SMC NEWS 2024 - Term 1, Week 5

Week Ahead

From the College Principal

Dear Parents and Carers, 

Student Protection at St Mary's College

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.

Reflection

Project Compassion 2024

Recently, Project Compassion was launched in the St Mary's College community.  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.

The season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, which also marks the beginning of the annual Caritas Australia Project Compassion Appeal. Donations to Project Compassion allow Caritas Australia, the Catholic Agency for International Aid and Development, to work with local communities around the world to end poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity.

Please give generously to Caritas Australia this Lenten season and help vulnerable people around the world, now and for all future generations.

With your support, Caritas Australia has been able to assist communities around the world through income generation, water and sanitation, food security, education and disaster risk reduction programs.

Project Compassion 2024 reminds us that the good we do today will extend and impact the lives of generations to come. Together, we can help vulnerable communities face their challenges today and build a better tomorrow.

You can donate through Project Compassion donation boxes and online by visiting caritas.org.au/project-compassion or by calling 1800 024 413.  Our students this year will be raising funds through mentor classes.

Mr Brendan Stewart
College Principal

Deputy Principal

Term 1, Week 5

The half way point of Term 1 is almost here and the rhythm of school life is well underway. For those families who are new to St Mary’s College, I hope that you are finding your way around and that your son is settling into his new community.

With regard to parents staying up to date with events and news from the College, the SMC App is an essential tool. If you haven’t already had a look, please add it to your phone and spend some time exploring. Search "St Mary's College Toowoomba" in your app or google play store.

At Assembly this week, I spoke to the boys about the importance of good manners. As it is at home, good manners are the minimum expectation that we have of a St Mary’s boy. No matter who they are speaking with, we would expect that respectful language, eye contact and positive body language would all be a part of ‘normal behaviour’.

Unfortunately, a small percentage of our boys (and humans in general) will choose negative behaviours if ‘they think they can get away with it’. At school, we sometimes see this come to light when boys have a replacement teacher in the event that their regular teacher is away from school. Challenging boys on this choice is part of the strategy we used here to ensure that their good manners become an automatic and natural part of the way they interact with others.

In the same way that we expect good manners from our boys, we expect that adults will also model respectful interactions with each other. While this is generally an easy achievement, there are times when conflict or disagreements can cause level-headed adults to forget their good manners. When parents and families enrol their sons at St Mary’s College, they become subject to the TCSO Parent Engagement Charter.

A copy has been included here, however, the College will be working with this document over the coming year to personalise it to the St Mary’s College community. If you have any thoughts or feedback about the Charter, or the engagement of parents with the College, I would be interested in hearing them.

Mrs Samantha Parle
Deputy Principal
parles@stmaryscollege.com

Identity

Lent Begins

As you know, Lent began last week on Ash Wednesday, and as I mentioned in the last newsletter, it is a time when traditionally people fasted and contemplated the coming of Easter.

Pope Francis has an excellent and practical take on what we can fast from during Lent, which I’d like to share:

• Fast from hurting words and say kind words.
• Fast from sadness and be filled with gratitude.
• Fast from anger and be filled with patience.
• Fast from pessimism and be filled with hope.
• Fast from worrying and have trust in God.
• Fast from complaints and contemplate simplicity.
• Fast from pressures and be prayerful.
• Fast from bitterness and fill your hearts with joy.
• Fast from selfishness and be compassionate.
• Fast from grudges and be reconciled.
• Fast from words; be silent and listen.

If we could all do just one of these a day during Lent, what a difference it would make to ourselves and our community.

Project Compassion Update

Project Compassion is Caritas Australia’s Lenten charity appeal. This launches on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday. The theme for this year’s appeal is “For All Future Generations”.

St Mary’s College got off to a great start in our fundraising efforts for this great cause, raising $492.00 from the sale of pancakes on Shrove Tuesday last week. Well done to all who donated, and thanks also to Ms Suritha Dupreez and Mrs Mardi Parker for assisting our Year 10 boys in making the pancakes.

Boys can continue to donate. Project Compassion boxes are available in all mentor classes. Why not clear out any small change you may have lying around by donating this Lent?

More fundraising activities are being planned, so watch this space!

Staff and Student Mass

Staff and student masses will take place this year in the school chapel in the Brothers' House beginning this Thursday, February 22nd at 8.00am.

This will be celebrated most Thursdays subject to the availability of Father Ray Crowley. Information on this will be made available for students on Sentral daily notices.

All students are welcome, we would love to see you there!

Mr Kevin Murphy
Assistant Principal Identity
murphyk@stmaryscollege.com

Curriculum

Academic Awards Celebrations 

As part of our ongoing commitment to improving the academic experience for our students, we’ve provided students with the opportunity to share their insights and feedback.  

Student Feedback Survey

Our students have been invited to participate in a brief survey to provide feedback on our Academic Award Celebrations. We believe that involving our students in shaping these events is crucial, as they are the heart of our school community. The survey aims to capture the preferences and perspectives of our students, helping us tailor future events to better suit their expectations. We believe that by involving both students and parents in this process, we can create celebrations that are not only academically meaningful but also enjoyable for all. 

 Academic Awards Criteria

For your reference, here is the criteria for our Academic Awards: 

How You Can Support

Encourage your child to complete the survey, sharing their thoughts and suggestions. Your support in fostering open communication about their experiences is greatly appreciated. 

Stay Connected

We are committed to creating a collaborative and engaging academic environment, and your feedback is an essential part of that journey. Thank you for being an integral part of our school community. 

We look forward to the valuable insights that will emerge from this survey, and we appreciate your continued partnership in making St Mary’s College a place of growth and excellence for our students. 

Mrs Jade Love
Acting Assistant Principal Curriculum 
lovej@stmaryscollege.com

Primary and Middle School Curriculum

As NAPLAN approaches and Week 8 draws near, it’s essential to understand the significance of this assessment and how you can support your child. Here’s a refined version of the information you provided:

NAPLAN—the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy—is a crucial annual assessment for students in Years 3, 5, 7, and 9. It serves several important purposes:

• Informs Policy and Resource Allocation: NAPLAN data provides insights into student performance, helping schools allocate resources effectively.
• Transparency Across Levels: By assessing literacy and numeracy skills, NAPLAN offers transparency at individual school, state/territory, and national levels.
• Identifying Learning Gaps: It allows educators to identify if students are falling behind and help schools address these gaps.
• Tailoring Instruction: NAPLAN results empower teachers to assess their teaching methods and tailor instruction to meet student needs.

How You Can Support Your Child

As a parent or carer, your encouragement and guidance play a vital role during NAPLAN:

• Reassure Them: Remind your child that NAPLAN is part of their school program. It’s normal to feel a little nervous, but tests are a regular part of life. Nerves can even enhance performance!
• Encourage Effort: Encourage them to try their hardest and work within the time limits. Regardless of the outcome, their effort matters, and you’ll be proud of their hard work.
• Fuel Their Brain: Ensure they have a nutritious breakfast on test days. A well-fed brain performs better, so a hearty meal sets them up for success.

The specific schedule for NAPLAN this year is as follows:

If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s NAPLAN experience, please feel free to reach out to us at paulis@stmaryscollege.com. We’re here to support you and your child every step of the way.

Remember, NAPLAN is not just a test—it’s an opportunity for growth and learning. Let’s make it a positive experience for our students!

 Mrs Shari Pauli
Program Leader - Primary and Middle School Curriculum 
paulis@stmaryscollege.com

Student Engagement

Stymie

Next week our College launches Stymie with our boys on Tuesday 27th February. Stymie is a web-based reporting platform that aims to “empower young people to ask for help when they need support, or if they are seeing or experiencing harm".

Stymie provides online reporting for schools. Encrypted, anonymous notifications are delivered within seconds to authorised recipients, who respond according to their well-being framework.

Suicide ideation, discrimination, anxiety, depression, bullying, self-harm, physical fights, sexual assault, family violence, and illegal activity are reported using Stymie.

Stymie’s purpose is to support psychological safety by empowering young people with the self-belief that they can #saysomething on behalf of themselves or as a bystander for someone else.

Our College is hosting a parent night on the same day with the founder of Stymie Ms Rachel Downie starting at 6.00pm in the Edmund Rice Cultural Centre. All parents are encouraged to attend. This invitation has also been extended to other schools in Toowoomba. Book your ticket via the link below:

https://www.trybooking.com/CPLHP

In line with the intentional development of our Mission to develop men of faith, integrity, action and excellence I will be focusing on a Character Strength per week, which will be launched at Assembly and developed through Mentor opportunities throughout the week.

This week our focus which supports the use of Stymie is Bravery.

Bravery can be defined as confronting challenges and valuing your convictions, whether popular or not. It encompasses physical bravery used by first responders, psychological bravery in facing fears, and moral bravery in speaking up for what's right, even when unpopular. It involves not shying away from threats, hardship, or resistance to act upon your beliefs.

My specific focus from this is to encourage our boys to take every opportunity to be morally brave, to stand up for what is right even when unpopular, a crucial element in character development.

Most often the opportunity to show moral bravery comes with a cost and may never be noticed by others. It may come down to a choice of friendships, which in turn may prove to be life changing.

Mr Matt Draper
Assistant Principal of Student Engagement
draperm@stmaryscollege.com

Business Manager

Dear Parents and Guardians

A quick reminder that our increased full-year upfront payment discount ends on Friday 23rd February, this Friday.  To calculate the upfront payment required you can use our Fee Calculator by clicking here.

There seems to have been an issue when sending the February Statements on Friday with only 40% of statements being sent, by the time this newsletter is sent you should have received the February statement, please review carefully and let us know if there are any discrepancies.

Finally, Adel, our Finance Officer has left St Mary's College to further her accounting journey, we wish her all the best.  The best email to contact our finance department is accounts@stmaryscollege.com.

Mr Patrick Wilson
Business Manager
wilsonp@stmaryscollege.com