Term 3 Week 3 2025
From the Principal
Dear Parents and Caregivers,
What a special way to begin Catholic Education Week, as we joined together in Samaritan Hall to celebrate the centenary of Sacred Heart Parish. It was a beautiful event, made even more memorable by the presence of Bishop Tim, delicious shared food, and the excitement of our incredible cent sale complete with plenty of happy winners!
We were also proud to see Miss Megan Tatnell recognised with our Spirit of Catholic Education Award. Meanwhile, Mrs J accompanied some of our school captains, along with peers from BCHS and St Colman’s, to represent us at the Catholic Education Week Mass in Townsville.
To finish the week, we came together once again to celebrate Founders’ Day. Despite a little rain, spirits were high as we made our way to BCHS. Our students were outstanding and fully engaged in the Mass. The singing was so beautiful that our special guests were moved to comment on how touching it was. A heartfelt thank you to BCHS for hosting the celebration, and the many hands who helped make the day so meaningful.
Although we returned to school a little earlier than planned, the joy and reflection shared made it a day, and a week to remember. It’s a reminder of how far we’ve come as a Catholic school community and the many blessings we have to be thankful for.
God Bless,
Lisa Fitzsimmons
Religious Life of the School
Dear families,
Welcome to Catholic Education Week—a special time to celebrate the faith, learning and community that lie at the heart of our Catholic schools. On Tuesday, our School Captains and I had the privilege of joining schools from across the Diocese for a beautiful Mass in Townsville, marking the beginning of this important week. The 2025 theme, Communities of Faith, Hope and Love, reminds us of the core values we strive to live out daily in our school. This year, there is a particular focus on Hope, which aligns meaningfully with the 2025 Jubilee Year theme, Pilgrims of Hope—calling us to be people who walk together with purpose, trust, and compassion.
Today, we celebrated Founders’ Day with the three Burdekin Catholic schools coming together in a spirit of unity and gratitude. Students enjoyed a joyful morning filled with Mass that honoured our shared heritage, as well as plenty of delicious food and time to connect with friends old and new. It was a wonderful way to reflect on the legacy of those who came before us and to celebrate the vibrant Catholic education community we are proud to be part of.
Save The Dates - Term 3
Whole School Christian Meditation - St Mary of the Cross Feast Day - Friday 8 August 8:45am
Sacramental Masses - Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 August
Years 3, 4 & 5 Class Mass - Thursday 21 August 9am
Youth Mass - Sunday 24 August 5:30pm
Prep & Year 6 Class Mass - Thursday 28 August 9am
Years 1 & 2 Class Mass - Thursday 4 September 9am
Samaritan Day - Friday 19 September
A Prayer for Catholic Education Week
Loving God,
We thank You for the gift of Catholic education—
for the communities of faith, hope and love
that help us grow in wisdom, knowledge and grace.
Bless our students, families, teachers and staff.
May our schools be places of welcome, compassion and truth,
where every person is valued and every heart is inspired.
Guide us to live the Gospel each day,
to walk together as Pilgrims of Hope,
and to shine Your light in all we do.
We pray in the name of Jesus,
our teacher and guide.
Amen.
God bless,
Maria
Learning Corner
LEARNING and TEACHING
Every minute counts!
IT’s A TEAM EFFORT!
Last weekend I watched my grandson participate in a rowing regatta. The importance of teamwork is evident. The more members in the team, the greater the importance of working together. The ‘eights’ is my favourite event as it demonstrates teamwork at its best. To see how well the team works together to keep in time with oars going in and out of the water at the same time is like a well-choreographed dance movement.
Cooperation doesn’t just happen. The team spent many hours in training with every member present and on time for every training session. Every member participated by listening to and following the advice of the coach. Every team member supported and encouraged each other.
At the beginning of the season, the coach focused on building the team's skills and did not mention their times or place in a race. Once the skills were in place and a team spirit was established, they shifted their focus to strategies that would improve their times and ultimately aim for a win.
Learning is no different. A child’s success with learning is achieved through a team effort. If a team member does not participate, the result will not be the best we can provide for the child.
Just like the rowing, each child comes to school (training) on time and ready to listen, respond, and learn new skills.
They treat each other and all adults with courtesy and respect, as this is the expectation and practice at home and when participating in after school activities.
Their focus is on doing their best, not on being better than anyone else.
They are taught to take responsibility for their actions and understand that their choices bring consequences, some positive, some negative. They are not supported in developing the attitude that it is someone else’s fault if they do not succeed.
The above will happen in a perfect world. We do not have a perfect world, and there will be times when a member of your child’s learning team will not be able to meet the expectations. It is at times like this that the team spirit comes to the fore and the team takes on the role of problem solving and support without judgement or criticism.
As a school, the best opportunities for support and learning arise when you, (parents/carers) see yourselves as vital members of your child’s Learning Team.
PREMIER’S READING CHALLENGE
1/2B has read 1121 books (233.54% of the target of 480) - they are way over our progress chart!
5B has read 590 books (157.33% of the target of 375) - they are off the chart too!
3/4B has read 310 books (64.58% of the target of 480)
1A has read 309 books (67.17% of the target of 460)
3A has read 162 books (38.57% of the target of 420)
PB has read 120 books (37.5% of the target of 320)
6A has read 90 books (20.69% of the target of 435)
4/5A has read 72 books (15% of the target of 480)
PA has read 40 books (11.76% of the target of 340)
2A has read 5 books (1.14% of the target of 440)
I heard a parent say that they had four completed reading records at home ready to send in. How will that change the tally?
If you have reading records at home - do send them in.
Only a few weeks left!
Keep up the book sharing and reading and remember to bring your reading records to the library.
Enjoy the week ahead
Rita
Youth Anxiety
Guidance Counsellor
Class in the Spotlight - 3A
It’s been a jam-packed and exciting week in 3A! We’ve been diving into the world of living things, learning how to group them by what we can see, and now even by what we can smell! 🌿 Mr Matt snapped some cheeky pics of us in action on the iPad, and let’s just say... we quickly discovered that some of us love the smell of herbs, while others weren’t so sure!
We’ve also been absolutely loving our time with the Atlases lately. We’ve been hunting down well-known places across Australia, learning where they are and what makes them special. There’s something so fun about flipping through the pages, spotting places we’ve visited (and adding new ones to our bucket list!).
And to finish on a calm note, we’ve been enjoying peaceful meditation sessions out on the Mandala. It’s such a beautiful space to relax, reflect, and recharge.
Athletics Carnival
Birthdays
Jonah Wilson, Kayan Johnson, Andi Perry, Lachlan Elton, Kurtis Scovazzi, Penelope Donald,
Logan Hayne, Harrison Dwyer, Noah McNamara, Seiarah Turner, William Condon,
Violet Farr, Arthur Cohen, Layla Morris.
Community
