st mary s college - amazon s3s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/wh1.thewebconsole.com/wh/... · 2017....

S t M a r y ’ s C o l l e g e A Journey of Truth

Issue 8, Monday 28 August 2017

S t M a r y ’ s C o l l e g e 253 Franklin Street

ADELAIDE SA 5000

T:8216 5700 F:8216 5730

W: www.stmaryscollege.catholic.edu.au E: [email protected]

From the Principal

Dear St Mary’s College, Last week at the College we celebrated all things books. I always have more books piled around the house and my office than I can possibly read and it never stops me from gathering more. I love the ideas captured in books and there is nothing better than getting completely lost in a story and spending an entire afternoon with a book. The activities planned allowed us to celebrate books and to have some fun together as a community. The events of book week and the other things happening through the college also gave me another insight into the great opportunities for community leadership we offer for our students here at St Mary’s. During my first staff-student debate, I enjoyed the confidence and humor of the four member student debating team. The Friday morning Book Week breakfast ran like clock work thanks to the leadership of our SRC, and it was really good to see the older girls get into the spirit of the annual book week dress up. In another event that was not part of the book week celebrations, our Year 10 hosts continued to impress prospective school families as guides on the school tour. Word of mouth continues to be our strongest marketing tool and the manner in which the girls themselves showcase the good work we do at St Mary’s is a testament to the school. Also last week, our Year 11 students had a presentation about the formal school leadership experiences they can nominate for as Year 12 students. Part of this process was hearing from the current school leaders about their experiences this year; the fun, the difficulties, the demands of juggling school, extra-curricular commitments, work, play and rest. They all reflected in some way about the opportunity for growth and the sense of satisfaction that comes from being involved in the community through leadership. Subject Selection and SATAC applications are happening in earnest for students in Years 10, 11 and 12. This is an opportunity to begin reflecting on post school pathways, to think about areas of strength, places of opportunity for growth and challenge, and for thinking about what gives your girls joy and the experience of achievement in their learning. A few weeks ago I received a beautiful letter from an old scholar of St Mary’s, Aspen Smith. Aspen is in the final year of her training as a paramedic. In her letter she states, ‘St Mary’s as a whole instilled in me the ability and faith in myself to accomplish anything I set my mind to and to pursue any career path.’ This has been particularly significant for Aspen as she enters a predominantly male workforce. Our building tender process closes this week so in the next newsletter I look forward to presenting our final plans for the West Terrace development. Enjoy the signs of spring and the longer days.

Clare Nocka

Principal

Book Week fun: Miss Honey (Eliza Miller) and The Trunchbull (Clare Nocka)

From the Deputy Principal: Student Wellbeing

National Child Protection Week 2017 runs from Sunday 3 - Saturday 9 Sept this year.

National Child Protection Week has been running since 1990 starting on Fa-thers’ Day each September. NAPCAN (National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect) coordinates National Child Protection Week with support from the federal government and a range of public, private and commu-nity partners.

National Child Protection Week provides a platform to enhance the safety and wellbeing of children and young people, by informing, empowering and resourc-ing organisations and communities to play their part in responding to local needs.

Prevention, prevention, prevention! The only way that we can adequately pro-tect children is to stop neglect and abuse BEFORE it happens. The enduring message of National Child Protection Week is that ‘Protecting children is every-one’s business’ and urges all Australians to ‘Play Your Part’. Evidence shows that building strong cohesive communities results in protective and nurturing environments for children and families.

To make a substantial reduction in long term rates of abuse and neglect we must support families and work with them to achieve the best outcomes for children and young people. We ALL have a part to play in preventing child abuse and neglect.

Play your part:

1. Listen to the needs of children and spend time with them; 2. Be a good role model around children; 3. Get involved in your local community; 4. Learn about what resources and services are available and share these with

those who need them; 5. Look out for signs of abuse or neglect; if you suspect something is wrong talk

to an expert; 6. Always take reports of abuse seriously; 7. Avoid blame; instead, ask yourself what you can do to help 8. Learn more about child abuse and neglect; 9. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or to ask someone if they need help.

NAPCAN advise…… Being a parent can be challenging. Accept offers of help (especially the ones where cooked meals are involved!) Link in with services that support you – New Parent Groups and Playgroups can be fantastic.

Take time out when you feel stressed or upset – look after yourself. Parenting can be positive – notice the good times too.

Make plans for enjoyable “family time” – this can help build close relationships.

Parenting isn’t always easy. Share your experiences and skills with other par-ents – it can help you realise that you are not alone!

Talk about safety with your children. Talk about what being unsafe might look and feel like at home, in their community, online or at school. Make plans about what to do if they feel unsafe.

It’s ok to reach out and ask for support, from family, friends, services, health professionals and so on. Discover what helps reduce your stress and assists you to best care for your children.

Listen to your children and involve them in planning things as a family. Parent-ing courses can help you be the best you can be.

Celebrate your children, their achievements, values and interests and support them when times are tough. This will build a strong family that is loving and safe.

Play with your children. It can be as simple as a game of “peekaboo” or reading to them. Playing with children helps build a positive relationship and connection and most of all it is fun!

Get involved in your community. Joining groups such as for sporting activities

will help you and your children to have fun and meet people.

Catholic Education Wellbeing and Learning Statement: During Catholic Education Week earlier this year, a Catholic Education Wellbe-ing and Learning Statement was launched.

Catholic Education South Australia Assistant Director Monica Conway says it is important to acknowledge the fundamental principles of learning in Catholic schools in a statement.

“The statement of learning commitment is grounded in our mission and vision but is deliberately directed at every child in our schools,” she says.

“We are making a commitment to them based on our image of the child d belief in their capabilities. “We want to clearly say: you matter to us. In partnership with you and your family your education and personal growth is our core focus.”

The statement, which is addressed to “every child” in Catholic schools, de-scribes the student as capable and competent and speaks of the school’s “high expectations for your learning progress”.

It is the first time Catholic Education has created such a statement, which was developed in consultation with key stakeholders, including school leaders and parents.

The statement reads as follows:

To every child in a Catholic School: We are committed to knowing you deeply. We value you as a capable and competent learner and will support your active engagement in the learning process. In partnership with you and your family we commit to high expectations for your learning progress, wellbeing and achievement. You matter to us.

Lorna Starrs Deputy Principal: Student Wellbeing

St Mary’s College, Issue 8 Monday 28 August 2017

Magic Moment Youth Leadership Camp

In July a couple of hundred kids attended a youth leadership summit in Sydney for five days. Those attending were from all over the world.

The camp was about breaking through your own insecurities and owning who you are as a person inside and out. Every day brought up new challenges and we had the help of everyone around us to break through them. Over the course of the five days we made friendships that are unlike any other friendships that we will ever have throughout the course of our lives. We went through things that are unexplainable and shared very special moments.

Overall it was a great experience and life changing for many reasons.

Taite (9Y)

St Mary’s College, Issue 8, Monday 28 August 2017

From the Deputy Principal: Curriculum

The Subject Selection processes for students in the Senior School are well under way.

Last week, I worked with Year 10 families and students with the Stage 1/Year 11 Subject Selection Process. It was great to be in genuine dialogue about students’ futures, questions and decisions.

No matter what year level, selecting subjects or future options can sometimes be exciting and daunting at the same time. As with everything at St Mary’s College, we approach these periods through effective preparation, communication, discussion, time, and through working together. During this process, there may be some feelings of anxiety, tension and nervousness; these feelings are okay and are part of the process. As families, it is important to listen and encourage your daughters to discuss these issues with the appropriate person; most immediately this is usually the 2017 subject teacher, but it could also be a Learning Area/Year 10 Coordinator, Sub-School Director, or myself.

In all subject selection processes, we talk to the girls about the same three guiding principles:

subjects they enjoy;

subjects in which they show strengths;

subjects that, if known, may lead them to a possible pathway(s).

In a perfect situation, these steps are all congruent; in reality, for most students subjects usually tick off one or two out of these. This is where conversations with the appropriate people are vital, in order to allocate priorities to the above principles to help with effective subject choices. These conversations are one of our major strengths as a school. For Year 10 and 11 students who are currently having individual conversations with teachers over the next few weeks, the next steps are personalised discussion between students, families and school leaders. This occurs n Wednesday this week (Week 6) for current Year 11 students, where families will meet with a key Senior School staff member to discuss what the subjects and types of learning that they can choose, to hopefully support them to achieving their personal best. Year 10s are in the midst of making provisional subject selections and will undergo a similar process of personalised interviews in Week 8 after having experienced the Subject Selection Expo the previous week.

The subject selection process is detail-oriented and heavily focussed on individual students forming a pathway to help them achieve their personal best. In this context, this means that we ask students to carefully consider their strengths, interests and any possible connection to future pathways. We find working in this close way leads to very successful academic results and leads students to their chosen pathways (where, in 2017, 96% of students first round of SATAC offers were for a first or second preference).

Below are some key dates for the process over the next week weeks: Week 6, Wed 30/08: individual subject counselling appoints for Year 11 Students and families for Year 12 2018 (please email Trish Davies ([email protected]) ASAP with any questions about appointments.

Wed 6 Sept (Week 7): SACE and subject information for Year 10s re.

Year 11 2018.

Mon 11 Sept (Week 8): Subject Selection information evening for

families of Year 9 students for Year 10 2018.

Wed 13 Sept (Week 8): individual subject counselling appointments for

Year 10 Students and families for Year 11 2018 (more info to come via letter soon)

Thank you and take care,

Corey Tavella Deputy Principal: Curriculum

2017 Maths Challenge Nine students from Years 4 to 10 participated in the 2017 Mathematics Challenge for Young Australians. This is a problem-solving activity organised by the Australian Mathematics Trust. The MCYA Challenge took place over three weeks in Term 2. It was comprised of four problems for students in the primary levels and six problems for students in the Junior and Intermediate levels. Students were required to present written solutions to as many of these problems as they could. The problems are challenging, and required a systematic approach and lots of perseverance, but we are sure it fostered a greater awareness of the power of mathematics and the joy of solving interesting mathematical problems! The results are listed below: Middle Primary Jacinta Dela Rosa Year 4 Distinction Miesha Perera Year 4 Distinction Petra Tziavrangos Year 4 Credit Upper Primary Caitlin Murray Year 6 Distinction Nathara Perera Year 6 Distinction Madison Selby Year 6 Participation Intermediate Gursim Hundal Year 9 Credit Jasmin Kha Year 10 Distinction Richa Thomas Year 10 Participation Congratulations to all who entered!

Julianne Price & Anna Fontanelli Mathematics Coordinators

Hip Hop Stars On 5 and 6 August, Gabriella Aoukar (8G) and Layla Aoukar (8B) travelled to the Gold Coast to compete in the Dance Star Nationals. They competed in the Secondary Senior Hip Hop section against six other states and came in first place, receiving the highest score in all categories. The girls compete in a group called Nu Flava and are coached by Stacy from Flava Dance Studio. Their hard work and training has certainly paid off and shows an incredible commitment to their sport. Well done, girls!


St Dominic’s Week 2017

Each year, St Mary’s College celebrates the feast day of our patron, St Dominic with a whole week of celebrations. Student leaders put together activities that remind us of the Dominican message to preach and live out the Gospel call. This year as student leaders, we wanted to take a different approach. We focussed on our 2017 sub-theme, ‘Seeing into the heart of things with the eyes of God’, as it connected with our lives and current global affairs.

During the week, students listened to the story of Zacchaeus the tax collector. Reflecting on the message of this story, students were encouraged to see more deeply into the goodness in people’s hearts, and not simply judge someone on their actions or on one mistake. Using this new knowledge of seeing things through a different perspective, an image of binoculars was handed out to each student – we each wrote a truth that we have learnt along the journey.

Here are some reflections of students from across the College:

Junior School student: “Truth is kindness, truth is love”

Middle School student: “This year I’ve discovered a confidence in myself which came through friends. A

new perspective I’ve come to know is, not to judge anyone, I learnt this through friends”

Senior School student: “See the good in everyone, as there is more than what meets the eye”.

On Thursday, students and teachers met on Veritas Lawns for a whole school reflection. With truths in hand, each sub-school then processed along a different pathway into St Patricks Church for our Eucharistic celebration. This procession symbolised St Dominic’s own journey, where he discovered truths in his time.

We finished the week with a celebratory whole school breakfast on Friday morning. On behalf of the student leaders, we would like to extend a special thanks to Mr Robert Napoli who guided us in the organising of this week and the overall success. We look forward to coming together for our next SRC event!

Annabelle Witkowski (College Captain) Chelsea Carruthers (Deputy Captain) Marie Khoury (Deputy Captain) Sophie Dignan (Preaching Ministry Captain)


From the English Coordinator Writers INK: Poetry in Action performance On Tuesday 8 August the Year 9s were able to watch an intriguing and eye-opening performance by Poetry in Action group called ‘The Citizenship Test’. The play spoke about what it means to be truly Australian, as well as what people are led to believe make you Australian as opposed to what it actually means to be Australian. In the play, the audience were told they were ‘taking the citizenship test’, and to do so we had to listen to “Australian” poems - ones that (in the play) the government had approved. This was interrupted by a member of the rebellion who kept interfering and arguing against the ‘government official’ about the true nature of Australia, Australian Poets and Poetry.

The ‘rebel’ counteracted each poem that the ‘government official’ read out, ones about shearing sheep and a “bronzed country”, with ones about droughts and burnt land, and proof that even some of our most classic poems and songs are actually adaptations of pre-existing songs. Some poems in particular were particularly eye opening, including I’m Not Racist But… by Dr Anita Heiss. This poem is confronting and considers how people may believe they are not racist but then proceed to be racist and cruel. The poem Australia by Ania Walwicz, talks about how people treat

those who move from other countries who speak differently, or talk differently or wear clothes differently.

Overall, it was a great experience and we are very glad to be able to have seen it.

Cara Roberts & Jude Martin - Year 9

Shakespeare Is Dead – Bell Shakespeare Company On Tuesday 27 July, all the Year 9 students viewed a play presented by Bell Shakespeare Company called Shakespeare Is Dead. The question addressed through the production was, ‘If Shakespeare is long dead so why are we still performing his plays?’ The performance was an informative piece that educated the audience on William Shakespeare and some of his most famous romances, tragedies, histories and comedies. The three performers had an enthusiastic, energetic and fun approach to a topic that some might find tedious to learn in a classroom. The play was split into the following five acts to help the audience get a better understanding:

The early life of Shakespeare

How to speak Shakespearean

How to fall in love in Shakespeare

How to fight in Shakespeare

How to die in Shakespeare

The performers illustrated these topics through examples of some of his most famous plays such as Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, A Mid Summer’s Night Dream, Macbeth and more to help demonstrate each topic. The performance was memorable, educational and entertaining. Phoebe Howie (9 Red) This show was great for our age group because a lot of us find Shakespeare hard to understand, and the performance demonstrated it in a way that was easy to make sense of. Overall, it was a great show and it would be an honour for them to come back. Sophie Stefanoff (9 Red) The three actors incorporated their own twist by adding comedy and a touch of romance to keep the audience motivated. I learnt so much about

Shakespeare considering the amount of time they had to perform the play. Overall, it was a fun and a great experience. Georgia Villios (9 Red)

Bernie McInerney English Coordinator


Sport Update Knockout Netball Congratulations to the Year 8/9, Year 10 and Open Knockout Netball teams who have all made it through to the State Knockout Netball Grand Finals.

This is the first time that all teams have made it through in the same year. A fantastic achievement to all teams and a testament to their hard work throughout the year. The finals will be played this weekat Netball SA Stadium.

Football Last week saw the final round to the Year 8/9 and Open Football competitions. The girls have had a great season and have welcomed the opportunity to participate in Women’s footy at a school level. We thank Huw Channing, Amanda Shattock, Laura Heinrich and Stephen Kay for coaching the girls.

Southern Zone Netball Last week, our Year 7-12 netball teams participated in Southern Zone Netball Grand Finals at Netball SA. All teams played well, capping off a great season of netball. Our Year 10 Open A1 Netball Team and our Open B1 netball teams were successful in winning their grand finals, in two very tight, tough battles. Congratulations to all girls involved in playing netball this season and thanks to Year 12 and Old Scholar coaches and umpires.

Primary Cross Country Last week, 17 students from Years 4-7 represented St Mary’s College at the Catholic Schools Cross Country Carnival. Each race consisted of approximately 200 competitors from various Catholic School across the state. Congratulations to all of the St Mary’s College competitors who finished in the top 60 of their individual races.

Rosie Petrilli Sport Coordinator

The Year 8/9 and Year 10 Knockout Netball teams

The Open Football Team with Crows Chelsea Randall

State Schools Cup Volleyball SA

On Friday 4 August our Volleyball Program girls headed to Marion Leisure Centre to compete in the three day State Schools Volleyball Cup event. As the day progressed the team convincingly won all three games, without dropping a set!

Although competitive again on Saturday against both highly placed Brighton High teams, a definite highlight was taking a set off the top team. Unfortunately, we were not successful in winning either game. However, after the round robin games we were placed third.

Finals were held on Sunday where we firstly played against one of the Brighton teams to qualify for the gold medal match. Our service reception was not at its best, leaving us to play for third place against Glenunga High in the afternoon.

And what a game it was!!! The team regrouped playing their very best game under pressure, and as a result won in straight sets. At the end of the competition, we finished a proud third in the Year 10 Girls division. Congratulations to our team and coach. A big thank you to all the parents who came out to support the players on such a very cold and wet weekend.


From the Hospitality Coordinator Sweet potato and chickpea burger Serves 1 Preparation time: 40 minutes Cooking: 12-15 minutes Equipment: Bowl, measuring spoons, peeler, zester, wooden spoon, frying pan, saucepan Ingredients: 250g sweet potato, cut into 2cm pieces 1 can (125g) chickpeas, drained and mashed 1 tablespoon wholemeal breadcrumbs 1 spring onion ½ teaspoon, finely sliced ½ teaspoon finely grated lemon rind (zest) ¼ teaspoon ground cumin Salt and pepper 1 egg 2 teaspoons oil 1 wholemeal roll, cut in half 2 teaspoons chilli sauce or tomato relish ½ tomato, sliced 2 teaspoons cucumber and yoghurt sauce (optional) Shredded lettuce or baby rocket leaves Method 1. Cook the sweet potato in a medium saucepan of water for 4

minutes or until tender, or microwave for 3 minutes. Drain. 2. Place in a bowl and coarsely mash. Add the chickpeas,

breadcrumbs, spring onion, lemon rind (zest), cumin, pepper, salt and egg. Stir thoroughly to combine.

3. Shape into a patty. Place on a plate, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate to chill.

4. Heat the oil in a small non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Cook the patty for 4 minutes on each side. The patty should be heated through.

5. While the patty is cooking, grill the cut side of the roll until toasted. 6. Spread the chilli sauce or tomato relish onto the roll and add the

tomato slices. Place the burger on top, add the yoghurt sauce, if desired, and top with lettuce.

7. Serve. Alicia Hancock Hospitality Coordinator

Book Week Breakfast


Year 7 Retreat

Our retreat was a great chance to see into St Dominic's life. We enjoyed working as a team to express our character strengths. It was also interesting to find out more about the Kaurna people and their culture with Uncle Mickey. It was also informative to learn more about how St Dominic helped other people and St Mary Mackillop opened many schools. Millie and Olivia W On the retreat we walked to the statue of Mary Of The Cross Mackillop and learnt about her life and how we can relate her teachings to our lives. We reflected on our personal character strengths and the different strengths we need for different times of our lives. We learnt that our strengths will continuously change as we change as people. We reflected on our current main strength and tied our strengths onto a stick using ribbon. We did lots of group activities and learnt the importance of every person in the group and how we have to work together to achieve our goals. Harriet and Lorelei

One thing Brooke and I learnt… Brooke learnt about the Aboriginal animals and hunting. I learnt about the ways we got to know each other and all the religion. We loved the day as it was full of fun packed adventures. We learnt that we have lots in common. Brooke and Matilda

On Monday 31 July, 8 Red was invited by Ms Erin Doherty to a book tasting

in the Library.

Little did we know we were not going to be eating books but reading them.

At each of the five tables, there was a different book. We had to read the

first chapter or prologue of each of the books. The five books were The Boy

in Striped Pyjamas, Pharaoh, Tuck Everlasting, Chinese Cinderella and

Don’t Call Me Ishmael.

The book tasting helped us to select a novel we would like

to read for the next few weeks. Ms Doherty was our host,

everyone had a wonderful time enjoying the books with

friends and are looking forward to reading one of our

choices in English.

Madison Finlay (8 Red)

YMCA SA is very excited to announce that we are running Junior Parliament for a third year in the October school holidays. Applications are now open for 12 – 15 year olds who want to learn about parliament, meet new friends and develop their leadership skills!

What is Junior Parliament? YMCA SA Junior Parliament is an apolitical program that gives young people an opportunity to learn about democracy, parliament, team building, public speaking and leadership in a fun and supportive environment. Junior Parliament is run by young people for young people. It’s a chance for young people to have their say on issues they care about, meet some new friends & develop their leadership skills. Participants take part in a 3 day / two night camp which involves skills and leadership training and some fun recreational activities.

When: Monday 9 - Wednesday 11 October 2017 (the second week of the school holidays) Where: Rostrevor College & Parliament House Adelaide Who Can Apply? Junior Parliament is open to anyone in South Australia aged 12 - 15 years old. Cost: There is a participant fee of $220 per person which covers meals, accommodation and transport while on camp.

Apply now! Applications are now open: https://form.jotform.co/72151854527862 Schools please note that we will be sending out posters for promotion to you very soon.

Questions? Please email me at [email protected] or call 8200 2514, Mobile 0459 988 166

https://form.jotform.co/72151854527862

mailto:[email protected]


Justine Geyer My name is Justine Geyer, and I am a French exchange student and live in Strasbourg in the North East of France, near the German border. I am staying with the Dennis family and have been in Australia since 18 June and I am leaving on 26 August 2017. I came to Australia with a group of people travelling with a private organisation called ‘Nacel’.

When leaving home I travelled by train from Strasbourg to Paris with my father. Then I met the group and we caught the plane from Paris to London. From there, we took another flight to Sydney. We arrived on 18 June in Sydney and we stayed there for three days. We visited the Sea Life Aquarium where we saw sharks, penguins and fish. We went to Bondi Beach, to the Opera House, Sydney Tower, and Taronga Zoo.

On Tuesday 20 August, I caught a plane with three other girls to Adelaide. My host dad was there, and I was nervous to meet my family, but I soon came to realise that I had nothing to worry about.

On Wednesday, I met Mrs Tridente who was very friendly and helpful and I felt comfortable and welcomed. I met also the Principal who was also friendly and welcoming. I knew immediately that I would be in a good school, with kind girls happy to welcome me into their class. The next two days I went with host ‘sister’ Emily to her Year 8 class because the Year 10s had exams. Everyone in Emily’s class was very welcoming and kind. They made me feel comfortable at the school.

The last two weeks before holidays was exciting because I met my new buddy Hillary in 10Gold, along with the others in her year level. Once again, they were all very kind and caring (they still are!) and welcoming.

Finally, we went on holidays for three weeks! The second weekend of the holidays we went to Victor Harbour. We had a great time! The last week of holidays, we went to Victoria and the Hot Springs for three days. It was nice and warm and it was great to see more of Australia! We went to the hot springs on the Thursday; the temperature was 41 degrees! That was relaxing. On Friday, Emily, Ava and my host mother went to Melbourne and we spent the whole day shopping! We had a great time together!

The first week back at school was Dominican Week. On Thursday, we had a Mass and it was an interesting experience. I loved when we had the breakfast on the Friday. There was music and we had lots of fun.

The week after, on Thursday after school I went to Hillary’s home for a sleepover. On Friday, we participated in “Walk a Mile in My Boots” for the homeless people of Adelaide. It was a great experience and the atmosphere was amazing!

On 24 and 25 August, I went to the Year 10 Retreat in Mylor to find out more about the Aboriginal people of Australia. I am was excited to meet some and learn more about the Aboriginal people and their culture. I had a good time with the girls and it was a nice end to my trip here in Australia.

It will be sad to say goodbye to everyone I have met!

Marie Grall Hello, my name is Marie Grall. I am an exchange student from France. I live in a city called Brest from Paris and I live with my mum, my dad and my two brothers. I will be in Year 12 when I go back to school in September, I am actually in summer holidays: I decided to come for six weeks to Australia to discover the culture and to improve my English. I love sailing, dancing and athletics but I love art too. Furthermore, I like to study science, art, sports and foreign languages.

Kirby Shaw - “you’re a singer, you’re an actor so ... put your face on.

Emphasise the consonants.”

Students recently attended the Kirby Shaw workshop. Here are some of their thoughts:

We learnt there were ways to make a song “our own”.

It was an enjoyable experience to hear what other choirs sounded like,

and to sing with boys and sing in a choir of 150 people.

It was a once in a lifetime experience to work with Kirby Shaw.

He had a funny personality + great dad jokes.

We learnt new technique to warm up.

It was a unique experience to work with the arranger of the pieces we

were singing.

On Wednesday 2 August, Year 10s visited UniSA to tour the facilities and learn about the possible university pathways they may wish to take in the future. This is an important step in the preparation for subject selection which will be occurring later in the term. The girls were given a tour of some of the different aspects of the University, as well as a presentation about how to choose the path best for our future.

It was a really interesting and eye-opening experience to be able to see further into the area we could potentially be studying after Year 12.

Anchal Luthra (10W)


Maths & English Help

Maths & English Help is up and running. This is a fantastic opportunity that students have to receive assistance with their literacy and numeracy. Students are invited to bring friends as a form of peer support and gain help with homework and classwork. For those students who are struggling, or having difficulties completing homework, this can be an excellent way to get ahead.

At lunchtimes on Mondays and Tuesdays, there are at least five teaching staff available to help one-on-one. On Wednesday afternoons, the Library is staffed with teachers to help students who wish to stay after school. Students can get help with all Maths topics up to Year 12. The English staff assist students in developing self-drafting techniques, empowering them to edit their own work as well as essay structure, spelling and grammar.

Does your daughter need additional help? Ask her if she knows about Maths & English Help. Taking a proactive approach to seeking assistance develops academic responsibility and remind her that she can always bring her friends!

Maths & English Help is in K11 during lunchtime on Monday and Tuesday, and in the Library after school on Wednesday.

The College is pleased to present the 2016 School Performance Report.

As a requirement of the Australian Education Act (2008), the College must report School Performance information annually to the school community.

This report provides an opportunity to share valuable information regarding staffing, student and community aspects of the 2016 school year.

The 2016 St Mary's College School Performance Report is available online at www.stmaryscollege.catholic.edu.au under the Publications page.

A hard copy can be provided upon request by contacting the College Front Office.

Late last term, Year 6s had a critical thinking activity about deforestation with Mr Lewis Ashton.

Following this, three ‘In – Service’ Mini Marys– Caitlin M, Bella and Amber decided that that our school could use more garden plants and shrubbery.

“The world has chopped down a lot of plants and trees and we think a garden would help take in more carbon dioxide and give us more oxygen. It will also look prettier”.

With a mission in their heart, these girls presented their idea to add some plants to the convent garden beds to Ms Nocka, who wholeheartedly supported them.

Recently, these three girls enlisted other Mini Mary girls (Nathara, Helen) and together planted nine new agapanthus plants to complement the garden design already in place.

We hope to continue our plantings until the garden bed is bursting with colour and greenery.

If anyone is dividing agapanthus and you have extras, please let us know – we would love to use them.

Anne Soldan JS Coordinator Dominican Faith Formation

http://www.stmaryscollege.catholic.edu.au


Sold Out


30 Subject Counselling Year 11 into 12, 2018 (1.30pm - 8.00pm)

September

4-10 School Production Week

11 Year 10, 2018 Parent Evening for Subject Selection

12 Year 8 Vaccinations

13 Subject Counselling for Year 10 into 11, 2018 (1.30pm - 8.00pm)

15 Vinnies on Parade

15-24 Year 11 Oak Valley Immersion Trip

18-23 Year 11 Service Learning Week

19-20 Catholic School Music Festival Evening Performances

20 Year 8 Retreat

21 Confirmation Celebration—7.00 pm St Patrick’s Church

27 Cambodia/Social Justice Art Evening—6.30 pm CPA

29 Social Justice Day

Term 3 ends - 3.15 pm dismissal

E V E N T C A L E N D A R child & adolescent

sleep clinic

Does your teenager have a sleep problem?

Does your teenager:

have trouble falling asleep?

not fall asleep until late at night?

have trouble waking up or getting out of bed in the

morning?

miss school or feel fatigued throughout the school day?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, your

teenager could benefit from a new treatment program

being run at the Child & Adolescent Sleep Clinic, within

the School of Psychology, at Flinders University.

For more information please call

8201 7587 or email [email protected]

www.facebook.com/cascsleep

2018 Enrolment Confirmation

In order to assist our planning for 2018, if your daughter(s) will not be returning in 2018, we ask that you please complete the table below and return to the College no later than Friday 1 September 2017.

Parents and Guardians are reminded that one term’s notice is required when intending to withdraw their daughter from the College.

Please only complete this slip if your daughter (s) WILL NOT be returning to the College in 2018.

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Please return this slip to the Student Services Office no later than Friday 1 September 2017.

Parent/Guardian (Name): ……………………………………………………………………………....

Parent/Guardian (Signature): ………………………………………………….. Date:….………………….

Daughter(s) Name Current Class School Transferring to in 2018

St Mary’s College Absentee Phone Line : 8216 5716

Please telephone before 9.30 am if your daughter is absent

St Mary’s College Uniform Shop : 8216 5719

Opening times - Monday 8.00 am - 11.00 am Wednesday 1.00 pm - 4.00 pm Thursday 8.00 am - 11.00 am

St Mary’s College OSHC : 8216 5743

st mary s college - amazon s3s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/wh1.thewebconsole.com/wh/... · 2017....

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