Loving God,

Thank You for guiding us through this term,

For all we have learned, the friendships we’ve grown,

and the moments of fun and discovery.

Thank You for our teachers, our friends, and our families

who help us to learn and feel loved.

As we enter the holidays, help us to find peace and joy in each day.

Keep us safe in our travels and adventures,

and bring us back rested and ready for a new term.

May we carry Your love with us wherever we go.

We make this prayer through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Sew Ngapa. Maiem. Welcome!
We acknowledge God our Father, and give thanks for the blessings He showers on our community.  We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Waiben and Kirriri, the Kaurareg Nation. We pay our respects to elders past & present.  We commit ourselves to providing our students with a world class Catholic education so they may live life to the full.

Scripture:

"Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest."

— Matthew 11:28

Reflection:

As we come to the end of another school term, this verse reminds us of the importance of rest, not just for our bodies, but for our hearts and minds too. School life is full of energy, learning, growth, and sometimes challenges. In the busyness, it’s easy to forget that Jesus invites us to pause and rest in His presence.

The holidays are a special gift. They are a time to enjoy simple moments, be with our families, explore creation, and allow God to refresh us. May we use this time well, remembering that God walks with us not only in the classroom, but also in the quiet days of rest and joy.

Let this be a time to slow down, breathe deeply, and give thanks for all that we have shared this term.

SRC

It has been a pleasure working alongside our Student Representative Council (SRC) this term. Each member has shown a genuine eagerness to share their ideas and represent the voices of their fellow students. Whether offering thoughtful suggestions, speaking on behalf of their peers, or stepping up to take on extra responsibilities, their dedication and enthusiasm have been truly impressive.

Their willingness to work together as a team and their commitment to making our school an even better place is something to be celebrated. I can’t wait to see how they continue to grow, lead, and support one another in Term 3.

Well done, SRC. Your leadership is making a real difference!

Assembly Changes

Next term, we are excited to introduce a new structure for our Friday afternoons, based on feedback from both students and staff. Beginning Week 1 of Term 3, our whole-school assemblies will now take place fortnightly on the odd weeks of the term. These assemblies will begin at 2:10pm.

Our assemblies will continue to include all the much-loved elements such as class presentations, student awards, and important school messages. We’re also thrilled to create a regular space for our Student Representative Council (SRC) to share updates about The Heart Way based on our values of Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be Responsible and Be Kind.

On the even weeks, students will take part in Genius Hour. This will be a special time where students join multi-age clubs led by teachers, learning a new skill or exploring a passion project. These sessions are designed to promote curiosity, creativity, and build community, all while living out The Heart Way in practical and joyful ways.

We look forward to seeing the positive impact of these changes and thank everyone who shared their ideas to help shape this new initiative.

 School Reports

This week, school reports have been released via The Learning Dashboard. Instructions on how to access your child’s report were provided earlier this term through Parent Slips. If you need support accessing the report, please don’t hesitate to contact the office.

While reports provide valuable insight into your child’s academic progress, they are just one part of the story. They can’t capture every moment of kindness, creativity, teamwork, or determination your child has shown this term. All forms of growth, big or small, are worth celebrating. We are so proud of every student and the effort they have put into their learning journey so far this year.

There will be an opportunity to meet with your child’s teacher during Parent Teacher Interviews in Week 3 of Term 3. These conversations are a valuable time to share insights, ask questions, and celebrate progress together.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support. We look forward to celebrating more wonderful growth next term!

Coming of the Light

During the school holidays, many families across the Torres Strait will come together to celebrate The Coming of the Light on July 1st. This important event marks the arrival of the London Missionary Society to Erub (Darnley Island) in 1871, bringing the message of Christianity to the Torres Strait Islands.

For our community, this day is more than a historical moment. It is a time to reflect on faith, cultural identity, and the strength of the Torres Strait Islander people. Churches of many Christian traditions join in celebration and thanksgiving, recognising how the Gospel was received and how it continues to shape life in the Torres Strait today.

As a Catholic school, we honour this day with deep respect. We give thanks for the faith that continues to guide our community and for the ways in which God's light shines through culture, story, and everyday acts of love.

We will be celebrating The Coming of the Light on Tuesday July 1^st at 10am at the Anglican Church. All are welcome.

It has been a wonderful term filled with growth, learning, and moments that reflect the heart of our Catholic identity through kindness, service, and community. We are so proud of all that our students have achieved and the way they continue to live out our values each day. We look forward to another rich and rewarding term ahead, filled with new opportunities to learn, lead, and shine together.

God bless,

Mrs. Hannah Coburn
Assistant Principal Religious Education

Hello families and happy school holidays! What a wonderful first semester of 2025 we have had!

As we approach the end of the term, report cards offer an important opportunity to reflect on your child’s progress, celebrate their strengths, and identify areas where growth is possible. At our school, we embrace the diversity of each learner—recognising that every child has unique gifts, backgrounds, challenges, and ways of learning. Report cards are not just about marks; they are a snapshot of a child's learning journey, showing how far they’ve come and where they can grow next.

To support this journey, we strongly encourage families to attend Parent-Teacher Interviews, which will be held early next term. These meetings are a valuable chance to strengthen the home-school partnership and open up conversations around how your child learns best, what motivates them, and how we can work together to support both academic and social development. Teachers value your insights and look forward to working with you to set meaningful goals that help your child thrive.

These conversations can be incredibly powerful—not only in recognising your child’s achievements but also in helping them to set realistic, encouraging goals to work towards. Together, we can build a strong support network around each student, helping them feel confident, capable, and celebrated for who they are.

As we head into the school holidays, we hope all families find time to rest, recharge, and enjoy time together. Holidays are a perfect time to reconnect with nature, explore the outdoors, and enjoy some “green time” as a healthy balance to screen use.

We wish all families a safe, happy, and restorative break—and we look forward to reconnecting in the new term as we continue to support your child’s learning journey together.

Happy Holidays!

Best Regards,
Mrs. Peta Mawn

Term 2 has certainly been an exciting and busy time in the prep classroom.  A highlight this term has been the creation of the Prep garden as part of our HASS unit on special places. The students planted some beautiful flowers and have been diligently watering and weeding them on a roster. We have also planted some sunflower and marigold seedlings that we hope will spring up over the holidays.

Just like those beautiful flowers, our reading and writing continues to blossom. It is so lovely to hear that students are reading to grandparents over Facetime, or baby brothers and sisters. Such an exciting time! Our writing books are also bursting with sentences as we learn to write independently. Our letter parties are still a hit – and we work hard in our literacy lessons so we can move onto the next party! Finally, our NAIDOC celebrations were beautiful this year, and we had a wonderful day performing our sit-down dances, watching the bigger students take to the stage and taking part in other activities such as weaving and beading.

Thank you all for a wonderful term, and we are all looking forward to Term Three.

Mrs. Alex Peacocke

We’re halfway through Grade 1, and what a journey it’s been! This term, our students have shone in their habitat dioramas and animal information reports, proudly showcasing their creativity, curiosity, and growing research skills.

In math, students enjoyed engaging in hands-on activities to understand length and capacity.

Our NAIDOC Day was a highlight, celebrating culture with impressive singing and dancing from Year 1. Special thanks to Mr. Leroy Pedro and Mr. Sam Bon for their invaluable contributions to teaching and guiding our students. Thank you, Mrs. Benjamin, for organising a wonderful event!

As we prepare for the holiday break, we also pause to remember our much-loved colleague, Aunty Margaret See Kee, whose recent passing has deeply touched our school community. We are grateful for her many contributions and hold her family in our thoughts and prayers.

Wishing you a safe and happy holiday. Term 3 starts on Tuesday 15 July.

Eso and kind regards,
Mrs. Briohny Jones

Grade 2 have had an exciting second half of the term.  Students loved learning their Island Dances with Mr Bon and Mr Pedro.  NAIDOC Day itself was a wonderful time to share and experience Culture.

A highlight was definitely our Book Launch!  Students worked hard all term to write and illustrate a non-fiction text about an animal, and a book incorporating art and Kalakawa Ya  to describe the animals which live in Zenadth Kes.  It was wonderful to have so many parents and teachers join us.  Students are currently working on a third book.  This is a pop-up book about Jesus and Peter walking on water.  It also encourages children to think about a time when they need to trust Jesus, get out of the boat, and do something which is challenging for them.

Our visits to HAAC and Star of the Sea were fantastic opportunities to spend time with Elders.  Children enjoyed singing, yarning and sharing their books.

Everyone was excited to welcome Mr Skittles back this term.  Kicking goals in AFL was the best!  It was great to see everyone enjoying the best code of football and improving their skills.

Students have continued to challenge themselves in Maths.  They have been learning new strategies to help them add 2-digit numbers and tell the time.  The song, ‘Tell the Time,’ by Johnny and the Raindrops has been a huge hit!  Check it out on you-tube but be warned, you may never get this catchy tune out of your head!

I wish everyone a safe and joyful holiday.

Miss Presley

Best Regards,
Mrs. Luella Tyler

Star of the Sea Visit

As Term 2 comes to a close, Year 4 has enjoyed a busy and enriching few weeks filled with creativity, learning, and community connection.

In English, we’ve been exploring information reports. Students selected a biome to research, took notes, and turned their findings into well-structured reports. This work inspired the creation of our own Biome Dioramas, where students showcased what they had learned. A big thank you to the Year 1 students for allowing us to view their incredible dioramas beforehand—they provided wonderful inspiration!

In Mathematics, our focus has been on multiplication strategies and strengthening our automatic recall of times tables. Students have shown great persistence and progress.

We also deepened our understanding of the story of the Prodigal Son through a Reader’s Theatre performance and completed our class novel, The Wild Robot, finishing with a fun movie viewing to celebrate the story.

A highlight of the term was our visit to HACC, our local community centre for the elders. Students shared songs and played word games, creating a joyful connection across generations. We also loved taking part in NAIDOC Week celebrations through singing, dancing, and cultural activities. It's a privilege to be part of a community so rich in culture.

Our AFL sessions with Mr Skibbs added to the fun and physical challenge of Term 2.

Wishing all our families a restful and happy holiday break!

 Mrs. Renate Bates

As we reach the end of a busy and rewarding Semester One, I’d like to take a moment to celebrate the incredible growth, effort, and achievements of our Year 5 students. It has been a term packed with learning, creativity, and memorable experiences that have enriched both our classroom and school community.

One of our major highlights this term was performing our NAIDOC Day dance, where students proudly showcased their learning and connection to culture through movement and storytelling. Their respect and enthusiasm were truly commendable. We were fortunate to continue our sporting journey with AFL Cape York, developing both skills and teamwork. A special congratulations to Taye, who represented our school in the Crusader’s Cup in Cairns and the Sunshine Coast—an outstanding achievement!

Our classroom was also visited by two inspirational Australian Olympians, Taylor McKeown and Lara Davenport, who shared powerful messages about perseverance, resilience, and the pursuit of goals. The students were inspired by their journeys and had excellent questions to ask. As part of our outreach and community connection, Year 5 visited the Star of the Sea Aged Care Facility, sharing stories and moments with the residents, displaying kindness, respect, and empathy throughout. We also congratulate Oliver, who proudly represented our school in the Readers Cup in Cairns. His love of reading and commitment to learning truly shone through.

In HASS and Culture, students brought history to life by building Thursday Island and its surrounding islands in Minecraft, where they engaged in trade simulations to understand what life was like prior to colonisation. It was a fantastic blend of digital creativity and historical thinking. In Maths, we focused on data display and interpretation, learning to read graphs, analyse results, and present findings accurately. The students enjoyed collecting real data and using it in meaningful ways.

Congratulations to all of Year 5 on a fantastic Semester One. Your hard work, curiosity, and positive attitude have made this a truly successful term.

Wishing all families a safe and restful break.

Best Regards,
Mr. Jake Nelson

Miss Judy

Life Skills

Looking after the Land and Sea in the Torres Strait

The Life Skills group has enjoyed an exciting and engaging second half of Term 2, continuing our theme of caring for the environment and promoting sustainability. Over the past five weeks, students have taken part in a variety of hands-on experiences and learned from local experts about how we can protect and preserve our natural resources.

In Week 6, we reflected on our beach clean-up at Sadies Beach and explored the potential impact of marine debris on coastal and ocean ecosystems. We also compared traditional fishing and hunting practices with modern methods, discussing their effects on sustainability and the environment.

Our visit to Pearl Island Seafoods was a highlight, where owners Jake and Mel explained the sustainable harvesting of kaiar (rock lobster). The students particularly enjoyed the opportunity to handle some of the large lobsters from the tanks.

James Mills from Malu Ventures also visited to share insights into the environmental research and marine protection work carried out aboard his boat, Nekana II. The students were fascinated to learn about the invasive Crown of Thorns Starfish and the methods used to control its population to protect our coral reefs.

A team of Rangers gave a presentation on the important work they do to protect local flora and fauna, as well as their efforts to preserve traditional knowledge. This includes planting native trees and safeguarding seagrass habitats—essential for dhangal (dugong).

We also spent time at the Gully Community Garden, where curator Alfred Mitchell taught us about sustainable gardening and which plants thrive in our local conditions. The students enjoyed planting a flower bed with blue flower mix, sunrise mix, and butterfly field seeds. We’re looking forward to returning next term to check on their growth!

It has been a rich and rewarding term of learning about our natural environment and how living things interact within it. Through expert talks and hands-on activities, all students have been actively involved and have deepened their understanding of how to care for the environment. They now have a greater appreciation of their role in protecting our land and sea for future generations.

The Hub

What’s Happening in The Hub?
There’s always something happening in The Hub!

Each morning begins with our Learning to Learn session for junior students, helping them get ready for a successful day. At the same time, a small senior group follows a regular routine to prepare for their day back in the classroom.

We also run a multi-grade literacy session every day, which is a fast-paced and intensive lesson focusing on the foundational building blocks of spelling and reading. Students from Years 3 to 6 attend these daily sessions, working through a structured program that supports them at every stage of their literacy journey. For those already proficient in literacy, we offer extension programs to further challenge and engage them.

In addition, we provide targeted intervention sessions in both literacy and maths for small groups of students who need extra support to reach their year-level goals. The Hub is also where we implement specialist intervention programs designed by our Occupational Therapists (OTs) and Speech Pathologists (Speechies). These programs run three to four times a week and are focused on building the skills students need to participate more independently and confidently in their classroom environments.

We also run enrichment groups for our high-potential learners. These students take part in self-directed learning projects—choosing their topics, researching, and exploring areas of personal interest.

The Life Skills group also uses The Hub for their learning activities.

It’s a vibrant and busy space, full of activity, support, and opportunity—helping our students grow into the best version of themselves.

Best Regards,
Mr. Jonathan Beales

Our students have been diving into a range of exciting learning experiences this term, combining creativity, inquiry and hands-on exploration across year levels.

Year 6 students have launched into space—figuratively! They’ve been learning all about the solar system and building impressive models of planets to demonstrate their understanding of size, distance and orbit. It’s been wonderful to see their curiosity spark as they explore the mysteries of our universe.

Year 5 students have turned their focus to the Earth, investigating erosion and how it affects island communities. In connection with Torres Strait knowledge, they’ve been designing and building model islands with clever defences against erosion, such as sea walls, mangroves, and natural barriers. This unit has allowed students to think critically about environmental challenges and engineering solutions that support coastal communities.

In Year 4, students have been learning about the water cycle and exploring its importance to Torres Strait Islander communities. They’ve extended this learning by constructing their own water filters using household materials. Through this project, students are gaining a deeper understanding of how we use, clean and protect water, and why it matters for people and ecosystems alike.

Our Prep students have been busy investigating rubbish and its impact on the environment. They’ve explored different types of rubbish found around the school, considered where it comes from, and discussed how it affects our community and wildlife. As part of their project, they have designed and built simple rubbish collectors using recycled materials and have begun brainstorming ways to reduce waste and look after our school grounds.

In Physical Education, students have been developing a range of skills through active participation in team sports and athletics. This term has included a focus on Australian Rules Football (AFL), where students have been practising skills such as kicking, handballing, marking, and game play. We’ve also welcomed Mr Kieran, an AFL development coach, who has been running specialised training sessions to further build student confidence and technique. Alongside AFL, students have had a week of focused shot put training in preparation for our upcoming athletics carnival in term 3. These activities have not only improved physical fitness and coordination, but also encouraged teamwork, persistence, and enthusiasm for sport across all year levels.

Best Regards,
Mr Lochie Dunford

Term Dates

Wongai Ball

Tuckshop Menu
In 2025 our tuckshop is open both lunches! Make sure you download the flexischools app to order today!

Sign In/Out
To ensure the safety and wellbeing of all students it is a requirement that all visitors sign in & out when visiting the school. Parents needing to collect their child during the day must inform and sign out their child at administration. 

Safety reminders - Food allergies, helmets and shoes

Food allergies - We are an allergy-aware school.  To support childern with various food allergies, we have a no-food sharing policy. We also provide non-allergen alternatives in the tuckshop.  As some children can have severe allergic reactions to even contact traces of peanuts, we ask that parents avoid sending foods containing peanuts or peanut butter to school.  Thank you for your support. 

Helmets - Any students who ride a bike or scooter to school must wear a helmet.  Even though we live on a remote island, the Queensland Road rules still apply.  Helmets save lives and seriously reduce the risk of brain injury in the event of an accident.  Students must dismount their bike and walk it along the footpath when entering the school.    

Shoes - We wear shoes to school every day.  Sometimes shoes become too wet to wear.  It may be more suitable to wear sandals during wet weather.  If a child must wear thongs for the entire day (e.g. due to injury), they may not be able to fully participate in sport or play due to safety reasons.