Term 1 Week 10 2025
Principal's News
We have finally made it to the end of Term 1 and I am sure our Prep families are thinking that this is very timely. What a term we have had, filled with lots of fabulous school events, unexpected weather impacts and continuous learning opportunities within each classroom.
Last newsletter I wrote about student engagement and its importance. This newsletter I would like to add to this by highlighting the importance of attendance for each student at SMW.
The Importance of School Attendance: Every Day Counts!
As educators, we understand that life is busy, and sometimes unexpected events make it challenging for students to attend school consistently. However, regular school attendance is one of the most important factors in a child's academic success and overall development. When students attend school every day, they benefit from:
- Stronger Academic Achievement – Lessons build upon each other and missing even a day can mean gaps in understanding. Consistent attendance ensures students stay on track and don’t fall behind.
- Social Development – School isn’t just about academics—it’s where students build friendships, develop teamwork skills, and engage in social learning experiences that are vital for their future.
- Confidence and Routine – Children thrive on structure, and regular attendance fosters self-discipline, responsibility, and confidence in their abilities.
Research consistently shows that students with good attendance are more likely to succeed academically, graduate, and have positive long-term outcomes. Even missing just one or two days a month can add up over time and impact learning progress. Here is some Australian research from AITSL, attendance-matters.pdf
Listed below is our current school data in relation to attendance for the average of all students. Overall, at 91.5% attendance data that is strong. However, we want the very best for our students, therefore, I believe that we should be challenging ourselves to attain 95% attendance by the end of each term. How can we do this?
As parents, you play the most important role in encouraging good attendance. Setting routines, ensuring children are prepared for school, and emphasising the importance of learning all make a difference. If your child is facing challenges that make attending school difficult, please reach out—we are here to support you.
At a school level, we also play a significant role and need to have clarity on the reasons or challenges that students are facing and ultimately impacting their school attendance. What we do at school matters too, such as ensuring that:
- Students feel a sense of belonging
- Students feel a connection to teachers and staff
- Students feel empowered within their learning
- Students feel safe at school
- Students’ well-being is supported
- Students can set learning goals that meet their needs
- Students have the opportunity to learn in different ways
Let’s work together to make every school day count!
Please stay safe during the Easter break and enjoy your time with your family!
God Bless
Emma Timmins
Principal
Religious Life of the School
Extract from "Bunnies, Eggs and Spring?"
You might think that Easter is all about eggs.
I like looking for eggs. You like looking for eggs.
But Easter is less about looking for eggs,
than looking for something else!
It starts with some women, bound for a tomb.
Jesus was dead, and armed with perfume,
they went, before dawn, in the deep morning gloom
to anoint their friend's body with spices.
But when they arrived, the body was gone.
The tomb had been opened, somehow, by someone ,
but opened by whom? And why was it done?
And where was his body now?
You might think that Easter is all about bunnies.
Bunnies are quick. I really like bunnies.
But Easter is less about quick little bunnies.
than something much quicker, by far!...
By Bob Hartman - https://engageworship.org/ideas/two-easter-poems
On the last day of term, we have been led through the Holy Week story by our Year 2 students. We have encountered Jesus through the events of Palm Sunday and Holy Thursday and then journeyed with Him through the Stations of the Cross, telling the events of Good Friday. Congratulations to our Year 2 students for their reverence, wonderful reading, singing and acting of this pivotal story in our Catholic Faith.
Next term, on the first day back we will celebrate the Resurrection of Easter Sunday. This will happen at 11:30 in the MacKillop Centre (School Hall). All are very welcome to join us for this celebration.
Charity Portfolio Easter Projects
This week our Charity Portfolio created an Easter Egg hunt for our Prep and Year One students. The Charity Portfolio dressed as Jesus and his Easter chick and bunny helpers and hid eggs around for the students to find. This brought much joy to the younger students as they scurried to find the eggs and share a little treat for the coming Easter season. Sincere thanks to the Charity Portfolio students for their enthusiasm and work on this project and their families for providing the treats.
Thank you also to everyone who supported the Mini Vinnies 'Guess the Easter Egg Competiton'. There was some fierce competition with over $300 raised. Congratulations to Adelyn S and Rylan R for guessing the Prep & Year 1 eggs correctly. Well done to the six winners of the Years 2-6 Easter egg guess - Beckett B, Sophie B, Tom C, Cooper VJ, Amber B and Oliver M. Thanks to the generosity of our Charity Portfolio and some staff we had enough Easter eggs to share with all our winners.
Mini Vinnies
It is not too late for students in Grades 4-6 to join Mini Vinnies. We will meet on Thursday lunch times every fortnight in the even weeks at snack. We would love some more students to join us and bring their ideas about how to create an even more caring school community.
Illuminate Project Update
At the beginning of the year, teachers met to launch the Illuminate Project. To Illuminate is to make something visible with light, to decorate with light to bring joy to a festivity, and to provide clarity.
This project is designed for staff to illuminate our Religious Education Program. We did this by reflecting on:
- What reflection of Christ we wish to be to our students, their families and our colleagues.
- What gifts they bring or want to develop further.
- What challenge they wanted to explore to develop their own journey as an educator.
The Illuminate project is designed so teachers are better equipped with contemporary approaches to teaching Religious Education.
Over the past few weeks, teachers have met with Lyndal Rick, Toowoomba Catholic Schools Education Officer: Religious Education and myself, Sharon Young, Assistant Principal: Mission and Identity. We have worked on their Religious Education units of work for next term, focusing on their assessment and learning activities.
During the Pupil Free Day, on Tuesday, 22nd April, we will work on St Mary's prayer practices and further develop our assessment practices in Religious Education.
ANZAC Day Service
Each year, we commemorate ANZAC Day at St Mary's with a liturgy and activities led by teachers in the classroom. This year, Year 5 will lead our liturgy at 12pm on Thursday, 24th April in the MacKillop Centre (School Hall). Special guest speaker will be Army Sergeant Margaret Trahair. All are very welcome to attend.
ANZAC Day March
It is a long and proud tradition at St Mary's School to participate in the Warwick ANZAC Day March and Commemorative Service to commemorate ANZAC Day. On Friday, 25th March, St Mary's School and Kindergarten will assemble between 10.15 - 10.30 am ready for the march to commence at 10.40am. Our school will assemble just down from Danny Lyons Sports Store on Palmerin St.
We encourage all students to march and attend the service and if your child would like to march with us please give permission for your child to attend on the Sentral for Parents app. Please mark yes for permission on the Sentral for Parents app for all of your children that will be marching with us.
Please ensure students are in full formal school uniform, including school hat. Please also send along a water bottle.
When your child arrives to march, please see Mrs Young to mark off your child's name. We will march to Leslie Park and students will need to be marked off by Mrs Young before they can leave. Please do not attend if your child is unwell.
Mother's Day Invitation
Mother's Day has a deep spiritual dimension. Mary, the mother of Jesus, is the greatest of all mothers. Mary’s unwavering faith and humble acceptance of God’s plan make her a remarkable role model for all mothers. May her example inspire and bless all mothers on this special day!
At St Mary's we think our mothers are pretty special too. We would like to take the opportunity to thank them at our Mother's Day Liturgy on Friday, 10th May. Mothers, grandmothers and those special ladies in our students' lives are all invited.
If you are able to join us please RSVP by Monday, 6th May, so we know how many treats to bake - https://forms.office.com/r/Cnk8CucxAg
Mother's Day Stall
Thanks to our Parent Network and their team - Rhianna Ryan, Lisa Willi and their helpers there will be a Mother's Day Stall on Tuesday, 7th May and Wednesday, 8th May, where students can buy a gift for their mothers. On Tuesday students are permitted to buy one gift for $5 and there will be the opportunity to buy additional gifts on Wednesday unless stock runs out. Please send money in a labelled envelope for the students' shopping.
Parish News
First Reconciliation - Congratulations to the students who celebrated their First Reconciliation last Thursday. May the peace of Reconciliation be something that is a part of your life.
Baptisms - if you or your child would like to learn more about being baptised into the Catholic Faith please contact Mrs Young or the parish office on 4661 1033.
Altar Servers - once students have celebrated their First Communion they are able to perform the ministry of Altar serving. If you child is interested in this important ministry please contact Mrs Young.
Confirmation - the parish is now taking enrolments for the Sacrament of Confirmation. Children who are in Grade 4 and above and will have completed their First Reconciliation are welcome to enrol. To enrol or if you have any enquiries please email warwick@ctwb.org.au or call the Parish Office on 4661 1033. There will be a parent information session on the 8th of May at 6pm at the Parish Office for parents whose students wish to celebrate their Confirmation.
Weekend Masses - Saturdays at 6pm and Sundays at 8:30am. Children's Liturgy during Sunday Mass (not during school holidays).
Our Parish Easter Masses:
Wishing you a blessed and safe Easter,
Sharon Young
Assistant Principal - Mission & Identity
“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness" Desmond Tutu.
Curriculum
As we reach the end of Term 1 for 2025, it’s the perfect moment to pause and reflect on the wonderful journey we have embarked upon together so far as a school community. This term has been filled with collaboration, growth and enthusiasm, and we want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the invaluable support from our dedicated staff, eager students, and committed families. Throughout these past weeks, our students have displayed remarkable resilience and enthusiasm in their learning. From engaging classroom projects to massive efforts in NAPLAN, the creativity and hard work of our students have truly shone.
Behind every successful student is a team of dedicated educators who strive tirelessly to create a nurturing learning environment. Our teachers and school officers have not only continued to implement innovative teaching methods, but have also invested significant time in building relationships with their new cohorts, ensuring each child feels valued every day at SMW.
We also extend our deepest gratitude to our parents, carers and extended families. Your support during this term has been vital in creating a positive atmosphere for our students. Whether it be assisting with homework, attending meetings, volunteering for events, and even just making sure your children have a hearty breakfast each morning, your commitment does not go unnoticed.
As we prepare to wrap up Term 1 and begin our Easter break, let us carry this spirit of cooperation and enthusiasm into the next term. We are excited about the upcoming events on our calendar for Term 2, such as camps and excursions, Darling Downs sports and our Teddy Bear Picnic, and look forward to building upon the successes we have achieved together in Term 1.
Thank you once again for your continuous support! Enjoy the school holidays with your families, and we can’t wait to welcome everyone back for Term 2.
Wishing you all a wonderful fortnight!
Jess Harper
Middle Leader: Teaching and Learning
Positive School Culture
Mystery Reader has been lots of fun again for our Kindy students.
Jacinta Locke, one of our talented mums and local hairdresser, read the students the hilarious book, 'Even Monsters need Haircuts'. The students loved learning about how the monsters maintained their ghoulish good looks with scissors, rotting tonic, horn polish and stink wax!
Jess Harper, our marvellous Middle Leader: Teaching and Learning, then entertained our students with the book, 'Dear Zoo'. It was a special treat for our Kindy students to learn some Auslan to go with the parts of the story.
Please remember that anyone with children under school age are invited for this special story time. Invite your family and friends.
Sport
It has been a busy month of sport for our St Mary's students and we are very proud of them all! The wet weather brought many challenges and some inconvenience with trials being rescheduled. We thank our parents for their understanding and giving these students the opportunities in sport this term.
State Swimming Champions
Congratulations to Benji B and Sylvie M who recently participated in the State Swimming Championships. They both swam very really with many Personal Bests (PBs) and should be really proud of themselves for representing our school and the Darling Downs region at this level of competition.
Benji had a great 3 days. He was selected to represent QLD at Ballarat in October at the National Swimming Championships. Benji finished:
2nd 100 breaststroke with a 0.75sec PB
3rd 50 breaststroke
6th 50 backstroke with a 1.55sec PB
4th 100 backstroke with 5.02sec PB
7th 50 freestyle with 2.01sec PB
Sylvie was in three events and did a big PB in her 100m Breaststroke to come 13th.
Congratulations Benji and Sylvie!
Interschool Hockey
We have had a fierce team of hockey players competing in the local Interschool Hockey Competition. Our team made it to the Grand Final and the students should be really proud of their exceptional sportsmanship and demonstration of skills. Well done Matthew D, Archer G, Charlie K, Katelyn M, Maddi E, Josh M and Ava M! Thank you to the Eastwell family for their coaching support.
Southern Downs & Darling Downs Netball
Recently, we had a great team of students compete at the Southern Downs Netball trials - Nayvie B, Zoe W, Charlotte L, Zuriel O, Matilda G, Aylisity D and Kennedy D. The girls played really well in a big pool of competitors.
Special congratulations to Matilda and Zuriel who were selected to participate in the Darling Downs Netball trials. The girls went to Toowoomba to participate at this next level of competition and should be very proud of this accomplishment.
Southern Downs Hockey Trials
Well done to Maddi E, Katelyn M, Josh M, Archer G and Ava M who represented our school at the Southern Downs Hockey Trials. Selectors commented on our students' level of skill and ability to work well as a team.
Congratulations to Maddi E, Josh M and Ava M who have been selected to trial for the Darling Downs team early next term.
Southern Downs Rugby League Trials
We had a great number of students attend the SD Rugby League Trials - Harlan W, Jack D, Hugh F, Luke N, Ashton S, Beckett B, Declan R, Wyatt H, Riley B, Thomas C, Xavier P, Deakon B and Swayze S. From all reports it was a great day of competition and learning new skills in the rain.
Congratulations to Luke N, Riley B, Hugh F and Beckett B who were nominated to participate in the Darling Downs Trials on Tuesday, 29th April. Parents are reminded that payment must be made by Thursday, 24th April online.
We missed a photo with all the SD competitors but you can tell by the smiles on these students' faces they enjoyed the day in the mud!
St Mary's Cross Country
We are very grateful to the Morgan Park Raceway Team for their welcome and community spirit in welcoming us to their grounds again this year for our Cross Country, even being so obliging in changing to our new date of Monday, 28th April. Please see details below. We try as best as possible to stick to times but these are only our best approximates.
Please keep your children training for this event over the next few weeks!
There is the opportunity for them to improve their running skills and love of running by attending Running Club on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings from 8:15am. If students would like to participate but their formal shoes are not the best for running they are welcome to bring their running shoes to change into for their run.
Please give permission for your child to attend on the Sentral for Parents app before Wednesday, 23rd April.
Administration
Disabled Parking - Reminder
Please be aware that the disabled parking spaces located on Palmerin Street & in the Carpark are designated disabled parking spaces. They are reserved exclusively for individuals with disabled needs.
We kindly ask that you refrain from using these spaces when doing drop off/ pick up unless you have the appropriate permit, we thank you for you cooperation & understanding on this matter. We have some students and parents who rely on these parking spots and are being inconvenienced by parents parking illegally.
Pupil Free Day
Tuesday, 22nd April. There is no school for students on this day. Our OSHC (Out of School Hours Care) is available if needed.
Term 2 Calendar
Tuckshop
We are so grateful for our wonderful helpers and Kathy Moses who help deliver lunches to our students from the Tuckshop in Term One. If you have a few hours you can spare on a Wednesday or Thursday please let the school office know. Grandparents with Blue Cards (we can help with this) are very welcome!
Tuckshop Helpers for the next two weeks:
Wednesday, 23rd April - Nadia Bardsley
Thursday, 24th April - Amanda Buchner
Wednesday, 30th April - Tracey Leven
Thursday, 1st May - Bianca Dusting
Parent Engagement Network
Notices
Please invite your family and friends to our Teddy Bears' Picnic. This is our Open Day for families to experience all that we have to offer here at St Mary's.
