKER

On Monday, our Year 4 and 5 students had the privilege of listening to a presentation led by Luke Kennedy. Luke is a motivational speaker who shares his remarkable story of turning his life around through an unwavering commitment to personal growth and taking full ownership of how he showed up - both for himself and others. The students were fully engaged and on the edge of their seats listening to the life story of Luke, and how he overcame adversity to become the best version of himself today.

At the end of the presentation, Luke asked the students to share the main things they picked up from his presentation. Here is what some of them had to say:

• I learnt to believe in myself and to always be myself  (Tylah)
• Don't just do what your friends think is cool (Lachlan)
• Mistakes are good - we learn from them (Manny)
• Don't put a mask on when you're around your friends - be yourself (Nate)
• Ask for help when you need it and keep going when life gets tough (Phoebe)
• I feel less anxious after hearing Luke's messages and hearing him talk (Logan)

We look forward to Luke returning one day in the near future to speak with more of our students about his important messages.

STUDENT COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES

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

6M: Lila T and Chad H

6D: Grace M and Cruz T

6WD: Siale H and Jaxon S

Student Council Badges will be awarded at Assembly, Friday 2 May.

SAVE THE DATE

SCHOOL PHOTOS

Tuesday 3 June and Wednesday 4 June

More information on how to order School Photos are to be advised

Amanda McDonald

Assistant Principal Administration

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

WHITSUNDAY SCHOOL FUTSAL TITLES

Emmanuel entered 5 teams into the Whitsunday School Futsal Titles which was held on Monday and Tuesday at the Mackay Basketball Stadium. It was a fantastic two days of competition and a privilege to witness the Futsal talent within our school community. On Day One of competition, our 9 Boys made it to the grand final against Chelona. It was an exciting game which ended in a draw and needed to go into extra time. Unfortunately, Chelona scored the golden goal and our 9 Boys were crowned as Runner's Up. One of our 10 Boys team made it to the Grand Final against St Francis and were victorious. On Day 2, both of our teams put in an enormous effort playing all day without subs. Our 11 Boys finished on top of the ladder and made it to the grand final against St Joseph's. Unfortunately, the team lost a player through injury but the boys played on courageously. Unfortunately, the boys went down in the final and were crowned as Runner's Up. A huge thank you to Mrs Harmer, Mr Kennedy, Mrs Rodgers and Mrs Francis for managing and coaching teams. Thank you to parents for rearranging your day to ensure your children were there ready to play. Days like this do not happen without your generous support! Well done to all our Futsal players, Emmanuel are so proud of you!

JOHN PAAP RUGBY LEAGUE - KICKING OFF THE SEASON

Our John Paap rugby league team had their first game of the school boy season yesterday, taking on Mackay West. While the boys didn’t come away with the win, their incredible sportsmanship and competitive spirit made us all so proud. It was fantastic to see their determination and teamwork on display, and we’re excited to see what they achieve as the season unfolds.

A huge thank you to Mr. Charles and Mr. Dempsey for their outstanding coaching and support—they’re helping our boys grow both on and off the field. Go team!

Lisa Bottcher

HPE Teacher

Congratulations to Hudson who placed third in the recent Mackay Cross Country trials. Hudson has now been invited to be part of the Mackay Cross Country team who will travel to Rockhampton to compete at the Capricornia Cross Country trials. Amazing Hudson!

P & F News

Our P&F Association will be running a Mother’s Day Stall on Thursday 8 May. 

There will be a variety of gifts available, and they will range in price from $3 to $10 (one gift per child). 

It should be lots of fun! The students always love shopping at the stall for their mums.

Why not give your child/ren a job so they can earn the money to buy a gift?

School Choir

Finance

TERM 2 SCHOOL FEE STATEMENTS

Term 2 Parent Accounts were emailed to all families on Monday 28 April, with payment due Monday 11 May.

If you are making fee payments by Internet Banking, please ensure you use the six-digit Parent Code that appears on the top right hand corner of your Statement as your reference. Please contact the Finance Office if you have not received your statement, or if you wish to discuss making payments via a regular Direct Debit Authority.

Do you hold a current ‘means tested’ Government Health Care or Pensioner Concession Card? Parents/Carers with an eligible means tested Australian Government Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card can receive a 40% discount on the All-inclusive Education fee of all eligible students from the family (after any family discount has been applied). 

SCHOOL FEES EXPLAINED - FLYER

Please find attached a “School Fees Explained” flyer, developed to inform our Catholic Education families of the Federal Government SRS Funding model (Gonski model) and the impact on School Fees for Catholic Schools. The flyer outlines the direct nexus between the Federal Government means-tested Capacity to Contribute of each School community, and School Fees.

Bookfair 2025

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

Community News

Help shape active transport in the Mackay region for the next 10 years

Mackay Regional Council invites you to share your thoughts on active transport in the Mackay region

Take the 10-minute Mackay Active Transport and Micromobility Plan survey to help council gain valuable input about how best to improve walking and riding infrastructure across the region.

Community feedback will help shape the future of our pathways, cycleways, road crossings and connections to key destinations.

Whether you walk, ride a bike or ride a scooter, or are simply interested in safer and more accessible transport options, council would like to hear from you.

Active transport includes walking, riding and rolling on any device that requires human power for movement. Micromobility devices are lightweight, electric powered transport services, such as e-scooters and mobility scooters.

Take the survey now, visit  www.connectingmackay.com.au/active-transport

Survey closes on Sunday, April 27 at 11.59pm.