SMC NEWS 2023 - Term 3, Week 5
Week Ahead
From the College Principal
Leadership Forums
Once a term, Toowoomba Catholic School Principals are invited to a Leadership Forum. This forum is attended by all Principals, Directors and Senior Education Leaders of the Diocese. It is an opportunity to hear about the issues impacting schools in the Diocese at the present time and to arrive at solutions for the good of each community. In Term 3, the forum is being held in Millmerran. Generally speaking there are two forums a year in Toowoomba, and two in the smaller towns of the Diocese, close to the Catholic school of the town.
This week, the agenda includes discussion regarding:
- Learning Culture
- School Annual Action Plans
- College finances
- Student behaviour and research
- Visit from Bishop Ken Howell
In my time at St Mary's College, I have found the Principals of the Diocese to be collegial and community driven - generally supportive of each other and Catholic schools in the region. In this context, I am mindful that Toowoomba is a highly competitive region for education and that all schools have something unique to offer the community. Leadership forums take three days each term and during these times, Mr Stephen Monk is the Acting Principal in my absence.
Feedback please
When an enrolment is confirmed, parents and carers enter into an agreement with the College on supporting your son's learning. This requires care and consideration from both the school and the parents to make your son's time at the College as productive and valuable as possible. As part of this journey, I would like to offer the following draft statement as part of our agreement together. It will be adjusted to match the letterhead of St Mary's College. Thank you for your consideration and I would encourage you to email me at principal@stmaryscollege.com if you have any feedback.
Mr Brendan Stewart
College Principal
Deputy Principal
Bus Issues
Below is an excerpt from a letter I received from Premier Buses.
It has been bought to our attention that our cross-town bus from St Mary's College to Harristown State High School interchange is having a lot of behavioural issues with some of the students on the bus. They are not doing as the driver asks, they are back chatting the driver and are not wearing their seatbelts, they are walking on the seats, they refuse to turn their phones down when asked which causes distraction for the driver and some of the seats on the bus have been damaged. The driver has not been allowing the students to sit at the back of the bus due to damage to seats and as a result some have been refusing to sit where they are asked to sit and are being disrespectful to the drivers.
It is also a requirement that children always carry their Transport Me cards with them on the bus, which a lot of students don’t do. If they have lost or damaged their cards it is $15.00 to replace the card. The cards must also have enough funds on them to cover the cost of their travel.
As all students and parents are required to sign the ‘Code of Conduct’ agreeing to abide by the rules when registering on our school services, we expect it to be followed. It is our job to carry the students to and from school safely without any accidents or incidents. If there is an accident or incident involving the bus, the first person who gets scrutinised or blamed is the driver.
Premier QLD are contracted to carry the children to the Harristown Interchange only. The transfer from the Harristown interchange to St Mary's College is a service that Premier QLD provide for families to have peace of mind, knowing that their child can use the same provider to get their child to their school of choice. Moving forward, we will be closely monitoring the behaviour of the students on the cross-town bus to and from St Mary's College. The situation will be reviewed again before Term 3 concludes. If the problem is not rectified and behaviour has not improved, we will be revising what services we provide in the future.
I have informed the boys of these issues. I seek your support in reinforcing this message if your child uses this bus.
Mr Stephen Monk
Deputy Principal
monks@stmaryscollege.com
Identity
Feast of the Aussumption
This Tuesday 15th August, we celebrate one of our “Big 4” whole school masses.
The occasion this time is the Feast of the Assumption. This special day celebrates Mary the Mother of Jesus, who is of course the patron of our College.
The Christian Brothers who founded the College in 1899 had a special devotion to Mary and her particular role in the history of the church.
So who is Mary and why is she so special to Catholic Christianity?
Mary is important because she is the mother of Jesus. We believe that Mary played a special role in God's plan by giving birth to Jesus. She is a a symbol of love, devotion, and faith. She could have said no to her role, but she said yes to God.
Catholics often pray to Mary for guidance, protection, and intercession. They believe that she can intercede with God on their behalf and help bring their prayers to Him. Sons generally listen to their mothers!
Catholics also believe that Mary was chosen by God to be a model of holiness and a source of inspiration for them to lead lives according to the gospel values.
The Feast of the Assumption reflects the Catholic belief that Mary as the Mother of Jesus was bodily assumed into heaven.
Our Assumption Mass is a celebration of Mary, but it is also a celebration of the feminine - an important aspect of our boys' College. Women play huge roles in all of our lives. Our Assumption Mass is an opportunity to give thanks for this.
Please ensure that your son is in full academic uniform for this important event.
Year 12 Retreat
Year 12 retreat takes place from Wednesday 16th to Friday 18th August.
Students should assemble at the College in the Manual Arts undercroft from 6.30am. The buses will leave no later than 7.15am.
Please ensure that you have read any parental email correspondence from Mrs Lucia Armstrong regarding the retreat details.
Students will return to the College around 4.00 - 4.30pm on Friday 18th August.
Please come to the parents reception where drinks and nibbles will be served.
A presentation on the retreat experience led by students will also take place.
Upcoming Identity dates:
Assumption Mass: Tuesday 15th August
Edmund Rice Beyond Borders: Tuesday 15th August, Duhig 29 from 3.00pm - 4.15pm
Year 12 Retreat: Wednesday 16th - Friday 18th August
Rosies: Friday 18th August from 4.00pm - 7.00pm. Meet at St Joseph’s Convent Building at St Thomas More’s Parish, South Street.
Mentor Liturgies: Thursday 24th August
Rosies: Friday 18th August from 4.00pm - 7.00pm. Meet at St Joseph’s Convent Building at St Thomas More’s Parish, South Street
Mr Kevin Murphy
Assistant Principal Identity
murphyk@stmaryscollege.com
Curriculum
Homework tasks in Education Perfect
As a curriculum team, we are continually reviewing our practices and processes to ensure that we allow as many students as possible to demonstrate their knowledge in each subject to reach their potential. Late last year, Curriculum Leaders brought to my attention that many students were struggling to demonstrate their understanding in an exam environment. As a result, we wanted to offer students the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding and receive marks towards their overall result in an environment that wasn’t a high pressure timed situation like an exam. It was for this reason that we created summative homework tasks for some middle school subjects including Maths.
The homework tasks allow the student to complete the task in an open-book environment. They have multiple opportunities to complete the task and their best result is the one that contributes to their overall result. As an added bonus, students who regularly complete homework in this manner, tend to perform better on their exam because they have routinely reviewed their learnings from class and are therefore better able to retain new information and skills.
Please continue to support and encourage your son to complete the homework tasks until they are achieving an acceptable result. I have noticed recently that many of our boys are rushing through the task and not attempting each question properly, which is leading to poor overall results. The boys should attempt each question in their book first, complete working out for the question, and then enter their solution into the online portal. Slowing down and working through in this manner will help to ensure your son achieves his best result.
Mr Mark Watson
Assistant Principal Curriculum
watsonm@stmaryscollege.com
Director of 5-9 Curriculum
Assessment Processes
As we approach the assessment period of the term, I’d like to remind students and their families of our Assessment Submission Process at the College. It is important that students are aware of upcoming assessment dates, which can be found on our Sentral Calendar and Canvas.
Please refer to the flow chart below that outlines the process for submitting an assessment.
Homework Guidelines
We're pleased to share that we've formulated Homework Guidelines to enhance our students' learning experience. These guidelines have been carefully crafted to ensure a balanced approach to homework that promotes meaningful learning and allows our students to thrive academically and personally. These guidelines will help create a positive and productive homework experience for all students. Thank you for your continued support in fostering a successful learning environment for our students.
Homework Guidelines - St Mary's College
Mrs Jade Love
Director of 5-9 Curriculum
lovej@stmaryscollege.com
Student Engagement
School Camps - Year 6 and Year 11
Last week, there were two year levels away from the College on Camp. Our Year 6 boys spent the week at K’gari and our Year 11 boys had their Leadership Camp at Emu Gully. The experience of camp is filled with learning and growth for our boys and we are very grateful to the parents and families that support the camp and retreat program at St Mary’s College. When on camp, your boys learn to manage themselves in an unfamiliar situation, without so many of the comforts of home and their normal routines. As adults, we know that these skills are invaluable in life – and those skills can’t be learnt from a book or even the very best lesson plan. Some things need to be experienced – and camp is one of the teaching and leaning tools that we value highly at SMC.
We are also very thankful for the generosity of our staff, whose commitment and compassion allows the camps to run. The staff who attend school camps do so on an entirely voluntary basis, giving up their time with their own families (as well as their sleep) so that our boys can have these amazing experiences. I am particularly grateful to Mrs Pauli (Year 6) and Mr Marsh (Year 11) who were the leaders of the recent camps, taking care of the millions of details to make everything happen.
Mobile Phone Policy – Changes ahead
In light of the change in Education Qld’s stance on phones in school, the College will be reviewing our own guidelines on the use of phones and smart devices for students. This will not have a great impact as most of our students are already required to leave their phones in their lockers during the school day. Boys in Year 11 are currently allowed to have their phone on them through the school day and these boys will find that they will not be allowed that privilege in Year 12.
If your son currently uses his phone as a means of payment at tuckshop, you will need to consider a change to this practice for 2024. As phones will not be allowed through the school day, boys will need to use physical cards to pay at tuckshop. Families could look at the Spriggy system, alternatively students may need to use their own keycard.
Year 12 – 100 Days Until Graduation
On Wednesday this week, we marked 100 days until the Year 12 boys reach their graduation. The boys enjoyed some cake as part of a small celebration in Centenary Court. It is clear at the moment that there are mixed feelings amongst the Year 12 group – some desperate to leave and others terrified of the next steps. And some doing both of these, depending on the day!
Mrs Samantha Parle
Assistant Principal Student Engagement
parles@stmaryscollege.com
Business Manager
Statements
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Customer statements have been sent out this week. Please review transactions carefully and reach out to our friendly finance team at accounts@stmaryscollege.com for any queries or concerns.
We are actively following up with accounts that have outstanding balances to discuss possible assistance. If you're facing financial difficulties, feel free to contact me directly to explore available options.
Your privacy and confidentiality are assured. Together, we can support each other for the success and wellbeing of our students.
Thank you for your continued partnership.
Mr Patrick Wilson
Business Manager
wilsonp@stmaryscollege.com