LINKS: Term Two, Week Five

From the Principal

TCS Leadership Forum

This week, Goondiwindi plays host to the Toowoomba Catholic Schools Leadership Forum with Senior Leaders from TCS and Principals from across the Toowoomba Diocese gathering in Goondiwindi for Professional Learning and, this week, a retreat. I would like to thank everyone who has assisted in welcoming this group to our community and helping to prepare for our hosting commitment. All of our staff, particularly grounds and office staff, have been working hard behind the scenes to showcase what St Mary’s School and Goondiwindi has to offer. I would also like to thank Mrs Karra Suhr, Mrs Benita Klowss and our students who assisted in leading beautiful and meaningful liturgies throughout the forum. With Mr Shaw and Mr Goodes being away with Secondary camps, I’d also like to thank Mrs Karra Suhr for being Acting Principal this week.

Parent Engagement Network:

Our first PEN Forum was held on Tuesday 13^th May. I would like to thank and congratulate Mr Andrew Erbacher who was elected as Chair for this new group. Thanks also to the parents who joined us to start the discussion on how this new parent body can best serve our community. We are still seeking a secretary, so if you are interested, please let myself or Andrew know. We look forward to our Term 3 PEN Forum on Tuesday 12^th August - more information to come!

Mums at the Movies

Last Wednesday night 14^th May, we celebrated our mums with “Mums at the Movies” – thanks to all who could join us and we hope you had a great evening. Thanks also to staff who organised this great event.

Camps and Work Experience

This week our Years 7 and 8 students are away at camp, while our Years 9 and 10 students are away enjoying some valuable Work Experience. Good luck and enjoy students! Thanks to the staff who have helped organise these activities for our students.

Steps 4 Strength

On Friday 31st May, St Mary’s School will host Maddie Mortimer from 12 – 3pm on her 21 half marathons in 21 days challenge. Maddie is at St Mary’s on Day 6.

Maddie will run 35 laps of the school and will start as close to 12pm as possible, she should finish by 2.45pm. Each class will run a small part of the way with Maddie and student running should be completed by 1.15pm. They will have normal lunch and can cheer Maddie on around the fences. She anticipates finishing about 2.30/2.45pm at which time we will gather in the Centenary Centre to thank Maddie and for Maddie to thank the students.

Please note: Maddie will have a film crew with her filming a documentary about Mental Health. We will use the standard media release as per student enrolments, however, if you wish your child not to be filmed for this event, please advise the school office.

Staffing announcement

I am so pleased to announce that Mrs Bernie Makim has accepted the Secondary Teacher position until the end of the year. Bernie will be working Monday to Wednesday in the secondary. Bernie has been taking these classes since the start of this term and we are thrilled to have her on board for the remainder of the year.

The Careers Development role is still in the recruitment process and we will update you when we know more.

Op Shop Volunteers

The St Mary’s Op Shop are seeking volunteers to assist. If you are interested, or know of anyone who would be interested, please contact Annette Billsborough on: annetteb06@bigpond.com

Angela Collins
Principal

From the Deputy Principal

Hello St Mary’s community,

This week I am away on the Year 7 Camp at Burleigh Heads. It will be a great opportunity to spend time with the Year 7 students and see them encouraging each other as they stretch themselves by stepping out of their comfort zones. We have a wonderful camp program at St Mary’s. School camps offer students an opportunity to build independence, teamwork, and resilience in a fun, outdoor setting. They strengthen friendships, boost confidence, and create lasting memories. Through hands-on activities and new experiences, students grow socially and emotionally, making camps a valuable part of their education. Our Year 8 students are also on camp this week, and our Year 9 and 10 students are undertaking work experience.

A huge congratulations to all the students and staff involved in the 'No Ill Feeling' musical over the weekend. St Mary’s School was proudly represented both on stage and behind the scenes. It was a fantastic celebration of community spirit and talent. A special thank you to our incredible music teacher and president of Performing Arts Goondiwindi, Benita Klowss, for her outstanding direction of the show. Her boundless energy, enthusiasm, and dedication continue to amaze!

God bless,

John Shaw
Deputy Principal

Religious Life

Dear Students, Families, and Staff,

The past two weeks have been a profound time of faith, reflection, and celebration in our school’s religious life. Our mission and identity are at the heart of everything we do, and these special events have strengthened our collective spirit and deepened our connection to our Catholic values.

One of the most significant moments was in welcoming a new Pope to lead our Church. Pope Leo XIV brings with him a deep commitment to unity, faith, and service. During his inaugural Mass at the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV emphasised the importance of love and unity, reminding us that the Church must be a place that nurtures communion and understanding.

Our Year 7 Retreat Day was centered around the theme of ‘Come as Guest’. It was a great day and a wonderful opportunity for students to reflect, grow in their faith, and strengthen bonds with one another. I would like to congratulate the Year 7 students for their energy and enthusiasm they brought to the retreat.

Last Wednesday evening, we also had the joy of celebrating Mum’s at the Movies, A huge thank you to those Mums and grandmothers who joined us for a lovely evening.

Last Sunday, our Year 7 students attended Mass and were presented with their school ties from members of our parish. This is a lovely tradition that shows the strong bond we have with our parish. A huge thank you to those families who joined us for the morning.

Additionally, this week our school is hosting the Leadership Forum in Goondiwindi. This is a week of professional learning and collaboration among principals and senior staff from Toowoomba Catholic Schools. On Monday evening our school organised the welcome liturgy. I would like to thank Jarin Charles, Leah Clarke and Gurshaan Dhaliwal for their participation in this. These students attended the liturgy after their work experience for the day and then got changed into their school uniforms and came to participate in the liturgy. Congratulations Jarin, Leah & Gurshaan you should  be so proud of the way you conducted yourselves. 

On Tuesday morning, a number of students were also involved in the morning prayer for the Leadership Forum. A huge thank you to Mrs Klowss, Mrs Winter and the Cherubim choir who sang beautifully. I would also like to thank those students who read a part of the prayer, Tara Sim, Lucy Hanna, Abbey Clarke, Evie Coulton, George Frost, Olivia Gooderham, Ben Gleeson and Georgina Mooney. These students all learnt their parts so well and represented their school with pride. A huge thank you to our parents who dropped the children off and helped them to learn parts.

2026 Year 7 Intentions:

The school is beginning to prepare budgets for 2026. We ask that all current Year 6 parents fill out the Microsoft Form stating their child’s secondary education intentions by 30^th May. This will greatly assist with staffing, IT resources and timetabling. The form can be accessed here: https://forms.office.com/r/bWMqA0AvxE

A huge thank you to those parents who have already completed this.

National Reconciliation Week:

Next week, we join the nation in marking National Reconciliation Week, a time for reflection, learning, and strengthening relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. This year's theme reminds us of the importance of truth, respect, and unity in creating a better future. Our Year 7 students will lead a special liturgy at assembly on Friday, 30th May at 8:45am. This gathering will be an opportunity for our school community to come together in prayer and reflection.

Mercy Day:

On Friday 27^th June the school will be holding its annual Mercy Day. This is a day for us to remember and learn about our founder, the Sisters of Mercy and celebrate the 114 years of education at St Mary’s. During the day we will be holding rotational activities. Students will have the opportunity to choose an activity of their choice (fishing, craft, cooking etc). We are seeking volunteers to help run an activity (with a teacher). If you would like to come in from 11:15am – 12:45pm on Mercy Day please send me an email so I can add you to a group. An outline of the day will be published in the coming weeks.  

Karra Suhr
Assistant Principal Mission & Identity

Secondary News

This week, our Year 7 students are enjoying an engaging beach camp at Burleigh Heads, while our Year 8 students are building outdoor skills and resilience during their journey camp in Noosa. As staff members involved in these activities, we look forward to connecting with students in a relaxed setting, fostering their growth as they challenge themselves physically, mentally, and socially. These camps also utilise the outdoor classroom to teach valuable concepts that extend beyond traditional lessons, supporting the holistic development of each student.

Exploring the concept of ‘Happy Chemicals’

(natural neurochemicals that boost our wellbeing)

Dopamine (Celebrate)

Dopamine is responsible for that great feeling you get when you achieve a goal. Breaking down big goals into little “sub-goals” creates lots of little finish lines. At each finish line dopamine is released (if it’s celebrated) and this provides the motivation to continue with determination (It’s crucial to celebrate in some way).

Oxytocin (Give)

Oxytocin creates trust and builds healthy relationships. The cultivation of oxytocin is essential for creating strong bonds and improving social interactions. Interpersonal connections such as handshakes, hugging or giving somebody a gift can be used to keep oxytocin flowing and therefore strengthen work and personal relationships. It is sometimes referred to as the “cuddle hormone”.

Serotonin (live and re-live)

Serotonin flows when you feel significant or important. Unhealthy attention-seeking behavior can be a cry out for what serotonin brings. Being grateful and having good experiences helps to produce serotonin because they remind us that we are valued and have much to live for. So, create opportunities to reflect on past achievements, victories and special memories (photographs, music, and smells can help).

Endorphins (exercise and laughter)

Endorphins are released in response to pain and stress and help to alleviate anxiety and depression. It acts as a painkiller and sedative, diminishing our perception of pain. Exercise, dark chocolate, spicy foods and smells such as vanilla and lavender have been linked with the production of endorphins.

By developing habits to consciously stimulate these chemicals—such as celebrating small successes, showing kindness, reflecting on positive memories, or engaging in exercise—we can enhance our mental health and live more balanced, fulfilling lives.

Understanding and intentionally fostering these ‘happy chemicals’ is a simple but powerful way to promote overall wellbeing.

Bevin Goodes
Assistant Principal Secondary

Pastoral

Creating a Culture of Kindness

Kindness is a silent smile, a friendly word, a nod of encouragement. Kindness is the single most powerful thing we can teach children.” (Random Acts of Kindness Foundation)

Our URSTRONG Friendship program teaches students skills to manage conflict. To keep things simple, we define conflict into two categories: Friendship Fires and Mean-on-Purpose behaviour. By teaching our students to respond to conflict in a healthy way and stand up to ‘Mean-on-Purpose’ behaviour, we are endeavouring to create a culture of kindness at St Mary’s.

Witnessing kindness inspires kindness, causing it to spread across our school community. This term, we are attempting to encourage kindness with our ‘Kind on Purpose’ jar. This jar provides our primary students the opportunity to nominate students who are displaying ‘Kind on Purpose’ behaviour both in the classroom and the playground.

Students will learn to look out for one another and learn to “pay it forward.” This means that one good act amongst our school community can create a domino effect to improve the day of many!

Our Year Six leaders will be drawing two names out of the jar at Monday morning parade.

For more information or pastoral concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Nicki Wyllie
Middle Leader: Pastoral

Nicola.wyllie@twb.catholic.edu.au

Sports Report

As we approach Week 5, we begin our preparation for the Athletics Carnival. Please see the information below regarding pre-events and events on the day. A program for the day will be released in the coming weeks.

Fosbury Flop Permission Form

Students in Grades 5+ will be learning the Fosbury flop technique at school.  Students aged 11+ can use this technique at the High Jump Event, however, we need your signed consent for them to do so. A form has been sent home with students. Please complete the form and return it to the school office by Friday 30th May. 

Event Information – Years 3 to 10

Track Events: Timed heats with ribbons, house championship and age championship points allocated according to fastest times in each event.

Discus: Competitive discus is to be completed in Week 5 (Wednesday 21^st May at Gilberts Oval). Students who wish to compete for a ribbon in this event, age champion or qualify for Mac Zone MUST attend the competition afternoon on Wednesday 21st May. The discus event on carnival day, will be a fun activity with no measurements.

• 2015s (boys & girls): 3:15pm - 4:00pm
• 2014s (boys & girls): 4:00pm - 4:45pm
• 2013s (boys & girls): 4:45pm - 5:30pm

Shot Put: To be completed during HPE lesson in Week 8 and top ten compete at the carnival.

High Jump: Year 3- 6 will complete this during school time on Tuesday 18th June and Wednesday 19^th June as per timetable below. Students who wish to participate are to wear HPE uniform on these days. 13 years + will complete this during the allocated time at the carnival.

Long Jump: To be completed during the allocated time at the carnival (Years 3-6). Year 7 & 8 – Friday 20th June during HPE - 11.15am-1.15pm. Year 9 & 10 – Tuesday 17th June during HPE - 2pm- 3pm.

Pre-Carnival High Jump Timetable

Darling Downs Rugby League

Congratulations to Fred Giltrow who was successful in making the Darling Downs Rugby League team last week. Fred will represent DD in Mount Isa at the end of Term 2. All the best, Fred!

Mac Zone Cross Country

Good luck to the following students who are representing the Mac Zone Team at Darling Downs Trials on Tuesday, 20th May:

10 Years Girls: Laura Bourchier, Lucy Illing, Scarlett Dowling.

10 Years Boys: Ace Johns, Flynn McNaulty, Thomas Leadbetter, Archer Heath.

11 Years Girls: Bridie Doherty, Payton McNaulty, Lucy Coleborn, Ivy Offerdahl, Bella McInnerney.

11 Years Boys: Joey Rocks, James Benson, Sandy McClymont, Finn De Bortoli.

12 Years Girls: Lotte Persse, Emma McDougall, Maggie Prior, Georgia Wild.

Mac Zone Touch

Congratulations the following students who will represent Mac Zone at the Darling Downs Touch Football trials on Tuesday 10^th June: Bridie Doherty, Kate Quinlan, Lotte Persse, Piper Rose, Grace Vukovich, Georgia Wild, Hudson Derbidge, Charlie North and Jim Jekyll.

Mac Zone Rugby Union

Good luck to the following students who are attending Darling Downs Rugby Union Trials on Wednesday 28^th May and Thursday 29^th May: Jim Jekyll, Hudson Derbidge, Charlie North, James Benson, Oscar Browne, and Harrison Carey.

Mac Zone Tennis

Best of luck to Alfred Charles, Charlie North, James Benson, Thomas Leadbetter, Lotte Persse, Bridie Doherty and Kate Quinlan who are competing at the Mac Zone Tennis trials are on Thursday, 22^nd May!

Mac Zone Soccer

Best of luck to the following students who will be representing the Mac Zone Soccer Team at Darling Downs Trials on Thursday, 29th May in Dalby: Thomas Leadbetter, Charlie Carrigan, Oscar Eulenstein and Piper Rose.

Broncos Cup

Best of luck to Zara Dennis, Grace Leadbetter, Bronte Dennis, Lara Schmidt, Eliza Scudamore, Toscane De Lavigne Sainte Suzanne and Anabelle Hilton who will compete in Round 2 of Broncos Cup Netball in Warwick on Thursday 29^th May.

Term 2 Primary Sport Dates

Term 2 Secondary Sport Dates

Rommy Beckinsale 
Middle Leader: Sport

rommy.beckinsale@twb.catholic.edu.au

Library News

Step Into Stories

Last Thursday, as part of the ‘Step Into Stories’ festival, our Year 2 cohort along with 3R were able to ‘meet’ author Kylie Howarth.

Kylie was very engaging, showing the students how she incorporates art into her stories and also the influences her two sons have had on her writing.

Many students are keen to read ‘Kev and Trev’ following the presentation and we are looking forward to another Kev and Trev book coming in August. ‘Chip’ was also a crowd favourite!

Happy reading!

If you have any questions or concerns, please email the library staff at:

goondiwindilib@twb.catholic.edu.au

Bookclub

BOOK CLUB ISSUE 3 items have arrived and will be distributed Thursday.

Please call the school if you do not receive your items.

All purchases contribute to funds for our school library with all popular fiction titles in our library purchased due to the funds raised through orders – we are most grateful for this – THANK YOU!

If you have any questions or concerns, please email the library staff at:

goondiwindilib@twb.catholic.edu.au

Guidance Counsellor

Young People and Drugs (YPAD) Workshop

This full-day workshop targets practitioners who work directly with young people aged 12 - 25 years in a one-on-one capacity, including youth workers, AOD workers/clinicians, child safety officers, youth justice workers, residential support workers, youth support coordinators, school-based youth health nurses, Indigenous health workers, mental health professionals, guidance officers and employment and vocational staff.

The training provides an overview of youth alcohol and other drug (AOD) use including:

• history, context, and background to AOD policy in Australia
• stats and current trends in youth AOD use
• understanding AOD-related harm
• responding to AOD-related risk
• building resilience with young people
• engagement and assessment
• matching interventions to readiness for change (stages of change)
• motivational interviewing concepts and practices
• practical tips for working with young people with AOD issues.

Cost: Free!

Registrations essential: YPAD Toowoomba

Facilitators: Laura Quinlan and Karen Petty

Phone: (07) 3837 5621 Email: dovetail@health.qld.gov.au

Paul Fomiatti
Guidance Counsellor 

E Paul.Fomiatti@twb.catholic.edu.au 

Careers

This week, our Year 9 and Year 10 students have been actively engaged in their work experience placements, gaining valuable insights into a variety of industries including education, health, agriculture, and local government. On Tuesday, our staff reached out to check in with students, and we were delighted to hear that all were enjoying their placements and settling in well. Supervisors have shared glowing feedback, describing our students as a pleasure to host.

We are incredibly grateful to the local businesses and service providers who have welcomed our students and provided such enriching opportunities. A heartfelt thank you to:

Goondiwindi Hospital, Goondiwindi State School, Goondiwindi Regional Council, Dillon Mechanical Pty Ltd, Goondiwindi District Childcare, Bollon State School, Goondiwindi Physiotherapy Centre, Hayes Spraying, Kenway and Clark, and Gracie Griffiths Data Ag.

Your support plays a vital role in helping our students explore future career pathways and develop real-world skills.

Christine Border 
Middle Leader/Secondary Teacher & Literacy Coach

Parent Engagement Network

Last week was the first forum for Parent Engagement Network (PEN). PEN is a new structure, replacing the P&F and SAC (“the board”), with the purpose of fostering parent engagement and supporting the school in implementing the Strategic Plan. Similar to the P&F, PEN will hold forums once per term as an opportunity for the broader school community to have their voice heard.

The PEN has two elected positions; a Chair and Secretary. I have accepted the role of Chair. Unfortunately, the Secretary position was not able to be filled, so we were unable to ratify the constitution.

PEN activities/events will be coordinated by working parties, the first being Starry Starry night. Denise Ellis will act as working party coordinator for this event. Keep an eye out for the call for volunteers for this and think about how you can contribute – many hands make light work.

Our priority is to fill the role of secretary so we move forward in supporting the school. If you have been thinking about getting involved, this is your opportunity.

Andrew Erbacher
PEN - Chair

COMMUNITY NEWS