SMC NEWS 2023 - Term 1, Week 5

Principal's Note

Dear Parents and Carers,

Email privacy notice and student protection poster

Student Protection

Student safety is our primary responsibility as a College.  All schools are required to have a number of nominated School Student Protection Contacts (SSPC's).  These are people at the College who students may go to if they recognise something is unsafe in the community.

Additionally, it is a legislative requirement that all non-state schools have at least two nominated staff members to whom a student can report the behaviour of another staff member that the student considers inappropriate.  Each SSPC has been nominated by myself in recognition of their integrity, approachability and knowledge in the area of student protection.  Whilst students are encouraged to speak up to any trusted adult in the school community, it is important that they know they can access these specific staff members at any time should they have worries, queries or concerns. You may have noticed posters throughout the school depicting our current SSPCs. The SSPCs are also published on our school website along with information about our student protection processes.  In everything we do at St Mary's College, student safety is our highest priority. Therefore the SSPCs at our school are key personnel in our overall safeguarding processes. Please see the poster below depicting our current SSPC team.

We are also aware that our students may have a trusted adult at the College who may not be one of the "official" SSPC's. This is good news, because it means students have a range of people who they may talk to when they are feeling uncomfortable about something that is happening in their world.  The sorts of issues that SSPC's may deal with are responding to child abuse and neglect, being involved in training of educators and students about child safety and recognising the signs of someone who is vulnerable in the community.

Reflection

Project Compassion Sunday

Last Sunday was Project Compassion Sunday. Project Compassion is the main fundraising campaign for Caritas Australia each year. It occurs during the lenten period; the lead-up to Easter each year. This year, the theme is For All Future Generations. For our boys, it means a little fundraising to help poor people overseas.

With your support, Caritas Australia has been able to support communities around the world to tackle poverty, food security, education, water and sanitation and disaster risk reduction. Project Compassion 2023 reminds us that the good that we do today will extend and impact the lives of generations to come.

As St Pope John Paul II said,  “The future starts today, not tomorrow.”

Together, we can help vulnerable communities face their challenges today and build a better tomorrow For All Future Generations.

You can donate through Project Compassion donation boxes and envelopes available from your parish, by visiting caritas.org.au/project-compassion, or by calling 1800 024 413.

Have a wonderful week,

Student Engagement

If your household is like mine, you see the SMC Newsletter come in to your inbox on a Tuesday and it usually gets opened and read around about Friday night – after the busy-ness of the week is done. Unless you have boys at touch on a Friday night, or at basketball, or Saturday sport commitments, or a family weekend away... These busy lives we lead can often wear us down – and we are the adults! As we reach the half way point of the term, it might be a good time to find the time for a proper ‘check in’ with your son. Our boys are often worn out by the busy-ness of their own lives, and they don’t always have the skills to manage.

We frequently hear from families that boys who appear to be coping very well at school and taking everything in their stride, are very emotional at home. This can be a worry for parents, but it is actually quite common and – in fact – reassuring. Your son may ‘meltdown’ at home because that is his safe place, where he can be sure of your love and support – no matter what. The start of the school year can be overwhelming as boys learn new teachers and subjects as well as adjust to whatever social changes have happened over the summer. Bit by bit, they will find their way. If you think that your son needs a bit of extra help or attention here at school, please let us know. We have done this before, and we are here to help.

Online Safety

We are seeing an increase in risky online behaviours and the recent data suggests that there has been an increase in the instances of ‘sextortion’. This is not something that happens to ‘other people’ in faraway places. This experience is happening for young men here in Toowoomba. I have included some text from a recent news article below for your information. One of the most important observations I can pass on though, is that young people don’t tell their parents when they see or experience something odd/dangerous/creepy online because they think that their parents will ‘overreact’ and take their phone off them. I understand that taking their phone is a natural instinct – protective parents – but what is more helpful is to open the conversation and reach an agreement with your son about the bet way to deal with those situations in the future. Unfortunately, we are never going to make the internet a safe place – the best strategy is to make our kids as safe as possible in an uncertain space.

Article Extract – the full article is available here

The Australian Federal Police-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) and police from across the country have warned of a worrying rise in sextortion targeting young men like Ryan in Australia.

Sexual extortion – or sextortion - is a form of online blackmail involving threats to share intimate images or videos, sometimes coerced from an individual, unless they comply with certain demands, often monetary.

Australia’s eSafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant said scammers will approach young men posing as a young woman online and ask to engage in a “sexy chat” before taking them to another platform like Skype or FaceTime, and ask them to “perform sexual acts before the camera”.

But when that happens, the scammer will screenshot them and threaten to share the image to friends, family, even employers “unless they pay up” - often through crypto currently to make tracking them more difficult.

“It’s a massive global problem and we know that organised criminal networks are now behind this,” Ms Inman Grant. “They’ve realised that this is a very lucrative game.” Some men who have reported being scammed to eSafety or the AFP have paid up to $10,000 in extortion fees. The commissioner says the criminals have become “very clever about covering their tracks” and exploiting social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat to meet young men.

“These are very clever organised criminals that will be very patient in terms of grooming young men and gaining their trust, so please don’t be embarrassed,” Ms Inman Grant said for those who had been scammed.

“What we do at eSafety is we focus on delivering compassionate citizen service,” she continued. “We want young people to know that they can come to esafety.gov.au, we’ve dealt with literally thousands of these cases, we can talk them through their options and refer them on to either mental health services or the police if necessary.”

What do you do if you are scammed?

The commissioner recommends victims who are under 18 go to ACCCE or the AFP; while those over 18 should report the crime to eSafety’s image-based abuse hotline.

But the best prevention, she said, is to not send intimate images with people online, even if they have strong feelings for them. “Because that’s what these people do, they manipulate and groom people,” Ms Inman Grant said. “Do not share any intimate imagery with someone you’ve never met. You just don't know who’s on the other end of that account and you don’t know what their intentions are.”

Student Protection

Staff from the Toowoomba Diocese undertook mandatory Student Protection training last week, to ensure that our number one task – keeping your son safe – is prioritised. More information will come to families regarding this in the weeks ahead. Student Protection contacts were pleased to be able to update their knowledge and understanding of this complex area of school life.

Parent Engagement Evening - Raising Teenage Boys by Powerhouse Programs

All parents in Toowoomba are welcome to attend a Parent Information Evening on Raising Teenage Boys by Powerhouse Programs. Please see below invite. RSVP by clicking the following link: https://www.trybooking.com/CGCZA

More information on Powerhouse Programs can be found here: https://powerhouseprograms.com.au/programs/raising-teenage-boys-parent-evenings/

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

From the Counsellors

Years 5-9 Curriculum

NAPLAN Testing 

A reminder that NAPLAN will take place with Years 5, 7 and 9 students from Week 8 of this Term.  Preparation sessions for students in Years 7 and 9 will take place during skills classes in Weeks 6 and 7. Students are also encouraged to visit the Public Demonstration Site which is an opportunity to practise NAPLAN-type questions, and the site for  Student Readiness  for training videos on how best to use the online platforms. 

What to bring: 

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

• Device (fully charged) 
• Earphones (wired) 
• 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. 

For more information on NAPLAN, please visit the ACARA/NAPLAN site.  Should you have any concerns regarding student participation, please contact the College by Wednesday, 8th March 2023. 

High Achievers Morning Tea 

Students across Years 6 – 12 at the College, who demonstrated dedication towards their studies in Term 1, were recognised at the High Achievers’ Morning Tea. The event recognised students who demonstration high results and aptitude towards their learning. Specifically, in order to receive the High Achiever Award, students must receive a minimum of four A’s in their report and all goods, or very good for their learning attributes. Congratulations again to all boys who met the criteria for this award from Term 4, 2022 reports.  

Commitment to Learning  

Students across Years 6 – 12 at the College demonstrating commitment to their learning have been recognised by enjoying cake during morning tea. To receive the Commitment to Learning award, students are to meet the following criteria: 

• Learning Attributes consisting of only ‘Good’ or “Very Good”
• Minimum of 95% attendance

Congratulations again to all boys who met the criteria for this award from Term 4, 2022 reports. 

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

Careers

Sport News

Football Training

Mr Richard Mitchell and Mr Chris McLeod will continue to run football sessions on the oval of a Monday afternoon. These sessions have been well received by the interested footballers amongst our student group and they are developing great skills from quality coaches. These sessions are open to all students at the College.

Football Trials

OPENS - Mr Paul Martin will be taking our Opens boys to Harristown to finalise the Opens team for our upcoming EREA tournament.

Tuesday 21st February
4.00pm - Field 1 (Middle Field) - TGS 1st XI v HSHS Senior Boys
4.00pm - Field 2 (field closest to Concordia) - TGS 11A's v St Mary's Open Boys
4.00pm - Field 3 (Rugby league field) - TGS 10A's v HSHS 2nd XI

5.00pm - Field 1 - TGS 1st XI v HSHS 2nd XI
5.00pm - Field 2 - TGS 11A's v HSHS Senior Boys
5.00pm - Field 3 - TGS 10A's v St Mary's Open Boys

Grade 8, 9, 10 – Mr Weston will be running a trial this Thursday, 23^rd February after school (3.15pm-4.00pm). From this we will take 20 students to trial against Grammar and Harristown in preparation for our upcoming EREA Tournament.

Thursday 2nd March
4.00pm - Field 1 - TGS 9As v HSHS Junior Boys 1
4.00pm - Field 2 - TGS 8As v St. Mary's Junior Boys
4.00pm - Field 2 - TGS 7As v HSHS Junior Boys 2

5.00pm - Field 1 - TGS 9As v HSHS Junior Boys 2
5.00pm - Field 2 - TGS 8As v HSHS Junior Boys 1
5.00pm - Field 3 - TGS 7As v St Mary's Junior Boys

Futsal

We have three teams listed in the SWQ Schoolboys Futsal Competition. These games are played on a Wednesday afternoon at UniSQ.

U13s – Mr Dave Lewis

U15s – Mr Matt Weston

Opens – Mr Paul Martin

Cricket

Cricket is off to a great start! Our Juniors and Seniors have participated in their first two games in the newly formed Darling Downs Independent Schools T20 Cricket Competition. Games are being played weekly on a Thursday afternoon if you would like to come and support. Thanks to Mr Todd Martens and Mr Aidan Watterson for their time in coaching these teams. This will give us a great lead in to the 2023 StreetSmarts T20 Secondary Schools Challenge.

Rugby League – Grade 7

Our Year 7 boys travelled to Bill Norris Oval on Friday last week to compete at the annual Tonie Carroll Cup. Special thanks to Mr Hugh Sedger and Mr Simon McKeiver for their efforts in supporting the boys on this day. Our Advanced team finished 5^th overall which means that they will play in the Brisbane based Struddy’s Competition whilst our Developing side will compete in the term 2 Local Competition.

Rugby League – Gala Day

Next Monday, 27^th February, we will send two teams from each age group in the 15s and Opens to Brother Leagues Club to take part in the annual Rugby League Gala Day. This is used to identify students to then be asked to trial for the Darling Downs trials on the 7^th March. Parent Paperwork will be sent home this week for students participating on the day. No DD Trial Permission forms need to be signed unless your son makes selection for the DD trials.

Rugby League – Trial – Grades 8 & 9

Our Year 8 & 9 Rugby League boys are trialling for selection this Wednesday during Sport time. The boys will be travelling to Brother Rugby League Club to take part in these trials. They will need mouthguards.

Basketball

Our Friday Night Basketball has come back in a big way and it’s now open to spectators. We have 6 teams competing across three ages groups. We have enjoyed a great deal of success in this competition to date and look forward to seeing it roll out for the remainder of the term. Thanks to the coaching staff; Mr Jacob Pomfrett, Mr Akoi Manyok, Ms Adel Santino Dut, Mrs Melinda Carlson and also Mr Marty Hollis for his help in the administration of this sport.

• Year 7/8 – 3 teams
• Year 9/10 – 2 teams
• Opens – 1 team

Musical "Big Fish - School Edition"

St Mary’s College Musical “Big Fish – School Edition” is shaping up to be an amazing production. Rehearsals began in Term 4 of 2022 and will continue in Term 1.  The dedicated cast and staff gave up three days of their school holidays to fine tune and finish Act 1 of the show. It was wonderful to see the cast reunite and throw themselves into some intense dance choreography and vocal training.

Big Fish centres on Edward Bloom, a travelling salesman who lives life to its fullest... and then some! Edward's incredible, larger-than-life stories thrill everyone around him - most of all, his devoted wife Sandra. But their son Will, about to have a child of his own, is determined to find the truth behind his father's epic tales. Overflowing with heart, humor and spectacular stagecraft, Big Fish is an extraordinary Broadway musical.

Three shows only:

• Thursday 20th April at 7.00pm
• Friday 21st April at 7.00pm
• Saturday 22nd April at 7.00pm

Don't miss this outstanding performance by St Mary's College, St Saviour's College and St Ursula's College students! Tickets on sale now at https://www.trybooking.com/CFGYT.

Sponsorship opportunities are available. If you would like to receive a copy of the sponsorship prospectus, please email Mrs Tyhla Roper at ropert@stmaryscollege.com.

Introducing the Cast

Meet Edward Bloom

Edward Bloom played by Benjamin Thomas. Edward Bloom is a charming, charismatic storyteller. He is a devoted yet absent father, nearing the end of his life and wants to reconnect with his son.  Edward is comfortable in his own skin but hopes for Will’s approval.  He loves his wife Sandra and telling Big Stories.

Tuckshop Menu (Term 1)

The St Mary's College Tuckshop is excited to launch a new menu for Term 1. Please note we have increased the hot and cold food options we offer everyday in addition to our menu specials. 

Tuckshop is open for breakfast before school from 7.45am and at both lunch breaks. We offer cash and EFTPOS.

New Parent Portal App

We are excited to announce that our new Parent Portal App is now available for parents to access.

To access the app please follow these steps:

• Open App Store or Google Play
• Search "St Mary's Toowoomba"
• Download the app (picture below)

The app includes important information and a live calendar with event information, that will act as our point of truth moving forward. 

Irish Brigade

Irish Brigade is held during Sport every Wednesday and after school from 3.05pm until 5.00pm in Duhig. All students interested in attending, are encouraged to come along and participate.

The Hub

Support is available to all students who require assistance with homework, assignments or reviewing current classwork. Support is available 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 get in touch.

Mr Dave Roy, Learning Support Teacher - royd@stmaryscollege.com

Audiology Testing

Dear Families, 

Good hearing health is essential for children to reach their full potential in all life areas, especially when it comes to school performance. 

Quite often, hearing loss has a profoundly negative effect on academic performance and social and emotional wellbeing. Commonly the signs of poor hearing can be overlooked and mistaken for other behaviours or conditions. 

Children with a history of ear infections, grommets or other poor hearing health are recommended to engage with this service. Other concerns may include: 

• Inattentiveness
• Inappropriate/irrelevant responses to questions
• Ringing in ears
• Exposure to loud recreational activities on a regular basis
• Daydreaming
• Trouble following directions
• Speech concerns and language concerns 
• Phonological awareness delays 
• Ongoing illnesses such as regular colds and runny noses

St Mary’s College is hosting Carbal Hearing Health for Audiology testing in Week 10 of Term 1.  If you would like your child to participate in this service, please contact the Curriculum Leader Inclusive Education, Mrs Louise Kennedy for more information (kennedyl@stmaryscollege.com).

2022 Census Privacy Notice

2024 Enrolments

Do you have family or friends considering St Mary's College? Are you hoping to enrol another son at St Mary's College? The closing date for 2024 enrolments is Easter, 2023.