Term 2, Week 7 - 01.06.2021

Principal News

Edmund Rice Day

Friday 28th May 2021

The College experienced a wonderful day for Edmund Rice Feast Day last Friday 28th May.  Officially, the day of dedication for Edmund across the world is the 5th May.  It was an opportunity to remember our history and culture and to pause for a moment in the busyness of the year.  Our teaching staff organised a wide range of activities including games, sports, obstacle courses and music.  I would like to thank the College teaching and support staff for arranging a day of fun and reflection for the community.  From the many young men to whom I spoke on the day, it was a great success and we look forward to building on this opportunity next year.  Ms Sam Parle and Mr Stephen Monk were the main drivers for the activities on Friday. 

The day began with a Mass dedicated to our founder, Edmund Rice.  This Mass focused on our history and the purpose of an education founded in the educational approach of the Christian Brothers.  Their commitment to presence, compassion and the liberation of young people has inspired many teachers, including myself, to continue in this vein in our work at our schools formerly known as "Christian Brothers" schools.  I would like to thank Mr Paul Grealy, who once again fashioned a ritual in the spirit of Edmund himself.  During the Mass, Fr Ray Crowley spoke to our College leaders, who expressed their hopes for the remaining months ahead, and their achievements so far.  It was a powerful experience to hear our young men express themselves in this way in front of the whole community.

Most of us understand that St Mary's College, Toowoomba, is a Diocesan School of the Toowoomba Catholic Schools system. You may not, however, be aware that the College is also, proudly, an Associate school of Edmund Rice Education Australia (EREA).  In the late 1990s, the Christian Brothers handed the College to the Diocese to operate into the future.  The school remains proudly operating with the ethos of an Edmund Rice education in the way that we teach, work and nurture for the young men in our care.  Principles such as a practical style of education, co-curricular activity and academic excellence for a diversity of students are principles that have been passed through generations of Edmund Rice education.

The following statements describe the "touchstones" of Edmund Rice Education.  The touchstones are described as our ethos, or way of working with the young people in our care.

The Edmund Rice Education Touchstones

A Liberating Education

We open hearts and minds, through quality teaching and learning experiences, so that through critical reflection and engagement each person is hope-filled and free to build a better world for all.  An Edmund Rice education is transformational for anyone open to the         possibility of a Ricean education.

Gospel Spirituality

We invite people into the story of Jesus and strive to make His message of compassion, justice and peace a living reality within our community.  Jesus is the inspiration for all Edmund Rice communities around the world. 

Inclusive Community

Our community is accepting and welcoming, fostering right relationships and committed to the common good.  Edmund Rice school communities, such as St Mary's College, Toowoomba, are recognised by their diversity, and this will continue into the future.

Justice and Solidarity

We are committed to justice and peace for all, grounded in a spirituality of action and reflection that calls us to stand in solidarity with those who are marginalised and the earth itself.  At Edmund Rice schools, we are called to act and not just stand by in solidarity with those who are marginalised by our wider community.  Edmund Rice schools are defined by those who help those who are disadvantaged.

Identity

MEN OF FAITH… Men of Action!

Key to our strategic plan is to strengthen our connections with the wider community and have our boys involved in pursuits  that work to build a more inclusive community.

In 2021 a number of our emerging leaders in Year 11, namely; Lachlan Debel, Robert Hales, Hamish Earle Jones and Lachlan Moore were selected to represent the College in the St Vincent de Paul Society Ozanam Leadership Course. It is a course designed to equip participants to be compassionate servant leaders within their community. Therefore, it was befitting that these young men of action inspired hundreds of their fellow peers and staff alike to donate warm socks in exchange for an ice cream on our recent Edmund Ignatius Rice Feast Day celebrated at St Mary’s College on Friday.

The boys set their sights to fill a large 54 gallon drum, and alongside Praxis Living Water Students from Year 12 collected well over 250 sets of warm socks. The boys have been busily labelling the socks with ‘Winter wishes’ from the St Mary’s College community. The donated socks will now be split between the ministries of both St Vincent de Paul Society and EMERGE Café – a social enterprise who lend a hand up to young people in our Toowoomba community. These young men are to be commended in their intent to touch the lives of those on the margins this winter – a sincere thank you to all who contributed to their success.

Mr Ryan Baines, Cross Campus Chaplain - bainesr@stmaryscollege.com

Walk Together With Courage – A Prayer for Reconciliation

Creator God, God for all peoples who was there in the beginning, planting our footprints on this sacred land, being an invisible presence in the visible creation.
May you continue to speak to your people through the land; its stories and cultures.

Guard us as we walk together with courage to honour the work of our brothers and sisters who before us fanned the flames of reconciliation.

May you continue to guide us, grounded in truth, through the reconciling work of your son, Jesus.

Empower us, through the Holy Spirit to be people of action that work to respect the dignity of all human beings in our communities.

Grant us Your love until this Great South.

Land is fully aflame with your unifying love and it may truly be said that Your healing reconciliation is finally on earth as it is in heaven.

We ask this prayer through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Student Engagement

Last week, at Assembly, I spoke to the boys about the concept of a ‘mob mentality’. When we – as humans – become a part of a group, we have a tendency to adapt our behaviours to fit in with the group. This is a reflection of our natural survival instincts and usually ensures that we continue to belong. As you would all be aware, there are both positive and negative applications of this phenomenon. While the penguins keep themselves warm with their mob mentality, the people of WWII Germany were complicit in the murder of six million Jews.

I will continue to challenge the boys to be the person who is in charge of their own decisions. I also spoke to the boys about the way that the ‘mob’ tends to fade away when the consequences are being dealt out. Many a boy has made a decision to act with the mob, and then faced the consequences of his decision, alone. If you have a chance to weave this idea into your conversations with your son in the next few weeks, I would appreciate it.

E-Cigarettes

Along with many other schools in Toowoomba, we are aware of the rising trend amongst our young people with regard to the use of e-cigarettes or vapes. Unfortunately, many of our boys are under the impression that inhaling vapours is less dangerous than smoking. And if you look at the products that are being sold, it is clear to me that manufacturers are actively targeting young people – with their bright products, flavoured like softdrink or lollies. Please be aware of this trend in the city at the moment – take time to speak to your son about it and be on watch for vapes and their use.

Uniform

As we continue to move into the colder months and the other schools in town transition to the ‘winter uniforms’, I would like to clarify the uniform expectations for boys at St Mary’s during cooler weather. St Mary’s does not set a date for transition to winter uniform – the boys can wear their long pants and long-sleeved shirts at any time. The academic uniform (navy pants and blue shirt) can have the College jumper or blazer (or both) added for extra warmth. If this is not sufficient, boys are allowed to add extra layers UNDER their school shirt on the condition that none of these items can be seen. Therefore, wearing a hoodie under the College jumper, but with the hood hanging out the back, is not acceptable. Some boys are continuing to push the boundaries in this area and Heads of House will be following up on this.

The spray jacket as a general rule is to be worn only with the sports uniform. The only exception to this is when it is raining. If it is actually raining, boys are permitted to wear the spray jacket with their academic uniform.  For Year 12 students, the Senior Jersey is only to be worn on Wednesdays, with the sports uniform.

Mrs Samantha Parle, AP Student Engagement - parles@stmaryscollege.com

Curriculum

Please click the following links to view the Term 2 Assessment dates:

Middle College - https://www.stmaryscollege.com/teaching-and-learning/middle-college/

Senior College - https://www.stmaryscollege.com/teaching-and-learning/senior-college/

Science and Engineering

On Wednesday the 26^th of May, St Mary’s College was privileged to participate in the Science and Engineering Challenge. Boys from grades 8 to 10 arrived at the University of Southern Queensland Campus and completed a number of activities, with the main focus on scientific concepts, problem solving, and team work.

The event put an emphasis on innovation and challenged the creative aspect of students’ minds – pushing them to look further than just what is in front of them. St Mary’s effort across all of these challenges cannot be understated, every boy involved executed their role to the best of their ability, admirably winning us a combination of four challenges.

These challenges were Confounding Communications, Stringways, Future Power and Turbine. In Confounding Communications, students design efficient codes to send secret messages along fibre optic rods using pulses of coloured light. Teams are scored based on the accuracy and speed in transmission of the message being sent. Stringways requires students to develop a network to join a series of towns together in the most efficient way possible. The higher the efficiency of linkage (such as the minimum travel distance) the more points each team earns. To join the network, two different coloured threads of strings are used on a miniature scale board. The Turbine challenge allows students to use commonly available materials to build a water turbine that can harness the power of water as it flows over it. The turbine needs to be simple, robust and efficient. This challenge attempts to get students thinking outside the box and convey problem-solving skills to assist in getting as many points as possible. Future Power requires students to supply utilities to communities of different sizes from sources of varying output capacities.

Also the university kindly exhibited a newly acquired piece of technology; the Boston Dynamics Robot Dog, Spot. Spot is capable of many unique actions, with a retail cost of $75,000, seven sensors located around the body allows for a 360 degree view of all it’s surroundings, meaning it can undertake automated tasks.

Overall the boys achieved some very compelling results, reaching scores far over schools that participated in the two days prior. In the end there was an 80 point gap between the first place team and the last placed team, which means that St Mary’s should be very proud of their efforts.

All the students and staff that came on the day enjoyed the event and the technology on display – but more importantly the opportunity to extended our knowledge especially as students and improve our learning capabilities.

Sport News

St Mary’s College had a successful day at the Western Rivers Primary Cricket Gala Day on Thursday.

St Mary’s boys were split up into SMC White and SMC Blue for the day and competed in eight mini games against schools such as Wilsonton and St Anthony’s Primary.

Both sides were very well behaved and commended by other schools on their ability to help other schools with their cricket abilities throughout the day.

SMC White and SMC Blue took on each other in the first game of the day, with plenty of boundaries flying. SMC White led by Lane Madden were successful in this match by 20 runs.

Both sides went on to win all their remaining pool games for the day – which saw them both face off with the two Wilsonton sides for the Pool A and B final. Both sides were extremely successful taking out both finals in a white wash for SMC cricket.

Credit goes to the boys behaviour and respect of all teams on the day. We have a great bunch of young men coming through the cricket program at St Mary’s College and I’m looking forward to seeing them progress into the senior programs.

Sport Results

Basketball

St Mary's College with 52 points, defeated Running Rebels Blue on 12 points.

Rugby League 13s

St Mary's with 28 points defeated Highfields State school on 4 points.

Golden Gloves Softball

St Mary's with 19 points defeated Wilsonton State school on 4 points

After a concerning start, where Wilsonton put up 4 runs in the first innings with a clever bunting game, St Mary's patiently recovered control of the game with impressive batting over the next two innings. A special mention must be made for the rookie in the team, Jackson Williams, who executed well at the plate, getting on base at every opportunity.

St Mary's with 6 points were defeated by Harristown State school on 10 points.

A tough loss against a motivated Harristown side. Michael Pfingst started the pitching for the game and was excellent throughout, unfortunately he wasn't getting the strike calls from the umpire that his pitching deserved. Eli Schmidt replaced Michael after his struggles and the game settled into a close affair with St Mary's almost clawing back the deficit.

St Mary's on 21 points defeated Centenary Heights State School on 1 point.

After a trying loss against Harristown the boys rebounded with a resounding win against Centenary Heights. St Mary's were irresistible, having to declare innings on a number of occasions due to their dominant performance. Eli Schmidt hit a home run to left centre field to accentuate the performance. All credit to the Centenary Heights team who never gave up and were sportsmanlike to the end.

St Mary's with 23 points defeated Harristown State School on 4 points.

Redemption for the loss to Harristown earlier in the day in a resounding manner. The boys were motivated and at the top of their game, saving their best performance to last. The team dominated Harristown in every facet of the game. Callum Gordon hit a home run to centre right field only to have it ruled a ground rule double by the umpires. Lachlan Moore led the way with the bats, hitting to get on base at every opportunity. A special mention must go to Charlie McDonald whose pitching was the catalyst for the comprehensive win. Thank you to all of the parents that attended the day. Their assistance with scoring and coaching allowed us to get the best out of the boys.

Mr Scott Cowan, Director of Sport - cowans@stmaryscollege.com

Arts Media Competition

Each year, students from different schools in the Darling Downs region enter artworks into the Toowoomba Show. This year, for the School Art Division, St Mary’s had 11 prize winners.

Some of the students created these artworks at the end of last year. These are still eligible for entry into the Toowoomba Show, and the students were put into the category when the artwork was completed.

Each prize winner received a certificate and prize money which were handed out on Assembly.

The prize winners are:

Cody Soderquist – 3^rd prize – Year 7 Colour Picture

Jason Carney – 3^rd prize – Year 8 Freehand Drawing

Meerain Asif – 2^nd prize – Year 8 Freehand Drawing

Joseph Cullen – 1^st prize – Year 8 Freehand Drawing (photo of artwork attached)

Nick Bielby – 3^rd prize – Year 9 Colour Picture

Liam Fitzpatrick – 2^nd prize – Year 9 Colour Picture

Charlie McDonald – 1^st prize – Year 9 Colour Picture (photo of artwork attached)

Sam Bainbridge – 3^rd prize – Year 9 Freehand Drawing

Elliot Te’o – 2^nd prize – Year 9 Freehand Drawing

Christon John – 2^nd prize – Years 7, 8 and 9 Printmaking

Liam Creese – 2^nd prize – Year 11 Painting and Drawing

Congratulations gentlemen on this outstanding achievement!

College Careers

Spanner Kennedy Lawyers Visit

Last week Mr Grealy’s Legal Studies classes in Year 11 and 12, as well as students from various other disciplines, were lucky and very privileged to participate in an address by Mr Dean Spanner, Old Boy of St Mary’s.

Mr Spanner talked about his story transitioning from a St Mary’s student to the Director of a Legal firm in Toowoomba.  He challenged each young man to find their purpose, their future hope and go for it.  It is in having that vision for your future that you will unleash your passion and potential.

Mr Spanner shared his approach to life, and his love of being a people person, who finds great joy and energy in sharing the journey with those he serves as a Solicitor.  Each day he finds enjoyment in the profession he has chosen, because it gets him to use his intellect to find solutions and his people focus to be with people in complex situations. To really find a way through the problems facing those before the courts, and those who have been injured, is life giving. Work is about human creativity and fulfillment.

He also spoke about running a business, and the need to constantly look to the future, and how to adapt your business to meet those changing needs. In any career you need to keep on learning, keep on developing your mind and yourself personally to be relevant in the present.

The possibilities of a legal career were also discussed, as he highlighted the areas that you could specialise in, and how over the years he has moved into the specific area of injury law. The boys learnt a lot from Mr Spanner and were very thankful of his visit.

Bond University Information Session

A representative from Bond University will be visiting St Mary’s College this Friday 4^th June. Come along to learn more about Bond University, it’s programs, facilities and scholarships.

Date: Friday 4th June

Time: 1st Break at 10.10am 

Where: Careers Centre - DUHIG 21

Student wellbeing and career resilience in a rapidly changing world: Parents and carers webinar

Young people face a future working life which will be marked by constant change. The economic impacts of COVID-19 have caused labour market disruption and job losses for many young people who are over-represented in hard-hit industries such as tourism, hospitality, and arts and culture. Many students have missed important milestones and struggled with the isolation imposed by lockdowns.

In this webinar, Dr Lyn O'Grady, a psychologist specialising in the mental health and well-being of children, young people and their parents, will explore the potential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on student emotional and psychological wellbeing which may create obstacles for students facing complex career decisions and transitions. Lyn will offer practical advice, strategies and resources for parents and carers supporting students in extraordinary times of change.

Please click here to register for the webinar being held on Friday 4th June.

St Leo’s Residential College Visit

Mr Stephen Foley, Head of St Leo's Residential College at University of Queensland (UQ), will be visiting St Mary’s College on Tuesday 8th June.

If you are considering studying in Brisbane and plan to live in a residential college, then this is a great opportunity for you to come and ask questions and gather information to help inform your choices.

Date: Tuesday 8th June

Time: 1st Break at 10.10am

Where: Careers Centre - DUHIG 21

Australian Catholic University – Key Events and Dates

This on-campus event, on Wednesday 30^th June, allows students to sample the degree of their choice, participate in hands-on workshops, learn about careers and much more! This event is for interested students in Year 10, 11 or 12. 

Click here for more information and to register.

ACU Guarantee

The ACU Guarantee program which opens on the 1^st June offers eligible Year 12 students a place at ACU based on Year 11 results.

Click here for more information.

ACU Open Day

An on campus event is scheduled for Saturday 7th August from 10.00am to 2.00pm. That will be followed by a Virtual event from 2.00pm to 4.00pm.

Click  here for more information 

James Cook University (JCU) Early Offer Program

If you are graduating from Year 12 this year, you may be able to receive an early offer for a course at JCU.

JCU needs to be your first preference. To participate in JCU’s Early Offer Program, contact the Careers Centre. We will assist you with placing a JCU application through QTAC. Please note QTAC opens first week of August. 

For more details click here.

Southern Cross University Early Entry program

SCU’s  Star Early entry program is now open for graduating Year 12 students. Check out the options they have for securing a place with SCU and take the pressure off with this direct pathway option.

School Based Apprenticeships/Traineeships

If you are interested in an SBA, please contact the Career Support Officer, Mr Barber at barberp@stmaryscollege.com  or visit the Careers Centre in DUHIG 21.

You will need to complete an SBA referral form and have a current Resume and Cover Letter.

Students have access to resume templates and information to assist them on the Careers Canvas Page.

Primary News

Primary Social Afternoon 

This Friday 4th June all primary boys are to meet at ANZAC Place by 3.15pm for a roll call.

Students will then move to the College Oval at 3.30pm until 5.30pm.

The afternoon will finish with a  sausage sizzle and refreshments.

Please register your students attendence on the Edsmart app.

Mrs Terese Dyne, Head of Primary - dynet@stmaryscollege.com

Library News

Graphic Novels! 

Graphic novels use images, as well as words, to tell a story. They are not a glorified comic book, as some would suggest, but can be a wonderful way for students to experience literature. Many of the classic novels are now available in graphic form. Graphic novels are especially suited to reluctant readers or students who struggle with reading.

One of the biggest concerns many parents have with their children, particularly with boys, is how to encourage reading. Graphic novels can be an ideal option, as they have many advantages:

• The images give an overview of the story. This encourages the student to read the whole thing, by looking at the images they can understand the plot immediately.
• Graphic novels are fast paced. The plots are exciting with plenty of action that moves quickly, which keeps the reader engaged.
• The images reinforce not replace the language. A full understanding of graphic novels is only achieved when the words and illustrations work together.
• The language is high quality. The words in graphic novels are chosen carefully to achieve maximum impact in a small space, and coupled with brilliant illustrations, allow the language and images to work together to create the story. This, in turn, adds to your son’s vocabulary that will challenge them beyond their reading level.
• They can be read over and over and over. Graphic novels are often a quick read, that can be read a number of times. This reinforces the message and allows the book to be absorbed by the reader. The language, the plot and the characters can be observed in much more depth. Reading a favourite book over and over creates confidence in the reader and supports the concept that books are fun!

 The SMC Library has a wide range of graphic novels available for borrowing.

Overdue Library Resources

Please continue to remind your son/s to return or renew any overdue items as soon as possible. Library loans can be accessed through the Library Web App and students are emailed weekly about their overdue items. Please contact the library if you have any queries about your son's loans. Your help with this is much appreciated!

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

Music

On the 13^th May, the St Mary’s College Choir competed in the Toowoomba Choral Eisteddfod in the Secondary Schools Boy Choir section. 

Although we did not place in the section, the boys represented the school with enthusiasm and determination. The boys have come a long way since last appearing on stage and the feedback from the night was how impressed everyone was with their improvement in skill and control. They are now driven to improve their result for next year.

The College Choir meet every Friday before school from 7.30am to 8.15am and if any students are interested in joining please contact Mr Tracy tracyb@stmaryscollege.com  or Mrs Peters petersl@stmaryscollege.com for further details.

The Hub

Support is available to all students who require assistance with homework, assignments or reviewing current class work with Mr Roy in the Hub every morning before school from 7.30am and at both lunch breaks each day. There will also be an after school support session every Thursday afternoon from 3.05pm until 4.00pm. Should special circumstances occur, times can be varied according to need; so, please contact Dave Roy on 07 4631 7333, to negotiate a suitable time. 

P&F Race Day Meeting

The P&F will be holding a Race Day meeting at the Wilsonton Cafe 63, this Friday 4th June at 5.30pm. All staff and parents are welcome to attend this meeting to discuss the upcoming Race Day event.

Student Travel Rebates