Dear Parents

It is a time of great reflection and change for Catholics around the world. On April 21, the Catholic Church mourned the passing of Pope Francis, who served as the 266th Pope and spiritual leader of over a billion Catholics worldwide. Known for his humility, compassion and emphasis on social justice, Pope Francis leaves behind a legacy of love, dialogue and reform.

Following his passing, the Church entered a period of mourning and prayer. This also marked the beginning of a significant process known as the Conclave — a solemn gathering of the College of Cardinals in the Vatican. During the conclave, cardinals from all corners of the world come together in deep prayer and discernment to choose the next pope.

After days of deliberation, a new pope was elected: Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost of the USA. The announcement was made with the traditional white smoke rising from the Sistine Chapel, a powerful symbol of hope and continuity in the Catholic faith. The new pope has already spoken of unity, peace and the importance of walking together as a global community.

This is a profound and historic moment for the Catholic community, and an opportunity for reflection, prayer and renewed commitment to the values of faith, service and love.

Let us keep Pope Francis, Pope Leo and the entire Church in our prayers during this time of transition.

Dear Lord, 
Bless Pope Leo XIV with joy as he serves our Church and the world; 
Bless him with perseverance when challenges weigh on him;
Bless him with the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ 
In the knowledge he is not alone, but supported by many.

Amen

Principal Feedback

To support my ongoing professional development and growth, families who have been randomly selected will receive communication and a survey link via email on Friday, May 2. 

The survey will take about 30 to 45 minutes to complete and will be open from Friday, 2 May until midnight on Sunday, 18 May. I kindly ask and encourage you to take part in this survey. The information provided will remain confidential and anonymous. Effective Governance will receive the survey responses directly, and neither I nor the CEDC Executive Team will know who has responded. Your quantitative responses will be presented in a graph, and your comments will be included verbatim in the report. I will then receive a report that does not include any participant identifying details. 

I look forward to receiving this feedback. Thank you in advance to those participating.

Week  4

Monday, May 12

• Year 4 Daradgee information session with students

Tuesday, May 13

• 8:30 Parent Engagement - Coffee on the Deck

Wednesday, May 14

• 8:45 Year 5 ACER PIRLS Assessment
• MoGC Parent Engagement Event
• 4:45 Uniform Swap outside the library
• 5:15 Pizza & Refreshments 

Thursday, May 15

• 8:10 Uniform Swap outside the library

Friday, May 16

• Walk Safely to School Day
• Meet at the Information centre for an 8:00 departure
• 8:30 Assembly

Saturday, May 17

• 4:15 Sacramental Preparation Confirmation session #2
• 5:30 Parish Mass

​​Sunday, May 18

• Principal Feedback Survey closes at midnight

Week  5

Tuesday, May 20

• 8:30 Parent Engagement - Coffee on the Deck
• 5:30 School Board Meeting (members only)

Friday, May 23

• 8:30 Assembly - 2A leading Prayer

Saturday, May 24

• 4:15 Sacramental Preparation Confirmation session #3
• 5:30 Parish Mass
  

Week  6

Tuesday, May 27

• 8:30 Parent Engagement - Coffee on the Deck
• 2:15 Athletics Briefing & War Cries
• Barron - Basketball Court
• Palmer - Junior Field
• Savannah - Deck

Thursday, May 29

• MoGC Athletics Carnival @ Barlow Park

Friday, May 30 

• 8:30 Assembly 1A leading Prayer 

Saturday, May 31

• 5:30 Parish Mass

Week 7

Tuesday, June 3

• 8:30 Parent Engagement - Coffee on the Deck

Thursday, June 5

• World Environment Day
• Wear something blue or green
• 6:00 Confirmation at St. Monica’s Cathedral 

Friday, June 6

• World Ocean Day
• 8:30 Assembly
• 9:00 Whole School Photo
• 11:15 Whole School Pentecost Mass 

Saturday, June 7

• 5:30 Parish Mass

Week  8

Tuesday, June 10

• 8:30 Parent Engagement - Coffee on the Deck
• 5:30 School Board (members only)
  

Thursday, June 12

• 8:45 Year 5 Liturgy

Friday, June 13

• TCC Athletics
• 8:30 Assembly

Saturday, June 14

• 5:30 Parish Mass

Week  9

Tuesday, June 17

• 8:30 Parent Engagement - Coffee on the Deck

Wednesday, June 18

• 4:00 Eisteddfod Literary Award Ceremony at Choral Society Hall

Friday, June 20

• 8:30 Assembly - Prep A leading Prayer 

Saturday, June 21

• 5:30 Parish Mass

Week  10

Tuesday, June 24

• 8:30 Parent Engagement - Coffee on the Deck

Thursday, June 26

• Student reports available via the MyCE App

Friday, June 27

• 8:30 Assembly
• Whole school Hip Hop Concert
• 1:45 Hip Hop Concert - parent viewing

Saturday, June 28

• 5:30 Parish Mass

On Thursday, May 8, Australian Singer and Songwriter Andrew Chinn, worked with our Student Liturgy Group and then performed a whole school concert. Andrew is the musician who provides much of the music that we use for our assemblies and whole school masses and liturgies. The students had a fabulous performance and a great time singing and dancing! 

On Friday, May 9 we celebrated Mother’s day at MoGC. The day started with some sweet treats for our mum’s thanks to Anna and Bindi in the tuckshop - thank you ladies! 

Year 3A led our Mother’s Day Assembly Prayer. It was a beautiful prayer and a lovely song, thank you to Ms Zervos and 3A. Thank you also to the 165 parents that sent in a photograph to be included in our Mother’s day Slideshow. After assembly students had the opportunity to visit the Mother’s Day Stall and purchase a gift for their mum. Thank you to the Year 10 and 11 SRC Students from St. Andrew’s Catholic College who assisted in giving out breakfast to mums in the morning and helped with the stall set up so the parent volunteers could attend assembly. A HUGE THANK YOU to the parent volunteers led by Joeleen Bettini who worked the Mother’s Day Stall to make Mother’s Day special for every mum in our community. 

On Friday, May 9 Year 3 led a Mother’s Day Liturgy. Thank you to the parents, grandparents and special friends who came along to celebrate with us.

On Saturday May 10, our Sacramental Candidates started their preparation sessions for the Sacrament of Confirmation. Confirmation is the second step in the process of Christian Initiation. It comes between Baptism and Eucharist. Confirmation preparation involves revisiting the experience of a child’s Baptism and building upon it. Where possible, a baptismal godparent serves as the sponsor for Confirmation. Preparation will continue on Saturdays for the next couple of weeks for Confirmation and then three weeks to prepare for First Eucharist. 

This Semester, schools in the Cairns Diocese are moving to a new reporting platform - The Learning Dashboard (TLD). Reports will continue to be available to parents through the MyCE application. 

The new system brings some small changes and improvements to the look and feel of the previous student reporting system. 

• TLD follows students across CEDC schools, enabling parents to maintain visibility of academic reports throughout their primary and secondary school years.
• TLD is a web interface enabling an improved viewing experience on all platforms and devices (smart phone, iPad, Laptop).
• With the click of a button, parents can see comparative cohort information about their child.
• Parents can create a PDF copy of the report for their records.
• Students will no longer receive strand achievement judgements in Science and HASS. These learning areas will only receive an overall result.
• Students will receive a General Comment that provides an overall, individualised comment highlighting growth, progress and a goal to focus ongoing improvement.

Annually, parents, staff and Year 5 & 6 students are invited to provide feedback to our school, via a survey. The Feedback Survey is an important tool in providing information and data which assists in determining and refining all aspects of our operations and offerings at both the school and system levels. 

Parents will be emailed a survey questionnaire (to their registered email address) on Monday, May 26 that we encourage you to complete, prior to Friday, June 13. The link emailed is unique to your email address, and will make reference, by name, to your child/ren, however the feedback we receive is de-identified, and 100% anonymous. 

Reminders are sent every few days, if the survey has not been completed. If you do not receive this survey on May 26, please check your spam (just in case), prior to contacting secretary.nthcairns@cns.catholic.edu.au, where assistance with this issue can be provided.

Thank you in advance for your feedback!

Parents and family members are invited to attend our Athletics Carnival being held at Barlow Park on Thursday, May 29.

After the success of last year, the 800m event will again be held at Barlow Park, on Athletics Day. These runners will arrive and complete their event prior to the commencement of the main carnival.

Students are required to make their own way to and from Barlow Park for the event. We ask that students not competing in the 800m do not arrive prior to 8:15 as staff will be busy setting up for the day and managing the 800m event, and unable to supervise them.

Students are required to wear their House Team shirts, appropriate running footwear (no sandals) and school hat, and pack plenty of water, a healthy lunch and snacks. The canteen will be open with a range of food, cold drinks and snacks on sale. No pre-ordering; purchase at eating times with cash only.

Please apply sunscreen before arriving. More will be available for students to reapply during the day.

Students are required to sit with their team throughout the day and parents are welcome to sit in the house team areas. Class teachers will mark the roll in the grandstand at 8:30. Any students leaving early must be signed out by a staff member at the First Aid station at the top of the grandstand before making their way to the main gate.

Early exit from the carnival closes when the presentations begin. Students cannot be signed out after this time and are required to stay until the conclusion of the carnival.

Schedule and times for Barlow Park

MOGC Athletics Carnival Thursday May 29 2025

Athletics Carnival Schedule all times are a guide

Field Rotations

Novelty Events

BARLOW PARK MENU

This week, as part of their Arts curriculum, students commence their Hip Hop lessons with Miss Sian from Step It Up Crew. Each year, these lessons culminate in a Hip Hop concert. Families are invited to attend a concert on Friday, June 27 in the Hall from 1:45pm. The hall will be open for seating from 1:30pm so the concert can begin on time. 

Students are encouraged to accessorise their uniform on the day with hats, sunnies, gloves, vests, jackets around waist etc.

Each class will enter the hall, present their dance, and exit straight away. To minimise disruption and ensure the concert runs on time, parents are encouraged to remain for the full duration of the concert. It is a fabulous hour of entertainment!

Please join us on Wednesday 14 February (TONIGHT!) from 5:15 - 6:15 for a MoGC Connect Family Engagement event. It is always lovely to have you on site for a relaxed night of catch ups and connection. We are hoping to see many of you there. 

Prior to this event, from 4:45 - 5:15, there will be a Uniform Drop & Swap. We have lots of jumpers to give away!

The board is currently reviewing long-term processes in place regarding student participation in school-based Gala Days. In recent years MoGC students haven’t participated in these days due to the impact absenteeism has on teaching and learning. Over the recent weeks, information received from parents, staff and students has been considered and new processes and a policy will be developed and shared.

If you would like to provide a brief submission, email mgn.schoolboard@cns.catholic.edu.au

On Friday, May 16 the MOGC community will participate in the annual Walk Safely to School Day. We would love to see lots of students, parents and siblings walk with us from the Information Centre at the base of the Red Arrow to school.

Meet near the information centre ready for departure at 8:00.

Congratulations to Christie Ryan-Smith and partner Hari on the arrival of their beautiful daughter Hallie Mae.

A huge thank you to Kirk, Dale and TA Fletcher for giving up their soggy Saturday morning to fix the Blue Gate. Another example of how our community comes together.

Every minute of learning time counts! We have a significant number of students who regularly arrive late or leave early from school. This impacts teaching and learning - for that child and others, as it disrupts the flow of lessons. Sadly, ‘Flex-out Fridays’ are becoming a regular practice for some families as they leave early to make the most of the weekend.

Please prioritise your child’s learning by having your child through the gate by 8:25, and minimising the need for early pickups.

Students who arrive late and leave early are required to be signed in/out at the office by an adult.

Term 2 school fees will be sent to families over the next week. Please ensure the school has your correct email address, and that concession cards are current. Fee concession cannot be applied to Term 2 accounts without valid and current concession cards. 

If you are having difficulty paying school fees, or experiencing hardship, please contact accounts.nthcairns@cns.catholic.edu.au so support can be discussed.

Family members are in control of how they receive notifications in Seesaw. See below to learn how to manage your notifications. 

1. Tap your profile icon in the upper left corner.
2. Tap the Account Settings gear.
   

1. Go to Parent Notifications.
   

Email & Push Notifications

Tap the dropdown box to select your preferred notification frequency:

• All (Family members will receive an email for each new post or message).
• Once Per Day (once per day, Family members will receive an email summary with the number of new posts or new messages received, but will not see message content).
• Never (Family members receive no email).
  
  

SMS Notifications

Toggle ON or OFF.

• If turned ON, Family members will receive one text per day with a summary of new posts or new messages, but will not see message content. 
• If turned OFF, Family members will not receive text messages.

If you have time after drop off on Tuesday mornings and after assembly on Friday mornings, please drop by the library for our book covering and coffee session. We have lots of new books that need covering before they can be used, and your help is greatly appreciated. Contact mcreighton@cns.catholic.edu.au with any questions.

In 2026, Mother of Good Counsel celebrates 90 years! If you or someone you know has a historical connection to MoGC, has a flair for event management or would like to be part of a committee to plan this special event, we’d love to hear from you. 

Please register your interest at secretary.nthcairns@cns.catholic.edu.au.

Please refer to the attached document regarding our staff’s Right to Disconnect Protocols.

Cross Country

On Friday, May 2 students born in 2015, 2014 and 2013 who placed in the top six of their event, represented MOGC at the TCC Country Country at Aeroglen Touch Football Fields. There was some tough competition and overall the team performed exceptionally well. Not only did we see lots of effort on the running track, there was great support and encouragement from the sidelines. 

A special congratulations to Nathan, Tayo, Skyla, Bonnie, Scarlett, Livvy, Jax, Charlie, Frankie and Henry who progressed to the next stage and represented MOGC and Trinity Coast Central at the Peninsula Cross Country in Yungaburra yesterday.

Jax’s 3rd place result in Yungaburra progresses him to represent MoGC and Peninsula at the State Championships (Brisbane) in July. Livvy and Henry (8th place) are shadows for this event. Congratulations to all runners!

Thank you to the parents who attended our Term 2 MoGC Connect meeting on Wednesday, April 30. Please take some time to look over the minutes.

MoGC Connect Meeting

Our next MoGC Connect meeting is scheduled for 5:30 on Wednesday, July 23 in the Multipurpose Room, above the library. You are warmly invited. 

Agenda items can be emailed to mogc.connect@cnsstu.catholic.edu.au 

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. 

The Fathering Project  

Between work, sport, homework and the general hustle of family life, it can feel like everyone’s moving in different directions. Sometimes, dinner is the only time the whole family comes together - and it’s the perfect opportunity to slow down and reconnect.

This week, we’re looking at how family dinners can become one of your most valuable tools for building connection, encouraging conversation, and creating lasting memories.

Make dinner a device-free and connection-filled zone

Family dinners are more than just a meal, they’re a chance to check in, share stories, and model great conversation habits. Plus, they build routine and a strong sense of belonging for your child.

Try this: Create a simple dinner ritual. Go around the table and ask, “What was the best part of your day?” or “What are you looking forward to tomorrow?” Keep it light, stay present, and (if you can!) keep devices out of sight.

Happy Families

Mother of Good Counsel subscribes to Happy Families (previously known as Parenting Ideas), 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:

• Hope Builders

• Brain chemistry hacks for better learning 

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
Yr 1: Emma Smith: emmajb21@hotmail.com Yr 3: Paula Kelly: paulajkelly81@gmail.com	Yr 2: James Rickman jamesrickman@yahoo.com.au
Yr 4: Jenny Gangell jenny.gangell@gmail.com	Yr 5: Joeleen Bettini joeleenb1@bigpond.com  Bindi Cooper coopernb@outlook.com
Yr 6: Kate & Carl Vogler: katevogler@hotmail.com

STUDENTS OF THE WEEK

BIRTHDAYS