st mary’s olleges3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/wh1.thewebconsole.com/wh/... · 2016-05-13 ·...

S t M a r y ’ s C o l l e g e Sent to Proclaim the Gospel

From the Principal

The Term 1 suite of enrolment interviews has shown us that many families are asking questions about the CESA (Catholic Education South Australia) strategic decision

to implement a phased transition of Year 7s from a primary to a secondary setting over the next five years. This means that Year 6 will become the final year of primary

schooling and Year 7 will become the first year of secondary schooling. St Mary’s College, as an R-12 College, has of course had a Middle school structure of Years 7-

9 operating for many years. Our Primary School has always been Reception -Year 6.

I have included in the newsletter a Fact Sheet that CESA produced late last year for families in Parish Primary Schools for your interest.

St Mary’s College is already planning and preparing to undertake an increased Year 7 enrolment from 2019 onwards in order to make Year 7 our enrolment entry point

for Middle School. Enrolment into Year 8 will continue in 2019 and 2020 until the Year 7 numbers fill our five classes

stream of secondary education.

How soon after 2019 that this will eventuate is not determinable at this early stage.

Exciting news is that a new Master Plan has been approved so that the school can commence planning, designing and

building new facilities to enhance current programs and areas of learning as well as accommodate the increased Year

7 numbers. I look forward to sharing news of future building activity in the year ahead.

Federation Ambassador Network

The Federation of Catholic School Parent Communities has implemented a new initiative called the Federation

Ambassador Network.

The Federation is recruiting at least one Ambassador from every SA Catholic School who will act as a conduit for two-

way information between the Federation and their school’s parent community.

I am pleased to let you know that Shefia Nemer-Khoury has accepted the invitation to become St Mary’s College

Ambassador. Shefia is a Federation Council member and as such, is automatically an Ambassador in her children’s

school communities.

As our school’s Federation Ambassador, Shefia will liaise with us to promote the role of the Federation and encourage

parents within our school communities to Be Informed Be Connected and Be Heard through Facebook, Twitter,

surveys, events, our database & website etc.

Supporting parents to be actively engaged in their children’s learning and schooling, finding out what’s important to

parents and building parents’ understanding of, and capacity to contribute to important political advocacy work is the

Federation’s core work.

This is especially important in this federal election year and as we continue to call

on the state government to invest more in our Catholic education sector.

800 Year Celebratory Dominican Cup

We welcomed students from St Dominic’s College Auckland on Tuesday 3 May as

they arrived to participate in the 800 year celebratory Dominican Cup. A BBQ

thank you to our billeting families and other participating schools was held on

Tuesday evening and while the winning results were pleasing, more importantly the

interaction of fellow Dominican students and teachers in this inaugural year of the

DEA (Dominican Education Australia) is far more of a reason to celebrate.

No sooner had we said hello to visitors than we were waving goodbye to our own

musicians as they headed off to Mount Gambier for the annual Generations in Jazz

Festival.

S t M a r y ’s C o l l e g e

253 Franklin Street

T:8216 5700

F:8216 5730

W: www.stmaryscollege.catholic.edu.au

Eileen Young

Principal

Some of our talented musicians boarding the bus to Mount Gambier for the

annual Generations in Jazz Festival.

Thank you to Shefia Nemer—Khoury,

who is now the College Ambassador for

the Federation Ambassador Network.

St Mary’s College, Issue 6, Friday 13 May 2016

From the Deputy Principal: Curriculum

Dear Families,

Welcome back to Term 2. I hope the students found that right mix of work (in whatever form), relaxation and enjoyment over the break. It has been great to see the

girls back again and very much ready to re-engage with Semester 1 work.

For those who may be thinking that, after the reports or holidays, some challenges after an initial point are insurmountable, who would have thought that a football

team who was bottom of the ladder in late November last year could rise to be national champions? Food for thought.

Professional Learning

Late last term I was very fortunate to be able to attend the World Education Leadership Summit in Singapore through the International Association for Scholastic

Excellence (INTASE). This involved educational leaders from 25 different countries hearing from some of the world’s most foremost educational thinkers such as

Professor Peter Senge, Sir John Jones, Professor Eric Mazur, Professor Bonnie Cramond and more. While each individual speaker spoke from their own respective

strengths and passions, all retained common point to promote a sense of education where the strengths of each individual student are challenged, nourished,

supported and extended. The conference themes focussed on creativity, collaboration, future-focussed skills, technology’s role and place in education (support, not at

centre), finding and nurturing that 'sweet spot' of teaching and learning, a focus on depth rather than breadth of content, and learning through promoting trial, error and

recovery. It was truly a privilege to be able to hear and learn from these masters of their field, and more importantly to come together with educators across the world

to focus on what we all have in common: individual student success and passion for quality teaching and learning.

Both of these themes also link to our staff Professional Development Day on Friday of Week 1 this term, where we enjoyed the chance to work with Dr. Jane Jarvis,

Senior Lecturer at Flinders University. Jane’s speciality which she brought to us is a focus on differentiation: the different ways in which we as teachers can meet the

varying needs, strengths and challenges of students, as well as ways to facilitate better feedback models to teachers so that we may be able to best plan for student

success. At St. Mary’s we pride ourselves on how well we know our students and form effective working relationships with them. Dr. Jarvis’ work looked at more ways

to capitalise on this to enable our students to achieve personal bests in all that they do.

Learning Reviews and Adjustment Plans

Part of our Loop of Assessment sees Learning Reviews arriving in Week 4. As you prepare for the conversations, focussed discussion on the Term 1 Progress Report

is generally a good place to start. Hopefully your daughters, as the most important people in this conversation, will also be able to guide you in these areas and

provide feedback about their own learning to contribute to the sorts of discussions you might have.

During Learning Reviews your daughter’s teachers may discuss with you an Adjustment Plan. Students with specific learning difficulties or disabilities may be entitled

to specific adjustments to enable them to successfully access, and be assessed against the curriculum in a variety of subjects. In most cases, you would already be

aware of this. The adjustment plan provides a summary of the adjustments that have been made for your daughter to suit her specific learning needs in allowing her to

access the curriculum. Your daughter’s teacher will be able to explain in more detail the adjustments that may have been made. If you would like more information

about the adjustment process, please speak to Suzanne Zientara (Learning Support Coordinator R-9) or Suzanne Megaw (Flexible Learning Coordinator 10-12).

NAPLAN & NAPLAN Online

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is an annual assessment for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. Girls in these year levels have

been working through the tests this week.

NAPLAN is made up of assessments in the four domains of Reading, Writing, Language Conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and Numeracy (calculator

and non-calculator).

NAPLAN assesses skills in literacy and numeracy that are developed over time. NAPLAN is not a collection of pass or fail type-assessments, but rather shows how

individual students are progressing in numeracy and literacy skills against national standards for all Australian children at a specific point in time.

Assessment is a fluid and incremental process where evidence of student learning is gathered from a variety of sources. It is important then that we view NAPLAN as a tool for gaining a snapshot of this learning, and continue to focus on our curriculum at St. Mary’s which engages our students and enables them to achieve their best. I would encourage you to have these sorts of conversations with your daughters, either if they are sitting NAPLAN this year or will do so next year. It is always

important to add some context for student achievement and assessment.

The Australian Government has decided that all NAPLAN tests will be completed online by 2019. The process will be phased in over three years. Catholic Education

SA have asked interested schools if they want to trial going online in 2017; St. Mary’s has begun preparation for our school to partake in the trial for next year. This

may also mean some preliminary trials this year. In late 2015, I went to a briefing from Dr Stanley Rabinowitz (General Manager, Assessment & Reporting, ACARA)

about NAPLAN online. He suggested many benefits for NAPLAN going online. For example, it will become an adaptive test which means that, depending on how

students answer the first few questions, the test will be differentiated according to a student’s strengths and challenges.

The nature of online assessment is an emerging field. As with all new approaches, St. Mary’s takes a calm, proactive and well-educated approach; we hear from the

professionals, we bring back discussions to the school, and we work out the best way to proceed for our students. I look forward to continuing this

academic conversation, both NAPLAN-specific and as a general movement, as we learn more about this facet of technology in education.

Corey Tavella

Deputy Principal: Curriculum


From the Deputy Principal: Student

Wellbeing

As we begin another new term, a couple of reminders in regards to our

procedures surrounding extended non-health student absences, and taking

prescription medication.

Extended non-health student absences

St Mary’s College recognises that, at times, students need to be absent from

school for reasons other than health. These occasions may include family

holidays, family occasions that require several days’ absence or participation in

events with other family members, with workplaces or similar institutions.

Should it be planned that your daughter will be absent from school for a non-

health related reason, for three days or more, we ask that written

communication is made directly to the Sub-School Director outlining the reason

for your daughter’s absence and the dates affected. Please ensure a minimum

of two weeks’ notice is given to the College. Should your daughter’s absence

be longer than six weeks, a minimum of four weeks’ notice is needed. It is also

a requirement by law to obtain and submit an application to the Department of

Education outlining the length of time and reasons for absence. This form will

be forwarded by mail to your home address on receipt of written notification

and must be returned to the College before the absence commences.

Junior School students will be asked to keep a diary of their experiences while

they are away, which they will hand in to their Care Group teacher upon their

return to school. Middle and Senior School students will be expected to

negotiate with individual teachers the completion of work missed, where

possible. This may include renegotiating due dates, completing work while

away, or completion of work missed upon returning to school depending on the

length of time absent from school, the task requirements, etc.

Prescription Medications

Students who need to take prescribed medications while at school must

adhere to their doctor’s recommended dosage and must not allow another

student access to these medicines. The student’s name and dosage

requirements for prescription medications must be clearly visible. These will

be stored in a locked cabinet. The First Aid Officer will keep a record of the

dosage, time and date of administration of medications.

All Students:

(a) Must have a note in their diary from a parent/caregiver or legal guardian

and/or doctor notifying the school of their need to be taking medication;

(b) Must surrender medications to the First Aid Officer at the Student Services

Office unless this would inhibit a student’s safety and wellbeing;

(c) Must be administered in the Student Services Office, under the supervision

of a staff member;

(d) Must notify her Class/Subject Teacher when she is going to take

medication.

Off-campus camps/trips/activities

Students who need to take prescribed medications while attending a school

activity off campus must adhere to their doctor’s recommended dosage and

must not allow another student access to these drugs. All medication, including

relevant notification or letter from the doctor must be presented to the

appropriate Coordinator/Activity Director before the start of the activity, and

must be taken under staff supervision.

Please feel free to contact me about these and any other

processes and procedures here at school.

Lorna Starrs

Deputy Principal: Student Wellbeing

We’re on the Australian Honours List

The Susan Sullivan Library was recently named on the

Honours List as one of the Great School Libraries of

Australia.

So what does this really mean?

Here are but a few responses students submitted

when I asked, “Tell me something positive about our

Library?”

When you come into the library you're made feel

welcome as the Librarians greet you and the Library is bright and colourful

and makes you feel happy to be there.

I personally believe that our Library is a great library because it is opened

after hours to help students with their studies.

Our Library offers services that are extremely helpful.

Neat, tidy and modern

It is a nice place to work and concentrate

Our Library has a nice atmosphere, air-conditioning and Librarians.

The Library is well set out and meets students learning needs.

I like the Library because it is peaceful and I like reading.

I like the Library because it is a place where you can let your imagination run

wild.

Our students and staff value the services and resources we have on offer and we

are always looking at ways of promoting what we have to assist our girls in

making the most of their education at St Mary’s College.

Please take time with your daughter to visit our Library either by coming in before

or after school or going online with her at home. If you click on the following link

you will be able to access our catalogue and view the various resources,

databases and book review tools we have on offer for your daughter to continue

her studies at home. http://susansullivanlibrarysmc.weebly.com/

As well as having a large collection of fiction, we have a non-fiction section that

covers a vast number of topics explored throughout the curriculum and other

books of interest. To support and extend this

collection, a number of online databases containing

newspaper articles, journal articles, reference eBooks

and a database devoted entirely to non-fiction

eBooks. These can be found on our Library page

under the Research tab.

Students have access to an online referencing

generator to assist with their bibliographies. Our

catalogue can also create a citation for them.

We have the World Book Encyclopedia online and

Weblinks, a database that has been created by Adelaide

librarians of reputable websites for numerous topics.

Students can view videos from our online video library Clickview.

They can access a number of Book Review sites to read about

both recent and older publications.

We regularly add new books to our collection including recommendations from

students and parents.

Please feel free to visit or email me if you have any questions

or would like to know more

[email protected]

Eileen McCabe

Coordinator of Information Resources

http://susansullivanlibrarysmc.weebly.com/

mailto:[email protected]


Catholic Education South Australia has made a strategic decision to implement a

phased transition of Year 7s from a primary to a secondary setting over the next 5

years. This means that Year 6 will become the final year of primary schooling, Year 7

will become the first year of secondary schooling.

This phased transition will occur in 2019-2020 for the majority of Catholic schools.

There will, however, be some exceptions including:

Country primary schools where there is no Catholic secondary school nearby

Catholic Schools where middle schooling structures already exist or are planned

Catholic schools that are co-located with other schools offering Year 7 in a primary

context

Other local and exceptional circumstances.

Why move Year 7 to secondary?

This decision has not been made lightly. It is primarily about best meeting the learning

and social and emotional needs of young people.

Placing Year 7 in a secondary setting, with greater access to specialist teachers and

facilities, will better position students to benefit from the variety, intellectual challenges

and age-appropriate support that adolescents need during this important time in their

lives.

There are also benefits for students in aligning with other states and territories. With

Queensland and Western Australia recently making the move, SA is the only

Australian Jurisdiction where Year 7 remains in primary. Even within SA, 48% of

Catholic school Year 7 students are already in middle schools or colleges. Other non-

government schools have already placed Year 7 in secondary or have plans to do so.

The experience of parents and students in other schools who have recently made this

move has been overwhelmingly positive.

What is the next step?

During 2016 further intense research will be undertaken in a small number of contexts

to identify the local benefits and challenges for those specific schools.

This research will form the basis of further work to be undertaken in support of local

parents and to ensure the wellbeing of local primary and secondary schools.

There is a significant body of work to be done before any transition arrangements

occur.

How and when will this impact my school?

Every school situation is unique. We will be taking a planned and phased approach

and we expect that most schools will implement this change in 2019-20.

Be assured that we will continue to keep you informed and updated as plans progress.

Your child’s education and wellbeing will be at the heart of all decision making.

Do I need to contact the secondary school where my child is enrolled?

No. At this stage—you do not need to contact the school. However, you may wish to

begin to discuss these plans with your primary school child as you deem appropriate.

How do I find out more?

If you have any questions, please discuss them with your Principal.

The Gen Connection

For the fourth consecutive year, the annual ‘Gen Connection’ gig was held at

The Governor Hindmarsh Hotel on April 13 last term.

The ‘Gen Connection’ is a combined schools jazz night held in preparation for

the ‘Generations in Jazz’ national band and vocal ensemble competition, held

each year in Mount Gambier in May.

This year the ‘Gen Connection’ consisted of four city/west Catholic schools;

namely, St Michael’s College, Christian Brothers College, Blackfriars and of

course, St Mary’s College.

With seven vocal ensembles and six big bands it was a huge night with a

packed and eager audience who heard some great performances by some

outstanding ensembles.

Thanks to the staff, students and parents and friends who helped, attended

and performed on the night to make it another huge success!

As the first live performance since Music camp for our Junior Stage Band, this

was a great opportunity for the girls to get a feel for what ‘Generations in Jazz’

would be like when they perform in front of an audience. For all of our

ensembles, this night was all about final preparations for our performance at

‘Generations in Jazz’. All bands and choirs performed the set piece from their

divisions and their choice piece. Overall, it was a great night for us to share our

talent and hard work with parents and friends.

All the girls had a brilliant night and we thank everyone who was able to come

along and support us.

Stephanie G and Alex G

Student Music Coordinators

“A Team” Unplugged

On a beautiful autumn Friday evening last term, six senior students from St

Mary’s College entertained their parents and friends with a cool and laid back

“unplugged” acoustic set of popular tunes at the Edinburgh Castle Hotel.

What a great way to start a weekend by sitting back and listening

to this amazing student led ensemble performing in a professional setting. Look out for further gigs!

Ben Chambers

Coordinator of Music


BIG Day in IT

@ On Wednesday 6 April a group of 25 students from Years 8 to 11 attended the

BIG Day in IT. The day was hosted by the Australian Computers in Society

Foundation and was part of a national roadshow that is hosted yearly in each

capital city of Australia.

The Big Day In IT is an IT careers conference designed by students for students.

It is designed for high school students interested in careers in technology.

Students were engaged by presentations from Microsoft and Hewlett Packard,

but the most exciting part of the day centred around Virtual Reality and its reality

applications. They were lucky enough to engage in experiencing what it is like to

ride a roller coaster, walk across buildings, all whilst wearing a Virtual Reality

headset.

“The Big Day In was an exciting day, with exhibitions to attend and guest

speakers all helping me to learn more about IT and possible careers. I cannot

wait for next year because the area of IT is exciting and forever changing. The

most exciting part of the day was exploring virtual reality. It is just amazing.

Victoria Pannucio Year 10

“The Big Day In was informative in providing information about careers in

Technology. I have attended to two 'Big Day In' events with each one being just

as interesting. Time was well spent learning about emerging

technologies such as Virtual Reality.

Cassandra Poritz Year 11

Giovanna Iannicelli

Technology Coordinator

Year 8 Robotics

SciWorld presented the Lego Mindstorms Robotics program to all Year 8

classes. This involved drawing pictures on the robot’s screen, moving, turning

and using the robot’s sensors. Students then tackled a number of challenges

including:

Using all robots to perform a Mexican Wave

Programing individual robots to move in a square around a chair on

the floor

Programing individual robots to use the light sensor to move around a

Test Mat staying within the white oval area delineated by a black line.

Jo Surman

Science Coordinator

A CASE OF

CONSPIRACY?

An 18 year old boy is arrested for a

murder which he claims to know nothing

about. The murdered man was found next

to a burnt out car in bushland. There are

no signs of a struggle and bullet wounds appear to be the cause of death. A gun,

drugs and a stash of money were found at the home of the accused. All evidence

points to the accused – but is he really the murderer?

In the last week of Term 1, all Year 8 and 9 Science students participated in the

Forensic Science workshop ‘A Case of Conspiracy’. This brought classroom

science to life, enhancing the learning experience by allowing students to take on

the role of the Forensic Scientist and solve real life crimes. Was the

accused the murderer? You’ll need to ask your daughter!

Jo Surman

Science Coordinator


Sports Wrap Up—Term 1, 2016

Term 1 was filled with many sporting highlights for both individuals, teams and St Mary’s College. Many of our incredibly

talented athletes at St Mary’s College achieved the following outstanding results at interschool carnivals:

Primary Swimming Squad placing 3rd at the Catholic Primary Swimming Carnival combined with CBC College (our U/10

team consisting of Katie Simpson, Tehya Bird, Alex Bredan and Eleanor Tongerie won their age group division!).

Katie Simpson winning U/10 Age Champion at the Catholic Primary Swimming Carnival.

Brooke Simpson, Tehya Bird and Victoria Severin selected in the North Adelaide Primary SAPSASA Swimming Team.

Brooke has also been selected in the State Team and will compete for SA later this year.

Primary Beach Volleyball Champions.

Secondary Swimming Squad winning the Junior A Division and finishing 2nd in the Senior Division of the Girls Catholic Secondary Schools Carnival and finishing

3rd in the Secondary School Sport SA B division swimming championships. Special thanks to our Year 12 swimmers, Alyssa Grodvic, Sarah Bastian and

Gemma Owens, who have provided us with many wonderful highlights over the years.

U/14 Secondary Swimming Relay Team Georgia Sellman, Sian McGlashan, Jemma Bennett and Victoria Bennett breaking a 20 year old relay record at the

Catholic Schools Swimming Carnival.

Secondary Athletics Squad winning every division as well as the overall Catholic Schools B Grade Athletics Championship and finishing 2nd in the Secondary

School Sport B Grade championships. Special thanks to our Year 12 athletes, Tayla Petrilli, Sophie Darmody, Grace Alfred, Alicia Pope, Myah Massoti,

Sophie Owen and Susy Scopass, who have provided us with many wonderful highlights over the years.

Excellent individual results at the State Little Athletics Championships for Bridget McCullough: bronze in 100m, triple jump and long jump. Claire Ferguson: gold

in javelin. Soreti Anderson: gold in hurdles, silver in 200m, SP and bronze in discus and javelin. Kate Jager: gold in high jump. Janeth Golding: bronze in long

jump and Olivia Buchanan: gold in 1500m and silver in 800m.

State Selection for the following students: Brittnay Rundle — rowing, Lucy Austin — netball, Xiao-Xing Bachman — soccer and Ruby Porter—Basketball.

Under 10 Swimming Team Secondary Athletics Squad Year 12 Athletes and Sports Captains Combined CBC / SMC Primary Swim Team

St Mary’s College Year 7-12 Swimming Carnival 2016

Congratulations Age Champions:

Year 7 — Victoria Severin;

Year 8 — Jemma Bennett;

Year 9 — Jasmine Vandenbrink;

Year 10 — Bianca Williams;

Year 11 — Erin McGlashan;

Year 12 — Alyssa Grdovic.

Tayla Petrilli

Student Coordinator of Sport

Congratulations to the following:

St Dominic’s Detectives, Hannan Family Team trophy winners;

St Mary’s Mechanics, Spirit Award winners;

St Thomas Techno, Banner Competition and overall winners of the

2016 Swimming Carnival 2016.;

Special mention also to St Catherine’s Cruise Ship for their competi-

tive spirit all day.

Congratulations to the new record holders:

Jasmine Vandenbrink, Year 9 25m Backstroke, 50m Freestyle;

Bianca Williams, Year 10 25m Backstroke;

Alyssa Grdovic — Year 12 25m Freestyle.


Inaugural Trans-Tasman Dominican Cup 2016

On Tuesday 3rd May, St Mary’s College hosted 27 students from St Dominic’s College, Auckland, NZ, as well as 140 students from

Cabra College and St Dominic’s Priory Colleges SA. In total, over 220 students participated in Netball, Volleyball and Hockey. Netball

was held at Netball SA, Volleyball at St Dominic’s College SA and Hockey at St Mary’s College. The day began with an Opening

Ceremony at St Mary’s College where the Sports Captains from all of the Colleges addressed the community. The St Mary’s College

Choir sang a Welcome to Country, which was followed by the students of St Dominic’s College, Auckland, NZ sharing a Maori welcome.

The games were a culmination of four Dominican Colleges coming together to celebrate 800 years of Dominican Education, as well as

preparing for the launch of Dominican Education Australia later this year. Special thanks to the Sports Coordinators of the 4 Dominican

Colleges: Rosie Petrilli (Sports Coordinator) and Rachel Bisset (Sports ESO), St Mary’s College; Alison Hodby, St Dominic’s Priory

College SA; Joel Morrizi, Cabra College and Rachel Bennett, St Dominic’s College, Auckland, NZ for organising this wonderful event

and celebration. Congratulations to the staff and students involved in the Dominican Cup. The true Dominican Spirit was definitely

ablaze throughout this event! A special thank you also to the generous families from St Mary’s College for billeting visiting students from

NZ. Your support is greatly appreciated. It was truly an honour and a privilege to share in such a wonderful celebration with our fellow

Dominican Colleges.

Congratulations to St Mary’s College, the winners of the Dominican Cup for 2016.

Tayla Petrilli

Student Coordinator of Sport


Writers Link: The St Mary’s Writing

Club for Students in Years 7 – 12

In the second of our series of short articles, here are two more student responses

to Adelaide Festival Writer’s Week visit which took place on Tuesday March 1st.

On this day, members of Writers INK and the Reading Club heard a number of

world renowned authors and writers speak about their motivation and passion for

crafting their work.

Two of the founding and senior members of Writers Ink share their thoughts and

personal reflections on this event.

Ellen Martin - Hearing the writers speak was a great insight into the different

mindsets of those within the publication industry. It was enlightening to hear how

their opinions of the writing process differed, such as the young Canadian writer

Patrick Dewitt who had a very unique way of writing and view of his work. Much of

what they said involved the research techniques that went into their individual

novels, although it was intriguing to hear their individual philosophies on

motivations and the role of muses. I was able to get a fresh perspective on how

many people view the miracle of inspiration and where ideas come from. Hearing

about the diverse muses made me feel like there was no limit to the diversity of

topics which writing can apply.

Gemma Owens- I found the Writer’s Week event to be interesting but it didn’t

really give as many tips on writing as I had hoped. Each speaker, including the

writer of many biographies, Laura Thompson and debut author Virginia Reeves,

personally talked about their own books. Whilst you could gleam information from

their talks on how they went about their writing, it wasn’t necessarily addressed

directly. This didn’t damper the spirit of the day at all. I found the talks to be

funny, creative and enjoyable, and it would be worthwhile to see them again, if

just for the experience of hearing published authors speak. It was an amazing

experience and fun to see the people behind some of mankind’s best current

literature.

A reminder to all keen writers that Writers INK meets on alternate Tuesday and

Thursday afternoons from 3.30 pm in the Susan Sullivan Library.

Entries for the SAETA ‘Young Writer’s Award 2016,’ for students in all year

levels, close on Friday May 20th.

Bernie McInerney

English Coordinator

Year 11 Legal Studies

It has been an eventful term for the Year 11 Legal Studies students with excursions to the Magistrates Courts,

Supreme Court and Parliament House.

Students had an opportunity to see the Australian Legal system in action. The Magistrates Court was a hive of

activity and much less formal that the Supreme Court. Students were exposed to a number of cases and a

Magistrate who was quite entertaining.

Students were also given a guided tour of SA Parliament House by Rachel Sanderson MP, State member for

Adelaide. Being a non-sitting day, the students were able to sit

in the seats in the House of Assembly and Legislative Council.

Christina Kilishiri

Legal Studies Teacher

The St Mary’s Junior School meet

the Adelaide Symphony

Orchestra!

On Thursday 7th April and Friday 8th April, students from Reception through to

Year 7 attended two different performances by the Adelaide Symphony

Orchestra. The Year 4 to Year 6 classes went to see Merlin and Magic, written

by Scottish composer and educator, Paul Rissmann. In the lead up to this

excursion, students learnt songs to sing in this interactive performance. They

also explored how composers use the sounds of the orchestra to create the

music of magic. Students listened to orchestral greats like Also Sprach

Zarathustra by Strauss, and In the Hall of the Mountain King by Grieg, with a

particular focus on how composers differently interpret the sound of magic. The

Year 6s were thrilled to hear the final piece of the day, a suite of Harry Potter

music written by John Williams! A very fitting theme for them as they are

currently delving into the world of Harry Potter in their general studies. Paul

Rissmann’s narrated work about the ancient legend of the young wizard boy

was very engaging, and our students enjoyed watching the ASO in action. In a

cross-curricular link, the Year 5 and Year 6 classes also created drawings to

accompany one of the movements in their Art classes. Our students were

delighted to see some of their own art work projected above the ASO while

they were playing the movement ‘Duelling Dragons’!

The Reception to Year 3 classes participated in a performance titled The Beat

of Your Feet. Students learnt about the instruments of the orchestra, as well as

music to accompany the narrated work. The ensemble also played vibrant and

fun orchestral music to engage the classes, including Hungarian Dance by

Brahms and The Elephant from Saint-Saëns’ The Carnival of the Animals.

The two excursions were a wonderful way for the St Mary’s Junior School to be

exposed to classical orchestral music. Paul Rissmann’s pieces provided an

opportunity for students to engage with this repertoire through singing, body

percussion and visual elements. The classes were left inspired, motivated and

keen to learn more about the world of

classical music.

Alexandra Bollard

Music Department


Year 9 Camp

In Week 10 of last term, the Year 9 students and teachers headed off on the Year 9 Camp to the Grampians. The camp is held at the Roses Gap Recreation Centre,

where students are engaged in a fun, yet challenging series of activities, such as the Giant Swing, the Pamper Pole, the Vertical Playpen, Abseiling and Rock

Climbing. The camp is designed to encourage students to step out of their comfort zone and try things they may not have done before. I was impressed with the

perseverance and courage of the students, as they stepped off cliffs and dangled in the air – all safely harnessed of course!

Students also experienced the beauty of the Grampians National Park as they trekked to the top of the Pinnacle and then down the other side to Halls Gap. They

appreciated the wondrous McKenzie Falls, and even while their leg muscles complained, the students themselves felt the view from the bottom of the Falls was well

worth it.

I would like to thank all the students and staff for a wonderful trip. As the photos attest, the students enjoyed themselves and hopefully returned home

with a new sense of accomplishment, independence and confidence that they truly can climb mountains!

Renee Irvine

Director of Middle School

Learning Reviews for Middle and Senior School Students

Parent/Caregivers are reminded that the Term 2 Learning Reviews will be held on Tuesday 24 May and Wednesday 25 May for students in Middle and Senior School.

Parents/Caregivers can book appointments on line with the PTO systems.

Logins for the PTO were sent home in the Term 1 reports. If you did not receive your login, please contact:

Please also note that the locations for the Parent/Teachers interviews have been adjusted and Parent/Caregivers are asked to check the noticeboards around the

School for locations when they arrive.

Trish Davies: 8216 5756 Michelle McQuillan: 82165773

[email protected] [email protected]




The Magic of Harry Potter

Hits Year 6!

The Year 6 girls have had a truly magical time enhancing and enriching their

learning through the theme of Harry Potter. It all started with the girls using

their character strengths of creativity and teamwork to redesign the classroom

into our very own Hogwarts!

The magic then found its way into the curriculum! In English the girls explored

the rich language of J.K. Rowling to write sophisticated character and setting

descriptions; they developed empathy to write diaries and became journalists

for the Daily Prophet newspaper to write sensational newspaper reports. In

Maths they had to calculate angles to avoid dementors; use compass points to

guide Harry around a map of Hogwarts and read timetables so that Harry

arrived on time to his lessons. In Design Technologies, the girls designed,

created and evaluated 3D models based on objects from the book. In PE they

played Quidditch which resulted in a final competition for the prestigious

Quidditch Cup! In Drama the girls used costumes, set, props and tech

elements to create a performance piece based on excerpts taken directly from

the film script. In Music we went on an excursion to attend a performance by

the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra that ended with a magical

version of a Harry Potter medley.

All in all they had a spellbinding time!

Lewis Ashton

Year 6 Teacher

Junior School

Italian Culture Day

On Tuesday 5 April, the Years 4 to 6 Junior School participated in a fun-filled and

active Italian Cultural Day.

We began with various class activities focussing on Leonardo DaVinci. Year 4

created a segmented Mona Lisa using warm and cool colours. Year 5

investigated, made and tested one of Leonardo Da Vinci’s scientific inventions -

the pyramid parachute.

Year 6 used the face of the Mona Lisa to create their own hair, clothing and

background of the famous art work.

A lunch of delicious pasta with

napoletana sauce was shared with

all students R-6.

After lunch, the Year 7s were

invited to watch the play ‘I Due

Caribineri” (the two police officers)

performed by two extraordinarily

energetic Melbourne performers

from La Commedia Variety

Productions.

We were taken on a whirlwind police investigation of the stolen Vespa, stopping in

at Roma, Firenze and Venezia where the manhunt ended. The play was

interwoven with much humour, mayhem and Italian words and phrases sprinkled

throughout the performance. We were

treated to action-packed songs with

hilarious audience participation

including Mr Care being found to

match the identikit of the hunted thief.

The play was a perfect way to finish

off a most enjoyable Italian inspired

day.

Maestra Anne

Junior School Italian Teacher

“Exciting!”

“Really, really funny!”

“Interesting!”


ST MARY’S COLLEGE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The St Mary’s College Council AGM is a joint meeting of the College Council and

Board of Directors. Council and Board members, as well as College Leadership

staff will be in attendance. Board, Council and Financial Reports are presented.

When: Monday 30 May 2016

Where: Susan Sullivan Library

Time: 6.30 pm

If you have any queries please contact Sandy Conroy, Principal’s Executive

Assistant on 8216 5706.

TERM 2, 2016

16 - 20 May Positive Thinking Week

18 - 21 May Year 9 Outdoor Education Camp—Deep Creek

Tues 24 May Year 7 - 12 Learning Reviews commencing at 3.30 pm

Wed 25 May Year 7 - 12 Learning Reviews commencing at 1.30 pm

Fri 27 May Whole School Athletics Carnival - SANTOS Stadium

Mon 30 May Reconciliation Week Begins

Mon 30 May College Board and Council Annual General Meeting 6 pm

Tues 31 May Celebration of Reconciliation - 7.00 pm St Mary’s Chapel

Wed 1 June Year 10 Drama Production - 6.30 pm CPA

Fri 3 June Junior School Music Morning - 9.00 am CPA

Sun 5 June Instrumental Concert Day

6 - 10 June Year 6 Camp - Ballarat

Thurs 9 June Year 11 Drama Performance - 7.00 pm CPA

Fri 10 June Year 11 Drama Performance—7.00 pm CPA

Mon 13 June Queen’s Birthday Public Holiday

Thurs 16 June Year 8 Mediaeval Fair

Fri 17 June Club Muze and Fringe Performance - CPA

Sun 19 June Instrumental Concert Day

Wed 22 June Year 12 Drama Production Performance - 7.00 pm CPA

Thurs 23 June Year 12 Drama Production Performance - 7.00 pm CPA

Fri 24 June Year 12 Drama Production Performance - 7.00 pm CPA

Mon 27 June Pupil Free Day - Semester Changeover

Fri 8 July Last day of Term 2 - 3.15 pm dismissal


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

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