T2 W6 Newsletter 2025

From The Principal

When I was younger, I didn’t realise that people were God's gifts to me.  Each comes wrapped in their own unique way; some beautifully and elaborately wrapped, others more simply.  Some have been mishandled along the way, while others arrive with special care.  Some are loosely wrapped, while others are tightly enclosed.

But the wrapping is not the gift, and that is an important realisation.  It is easy to judge a person by appearances rather than by the heart within.

Some gifts are opened effortlessly, while others require patience and help.  Some people hold back out of fear, having been hurt before.  Others may feel forgotten, discarded, no longer seen as the valued individuals they are.

I too am a person, a gift filled with the goodness that God has placed within me.  Yet there are times when I hesitate to embrace it, unsure if I trust what is inside.  Perhaps I have never truly accepted the gift of who I am.

Every encounter between people is an exchange of gifts.  My gift is me, your gift is you. We are gifts to one another. I do regret not realising this sooner.

How are you a gift to others?

That is a truly beautiful reflection. Here’s a prayer inspired by your words:

Loving God,
You have formed each of us with care, placing within us gifts of kindness, wisdom, and love.  Yet, at times, we hesitate to embrace the goodness You have given, uncertain of its worth.

Help us to trust in the beauty within, to recognise that we are made in Your image, and to receive ourselves as a sacred gift.  May we honour this gift by sharing it freely with others, knowing that each encounter is an opportunity to give and receive the goodness You have sown in our hearts.

Teach us to walk with confidence, to love without hesitation, and to uplift those around us.  May we open our hearts to the gifts others bring, and may our presence be a blessing to all we meet.

Amen.

Principal's Messages

Dear Parents Years 2 to 6,

Next week, singer songwriter Josh Arnold will be working with students at St Anne’s to write a new school song to help mark our centenary.  Josh wishes to work with about 30 voices from years 2 to 6.  To select this core group, we will hold auditions this coming Monday afternoon, during school time.  Please encourage those in your family whether boy or girl to audition for a spot in this choir.

Sick Children  |  The health and safety of our students remain our top priority. We kindly ask that you do not send sick children to school, as this could lead to widespread illness among classmates and staff, disrupting learning and operations for an extended period.

We want to reassure you that we do not encourage sending unwell students to school; it is your responsibility to assess their health and the risk to us. However, some students may exhibit symptoms that resemble contagious illnesses due to existing underlying conditions—please take this into account before making any assumptions.

Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

SCHOOL UNIFORM  |  We would like to remind all families that the school uniform must be worn correctly by all students at all times. It is the responsibility of parents to ensure their children adhere to the uniform requirements.

For students with sensory needs, any deviation from the uniform must be discussed and approved following a meeting with the principal.

During the cooler months plain, navy blue tights may be worn under the students shorts/skort. Tights are not to be worn on their own.

Unfortunately, we have noticed an increasing number of unapproved variations in uniform.  Please note that shoes must be completely black every day of the week.

Our school uniform serves important purposes by promoting equality among students, maintaining a sense of pride and upholding the standards that define our school community.

Shortly the School Board will be sending home a Uniform Policy seeking parent feedback; please keep your eyes peeled for this.

Thank you for your cooperation in maintaining these expectations.

NEW SCHOOL SONG  |  Students at St Anne’s will have the chance to take part in a workshop focused on creating and developing a new school song to commemorate our Centenary.  Singer-songwriter Josh Arnold will be at St Anne’s next week, from Tuesday to Thursday, to lead the production of the song.

As part of this project, Josh is looking for a group of up to 30 students from Years 2 to 6 to serve as both songwriters and recording artists.  Auditions have already begun to select voices, with additional auditions scheduled for this coming Monday afternoon during school time.  As a result, there may be some disruptions throughout the week, but what an amazing experience for our school and our students.

Please ensure that your children are in correct uniform on the prescribed days.  Students in wrong uniform may be asked to step aside and not be part of the videoing processes.  As this song will remain in the public domain for years to come and we want the best presentation of our school and the uniform plays a very strong part in this.

Any student that does not have permission given on their enrolment for social media presence will not be included in any video recording. However, all other students may be included, if needed, unless the parents email the school to withdraw permission to participate.

CENTENARY SHIRTS  |  For those who order Centenary shirts they will be allowed to be worn one day a week for this year and next.  We urge families to place their orders promptly to ensure their children receive a shirt. Parents who delay ordering risk their students missing out.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Prep Enrolments Now Being Taken For 2026

PREP 2026  |  Do you have a Prep student beginning in 2026?

We are now taking enrolments via the online system.  We encourage both existing and new families who have a child starting Prep in 2026 to lodge their enrolment application as soon as possible.  Applications are to be made via our online enrolment application available on our website via this link: https://www.sasrok.catholic.edu.au/   

Please contact the school office for further information or if any assistance is required.

Cane Trains

STRATEGIC PRIORITIES AND GOALS FOR 2025

St Anne's Centenary Week 2025

Student Protection News

Across The Curriculum

LEARNING SUPPORT NEWS

NCCD  |  The Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD) takes place every year and is about to happen again at St Anne’s Catholic Primary School.

The NCCD is a collection that counts:

• the number of school students receiving an adjustment or ‘help’ due to disability
• the level of adjustment they are receiving to access education on the same basis as other students.

Students are counted in the NCCD if they receive ongoing adjustments at school due to disability. This ‘help’ allows them to access education on the same basis as a child without disability.

Please read the attachment for further information on the NCCD.

NATIONAL SIMULTANEOUS STORYTIME

Last Wednesday, all students gathered in the hall as Mr Oches read, ‘The Truck Cat,’ Australia’s Simultaneous Storybook for 2025. Students enjoyed this wonderful story with the messages of home, connection, kindness and inclusivity. 

Thank you to Mrs Dixon for making these beautiful origami cats with the lovely message of 'you belong' for our St Anne's staff wellbeing Wednesday.

ST PATRICK'S EXTENDED LEARNING DAY

On Friday the 23rd of May, four year five students from St Anne’s joined other Catholic Schools across Mackay for an Extended Learning Program Day which focused on Languages. Activities included Carp Painting, Origami, tasting Japanese cuisine and observing French and Japanese classes. 

Our students thoroughly enjoyed this amazing opportunity their day as ‘a highschooler’ at St Patrick’s College.

Religious Life of the School

From the Assistant Principal: Religious Education

Ms Georgia Moloney

Free Ice Block- Complete the Tell Them From Me Survey

Closing on the 2nd June! Get in quick!

We would like to invite you to complete the Tell Them From Me (TTFM) Partners in Learning survey. As we value the role of parents and carers within our school community we would greatly appreciate your feedback. The information you provide will be used to maintain our commitment to working together in partnership to further improve student learning and wellbeing at St Anne’s Catholic Primary School, Sarina. The survey will close on Tuesday 2nd June.

The survey is anonymous and will take approximately 20 minutes to complete. You are able to access the parent survey on your computer or mobile device by scanning the QR code (attached) or clicking the link.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Ms Moloney either via email or the front office.

Once you have completed the survey, please let me know and I will give your child(ren) an ice block!

Wellbeing Gathering

Last week, I had the privilege of attending a two-day conference in Rockhampton alongside more than 80 staff members from the Catholic Education Diocese of Rockhampton. The event marked the inaugural Wellbeing Gathering, bringing together experts in the field of Student Wellbeing and Engagement to share valuable insights.

Throughout the conference, we explored a range of presentations that highlighted strategies for supporting students in their learning and personal development. It was an enriching experience, and I am excited to introduce a new Student Wellbeing and Engagement section in the newsletter. This dedicated space will provide parents with useful information and resources to help nurture student wellbeing both at school and at home.

Stay tuned for more updates as we embark on this journey of fostering a positive and supportive environment for all students.

Finance News

School Fees  | Term 2 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.  

Library News

Sports News - Athletics Carnival

P&F News

SWAP IT

SWAP IT  |  Try something new this week for your children.  For more everyday lunchbox ideas, visit: www.swapit.net.au/ideas

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 5 By  Brooklyn  |   I have been noticing at the end of the play most people have been quickly putting the balls in the bin but grade six boys are still kicking and playing with the footy and soccer ball after the bell goes. This needs to stop otherwise we will be banned again.

Also since the gates have opened up lots of students have been running up to be the first one on the playground. You need to make sure you are walking on the concrete and keeping everyone safe at all times because you can fall and hurt yourself or your friends. Even though it is exciting to have a new playground it is important for us to move around the school safely. I would like to thank the St Anne’s focus group who have helped with our new playground. 

 The most important thing this week is that all girls need to be using the toilets correctly and with respect because our staff and cleaners don't  want to clean up disgusting things that some children are making that could also make other people sick. This is a very sad thing happening in school  

 Last thing, make sure everyone is putting their hands up and being quiet after the bell. If we don't we are wasting minutes off our play. Thanks to the year sixes that are walking around and reminding everyone to put there hands up 

Have a great day and listen to all your teachers.

Newsletter Report Week 6 By  Axl  |  I have seen some students not putting their hands up after the bell rings. Just remember to put your hands up. Next week is the sports carnival. Remember it is not about winning, it's about  having fun. Next week we are going to learn the war cries and we also made some new war cries. 

Mercy Awards

Congratulations To Our Mercy Award Recipients Week 4  |  Emma N, Jasmine M, Grace S, Chelsea W, Lainey C, Jaxson S, Gracie H, Sonny T, Max S, Patrick Z, Sophia J, Bella R, Memphis-Belle D, Max M

Congratulations To Our Mercy Award Recipients Week 5 |  Prep B, Heath B, Freya S, Gracie D, James M, Bentley B, Mia S, Zachary Z, Scout M, Aaliyah K, Eva P, Reuben F, Za'Layah M, Chiara M, Nait B, Jemma M

General Information

Parent Orbit App Setup Guide

Community News

Have your say on electoral divisions in the Mackay region

Mackay Regional Council is seeking community input on the idea of reverting to electoral divisions.

Council currently has an undivided council, 10 councillors and a Mayor, representing the entire local government area.

At the March ordinary meeting of council, a resolution was carried to undertake a preliminary, low-cost consultation process to assess community sediment on the idea of having a divided council.

In a divided council, Councillors are elected to represent divisions.

You can have a say via council’s Connecting Mackay website Have your say on electoral divisions | Connecting Mackay or pop into anyone of council’s Customer Service Centres or Libraries and request a hard-copy survey.

The survey closes at 11.59PM on Sunday, June 1, 2025.

Should you have any questions about this consultation, please contact council’s Community Engagement Team on 1300 MACKAY (622 529) or email engagement@mackay.qld.gov.au.