SMC NEWS 2023 - Term 1, Week 9

Principal's Note

Dear Parents and Carers,

As this will be our final newsletter for the term, I wanted to offer a very sincere thank you for your continued support of the College. At events like our recent Parent Engagement night on "Raising Teenage Boys", your support and connection to St Mary's College is obvious and very welcome. Thank you for what you do for your son and we look forward to the school holidays with an opportunity for some rest and reflection before we move to the rest of 2023.

Strategic Plan

In 2022, we invited the community - parents, carers, friends of SMC, students, staff - to reflect on College life and tell us what you liked and what could be improved.  After a lengthy period of reflection, I am proud to say that the new Strategic Plan for the College, titled "Today's Boys, Men for Tomorrow", will be launched to the community next Monday. 

Reflection for Lent

With the commercialisation of Easter, it is easy for us to forget what it really means. At a Catholic School, we tell the story of Jesus death and resurrection - the story of Easter - through the Stations of the Cross.  I hope you enjoy this reflection of the stations this week.

Have a wonderful week,

Student Engagement

Tik Tok - An article from Sam Jockel at Parent TV

Considering 47% of TikTok users are between ages 10-29, there is a good chance your child has or has been exposed to TikTok. 

The problem is, Tik Tok is a foreign platform to most parents, compared to Facebook or Instagram, and many parents are wary and concerned. 

At ParentTV, we’ve had numerous phone calls and discussions about the validity of TikTok. 

The main questions parents and care givers ask are:

• What are they really watching on TikTok?
• How do I get my child to not be addicted?
• How can I protect my child from seeing illegal, immoral or self-sabotaging videos?

It is important to understand the good and the bad (hint: it is not all bad), which is why ParentTV has created the online webinar: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Tik Tok: What Every Parent Needs to Know to Keep Their Kids Safe.

To guide you through the world of TikTok, we have:

• Nat Alise, a Tik Tok influencer with over 2.5 million followers, Nat’s comedic relatable videos, poke fun at everyday domestic activities and the joy of raising kids. This insight attracts the younger audience as they catch a glimpse into everyday parental life.
• Rachel Downie, Qld Australian of the Year 2020 and founder of Stymie (an anonymous reporting tool for school students that receives over 150,000 notifications of harm each year), who works with school communities on a global scale, to empower students to change the culture of care in their school.

This dynamic duo aims to to bring you an informative conversation that covers all things Tik Tok. 

Join us for a lively online discussion on how to deal with the messy middle of technology, which includes practical tools and strategies for you and your child or teen. 

TikTok: The Good, Bad and Ugly: What Every Parent Needs to Know to Keep Their Kids Safe all happens on 23rd March at 8.00pm ADST and you can find out more by clicking here. 

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

Sport News

Cross Country

Get ready for an exhilarating event that's been a long time coming! After a three-year hiatus, the annual College Cross Country is finally returning to Kearneys Spring this year. And there's more good news - spectators are welcome to join in on the fun!

While there will be a BBQ and cold drinks available for purchase on the day, we encourage parents to pack plenty of food and water for their boys. We want them to come decked out in their house colours, ready to cheer on their peers and earn some serious house points.

For our secondary school students, we've scheduled two exciting staff vs student events that you won't want to miss. For our primary school boys, there are plenty of fun activities to keep them entertained throughout the day.

To ensure that everything runs smoothly, we've attached a document that includes your son's competition number. Make sure to clearly write this onto his arm before he arrives. And don't forget to send him with sunscreen already applied - it's going to be a big day in the sun! More sunscreen will be available at the House tents, and students will be required to reapply at morning tea and lunch breaks.

When your son arrives, he should head straight to his house group area for roll marking. Please note that students will not be allowed to leave the carnival without being signed out by a parent/guardian. If you need your son to leave early, please send a signed and dated note indicating his movements.

Finally, it's important to remember that this is a school event, and as such, the same rules apply around device usage. Students will not be allowed to have a device on their person and should be mindful of what they pack in their bags. We take no responsibility for any lost property, and food delivery services are not permitted on the day.

We've included all the details for the day in the attached document, but if you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out to the Sports Department. We can't wait to see you there!

Netball

As a Catholic school boys' team competing in the predominantly female sport of netball, the St Mary's College boys faced a tough challenge in their recent games in the Laura Geitz competition. Despite not being able to secure a win, the boys showed impressive spirit and improvement throughout the day.

Under the guidance of their coaches, Mrs Jodie Sweeney and Mrs Louise Delahunty, the boys worked hard to find their rhythm and get the ball to their shooters. Though they faced strong opposition from teams such as St Saviours College and Toowoomba Anglican School, the St Mary's boys never gave up and continued to push through until the end.

Special mention goes to Team Captain, Zaviar Ahern, who led the team admirably throughout the day. The best player of the day was Zeke Drew, who used his speed and agility to great effect and gave his all in every game. It was also worth noting that the team was comprised of boys from Year 7-9 who worked together, tried any position, and kept cheering each other on in the spirit of the competition.

I would also like to pay tribute to volunteer student coach, Hayden Beckett. He deserves a huge shoutout for his dedicated planning and attendance at training sessions, as well as for coaching and leading the boys throughout the day with respect, generosity, and skill. Thanks to Hayden's leadership, the future of netball at St Mary's looks bright!

Though the boys were not able to secure a win in their recent games, their hard work and determination did not go unnoticed. The St Mary's College community is proud of our boys' team and will continue to support them in their future endeavors. We now turn our focus to the Opens team which will compete at the QC Cup and the Vicki Wilson Cup this year. Plans are now underway to bring this team together and start training.

Basketball

St Mary's College has had a successful Term 1 basketball season with a record number of six teams competing in the Friday Night competition. The coaching staff, consisting of Mr Jacob Pomfrett, Mr Akoi Manyok, and Miss Adel Santino Dut, have been instrumental in the team's success this season. Special thanks also to Marty Hollis for his oversight of the program.

As the season nears its end, St Mary's College is gearing up for the finals, and each team is ready to give it their all. In the 7/8 White team, the players are looking to take home the championship as they face off against Grammar for 1st/2nd place. This game will be played on Court 1 at Glennie at 4.15pm.

The 9/10 and Opens find themselves playing for 5th/6th and will now compete for their respective Division 2 Shield. The 9/10 White team is aiming to redeem themselves after a loss earlier in the season that prevented them from playing for the top spot. This team will take the court against Harristown and will be played at 6:15pm on Court 2 at Glennie.

Lastly, the Opens team is also playing for 5th/6th place after a close match against Grammar where they lost by only one point. The boys will take Court 3 at Glennie at 7.15pm against Harristown.

All the teams have put in countless hours of training and have found their form coming into the back end of the season. With the guidance of their coaches, the players are ready to showcase their skills and give their best performance on the court.

Overall, St Mary's College has had a great basketball season, and the finals promise to be an exciting culmination of the team's hard work and dedication.

Upcoming Cricket and Futsal Finals

Attention all sports fans! The highly anticipated finals for DD Independent Schools T20 Cricket and SWQ Schoolboys Futsal are coming up this week. We encourage all supporters to come along and cheer on our school teams at these exciting events.

The Futsal finals will be held on Wednesday 22nd March. The U13's team, coached by Mr David Lewis, will be playing against Highlands at 4.45PM on Court 1, while the U15's team, coached by Mr Matt Weston, will be playing against Concordia at 5.30PM on Court 2. The Opens team, coached by Mr Paul Martin, will be competing against Harristown State High School at 6.15PM on Court 1. All games will be played at UniSQ. The U13's and U15's Futsal teams will be playing for 3rd and 4th place, while the Opens Futsal team will be duking it out for 1st place.

We are thrilled to announce that our Juniors Cricket team, under the guidance of coach Mr Todd Martens, will be competing in the finals against Downlands College on Thursday 23rd March at 3.00pm. Additionally, our Seniors team, led by coach Mr Aidan Watterson, will also be playing against Downlands College at the same time. Both teams will be transported to Downlands College for the match, and we are excited to see them battle it out for the coveted 1st place.

We encourage all supporters to come along and show their support for our talented sports teams. Don't forget to wear your full academic uniform to the games. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank our dedicated coaches for their time and energy in preparing our students for these sporting programs.

Let's rally behind our teams and wish them the best of luck in these finals!

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, humour 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 Don Price

Don Price is played by Ryan Coleman – Snarky bully from Edward’s childhood. Sandra’s first fiance.

Meet Karl

Karl is played by Jacob Lasserre – Edward’s best friend. Karl is shy, exceptionally intelligent, hermit-like, and has a quiet charisma. He needs a booming voice and large personality.

Uniform Shop

A new order of our soft shell jackets has been placed with the supplier to restock the sizes that were running low. The order will be arriving in June. The soft shell jackets are available from the Uniform Shop on Hill Street. Please click here to view more information: https://www.stmaryscollege.com/community/clothing-pool/

CSPQ AGM

My name is Jaime Fing, and I am writing to you as your CSPQ Toowoomba State Council representative and CSPQ Toowoomba Diocesan Secretary to advise you of our upcoming AGM, which will be held at the Micah Centre in the Catholic Schools Office precinct at 29/33 Lawrence Street, Toowoomba  from 6:30pm on Wednesday 26th April 2023. All are welcome to attend.

2023 Next Step Year 12 Completers Survey

All our students who completed Year 12 last year will soon receive an invitation to do the Next Step survey. The short five-minute survey asks graduates about the study and work they have been doing since finishing school. The results from the survey help our school improve our senior programs and prepare students for work and further study.

We ask parents, siblings and friends to encourage our graduates to complete the survey. If their contact details have changed, please assist survey interviewers with their updated details or forward the survey to their new address so they can participate. Graduates may receive an invitation by mail, email or phone. The survey can be completed online or by phone.

For more information about Next Step, including previous results, visit www.qld.gov.au/nextstep.

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. 

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

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.

Week Ahead

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.