Term 3, Week 4, 03.08.2021
Principal News
Dear Parents and Carers,
I write to you this week knowing that some families are now being impacted by the latest lockdown in South-East Queensland. At the time of writing, Toowoomba is NOT generally impacted by the most recent lockdown.
Please read our emails and broadcasts to keep abreast of the latest advice from the College. Regarding our decision-making, we take the latest advice from Queensland Health, the Queensland Catholic Education Commission and our head office, Toowoomba Catholic Schools. We will use Facebook as our "urgent" news centre regarding upcoming events as the need arises.
Events
The "source of truth" for events at St Mary's is the College Sentral Calendar to be found through the Parent Portal. This is a LIVE document that will inform you of events that are continuing, postponed, modified or cancelled.
You can find a link to the Sentral Calendar here.
Reflection for the Week
Last Friday was our annual Bishop's Inservice Day. Richard Leonard, Jesuit priest and Old Boy of St Mary's College, met us online for an inspirational day of reflection and challenge. He is indeed a very thought-provoking but entertaining speaker.
Richard provides reflections to parish communities across Australia depending on the Gospel of the day. I have provided the latest reflection from Richard for your own reflection this week.
"The crowds and the disciples in John’s Gospel are always getting their wires crossed when they listen to Jesus. They rarely understand His deeper message.
They’re like the couple who had been snowbound in Seattle for two weeks. Affectionately they used to call each other ‘husband’ and ‘wife’. They planned to go down to Florida to get some sun. The husband got away from his work one day early and departed for Miami Beach, where he was to meet his wife the next day. They were looking forward to quality time together in the bright sunshine. Unfortunately, there was some sort of mix up at the boarding gate, and the husband was told he would have to wait for the over-night redeye special. He tried to appeal to a supervisor, but to no avail.
Upon arrival at the hotel the next day, he discovered that Miami Beach was having a heat wave, and its weather was almost as uncomfortably hot as Seattle’s was cold. The desk clerk gave him a message that his wife would arrive as planned. He could hardly wait to get to the pool area to cool off, and quickly sent his wife an email, but in his haste, he made an error in the email address.
His message arrived at the home of an elderly preacher’s wife whose even older husband had died only the day before. When the grieving widow opened her email, she took one look at the monitor, let out an anguished scream, and died on the spot. Her family rushed to her room where they saw this message on the screen:
‘Dearest wife, departed yesterday as you know, but just now got checked in. Some confusion at the gate. Appeal was denied. Received confirmation of your arrival tomorrow. Your loving husband. P.S. Things are not as we thought. You’re going to be surprised at how hot it is down here.’"
Jesus, however, this week in John's Gospel is referring to Himself as the fulfilment of all appetites, where we will never be hungry or thirsty again. Appetites are important things. They demand regular attention. Physical appetites tell us that we need nourishment, hydration, exercise or sleep. We have learnt to read our body’s signs and if we ignore them we die. We also have emotional appetites, where we need affection, acceptance and a listening ear. If we ignore these signs our mental health deteriorates, and our quality of life is compromised. Jesus, however, also alerts us to our spiritual appetites. These are the needs we have for Him, for meaning and purpose, for faith, hope and love. If we ignore these appetites we can lose sight of where we came from, why we are here, and where we are going.
As the sixth chapter of John’s Gospel goes on, Jesus becomes clearer about the hunger and thirst He has come to fill. And as He does the crowd’s wires become uncrossed and they’re shocked. Jesus, the Bread of Life, is interested in us fulfilling our physical, emotional and spiritual appetites in this world as a way of glimpsing the life to come in Him, where all our hungers and thirsts will be fulfilled.
Peace,
Mr Brendan Stewart - College Principal
Identity
Staff at St Mary’s College attended a Bishop’s In Service Day on Friday 30th July, during Catholic Education Week. Old Boy, Father Richard Leonard SJ led the discussion and although he was unable to make it in person due to COVID-19 restrictions, a great day was had by all.
As a group we explored the role of a Catholic school in a spirited tomorrow. Father Richard spoke about how we pray publicly, the rich call of tradition and preparing our students for the real world; setting up ethical frameworks to be good people both in person and online. We did this through story, humour and song.
A few takeaways from Friday’s session:
- It’s people and relationships that matter.
- God comes into our lives in the midst of mess and fragility.
- When you know the tradition enough it can be human, alive, responsive and adaptive.
- A challenge; if you stand for nothing you will fall for anything.
Thank you to Father Richard Leonard for sharing with us. Thank you to our Identity team for organising and also our hospitality staff who made sure we were well fed throughout the day.
On a final note, during the day staff raised more than $800 for Toni’s Kitchen and the Waterford fund, that supports our students.
College Careers
QTAC Applications Open
Year 12 boys who are intending to apply for tertiary study both at university and TAFE, attended a QTAC information session last Thursday at school. A copy of the presentation is available via this link: QTAC PowerPoint Presentation Part A.
Similar dates and times are required for the other state’s admission centres. During Term 2 and 3 all Year 12 boys are being invited to a Careers meeting with their parents, to assist with their transition and career decision-making.
If you have any queries about Careers, study or post school options, please contact the St Mary’s Careers Centre via the school office by phoning 07 4631 7333 or by emailing barberp@stmaryscollege.com for an appointment with Mrs Jenny Ball or Mr Kris Glass.
Plumbing Apprenticeship
Watson's Plumbing and Gas are looking to employ a Plumbing apprentice who is completing Year 12 this year.
If you are interested in a career in Plumbing, then email hello@watsonsplumbingandgas.com.au or give them a call on 0404 228 203.
If you would like any assistance with your resume, then please drop into the Careers Centre in DUHIG 21.
National Rugby League Game Development
An exciting opportunity exists for any graduating Year 12 students who may be looking for casual work whilst you study in Toowoomba next year.
If you are self-motivated, energetic and enthusiastic about Rugby League then this may be the perfect opportunity for you.
Please see the Careers Team for more information.
If you are interested in expressing your interest in this role, please contact Mal Sweeney (NRL Game Development Officer) on 0459 871 585 or email msweeney@nrl.com.au.
SBA Sign Up
Hayden Baxter (Year 10) has been successful in commencing a Certificate III in Retail school-based traineeship with McDonalds, Toowoomba.
School Based Apprenticeships/Traineeships
SBA | Year Levels | Business/Location | Closing date |
Certificate III in Business | 10 and 11 | Event Cinemas/Birch Carroll & Coyle, Grand Central or Strand, Toowoomba | Friday 6th August |
Certificate III in Carpentry | 12 | McNab, Toowoomba | Friday 6th August |
Certificate III in Hairdressing | 11 and 12 | John’s Hair Studio, 24 Duggan Street, Toowoomba | Friday 6th August |
Certificate III in Business | 10 and 11 | Cosmetics Plus, Grand Central, Toowoomba | Friday 6th August |
Certificate III in Business | 10 and 11 | ParisiAnn Patisserie, Toowoomba | Friday 6th August |
Certificate III in Wall and Ceiling Lining | 12 | IntraFine, Toowoomba | Sunday 8th August |
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.
Gentlemen, you have access to resume templates and information to assist you on the Careers Canvas Page.
Sport News
Athletics Carnival
At the Athletics Carnival we saw a great win by Bowdler, who stormed home late in the day and took out the trophy! Special thanks to everyone involved in making the day a success. Thankfully the weather was nice and we were able to see some great house spirit!
Shortly, we will receive meet details for the upcoming Darling Downs trials. I will communicate to the students who ran, threw or jumped qualifying standards for selection.
1st Place - Bowlder (1442 points)
2nd Place - McGoldrick (1173 points)
3rd Place - Waterford (1153 points)
4th Place - Purcell (1120 points)
Head of House, Mr Mitch Koina with Bowdler House Captain, Riley Madden with the winning trophy.
Age Champions
10 Years Champions: 1st - Place Leo Ellison, 2nd Place - Xander Driscoll, 3rd Place - Colin Robinson
11 Years Champions: 1st Place - Ty Khomenko, 2nd Place - Nate Goulding, 3rd Place - Lane Madden
12 Years Champions: 1st Place - Xavier Newton, 2nd Place - Lachlan Hillman, 3rd Place - Andrew Leach
13 Years Champions: 1st Place - Ashtyn Messenger, 2nd Place - Chevy Ryan, 3rd Place - Jackson Winnett
14 Years Champions: 1st Place - Sebastian Seeto, 2nd Place - Braithen Scott, 3rd Place - Harrison McCarthy
15 Years Champions: 1st Place - Oscar Kelly, 2nd Place - Nikolai Bradley, 3rd Place - Jackson Carney
16 Years Champions: 1st Place - Arok Arok, 2nd Place - Ronan Delany, 3rd Place - William Butler and Luke Davis
17 Years Champions: 1st Place - Riley Williams, 2nd Place - Harold Shelton, 3rd Place - Samuel Rogers
Rugby Union
Opens
St Mary's College with 33 points defeated Faith Lutheran on 0 points - what a banger of a game! The St Mary’s boys were keen and set up the home game at Gold Park early. The field damaged from the bad weather on the weekend was hard and crusty – but no match for the St Mary’s men!
Rangers, our affiliate club, turned up in droves to educate, challenge and support the boys in the delicate, and delicious art of rugby. Nick took no nonsense from the forwards in preparing them for one of the great aspects of the game, the scrum. Previously timid onlookers like Leachy took interest in the skill development, but it was on the paddock that he revelled in the task! The boys responded well to the skills session, even recalling advice when asked in practice. They were truly motivated by the rule that if we did not contest scrums then we would have to play with a man down, that is not the Mary’s way, that is not the Rugby way – NO WAY! And contest the scrums we did – but to that later.
The best laid plans meant that all the hype the skill work, the backs working hard on technical plays was delayed. The boys spirit could not be contained!
The trial game with Faith meant that we knew what was ahead of us, and we had been challenged to get our contested scrums in order – that we did.
From the receiving of the ball at the first kick off it was our game. Even though we were pinged constantly the boys got back and defended. The first scrum was a nail biter, Jake was marshalling the boys, second rowers in place, loose men at the ready, the front row eyes forward. Buck and Saffey – our feed, the sideline tense, the crowd poised, the referee in place. Bang the big men hit and we drove them right back to the Valley – a sweet scrum, the first of many that we won – so much so that Faith crumpled under our attack and reverted to non-contested, beaten, destroyed, so much so that when I went to get the game sheet signed the coach in tears said whatever to our 6 tries! The sweet game of rugby.
The backline sung under the leadership of Gill and the beautifully placed kicks and passes that led to a try by Jacko. The lineouts went our way with Pacey’s accurate throws and Hann’s skyward jump.
The score did reflect our dominance, but it was the dominance of the rugby spirit that made this such a great game.
Blue White Blue, Blue White Blue, Blue White Blue!
3 Points and Man of the Match - Sam Rogers
2 Points - Ryan Gill
1 Point - Will Sullivan
Under 13s
St Mary's College with 19 points defeated Faith Lutheran college with 12 points.
A much tighter hit out between the two teams, St Mary's College dug deep and worked hard to secure the ruck better than last week. Missing some key players, all of the boys lifted and played their part.
3 Points and Man of the Match - Fraser Trapp
2 Points - Chevy Ryan
1 Point - Graidy Tomlinson
Hockey
St Mary's College was well represented at the U13 Hockey State Championships held during the school holidays in Townsville.
Toowoomba Team 1 placed first and the Toowoomba Team 2 placed 5th.
Well done, boys!
Back row: Cooper Geiger, Harrison Droney, Hayden Mcready, Riley Gleeson and Benjamin Otto
Front row: Logan Mcready, Alex Maddison, Benjamin Clarke
Futsal
Opens
The boys played well throughout the competition. Unfortunately, not capitalising on opportunities let us down at times. Defence was great throughout the day. Missing the finals narrowly due to the one loss. The boys should be commended for their efforts and sportsmanship throughout the competition.
St Mary's College on 5 points drew with Chisholm College also on 5 points.
3 Points and Man of the Match - Scott Forknall
2 Points - Jaisal Narsey
1 Point - Lachlan Pleszkun
St Mary's College on 1 point drew with Robina State High School also on 1 point.
3 Points and Man of the Match - Jaisal Narsey
2 Points - Lachlan Pleszkun
1 Point - Scott Forknall
St Mary's College on 3 points were defeated by Chancellor State College.
3 Points and Man of the Match - Scott Forknall
2 Points - Jaisal Narsey
1 Point - Connor McGinty
Darling Downs Rugby Union Representatives
Four St Mary's boys who participated in the U15 State Championships did our school proud. They all played their hearts out over 6 games against the best in the state. All of the boys played at a high standard and they were indeed men of integrity, action and excellence!
Oscar Kelly received a player of the game for one match.
Nikolai Bradley was named as Captain for the team and also received the Player of the Carnival award for the Darling Downs region. This award is given to the player that has unquestionable commitment to the team, leads by example, is exemplary in his attitude to playing and performs consistently at a high level for the duration of the carnival.
St Mary's College Darlinig Downs Rugby Representatives - Tyson Harper, Oscar Bradley, Xavier Brown and Nikolai Bradley
Music
Term Outline for Music Events
Term 3 is perhaps one of the busiest and engaging terms of the year for students pariticpating in music. In Week 1, St Mary’s College Drumatic was to compete in the Australian Drumline Competition. Unfortunately, it was postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions.
This week our instrumental students and music ensembles will be competing in the Toowoomba Eisteddfod. Boys competing and representing the College will begin on Thursday 29th July and will finish on Tuesday the 3rd August. We wish all of our students the best of luck.
Further events this term are outlined in the document below, please don’t hesitate to contact Mr Tracy (tracyb@stmaryscollege.com) with any queries.
Toowoomba Catholic Schools Excellence Awards
Congratulations to the four St Mary’s College staff members - Shari Pauli, Tammy Banks, Caain Miller and Leah Dempster who were named finalists in the 2021 Toowoomba Catholic Schools Excellence Awards.
A special mention goes to Tammy Banks for winning the Excellence in Teaching and Learning, Expert Secondary Teacher category!
The awards identify and showcase staff who model, demonstrate and live excellence in their roles every day. Congratulations all on this wonderful achievement.
Year 11 Camp
Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 restrictions the Year 11 Camp scheduled for this week has been postponed. More information will be provided to parents of Year 11 students. Thank you for understanding.
Commonwealth School Data Collection Notice
Parent Engagement Day
You're Invited to the P&F Race Day
Tickets are limited! Visit https://www.trybooking.com/BSIWI to secure your spot.
If you are interested in supporting this event, please email tracydann3007@icloud.com to obtain a sponsorship package. We will also be accepting donations for raffle prizes and auction items.
All funds raised will go towards supporting St Mary's College boys!
