SMC NEWS 2023 - Term 3, Week 3
Week Ahead
From the College Principal
First Nations, Men for Tomorrow
This coming Wednesday night sees our inaugural First Nations, Men for Tomorrow evening at the College. I am proud to say that at this time, we have 58 indigenous boys at St Mary's College, and we are aiming to build their opportunities at the College over time. I would like to thank Ash Sowter and Tyhla Roper for their efforts in bringing this event together.
Our Co-ordinator, Ash Sowter, has designed a program that will support our First Nations boys at St Mary's College, whether it be in the classroom, on the sporting field, or their efforts in the wider community. Our intention for these young men is for them to be more engaged inside and outside the classroom as students of St Mary's College.
This new program is an opportunity to raise their self-esteem and re-engage these young Aboriginal males in our school environment. We use the existing passion that Aboriginal boys have for our College life to attract them to attend and succeed in their learning. As part of the program, we track their attendance, efforts in the classroom and their grades. Where possible, we acknowledge their culture.
A recent example of this was organising the Buroinjin Cup at the College. It was very successful and it gave us an opportunity to welcome back recent First Nations Old Boys to play the game with our current students.
This was a ball game played by the Kabi Kabi people of south Queensland. The game was played with a ball made of kangaroo skin, which was called a Buroinjin. The aim is for a player of one team to run as far as possible with the ball and cross over a line at the other end of the field. He or she attempts to do this without being touched by an opponent.
I am looking forward to a future where First Nations culture is further embedded into the fabric of school life. Importantly, we look forward to seeing the successful journey of our First Nations young men at the College.
Mr Brendan Stewart
College Principal
Deputy Principal
Upcoming Key Events
4D Sweep
In Week 4 your son might notice observers coming into various classes. Dr Caroline Blackley and her expert team will be visiting every teacher at some stage in the week. The 4D team are renowned for working with schools to create effective learning cultures. Individually these observations help us to refine our craft and become the best teachers we can be. Our teachers are modelling what we hope our boys aspire to - lifelong learning.
Year 6 Camp
The Year 6 boys are off to Fraser Island in Week 4, along with nine of our staff. We wish the boys and the team of Shari Pauli, Kerrie Connolly, Jake Weise, David Roy, Mark Gregson, Vanessa Priebe, Alwyn Rix and Mellony Utz a safe trip and a wonderful week.
Year 11 Camp
The Year 11 boys are off to Emu Gully next Thursday and Friday. These boys will be accompanied by Tim Marsh, Ash Sowter, Julian Smith, Paul Martin, Bill Smith, Joanne Irwin, Lilli Cowen and Stephen Coren for two action packed days.
Mr Stephen Monk
Deputy Principal
murphyk@stmaryscollege.com
Identity
Bishop's Inservice Day
St Mary’s College is proud to host Bishop's Inservice Day this year on Friday 28th July. This is especially significant as it is the inaugural event for our new Bishop, Ken Howell.
It is also the first post COVID event where staff from everywhere in the eastern portion of the diocese will come to meet, learn and celebrate our role as Catholic educators.
This will be a pupil free day. Some senior students are involved in various roles on the day. Edsmart alerts have been sent to parents regarding this.
Edmund Rice Beyond Borders
On Tuesday this week, 7 students met online with their peers at CBC St Johns in Cape Town as part of the Edmund Rice Beyond Borders project. Edmund Rice Beyond Borders seeks to connect classrooms across the global Edmund Rice schools network. Our meeting this week was a getting to know you session with the students from South Africa. We shared information about our lives and school, and they did likewise. The Rugby loving South African boys were quick to want to talk about the recent Wallabies vs Springboks game. This quickly broke the ice!
Our next session is on Tuesday 15th August. This will be a more focused discussion where we delve into the topic “Faith as a Force for Good”. We look forward to sharing our ideas on this topic with the prospect of a possible shared project later in the year.
Paul Conn Visit
Next week, we welcome a religious guest into the school to embed with us and share their knowledge and wisdom with staff and students. This is something we have done for several years now and it is always very valuable. Our visitor this year is Brother Paul Conn. Paul is currently the deputy leader of the Christian Brothers in Australia and has many years of teaching experience, latterly as Principal of Christian Brothers High School, Lewisham, Sydney.
We look forward to Paul sharing his story, knowledge and expertise with staff and students alike.
Mr Kevin Murphy
Assistant Principal Identity
murphyk@stmaryscollege.com
Curriculum
Subject Selection
Thank you to all of the parents and students who attended the subject selection evening on Monday. Further subject information is available in the following courses to help students make an informed decision about the subjects they are choosing for next year. Please take the time to explore these courses as a family and submit the chosen electives by Thursday, 3rd August.
Yr 9 2024 – https://stmaryscollege.instructure.com/courses/4382
Yr 10 2024 - https://stmaryscollege.instructure.com/courses/4381
Yr 11 2024 - https://stmaryscollege.instructure.com/courses/4383
Students entering Year 8 in 2024 will also have the opportunity to choose electives. They can select 4 electives from 9 possible subjects. Information for these students can be found here: https://stmaryscollege.instructure.com/courses/4380
The subject selection for Year 8 2024 will open next week. Parents and students will be emailed with the web address and a unique code to access.
Mr Mark Watson
Assistant Principal Curriculum
watsonm@stmaryscollege.com
Director of 5-9 Curriculum
Award Celebrations
Last week, we had the opportunity to recognise students who demonstrated dedication towards their learning at our High Achiever and Commitment to Learning morning teas. Students attended a short presentation where they received their certificates and then enjoyed morning tea together. It is wonderful to see our student numbers continue to grow each term for these awards. This is a real testament to our students “striving for the crown”.
Commitment to Learning Morning Tea
High Achiever Morning Tea
Student Engagement
Stymie
St Mary’s College introduced Stymie several years ago and it continues to be a support tool for boys and their families. Stymie is a webapp, that delivers encrypted, anonymous and confidential notifications and where possible, uploaded evidence including screenshots to authorised recipients about issues of abuse, harm and unacceptable
behaviour. Stymie is an online, confidential messaging service for anyone who is needing help or concerned about someone else. Stymie provides a proactive opportunity for students to say something about harmful behaviours or anything they are concerned about for themselves, or someone else. It works, because it is accessible 24/7, anonymous, easy to use and messages are typically delivered in a few seconds to approved notification recipients.
Parents can also use Stymie to pass information on the College – the use of Stymie is not limited to just students.
At St Mary’s, the Stymie notifications go directly to Mrs Connolly, Mrs Parle and Mr Monk. As there are quite a few schools in Toowoomba who use Stymie, we frequently share information across schools – all working together to keep our young people safe. You can have a look at the Stymie interface here - https://stymie.com.au/.You can read more about how Stymie works here - https://about.stymie.com.au/.
Mrs Samantha Parle
Assistant Principal Student Engagement
parles@stmaryscollege.com
Business Manager
Introducing Crystal Charles - Accounts Receivable School officer
We are thrilled to welcome Crystal Charles to our St Mary's College team! As our Accounts Receivable School Officer, Crystal will be available from Wednesday to Friday to assist parents and caregivers facing financial difficulties. Her success at St Saviour's College in a similar role speaks to her dedication and expertise.
If you encounter financial challenges, please don't hesitate to contact Crystal early. We are committed to helping and finding solutions for every situation. Your child's education is essential, and we're here to support you.
Mr Patrick Wilson
Business Manager
wilsonp@stmaryscollege.com