Newsletter 28/8/2025
From the Principal:
Dear Parents and Carers,
Last week, you may have noticed, I was absent from school. I had the privilege of attending the 2025 Australian Catholic Education Conference in Cairns. Yes, a tough place to be at this time of the year :) There were over 1800 Catholic educators, leaders, clergy, parents and others from the broader Church involved in Catholic education in attendance. With the theme ‘Hope, Anchored in Faith’, the conference focused on the strategic vision and mission of Catholic education across three key areas – Faith, Excellence and Access. It featured a broad range of speakers, presentations, and workshops focused on Catholic identity, mission and formation; learning and teaching; leadership and governance; parent engagement; parish and community engagement; resourcing and infrastructure; advocacy and marketing; and more. I have come away with a renewed vision and focus around family engagement within our school - something that aligns well with the strategic direction of our school. The leadership team and I will spend some time discerning what this will look like moving forward into next year.
I have included a photo of the Conference Mass at which 1000 students from around Cairns and the Tiwi Islands were in attendance, along with over 1800 conference delegates. It was wonderful to be part of this experience.
Kind regards,
Mary Bennett
Rumble's Quest:
Students in Grades One to Six will participate in Rumble's Quest this term. This is an online game that has been designed to measure student well-being.
When children participate in Rumble’s Quest, they complete fun challenges and answer questions about how they experience the world.
The questions are grouped into four areas:
* Attachment to School - how children feel about school
* Social Confidence - how children feel about themselves and how they relate to others
* Self Regulation - how children manage their feelings and actions
* Supportive Relationships – how children feel nurtured within secure environments.
These are all factors that underpin learning and are building blocks for a wide range of skills such as the ability to forward plan, set and achieve positive goals, manage our behaviour and emotions, and consider consequences before engaging in action. They are fundamental to making responsible decisions, getting along with others, and coping with difficult circumstances.
We are using this measure at the school as part of our student well-being framework. Rumble’s Quest takes students approximately 45 minutes to complete. It will be undertaken in class groups over the next two weeks. The information we gather will help our school set student support directions and inform teaching and learning strategies. We can use the game again in the following years to gather information about the effectiveness of our student well-being strategies.
For more information about Rumble’s Quest, you may like to view the following video at:
https://www.realwell.org.
Kind regards,
Simon Wood
Student Late Arrivals:
Medication at School:
Book Week Author Visit:
On Thursday 21st August, we were delighted to welcome renowned author Sally Odgers - who has written over 400 books - to our school for a series of engaging writing workshops.
Throughout the day, Sally engaged students in a variety of creative activities. These included crafting poems inspired by natural objects such as shells and rocks, as well as developing unique characters and imaginative storylines. She also treated us to readings from her own books and generously shared insights into her writing journey, her sources of inspiration, and tips for succeeding at writing.
It was a fantastic opportunity to learn from a seasoned writer, and we are incredibly grateful to Sally for spending the day with us and sparking our creativity.
Pictured below are just a handful of the books that Sally has published.
Book Week Gallery:
What's Happening in Kinder:
On Tuesday, Lee from Bunnings visited Kinder students for the second time this year. Instead of gardening, this time, Lee helped the students with some wood work. In small groups they worked together to build bird houses. All students got to have a turn at using construction glue and working with a hammer and nails. Lee also taught them how to work with tools safely, including how to keep a work space neat and tidy. Once they were made, Lee showed the students where the birds will go in and out of the little house using the small hole. Everyone excitedly discussed what birds might come and live in the bird houses! We look forward to painting the bird houses and maybe making some bird feeders as well.
Thanks for coming again Lee!
Sunrise Bakery Fundraiser:
Don't forget to place your orders for the Sunrise Bakery Fundraiser. Orders need to be in by 5th September.
Important Dates 2025:
Parish Mass Times:
