Dear Parents

At our opening school mass, Father Roy shared the story of The Pencil:

Before a pencil was placed in the box, the pencil maker gave it five important lessons. 

1. You can do great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in someone’s hand.
2. You will experience sharpening, which may be painful, but it will make you better.
3. You can correct any mistakes you make.
4. The most important part of you is what’s inside.
5. Wherever you go, you must leave your mark.

Jesus says, “You are the light of the world. Let your light shine before others.” This means that, like a pencil, we are meant to bring goodness into the world.

How can we be like a pencil?

1. Be in God’s hands – Just like the pencil needs someone to hold it to write, we need to allow God to guide us. 
2. Embrace challenges – The pencil becomes sharper when it is sharpened, even though it hurts. In the same way, sometimes life is hard, and we face difficulties. But these challenges help us grow stronger, wiser and kinder.
3. Fix your mistakes – A pencil has an eraser to correct mistakes. We, too, make mistakes, but God always gives us a chance to correct them, say sorry and try again.
4. What’s inside matters – The most important part of a pencil is the lead inside. For us, what matters most is our heart—our spirit. our kindness, honesty, and love for others
5. Leave a mark – A pencil is meant to write and leave a mark. We are also meant to make the world a better place through our words and actions. Every kind act, every good deed, and every loving word is a mark that we leave behind.

Living as the Light of the World.

Be like a pencil in God’s hand. Let Him guide you, accept challenges, correct your mistakes, focus on your heart, and always leave a mark of goodness. That is how we will truly be the light of the world.

A simple, yet powerful message. How are you a pencil? What mark do you leave on others?

Katherine Boot,

Principal

Week  4
Tuesday, February 18

• 8:30 Parent Engagement - Coffee on the Deck

Wednesday, February 19

• 5:30 NAPLAN Parent Information Zoom for Year 3 & 5 parents

Friday, February 21

• 8:30 Assembly - 6A leading prayer

Week  5
Tuesday, February 25

• 8:30 Parent Engagement - Coffee on the Deck
• 5:15 Family Engagement - Hotdogs & Handball

Friday, February 28

• 8:30 Assembly 

Saturday, March 1

• 4:15 Introduction to Sacramental Program + Reconciliation preparation session 1 in the Hall
• 5:30 Parish Mass - sacramental candidates encouraged to attend

Week  6 
Prep Vision Screening 

Monday, March 3

NAPLAN Practice Writing - Year 5

Tuesday, March 4

• Shrove Tuesday - 
• Years 5 and 6 bring a plate of pancakes to sell
• All years bring 50c to purchase a pancake
• School Photo Day 
• Correct school uniform required - extravagant hair pieces will be removed for photos

Wednesday, March 5

• Ash Wednesday
• 10:00 Liturgy in the church

Thursday, March 6

• NAPLAN Practice Omnibus - Year 3 & 5

Friday, March 7

• 8:30 Assembly - 5A leading prayer

• 9:15 - Cross Country Walkthrough

Saturday, March 8

• 4:15 Reconciliation preparation session 2 in the Hall
• 5:30 Parish Mass - sacramental candidates encouraged to attend

Week  7 - BOOK FAIR
The library is open between 8:10-8:30 and 2:50-3:30 for parents to purchase books.

Tuesday, March 11

• 8:30 Parent Engagement - Coffee on the Deck
• 5.00 - 6.00 Classroom Open Night
• Book Fair open during this time

Wednesday, March 12

• 9:00 NAPLAN - Writing

Thursday, March 13

• 9:00 NAPLAN - Reading
• 2:15 Assembly

Friday, March 14

• Year 3 - Year 6 Cross Country at the Northern Reserve

Saturday, March 15

• 4:15 Reconciliation preparation session 3 in the Hall
• 5:30 Parish Mass - sacramental candidates encouraged to attend

Week  8

Monday, March 17

St Patrick’s Day - wear a green shirt with the remaining school uniform

2:15 Year 4 Liturgy in the Church 

Tuesday, March 18

• 8:30 Parent Engagement - Coffee on the Deck
• 9:00 NAPLAN - Conventions of Language

Wednesday, March 19

• 9:00 NAPLAN - Numeracy

Friday, March 21

• 8:30 Assembly - 4A Leading prayer

Week  9
Parent -Teacher interviews - recommended for families in Term 1

Tuesday, March 25

• 8:30 Parent Engagement - Coffee on the Deck
• 1:50 Reconciliation in the church

Friday, March 28

• 8:30 Assembly
• Prep - Year 2 Cross Country at MoGC 

Week 10
Parent -Teacher interviews - recommended for families in Term 1

Tuesday, March 25

• 8:30 Parent Engagement - Coffee on the Deck

Friday, March 28

• 8:30 Assembly 
• 11:15 Holy Week Liturgy in the church

Thank you to the parents/carers and family members who joined us for our beginning of the year whole school Mass on Friday, February 7. It was our first opportunity to gather in the church as a school community, with our Prep classes joining us until the Homily.

Ash Wednesday signifies the beginning of Lent, which is the liturgical season when we prepare for Easter. During Lent, Catholics are asked to practise three things: pray, alms giving and fasting. Catholics over the age of 14 are asked to fast twice a year, on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

On Wednesday, March 5 classes attend our Ash Wednesday liturgy in the church at 10am. 

Project Compassion, run by Caritas, is our fundraising opportunity for Term 1. Our fundraising for Caritas will start the day before Ash Wednesday when we sell pancakes on Shrove Tuesday. Students are invited to purchase a pancake which has been supplied by our families in Year 5 and Year 6. During Lent (the time between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday) we will have a collection box in each classroom. Teachers educate our students on what the money donated can buy for people in need, based on the information available from Caritas. In the past students have given up weekly treats such as ice creams and donated the saved funds to Project Compassion.  

The Introduction to the Sacramental Program starts on Saturday, March 1 for those families who have registered their child. Information sessions commence at 4:15pm in the hall, followed by parish mass in the church at 5:30pm. 

Each sacrament has three dedicated preparation session:

• Reconciliation: Saturday, March 1,  Saturday, March 8 and Saturday, March 15.
• Confirmation: Saturday, May 10, Saturday, May 17 and Saturday, May 24.
• First Eucharist:  Saturday May 31, Saturday, June 7 and Saturday, June 14.

Thank you to the parents and carers who joined us for last week’s Parent Information sessions. These evenings consolidate the partnership required to educate our students. Home-school partnerships have a positive impact on students’ motivation, engagement, behaviour, and academic and social outcomes.

In effective partnerships, families and schools recognise their shared interest in and responsibility for children and collaborate to create shared goals, share information, and enhance opportunities for children’s learning. They create constructive connections between home and school settings that promote positive educational and social outcomes.

While the explicit teaching and learning take place at school, it is imperative that consolidation opportunities are fostered at home. Reading to students daily and having them read aloud, engaging with spelling activities, and practising foundational math skills (counting, basic facts, scheduling etc) are necessary at-home activities to maximise growth.

House-hold chores, setting up routines and day-to-day scheduling assist children develop their organisational and executive functioning skills.

School fees will be sent to families in the week commencing Monday, February 17.

Upon the presentation of appropriate government support cards (e.g. Health Care Card), a 70% rebate is applied to the tuition component of school fees. It is the responsibility of parents to present their card and complete the appropriate paperwork. 

If your family has hit a hard point and are feeling overwhelmed with financial pressure, there are processes in place for financial fee support. No child will be denied a Catholic education due to finances. Please contact accounts.nthcairns@cns.catholic.edu.au for a conversation regarding the support available.

Families are invited to our Hotdogs and Handball engagement event on Tuesday, February 25 from 5:15pm until 6:15pm. Come along to enjoy a Hotdog and a game of handball. To assist with catering, an electronic registration slip has been emailed to your registered email address.

We love having families actively involved in our community and their child’s education. Our Cairns Catholic Education Encounter Catholic Identity Framework contains four elements that are key to how we work and live and guide our daily work and decisions.

Earlier this week, links to our recorded Parent Information sessions were sent to parents via Seesaw .

Other parent participation and partnership opportunities include

• Coffee 8:30 - 9:00 each Tuesday
• Our tuckshop welcomes volunteers each Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
• Once routines have been established, classroom teachers will be looking for volunteers
• Whole School assemblies on the basketball court
• Parent Engagement events - working bees, Hotdogs & Handball, Wine & Pizza
• Masses and Liturgies
• Camps & excursions
• Parish Sacramental Program (Years 4-6)
• Open Night for parents and students in classrooms 
• Parent-Staff meetings and interviews
• Library book covering, coffee and a chat
• Sporting Events
• Term 1 Cross Country, Term 2 Athletics, Term 3 Swimming
• MoGC Connect events
• Disco, Mother’s/Father’s Day, Fathering Project, Uniform Swap
• And so much more!

There is a legislative requirement that any volunteers at our school must fulfil the following

• Be a parent OR hold a Blue Card for working with Children
• Complete Volunteer Training(Online, available on our school website) every 2 calendar years
• Sign in and out, at the office, for every volunteer session

On Tuesday, March 11 families are invited to visit classrooms between 5:00pm and 6:00pm.This is a student lead tour; a time to share the learning that has taken place so far this term, and an opportunity for you to say hi to your child’s classroom teacher.

This week we commence our 2026 Prep enrolment interviews. If you, a family member or friend have a child commencing Prep next year, please contact the office or submit an online enrollment form to secure your interview placement.

Outside School Hours Care is currently at capacity. With this number of students, more areas of the school are required for them to utilise. Therefore, playgrounds are not available for family use after school. 

We have two playgrounds that are purposely and specifically designed to meet the needs and developmental age of our students:

The Prep-Year 2 space has a variety of structures that students engage with, along with the Nature Space area for creative play. Until students can reach the monkey bars, there are many other options for them to take risks and develop their gross motor skills. Students have access to the Nature Play space at lunch breaks. It is not to be accessed before school as there are less staff on duty at this time.

The Year 3-6 playground incorporates more complex equipment and moving parts. It is not designed for students in Prep, Year 1 or 2, and younger siblings.

Our 2025 Justice Squad has begun. Year 6 students are rostered to make sandwiches each week which are then given to Rosies so they can feed people in need and on the streets. This is part of our outreach and social justice program. 

The 2025 Playground Guardians have now been trained and have started in their roles this week. Our playground guardians wear a vest that will make them easy to identify. They carry a ‘playground report’ book and look for positive behaviours, these form our Kids Who Care Nominations that they draw from the box at assembly each week. 

The role of a playground guardian is to:

• Roam the junior playground chatting to the children eg ask them how their weekend was, get to know their names
• Help children join into games, play by the rules, teach them games
• Assist with solving minor disputes or arguments 
• Refer major disputes to teacher on duty
• Make sure everyone is wearing a hat
• Help juniors pack up the sand play equipment

Our Year 6 Students have begun the Library Monitor Role. The students are on a roster and spend playtimes in the library helping younger students find a book or activity to do at lunchtime. 

Please ensure students are in the correct, full school uniform on this day. 

School photographs are scheduled to be taken by NQ School Photography. Whilst an envelope and flyer will be distributed this week, ordering needs to be completed online prior to the day.

Orders for packages and sibling photographs can be placed securely online at https://orders.nqsp.com.au/ordering/with?key=F4YS4NYF. Further information and a QR can be found below. Portrait and group package orders are due by photography day.

Should you wish to purchase a sibling photograph online, the order must be placed no later than the day before photography day. Sibling photographs will only be taken if an order has been placed.

Should you have any queries concerning school photographs or online ordering, please contact https://www.nqsp.com.au  

Year 3 and 5 students sit the National Assessment Program: Numeracy & Literacy (NAPLAN). NAPLAN assesses elements of numeracy, reading, writing and conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) that students have been learning at school since Prep. 

Prior to the commencement of NAPLAN Online, staff work with students to access sample tests/questions on the Public Demonstration Site. Parents can also use this link to explore the tests and access information relating to the process. Students complete the tests on a 1:1 school-based device under the normal NAPLAN guidelines and protocols. 

We urge parents to highlight these dates onto family calendars so students are present. Students and staff will participate in NAPLAN Online practice tests prior to the testing period. This will give students the opportunity to experience the various question and response types. 

NAPLAN Online incorporates a tailored testing approach and therefore not all students will answer the same questions. An effective clip explaining Tailored Testing can be found here. This tailored testing approach will give families and MOGC more accurate results that identify areas of strength, and areas that require improvement in numeracy and literacy. At MOGC, we use this information to maintain or adjust our literacy and numeracy goals and programs to meet the needs of our students.

In the last Newsletter, we introduced the Social Emotional Programs utilised at Mother of Good Counsel. Over the next few newsletters, we’ll take a deeper dive into each of the programs. 

Second Step 

At MoGC, we recognise and celebrate that parents are the first educators of their children (the first step) and, at school, we are the second! The Second Step Program is the primary SEL curriculum explicitly taught across all year levels. Second Step promotes school success, connectedness and a safe and respectful environment by directly teaching students the skills that strengthen their ability to learn, manage emotions, have empathy and solve problems.

Each of these elements have been broken down further:

• Skills for Learning: A range of specific skills improve children’s ability to have self-control, so they have the capacity to learn better, including listening,       focusing attention, using self-talk and being assertive. 
• Emotion Management: Children who can recognise strong emotions and calm them down cope better and are less likely to be aggressive. Calm children can use other emotion-management skills to solve problems, which helps them get along better with others and make proactive choices.
• Empathy: Children with empathy tend to make better progress in school and be less aggressive. They also tend to be better liked and more socially skilled.
• Problem Solving: Children with problem-solving skills are less likely to be impulsive or aggressive. They tend to be more socially skilled and are better liked by their peers.

We're thrilled to extend an invitation for your child to participate in the Literary Section of the Cairns & District Junior Eisteddfod! Supported by Mother of Good Counsel School and guided by MOGC's Leader of Learning and Teaching, Breye Buckland, this competition provides a platform for young writers to shine.

Competition Categories:Students can showcase their writing talents in the following categories:

• Creative Writing (Years 1 - 6)
• Poetry Writing (Years 1 - 6)
• Letter Writing (Years 1 - 6)
• Journalistic Report Writing (Years 1 - 6)
• Script Writing (Years 1 - 6)
• Speech Writing (Years 1 - 6)

Competition Guidelines:

• Students must independently compose an original text from the sections/topics provided in the attached Literary Schedule. Students may choose a maximum of two sections.
• Texts submitted must be the student’s original and unaided work. Parents will be required to sign a Declaration confirming this closer to the submission date.

Important Dates:

• Nomination Due: Friday, March 21
• Submit a response to the emailed home parent slip, including students' nominated section/s (maximum of 2).
• Payment: $9/section enclosed in an envelope labeled with your child's name, to be handed in at the office.
• Final Written Submissions Due: Friday, April 18
• In accordance with the Eisteddfod Rules, submit a typed and printed copy of each submission to Mrs. Buckland or the office.
• Attach a completed and signed Declaration for each submission.

Support Sessions:

Mrs. Buckland will offer lunchtime support sessions before and after the holidays, with the majority of work to be completed during the Easter holiday break.

How to Participate:

If your child hasn't nominated themselves for the Eisteddfod, please contact Breye Buckland, our Leader of Learning and Teaching, at bbuckland@cns.catholic.edu.au to receive a Parent Slip form.

We're excited to witness the creativity and talent of our young writers at the Cairns & District Junior Literary Eisteddfod!

Congratulations to Frankie for her amazing efforts at the recent 2025 QLD Sprint Championships in Brisbane. Frankie trained seven sessions each week over the school holidays to prepare for this event. Her training paid off and she swam incredibly well. Frankie managed three personal best times. What an achievement! 

This week, the TCC sporting trials commence. These trials are for students already engaged in their chosen sport who are wanting to challenge themselves to trial to represent MoGC, TCC and Peninsula. 

Parents and students have registered their nominations, and information details have been sent to families for those sports which trials are approaching.

A reminder of the sports available and their trial dates and venues.

Term 1 Trials

Term 2 Trials 

For more information about Peninsula School Sport, click here.

Last week was Safer Internet Day - a day where we take time to pause and reflect on what role we play in making the internet safer and more positive.

One way is to teach our children about their digital footprint.

A digital footprint is like a permanent record of online activity. Helping kids understand this early can protect them from potential risks and set them up for a positive online presence.

Tip of the week: Teach your child about their digital footprint

*Try this: Talk to your child about what’s okay to share online and what’s not. Use examples from real life to show how a post, comment, or photo can stay online forever - even if deleted.

For more expert advice on online safety, tune in to our podcast with the eSafety Commissioner, where we discuss protecting kids in the digital world.

Mother of Good Counsel subscribes to Happy Families, one of Australia's most trusted sources of parenting education and support. This subscription provides families with Insight articles (published here each fortnight) and opportunities to attend FREE online webinars.

Insight articles: 

• Compassion

• How to really play with your kids 

STUDENTS OF THE WEEK