T1 W6 Newsletter 2025

From The Principal

On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, Australian Catholics are encouraged to practice fasting and abstinence (refraining from eating meat) as a common act of penitence.  On other Fridays, one traditional practice should be chosen. 

Here are some examples:

Prayer: 

Attending Mass, family prayer, a visit to church, reading the Bible, praying the Rosary.

Self-Denial: 

Not eating meat, sweets, or desserts; spending more time with family; limiting food and drink to help the poor.

Helping Others: 

Paying special attention to someone who is poor, sick, elderly, lonely, or overburdened; 

Supporting Project Compassion.

The law of abstinence applies to those aged 14 years and over, while the law of fasting applies to those between 

the ages of 18 and 59.

Ash Wednesday (TOMORROW) marks the beginning of the Lenten season.

Through our participation in Lent, we can deepen our relationship with God and the Church and prepare ourselves to celebrate Easter.

Lent is a time for repentance and turning to God. The Church's practice of repentance has historically included prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.  As we celebrate this season, we are invited to live out this spirit of repentance in practical ways.

How will you observe the Lenten season this year? As a family, you might consider these suggestions:

• Seek additional opportunities to pray as a family.
• Participate in the Parish Lenten Program and discuss the Sunday Gospel with your family.

• Pray for those preparing for reception into the Church at Easter.
• Write your family resolutions for Lent on your calendar.
• Example: We will pray for..., We will write to..., We will visit...
• Support Project Compassion as a family.
• Find a purple candle (the colour of the vestments for Lent) and use it at a meal each week during Lent.
• Plan to attend Reconciliation as a family.
• Be present as a family at the Holy Week ceremonies and help your child understand them better.
• Share hot cross buns after the ceremonies on Good Friday.

What are your plans for Lent this year? We invite you to share your ideas and join our community in embracing this season of reflection and growth. Let’s support each other in deepening our faith and living out our commitments.

If you have any unique suggestions or would like to share how your family observes Lent, please let us know. Your input could inspire others and strengthen our collective journey.

Together, let's make this Lenten season truly meaningful.

Principal's Messages

Changes to Government School Funding  |  For those wishing to know more about the changes that have been made to the government funding of our school system, and how that impacts us as a school and you as a parent, the below weblink will take you to a helpful YouTube video.

UNDERSTANDING THE SCHOOL FUNDING SYSTEM

WELCOME  |  Please join us in welcoming, and welcoming back, new staff to St Anne’s Catholic Primary School.  Special welcome to Mrs Tamara Cox (Year One Teacher), Mrs Pauline Nash (Teacher Assistant), Mrs Kristy Dickens (Teacher Assistant) and Mr Sam Patroni (Teacher Assistant).  We hope that your time with us is fruitful and rewarding.  Welcome to the STA family! 

STRATEGIC PRIORITIES AND GOALS FOR 2025

St Anne's Centenary Week 2025

Student Protection News

Religious Life of the School

From the Assistant Principal: Religious Education

Ms Georgia Moloney

🥞 Pancake Day – Tuesday, March 4th
Thank you to the following families and staff for their generous donations and help to make the Pancake stall a success- Mrs Dunn, Mrs Cotter, Mrs Dickens, Finlay family, Walsh family, Gibson family, Gill family and Sarich family.

We have a special event coming up, and we’d love for you to be part of it!

✝️ Ash Wednesday Prayer Celebration – Wednesday, March 5th
Join us for a reflective Ash Wednesday Prayer Celebration at 10:00 am in the hall, led by our Year 4 students. This is a meaningful opportunity to come together as a school community in preparation for Lent.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Across The Curriculum

Student-Parent-Teacher Interviews

Welcome Term One interviews! This is a great time to check in with your child’s classroom teacher regarding their progress and any questions/concerns you may have. Parents and caregivers play an important role in their child’s success. Questions you may wish to ask the classroom teacher during interviews are:

• What is my child learning?
• How is he or she doing?
• How can he or she improve?
• What support can I provide, and can you provide if he or she is struggling? When we check in again?

Questions you may wish to ask your child are:

• What did you learn today?
• How did you do?
• What did you do if you didn’t understand?
• How can you improve on your learning?
• What are you most proud of?
• What went well today?

Thank you for your ongoing support in your child's learning.

NAPLAN

During Weeks 7 and 8, years 3 and 5 students will be partaking in NAPLAN testing. These four tests will be spread across different days and administered in classrooms by the year level teacher. NAPLAN is a snapshot of student literacy and numeracy progress compared to the National Standards. An email has been sent to Year 3 and 5 families with more detailed information.

If you have any questions/concerns regarding NAPLAN. please email shona_gibson@rok.catholic.edu.au.

Prep B - Drumming Lessons

Prep B Drumming  |  In Music this term Prep B have been mastering the drums and having an amazing time doing so. Here are some photos of St Anne's youngest musicians. 

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Finance News

School Fees  |  Term 1 fees are now overdue. If you do not already have a payment plan in place and have not paid in full please contact our Finance Office, Sandra Adams, to discuss options.  

Important Information regarding how School fee payments show on the Parent Orbit App  |  With the introduction of the new Parent Orbit App, parents are now able to easily see where they are up to with their school fee payments. However, an important thing to note is that any payments that have been made in the past 2 weeks may not show in the App, as they need to be processed to your account after the payment is received and this is done in bulk every week or two. If it is longer than 2 weeks since you have made a payment and it is still not showing on the Orbit App, please contact the Finance Officer, Sandra Adams, for it to be looked into. Sorry for any confusion this has caused.  

Sports News

SPORTING NOMINATIONS

Welcome to an exciting year of sport in 2025! For years 4 - 6 students, there are a number of Mackay District and Capricornian sporting events coming up.

If you haven't already, please follow the Mackay District School Sport (MDSS) Facebook page. This page has the most up to date information and any changes . 

The MDSS school sporting calendar is available via Facebook, or a condensed Primary version is listed below. These trials often have a short turnaround time, so please check our Facebook page, newsletter and the orbit app for information. If your child is interested in trialling for representative sport, please follow the communication and organise their paperwork promptly to ensure they don’t miss out. 

How to nominate for MDSS:

• Collect a permission booklet from either Kathy or Sandra at the office.
• Complete the permission booklet IN FULL, including all consent and parent/guardian signatures.
• Return to the office to be signed by the school and make payment to the office.
• Student will be advised when their booklet is ready to collect from the office.
• This booklet must be taken to the trial. 

RUGBY LEAGUE

Huge shoutout to Mack W and Rylan B for stepping outside their comfort zones and trialling for Sarina District Rugby League! A big congratulations to Mack W on your selection in the Mackay Southern Suburbs/Sarina Rugby League Team. We wish you all the best at the Mackay District Trials!

CROSS COUNTRY

If you are able to assist with the Cross Country on the 17th of March, please email shona_gibson@rok.catholic.edu.au. Any helpers would be greatly appreciated.

SAVE THE DATE - SARINA DISTRICT TRIALS

Dear Families - the successful runners from our St Anne's Cross Country will attend Sarina District Cross Country Trials on Wednesday the 26th of March (Week 9). Your child will receive paperwork after the St Anne's Cross Country if they have been selected for this Sarina District Trial. 

Mercy Awards

Congratulations To Our Mercy Award Recipients Week 4  |  Ava S, Emerson T, Abigail M, Dakota-Rose A, 2C, 2G, Deejay P, Erin Q, Summer K, Lewis J, Jed P, Ben B

Congratulations To Our Mercy Award Recipients Week 5  |  Billie H, Corbin K, Eleanor B, Chelsea W, Maia A, James M, Rubie G, Hamish M, Bentley H, Taytum C, Emmity S, Cohen D, Grace H, Summer W, Paige G, Nait B, Peyton W, Patrick Z, Jordan L, Chad K

General Information

Parent Orbit App Setup Guide

Community News