Informer Term 2 - Week 5 - 2025

From Our Principal ...

Dear Families,

As I sat in Mass at the Cathedral on Sunday morning, I noticed how we now pray for our Pope Leo, no longer Francis. Change can be a great thing, but one that we as humans often struggle to deal with. At times, I think there is a safety and comfort in consistency and knowing what is going to happen or who we are dealing with, but it is a luxury we don’t always get in life.

Unfortunately, everything, even on the smallest atomic scale, is in constant flux.

Some change we consider to be good. Take Spring, for instance, where life begins to bud and the temperatures begin rise. Many of us perceive this kind of change as vibrant, refreshing, and “good.”

Other change we perceive as “bad” — a failed relationship, a job layoff, a personal crisis, a death. This type of change we perceive as bad, because to varying degrees, we experience pain with the shift.

I’ve recently reflected more on the concept of pain. Really, I’ve come to believe we only experience pain when we wish reality was different — when we have trouble accepting what is or what has changed. We wish we still had the relationship; we wish we still had our job; we wish there was no personal crisis; we wish those who passed were still in our life.

The truth is though: everything that changes, was meant to change. Change is simply inevitable. It is part of life. The only thing that is absolutely permanent is change itself. (https://megankarp.com/blog/reflection-on-change)

I liked this reflection, especially the part about our response is often determined by the level of pain we feel. It brings me back to my mantra of the one thing in life we can control is our attitude. How often in life do we hold it all together through serious work or personal situations only to lose our cool with those close to us, over something small. A great reminder to be conscious of our responses at all times and be really present to those we love.

Looking forward to being back at school next week.

Have a great week and hug your kids.

Regards,
Jamie Emerick
Principal.

School Fees: Now OVERDUE

Stop, Drop, Go Pick Up Reminder

We appreciate your continued cooperation in helping us maintain a safe and efficient pick-up process for all students.

To ensure a smooth flow of traffic in both of our designated pick-up areas, we kindly ask that if you arrive early, please fill the parking bays starting from the furthest available bay. This allows for sequential queuing, ensuring that all bays are utilised and minimising congestion.

Your support in following this process helps keep our students safe and our pick-up lines moving smoothly.

P&F School Disco: Friday 23 May

Parents were emailed on Thursday, 15 May. If you are coming to our school disco and have not already ordered, please indicate your food preferences by Wednesday 21 May via the below link.

https://forms.gle/MrzaywKvvd2n1MX57

This will assist with quantity of food to order.

Looking forward to seeing you.

Athletics Carnival – Student Roll Marking

When students arrive at school between 8.10am and 8:40am for this year’s Athletics Carnival (Friday 6 June), all students are to put their bags on the bag racks outside their classroom and move to normal morning supervised areas.

At the 8.38am bell, ALL students are to return to their classrooms for roll marking. There will be NO Friday parade on Friday 6 June.

Just after 8.40am, when class rolls are marked, class teachers will direct their students to where they need to be in preparation for the first event of the day.  

Any students arriving after the 8:40am roll marking, MUST be signed in by their parent at the office.  

If parents wish to take students home early (prior to 3.00pm), students MUST be signed out via the office by their parent.

Fitness Club - Wednesdays 7:45am

Learn to Pray

Library News ...

National Simultaneous Storytime

Please join us this Wednesday during First Break.  We will be listening to ‘The Truck Cat’ by Deborah Frenkel, and doing some colouring activities.

Year 1 -3 Robotics

Student Council Bookstall

St John's Way Awardees ...

Students who have embodied faith, dignity and integrity within our school.

We view our school as one body, with many parts, each in its own way contributing to our common mission.
(1 Corinthians 12: 12-26)

Clean Up Club

Prep 2026 Sibling Enrolments: ENROL NOW

2026 Prep Enrolment interviews have begun. Please remember to bring your child's original birth certificate to your interview.

If you have already had your enrolment interview and forgotten to bring in any documents i.e. original birth certificate, current immunisation schedule, pediatric reports, speech pathology assessments etc., please do so as soon as possible.

If you have not yet applied for enrolment, please do so now.

Gladstone Independent Schools Music Assoc.

GISMA Music workshops this year run from 23-25 June 2025:

Gill Group - Advanced - 23 June
Collins Group - Intermediate - 24 June
Maxwell Group - Beginners - 25 June
Concert - 25 June.

GISMA will allocate students to the appropriate group with advice from music teachers.

Please find below links to register:

• Instrumental music workshop registration form (early bird closes 30th May, standard registrations close 11th June. Form and money must be received to secure registration).  2025 GISMA Instrumental Workshop
  
• Shirt order form (form and money due 7 May - we must get a minimum of 10 orders for this to proceed). 2025 GISMA Shirt Order Form
• Parent helper form for workshop. Parent Help GISMA 2025

Volunteer Tuckshop Roster

Tuckshop Ordering Information & Menu

Our tuckshop operates every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (first and second breaks).

The following information will ensure the efficient ordering of tuckshop for your child/ren:

• Tuckshop must be ordered online via QuickCliq www.quickcliq.com.au  Orders will not be accepted at the Tuckshop or Office.
• Orders must be placed by 8:10am. Tuckshop can be ordered weeks in advance. Simply click on the day/s that tuckshop is required.
• QuickCliq operates very slowly at very busy times i.e. close to 8:10am.  During these times the system may boot you off and require you to log back in. Late orders put a lot of pressure on our tuckshop staff and volunteer helpers.
• If you miss the ordering cut off time, your order will be transferred to the following day.  You will be notified of this on the screen.
• Parents MUST check confirmation email to ensure the order has been processed for the correct food on the correct day.

If you have any problems with the online ordering system please contact QuickCliq via 1300 11 66 37, or email: support@quickcliq.com.au

Chanel Year 7 - 2026: Enrolments Close Soon

The first round of Applications CLOSE 23 May 2025.

Information packs are available from the College Office.

Apply at www.chanelcollege.qld.edu.au under the Enrolment Tab.

If you have any enquiries, please contact our Enrolments Officer: Mrs Jo Constable on 4994 8925 or email enrolments@chanelcollege.qld.edu.au

Uniform Shop Hours

CSPQ Parent Conference

Parish News ...

Gladstone Regional Council EcoFest