St Mary's College, Toowoomba eNewsletter

Principal News

What is STEAM?

STEAM Education is an approach to learning that uses Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics as access points for guiding student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking. Apart from making these areas of learning exciting to our boys, it helps us to understand the power of integrating learning areas to deepen understanding and provide more pathways to the future for our students and teachers. It is a different way of thinking about education.

Why is STEAM Education important?

For too long in education, we’ve been working with the presumption of teaching to ensure our students get a “good job”. But what does that look like? It is possible that we are preparing students for jobs that don’t even exist.

We are at a point where it is not only possible, but imperative that we facilitate learning environments that are fluid, dynamic, and relevant. None of us go outside and look at a tree and say, “That’s a tree, so that’s science” or, “The sky is blue, so that’s art.”

Our world is a beautiful, complex, and intricate tapestry of learning in its own right. Why do we believe that we have the ability or the right to box it in behind brick walls and classroom doors in a place called school?

Integrating concepts, topics, standards and assessments is a powerful way to disrupt the typical course of events for our students and to help change the merry-go-round of “school”.

It takes what we do when we open the doors to the real world and places those same practices in our cycles of teaching and learning. With STEAM education, we can finally remove the brick walls and classroom doors to get at the heart of learning.

STEAM V STEM

The STEM to STEAM movement has been taking root over the past several years and is surging forward as a positive mode of action to truly meet the needs of a 21st century economy. STEM alone misses several key components that many employers, educators, and parents have voiced as critical for our children to thrive in the present and rapidly approaching future.

Much has been proclaimed about the need for more STEM “programs” in our schools. The logic is simple: the wave of future economic prosperity lies in a workforce that is well versed in rising job markets like science, technology, engineering and math. Thus, there has been an increased investment in STEM initiatives in schools. This includes (but is not limited to):

The prevalence of computers in schools. Many schools, including St Mary's College, now operate with iPads or laptop programs which are 1:1.
The prevalence of mobile devices being used in different aspects of education.
After-school STEM clubs or programs (St Mary's College is proud to offer these).
STEM curriculum, where projects using STEM practices are embedded.
STEM days to encourage hands-on exploration within each of these disciplines.
Robotics programs.

While these initiatives are a wonderful start into the exploration of these four areas of study, the critical process of creativity and innovation is missing. Students in STEM programs may have more experiential learning opportunities, but they are limited to only science, technology, engineering and math. Our economy requires so much more than an understanding of these areas – it requires application, creation and ingenuity. STEM alone does not foster these essential nutrients.

STEAM is a way to take the benefits of STEM and complete the package by integrating these principles in and through the arts. STEAM takes STEM to the next level: it allows students to connect their learning in these critical areas together with arts practices, elements, design principles, and standards to provide the whole palette of learning at their disposal. STEAM removes limitations and replaces them with wonder, critique, inquiry, and innovation.

St Mary's College is proud to continue to bring the Arts to the fore in its pedagogy, and we hope the conference provides us with more avenues to integrate the Arts into our "boy-friendly pedagogy".

Adapted from <https://artsintegration.com/what-is-steam-education-in-k-12-schools/#whysteam>

The STEAM Conference at St Mary's College on Wednesday 2nd June

The upcoming STEAM Conference hosted by St Mary’s College on Wednesday 2nd June, 2021 promises to be an exciting day for all students and staff involved. Toowoomba's Youth Entrepreneur and STEAM Ambassadors (YES) Conference for Boys in 2021 is hosted at St Mary’s College on 2nd June but facilitated by an outside provider, Intuyu Consulting. The Conference itself is targeted at boys from Years 4 to 10.

Student Free Day

Given the rooming and space requirements for the Conference, St Mary’s College intends to run a Student Free Day on 2nd June. This will allow students from relevant year levels who wish to go to the Conference to attend. It will also allow Year 11 and 12 students to complete a full day of study and assignment work. In lieu of the conference, St Mary’s College has planned an outstanding day of Professional Development for our teaching staff offsite.

Registration at the Conference

There is a wide range of guest speakers at the Conference. This is in addition to facilitators and teachers from other schools in the district. As the conference is aimed at boys, we are encouraging our boys from Years 5 to 10 to attend.

Information about registration for the Conference will follow in the coming days. Please look for any emails or promotions from Intuyu Consulting.

If you have any further queries about this day, including arrangements for the Student Free Day on Wednesday 2nd June, please don’t hesitate to contact us through my Personal Assistant, Kirsty Eckhardt on 07 4631 7333.

My reflection for this week:

Fifth Sunday of Easter

I was lucky enough to attend the "Red Rocks Summer Tour" in Toowoomba last weekend. A great show, with many outstanding performers.

As I watched the thousands of people who gathered for the concert, it dawned on me how lucky we are in a COVID world to be connected with each other again. The artists mentioned their love for performing a number of times. In other words, let's appreciate the time we can be connected and together and let's especially appreciate the times when we can gather.

I reflected on the time when COVID began. It began with everyone suddenly being afraid of one another. Anyone could be a carrier of the virus — even our spouse. We avoided each other, we masked, we washed our hands again and again; we lived in our own safe, protected — and lonely — bubbles.

No one ever wants to go back to what we’ve been through — but some good things have resulted.

Those mostly invisible among us have become visible. Caregivers, factory workers, public works personnel who keep our towns and cities functioning, supermarket drivers and stockers — so many low-profile (and even lower paid) workers we took for granted we now see with gratitude and respect for the ways they make our lives work.

We’ve redefined the meaning of "hero". “Super” men and women have stethoscopes hanging around their necks and are covered in PPE and they don’t go home as long as someone needs them.

We have a new appreciation for our work — and the opportunity to work. We’ve discovered that school is more than textbooks and term papers: education is about building a learning community, helping one another through the hard lessons, that discovering that the most important lesson we will ever learn is respect for the gifts of others.

Most of us will tell you that Zoom is OK as far as it goes, but a “virtual” classroom or church can’t replace face-to-face learning, creating, engagement — and prayer.

We’ve come to realise that what we need most in our lives cannot be monetised. You can’t put a price tag on a hug from your grandchild or a simple “How’s it going?” from your best friend.

This pandemic has instilled in many of us a new appreciation of today’s Gospel: our “connectedness” to one another in the compassion and peace of God’s Christ. As branches of Christ the vine, we’re part of something greater than ourselves, something which transforms and transcends the fragility of our lives. In our simplest acts of kindness and most ordinary offerings of help and support, may we realise with a new spirit of gratitude that we are part of one another, that each one of us matters to all of us, that in our love and respect for one another we realise the very presence of God in our midst.

Peace,

Mr Brendan Stewart, College Principal - stewartb@stmaryscollege.com

In Our Prayers

St Mary's College Old Boy, Len Shelvey has sadly passed away. Len was the dearly loved husband of Pam and father of Tom and Jane. Our prayers are with the family.

Identity

I share the article “Don’t go looking for sandals” by Christian Brother Damien Price, who has worked with the St Mary’s College community on many occasions over the years.

So much depends on our ability to be attentive to the present, to the gifts of those around us, but so often we close in on ourselves. Our God reveals in the unexpected, the visitor that we need to not only acknowledge, but need to learn from. May we continually turn towards one another with a second loving look.

I end and encourage you to engage in the richness of our Church.

The joys and hopes, the grief and anguish of the people of our time, especially of those who are poor or afflicted, are the joys and the hopes, the grief and the anguish of the follows of Christ as well.

Nothing that is genuinely human fails to find an echo in their hearts. Gaudium et spes para 1

May we hear, feel and respond to that echo... Live Jesus in our hearts. Forever.

This week in particular, you may wish to read Gaudium t spes – a Vatican II document of the Church in the modern world – it might blow your mind! Please click here to read.

Take care,

Mr Paul Grealy, AP Identity - grealyp@stmaryscollege.com

Don't go looking for sandals

Years 5 - 9 Curriculum

NAPLAN Testing

NAPLAN is fast approaching with testing taking place between Tuesday 11th to Friday 21st May. Our Years 5, 7 and 9 students have been busy preparing for the testing and participating in practice sessions this term. Please see below the 2021 NAPLAN Schedule. If your child is absent on the test session, they will be required to sit the testing during the scheduled catch-up session.

What to bring:

It is important that all boys arrive to each NAPLAN session with the correct materials. This includes:

iPad (fully charged)
Earphones
Pencil case

Last minute tips for students:

Ensure you have a good sleep and a full breakfast before the test.
Do your best with every question.
Read the whole question before deciding on an answer.
There will be questions that are difficult. Rather than worrying about this try and step through them, remember your strategies and do your best.
Remember all your equipment - fully charged iPad, headphones, pencil case.
Complete all questions you can do first, flag the questions you are unsure of and then go back and work on the others - the test does not have to be done in order.

Mrs Jade Love, Years 5-9 Curriculum Leader - lovej@stmaryscollege.com

College Careers

Toowoomba Virtual Jobs Fair

The Jobs Fair is a virtual event that is being planned for Thursday 13th to Saturday 15th May 2021 and will be free of charge for job seekers.

The aim of the event is to:

Expose job seekers to potential employers and resources to help them in their job search.
Expose job seekers and current employees to training opportunities to help them retrain or upskill.

If you are interested, you can register online by clicking here.

TAFE at School

For any Year 10 to 12 students interested in a TAFE at School course, TAFE Toowoomba are offering a mid-year intake for the following TAFE at School programs:

Certificate II in Salon Assistant
Certificate II in Hospitality
Certificate II in Kitchen Operations
Certificate II in Sport and Recreation

If you are interested in any of these courses, please see the Careers Team in DUHIG 21 for more information.

Interested in Economics?

Explore Economics is a special webinar for Year 9 to 12 students. The webinar will be held online on Thursday 27th May 2021 from 4.00pm to 5.00pm.

Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) economists will discuss their career paths, their work, and the benefits of studying Economics.

If you are interested in this FREE webinar, you can register here.

UCAT Bookings Deadline 10th May

The UCAT (University Clinical Aptitude Test) is a 2-hour computer-based test that assesses a range of abilities identified by universities as important in practicing in the fields of medicine, dentistry, and clinical sciences. The UCAT is required for entry to Medicine and Dentistry at certain universities, but not all. UCAT will be offered on a choice of dates throughout the month of July and early August 2021. UCAT bookings are open now and the deadline for bookings is 10th May, 2021.

Students should be aware of important dates
Students are encouraged to browse University Clinical Aptitude Test to find out more
Browse details about the UCAT test format
Read the essential Practice Tips to become familiar with the test before preparation
UCAT practice tests are to assist students familiarise themselves with the type of questions they can expect to see in the test
Completing practice tests is a vital part of preparation for the UCAT
Another excellent link to browse is iCan Med - Resources

If you require assistance navigating through the UCAT process, then please see the Careers Centre as soon as possible.

Year 10 Career Profiling 3rd June

Year 10 students will have the opportunity to complete a ‘Career Avenues’ career profile on Thursday 3rd June. Career profiling is a great way to understand how you are different, identify your strengths and preferences, stimulate your thinking about career ideas and help you start to formulate your own career action plan.

More information will come out in the next couple of weeks.

Hastings Deering 2022 Apprenticeship Intake program

If you are in Year 12 and are looking for a full-time apprenticeship for 2022, then Hastings Deering has an opportunity for you to apply for the following apprenticeships:

Engine Reconditioner
Auto Electrician
Boilermaker
Diesel Fitter
Mechanical Fitter

At Hastings Deering you will have the opportunity to work with world-class Caterpillar machinery and learn about the repair, servicing and maintenance of a large range of equipment, engines and power systems.

Applications are now open and will only be open for one month. This will be a very competitive process so if you are interested in applying then please contact the Careers Centre before applications open to ensure you are prepared with an up-to-date resume and cover letter.

Further information about the process can be found here.

School-Based Apprenticeships & Traineeships

If you are interested in a School-Based Apprenticeship, please contact the Career Support Officer, Mr Barber via email at barberp@stmaryscollege.com or drop in to the Careers Centre in DUHIG 21.

You will need to complete a SBA Expression of Interest Form and have a current resume and cover letter.

Resume templates and information to assist are available on the Careers Canvas page, link below.

CAREERS Canvas Page

Library

Importance of Libraries in a School Setting

This week we would like to share with you some school library statistics and information gained from the Australian School Library Survey Report 2020, which highlights the importance of libraries in a school setting.

Background information

“School libraries are thriving centres of learning both in the physical library space and in the virtual classroom, and Teacher Librarians enrich school teaching and learning programs through their specialist role.”

In 2010, the Australian Federal Government requested submissions to the ‘Inquiry into school libraries and Teacher Librarians in Australian schools’. Softlink undertook a survey of Australian school libraries to provide data, which enabled a unique and informed response to the Inquiry. Since then, to highlight the issues and opportunities school libraries are experiencing, Softlink has continued to survey Australian schools annually and extended this to include New Zealand and UK schools in 2015 and Asia Pacific schools in 2018.

Continuing the annual survey builds a critical reference point for understanding changes, impacts, and trends over time. This report provides survey findings for Australia, with a breakdown of findings for Catholic, Government, and Independent schools. The results help to advocate the role of school libraries and library professionals to education decision makers, as well as through industry associations and networks.

Key findings for Australia from the 2020 Survey include:

42% of respondents feel their library is adequately resourced including staffing and budget.
55% of respondents indicated that their library budget has not changed from the previous year, 16% indicated it had increased, and 29% indicated it had decreased.
65% of respondents indicated no change to their staffing levels from the previous year, 7% indicated it had increased, and 25% indicated a decrease.
62% of Catholic school respondents, 66% of Government school respondents, and 64% of Independent school respondents indicated that they had a least 1 qualified Teacher Librarian employed in their library.
75% of Catholic school respondents, 35% of Government school respondents, and 66% of Independent school respondents indicated that they include a percentage of eBooks in their collection.

Other points of interest from the findings relating to library services…

The top 3 items school library staff would focus on if they had more resources or time are:

Promoting and supporting reading for pleasure (79%)
Curating relevant information and resources to support topic-based learning and curriculum (61%)
Developing or teaching information literacy programs or research skills programs (56%)

The top 5 responses regarding what will impact libraries the most in the future are:

An increase in online learning and resources
The perception the senior leadership have of the importance of libraries and qualified staff – negative or positive
The need to teach digital literacy skills
New curriculum requirements
New technology and integration with new technologies

Quotes from survey by school principals…

“Libraries are hubs or centres for open learning, eLearning and social connection.”

“Libraries need to remain as the intellectual, progressive and disruptive spaces of the world where equity is a priority. Regardless of technological advances and the unknown nature of the future – more than ever, our young people need the critical literacy, reading and writing skills that are consistent with strong, thriving library spaces.”

“Libraries and books are still the heart of learning to read, reading for pleasure and reading for knowledge. They should be compulsory in all schools and learning institutions.”

“School libraries need to market themselves aggressively - more so now and in the future, than ever before. As schools get busier and faster paced we need to keep pushing ourselves into the picture so that it looks incomplete if we are not there.”

Overdue Library Resources

Please remind your son(s) to keep up-to-date with library loans through the Library Web App, where they can see overdue items. Students are emailed overdue loans weekly and we ask that this be actioned as soon as possible. Students can either renew or return their overdue library items. Any overdue library items, that were billed during the last week of term, may be returned to the library by Friday 30th April 2021 to receive a refund. Your help with this is much appreciated!

Mrs Gemma Tracy, Teacher Librarian - tracyg@stmaryscollege.com

St Mary's College Open Day

St Mary’s College is the leading Toowoomba boys’ school that provides an holistic Catholic education in the Edmund Rice tradition. At St Mary’s College, we empower students to be men of faith, integrity, action and excellence.

Join us for our 2021 Open Day on Sunday 23rd May.

There will be two guided tours. The first session is from 10.00am to 12.00pm and the second session will be held from 12.00pm to 2.00pm.

The tour will commence in the Edmund Rice Cultural Centre on the corner of Hill and Helen Street.

What can you expect:

Listen to the Principal’s address
Understand how we focus our learning to the way boys learn best
View our outstanding facilities
See our clear academic focus with interesting demonstrations and curricular displays
Understand the care give to each individual boy
Enjoy our Music, Art and Drama programs
Understand the wonderful sporting opportunities on offer

We look forward to seeing you there! Bookings are essential. Register now on our website.

REGISTER NOW

Tuckshop

Weekly Lunch Plan

The Weekly Lunch Plan has restarted. Please click on the following link to place an order: www.smcmeals.com

Please note the order window does not open until Wednesday afternoon, and will close Sunday evening at 8.00pm.

Sandra Kelly, Tuckshop Manager - kellys@stmaryscollege.com

Tuckshop Menu

Tuckshop Menu Term 2 2021

Jesus Christ Superstar

After more than 12 months of rehearsing and two postponements students from St Mary's College and St Saviour's College performed the musical Jesus Christ Superstar. A massive congratulations to the entire cast and crew... It was a wonderful performance!

Mr John Condon, Director of Art & Drama - condonj@stmaryscollege.com