SMC NEWS 2024 - Term 2, Week 1
Week Ahead
From the College Principal
Dear Parents and Carers,
Welcome back to Term 2! I hope the break was a time for all to catch up with family and friends at some stage over the past couple of weeks. In today's newsletter, I've tried to provide a couple of reminders to help students with their school experience in the first phase of the term.
Parent-Teacher Interviews
Firstly, thank you to parents and carers who participated in the parent-teacher interviews this week. It is good to see new parents and carers at the College. These interviews are a good opportunity to meet with your son's teachers face-to-face and to ask any questions about his progress. I encourage all parents and carers to take advantage of this opportunity. Our next, and final, parent-teacher interview session is scheduled for Monday 8th July. All are welcome to these interviews.
Staffing News
Please be aware of the following staffing changes for Term 2 and beyond. Again, we are fortunate to have a dedicated pool of staff to draw from and thank you to our Deputy Principal, Ms Samantha Parle, for making these arrangements as Deputy Principal:
- Mr Stephen Coren begins as Primary Leader this week.
- Ms Ash Sowter and Mr Brett Harkins will share a teaching load contract in Term 2.
- Ms Sal Albion begins her permanent role in Parent Reception this week.
- Ms Elaelah Harley has been successful in applying for the Library Assistant role until the end of the year. Elaelah begins Monday 22nd April.
- Rob Anderson (currently St Augustine's, Cairns) will begin a permanent teaching position in Term 3.
Finally, we say goodbye to Sylvia Prinsloo and Louise Delahunty, who were successful in applying for positions at St Saviour's College. We wish them all the very best in their new roles.
Thank you
A big thank you to Dave Nugent, Mirko Crociati (SMC – Football Coach), and Emma Bowdler (Chair of the Advisory Council) for their work in coaching and managing the Year 6 and 7 EREA Football team at Nudgee over the holidays. We made the Grand Final but lost to a very good side in St Patrick's, Strathfield. This group of boys has a promising future ahead! On behalf of the leadership of the College, I want to thank all SMC staff who worked over the Term 1 school holidays or volunteered time for the College recently.
Reflection
As we move past the Easter season, which acknowledges our human failings, I'm mindful of the recent death of an Australian aid worker in Gaza which for all of us, I'm sure, is very disturbing. Please find below a reflection from Tim Costello (Micah Australia):
Zomi Frankcom was only 43. She was one of our finest Australians. Self-giving, courageous and compassionate; in her life, we see the expression of the deepest and truest values of what we aspire to be, indeed, of what it should mean to be an Australian.
Her death along with six other aid colleagues from World Central Kitchen should never have happened. World Central Kitchen had done everything right in communicating clearly with the IDF their plans for food delivery and displaying their logos. An IDF spokesperson acknowledged this, saying World Central Kitchen had responded to Israel’s needs also. They were humanitarian and neutral.
Her death triggered me because it could have been me or any of my colleagues. We all follow the same protocols in delivering aid in war – communicating with the military transparently. We all rely on international humanitarian law for protection following these protocols, as we are neutrals.
Zomi was part of the food lifeline to keep people in Gaza alive. Humans need about 2,100 calories a day, or if in a food basket, 661g of food. This amounts to 1,388 tonnes of food a day that must be trucked in for a population of 2.1 million people. Because of the Israeli blockade on Gaza these trucks have been going for many years. It is nothing surprising or new. But since the barbaric Hamas attack on 7 October and the war, we now are seeing Palestinian children starving and 300,000 to 500,000 people in Gaza at risk of famine.
Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has offered a full investigation of this tragedy but rather glibly said that this sort of thing happens in war. No, it does not. Accountability cannot mean just a “war defence” and should mean that someone in Israel may be charged for their deaths.
Zomi and her colleagues were humanitarians saving lives. That is what aid organisations do in all conflict zones and we do it under the coordination of the UN’s Office for Humanitarian Affairs. Our every move is logged and checked with the military and this thing does not happen.
Netanyahu’s response smacked to me of impunity and recklessness. And the world has until recently been wringing its hands while the innocent deaths (now more than 32,000) of women and children in Gaza has been beamed on to our television news for the last six months.
We have seen in the past the equivocation from our leaders to assert a simple proposition: namely that an innocent Palestinian life is equal to an innocent Jewish life. That is what my faith teaches me and what universal human rights means. And in the binary rush of Netanyahu and Hamas to claim victimhood to win political support we ignore that humans can simultaneously be both victims and perpetrators. Both Netanyahu and Hamas oppose a two-state solution and both need and feed off each other.
We can predict our leaders’ response in saying, well, Israel has a right to defend itself but it must do so proportionately and subject to international law. But what happens when they don’t? It leaves us feeling overwhelmed. And we find it so unbearable and feel so impotent that we look away.
Zomi and her colleagues did not look away. They were not impotent nor paralysed. They put their lives on the line as have more than 200 other aid workers who the UN reports have died in this war so far in Gaza.
This is why I sense a tipping point. I was pleased to hear our PM call for accountability and particularly Penny Wong to speak of this as being an outrage.
It is an outrage. Zomi deserves our outrage as do all innocents in this war.
Adapted from www.theguardian.com 3 April 2024 - Tim Costello is executive director of Micah Australia and senior fellow at the Centre for Public Christianity.
Mr Brendan Stewart
College Principal
Deputy Principal
Term 2 Week 1
The beginning of Term 2 has brought quite a few changes at St Mary’s College, and those families whose sons have new teachers this term will have been notified via email over the break. With the movements and changes in the College Leadership Team, we are excited to see what new perspectives and experience will bring.
Change is one of the true constants in life and our capacity as human beings to manage ‘life’ is often closely linked to our capacity to deal with change. Some find it exciting and invigorating, while others find it unsettling or intimidating. And some of us are somewhere in between. As adults, guiding young people through change can be a frustrating and challenging task!
No More Bells
One of the changes that we have made to the College environment this term has been to remove the traditional school bells. You might be surprised to hear, that on some school days, we were ringing the ‘bell’ up to 18 times! The volume and the jarring nature of the bells may have served to keep us running on schedule, but they certainly didn’t add many positive emotions to our days here at school. From this week, the different times of the day have been replaced with chimes and music. The 8.10am chime is now the Nokia ringtone, which reminds our boys that it’s time to put their phones in their lockers. When it is time to move to class, a small 20-second clip of music plays, and after their travel time, a doorbell chime sounds to signify that the boys should be at the door of their next lesson. A selection of songs has been chosen and the song for each moment is randomly selected by the software system. Already, the boys have been approaching me with better suggestions – apparently, my music taste isn’t quite measuring up. With only a few days under our belt, as this goes to print, we are still testing and improving but I am certainly hopeful that this change will be a positive one for our community – the boys, the staff, and our neighbours.
Parent Teacher Interviews
It was wonderful to begin the term by welcoming so many parents to the ERCC for our first Parent Teacher Interview evening of the year. Teachers certainly enjoy the chance to meet families and to learn more about your sons as learners and as people. If you weren’t able to be there this week, please ensure that you mark the Term 3 Parent Teacher Interview event in your calendar. We truly make progress in educating your boys when the school and home work together.
What’s Ahead
I would encourage all families to stay up to date with events at the College via newsletters, the Week Ahead emails, the SMC App, and the College Facebook pages. Term 2 is a busy space – so much going on! If you have any questions regarding events or processes at the College, please contact us – we are here to help.
Mrs Samantha Parle
Deputy Principal
parles@stmaryscollege.com
Identity
Anzac Liturgy
This Wednesday 24th April, the College will hold the annual ANZAC Liturgy. This is always a wonderful expression of our appreciation of those in the military who have served our country at home and abroad over the years. It is also a commemoration and remembrance of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in all conflicts.
The ANZAC Liturgy is a formal College event, attended by many dignitaries and VIPs. Therefore, the highest standard of uniform and conduct is necessary. Students should wear full academic uniform with polished shoes. Hair should be neat and tidy, and they should be clean-shaven. As it is on a Wednesday this year, boys will need to bring their sport uniform to change into after the liturgy’s conclusion.
Students should report to Mentor classes where their uniforms will be checked before proceeding to the College oval for the ceremony itself.
The ceremony opens with a march from the Brothers' House to the Oval. If you have or have had a family member who is a returned serviceman/woman please encourage your son to be involved in this march wearing their service medals. Students who would like to be involved are asked to contact Mr Murphy or Mrs Armstrong.
Social Justice Opportunity
We are pleased to announce that St Mary’s students will once again be visiting the residents at Brodribb Home to connect the generations.
This is a resumption of a relationship that was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Starting in Week 3, boys will visit the home from 3.30pm -4.30pm accompanied by staff from the home and the College.
They will have conversations and take part in activities with the Brodribb residents to connect young and old for mutual benefit.
If your son is interested in volunteering for this opportunity, please ask him to contact Mr Murphy.
Mr Kevin Murphy
Assistant Principal Identity
murphyk@stmaryscollege.com
Curriculum
M-Score Data
In the final week of Term 1, Academic Reports were emailed to families and made accessible through Sentral. Following this, all families should now have received an email containing students' individual M-Score results. The M-Score is designed to provide a fair and comprehensive assessment of your child's academic performance.
Here's what you need to know about the M-Score:
- Percentage: The M-Score is measured on a scale of 0 to 100, with 100 being the highest achievable score.
2. Average Score: It represents an average score across all subjects, providing a holistic view of your child's academic abilities.
Please note that only subjects that occur for a minimum of one semester will contribute towards the M-Score.
3. Weighted Distribution: The M-Score is a weighted average of the overall percentages of each subject studied. The table below provides a detailed breakdown of each cohort's subject weighing for core and elective subjects.
4. Subject Results: Your son’s overall percentage for each subject is viewable on Canvas.
Academic Awards
The M-Score is an integral part of our academic awards criteria at the College. Listed below are the criteria for the academic awards that are recognised each term. Following feedback from students and parents, we have restructured our academic award celebrations to better reflect and acknowledge the dedication of our students.
Awards Criteria:
All award celebrations will now occur during timetabled GYG lessons instead of lunch breaks. We are looking forward to celebrating students' hard work in our reformatted structure during the sessions below:
Academic Integrity Course (Senior Education)
Students in Years 11 and 12 have commenced working towards completing The Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) Academic Integrity Course. The course advises students on how to maintain academic integrity and produce their best work during their senior education.
The Academic Integrity Course for students is accessible through the ‘myQCE’ website, where students log in to their learning accounts. Students require their 10-digit Learning Unique Identified (LUI) to gain access. LUI numbers are on students' ID cards and have also been issued to students by the QCAA.
The ‘myQCE’ website is an excellent tool for both students and families to explore as our senior students start to plan their future beyond schooling. This website assists students in planning their pathway toward achieving their QCE, further study or training options, and different career opportunities.
The website specialises in the following topics:
- Future pathway planning
- Study tips
- Jobs and careers
- Stories from past students
- QCE projection
Students can meet with myself or Mr Glass, our Careers Practitioner should they wish to discuss their future pathway options.
Mrs Jade Love
Assistant Principal - Curriculum
lovej@stmaryscollege.com
Student Engagement
Well-being
At St Mary’s College well-being is supported and promoted every day, by way of our lived Edmund Rice Touchstones of Gospel Spirituality, Inclusive Community, Liberating Education, and Justice and Solidarity.
While we look forward to celebrating events such as the Year 7 Wellbeing Day this Thursday 18th April and launching the SMC Kindness Campaign and STYMIE next Tuesday 23rd April it is the daily positive interactions between staff and students that promote well-being in and around our College.
Stymie Launch
Next week our College launches Stymie with our boys. Stymie is a web-based reporting platform that aims to “empower young people to ask for help when they need support, or if they are seeing or experiencing harm”.
Ms Rachel Downie, Educator, Social Entrepreneur, and 2020 QLD Australian of The Year will be presenting sessions throughout the day. Stymie’s purpose is to support psychological safety by empowering young people with the self-belief that they can #saysomething on behalf of themselves or as a bystander for someone else.
Stymie provides online reporting for schools. Encrypted, anonymous notifications are delivered within seconds to authorised recipients, who respond according to their well-being framework.
Student Expectations Framework
This week the College launched the Student Expectations Framework. I will be unpacking the Framework each week on assembly with a specific focus on of the touchstones and what it looks like “in practice”. The “in practice” elements are found in the College diary on page 6.
The purpose of the College Expectations Framework is to provide clear guidelines around what is expected at St Mary’s College. The framework is grounded in the Edmund Rice Touchstones, the College Values Statement (2015-2022), and the College Strategic Plans (past and present). It reflects our current practices and encompasses the expectations of families and, more broadly, the society in which we live.
The Framework defines the expectations for students to engage with the learning culture of the College, giving clear guidelines for the implementation of the College values. It supports the College community to work together and engage in developing our shared vision and strategic priorities
Character Strength of the Week - Fairness
This week, we concentrated on the character strength of fairness as part of our deliberate character development program to develop our boys into men of faith, integrity, action, and excellence.
My specific focus from this is to encourage our boys to take every opportunity to develop into fine young men by prioritising fairness in all their interactions.
Mr Matt Draper
Assistant Principal - Student Engagement
draperm@stmaryscollege.com
Business Manager
Dear Parents and Guardians,
It's great to have everyone back for Term 2. We appreciate your patience during our recruitment process for a new Finance Officer, and we're excited to welcome Kim Young onboard. Kim brings valuable experience as a former parent of the school and a Business Manager in the state school system. We've been busy catching up during the term break to ensure a fresh start for Term 3, so we apologise for any delays in responding to requests.
We're aiming to issue Term 2 fees this week as part of the April statement. If you require an invoice, please reach out to our friendly finance team at accounts@stmaryscollege.com. You can also find all fee information on our website here.
Just a reminder, there is a strict 14-day payment policy once fees are issued unless you have a direct debit/credit or agreed payment plan in place. Timely payments help us maintain the high-quality education we provide to your children. If you have any questions or need assistance, feel free to contact us.
Mr Patrick Wilson
Business Manager
wilsonp@stmaryscollege.com