T1 W10 Newsletter 2025

From The Principal

Dear parents, carers, students and friends,

Easter is nearly upon us, and I find myself wondering where the term has gone.  It feels as though time has flown by, yet simultaneously crept along.  With so much left to accomplish, I am reminded that time waits for no one.

The first term always coincides with the celebration of Easter, a season in the church that I deeply cherish.  The liturgies of this time resonate profoundly with me, reminding me of the fragility of human life and the balance of joys and suffering that define our existence.

During Easter Week, which is still two weeks away, I pray that each of us finds the courage demonstrated by the disciples on Holy Thursday, the boundless love, faith, and hope that Mary showed on Good Friday, and the overwhelming joy of God’s love for us on Easter Sunday.  May this time renew our commitment to living our New Life, fulfilling our Baptismal Promises, and, of course, indulging in the tradition of opening our Easter Eggs which symbolise New Life!

Celebrating Easter without children, however, would feel incomplete for me.  Their unfiltered joy, boundless happiness, and unique perspectives always teach me something new.  Children, no matter their age, are wells of wisdom, and I encourage you to cherish their presence during this Holy season.

I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to every member of the St Anne’s community —especially to our dedicated and hardworking staff; thank you for giving your best and for making this term remarkable.

May the peace of the risen Lord always dwell in your hearts and as you celebrate the upcoming Easter Season, remember that He is risen!

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Prep Enrolments Now Being Taken For 2026

ENROLMENTS 2026  |  Prep enrolment details for 2026 are NOW required from our existing families.  If you have a child due to commence Prep next year - born between July 1 2020 and June 30 2021 – you are asked to complete an ONLINE enrolment form available from the school website by the end of the holidays.  It is essential that we have our current families accounted for, so as to determine how many positions may be offered to new families seeking enrolment.  If you have any queries or concerns with regards to this process, please contact the office.  ALL ENROLMENTS MUST BE COMPLETED ONLINE.  Once enrolment applications have been received and processed by our Administration staff, you will be notified of an interview time towards the end of next term.

Principal's Messages

TERM 2 DATES  |  As Term 1 concludes this Friday, I wanted to highlight some important dates for Term 2. Term 2 starts Tuesday 22/04/25 and is a 10 week term, concluding on Friday 27/06/25.

We also have a number of Public Holidays this term, please note these in your calendars: Easter Monday 21/04/25, ANZAC Day 25/04/25, Labour Day 05/05/25, Mackay Show  Holiday 19/06/25. 

HALL CARPARK  |  Over this school holidays, weather allowing, our Hall carpark is being resurfaced and the line markings repainted. This will help freshen up the front of our school and make it safer for both cars and pedestrians, with no more potholes. Please cross fingers with us that the rain stays away long enough for this to occur. 

FAREWELL HARLEIGH  | At the end of this week we say goodbye to Harleigh S  in year 3. We wish Harleigh and her family all the best for the years ahead, whatever adventures they may bring. 

STAFF NEWS

GOODBYE MISS RICE  |  It is with heavy hearts that we announce Miss Siobhan Rice has tendered her resignation.  She has chosen to embrace an exciting new opportunity that she simply couldn’t pass up.  We’ve all had those pivotal moments, and I’m sure we can all understand her decision.

On Friday we send Miss Rice off with our heartfelt blessings for every success on the new journey she has chosen.

Throughout her time here, Siobhan has brought us laughter, a wonderful sense of humour, and professionalism.  She has been a shining example of lifelong learning, integrity, and calmness.

Number 6: 24-26

May the Lord bless you and keep you;

May the Lord be kind and gracious to you;

May the Lord look on you with favour and give you peace.

CONGRATULATIONS MRS COTTER  |  Congratulations to Mrs Jill Cotter who has graduated as a teacher.  We wish her all the best as she celebrates her graduation and the many, many hours of juggling family, life and study.  Your hard work has paid off, Mrs Cotter, congratulations again.

There are many passages in the Bible that highlight Jesus as a teacher and His wisdom in guiding others. Here is one that speaks of Mrs Cotter.

Matthew 7:28–29

“When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.”

This shows Jesus’ unique authority and the impact His teachings had on those who listened; Mrs Cotter has modelled her life on Gospel values and lives these to the full.

WEEK 10 MEAL DEAL AND ZOOPER DOPERS  |  Our final fundraising Meal Deal for this term is being held this Friday 4th April. Orders are due to the office by 3pm Thursday. The deal is a hotdog, cookie & a popper for $7. You may pay via Eftpos or cash.  We also have Zooper Doopers selling for $1 at second lunch that day. Please help us support Project Compassion and Caritas.

STRATEGIC PRIORITIES AND GOALS FOR 2025

St Anne's Centenary Week 2025

Student Protection News

Across The Curriculum

RESOURCE IN THE SPOTLIGHT - READING COACH

Is your child a reluctant reader? Does your child need to improve their reading fluency?  Read on to hear about this fantastic free.... yes, FREE resource!

Reading Coach is a free, AI powered tool within Microsoft's Immersive Reader that provides personalised, engaging, and independent reading fluency practice, focusing on words the readers struggle with and offering targeted practice opportunities. The reader is able to choose the main character, setting and level. From here, an AI story generates. The more students read, the more characters unlock, creating a fun, game based approach to reading. 

https://coach.microsoft.com/en-us 

READER'S CUP

This year, we are very excited to be entering the Reader’s Cup Competition. 

Reader’s Cup is a a reading competition for avid readers in the upper school organised by the Queensland Branch of The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA). A team of five students will compete against other schools in the Mackay region. Students will be given questions to answer about given texts, in a trivia style event. The competition will take place on Thursday the 12th of June.

Over the holidays and throughout Term 2, participants have committed to reading five Reader's Cup novels. 

We look forward to keeping you posted on our Reader’s Cup journey!

INTERNET SAFETY

Last year, the Sarina Police visited students from Years 4-6 to discuss staying safe online and cyberbullying. 

This presentation covered content such as:

• Online safety: How to stay safe while using the internet, including social media and online gaming, who our safe people are, people to report to when you don’t feel safe.
• Cyberbullying: Understanding what cyberbullying is, its impact, and how to prevent it.

As the school holidays are approaching, we encourage you to sit down and have a chat with your child about how they can stay safe online.

The eSafety Commissioner is Australia's independent regulator for online safety. This site is a valuable resource with various videos, handouts and discussion prompts:

- https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/resources/online-safety-for-every-family

- https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/resources

Thank you for your ongoing support in your child’s safety.

Religious Life of the School

From the Assistant Principal: Religious Education

Ms Georgia Moloney

Easter: A Time of Reflection, Renewal, and Celebration

As we prepare for Easter, we invite our school community to reflect on the profound significance of this holy season in the Catholic faith. Easter is a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, a cornerstone of Christian belief that offers hope, renewal, and the promise of eternal life.

In the days leading up to Easter, known as Holy Week, we recall the events of Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection. From Palm Sunday to Good Friday and ultimately Easter Sunday, these moments remind us of His unwavering love and sacrifice for humanity.

Let us use this time to deepen our faith, embrace acts of kindness, and share the joy of Easter with others. Through prayer, reflection, and community, we can truly embody the spirit of this sacred season.

May your Easter preparations be filled with peace and purpose. Happy Easter!

Project Compassion Reflection

Fourth Week of Lent

(Week beginning Monday 31 March)

Irene lives in a remote village in the Kongolo Region in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Life hasn’t been easy for Irene. After losing her father in a war, Irene and her family were forced to flee their home. Life became even more challenging when her husband left, leaving Irene to raise her 2 children alone. Without finishing her education and with few job opportunities in her village, she struggled to provide even the basics for her family.

Things began to change when Irene joined the Youth Capacity Strengthening Program (YCSP), run by Caritas Kongolo with the support of Caritas Australia. Through the program, Irene learned sewing skills and was provided with a sewing machine and fabric. Irene also gained farming skills. Now, she grows enough food to feed her family and even shares her sewing knowledge by mentoring other women in her community.

“Before, women depended on men's income, but now, with our sewing skills, we can take care of ourselves,” Irene said.

Your support of Project Compassion helps women like Irene to create brighter futures for themselves and their families.

Project Compassion Fundraising Update

Thanks to everyone for the generous donations for the Easter Raffle and participating in fundraising initiatives such as the Meal Deals. Thanks to your support we have raised over $500 for Project Compassion! The Year 6 students have been instrumental in the fundraising projects and we could not have done it without their support.

This Friday will be the last Meal Deal Fundraiser. For $7 students will receive a hotdog (with sauce and cheese-optional), a cookie and a popper. There will also be Zooper Doopers sold at second lunch for $1.

Easter Raffle 

Tickets for the Easter Raffle will be sold each morning on the grid. Tickets are $1 each and there a over 10 prizes to be won! Get your tickets now!

Easter Hat Parade

Please see the attached flyer for more information in regards to the Easter Hat Parade

Friday Prayer Celebration

Please join us at Assembly on Friday as Year 3 begins the Assembly with a Musical Play about Easter and Holy Week.

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. 

Sports News

NETBALL NEWS

A fun display of spirited competition unfolded last Thursday as the St Anne's Spirals and Stars faced off. The friendly banter and determined play from both teams made the game a joy to watch. Congratulations to the Spirals on your win!

Cross Country

After many issues with the weather our Cross Country was run in week 8 at the Sarina Show Grounds. Due to the location change, and the weather, we had a reduced number participating this year. Hopefully next year we can once again hold the Cross Country here at school with full participation from years 3 - 6. Congratulations to our placegetters for this year.  

Student Leadership

Leadership is a quality that all students of St Anne's Catholic Primary School are encouraged and supported to develop.  These experiences ensure that students perceive themselves as leaders and have the opportunity and confidence to take on leadership roles and find their voice.

Newsletter Report Week 9 By  Khloe  |   

Firstly, I’d like to start off by congratulating the students who ran at the Showgrounds for Sarina District cross country on Wednesday morning. Everyone did a really good job!

Special congratulations to Bronson and Katelyn who made the Sarina team and will get to race at Mackay Districts next month!

I’d also like to thank Ms. Moloney and the year 6 students who helped out with the hotdog meal deal on Wednesday. It was really amazing to see everyone helping and supporting our Caritas and Project Compassion initiative by purchasing a meal deal.  Remember, we have another meal deal and Zooper Dooper day available next week.

With next week being the last week of this term, please remember to bring your Project Compassion donation boxes and money to the office next week so we can include it in our service totals for Lent.

I have also noticed that we have been doing a much better job at putting our hands up and settling down faster when the bell rings at lunchtimes. Being quiet and putting up our hands as soon as the bell rings means we are following our school rules and being respectful to our teachers and classmates, which means we don’t miss out on our playtime. Keep up the great work! 

And lastly, this is a reminder to years 3-6, please be sure to put your allocated sports equipment back into the correct year levels sports bins and don’t take equipment from the other grades sport bins. There is plenty of equipment to go around, and it's great to see everyone sharing and playing well together on the oval.

Mercy Awards

Congratulations To Our Mercy Award Recipients Week 8  |  Harry S, Lucien S, Heath B, Jaxon D, Matilda J, Taj K, Jack B, Zachary Z, Chet R, Aaliyah K, Blake E, Evelyn M, Grace M, Isabelle B, Eva P, Bailey W, Hannah C, Sophia C, Monica Z, Axl J, Bela R, Memphis-Belle D, Toby T, Harleigh S.

Congratulations To Our Mercy Award Recipients Week 9  |  Indie C, Zayd W, Zoe W, Lleighton R, Isla M, Ameliyah G, Julianna D, Benson P, Joseph S, Harleigh S, Travis S, Lincoln F, Paige E, Amelia H, Charlotte D, Katelyn B, Zane C, Taylah R, Jayde C, Xochitl H. 

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