St Mary's School, Warwick eNewsletter

Principal's Message

As we finish Term 2, I would like to say a big thank you to students for their dedication to learning; staff for their commitment to ensuring students needs were met both academically and socially/emotionally; and finally parents for continually supporting our vision and mission at SMW! We have a strong community here and are very blessed to witness the growth of each student, each and every day.

Our new Strategic Plan is at the printers and should be ready to present to the school community very soon. Thank you for your contribution towards this plan for the next 4 years. Also, please note that our school website has had an uplift with new professional photography, please visit Home - St Mary's School, Warwick

Coming soon: Your chance to help shape our schools

Every two years, families from our school communities share their views through the Shaping our future – Perception Survey. It’s a valuable way for us to reflect on how each of our schools are living out Toowoomba Catholic Schools shared purpose: enabling full and flourishing lives.

This year’s survey will be sent via Sentral on Monday, 21 July.
Please keep an eye out for it – your feedback helps shape the future of all 32 Toowoomba Catholic schools.

We will also be asking Years 5 to 12 students from across the diocese to complete a student version of the survey during Catholic Education Week at school.

For more information please email: smwarwick@twb.catholic.edu.au

Data is integral for us at SMW as we review and triangulate different forms regularly to make judgements about student learning and then devise plans of action on how to meet the needs from the data. When reviewing data, we are mindful of many elements that can impact it, ensuring that we aren’t making generalisations. One of our data sets that we review is NAPLAN for Year 3 & 5 students. We know that this is a ‘moment in time’ piece of data but it is one that does allow us to utilise to delve into concepts and skills within each component. It also allows us to see ‘progress over time data’ or what we refer to as ‘growth data’. I am going to share with you our current ‘growth data’ based upon our 2025 Year 5, who also participated in NAPLAN in 2023.

Within NAPLAN data we want to see the majority of our students within the ‘Strong’ and ‘Exceeding’ sections. Ultimately, we don’t want students within the ‘Needs Additional Support’ section but we know that multiple factors can impact, such as students with learning difficulties or disabilities, students who are anxious during test taking or students who don’t finish testing. That is why we always refer to NAPLAN as ‘only one moment in time’ data set.

Since 2023, one of the considerations we take into account is that we have increased enrolments by 7 students within this cohort of students, who may have only joined us for a short period of time. However, within the ‘exceeding’ section we increased students by 12.5%.

This data tells us that this is a future area of need, that we need to look deeper into the data to see where the gaps are for our ‘below’ students. Excitedly, we certainly increased our number of students within the ‘exceeding’ section by 10.2%.

As per spelling, we want to decrease the number of students in the ‘below’ section but once again we increased our number of students in ‘exceeding’ by 8.9%.

This data shows that in both ‘strong’ and ‘exceeding’ student numbers increased from 2023.

Overall, this data shows that we had significant growth in both Writing and Maths since 2023 for our Year 5 cohort. Even though we may have had some slight increases in both ‘needs additional support & developing’ sections, it is clear that we had increases in ‘strong’ in both writing and numeracy and ‘exceeding’ for spelling, reading, grammar & punctuation and numeracy. As a school we now review both Year 3 & 5 data to look at ‘where next’ to ensure that our current Year 3s can show further growth and our Year 2’s & 4’s preparing for 2026 NAPLAN have the necessary skills to ensure we are above the National mean.

The question of ‘why’ have students performed so well in writing and numeracy. I believe the answer lies in the consistent and targeted efforts of our dedicated teaching staff, the implementation of evidence-based instructional practices, and our commitment to building strong foundational skills across all year levels. Our focus on explicit teaching, regular formative assessment, and differentiated support has enabled students to engage deeply with their learning and make meaningful progress. Additionally, the collaborative culture within our school—where teachers share strategies, reflect on data, and adjust teaching to meet student needs—has played a vital role in driving this growth.

We know that success is not accidental. It is the result of intentional planning, high expectations, and a shared belief that every child can achieve. As we look ahead, we remain focused on ensuring that all students continue to thrive and that our teaching practices evolve to meet the needs of every learner.

God Bless

Emma Timmins

Principal

Religious Life of the School

NAIDOC Celebrations

Our students and staff have celebrated First Nations culture this week with art, storytelling, face painting, bracelet making, dancing and indigenous games, followed a liturgy led by Year 3. Special thanks to all our parent helpers for bringing the day together for our students so we could celebrate First Nations culture. We loved having our students work with their buddies to create, play and learn.

This year NAIDOC Week marks a powerful milestone: 50 years of honouring and elevating Indigenous voices, culture and resilience. The 2025 theme, "The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy," celebrates not only the achievements of the past but the bright future ahead, empowered by the strength of our young leaders, the vision of our communities, and the legacy of our ancestors.

At St Mary's we want to be part of creating this strength, vision and legacy!

One of the highlights was joining with St Mary's Kindergarten and Assumption College to create three beautiful canvases created by ACW Year 12 student, Issy Sullivan, 2025 Inclusivity Captain.

It has been a wonderful time attending liturgies with our Prep - Year 2 classes. Their themes have encompassed what is special about St Mary's; Prep led a liturgy about the St Mary's Way to RISE UP, Year 1 about being thankful for our wonderful world and Year 2 how to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.

Year 2 Liturgy - Following in the Footsteps of Jesus

Year 2 have been learning about the choices they can make to be more like Jesus. Here are some of their beautiful prayers which they shared with us at the Liturgy:

Dear God,

Help me to be more like Jesus by ...

Being nice and kind like Jesus
Being a better friend
Letting everyone play
Loving my siblings
Speaking nicely to others
Helping the poor
Helping others when they need help
Being positive and loving

Amen

It has been wonderful to have so many parents, grandparents and special guests join us for our Liturgies and Masses this term. We love building our school community and we can only do it together!

This little shoe was left in the church. Please let Mrs Young know if it belongs to you.

Kindy Buddies

To help prepare our Kindy students for their transition to primary school we have a special buddy program. Our Year 5 students are paired with a Kindy student who they will look after this year and also next year. This provides opportunities for our Year 5 students to demonstrate their leadership skills and empathy, and helps our Kindy students feel safe and secure at big school. Over the past two weeks our buddies have met each other and you can tell from the smiles the joy that this has given everyone!

Kindy A & Year 5 Fox

At the other end of the educational journey, we are also very thankful for the close relationship we have with Assumption College. This term, we have been grateful for the ACW students who have supported our soccer and netball students at the Broncos Cup and then at our Athletics Carnival.

We have also had the privilege of having eight exceptional Year 10 students with us for work experience. They experienced life in a school from the perspective of someone supporting students in the many facets of school life.

On the last Monday of term, we were treated to a terrific lunch time band session from the Year 9 Music students. Our students loved the songs and we were especially impressed by the original songs that the students had composed and performed for us.

Catholic Education Week Date Claimer

In Week 3, next term, 27th July - 2nd August we will celebrate Catholic Education in Queensland.

On Monday, 28th July, we will celebrate with a liturgy led by Year 6.

On Friday, 1st August, there will be a Pupil Free Day to give our staff the opportunity to join with staff from across the diocese for Professional Development and prayer.

Parish News

First Communion

Students who have celebrated their First Reconciliation and Confirmation are invited to prepare for their First Communion next term. Please contact the Parish Office if your child would like to register your child for this sacrament. Dates will be:

Parent Night Date – Thursday, 31st July, at 6pm

Commitment Masses – Saturday, 2nd August (Family Mass) 5pm or Sunday, 3rd August 8:30am

First Session Date – Thursday 7^th August at 4-5pm (4 sessions)

First Communion – either Saturday, 30th August, 5pm or Sunday, 31st August, 8:30am

Parish Celebration – Sunday, 31st August, after Mass

All meetings will be in Parish Office next door to the Church. It is expected that children and a parent will attend all workshops.

There are Commitment Masses, on Saturday, 2^nd August at 5pm or Sunday, 3^rd August at 8:30am. Please bring along your ‘Pray for us’ card, ‘Mass Passport’ and ‘Commitment’ card, which you will receive at the Parent Information Sessions. On Saturday, 2^nd August, at 5pm there will be ‘Family Mass’ where the songs and readings are chosen for children. At this Mass children are encouraged to help with the ministries of welcoming, reading, offertory and singing. Please contact Mrs Young if your child would like to participate.

Parish Masses

Please note a new church time for Saturday nights - For Winter, Saturday night Mass are at 5pm. Sundays will continue to be 8:30am. There is also Children's Liturgy on Sundays during Mass time (not through school holidays).

Wishing you a wonderful school holidays with your family,

Sharon Young

Assistant Principal - Mission & Identity

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” Romans 12:12

Curriculum

Celebrating Strong NAPLAN Results for 2025!

We are thrilled to share that St Mary’s has received a Strong overall score across all five areas of NAPLAN: Reading, Writing, Spelling, Grammar & Punctuation, and Numeracy, for both Year 3 and Year 5 in 2025. These exceptional results reflect the dedication of our students, the tireless support of our teachers, and the encouragement provided by our families. Thank you all for being part of this success!

This year we also celebrated some of our highest participation rates, with an overwhelming majority of students reporting a positive experience after testing. A big part of this success is thanks to the adaptive nature of NAPLAN Online, which adjusts to each child’s ability as they progress through the test. This format has helped ease anxiety by moving away from the traditional ‘one-size-fits-all’ paper test of the past. The digital platform also supports learners by offering features such as audio playback of questions (where reading ability is not being assessed), approved rest breaks, and adjustments for individual learning needs.

This more inclusive approach ensures every student has the opportunity to show what they know, giving us a more accurate and holistic picture of learning across the school. Our teaching team will now begin the important work of analysing the results to identify strengths and plan targeted classroom learning, both at the class and individual level.

The QCAA has announced that Individual Student Reports will be made available to schools to distribute to families during Term 3. We will continue to keep parents advised of a more specific release date as soon as we are informed. For insights into the growth of our Year 5 students since Year 3, please read Emma Timmins’ update in the Principal’s section.

Well done to all involved!

Semester 1 Academic Report Cards

As we wrap up Term 2, we want to take a moment to reflect on the accomplishments and progress of our students. Semester 1 Academic Report Cards have been released on Thursday, Week 10; providing valuable insights into your child's learning journey. We encourage you to take the time to review these report cards with your child, focusing on both Academic and Effort Grades. Previous newsletters this term have shared more detailed information in how these grades are awarded at St Mary's. Please contact the school office if you did not receive your child's report card.

Understanding Report Cards

It is essential to understand that students demonstrating skills and understanding AT their Year Level Standard receive a C grade. This means they are meeting the expectations for their current year level.

Students who receive an A or B grade have demonstrated abilities ABOVE the Year Level Standard. They must have demonstrated above-standard abilities in most/all of the curriculum achievement standard.

D or E grades indicate that a student is still DEVELOPING their skills to reach the Year Level Standard. This may be in multiple areas across the subject curriculum, or just one or two.

Rest assured, differentiated learning and intervention will continue in Semester 2 to support those students working towards achieving the Year Level Standard, as well as enriching the learning of those students working above the curriculum standard.

We encourage you to attend our Student-Parent-Teacher Interviews in Term 3 to learn more about how your child’s individual learning is catered for in their classroom. Your child will also share some of their work with you and explain their process of creating it. This is a wonderful opportunity for you to see your child in action as a learner, and understand their skills and abilities more clearly, as well as learn more about how you can help support them further at home.

The Importance of Effort

Effort grades are just as crucial as academic grades, but they measure something different. We believe every child can aim for an A in Effort, no matter their academic level. When a student earns an A for Effort, it shows they're really trying their best and not giving up when things get tough.

We can't predict what jobs our kids will have in the future, but we do know that a strong work ethic will help them succeed in any career. School is the perfect time for children to develop habits that will serve them well throughout life. These include creating routines, communicating effectively, bouncing back from setbacks, developing strong learning behaviours, and putting in consistent effort.

We encourage you to talk with your child about their effort grade. If they've done well, celebrate their hard work! If there's room for improvement, discuss ways they can boost their effort next time. Remember, learning to try your best is a valuable skill that will benefit your child long after they leave school.

Teacher Comments

Our dedicated teachers have put significant effort into writing individualised comments for every student. These comments offer a detailed understanding of what your child can do and highlight areas for continued growth. We ask that you support us in helping your child develop these skills at home, as this partnership is vital in ensuring their continued progress.

I would like to extend heartfelt appreciation to our teachers for their time and effort spent during the assessing and reporting period. Like tax season for accountants, this time of semester can feel like a marathon to complete, and our committed teachers have made it through still with smiles on their faces! We are so blessed to have the teaching team that we do here at SMW, and we wish them a safe and restful holiday break with their families.

Keeping Up with Learning Over the Break

The upcoming holiday break is a wonderful opportunity to reinforce learning in everyday situations. Reading together, exploring nature, cooking, and engaging in discussions can provide rich, real-life learning experiences, and keep their Smart Brains working! Maintaining skills and routines during the holidays will help ensure a smooth transition back into Term 3.

We wish all our families a happy and relaxing holiday break. We look forward to welcoming everyone back safely for another exciting term of learning and growth.

Wishing you all a wonderful fortnight!

Jess Harper
Middle Leader: Teaching and Learning

Library News

Online Decodable Readers

Parents avoid the holiday slide with some daily reading - the biggest gift you can give your child's education.

We have access to the Online Decodable Readers Library. This online Library is to help parents support their child's reading skills. If you do not know your child's username and password given to them by the school please use this link over the holidays and then contact your child's class teacher next term to get their individual details. https://www.decodablereadersaustralia.com.au/.../online...

Book Week Dress Up

A highlight of the school calendar is our annual Book Week Dress Up. This year it will be held on Thursday, 21st August. This year the theme is 'Book an Adventure' and Mrs Ryan has put together some great ideas for costumes.

Positive School Culture

Mystery Reader

More great Mystery Readers have blessed our Kindy students with some fantastic stories. This fortnight they also had some great fun with Brianna Barlow bringing in some little kittens from the Southern Downs Ark Animal Support and Tegan Hilton sharing her nursing skills.

Please remember that anyone with children under school age are invited for this special story time. Invite your family and friends.

	Exceptional Learning Award	Making Jesus Real Award
Prep B	Jack C	Sahara T
Prep W	Rylan R	Jimmy N Flynn B
1D	Kolton B Kaleb F	Ramsay V Samantha G
1H	Rubey S	Xavier K Angus D
2D	Mia W Macy A	Madelyn B Gracie W
2S	Henry P	Oliver V
3L	Colt S Bailey B	Adriel O Penny C
3T	Brooks B Georgia W	Mason R Wyatt E
4L	Eliza J	Carlo S Jack D
4K	Lisna J	Harlan W
5F	Swayze S Beckett B Ruby A	Madeline P Archer G Matilda G
5D	Jayden G Maddie C	Leal L Demi S Savannah H
6B	Abby L	Erin R
6H	Clare W	Aylisity D

Spotted Rising Up

Congratulations to all the students who have been 'Spotted Rising Up'. The prize winners were Caitlyn M and Flynn C, which was announced at Assembly on Friday, 13th June 2025.

Please celebrate with your child if they have brought home a Spotted Rising Up slip. It means that they were 'spotted' displaying one or more of the RISE UP positive behaviours.

Sport

Athletics Carnival

Thank you to everyone who supported and helped at our Athletics Carnival last Friday. The level of participation was awesome and it was also great to hear the sportsmanship and the encouragement they gave to each other.

Congratulations to all students who participated on the day and to our winning House, Rooney Red. Rooney Red also won the trophy for most field events points and tied with Potter Blue in the relays.

The following are our Individual Age Champions and Runners Up for this year:

9yr old Boy Champion: Leo F; Runner Up: Brooks B

9yr old Girl Champions: Emily L; Runner Up: Helen M

10yr old Boy Champion: Liam Cobb; Runner Ups: Jimmy A, Nathan H, Carlo S

10yr old Girl Champion: Madison B, Runner Up: Zoe W

11yr old Boy Champion: Riley B; Runner Up: Declan R

11yr old Girl Champion: Sophie B; Runner Up: Caitlyn M

12yr old Boy Champion: Aoi G; Runner Up: Mason H

12yr old Girl Champion: Charlotte G; Runner Up: Anabelle C

The winner of our Robin Miller Shield is Sophie B.

The winner of our Robin Miller 6yr old Fastest Runner is Jahmari S.

Records broken on the day were: Madison Byrne - 10 years 1500m with the time of 6:35.65. The previous record was set by Jazmine Cruda in 2019 with the time of 6:45.12.

We have a massive 48 students who have qualified for one or more events at the Southern Downs (SD) Track and Field trials. Students who have qualified will be notified over the holidays. These trial dates are subject to change but once we have the final details they will be sent out early next term. SD Track & Field - Monday, 4th August at Allora State School and Wednesday 30th July at 3:30pm for the 1500m at Warwick State High School.

Age Champions

Robin Miller Fastest 6 Year Old - Jahmari S

Robin Miller Shield - Highest 11 Year Old Points - Sophie B

New Record in 10 Year Old 1500m - Madison B

1500m Runners

200m Winners

Athletics Carnival Action Shots

This special water bottle was left at the Athletics Carnival. Please see the school office if it belongs to you.

Administration

Disabled Parking - Reminder

Please be aware that the disabled parking spaces located on Palmerin Street & in the Carpark are designated disabled parking spaces. They are reserved exclusively for individuals with disabled needs.

We kindly ask that you refrain from using these spaces when doing drop off/ pick up unless you have the appropriate permit, we thank you for you cooperation & understanding on this matter. We have some students and parents who rely on these parking spots and are being inconvenienced by parents parking illegally.

Name Visors - Reminder

To help ensure a smooth and safe dismissal process, please remember to display your name visor clearly when in the pick-up line. This small step makes a big difference in helping staff quickly identify students and get them home safely.

Thank you for your cooperation and support!

Term 3 Parent Calendar

Please find below our calendar for next term. A paper copy will be sent home with your youngest child during Week One. Please add these dates to your family calendar so you can join us when you can.

2025_Calendar_Parents_TermThree.pdf

Parent Engagement Network (PEN)

Karen Young Workshop

We are grateful to the PEN for organising a great night with Karen Young. Karen presented the workshop, 'Strengthening Children and Teens Against Anxiety'. Key points included:

a new, empowering way to think about anxiety, why this is an essential part of fortifying against the effects of anxiety, and how to use this to build brave behaviour;
the powerful reframe for young people to build their felt capability and willingness to approach challenge;
how to support young people through separation anxiety and school anxiety;
when anxiety drives sick tummies, sore tummies, and vomiting - why and what do to;
the different ways anxiety can manifest, and how to respond to bring calm and courage;
the connection between anxiety, learning, and performance (exams, on stage, sports) and how to shift anxiety out of the way to maximise learning and potential;
why anxiety can look like anger, and how to respond in ways that will preserve connection and influence;
the profound power of parents to move children towards brave behaviour, and how to do this when anxiety is in the way;
how to respond to anxiety and big feelings (including anger, sadness, defiance) in the moment to make way for calm and courage;
building their toolkit - the proven strategies for young people to calm anxiety.

More information and resources can be found at https://www.heysigmund.com

Term 3 Date Claimer - 'Real Talk'

The PEN has engaged 'Real Talk' present a workshop on helping caregivers foster healthy self-worth and respectful, flourishing relationships. The workshop will be particularly linked to the sessions they will be holding with our Year 5 & 6 students the following day but will be relevant to all parents and caregivers who want some up-to-date ideas on how to handle these tough and important parenting topics.

The parent workshop will be Monday, 15th September. More details to follow.

Notices

Vacation Care

The OSHC (Outside of School Hours Care) has put together a great program for Vacation Care. Please note that it will also run on the Pupil Free Day, Monday, 14th July.

Vacation_Care_July_2025_PDF.pdf

SMW Kindy Come Play Open Days.pdf

Term 2 Week 10 2025