SMC NEWS 2025 - Term 2, Week 5

Week Ahead

From the College Principal

Dear Parents and Carers,

Thank you for your support over the last fortnight.  It was good to see so many of you at our recent Parent Engagement evening Monday 12 May.

Ms Samantha Parle will be Acting Principal this coming week in my absence at Toowoomba Catholic Schools Principal Conference in Goondiwindi.

Firstly - Mr Chris Mayes and Strategic Planning

The current Strategic Plan, titled "Today's Boys, Men for Tomorrow", is in its 3rd and final year.  We are now preparing for the future!  Thank you everyone for your engagement in the information gathering process last Monday 12 May in the ERCC to help us with this new plan.

The next step is to collect survey data.  A brief survey has been sent to staff and parents about the future of the College.  Remember, we are trying to reflect a future-focused mindset in all we do in this work.  Can I encourage you all to engage in the survey and thank you for your support in this important process for St Mary's College's future.

Academic Grievance Policy

This week, I want to encourage regular communication with staff to continue to develop the support network for our students.

To this end, the College has developed an Academic Grievance Policy which is simple in operation.  In a nutshell, we encourage all parents to speak to their classroom teacher first if they have an issue with learning whether it be teaching, assessment or progress with units etc.  There is an escalation process included also in the policy.  Please refer to our new policy on the College website for further details.

Staffing News

Your son may have mentioned Sister Sal Callaghan's goodbye to students at the College Assembly last week.  Sister Sal - as she is known to many - has retired after years of dedicated service to St Mary's College.  I spoke to Sal earlier this month and she wanted the opportunity to say goodbye to the boys.  She spoke with passion about her career and her care for the community.  We will invite Sal for Christmas Lunch this year and hope she can attend.  She has been an amazing asset to the College and I will miss the purple (ish) hair!  Please join with me in wishing Sal well for the future.

A Reflection - Mr Robie Jayawardhana

Thank you to the many parents and carers who have reached out to me and others at SMC after the passing of "Mr J".  Robie is an enormous loss to his family, friends and St Mary's College.

My connection to Robie goes back to January 1987, when I first met Robie and his wonderful family at The Little Flower Church, Kedron.  I was just starting University study in Brisbane and Robie had attended the Parish and Padua College close by.

Robie moved to Townsville - so did I a few years later.  My final teaching prac was at Kirwan SHS - Robie was a teacher at the school!  Robie's son attended Ignatius Park College - I taught him.

One of the reasons I was comfortable moving to Toowoomba was that Robie was on staff here at SMC.  I have known his wife Bernadette for many years and we will continue to support her and Robie's family.

Robie J was a gentle man in the true sense of the word.  I will miss him dearly and I am proud to have called him a friend.

Brendan Stewart 
College Principal 
principal@stmaryscollege.com

Deputy Principal

Eddie Rice Day Plans

The College is buzzing at the moment as we start to get close to Edmund Rice Day – scheduled for Friday 30 May – when we celebrate our founder and everything SMC. We begin the day with Liturgy and then the school essentially becomes a large playground. Every year, we try to provide a range of activities for all boys to engage with. On Assembly this week, the boys were told about some of the options – please see the slides below for details. Your son will need a Gold Coin for the donation to Jersey Day and some change if he wants to play the chocolate game (land your coin on something and you get to keep it). While most food will be pre-ordered (trybooking  link already sent to families), you can purchase on the day – cash or card, no phones.

Building and Toilet Update

I have really felt for our building crew in the last two weeks as they navigate the rainy weather, digging holes and pouring concrete. They are persevering though, and the new building is coming along.

Ironically, as we work to provide improved toilet facilities for our boys, a small but persistent group of boys have begun damaging and mis-using our existing toilet facilities.  Access to clean and use-able toilet facilities is essential and I would encourage you to speak with your son about the current situation. If there is information that would help us with the management of this situation, please feel free to send me an email – parles@stmaryscollege.com If you would prefer to remain anonymous, please consider using the Stymie reporting system to lodge a notification - Stymie

Samantha Parle
Deputy Principal
parles@stmaryscollege.com

Identity

Edmund Rice Day – Friday, May 30th

Next Friday marks Edmund Rice Day, a special occasion dedicated to honouring the vision of our Founder, Blessed Edmund Rice. His commitment to providing a liberating education for boys in Waterford, Ireland during the early 19th century continues to inspire our community today.

At St Mary’s College, we begin the day with mass celebrated by Father Ray Crowley, himself an old boy of the college, reflecting on Edmund Rice’s enduring legacy and the Gospel which inspired him. The day is also a time for fun, connection, and brotherhood, as we come together to celebrate the charism that makes our school special.

One of Edmund Rice’s well-known teachings, “Give to the Poor in Handfuls,” remains at the heart of our celebrations. Through partnerships with Vinnies and Black Dog Institute, we have some opportunities to lend a helping hand to those in need.

Supporting Vinnies

As part of our charitable efforts, we invite students to donate:

• A new pair of socks, a scarf, or a beanie to support those facing hardship during the colder months.
• Non-perishable food items for Vinnies’ community pantries – UHT milk is especially needed.

To show appreciation for these contributions, students who donate can enjoy a free ice cream! Donations can be dropped off at Centenary Court after mass.

Jersey Day – Supporting Black Dog Institute

To support Men’s Mental Health and invite conversations, Edmund Rice Day will also be a jersey day. Students are encouraged to wear their favourite team jersey—whether from a professional or amateur team—alongside their regular sport uniform.

Together, let’s make this Edmund Rice Day a wonderful celebration of generosity, community, and school spirit!

Footsteps of Jesus Service Learning Program

As promised last time, here is a step by step guide to logging hours on the Footsteps of Jesus App.

• Students wishing to log hours should navigate to their House page on Canvas where they will find the Footsteps of Jesus icon.
• On clicking the icon, they will be taken to a login page. Please allow any permissions that are asked for.
• Once done, the student is logged in and can click “log new service”
• To enter service, the student simply chooses whether the service was in school or in the broader community.
• Then they enter the number of hours, or fraction thereof that they are claiming recognition for.
• They write a short description of the service work and are invited to write a reflection on the work (who it helped, how did it make them feel, any possible challenges).
• Importantly, they must select my name (Kevin Murphy) from the dropdown before sending for verification.

Service work is anything which is unpaid, in the student’s own time and for the benefit of the community.

Service awards are given for students reflecting on five, ten and twenty hours of service.

Blessings,

Kevin Murphy
Assistant Principal Identity
murphyk@stmaryscollege.com

Curriculum

Year 12 ATAR Predictions 

As Year 12 students continue their journey towards graduation, a crucial moment has arrived—the release of ATAR predictions based on their first internal assessment. This step marks an important opportunity for students to reflect on their academic progress and strategize for the months ahead. 

To ensure each student fully understands their predicted ATAR and its implications, brief meetings will be held with me throughout Week 5. During these sessions, students will receive valuable insights into the calculations behind their ATAR, how subject scaling may affect their final score, and areas where they can focus their efforts to maximize their potential. 

This process is designed to empower students with the knowledge they need to take charge of their studies and make informed decisions moving forward. Whether reinforcing strengths or identifying areas for improvement, these meetings are a key tool in shaping a successful final year. 

For any questions around ATAR predictions please contact me at the College. 

Year 11 Unit 1 Completion 

As Week 6 approaches, Year 11 students are reaching an important milestone—the conclusion of Unit 1. This marks an excellent opportunity to take a step back, assess academic progress, and reflect on their current pathway. 

Unit 1 serves as a foundation for future studies, making this a valuable time to consider strengths, challenges, and potential adjustments. For students who have struggled with a subject and received a failing grade, individual meetings will be held to discuss the impact on their Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) attainment. These conversations will provide clarity on next steps and strategies for improvement. 

Additionally, any student who wishes to change subjects should arrange a meeting as soon as possible to explore available options. Making informed choices now will help set the stage for a smoother and more successful academic journey ahead. 

Students are encouraged to approach this reflection period with an open mind and a proactive attitude. Small adjustments now can lead to greater success in the long run. 

Angela Harris
Assistant Principal - Curriculum 
harrisa@stmaryscollege.com 

Student Engagement

Parent Evening - Seamus Evans

St Mary's College invites you to attend our Parent Information Evening with Seamus Evans.

Living with non-swearing Tourette Syndrome and ADHD caused Seamus difficulties at school. He didn’t perform as well as expected and he was well on the path to failing. With few options ahead of him, Seamus turned a corner and decided to never let ‘setbacks’ stand in the way of his dreams. He went on to become a breakfast radio personality and sought-after TV show presenter with amazing career highlights.

Seamus will talk parents through engaging and entertaining ways to open their child's mind to the endless possibilities for life during and after school.

Being neurodivergent, Seamus has first-hand experience on building mental strength from a young age. He has a range of methods to get your students activated and considering ways they can overcome adversity, build resilience and gain confidence.

Date: Monday, 9th June 2025

Time: 5.45pm - 7.00pm

Venue: Edmund Rice Cultural Centre, Hill Street, Toowoomba

Light refreshments will be served, and drinks will be available for purchase for a donation to the Waterford Fund.

For catering purposes please RSVP here: https://www.trybooking.com/DBQTE

We look forward to seeing you there!

Leadership Selection Process

I had the pleasure of meeting with Our Year 11 cohort in the last week to discuss the impact that they have as Seniors in our college and the wider community.

The focus of the presentation was on the Leadership they show at St Mary’s. The boys are encouraged to self-reflect on their own attributes and gifts that they can offer to impact the life of the college. The leadership selection process for 2026 gets underway next term.

“The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humour, but without folly” —Jim Rohn

Merit Trip 2025

Every year, St Mary’s College acknowledges the positive efforts and exemplary behaviour and attendance displayed by students and invites them to attend a Merit Trip with students who have met the following criteria:

Semester 1 and Term 3

This reporting data set (Semester 1 and Term 3) will be used to determine attendance on the end of year Merit Trip, with regard to the following criteria.  

Report Criteria

• All Good and Very Good for behaviour learning attributes
• No Ns for any learning attributes

Attendance and Suspension Data

Year to date data will be taken into account in determining attendance at Merit Trip

• Attendance 90%
• No Suspensions

CYBER SAFETY

This week’s School TV focus is a SPECIAL REPORT on Cybersafety | St Mary's College - Toowoomba

"We must equip young people with the skills and knowledge to navigate the digital world safely. A comprehensive approach-incorporating cybersafety education in schools and empowering parents to guide responsible digital behaviour-is essential."

Dr Michael Carr-Gregg

Character Strength of the Week – Self - Regulation

This week, we concentrated on the character strength of Self-Regulation as part of our intentional 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 self - regulation. This habit truly builds St Mary’s Men for Tomorrow.

Mobile Phone Policy

At St Mary’s College we believe in creating an environment that maximises learning, fosters social interactions, and ensures the safety and well-being of all our students. This is why we have been a phone-free school policy since the start of 2024. Please refer to the policy for further information.

Please note if your son has need to contact you, our reception staff will assist.

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

Primary and Middle School Curriculum

ICAS Assessments – Years 5-9 Students

This year, students from Years 5-9 at St Mary’s College can join the ICAS Assessments. ICAS is part of UNSW Global, a group linked to UNSW Sydney with over 40 years of experience in educational assessments.

ICAS is designed to help students improve their thinking and problem-solving skills in English, Mathematics, Science, and Writing. Each assessment is a chance for students to show what they’ve learned.

Everyone who takes part will get a printed certificate and an online result report. The best performers in ICAS can win medals and will be invited to special award ceremonies to celebrate their hard work.

The assessments are a great chance for students to challenge themselves and take part in an international assessment. Your child will get to answer high-quality questions made by experts, and test their knowledge against students from all around Australia

Remember, these assessments are optional. If you want your son to take part, we’ve sent an email to all parents of students from Years 5-9 with the code to book. The tests will be held within this period of time:

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email paulis@stmaryscollege.com.

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

Head of Primary

Footsteps of Jesus

Service for others, and solidarity with others. This a simple and vital part of being a St Mary’s College student. Whilst at the College, former staff member, Mr Robie Jayawardhana, who sadly passed away recently, developed the online journaling program to log service hours called, the Footsteps of Jesus. The fundamental principle of this program is to make a difference by serving people, or serving the environment, where most needed. Serving others exposes our students to inequalities in our wider community. It also teaches them the joy of giving and sharing with others.

Thank you to Mr Murphy who visited the classrooms to explain to the students how to log their service hours. This process is also set out in Mr Murphy’s newsletter item.

At school, the students can volunteer with:

• The Green Army – a group of students who work on the College veggie gardens with Mrs Kahl and sell produce to the staff to raise funds for Protea Place.
• Cleaning the College grounds at lunchtimes using the ‘pick up’ tools outside Mr Coren’s classroom.
• Assisting the Primary Leaders and staff with supervision of the Primary Playground to ensure safety (Year 6 students).

The students can also complete tasks that are outside the community but are unpaid, in the student’s own time and for the benefit of the community. Some students have logged mowing and cleaning for family members that would not normally be part of their household chores.

Service awards are presented for the following hours of service and reflections:

Bronze - 5 hours- 3 full reflections

Silver - 10 hours - 5 full reflections

Gold - 20 hours - 10 full reflections

Stephen Coren
Head of Primary
corens@stmaryscollege.com

Business Manager

I hope this message finds you well. As June approaches and the weather begins to cool, it’s hard to believe we’re already halfway through Term 2!

The May statements have been sent out this week. A friendly reminder that Term 2 fees for 2025 should now be paid, unless you have an existing payment plan in place.

If you're on a payment plan and your account is either at zero or in credit, no further action is required. However, we do encourage you to review your statement to ensure all transactions are accurate.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our friendly accounts team — we're here to help.

Patrick Wilson
Business Manager
accounts@stmaryscollege.com

Community Updates