Newsletter - 13 June 2024
From our Principal
Dear Parents,
How many times have you found yourself saying he or she looks beautiful? Or that meal was beautiful or even that goal he or she scored was beautiful?
I, like many of you, probably say it without even thinking about it. Each and every day our media post thousands of images of both men and women that they describe as beautiful. They are of course only providing an opinion of their physical beauty. Perhaps they are equally beautiful on the inside. Sports commentators in search of the dramatic will often resort to describing the play or the team as beautiful to watch.
One of my favourite stories, that taught many of us a lesson, took place on a British Talent Show in 2009 (Britain’s Got Talent). Susan Boyle a 47-year-old lady who had only ever performed for small groups stood on stage. Judges and members of the audience could be seen pulling faces that suggested what could this lady possibly offer. Her performance of “I Dreamed a Dream” was the beginning of her now successful international career and yet many had prejudged her as a “no-hoper” based on her looks and persona.
In that famous fable “The Ugly Duckling” we are taught that sometimes we need to wait for the beauty to blossom. It is well known that Albert Einstein failed 100’s of times before he “discovered” many of his theories on science.
In our school community, and the wider community, there are possibly two or three Susan Boyle’s, “ugly ducklings” and Einsteins hidden from our immediate view. I wonder … Do we never forgive “some people” for a past action? Do we “forget” to smile at “some people” because we don’t know them or we don’t like the way they treated our child or me? Do we think less of “some people” because of what they are wearing or the way they look?
Or....
Do we nurture the beauty of “all people” by being positive with our body and verbal language? Are we the one person who will inspire those “some peoples” to achieve great deeds? I wonder if our smiles will change their day? I wonder do I look at them and see the beauty inside?
One of the greatest messages The Bible tells us is how Jesus treated the “weak, the lame, the poor, the outcast and underprivileged”. Indeed Jesus is still the inspiration and role model of how to treat all people.
Scratch the surface this week and remember that all of us were born beautiful, we may sometimes not share our inner beauty but all of us have a responsibility to nurture and inspire every person to be beautiful. None of us is as important as all of us. We all have the capacity to turn others’ days and indeed lives around by the way we treat one another. Beautiful people are everywhere; we are all lucky to be a part of a school community where there are endless examples of this.
“It doesn’t matter what you look like on the outside, it’s what on the inside that counts.” (Anonymous)
Wishing you every blessing for the coming week,
Geraldine Rostirolla
Principal
SCHOOL FEE ADVICE #3
Dear Parents and Carers,
Please find attached Advice #3, developed to inform our Catholic Education families of the new Federal Government Funding model (Gonski model) and the impact on School Fees for Catholic Schools. Advice #3 outlines the direct nexus between the Federal Government means-tested Capacity to Contribute of each school and School Fees. It also provides the CEDR School Funding Guiding Principles that inform the development of the new CEDR Adapted Cluster School Fee model, that will commence from 2025.
RE Matters
ENOUGH – A REFLECTION
REPORTING ON RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
With report cards being available next week, it is timely to remind everyone about Religious Education and what it looks like in our school. Like all Catholic schools in the Rockhampton Diocese, Religious Education at Emmanuel includes the teaching, learning and assessment of the RE Curriculum and the Religious Life of the School.
Our RE Curriculum is organised into four strands – Sacred Texts, Beliefs, Church and Christian Life. It is taught and assessed like all other subjects. Ratings and comments on report cards will reflect what the student knows, understands and can do. Don’t be surprised to see comments about Scripture, the relationship between God and the Jewish people, life in First Century Palestine, the mission and ministry of Jesus, the Spirit of God and the prayer life of believers on Semester One report cards.
Remember we are not assessing or reporting on student’s faith or belief in God.
The Religious Life of the School includes our Catholic identity and culture, how we pray, worship and celebrate and the ways in which we promote and support social justice and action. Our Feast Day Mass and Beach Day, Mission Fair, Lenten Challenges, Soccertober and Stations of the Cross in Holy Week are just some of the highlights.
WATER BUCKET CHALLENGE – WALK FOR WATER
Did you know that more than 2.2 billion (1 in 3) people around the world, do not have water security – they don’t have access to clean drinking water, water is scarce and/or they need to make long, sometimes treacherous, journeys every day to collect water.
At our Athletics Carnival on Tuesday, a group of students and staff walked around the school carrying buckets of water. We did this in solidarity with the large number of women and children who walk for water every day. We started with about thirty students. As the walk continued, some dropped out and others joined. When we crossed the finish line some 110 minutes later, we had walked just over six kilometres. Some of the students, walked from beginning to end. We are so proud of them. They gave up the chance to cheer their teammates on, to raise awareness for people they will never know.
A big THANK YOU to everyone who added a donation to our buckets. We hoped to raise awareness, but with your help we were also able to raise some funds to support the work of CARITAS, who work in communities around the world, where water continues to be a life and death issue.
For more information, visit the link below:
TINNIES FOR VINNIES - FAMILIES HELPING FAMILIES
Each year Vinnies supports individuals and families in our community who are in need. Unfortunately, with an increasing number of people seeking assistance, their stock of tinned and non-perishable foods is running very low. They have asked for our help.
If you are able to assist Vinnies in their valuable work by contributing some of the needed food items, it would be very much appreciated. Donations can be dropped into the school office. They will be collected next Wednesday and distributed in the coming weeks. Many thanks for your prayers and to those who have already provided items.
REFUGEE WEEK
Next week is Refugee Week. The theme this year is ‘Finding Freedom: Family’.
https://www.refugeeweek.org.au
What does it mean to be free? To live without the fear of war, to have your basic human rights upheld, to live in equality and without the fear of persecution are just some of the examples of what freedom can entail.
Every day millions of people across the world embark on dangerous journeys for the sole purpose of finding safety and freedom.
The key aims of Refugee Week are:
- To celebrate the ways in which people from refugee backgrounds enrich our communities and culture.
- To educate the public about who refugees are and why they have come to Australia, and to understand the many challenges they face in doing so.
- To foster empathy and understanding and in doing so, encourage a safe and welcoming environment for people seeking safety in Australia.
- To enable communities and individuals to take positive action and stand in solidarity with people seeking asylum and displaced people in Australia and around the world
Listen to the story ‘Room on Our Rock’ for two points of view. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXHymkbaTIc
Remember, the Holy Family were refugees. They fled from Herod into Egypt and stayed there until it was safe to return home (Matthew 2:13–23). They knew danger, fear and alienation and they knew what it was to be safely home.
Please join with people around the world to pray for those who must flee their homes in the quest for freedom, safety and a better life. We also pray for those who welcome and support them in their new countries, homes and lives.
ANYTHING BUT A BACKPACK DAY - WEDNESDAY 19 JUNE
What would you take with you if you had to flee your home with nothing but a backpack and the clothes on your back? This is the reality for many refugees.
What if you didn’t have a backpack? What would you take your belongings in?
To raise awareness of refugees and how they can only take what they can carry, we are having an ‘ANYTHING BUT A BACKPACK Day. On Wednesday 19 June students are invited to bring what they need for the school day in ‘anything but a backpack’ – shopping bag, sports bag, drawstring bag, your choice. Be creative, but remember students must be able to carry it, it should keep their belongings together and safe, and have their name on it. Gold coin donations would be very much appreciated – we will forward all money raised to Vinnies to help them support those who need it this Winter.
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.
Noeleen Kliese
Assistant Principal Religious Education
Curriculum Corner
SEMESTER ONE REPORT CARDS
A reminder to parents to please check that you can sign into Parent Lounge prior to reports being released in Week 10. If you have any queries, please contact our school office.
Report cards will once again be available through Parent Lounge from 4:00pm on Friday, 21 June.
- To access Parent Lounge, open your internet browser and type in the URL for Emmanuel Catholic Primary School website: ecps.qld.edu.au
- Click on Parent Lounge under Quick Links.
- Click on the Parent Lounge icon.
- Login with your unique ID number and the password remains the same as previously used.
The goal of the reporting process is to support student learning progress by providing parents and carers with clear, individualised information about:
- the learning expectations for the student
- the student’s achievement against expected standards
- how well the student is engaging with expected learning
- progress that has been made since the last reporting period
- strengths that the student has demonstrated and areas of challenge that may require more attention
- ‘next steps’ that will help the student improve.
The semester report is one part of a feedback loop, along with regular and consistent written and verbal communication such as on-going feedback on tasks, parent-teacher interviews, and daily opportunities for parents to discuss questions and concerns with teachers. The report reflects an on-balance judgement about the quality of student learning, based on evidence collected during the reporting period.
We are delighted to inform you that Emmanuel Catholic Primary School will be participating in the world-renowned ICAS competition this year.
What is ICAS?
ICAS is an online academic competition that is designed to assess students’ higher order thinking and problem-solving skills in English, Mathematics, Science, Writing, Spelling Bee and Digital Technologies. This year, students in years 5 and 6 have the opportunity, to participate in English (12-16 August) and Mathematics (26 - 30 August).
Each assessment celebrates students’ accomplishments by providing opportunities for recognition and development. Every student who participates will receive a printed certificate and an online results report. Top performers will be eligible for medals.
We encourage you to consider entering your child into ICAS this year. All students must be registered by Friday 15 July, 2024.
Learn more about ICAS here. (https://www.icasassessments.com/products-icas)
How to participate in ICAS
If you wish for your child to participate in ICAS this year, please:
- Read about ICAS subjects and prices here: (com/products-icas)
- Read the terms and conditions here:(icasassessments.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2023-ICAS-Assessments-Parents-PPS-TsCs_final.pdf)
- Go to Parent Portal to purchase tests here: https://shop.icasassessments.com/pages/pps
- Enter our school’s access code – YKT454
- Enter your child’s details, select the tests you would like to purchase, then proceed to payment.
Please note that the ICAS tests shown for selection are at the school’s discretion.
After payment is made via the Parent Payment System, you will receive an order confirmation email, please keep this for your records.
ICAS Results and Certificates
We will notify you of the date(s) that we run ICAS at the school and when your child’s ICAS results are ready. Once we have received your child’s ICAS certificate, we will send it home with your child. The back of the certificate shows ICAS results and the login details, “TAP ID and Pin”, that you and your child need to enter the Results Portal orti.icasassessments.com/ortiStudent
Janine Refalo
Assistant Principal Curriculum
APA News
PEER SUPPORT
‘BULLYING – NO WAY’ has been the focus of our Peer Support sessions this term. Students have participated in activities, led by our Year Six students, that have explored what bullying is and is not, the importance of kind words and actions, how to be an Upstander rather than a Bystander and how to stamp out bullying at our school. Students have learnt that BULLYING IS NEVER OK!
Our last Peer Support session for this term will be on Monday.
Amanda McDonald
Assistant Princiapl 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 ‘ALL TOPICS’ tab via the link below or on our school website.
Sporting News
ATHLETICS CARNIVAL - 2024
Our Athletics Carnival, held on Monday and Tuesday this week, was a wonderful celebration of sport, competition, co-operation and team spirit. It was great to have so many parents and members of our Emmanuel family there to join the fun. Students participated in field events, ball games and running races, encouraging each other, and enjoying the day together. Our House Captains and Year Six students displayed fantastic leadership in the way they organised the cheering, assisted younger students and worked with staff. A big thank you to Mrs Bottcher, Mr Dodson, the team of helpers and all who contributed to making the day such a fabulous success.
CONGRATULATIONS to the following Houses and students on their successes and trophies.
Marist Sisters Champion House – Wallace
This is awarded to the house that accumulates the most points from track and field events and ball games.
Sue Stock Memorial Trophy – Carroll
This is awarded to the house that displayed the best Spirit during the march past, war cry and in participation.
Faix Family Trophy – Carroll
This is awarded to the house that accumulated the most points in relays.
Weissman Family Trophy – McBride
This is awarded to the house that had the most students participating in events - heats and finals.
Age Champions
These medals are awarded to the students who have accumulated the most points in their age group in track and field events.
Girls 9 years – Sophie Wilson (Wallace)
Boys 9 years – Elias Bittler (McBride)
Girls 10 years - Josie Beresowskyj (Castles)
Boys 10 years – Luke Phegan (Carroll)
Girls 11 years - Ruby Readdy (Wallace)
Boys 11 years – Archie Stevenson (Wallace)
Girls 12 years - Joleigh Strydom (Wallace)
Boys 12 years – Koby Buckeridge (Castles), Rhys Phegan (Carroll), Ryan Wisely (Wallace)
A big THANK YOU to our tuckshop ladies and all volunteers who assisted with the Sausage Sizzle and J&J Wiredbird Coffee Van.
GRANT ROVELLI - REMINDER
Reminder that all notes need to be returned ASAP to Mrs Tomkinson. Gala Day will be held on the last day of Term Two, Friday 21 June.
EMMANUEL SPORT SELECTION PROCESS
Lisa Bottcher
HPE Teacher
CRICKET SUCCESS
Congratulations to Year 5 student Hunter Towner who has been selected to play in the Northern Kings Cricket team as part of the Brisbane Premier League competition to be held in September of this year. The games will be live-streamed on Kayo. Well done on your cricketing success, Hunter!
Around the School
OZCARE VISIT
On Wednesday, students in 4D welcomed residents from Ozcare to share morning tea and a game of Bingo. This term, 4D students have been video calling the residents each fortnight, learning about their lives, hobbies and interests, and comparing their childhood experiences. The students and residents have formed a special bond and meeting in person on Wednesday was a fantastic experience for all involved. 4D are very excited to continue the Intergenerational Learning program next term and are grateful to the team at Ozcare for their ongoing support of this wonderful program.
Awards
Congratulations to the students pictured below who received a Principal's Award in Week 8.
Finance
TERM 2 SCHOOL FEES - OVERDUE
Term 2 School Fee Statements were emailed on Monday 22 April and fees are now OVERDUE. You can also view your statements by logging into your Parent Lounge account. If you have not received your account, please contact 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.
Vacation Care
Please see below Vacation Care Plan for the June / July School Holidays.
Notices
Mackay Show Public Holiday
Thursday 20 June
Please Note: Friday 21 June is NOT a Pupil Free Day at Emmanuel Catholic Primary School
CASH ONLY - Please remember to bring small change when purchasing from the Uniform Shop.
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.
SCHOOL APP
Community News
