SMC NEWS 2024 - Term 2, Week 3

Week Ahead

From the College Principal

Dear Parents and Carers, 

Your support at recent events, outside the classroom, has been fantastic and very much appreciated.  Our annual Anzac Liturgy showcased our connection to the past in a very respectful way.  I was also heartened to see the efforts of our students in the Cross Country last Friday.  Thank you to the parents for their support in these events.

Therefore, I should begin by congratulating McGoldrick House and Ms Terese Dyne (McGoldrick House Leader) on their efforts in being the winning house with the 2024 SMC Cross-Country!  Thank you to all students, staff, parents, and carers who supported the event.  It was a great afternoon and I look forward to hearing some very positive results in the upcoming representative Cross-Country calendar.

Well done to all parents, staff and students also regarding our Anzac Liturgy on Wednesday and march on Thursday with the community.  A big congratulations to College Captain, Ethan Payne, who represented SMC in an outstanding manner on Wednesday and especially Thursday at the community ceremonies.  The feedback on Ethan's speech on Thursday was nothing less than outstanding - we had contact from many community members on Friday expressing their support for Ethan and his words.  We had a good group of over 50 students and staff on Thursday to march with SMC.  Well done, and thank you, to all. 

Thank you to SMC staff members, Eylece Blaikie (teacher) and Jack Hickey (ERCC Manager and Marketing Team), for the amazing refit of the Drama Room.  This work means that the College has another, more intimate, presentation area, to showcase Drama and the Arts at the College.  There are more developments ahead in this space also in the coming months and years.

It won't be news to any of you as parents and carers that illness is about at the present time in the College - staff and students.  I have attached a recent note from the Qld Government below providing further information about Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI).  To prevent illness, we need the support of the whole community in keeping our College a safe and healthy place to learn. 

Thank you also to Hector Peralta and Jake Weise for their work with the Guzman and Gomez (GYG) programs over the past couple of weeks.  The feedback from the students and staff has been very positive.  Partnerships like these cannot be sustained without the work that goes on "behind the scenes".  I want to thank the Guzman and Gomez business owners in Toowoomba who are lending their support to SMC!  We have used the GYG abbreviation as part of our "skills" programs this year with all students.  Therefore, it also means, "Gathering Year Group".

Finally, on Tuesday we welcomed back Dr Ian Cheung to the College.  Ian is a former Dux of the College (1993) and is now a spinal surgeon, doing amazing work in Brisbane.  He will be speaking to students as part of our “Men for Tomorrow” series on Assembly.  We are very fortunate to have the continued support of the Old Boys to the College.  On the subject of Old Boys, a big reminder this week about the Old Boys' Ball.  This year, the ball is on Saturday 15 June and celebrates 125 years of St Mary's College.  It would be wonderful to have a big presence this year.  Inquiries please to Tyhla Roper on 07 4631 7333.  All connected with the College are welcome to this celebration of everything St Mary's!

Enjoy the fortnight ahead,

Mr Brendan Stewart
Principal 

Deputy Principal

Safety 

We conducted the first fire drill this week and we managed to exit all of the boys and staff to the Oval in just under eight minutes – an admirable feat. We have identified some areas for improvement and will continue to revise our policies and processes. While it is a significant disruption to the school day, all attempts are made to ensure that learning continues as smoothly as possible around these WHS requirements.  

If you have spent any time around schools, you would know what a busy place they can be at drop-off and pick-up times. St Mary’s is no different and parents are asked to be very mindful of the road rules around schools. Please observe the speed limits and use the designated spaces for dropping off or picking up your son/s. If your son is driving himself to school, please add your voice to ours by asking him to act with caution in the Stadium Carpark. The student drivers are not the only ones using this space as many parents also drop-off and pick up here. Some consideration of others and resisting the need to show off will make the Stadium Carpark a safer and more pleasant place to be.  

Student Support at Sports – Home games              

With many of our teams playing in competitions outside of Toowoomba, our chances to have supporters are fairly limited. On occasion, however, some of our sports teams will have home games and we have the opportunity to provide a home-ground advantage. To provide clarity around this, the Home Game Support Guideline has been written and is included here for your information. If you have any questions about this guideline, please let me know. 

Mrs Samantha Parle
Deputy Principal
parles@stmaryscollege.com

Identity

“If we go in search of other people, other cultures, other ways of thinking, other religions, we come out of ourselves and begin that beautiful adventure that is called ‘dialogue’. Dialogue is very important for one’s maturity, because in relation with other people, relations with other cultures, also in healthy relations with other people and religions, one grows; grows, matures." - Pope Francis, 2013

This week I’ll be accompanying some Year 11 Study of Religion boys on an educational visit to Brisbane.

I’m quite excited by this as we will be going to a Buddhist Temple, a mosque, and a synagogue. It’s always nice to have new experiences!

The purpose of the visit is to look at the similarities and differences between these three global religions, their rituals, core beliefs and tenets.

Australia is of course a plural society, enriched by the various cultures and religions in our midst.

Visits such as these remind me that that when all is said and done, we are all part of the human family and we all deserve understanding and respect. The key to this is dialogue. Only by talking to each other and understanding our experiences is true dialogue possible.

As a Catholic College in the Edmund Rice tradition, dialogue is how we build a truly inclusive community. Indeed we are called to it by scripture and church teaching.

Dialogue can be challenging, it calls us to step outside of ourselves to try to truly understand the other.

And of course, dialogue is not just about meeting people from other cultures, and religions. It is also vital within our community. Students naturally form friend groups with those with similar interests, whether it be footy, drama, music, or chess. Encouraging students to take opportunities to work with and socialise with those whom they don’t already know outside those groups can be tough but can ultimately lead to a more enriching school experience. Reaching out to the marginalised through social justice and service learning opportunities can also develop dialogue if we come with open hearts and without judgment.

There are lots of opportunities to help build an Inclusive Community at St Mary’s. I encourage you to remind your young people of the benefits of dialogue. Some options in the social justice sphere are below:

Brodbribb Nursing Home Visits

We are pleased to announce that St Mary’s students will once again be visiting the residents at Brodribb Nursing Home to connect the generations. This is a resumption of a relationship which was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Starting in Week 3, boys will visit the home from 3.30-4.30pm 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 and Ms Armstrong.

Rosies

Every fortnight our Year 10-12 boys have the opportunity to work with Rosies. Rosies is a Catholic organisation that helps to feed people who are homeless or otherwise doing it tough.

Rosies set up a van and gives hot drinks and food to those who need it. What is even more important is that they have non-judgmental conversations with their friends on the street.

St Mary’s has a slot with Rosies every two weeks on a Friday. They meet at St Thomas More’s Church at 4pm and return around 7pm.

They are accompanied by staff from St Mary’s and Rosies and have a full briefing and debrief before and after the event.

If your son is interested in taking part, please ask him to contact Mr Murphy or Ms Armstrong.

Mr Kevin Murphy
Assistant Principal Identity
murphyk@stmaryscollege.com

Curriculum

Upcoming Exams and Assessments 

As we approach the critical assessment period of the term, student attendance becomes vital for achieving academic success. We recommend referring to the ‘Absent for Assessment’ flowchart to support our students during this crucial time. This valuable tool guides managing student absences related to assessments. 

Key Points: 

Importance of Attendance: Regular attendance ensures that students receive essential information, participate in class discussions, and stay up-to-date with course content. 

QCAA Procedures: As a College, we adhere to the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) guidelines for students in Years 11 and 12. These procedures help maintain consistency and fairness in assessment processes. 

Assessment Calendars: For students in Years 7 – 12, assessment calendars are accessible through Sentral and the Parent App under the “Links” section. These calendars provide important dates for assessments, deadlines, and other relevant information. We have also sent the assessment calendars to families through EdSmart. Please check your email or EdSmart notifications for this information.  

Mrs Jade Love
Assistant Principal - Curriculum 
lovej@stmaryscollege.com

Primary and Middle School Curriculum

Diocesan Approach to Reading 

We are thrilled to introduce an exciting new learning process in our Primary School—the Diocesan Approach to Reading. Developed by Toowoomba Catholic Schools (TCS) and grounded in the latest science of reading, this program aims to ensure that every child becomes a proficient reader by the time they complete their schooling.

Why “The Diocesan Approach to Reading”?

As educational landscapes evolve, so must our strategies for nurturing young readers. Recent changes to the Australian Curriculum and advancements in reading research have prompted us to reevaluate our approach. The result? A comprehensive reading program that will be implemented across our Primary classrooms, every day.

The Key Strategies for Developing Literate Individuals are:

Systematic Phonics Instruction:

• We introduced a new spelling program in 2023 called, Promoting Literacy Development (PLD), which focuses on structured synthetic phonics.
• Children learn to read and write by understanding the building blocks of words—phonemes and graphemes, which is what the PLD program provides.
• Derived from the disciplines of speech pathology, occupational therapy, and education, PLD equips students with essential phonics skills.

Whole-Class Read-Alouds:

• Your child’s teacher will engage in whole-class read-aloud sessions.
• These sessions expose all students to captivating stories and new vocabulary, regardless of their individual reading confidence.

Explicit Vocabulary Teaching:

• Throughout the Primary, students will receive explicit instruction in new words.
• Through this instruction it is hoped that they’ll possess a rich vocabulary and background knowledge for high school, enabling them to tackle complex texts across subjects like Biology and History.

Diagnostic Check-Ins:

• Regular diagnostic assessments are conducted for each student.
• These assessments guide our teaching strategies and help identify personalised learning pathways.

Individualized Support:

• Evidence-based reading instruction is provided to the entire class and individualised support will continue through small focus groups and our PLD program.

What to Expect?

Throughout the year, you can expect to see these strategies beginning to be implemented within your child’s classroom. Together, as a College community, we will nurture a love for reading and empower our students to lead full and flourishing lives.

If you have any questions regarding any of the above please contact paulis@stmaryscollege.com.

Mrs Shari Pauli
Director Year 5-9 Curriculum 
paulis@stmaryscollege.com

Student Engagement

Parent Night Invitation 

St Mary's College invites you to attend our Parent Information Evening with headspace Toowoomba, Monday 27th May 2024 from 5.30pm - 7.00pm. This important event will be held in the Edmund Rice Cultural Centre, Hill Street, Toowoomba.

Headspace is Australia’s National Youth Mental Health Foundation, providing early intervention mental health services to 12–25-year-olds. With the focus on early intervention, headspace works with young people to provide support at a crucial time of their lives – to help get them back on track and strengthen and their ability to manage their mental health in the future.

St Mary’s College Toowoomba has teamed up with headspace Toowoomba who are dedicated to improving the mental health and wellbeing outcomes of our students, families, carers, and community through evidence-based mental health promotion, prevention, early intervention and postvention services.

Light refreshments will be served, and drinks will be available for purchase for a donation to the Waterford Fund. For catering purposes, please RSVP via the following link: https://www.trybooking.com/CRING 

We look forward to seeing you there!

Student Expectations Framework

Last week the College launched the Student Expectations Framework at assembly. Each week, I will be unpacking one touchstone and its subsequent expectations of what this looks like “in practice”. The “in practice” elements are found in the College diary on page 6.

This week’s focus is “Gospel Spirituality”. The “practice” we expect of our students is that they will live out the following elements:

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.

Character Strength of the Week - Prudence

This week, we concentrated on the character strength of prudence 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 prudence in all their interactions.

As our boys grow into men, they will have increasing opportunities in life to demonstrate discrete choices, practical wisdom, and daily opportunities to exercise self-control. As parents we all look to build strong and positive values in our sons, with the hope that they will lead fulfilled lives, enriching others by their acts of service and avoiding unnecessary risk or regret.

Launch of SchoolTV

Because parenting doesn't come with instructions, SchoolTV is a wellbeing resource implemented at our school to help support you in the challenges of modern-day parenting relating to youth mental health and wellbeing. Parenting is a learning journey and SchoolTV supports families by providing credible information from trusted sources with practical strategies to help alleviate some of the challenges being faced by young people today.

Watch video interviews with leading wellbeing specialists and browse a library of resources. Each topic is accompanied by factsheets, podcasts, books, articles, apps, and other videos.

This award-winning resource helps families build relationships, foster connections, enable understanding, and break down barriers to navigate a pathway toward better mental health and wellbeing for young people. It will assist you in starting those conversations on topics that can sometimes be awkward or difficult to tackle.

Parents and caregivers are the greatest influence on a young person's life and SchoolTV focuses on empowering confident parenting.

Explore SchoolTV today (also available on our website): https://stmaryscollege.qld.schooltv.me/

Top Blokes

A selection of boys from Years 7-10 have been invited to be part of a program called “Top Blokes”. This school-based program, spread over the next two school terms, consists of 15 engaging workshops held during school hours. Workshops cover vital topics like mental health, online safety, and leadership, all aimed at enhancing young men's wellbeing and decision-making skills.

The programs are more than just a response to the issues young males and their communities face; they’re a comprehensive toolkit designed to foster healthy masculinities, build lasting friendships based on trust and respect, and redefine what it means to be a ‘top bloke’ in today’s world. We are fortunate to have the opportunity for our boys to be involved in this program as we venture towards them being “Today’s Boys, Men for Tomorrow”.

Mr Matt Draper
Assistant Principal - Student Engagement 
draperm@stmaryscollege.com

Business Manager

Dear Parents and Guardians

I hope everyone has been able to enjoy the short weeks as we progress through Term 2.

We have now issued Term 2 fees as part of the April statement, if you have not received the April statement or you have queries on your statement, 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