Term 2, Week 4 - 9th May, 2024

From the Principal

Dear parents and carers,

I had the privilege of attending the Queensland Catholic Principal's Association conference (QCPPA) last week. QCPPA represents over 200 leaders working in Catholic primary schools in five Dioceses throughout Queensland. 

QCPPA's mantra is Principals for principals and I gathered with many other leaders from Catholic primary schools across the state to explore Mastery of Leadership. The conference hosted many accomplished educators and individuals who presented on topics of change management, leading high performing teams, and many other challenges faced when you're in a school leadership position.  

I have come away from the conference feeling re-invigorated and energised, with many ideas to share with my team. Today I spoke with our students on assembly about the importance of being life-long learners who constantly strive for more knowledge. We all strive to be expert learners. An expert learner is someone who is committed to life-long learning, someone who is reflective, someone who is goal-directed & motivated to learn more, no matter what age. Our staff and students are all expert learners at St Maria Goretti.

It is lovely to be back at our wonderful school this week. Nothing fills my cup more than spending time with the students of St Maria Goretti.

Happy Mother's Day

There is no-one like a mother, no substitute for her place, no equal to her love and placement in our own formation. Mothering is an ongoing relationship of love and care. Our school community wishes all our mothers and mother figures a Happy Mother's Day on Sunday.

We invite all mothers to our special liturgy - tomorrow at 2:30pm in the P/1 classroom.

Loving God,
We thank you for the love of the mothers you have given us,
Whose love is so precious that it can never be measured,
whose patience seems to have no end.
May we see your loving hand behind them and guiding them.
We pray for those mothers who fear
they will run out of love or time, or patience.
We ask you to bless them with your own special love.
We ask this in the name of Jesus, our brother.

Amen.

Sports Updates

• Best of luck to Reuben Cutler who is going to the Mac Zone soccer trials tomorrow, and the Darling Downs cross country trials on Tuesday next week. Give it your all! 
• Congratulations to our cross country age champions and to the winning house, MacKillop!

Do It For Dolly Day - tomorrow (10th of May)

Our school will be getting involved with the ‘Do It For Dolly Day’ campaign on 10th May. It is a day dedicated to bringing the school community together, spreading kindness and uniting in taking a stand against bullying.

Dolly's Dream was established in memory of Dolly Everett who tragically took her own life at just fourteen following an extended period of bullying and cyberbullying.

Students are encouraged to come to school dressed in blue, Dolly’s favourite colour, and donate a gold coin for Dolly’s Foundation. We will be providing optional blue hair spray for an additional gold coin donation. 

Donations to the foundation are used to raise awareness and deliver vital bullying prevention and online safety programs to kids, families, schools, and communities across Australia.

The Australian Early Development Census

The Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) is a population-based measure of how children in Australia have developed by the time they start their first year of full-time school. Next Friday, Miss Madison Spencer will complete a research tool, the Australian version of the Early Development Instrument (the Instrument) for each child in Prep. The Instrument measures five key areas, or domains, of early childhood development:

• physical health and wellbeing
• social competence
• emotional maturity
• language and cognitive skills (school-based) and
• communication skills and general knowledge

These areas are closely linked to the predictors of adult health, education and social outcomes.

The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) has endorsed the AEDC as a national progress measure of early childhood development in Australia.

There are many benefits of taking part in the AEDC. Teachers in Australia report that participating in the AEDC raised their awareness of the needs of individual children and the class as a whole. They also reported that completing the AEDC assisted their planning for transition to school and developing programmes of work for their class.

Upcoming Dates

10th May - Mother's Day Liturgy at 2:30pm, Do it For Dolly Day (Wear Blue)

15th May - 5/6 Owenbrook visit

22nd May - Inglewood Schools' Band performance in Warwick

22nd May - PEN Meeting at 3:30pm in the library

I will be away at the Toowoomba Catholic School's Leadership Forum from Monday-Thursday next week. During my absence, Olivia Osborne will be deputising. 

Yours in education,

Casey Robinson

Principal

Library News

'STEP INTO STORIES' AUTHOR VISIT

Year 2 - 6 students will be online with Renee Treml, author and illustrator, all the way from Western Australia on Thursday morning 16th May for a session called 'Let the Pictures Do the Talking'. Renee will be sharing her approach to writing and illustrating and directing the students in a drawing activity. Students have enjoyed some of Renee's books during library time and you can read about Renee and her creative work using the links on the AccessIT homepage St Maria Goretti School - Inglewood (accessit.online)

WHAT A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN FROM THIS VERY CREATIVE PERSON! 

Library Learning and Book Displays

Happy reading everyone!

Anne Anderson

Teacher Librarian

Students of the Week - Week 3

Students of the Week - Week 4

Sight Word Certificates

Super Readers

Prep Vision Screening

Parent Engagement Network (PEN)

Strategic Plan 2023-2026

Notices

We are currently looking for relief teachers to fill vital roles at our wonderful school. Relief teaching offers you the flexibility to take on work to match your lifestyle and the opportunity to continue to make a difference in the lives of our students and staff.

Please apply here: https://bit.ly/3HlXcIX or contact our office directly.