10 September 2025

VISION STATEMENT

St Rita’s school is a dynamic learning community strengthened by our Mercy heritage and inspired through the teachings of Jesus Christ. We are connected and compassionate to the needs of our community and are proud of our local Wanyurr-Majay culture. We engage our learners through relevant and hands-on experiences, bringing joy and confidence to learning.  

PRINCIPAL’S PEN

“Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad” – Anne Geddes 

Father’s Day has come and gone for another year. 
I was fortunate to be surrounded by my four grumpy children on Sunday, still coming down from the excitement of the previous days’ Harvest Festival. To be honest, I can’t even remember if the older two said “Happy Father’s Day.”

But truthfully, it didn’t bother me. Father’s Day, for me, is a time to reflect on how much more I can do for them—not what they can do for me. Parenthood is often described as a “thankless” task, but shouldn’t it be the parents who are doing the thanking?

My children are, without question, the greatest gift and blessing of my life—and I imagine most mums and dads would say the same. They give and teach me far more than I could ever give or teach them. 

It is through them that right and wrong becomes clearer, my patience has improved exponentially (still needs work though), and they inspire me to be a better person every day.

They didn’t ask to be brought into this world. I’ve been blessed with them, and now it’s my responsibility to embrace this vocation with more dedication than almost anything else in my life. 

Being a dad is a tremendous responsibility—one I hope I never take lightly. The kind of adults my children become depends on the example I set, the lessons I share, and the unconditional (and sometimes tough) love I give.

The truth is, I need to thank them—and thank God—for blessing me with them. As John the Baptist says in the Gospel of John speaking of the coming Messiah, Jesus, (3:30), “He must increase, but I must decrease.” That’s how I view fatherhood.

To me, the role of a father is the ultimate challenge and the ultimate expression of love. We are called to give until we have nothing left. Our purpose is to provide our children with a better life than the one we had, to help them grow into respectful, contributing citizens—and, most importantly, to become even better parents themselves. 

This Father’s Day, while I appreciated the deck chair and new cologne, my thoughts were focused on how I can be a better father—and what I owe to my children.

I’ll leave you with a short article I came across recently, highlighting the importance of both parents (where possible) in laying the foundation for our children’s lives. 

One parent anchors. The other strengthens. Kids need both. 
 
A mother’s love tells a child: you are safe. 
A father’s love tells a child: you are strong. 
 
Together, those two messages create resilience, the single biggest predictor of mental health in adolescence. 
 
Science backs it up: 
In a 3,988-teen study, secure father attachment cut depression risk in half. 
Oxford research shows dads are not “substitutes,” but specialists, teaching kids to handle risk and bounce back from setbacks. 
 
Play isn’t just play. 
Neuroscientist Ruth Feldman found that when dads roughhouse with their kids, their heartbeats and brainwaves literally sync, programming stress recovery for life. 
 
Think of it like training wheels. 
Mum steadies the bike so a child doesn’t fall. 
Dad runs behind shouting “you’ve got this!”,and lets go. 
Both are necessary. Without both, kids are missing half their foundation. 
 
So if you’re a dad, remember: your role isn’t to parent “like mum.” 
It’s to parent like you. With challenge, belief, and calm in the storm. 
 
Because the world won’t go easy on your child. 
But your steady presence can make them ready for it. 

Harvest Festival – Babinda Goes Country           

It was a pleasant surprise for our school to be named ‘Most Outstanding Float’ at the Harvest Festival Grand Parade. We received the $250 prize which was graciously accepted by our school captain Maddisyn.

This year’s idea was hatched at a P&F meeting, voted on by the students, and coordinated by Mrs Masina with the support of various St Rita’s staff.

Most appreciatively, it was a small group of committed parents who gave up their time to paint and prepare boxes with our students, transforming them into the flashy-looking tractors that featured in the parade. It certainly looked fantastic on Saturday afternoon.

A big thank you to Bek Rowe, Matt & Angela Owens, Mark Burrows and Liam Carrigan, who donated their precious time, which assisted us greatly. Your contributions made our staff’s jobs much easier, and we are truly grateful for your ongoing support. It was wonderful to see your efforts recognised, and everyone who participated looked fantastic. 

School Review

It is with great pleasure that we announce the completion of our five-year school review—and there is much to celebrate. Last fortnight, two independent reviewers spent a day at our school to validate findings from previous reports. They were highly complementary of what they observed and praised the entire school community for the outstanding work being done.

Most pleasingly, our students spoke extremely positively about the school and the environment that has been created for them. There is no doubt that our inquisitive student cohort, supportive parents, and expert teachers all contribute to the success of St Rita’s. 

Here are some highlights from the survey results:

• Student – Religious activities including prayer, liturgies, and celebrations are meaningful to me: 100%
• Parent – My child has a learning pathway that reflects their individual needs: 100%
• Student – My teachers expect me to do my best: 100%
• Parents, Teachers & Staff – This is a good school: 100%
• Parent – Teachers at this school treat students fairly: 100%

There is much to be proud of, and I’d like to thank you all for your continued support and goodwill. Together, we can continue to make a lasting impact on our young people. 

St Michael’s Under 8’s Day 

We’re looking forward to travelling to St Michael’s, Gordonvale this Friday for their Under 8’s Day. St Michael’s has generously provided their school bus for the occasion and has encouraged us to bring all our students along to enjoy a fun-filled day. 

A big thank you to Ms Benvenuti for organising this experience. A note should have been sent directly to your email—please get in touch with us if you have any questions. 

Aquarium Excursion

We have another exciting excursion coming up in Week 10! A huge thank you to Mrs Jenni Stone, who successfully applied for and secured funding through a Nature-Based Learning Grant from Cairns Regional Council.

Thanks to this grant, we’ll be taking our students on an immersive experience at the Cairns Aquarium: 

• Monday (Week 10) – Years 4–6 
• Tuesday (Week 10) – Years 1–3

Please check your emails for further information—and thank you again, Miss Jenni! 

Jim Graham Cup 

We wish Jude, Riley, Leo, and Abel the very best as they represent St Rita’s at the Jim Graham Cup, a Cairns Diocese Catholic School Rugby League tournament. Our students will join forces with St Rita’s South Johnstone and St John’s Silkwood. 

Go well, boys! 

Maintenance 

As a small school with limited resources, we rely heavily on the generosity of our volunteers. For the past few years, Matt Owens and Gavin Lansdown have selflessly maintained our school grounds—mowing, trimming, pruning, spraying, weeding, cleaning gutters, and more. 

Their contribution is invaluable. It saves the school hundreds of dollars and helps keep our fees low. While we are incredibly grateful to Gavin and Matt, we’d also like to encourage others to lend a hand. The school provides all the equipment and fuel.

If you’re able to help, please see me or Debbie. Thank you again, Gavin and Matt! 

Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews 

At this time of year, we usually hold student-led conferences to discuss your child’s progress. However, due to the busy nature of this term, I’ve decided to postpone these until early next term. These important conversations will be more meaningful when everyone is refreshed after the holiday break.

As always, if you need to speak with your child’s teacher in the meantime, please contact the school to make an appointment—we’re more than happy to accommodate. 

Last Day of Term

Next Friday, 19th September, will be the last day of Term 3. We’ll hold a whole-school assembly at 2:30 PM in the junior learning space to celebrate birthdays, awards, and attendance. 

All are welcome! 

Warm regards,

Michael Rowe
Principal

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL

Day on the boat - by Riley B

On Tuesday, my dad, mum and brothers and I went on the boat to go catch some mackerel. I had a feeling I would catch one and guess what I did! We actually caught two Spanish mackerel. I was super impressed - it was pretty hard to reel in, mum thought it was a shark. It was a lot of fun and I’m really glad we got to  spend that family time together.   

Sam Benvenuti
Deputy Principal

DATE CLAIMERS

2025 TERM DATES

THOUGHT OF THE WEEK

MUNRO THEATRE