Dear Parents

Thank you for your support with our various community events last week.

 ❤️ Our Open Classroom evening was extremely well attended, and it was fantastic to see and hear students lead their families through their classroom and Term 1 learning. Notice and Wonder across a number of classrooms and the 5B country challenge had students and parents learning together!

 ❤️ Book Fair was a huge success. Through your generosity we can purchase books and resources that benefit all students.

 ❤️ Our Year 3-6 Cross Country was a huge success. Families and staff came together to ensure each and every student participated at their level and experienced the joy of crossing the finish line. 

Running isn't for everyone, yet our kids showed up and contributed to their team through points for the scoreboard and cheering for their friends. We regularly tell students that they are capable of doing hard things. Thank you parents! For encouraging and supporting your children to attend and, where possible, to participate. 

There's so much more to these events than competing! Building team spirit, engaging with students from other year levels, and celebrating the wins and supporting the losses of each other. 

From Monday, March 24 parent-teacher interviews are scheduled. This is an opportunity for parents to meet their child’s classroom teacher to briefly discuss the growth and wellbeing of their child. We are aiming for 100% parent engagement at these meetings.

Dear Lord

Help us to be like-minded, be sympathetic,
love one another,
be compassionate and humble."
- 1 Peter 3:8 -

Amen

Week  8

Monday, March 17

• St Patrick’s Day - wear a green shirt with the remaining school uniform
• 8:30 Irish dance performance on the basketball court
• 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

Thursday, March 20

• 2:15 Year 2 Liturgy in the Church

Friday, March 21

• Harmony Day - wear an orange shirt with the remaining school uniform
• 8:30 Assembly - 4A Leading prayer
• 9:00-10:00 MoGC shuts down in support of Earth Hour

Saturday, March 22

• NO Sacramental Program session this week - program resumes Saturday May 10
• 8:30pm Earth Hour
• Turn off power for one hour to show support for the environment.

Week  9

Parent -Teacher interviews - recommended for all 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 all families in Term 1

Tuesday, April 1

• 8:30 Parent Engagement - Coffee on the Deck

Friday, April 4

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

A huge thank you to the Year 6 Students involved in Justice Squad. They have made and donated over 100 sandwiches to Rosies this term. When the sandwiches were delivered in Week 6, Peter and Eunice asked if they could pass on a note of thanks to the students involved.

Thank you to 5A and Mrs Cooper who led our Prayer Assembly in Week 6. The students taught us about Lent through a very catchy song about Prayer, Fasting and Alms Giving. They also highlighted what it means to repent, and what we can do during Lent to help others and be more like Jesus. 

Our Sacramental Candidates have finished their preparation for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. After each session students were invited to attend parish mass, with some candidates carrying the processional cross or doing the offertory procession. For the past two weeks Bishop Joe Caddy has said mass at MoGC. It has been lovely to welcome him into our parish. Please keep the Sacramental candidates in your prayers as they prepare to celebrate the Sacrament on Tuesday, March 25. 

From Sunday March 30, Vinnies will be using school grounds periodically to run a Buddies Day Program. The Program aims to provide opportunities for self-development for primary school aged children by:

• Developing a sense of belonging through strengthening social connections and building friendships
• Providing positive role models for support and guidance
• Providing a safe and inclusive fun day out.

The core content for the Buddies Day Program is determined by the needs of the participants. Buddies Days incorporate the Vinnies values of commitment, compassion, respect, integrity, empathy, advocacy and courage. 

Year 4 Liturgy

On Monday, March 17, Year 4 celebrated a liturgy with a focus on St Patrick, with their Year 2 buddies. Students in Year 4 taught their buddies about why and how he is celebrated. Thank you to the parents that attended. 

Irish Dancing

Thank you to Isabella and Saoirse who performed an Irish Dance on Monday morning. We have been blessed with these performances over a number of years. Next year, as the girls move onto high school, we hope they continue to share their gift of dancing! ☘️

Mother of Good Counsel is committed to providing a safe and nurturing environment, where the rights and dignity of children are upheld and protected. Students have a right to a school that will act to protect them from any kind of harm. 

Concerns or reasonable suspicions we have about a student’s safety and wellbeing, or the behaviour of a staff member or volunteer which a student considers to be inappropriate, is managed in accordance with our Student Protection Processes and Guidelines outlined by Catholic Education, Diocese of Cairns. 

MoGC staff are mandatory reporters who receive annual and ongoing training in the area of child protection. An extended level of support is provided to students and staff by our Student Protection Contacts, who receive additional training. Student Protection Contacts:

• support students, staff and parents in creating and maintaining a child safe environment 
• are who students can report inappropriate staff behaviour  
• are a point of contact for students, parents, and staff regarding student protection concerns.

Parents and students should talk to the Student Protection Contacts, class teacher or Principal if there are concerns about the safety and wellbeing of any student, or concerns about the behaviour of a staff member or volunteer which they feel is inappropriate. All reports are taken seriously.

The staff at MoGC are currently engaged in professional learning around how to make simple classroom adjustments to support and explicitly teach Executive Functions in the school environment.

Executive function refers to the mental processes that help people set and carry out goals. These skills are used to solve problems, make plans and manage emotions. As society becomes more entrenched in the digital world and Artificial Intelligence , and children spend more time engaging online, the ability to think critically is heavily impacted.

While supporting students to develop Executive Functioning skills benefits teaching and learning in the classroom, the research also suggests strong executive functioning skills make a difference to your mental and physical health and quality of life.

The following resource may be a useful guide for supporting Executive Functions in the home environment.

https://www.positivepartnerships.com.au/uploads/Executive-Functioning-strategies.pdf

Earth Hour is a worldwide movement organised by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) where individuals, communities and businesses switch off non-essential lights for one hour, from 8:30pm to 9:30pm on Saturday, March 22, to demonstrate support for environmental action and climate change awareness

Staff and students will engage in Earth Hour this Friday, March 21 between 9:00 and 10:00.

To assist with the efficient and safe running of Stop-Drop-Go in the afternoons, this pick up zone is for students who can enter their car independently. Drivers are expected to remain in their car. Families of students who require support at this time are required to park and assist their child. 

At pick-up time, parents can collect their child from a designated meeting point inside school grounds, from the blue gate in front of the library or at the gate outside the Year 1 classrooms.

Please ensure adults who are involved in pick-ups are aware of these protocols.

From the Parent Handbook:

In Term 1 of each Year, parents are asked to attend a meeting with their child’s teacher to discuss their growth and progress. Information is sent to the registered email address of families and through Parent Teacher Online (PTO), parents choose a suitable 15-minute time slot. In Term 3, parent-teacher interviews are held at teacher or parent request.

These meetings take place in the final two weeks of school. Please check your inbox from next week to secure your preferred time. Email invitations are sent to the main contact registered through the enrolment process. Staff can accommodate ONE interview time per student. Families requiring an additional time slot can organise a meeting outside this two-week period.

In the last Newsletter, information was shared about the Zones of Regulation. This week, we explore Friendology.

Friendology is an internationally recognised friendship program that empowers children with the skills, language, and self-confidence to be better friends and develop healthier relationships. Children with healthy friendships perform better academically, have higher self-esteem, a more positive body image, get involved in more leadership roles and make smarter decisions in future relationships. The skills-based programming teaches children how to put a voice to their feelings, create healthy friendships and build a solid foundation for future relationships. Along with learning what’s normal in a friendship and the difference between healthy and unhealthy friendships, students also learn and practice a step-by-step approach for putting out common Friendship Fires (i.e. conflict) and how to combat Mean-on-Purpose behaviour (often confused with bullying).

We had so many families visit classrooms on Tuesday, March 11 for our open afternoon. It was lovely to see parents, grandparents, friends and other extended family members visit! Students loved the opportunity to show off their classroom and schoolwork. 

Research indicates that when families are actively involved in their child’s education, and schools and families work in partnership, student learning, mental health and wellbeing flourish. 

Thank you so much for supporting our Book Fair last week. We had record sales this year totalling $7540. The school will receive 30% of this back to spend on books and resources for learning, teaching and enjoyment! We hope you’re enjoying your purchases!

YEAR 3-6 CROSS COUNTRY

On Friday, March 14 students, staff and families cheered on runners in the Year 3-6 Cross Country. The course was clear and the grey skies kept the temperature cool, until unleashing the rain at the completion of the event. It was an enjoyable morning. A special mention to Ms Chapman for her organisation of this event.

The age champion results are outlined below. Students who placed as the top three runners were presented with their ribbons and medals on the day. The overall team trophy will be presented on Friday, March 28 after the Prep-Year 2 Cross Country.

We acknowledge that running isn’t for everyone! Thank you to the students who participated and contributed to their team. There are THREE points separating the three teams leading into the Junior Cross Country!

 Students born in 2015, 2014 and 2013 who placed in the top six of their event, are eligible to represent MOGC at the TCC Cross Country at Aeroglen Touch Football Fields on Friday, May 2. 

Prep - Year 2

Our P-2 Cross Country is scheduled for Friday, March 28, weather permitting. This event will take place on the school oval from 8:45am. P-2 students are required to be at school by 8:30am wearing their House Team shirt, appropriate running shoes and hat. Sunscreen should be applied at home before arriving at school.

Prep students run 1 lap of the senior field

Year 1 students run 2 laps of the senior field

Year 2 students run 1 lap of the senior field, 1 lap of the junior field, I lap of the senior field.

The approximate event schedule is:

8:45 Welcome & Acknowledgment

9:00 Year 2 Girls 

        Year 2 Boys

9:20 Year 1 Girls

        Year 1 Boys

9:30 Prep Girls

        Prep Boys

MoGC Connect Meeting

If you have a topic you’d like raised at the MoGC Connect meeting, send agenda items to mogc.connect@cnsstu.catholic.edu.au.

Save the date! The next MoGC Connect meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April 30 at 5:30pm in the multi-purpose room (above the library).

2025 Parent Contacts 

If you have a question about your child’s year level, are looking for information or need some guidance on where to direct an enquiry, these parents contacts are happy for you to reach out to them:

• Prep: Stacey Watt: staceylwatt@outlook.com
• Year 1: Louise Bernstein: louise.bernstein@blueoceanic.com &
  
  Emma Smith: emmajb21@hotmail.com
• Year 2: James Rickman: jamesrickman@yahoo.com.au
• Year 3: Paula Kelly: paulajkelly81@gmail.com
• Year 4: Jenny Gangell: jenny.gangell@gmail.com
• Year 5: Joeleen Bettini: joeleenb1@bigpond.com & Bindi Cooper: coopernb@outlook.com
• Year 6: Kate & Carl Vogler: katevogler@hotmail.com

Coffee on the Deck

Parents and carers are invited to join us for Coffee on the Deck each Tuesday between 8:30 and 9:00. This is a great opportunity to chat with staff and meet other families. 

Happy Families 

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: 

• Help! My child just shrugs

• The power of belonging 

Fathering Project  

Raising children today means more than just teaching them right from wrong - it’s about understanding the world they’re growing up in and being active participants in guiding them through it.

With the rise of social media, digital platforms, and shifting ideas of identity and respect, it’s crucial to stay connected and remain curious about the influences affecting both our sons and daughters.

Stay Curious and Open with Your Kids

Try this: Make a habit of asking open-ended questions about what your child is experiencing online.

Ask about the shows they’re watching, the people they follow, and the messages they’re receiving. This helps create an open dialogue where you can guide them toward healthy values, self-respect, and respect for others.

For boys, it’s about building their sense of self-worth and questioning outdated ideas of masculinity. For girls, it’s about empowering them to stand strong in their identity, teaching them to navigate societal pressures, and reinforcing the importance of self-respect in the face of often harmful online narratives.

By staying curious and engaged, you can help ensure children feel supported and affirmed as they navigate an ever-changing world.

STUDENTS OF THE WEEK