SMC NEWS 2024 - Term 2, Week 7

Week Ahead

From the College Principal

Dear Parents and Carers, 

This week marks National Reconciliation Week (NRW) and it is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. 

On a similar topic, Simon McKeiver (First Nations and Multicultural Co-ordinator) and I would like to reach out to our local elders who may or may not have had a connection with St Mary’s College in the past.  If you know of anyone who wishes to be connected with SMC, please contact me at the College.

Edmund Rice Day

Last Friday, we celebrated Edmund Rice Day at the College.  It was an amazing experience for the whole community and it was a wonderful celebration of our founder.  Thank you especially to our staff running the events and also to our Year 12's involved in many events including the food - I thought they did a tremendous job.

Margaret and West St Upgrades

In the coming weeks, significant roadworks are occurring at the intersection of Margaret and West St.  Traffic flow will be disrupted during this time and I would strongly encourage all parents to use Hill Street as a drop-off point if possible.  The gravel carpark in Helen Street is strictly for St Mary's College staff and this carpark will receive some signage and a gate to make it clear that it is a staff carpark soon.

Past and Present Staff Function

On Friday, June 14 for our 125 years, the College is hosting a Past and Present Staff function from 6.00 - 9.00pm at the Royal Hotel in Ruthven Street. Tickets are $20 and I would like to invite all past and present College staff, support staff, and volunteers to the event.

Looking Back

• Thank you to Wayne Williams, assisted by Nathan Stone, who has been involved with several Olympiad, Ethics, and Engineering activities over the past couple of weeks.  This work is a key part of our extension programs and our boys, with Wayne, are doing an incredible job.
• Thank you to the staff involved in our Open Evening last week, especially Tyhla and the Public Relations team for organising the events for the afternoon.  Open Evenings are an important part of our marketing campaign and I will have more to say about this next week.
• Thank you to the St Mary's Old Boys' Association (SMOBA) who are financially supporting the Confraternity Team given the transport issues we are having at the moment.  I will recognise them in the next few weeks in the lead-up to the tournament in Townsville.  We will also recognise support from all of our amazing sponsors in the coming weeks.

Prayer for Reconciliation

God of all creation,

as we journey together in this Great Southern Land,

we pray for healing, forgiveness and unity,

creating a path of good will, with justice and compassion.

Jesus, through the power of your love, you have given us the courage, wisdom and strength to share our gifts and talents in humility.

In peace and understanding, we reconcile with each other.

Creator Spirit, we come together in prayer and thanksgiving for the many blessings we have received. Allow your Spirit to wash over us and give us strength to walk together as one.

This Reconciliation Church prayer was written by a small group of Aboriginal Elder women and Reconciliation Church staff members in 2014.  You can find out more at  https://www.reconciliation.org.au/our-work/national-reconciliation-week/    

Mr Brendan Stewart
Principal 

Deputy Principal

Building Resilience 

As most of the school approaches assessment time, it is a good time to consider the work you do as parents to help build your son’s resilience. This article from the team at Positive Psychology has some great insights, but this is my favourite – “Resilience is not automatic, but is instead a learned behaviour that becomes internalized and applied during stressful times.”

This means that being able to recover and bounce back from disappointment is teachable and therefore something that our boys can learn, practice and refine. Of all the skills we teach our children as parents, this is one that they carry to every part of their lives. As a parent, it can be difficult to resist the temptation to step in a ‘fix things’ for our sons but it is through learning to sort it out for themselves that our boys become resilient and capable men.

Keep us up to date!

Parents and families are reminded that it is vital that your contact details are accurate and updated when necessary. If you move house, change phone numbers or have other changes to your life or household, it is important that these changes are reflected in the systems we keep here at the College. This information can influence how quickly we can make contact with families should your son need you, and can determine who is able to collect your son from school and/or school events.

There are two ways to make changes to your details:

Via the App

In the App there is a link to the Sentral Parent Portal. Once signed in here, you can use the menu to review your details and make changes if necessary.  A change of phone number or address can be done here very easily.

Via College Email

If the change is more complicated, you can send an email to reception@stmaryscollege.com and this will be passed on to our administration staff for processing.

If the matter is confidential, or requires some support for your son, the best point of contact is his Mentor Teacher or House Leader.

Mrs Samantha Parle
Deputy Principal
parles@stmaryscollege.com

Identity

“The greatest challenge of the day is: how to bring about a revolution of the the heart, a revolution which has to start with each one of us?”

When I worked in Scotland, my main teaching role was as a senior politics teacher. I always taught my students that the word revolution in political terms is “a radical and irreversible change in governance or thought”.

What then might a revolution of the heart look like? And why do we need one?

For the answer to the answer to the second question, we need only look at the news from around the world. There is tragedy everywhere right now it seems.

This led me to think about the Beatitudes from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. That was certainly a call to revolutionise how we think about society and the way we treat others. It’s a manifesto for the coming of the kingdom of God- a blueprint for a “revolution of the heart”.

It is a key text in our Year 12 retreat which leaves next week for three days of fun and reflection at the Sunshine Coast.

We pray that the Year 12s take up the call of the Beatitudes as they move into the final phase of their Year 12 journey.

THE BEATITUDES: Matthew 5: 3-12

³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

⁴ “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

⁵ “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

⁶ “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

⁷ “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

⁸ “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

⁹ “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

¹⁰ “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

¹¹ “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely^[a] on my account. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven

Year 12 Retreat

As mentioned above, the boys leave for Year 12 retreat next week. Details are below:

Gather: 6.45am, Thursday 5^th June in Manual Arts Undercroft

Leave: 7.15am

Return: 4.30pm, Friday 7^th June

All parents and carers are invited to the return presentation when boys will share their experiences. Drinks and nibbles are provided. This will conclude at 5.30pm.

P.S.

Please tell your boys not to panic- we have built State of Origin Game 1 into our retreat plans!

Mr Kevin Murphy
Assistant Principal Identity
murphyk@stmaryscollege.com

Curriculum

Year 12 External Examination Preparation Program (EEPP) 

As we approach our Year 12 students' final assessment phase, we want to inform you about the upcoming External Examination Program, which is facilitated by the Toowoomba Catholic Schools Office. This program is scheduled for the second week of the September School holidays and is a fantastic opportunity for Year 12 students to prepare for their upcoming external examinations.  

Year 12 students studying general subjects will receive a letter with the required information about the EEPP program. A draft timetable of the program is listed below:  

Assessment Guidelines and use of Artificial Intelligence  

As we approach this point in the term, I’d like to draw your attention to some assessment matters. 

1. Assessment Guidelines: Please take a moment to review our  Assessment Guidelines  for detailed information about assessment processes. You can find it here: Assessment Guidelines 

1. Responsible Use of AI:  We have recently discussed the use of artificial intelligence (AI) across all year levels. It’s essential that we maintain academic integrity and ethical practices. Year 11 and 12 students have also completed the  QCAA Academic Integrity course, which specifically addresses the appropriate and inappropriate use of AI. 

1. Implications of Misuse:  Our handbook outlines the implications of misusing AI tools. Let’s continue to uphold our commitment to integrity and responsible behaviour. 

If you have any questions or need further clarification, feel free to reach out to me. 

Mrs Jade Love 
Assistant Principal Curriculum 
lovej@stmaryscollege.com

Primary and Middle School Curriculum

Celebrating Our Students: A Semester of Success 

As we reflect on the past term, we are filled with pride for our students’ accomplishments. Their dedication to learning and academic excellence has been truly inspiring. We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the recipients of the Commitment to Learning Award and the High Achievers Award.

The Commitment to Learning Award recognises students who have shown consistent effort, active participation, and a strong commitment to their studies. The criteria for this award include no ‘Needs Improvement’ or ‘Satisfactory’ learning attributes and at least 90% attendance.

The High Achievers Award is given to students who have demonstrated exceptional academic performance, combined with regular attendance. For students in Years 5-9, an M-Score above 80 is required, while for those in Years 10-12, an M-Score above 75 is needed. Additionally, recipients should have no ‘Needs Improvement’ or ‘Satisfactory’ learning attributes and at least 90% attendance.

Our award winners have expressed joy in immersing themselves in the learning journey. To commemorate their achievements, we celebrated with a delightful afternoon tea, complemented by either a scrumptious cake or a savory hot dog. Their triumphs stand as a powerful testament to their unwavering dedication to knowledge.

These awards will be running again next term. We look forward to seeing our students engage with the process once more, continuing to strive for academic excellence and demonstrating their commitment to learning. 

Here's to another term of learning, growth, and success!

Mrs Shari Pauli
Primary and Middle School Curriculum 
paulis@stmaryscollege.com

Student Engagement

STYMIE

What is STYMIE? (The word Stymie means, to stop)

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”.

Why STYMIE?

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.

What can be reported on STYMIE?

Suicide ideation, sexual assault, discrimination, anxiety, depression, bullying, self-harm, physical fights, family violence, and illegal activity are reported using Stymie.

STYMIE on Assembly

Messages like the poster below are included every week as part of our Assembly presentation. Our continual focus on belonging, being safe, and challenging our boys every week incorporates the notion of courage and speaking up.

STYMIE reporting process at St Mary’s College

Stymie provides online reporting for schools.

Parent Engagement Night – Headspace

St Mary’s College Toowoomba teamed up with headspace Toowoomba to present at our Parent Engagement Night last Monday evening. It was a very informative night with local presenters providing excellent information and resources.

Headspace is Australia’s National Youth Mental Health Foundation, providing early intervention mental health services to 12–25-year-olds. With a 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.

Services

School TV

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: https://stmaryscollege.qld.schooltv.me/

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

Business Manager

Navigating School Fees at St Mary's College 

Dear Parents and Caregivers

At St Mary’s College, we take pride in our diverse student body, which represents various walks of life. Our mission is to shape young boys into men of faith, integrity, action, and excellence. We believe that education plays a crucial role in this transformation, and we strive to provide a modern and exceptional learning environment.

Affordability and Fairness

We understand that affordability is a significant concern for families. Therefore, we are committed to ensuring that our school fees remain fair and equitable. Here are some key points about our approach to school fees:

Affordability: We recognise that each family’s financial situation is unique. Our fee structure is designed to strike a balance between maintaining excellence and affordability. We want every student to have access to quality education.

Budgeting: To achieve our objectives, we operate on a tight budget. This allows us to continue offering exceptional facilities while planning for necessary refurbishments and additions. Our Strategic and Master Plan guides these efforts.

Timely Payments: We require all families to pay their school fees promptly. Timely payments contribute to the stability of our institution and enable us to provide the best possible educational experience.

Support During Financial Hardship

Life can present unexpected challenges, and we understand that temporary financial difficulties may arise. In such cases:

Communication: If your family encounters financial hardship, please reach out to our finance team at the earliest opportunity. We are here to listen and explore options together.

Solutions: Solutions can always be found when families work with us. Whether it’s adjusting payment schedules or exploring financial assistance, we are committed to supporting you.

Debtor Policy

While we encourage collaboration, we also have measures in place to ensure accountability:

Debt Collection: Families who ignore their fees risk being referred to our independent debt collection agency. We take this step only after exhausting other avenues.

Your Next Steps

We invite you to review your next fee statement carefully. If you have any questions or need assistance, our finance and college team is here to help. Together, we can ensure that your college fees remain manageable.

Thank you for being part of the St Mary’s College community. Your commitment to your child’s education is valued and appreciated.

Patrick Wilson
Business Manager
accounts@stmaryscollege.com