2024 Term 3 Week 4

From the Principal - Lisa Cavanagh

Newsletter Report – Term 3 Week 4

Dear Holy Name Families,

Last week, all Catholic schools in Queensland celebrated Catholic Education Week.  This year’s theme of Communities of Faith, Hope and Love, with a particular focus in 2024 on Love, formed the focus of much of our celebrations.  Thank you to the staff and families who were able to attend our Launch Mass at Holy Name Parish.  Joining in community with the parish was a perfect beginning to the week.

Of the many planned celebrations throughout last week, three stand out in particular.

1. Catholic Schools Touch Carnival. Our year 5 and 6 students attended this inter-school Touch football carnival, along with Mrs Elmes, Mr Maloney, Mrs Melville and Mrs Taylor.  All the staff reported how well behaved our students were, and particularly the great sportsmanship displayed by our leaders.
2. TCS Excellence Awards. On Thursday evening, Mrs Manthey and I were privileged to attend the TCS Excellence Awards to support Mrs Elmes, who was a finalist in the Emerging Leader Category.  Each finalist had a short blurb published in the program, taken from their nomination, with the winner’s bio being presented during the awards ceremony.  Below is what was written about Mrs Elmes.

Sophie’s impact on the school community is immeasurable.  As a dedicated educator, she works tirelessly with students facing learning challenges and skilfully coordinates the Holy Name enrichment program.

Sophie’s collaborative approach involves analysing data and working closely with classroom teachers to identify specific areas of need for both underachieving and high-potential learners. Through her expert guidance, students engage in meaningful learning experiences that foster the use of the Holy Name Powers of the Mind; persistence, communication, reflection and collaboration.

Sophie’s commitment to ongoing professional development sets an inspiring example for the entire school community.  She actively seeks out learning opportunities to enhance her teaching practice, even dedicating her own time to her professional growth.  Sophie seamlessly integrates new knowledge into the school context, further elevating her already exemplary performance.

In recognition of our outstanding leadership, Sophie has been invited to join the Extended Leadership Team at Holy Name in 2024, where her invaluable insights continue to shape the school’s success.

1. Bishop’s Inservice Day. The staff gathered on Friday with over 1000 other Toowoomba Catholic School’s staff at St Mary’s College for the annual BID.  A thought-provoking keynote address by Dr Pat Coughlan, Executive Director of TCS, challenged all TCS staff to create in our school a space where we can tell a ‘better story’.  He also shared three pillars for schools to hold in the forefront of our minds as we create exemplary places of learning.  Every student should know the following things about their school:
   1. You are VALUED
   2. You are SAFE
   3. You will be SUCCESSFUL

This simple, yet powerful message, resonated with the staff and formed much of our conversation as we walked together back to Holy Name School.

The other topic of conversation was our fantastic guest presenter, Graeme Connors.  He shared through music and song how his lifelong Catholic faith has shaped his career and the music he writes.  He has left a lasting impact on many of us – you may even hear some of his songs pop up in our prayer celebrations.

Reminders

Just a couple of reminders to parents regarding supervision and communication.

1. Sentral – all documentation being sent home from the school is sent via the Sentral App. This includes information about excursions, permission slips, reporting, parent teacher interviews etc.  We have posted a reminder on the school Facebook page this week on how to download the App.  If you have any questions or have had difficulty accessing the App, please come and see Mary or Emma in the office, or ask a fellow parent to assist (our P&F team are always willing to help).
2. Drop-off and pick-up from school.
   1. Students are not supervised in the morning before school before 8:10am. Any student who does arrive at school earlier than this is to sit quietly under the Keegan buildings until the staff member comes out to duty.
   2. At the end of the school day, students are walked to the undercover area for collection, where they are supervised until 3:10pm. Any students still at school after this time then wait outside the office.  Vacancies exist in our OSHC program for families to access after school care if they are regularly unable to collect students of an afternoon.  Thank you to those families who contact the school office when they are occasionally running late – this enables us to let the students know and reduces anxiety of an afternoon.

Best wishes for the week ahead.  I will be attending the Leadership Forum in Chinchilla, with Mrs Manthey deputising in my absence.

God Bless

Lisa Cavanagh

In the Midst of Winter

Lord:
In the midst of Winter, when the days are cold and wind can pierce

remind us of the warmth of your love.
In the midst of Winter, when days are short, dawn comes late, and dusk arrives early

remind us that in the darkness your light still shines.
In the midst of Winter, when the flowers of spring still lie hidden in the earth, when leaves are off the trees, and the world can seem bleak
remind us that Easter is but a short time away.
And when in our lives we feel as if we are experiencing a season of winter, reach out to us with the power of your resurrection so that we may feel the warmth of your love and see your light that alone can take away the darkness of our soul.

- Cal Wick

BOOK WEEK DRESS UP PARADE

THE BOOK WEEK DRESS UP PARADE WILL BE HELD ON TUESDAY 20 AUGUST 2024 AT 8.30 AM

APRE News

APRE News

The Australian Liturgical calendar in August is a rich feast of two tremendous women of faith. We celebrate Australia’s first saint, Mary MacKillop on August 08, and then on August 15, we celebrate the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a Holy Day of Obligation.

Mary MacKillop Feast Day 08 August

Each year on 08 August, we celebrate the Solemnity of Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop, Australia’s beloved first saint and patron of our Archdiocese. On this day, we celebrate the important role she played in making education accessible for children in our country. Mary MacKillop devoted her life to ensuring a holistic Catholic education for children from rural, poor families.

St Mary MacKillop’s impact on Australian education was remarkable. She was a trailblazer and a leader who passionately advocated for the education of underprivileged children and children in remote areas where others either would or could not go. For such children and their families, Mary opened a door of hope into the future.

Students will be celebrating her dedication and service in classroom activities.

Prayer

Holy God, source of all goodness,

You show us in Mary MacKillop a woman of faith who lived by the power of the cross.

Teach us to embrace what she pioneered: new ways of living the Gospel that respect and defend the human dignity of all in our land.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary 15 August

The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary celebrates the entry of Mary into heaven, body and soul. We remember her deep faith and see her constant trust in God. We pray that we will be inspired by Mary’s life and see her as a model of commitment and devotion.

Prayer

Gracious and generous God,

You looked upon your faithful and trusting servant, Mary, and raised her up to live with you in glory. May we be inspired by her love for you and her faithfulness to doing your will.

We ask this through Jesus, your Son.

Amen

Blessings

Kerri-Ann Manthey

Prep Blue - Tennille Kauter

Prep / 1 Gold - Jodie Inskip

Year 2 - Kirralee Bronkhurst and Stacy Mills

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Year 3 - Marissa Dixon, Tilly Hose and Sarah McAllister

Year 4/5 Blue - Danni Canning

Year 5/6 Gold - Brook Marquart

HPE - Jenna Taylor

Toowoomba Catholic Carnival

P & F Trivia Night

Calling all trivia lovers! Get ready to show off your smarts at our P&F Fundraising Trivia Night. Bring your friends and family for a fantastic evening of games, laughs, and raising funds for our school. Don't miss out! 

Friday 16^th August 

5:30pm- 10:30pm 

The P&F would like to thank the following businesses for their Support as our Gold Sponsors:

• Hansford Constructions
• Dan James - Ray White Real Estate 

Silver Sponsors

• MM Electrical Toowoomba
• Think Water Toowoomba 
• ST8 Wide Electrical 
• Kreate It 
• Colonial Roofing 
• Evans Trim Shop 

To purchase tickets, follow the link: Holy Name P&F TRIVIA Night Tickets, Fri 16/08/2024 at 5:30 pm | Eventbrite

We will have limited spots available for the Child Minding. Be sure to grab your tickets early if you are going to be using this service. 

We look forward to seeing you all there!! Game On! 

P&F Team 

St Saviour's College Principal's Tour

AusKick

Warriors Softball

Outside School Hours Care