Term 3, Week 9, 07.09.2021
Principal News
St Mary's College Exams: Weeks 8 - 10
Queensland Child Protection Week
At St Mary's College, we recognise that Child Safety is everybody's business. As educators, we have a key role in safeguarding our young men and educating our community in our responsibilities and understanding the places we can go to get support if that is necessary.
Most of us recognise that child protection is key to ensuring that children in our communities, families and schools are safe, nurtured and protected. Sometimes this means acknowledging that children are neglected or harmed in these same places. That is hard to acknowledge. As such, children continue to experience child abuse and neglect in our society.
In order to stop child abuse and neglect and ensure child protection in our society, we all need to play our part by assisting families who struggle and by speaking out about abuse when we see it or hear about it. Often children tell us what is happening to them through either very clear statements or in subtle ways. Our role as adults is to pay attention regardless of the way children tell us what is happening for them. Another role we can play is in hearing parents when they say they are finding their role of parenting difficult and offer assistance.
When children speak out or adults speak out on behalf of children they need those involved in the wider child protection system to be well trained and available to pay attention to what they are saying. This includes the Queensland Police Service, professionals such as social workers, psychologists and psychiatrists as well as all of us here at St Mary's College who are often in the key position of being able to note difficulties for children and their families. Family members and friends also play a crucial role in such disclosures in terms of hearing what is stated and offering support and friendship. When unable to offer such support or when such support isn’t accepted, family members and friends can contact community organisations of the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services to seek further assistance for the child/ren and family.
The following statements are key messages to promote the health and safety of young people:
- Child protection is everyone’s business. The responsibility lies with adults in keeping children safe from harm.
- Listening to children and young people is the number 1 indicator in assisting their safety and well-being.
- Children and young people are honest. They are unlikely to lie about abuse. They are more likely to stay quiet about abuse or harm than to speak up (especially if they know their abuser).
- Mean or cruel words harm children and young people.
- Understanding why people harm children and young people is essential in helping to prevent child abuse.
- The corruption of children and young people by being forced into acts against their will, including illegal activity, harms children and young people.
- Being ignored, going hungry and feeling and/or being treated as invisible harms children and young people.
- Seeing or directly experiencing domestic and family violence harms children and young people.
- Being physically, verbally, sexually or emotionally abused harms children and young people.
- Not having health, educational and other developmental needs met harms children and young people.
- Being groomed for sexual abuse harms children and young people.
- Being forced to do something that feels ‘wrong’ harms children and young people.
- Being forced into situations that feel unsafe harms children and young people.
- Being forced to be with people (even those who are ‘known’ and ‘loved’) who feel unsafe harms children and young people.
- Being forced to be with people whom children or young people have stated have abused them, harms children and young people.
- Not being heard when they speak about abuse or trauma harms children and young people.
- Being removed from their home and/or family causes trauma and loss and harms children and young people.
- Knowing they have no voice to speak of how they feel and what they’ve experienced in terms of their safety and well-being harms children and young people.
- Being without the right to make decisions in their life such as where they live, who they visit and where they spend time harms children and young people.
- Caring for children and keeping them safe is a shared responsibility.
The following link directs us to the contacts of several agencies in the community for support:
Fact Sheets
What is child abuse?
http://www.communities.qld.gov.au/childsafety/protecting-children/what-is-child-abuse
Responding to disclosures of child sexual abuse:
Queensland Domestic & Family Violence fact sheets:
https://publications.qld.gov.au/dataset/domestic-and-family-violence-resources
Queensland Centre for Domestic and Family Violence Research:
https://noviolence.org.au/resources/
Support for study and academic improvement
Studiosity
Studiosity is an online, after-hours, study skills service. Once again in 2021, St Mary's College has purchased the service for Year 10, 11 and 12 students. It is still very useful now to finish off assignments!
The following is a brief summary of the tools that are available on Studiosity:
The 'Writing Feedback' service
"Here's my file, I'll check back later." This service offers constructive academic writing feedback in less than 24 hours.
Feedback is a spotlight, showing students where they might focus attention and add more thought. Whether for future accountants, nurses, or aeronautical engineers, English language skills are critical to success and part of the integrity of a university or high school qualification. CVs and resumes are also accepted, and feedback provided on grammar, spelling, structure and readability.
The 'Connect Live' service
"I need help right now!" This service offers one-to-one, personal help in real time.
A student formulates his own question, then works with one of our Subject Specialists in the interactive classroom - with chat, collaborative whiteboard, and file sharing because timely feedback drives confidence and perseverance.
The Academic Writing Evaluation service
The Academic Writing Evaluation service (AWE) prompts students to complete a writing task, that is then reviewed using Studiosity's comprehensive academic writing framework. It allows our partner institutes to gain insight into their students' academic writing capabilities and offer them more tailored, specific support early in the semester, if needed.
Please encourage your sons to use this service. We are regularly updated with how much the service is being accessed, and we want our students to use Studiosity!
It is another tool that our boys can use to help them improve their performance in the Senior years of schooling.
Adapted from <https://www.studiosity.com/howitworks>, 5 September 2021.
Academic Data
The school has received its 2021 NAPLAN data and it is currently being analysed. I will share a summary of the data with the community in next week's newsletter.
St Mary's College collects a range of academic data to support the learning needs of your sons. There is a plethora of data available to us and I wanted to take a little time to explain what we collect and what is done with the data at SMC.
- ATAR predictions and data - The College provides ATAR predictions and other related data at the start of Year 12. I want to thank Ms Eleighta Hannam for her work in this important area of Senior Pathways.
- Report card data - Used to inform students and families of progress, and the learning plan for your sons
- PAT Testing data - Used to measure baseline skills in literacy, numeracy or science
- Probe Testing - Conducted in Year 7 to test reading and comprehension ability
- Write That Essay (WTE) data
Reflection for the Week
The Stonecutter
(From the Tao of Pooh)
Once there was a stonecutter who was very unhappy with his work and life.
One day he passed by a wealthy merchant’s house. Through the open gateway, he could see the rich man’s many beautiful possessions and important guests. “How powerful that merchant must be!” thought the stonecutter, “how I wish I could live such a life.” Suddenly, the stonecutter became the merchant, enjoying the luxuries and more power than he had ever dreamed of possessing.
But he soon found himself detested and envied by his poor friends. Soon a high official of the king passed by carried in a sedan chair, with a retinue of soldiers and attendants. Even the very wealthy had to bow before the official. “How powerful that official is! I wish I could be such a high official,” he thought. And suddenly, the erstwhile stonecutter became the high official, carried everywhere in a beautifully embroidered sedan chair, with all the people bowing before him.
But it was a hot summer day, and he soon became very uncomfortable in the sticky sedan chair. He looked up at the sun, shining brilliantly in the sky, illuminating the entire earth. “How powerful the sun is!” he thought: “I wish I could be the sun.” And immediately, he became the sun, scorching the fields and cursed by farmers and labourers.
But a huge black cloud soon moved between him and the earth so that his light could no longer shine.
“How powerful that storm cloud is! I wish I could be a cloud.” Suddenly, he became the cloud, flooding fields and villages, despised by everyone.
Soon he found himself pushed away by a strong wind. “How powerful a force is the wind! I wish I could be the wind.” And so, he became the wind, uprooting trees, plants and homes: as the wind, he was hated and feared.
Soon he came up against something he could not move no matter how forcefully he blew against it - a huge, towering stone wall. “How powerful that stone is! I wish I could be a stone.”
And then he became the stone, more powerful and stronger than anything on earth.
But as he stood there, he heard the sound of hammer and chisel pounding against him and he felt himself being changed. “What could be more powerful than I, the stone?”
He looked down and saw far below him the figure of a stonecutter.
Peace,
Mr Brendan Stewart - College Principal
Student Engagement
Some notes about RTC
A conversation with one of our parents in the last few weeks is the inspiration for my words in this week’s newsletter. The use of a Responsible Thinking Classroom for managing the learning environment here at the College can appear a bit strange, if it’s not a concept that you’ve seen before.
At St Mary’s College, the RTC has two roles:
- To challenge boys when they make choices that are not in line with College expectations
- To assist teachers in maintaining the effectiveness of the teaching and learning environment in the classroom
The use of the RTC process does not replace the usual classroom management strategies that teachers employ every lesson – a well-planned and organised lesson, engaging curriculum, seating plans, non-verbal cues and reminders, proximity, the list could go on... But when students are disrupting the teaching and learning, we use the questions to help them reflect on their choices, and then we give them a chance to make changes to those choices.
If a student behaves in a way that disrupts the teaching and learning in the classroom, he will be asked ‘the questions’. They usually sound like this:
- “What are you doing?”
- “Do we have a rule about that?”
- “What should you be doing?”
- “What will happen if you disrupt the class again?”
They can vary, of course, based on the situation.
If the same student continues to disrupt the lesson, the ‘second set of questions’ will follow:
- “What are you doing?”
- “Do we have a rule about that?”
- “What should you be doing?”
- “What did you say would happen, if you disrupted the class again?”
The student will then be asked to go to the RTC so that he can reflect, work with one of the Student Engagement Team and write a plan about how he will make better choices in the future.
RTC – Parent communication and Further Support
If your son is referred to the RTC, you will receive a text message that afternoon. If, after a conversation with your son, you would like more information about that referral, you are welcome to make contact with the teacher or your son’s Mentor Teacher to gather more detail and information.
If your son has THREE RTC referrals in a term, he will need to attend a meeting with his Head of House, who will then make phone contact with you. The goal here is to put supports in place to help with decisions in the future.
If your son has FIVE RTC referrals in a term, the Head of House will arrange to meet with you and your son. This is a more formal and serious process, but the ultimate aim is to put supports in place that will help your son make better choices, that are more in line with the College expectations.
There is a more complex and continued process for those boys who receive more that five referrals in a term. Our data suggests that approximately one third of the students will be referred to the RTC during a ten week Term, with only 3.5% of the students being referred more than five times.
The Boy Version and the Truth
When parents do have conversations with their son regarding their referral to the RTC, it can often appear that the referral is trivial or unfair. My observation of our young men is that they will usually attempt to paint themselves in a good light – they are only human, and they’re standing in front of a parent who is upset with them. If you question your son about his behaviour and he tells you that he was not thinking and was disrupting the classroom and he was wrong – then you have a mature and reflective young man in your household.
In most cases however, the Boy Version will be either The Underplay or The Overplay. The Underplay relies on confusion and the words ‘only’ and ‘just’, as in – “I don’t know Dad! I only turned around to ask Greg what question we were up to!”
The Overplay attempts to distract the parent from the behaviour choices of their own son, by delivering great (and sometimes exaggerated) detail about the behaviour of others. It goes like this, “Well, I was talking, but Mum - everyone was! And you should have seen Alex – he was hanging out the window and shouting at kids in the yard!”
As always, good communication is the key. Please make contact with the classroom teacher, email is easiest, and they will be happy to give you the context of your son’s RTC referral.
Primary News
Primary Leadership 2022
The College would like to acknowledge the 22 applicants who have expressed an interest in being elected Primary Leaders in 2022. It is great to see so many boys aspiring to be the voice of the primary. We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate these boys for writing their application letter. The leadership process will be continued this week; on Monday within the leadership retreat, followed by a question and answer session and finally the formal interview.
Successful candidates for the questions and interview process will be informed.
SWQ & QLD All Schools Touch
There has been great interest in the upcoming touch carnivals. Over 50 boys have been participating in the training and fitness sessions over the last month. Mrs Dyne, Mrs Pauli and Mr Steer will be looking to select their teams over the next week. There will be three teams of 12 boys selected. The selected boys will need to be available to represent the College at SWQ Carnival in Toowoomba on Sunday 17th October and again at QLD All Schools in Redlands Friday 5th to Sunday 7th November. If your son has been training, but is no longer available for those dates, please contact Mrs Terese Dyne dynet@stmaryscollege.com.
College Careers
University of Queensland Young ChangeMakers Experience
Young ChangeMakers is a unique on-campus experience: Inviting highly motivated secondary school students.
This three day experience is designed for Year 11 students with big ideas and ambitions, aimed to develop leadership, critical thinking and innovation skills. As a Young ChangeMaker, students will participate in activities that ignite a passion for innovation, ideas and creating change in the community and the wider world.
During this UQ experience, students will undertake an immersive group project to tackle global challenges from different perspectives. During this process, they will also develop valuable design thinking and communication skills.
Applications Close: 26th September, 2021
Young ChangeMakers Camp: 30th November to 2nd December, 2021
Young ChangeMakers Open Day Reunion: 7th August, 2022
Click HERE For more information
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students' scholarship opportunity
Applications are now open for the Puggy Hunter Memorial Scholarship Scheme which provides financial assistance for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people who are intending on studying the following health-related professions in 2022:
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander primary health care
- Mental health studies
- Medicine
- Allied Health (excluding Pharmacy)
- Midwifery
- Dentristry/Oral Health (excluding dental assistants)
- Nursing (EN & RN)
You can find out more information and apply online HERE
Applications close Monday 11th October.
School Based Apprenticeships/Traineeships
SBA | Year Levels | Business/Location | Closing date |
Certificate II in Supply Chain Operations | 10 | Civil Toowoomba (Reece Group), Toowoomba | Friday 10th September |
Certificate III in Hospitality | 10, 11 and 12 | Vapiano, Grand Central, Toowoomba | Friday 10th September |
Certificate III in Business | 10 and 11 | Duo Bakery & Café, Toowoomba Berny’s on West, Toowoomba 7-Eleven (85 Perth Street), Toowoomba Totally Workwear, Toowoomba Little Miracles Maternity Wear, Toowoomba | Friday 10th September |
Certificate III in Hospitality (Front of House) OR Certificate III in Tourism | 10 | Jilly’s Café, Toowoomba The Rock, Toowoomba | Friday 10th September |
Certificate III in Business (including some Retail electives) | 10 and 11 | Pacific Fuels, Toowoomba Crackerjack Chicken, Toowoomba Red Rooster, Toowoomba | Thursday 30th September |
Certificate III in Hospitality | 10 and 11 | GPO Bar & Cafe, Toowoomba Subway, Toowoomba, Gatton & Plainland | Thursday 30th September |
Certificate III in Commercial Cookery | 10, 11 and 12 | BP Charlton, Toowoomba GPO Bar & Café, Toowoomba | Thursday 30th September |
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 you on the Careers Canvas Page.
Sport News
Basketball
Congratulations to the Primary basketball team on winning their semi-final against Running Rebels. Another valiant effort on the defensive end certainly being a big factor for their win. Congratulations and best of luck to Mr Lymer and his boys in the Grand Final.
St Mary’s College on 53 points defeated Running Rebels with 16 points.
- 3 points and Man of the match - Ty Khomenko
- 2 points - Adol Adol
- 1 point - Tayt Jackson
Come and support the team this Thursday at St Mary’s Stadium, where they play Allstars at 5:15pm.
Primary Sport
There is one more round of interschool sport left as this Friday.
Please see the draw:
Soccer – Week 9, Friday 10th September
Time | Location Nell E Robinson | Location Highlands Christian College |
1.00pm | Junior White St Mary's College Vs Darling Heights State School | Junior Blue St Mary's College Vs Toowoomba East |
1.45pm | Senior White St Mary's College Vs Darling Heights State School |
Rugby League – Week 9, Friday 10th September
Time | Location Concordia | Location Clive Berghofer Arena | Location St Mary’s College Oval |
1.00pm | Senior Blue St Mary's College Vs Toowoomba East State School | Junior Blue St Mary's College Vs Fairview Heights State School | |
1.45pm | Junior White St Mary's College Vs Glenvale State School St Mary's College Vs Toowoomba East State School 15 minute games | Senior White St Mary's College Vs Toowoomba East State School |
Term 4 - Mrs Chantler's Pink Day
The Hub
Support is available to all students who require assistance with homework, assignments or reviewing current classwork. Support is available with Mr Roy in the Hub every morning before school from 7.00am and at both lunch breaks. Support will also be available after school on Thursday afternoons from 3.05pm until 4.00pm. If you would like further information, please contact Dave Roy on 07 4631 7333.
Can you lend a helping hand?
