3 June 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

Dear Parents,

St Rita’s Feast Day 

It is always a highlight in the school calendar when we come together with St Rita’s, South Johnstone, to celebrate the Feast Day of our beloved patroness, St Rita.

St Rita lived in Cascia, Italy, in the 14th century. She is a cherished figure in the Catholic Church, known for her peacemaking spirit and unconditional mercy. As the patroness of Impossible Causes, she is the saint many turn to in times of seemingly hopeless situations.

Interestingly, our newly elected Pope Leo has a teaching background and taught at a St Rita’s School in Chicago during the 1980s. As an Augustinian priest, he shares a special connection with St Rita, who was an Augustinian nun during the latter part of her life. The first priest in Babinda was also an Augustinian, which is likely why our school was named in honour of St Rita. 

Last Wednesday, we welcomed students from St Rita’s, South Johnstone, who joined us for Mass in the Church. Thank you to Fr James for presiding and Mr Price for leading the music. It was a wonderful celebration. 

After Mass, we returned to school for lunch, a special cake, and a short play. We then walked to the Babinda Picture Theatre for a private screening of the animated film King of Kings, which reflects on the life of Jesus Christ as told by Charles Dickens. The movie was enjoyed by everyone, including the parents and families who joined us. A big thank you to Mr Lizzio for organising this fantastic experience. 

The day was a tremendous success, and I thank everyone who made it possible. We look forward to announcing the winners of our St Rita’s artwork competition during Catholic Education Week, and we’re already excited to visit South Johnstone next year for what has become a very special annual event. 

St Rita, Pray for us. 

Leave

This week I am taking leave to attend the AFL State Championships in Maroochydore, as Jude has been selected for the team. We wish him and his teammates all the best as he represents our school and region at the State level. Congratulations, Jude—what a great achievement! 

During my absence, Ms Benvenuti will be Acting Principal and will be relieved of teaching duties for the week. We welcome Mrs Anthony and Mrs Carrigan who will be teaching in Year 5/6 this week. 

School Review 

Every five years, each school undergoes a formal review by external reviewers who visit, gather data, and provide a report with commendations and recommendations. Our review will take place next week, with the reviewers on-site Tuesday through Thursday. I’m extremely proud of what our little school continues to achieve and look forward to hearing their feedback. 

The reviewers will also be seeking parent feedback—if you’re interested in participating, please contact the office. 

Congratulations

A special mention to Riley Ballarino, who recently placed 4th in the Peninsula Cross-Country Trials at Lake Tinaroo. Riley is an outstanding athlete with a bright future, and we thank him for representing our school with such distinction. Well done, Riley! 

Date Saver

Our Small Schools Athletics Carnival will be held at Babinda SS on Wednesday, 18 June. This is always an exciting event—more information will be shared soon. 

2026 Enrolments

We are currently welcoming enrolments for Prep in 2026. If you or anyone you know is considering St Rita’s, please encourage them to book a school tour through our office—I’d be delighted to show them around our wonderful school. Enrolments can also be completed online at:

TLD Reporting

Dear Parents and Carers,

From Semester 1 St Rita’s, Babinda will be transitioning to our new academic reporting application, The Learning Dashboard (TLD).  In week 10 on Thursday, you will be using the new app to access your child's report and all future reports. You will notice some differences with TLD compared to our previous system.  Rather than accessing a PDF report, TLD will take you to your child's report via a modern web interface, providing an improved user experience when accessing it via your mobile phone, tablet or computer.  

The new report will also include student cohort data about their achievement judgements. This cohort graph provides you with a visual indicator about your child’s grade and those of their peers. 

How do I access the new system? You can access TLD by clicking here or via Parent Portal or MYCE. Once you have navigated to TLD users will need to login again using their Parent Portal Credentials. 

Can I still have PDF version of my report? Yes.  There is a print PDF functionality available within TLD.  On clicking the blue ‘Print PDF’ button on the top right-hand corner of the dashboard, a PDF of the report will be downloaded.  Further guidance on these steps is provided in the training materials. 

How do I access previous reports created in the old system? You will continue to access your previous reports via the School Portal as you have in the past.  All future reports will be accessible via The Learning Dashboard. 

Kind Regards
Michael Rowe
Principal

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL

🌍 The Global Impact of Fast Fashion

Dear Parents and Carers,

Our 4-6 students have been deep diving into the word “sustainability” - what this means at a local level but also more broadly. Through their research, students have discovered:

Environmental Damage: The fashion industry is the second-largest consumer of water and is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions—more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined.

Waste Crisis: Over 92 million tonnes of textile waste are generated globally each year. Most of it ends up in landfills or is incinerated.

Exploitation of Workers: Many fast fashion brands rely on underpaid labour in unsafe conditions, particularly in developing countries.

📊 Textile Waste: The Alarming Numbers

🌍 Global Statistics

• The world produces 92 million tonnes of textile waste every year 1.
• 87% of materials used in clothing end up in landfills or incinerators.
• Only 1% of discarded clothing is recycled into new garments.
• Clothing and textiles make up at least 7% of global landfill space.
• The fashion industry generates 42 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, second only to packaging 

Fast Fashion in Australia

• Australians are among the highest consumers of textiles per capita in the world.
• On average, each Australian buys 27 kg of new clothing annually and discards 23 kg.
• Most discarded clothing ends up in landfills, contributing to pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

🎓 Why Students Must Lead the Change

As students, you are not just consumers—you are changemakers. Your choices and voices can shape a more sustainable future.

Here's how you can make a difference:

1. Educate yourself and others
   Learn about the brands you support. Share knowledge with peers through social media, school clubs, or events.
2. Buy less, choose well
   Invest in quality pieces that last longer. Support ethical and sustainable brands.
3. Swap, thrift, and upcycle
   Organize clothing swaps, shop second-hand, or get creative by upcycling old clothes.
4. Advocate for change
   Petition your school to adopt sustainable uniform policies or host awareness campaigns.
5. Hold brands accountable
   Use your voice to demand transparency and ethical practices from fashion companies.

🌱 Be an Active Citizen

Being an active citizen means taking responsibility for the world you live in. By promoting sustainability in fashion, you are:

• Protecting the environment
• Supporting human rights
• Building a culture of conscious consumption

Please see an example of some of our students “Fast Fashion” brochures - Well done to Ryley and Leo who not only researched well but, took considerable time and effort into producing a visually appealing text which entertains, informs and persuades - You have both certainly convinced me!

Leo

Ryley

Kind regards,
Sam Benvenuti
Deputy Principal

COUNSELLORS CORNER

Yours in Counselling,  
Kind regards,
Carmel

DATE CLAIMERS

THOUGHT OF THE WEEK

MUNRO THEATRE

STAYING SAFE ONLINE

BRINGING UP GREAT KIDS

MUSIC AND NEUROSCIENCE ST AUGUSTINE’S COLLEGE

THE FATHERING PROJECT ST ANDREW’S COLLEGE