St Rita's School, South Johnstone eNewsletter

Dear Parents and Carers,

Lots of learning, good vibes and celebrations have been had in the past 5 weeks as we approach the middle of Term 3.

So proud of the Year 2 assembly last Thursday and Year 1 assembly today where classes showcased their learning. School Awards were given to students for outstanding learning and community spirit. St. Rita’s Pride!

Theme of student awards showing the core value of Community.

…consistently demonstrating the core value. He brightens our classroom with his warm greeting, cheerful smile, and sense of humour. His effort to make others laugh and feel welcome, helps create a fun and inclusive learning environment. He also shows respect and kindness by regularly greeting staff and contributing to our positive school culture.

Theme of student awards showing the core value of Learning.

…consistently demonstrating the core value of Learning. Showing a strong commitment to learning by actively contributing to class discussion and striving to improve his writing by adding adjectives and cohesion.

…dedication to growth and participation makes them a positive role model in our classroom.

…consistently showing independence and confidence when attempting and working through phonic activities. We are so excited to see what you will achieve next!

…working extremely hard in your writing and wrote an awesome detailed retell of our weekly focus book “The Kookaburra who couldn’t laugh. Keep up the great work!

I echo the Leadership team’s writings; I would like to thank our team at St. Rita’s for their commitment to making our school great and our parents as our cheerleaders.

I say again, very proud of our students’ commitment to their learning and growth, whilst showing respect to all in our school.

In the words of St. Mary MacKillop - “We are all but pilgrims here”.

Forward to a Better World, Mrs Bryan.

Dear Parents and Carers,

Catholic Education Week - Southern Deanery

We are proud of all the students and staff from St Rita’s School who represented our community with pride and reverence at the Southern Deanery Mass.

Our students sang beautifully and participated with joyful hearts, showing great respect and enthusiasm throughout the celebration. It was a wonderful day of faith, unity, and togetherness, highlighting the spirit of Catholic Education.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to making the day so special, and to Good Counsel Primary School for hosting the celebration. It is always a blessing to come together with our sister schools, St Rita’s, Babinda; St John’s, Silkwood; St Clare’s, Tully; Good Counsel Primary; and Good Counsel College, Innisfail; to share in this meaningful and faith-filled event. Gatherings like these remind us of the strength and unity within our Catholic school communities.

Catholic Education Week - St Monica’s Cathedral, Cairns

During Catholic Education Week, students from Year 5/6, accompanied by Ms Curtis, Miss Lisa, and myself, had the privilege of attending the diocesan Mass at the stunning St Monica’s Cathedral in Cairns. It was a wonderful opportunity to come together with other schools from across the Cairns Diocese, celebrating our shared faith and commitment to Catholic education. The beauty and reverence of the cathedral added to the significance of the occasion, making it a memorable and uplifting experience for all who attended. A sincere thank you to the Identity and Outreach team for inviting us to be part of this meaningful day.

St Rita's Community and School Parish Mass

We extend our heartfelt thanks to all families, staff, and parish members who attended the recent St Rita’s School Community Parish Mass. Your presence and support helped make the celebration truly special and meaningful.

A special congratulations to Gracie in Year 5, who received her Sacrament of the Eucharist during the Mass. This is a significant step in Gracie’s faith journey, and we are proud to celebrate this moment with her and her family.

It was wonderful to see our school community come together in prayer, reflection, and celebration. Events like these remind us of the strength and warmth of our St Rita’s community.

We look forward to more exciting upcoming events in the second half of Term 3.

Best wishes,

Ms Heaney

Dear Parents and Carers,

Week 5 already! It’s hard to believe we’re halfway through Term 3.

Learning & Teaching

Schools are vibrant, dynamic places with many moving parts that contribute to the learning journey of our students —curriculum being a key pillar.

As we move toward the full implementation of Version 9 of the Australian Curriculum in 2026, we’ve begun auditing our Scope and Sequences to ensure our students receive a rich, comprehensive, and future-focused education. It’s an exciting time as we refine teacher expertise and continue to design engaging, high-quality learning experiences for every classroom.

This important work doesn’t happen without the dedication, enthusiasm, and professionalism of every member of staff, and I would like to thank our team at St Rita’s for their commitment to making our school the place to learn and work. I would also like to extend my sincere thanks to our parents for their ongoing support and dedication in helping their children achieve their best. The impact of home reading, practising sight words, and completing homework is clearly reflected in student growth and achievement.

Kind Regards,

Mrs Gallagher

Hi St Rita's,

Wow! What an incredible showcase of our students' athletic talents during Fitzy vs Palmy Day!

A huge thank you to everyone who supported the students throughout the day, and to those who helped with setting up and packing down — your efforts made the event run smoothly.

Special congratulations to Fitzy for taking home the trophy this year!

We’re already looking forward to next year — it’s sure to be even more exciting!

So far term 3 has been packed with action, and our students have been thriving in both school and community sport!

District Athletics Carnival

A big congratulations to all students who represented St Rita’s at the District Athletics Carnival last week. Their effort, enthusiasm, and sportsmanship were outstanding. We had some fantastic results across track and field events.

Congrats to our following students:

Archie: 1st 9yrs High jump and 3rd in 9 yrs Long jump

Jaxon: 3rd in 10 yrs High jump and 3rd in 800m

TJ: 1st in 9yrs Shot put

Olivia: 3rd in 12 yrs Shot Put

PE Lessons

In PE lessons, we’ve been focusing on cricket. Students have developed their batting, bowling, and fielding skills, and have enjoyed putting them into practice in friendly matches. It’s been great to see their confidence and teamwork grow.

Sport Outside School

It’s an exciting time for sport in our local area! Students are actively participating in a wide range of community sports, including: Swimming, Touch Football, Rugby League, Cricket, Netball and many more.

We encourage families to explore local clubs and programs. The FairPlay Voucher program is also available to help eligible families with the cost of sport and recreation activities, making it easier for every child to participate.

If your child is involved in sport outside of school, we’d love to hear about it and celebrate their achievements in future newsletters!

Dates for calendars -

Friday 22nd August - Senior Netball Team - Cairns Carnival with Miss Murphy & Mrs Slingo

Friday 12th September - Junior Netball Team - Cairns with Miss Murphy & Ms Cassie

Thursday 18th September - Senior Rugby League Team - Innisfail with Mrs Bryan

Friday 19th September - Senior Netball Team - Cairns for Catholic School Carnival with Miss Murphy & Mrs Slingo

Yours in sport,

Mr Herrmann

What a fabulous event! Lovely to spend the morning with the kindies/day cares, getting to know our community families better. Thank you to the awesome representatives from Good Counsel College, our sister school, Bunnings, Parenting Pathways and VPG for partnering with us to make the morning even better; and a huge thanks to Vicki and Carmel for your help yet again - and looking great thanks to Halo Print Co.

Congratulations St Rita's Scallywags Playgroup - 30 YEARS !!!!

We had a fabulous time celebrating Principal's Day with Mrs Bryan. She is kind and generous; and inspires us all with sparkle and fun. And a heartfelt thank you to retiring teacher, our much loved Mrs Kennedy - but not a goodbye as she will be back volunteering, helping our students with gardening and macrame.

Our Sewing Club members created and stitched their own chalk board door hanger!! Well done! A test of their ability to sew decorative stitches and follow the stitch lines. These weekly club meetings are paying off! Prior meetings saw pin cushions created for the Innisfail Show.

Sync Calendar

13 Oct	Year 3/4 Camp Tinaroo 13 Oct 2025 - 15 Oct 2025

24 Oct	Cricket Carnival - Tully All day

2 Dec	Year 6 Graduation Dinner - Cascia Centre 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

5 Dec	School Year Ends - 12 noon All day

5 Dec	School Year Ends - 12 noon All day