Newsletter - 23 October 2025
From our Principal
Dear Parents,
Does anyone still watch the news on television? You would probably be better off if you didn’t; then you would be free from the daily recounting of catastrophe, from the cruelty and barbarism of war, from the bashings and robberies, from the impression that, individually, people don’t matter.
The following thoughts may cheer you up.
“You are a work of magnificence. You are a treasure. And you are called to do the work of God. Make the most of your go at life, because you are very rare.
“You are a single sunset; God dancing in the world. You are a poem, a sheer delight. You are a song; God is singing—now; not getting ready. All the way to heaven is heaven; not for later, but now.
“My life is God’s gift to me; God’s work. What I do with my life is my work, my gift to God. It can be a beautiful gift, a beautiful life. Whatever it is like, whatever I am called to be.
“Courage. You are called to be as game as Ned Kelly. As game as Caroline Chisholm. Follow the leader. God. Thy Kingdom come on earth, as it is in heaven. Sometimes dreary but always, always alive.” (From “Someone Keeps Sending Me Flowers”)
Graham English, the author of those words, should be the newsreader each night! He could show video clips of how important people are, and, how they can reflect God to one another by the good choices that are available for them to make. Unless you believe in reincarnation, you do have only one go at life. So what you do now had better be good. It’s the only chance you get.
George Bernard Shaw made this eloquent statement:
“I want to be thoroughly used up by the time I die, for the harder I work the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no ‘brief candle’ to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.”
So, how are you going with your life and how optimistic are your children about theirs?
“God you are here, part of my one go at life. You are calling me. Most of all you listen to me. Help me to listen. Teach me to hear. And give me courage. Amen.”
Wishing you every blessing for the coming week,
Geraldine Rostirolla
Principal
FAMILIES LEAVING
At this time of the year, plans are being made for 2026 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.
TERM FOUR SCHOOL FEE STATEMENTS
Term Four Parent Accounts were emailed to all families on 13 October and payments are due 27 October.
As we are nearing the end of the Year, those families who have a Direct Debit Authority in place and would like to review arrangements for 2026, are asked to contact our finance team, enm_finance@rok.atholic.edu.au.
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).
2026 SCHEDULE OF FEES
The 2026 Fee schedule is now available in the link below:
DAY FOR DANIEL - WEAR RED
On Friday 31 October 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.
Students in all year levels will also participate in Australia’s Biggest Child Safety Lesson on this day.
For more information about the Daniel Morcombe Foundation and ‘Day for Daniel’ go to: http://www.danielmorcombe.com.au/
RE Matters
ENOUGH – A REFLECTION
MONTH OF THE ROSARY
During October we are encouraged to pray The Rosary and to reflect on the mysteries of our faith which it memorialises. Please join us in praying this beautiful prayer for peace in our homes, school, community and world.
“There is no problem, I tell you, no matter how difficult it is, that we cannot resolve by the praying of The Holy Rosary.” (Sister Lucia of Fatima)
To find out more about The Rosary and how to pray it, go to Catholic Online:
http://www.catholic.org/prayers/rosary.php
ROSARY ART
It’s October and we are celebrating the Month of The Rosary with a new and exciting Rosary Art competition.
All students and staff are invited to submit an entry in one of the following categories:
- Colour an image of Mary (available from the office and classroom teachers)
- Design your own image of Mary
- Illustrate one of the Mysteries of The Rosary
Prizes will be awarded in each category.
Images and illustrations should be created on A4 paper/card.
Entries must be submitted to Mrs Kliese by tomorrow, Friday 24 October.
All entries should have a completed entry form glued on the back.
Some fabulous entries have already been received. What a beautiful way to pray!
OCTOBER - WORLD MISSION MONTH
This month we are once again celebrating SOCCERTOBER.
It is always a fun way to raise awareness and funds for the missions, walk in solidarity with our brothers and sisters around the world who are experiencing poverty, develop positive attitudes, and practise the virtues of GRATITUDE, GENEROSITY, LOVE, CONSIDERATION and so much more.
SOCCERTOBER is an opportunity for us to focus our attention on those less fortunate than ourselves and to be grateful for all that we have. Students in all classes have been exploring Catholic Social Teaching and participating in activities that promote JUSTICE, PRAYER and ACTION.
Tickets in our SOCCERTOBER Raffle are on sale now. Tickets are 50 cents each or 3 for $1.00. The winner will win a soccer ball for themselves and a soccer ball for their class. The raffle will be drawn at the end of the month.
Next Week’s Mission Markets will be ‘EVEN MORE SOCCER STUFF’ – badges, keyrings, arm bands, scrunchies, hairclips, rings, mini soccer balls…. (priced 50cents, $1.00, $2.00). Available outside the Prep G classroom from 8:10am on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and from the library at lunchtime on the same days. Please encourage your child/ren to do some jobs at home to earn their participation. All monies raised will be forwarded to the Missions. Together we can make a difference.
Our exciting WALKING SOCCER competition kicked off last Friday. The Year Three and Year Four classes played their preliminary rounds and had lots of fun. It was wonderful to see two classes playing two games of soccer against each other, with two soccer balls, at the same time, on the same field. They encouraged each other and practised fabulous teamwork. Some found it difficult to walk, when their instinct was to run, but that is Walking Soccer. Our Year Five and Year Six classes will play tomorrow. The grand finals will take place next Friday. The classes who will be playing in the finals and competing for the trophy and bragging rights will be announced in our next newsletter.
P-2 students will also enjoy some SOCCERTOBER fun and games on Friday 31 October. They may not be playing Walking Soccer, but they will be MAKING A CLASS ‘SOCCER BALL’ AND KICKING GOALS. What will they make it from? How will they make it? What will happen when they kick it? Will they kick lots of goals? We look forward to finding out. Let the challenge and fun begin!
At Assembly on Friday 31 October, we will announce our 2025 MISSION CHAMPIONS.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE – TRIVIA AND RICE
Why not have some family fun @ freerice.org this World Mission Month? This online challenge that rewards correct answers with ‘free rice’ is an initiative of the United Nations World Food Programme. It is a great way to enjoy some friendly competition, practise your skills/increase your knowledge and help to feed the hungry in our world at the same time. There are various categories and levels of difficulty. It is worth the effort, for you and for others.
7000 grains of rice = 1 cup of rice
How many cups of rice can your family collect this October?
CHRISTMAS RAFFLE
Our annual parish Christmas Raffle is back in 2025! With $15 000 in Cash Prizes, tickets are great value at $5.00 each. The raffle will be drawn on Friday 19 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 go to the Catholic Parish 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 our blessings and 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.
What does the Church teach us about Gratitude?
Gratitude helps us recognise the value of every person. When we say, "thank you," we show that we appreciate the efforts and kindness of others. (Human Dignity)
When we are grateful, we share what we have and work together to make the world a better place for everyone. (The Common Good)
Gratitude helps us take care of God’s creation. We thank God for the beauty of nature by protecting the environment and using resources wisely. (Stewardship of Creation)
"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever." (Psalm 118:1)
Noeleen Kliese
Assistant Principal Religious Education
Curriculum Corner
OPTI-MINDS - UNASHAMEDLY EXCELLENT!
Congratulations to our team (Dexter, Miabella, Charlotte, Connor) who participated in the State Finals over the weekend. They were awarded Honours and Spirit of Opti-Minds for their long term/spontaneous challenges and won their division’s Ideas Market. We are so proud of you. You worked hard and as a team, shared your talents and creativity and delighted in your efforts.
A big THANK YOU to Mrs Schembri who supported our team in Brisbane and to Miss Jeffcoat, Mrs Clark and Mrs Shepherd who also prepared and facilitated the team in the lead up to the regional and state challenge days.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT DAY - FIRDAY 21 NOVEMBER
We’re excited to share that Emmanuel Catholic Primary School will be hosting a Community Engagement Day on Friday, 21st November, and we would love to invite you to be part of it. The purpose of this day is to connect our students with the diverse and vibrant community groups that form our Emmanuel Community. We’re looking to bring in professionals and organisations from outside the school to share in a day of culture, art and movement! If you would be interested in collaborating with us on the day, we’d be delighted to hear from you. Please note that this would be a paid engagement, in recognition of your time and contribution.
If interested, please email Brooke_Tomkinson@rok.catholic.edu.au
If you wish to utilise this year's Book pack service, you can order online via the link below:
Book pack orders placed by Tuesday 28 October, will be available for collection from school Monday 01 December 2:30pm-3:30pm and Tuesday 02 December 8:00am-9:00am and 2:30pm-3:30pm.
Brooke Tomkinson
Assistant Principal Curriculum (Acting)
APA News
CLASSES 2026
Term Four will see staff arrange classes for the 2026 school year. This process is very deliberate and time consuming, but also very important to creating balanced classes throughout the school. I would like to provide parents with some of the underlying principles that drive our decision making:
1. We always aim to create classes that are balanced in need. We consider the academic, social, emotional, and behavioural needs of the children when placing them in a class. This is never straight forward and often needs considerable thought. A past practice has been that students nominate a friend, but as you can appreciate this is very difficult to accommodate in a school with 596 students. This practice will not be a deciding factor in class placements.
2. We consider the gender balance within the group, the body of knowledge that we have gathered on each child and any parent input that may assist.
3. We always endeavour to be just, fair, and compassionate to the needs of each child.
I invite parents to write to me if you have information about your child that may assist the staff in placing your child. While I always stipulate that parents are not able to request certain teachers and groups of friends, there is often information that, as a school, we are unaware of and would benefit from knowing. Please put your consideration in writing and send to the office addressed to Miss Rostirolla by the end of Week Three, Friday 24 October.
I would also like to stress that our staff know their students very well and will do their very best throughout this process. I urge parents to trust us in making informed decisions that we consider will be the best for each child.
Geraldine Rostirolla
Principal
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
Lots of fun was had at today's Swimming Carnival. A full round up of the events and trophy winners will be included in next week's newsletter.
OZTAG - SUPER SUNDAY
SUPER SUNDAY IS COMING!! Mark your calendars - Sunday 16 November 2025. Mackay Oztag will be throwing the ultimate Super Sunday for our junior competition! It will be a massive day of fun, footy and food with two games per team (unless your team has a bye). There will be a sausage sizzle, coffee van, ice cream treats, fully stocked canteen and good vibes all round.
All current Emmanuel teams have been invited to participate and will be included in the draw. If your child is a current Oztag player for Emmanuel and will be unable to commit to playing on Sunday 16 November please let your parent delegate know. If a team is unable to field at least 8 players on the day, then Courtney from Mackay Oztag will need to know ASAP so that she can adjust the draw. More details to follow once I receive them.
Lisa Bottcher
HPE Teacher
School Choir
Year Two students are welcome to attend School Choir in Term Four. We look forward to seeing you there!
Around the School
WALKING SOCCER - STAFF VS STUDENTS
On Friday afternoon our Staff and Year Six Student teams took to the field. It was an exciting game. There were kicks and throw-ins, goals and near misses, spills, thrills and time-outs.(staff and students). The referees were fair and the spectators encouraged the players, celebrated the goals, cheered and clapped enthusiastically. A 5-5 draw at full time led to a penalty shoot out and a Staff win. The trophy, a golden soccer ball, was accepted by the staff and Mr Dempsey, Mr Battaia and Chad (6M) were named players of the match. We are all looking forward to the next game.
Awards
Congratulations to the students pictured below who received an award in Week 2.
Tuckshop News
TUCKSHOP NEWS
Due to work commitments and illness, the tuckshop is in DESPERATE need of volunteers for Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Please contact the office if you can assist on these days, even just for a few hours once a month.
* Please note: If we do not have enough Volunteers to support this service, we may have to consider reducing the number of days that the tuckshop will operate. *
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
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:
CASH ONLY - Please remember to bring small change when purchasing from the Uniform Shop.
Community News
