Newsletter - T1W3 - 11/02/22

From the Principal

Welcome back to the 2022 academic year. I would like to especially extend a warm, St Mary’s welcome to the  Year 7 students and all of the new students in each of the other year levels. I would also like to commend all parents on the way that most students have returned to school ‘looking the part’ and thank you for your support in ensuring our St Mary’s students remain worthy ambassadors of the College in the public domain.

I need to congratulate all of our students in Year 11 and 12 who sat through their HSC under very trying circumstances last year, and who gained amazing results in their various subjects. It is widely acknowledged that last year did not go to plan and that it was all less than ideal, but in the end the students showed resilience and the hard work paid off. Particular mention must go to Harriet Chard for her amazing results which have culminated in her being awarded the 'Hansen Scholarship’ from the University of Melbourne. This is an incredibly important and generous scholarship which will allow Harriet to attend University and help her achieve her dreams and goals for the future. Harriet is our second student in 3 years to be awarded this prestigious Scholarship - Mollie Crompton being the first in 2019. Other notable achievements include Max Simpkins with a 90+ ATAR and Ky Crethar who has begun work with NETFLIX as a trainee. Congratulations to all of our graduating class of 2021. I hope they all have begun on the next part of their life’s journey with faith, integrity and knowledge.

I believe that 2022 is going to be an incredible year, COVID-19 notwithstanding. We are expecting the handover of our new $8.3 million dollar science building in a few months time. At last, classes will be able to move into these beautiful facilities which have been designed and furnished with 21st century learners in mind. The work that is being done by staff to prepare for learning and teaching in this new space is inspiring. Thank you to everyone who is working behind the scenes in preparation for using the new spaces in the College.

We welcome the following staff members who join us in addition to those who commenced in December when we began our new Compressed Curriculum model:

Ms Keely Maguire - has been appointed as an RE/PHP teacher for 2022. Keely is a graduate of our College and has been working and studying in various capacities since she left us in 2014. Welcome back Keely.

Mr Jacob Franey- has been appointed as a Youth Ministry Officer for 2022. Jacob was most recently the YMO at St John’s College, Woodlawn in 2021, so comes to us with a great deal of experience in this role for 2022.

Ms Hannah Winkler - has also been appointed as a YMO for 2022. Hannah is a recent (2020) graduate of our College and we are thrilled to have her back in this very important role.  

On behalf of our College community, I warmly welcome each of these new staff members to St Mary’s in their respective roles and know that they will each make a valued contribution to the College during their time with us.

A number of existing staff have changed roles in 2022, so I offer this full list of Executive and Middle Management appointments which are effective for the 2022 academic year:

COLLEGE EXECUTIVE
Principal - Mrs Tracy Robinson
Assistant Principal - Learning and Teaching - Mrs  Nadine Connolly
Assistant Principal - Mission - Mrs Clare Axman
Leader of Curriculum - Mr Michael Woerner
Leader of Pedagogy - Ms Dana Barnsley
Leader of ICT - Mr Scott Taylor
Business Manager - Ms Leanne Cummins
Leader of Pastoral Care - Mrs Michele McCaffery

LEADERS OF LEARNING
Catechesis - Ms Helen Gooley
Evangelisation - Ms Mahaila Day
English - Ms Jo Colville
Mathematics - Mrs Judy Byrnes
Literacy Coach - Mrs Kelly Winters
Numeracy - Mr Mark Chivers
Science - Mrs Lauren Cameron
HSIE - Mr Chris Robinson
Physical Education, Health & Personal Development - Mr Andrew Bartlett
VET & Technology and Applied Studies - Mr David Lynch
Careers - Mrs Michelle Went
Library and Resources - Mrs Beverley Champion
Creative Arts and LOTE - Mr Justin Hayward
Inclusion and Diversity - Ms Kelly Scurr
Sports Coordinator - External - Mr Michael Ryan
Sports Coordinator - Internal - Mr Andrew Fitness

LEADERS OF STUDENT WELFARE
Champagnat House - Mrs Kate Rowlands
De Paul House - Mr Paul McCaffery
MacKillop House - Mrs Kerry-Anne McKey
McAuley House - Mr Aaron Kennedy

OFFICE STAFF
College Registrar - Mrs Karen White
College Secretary - Mrs Jill Cummins
College Administrative Assistant - Mrs Natalie Piccini

Our fortnightly Newsletters will continue to be issued in electronic form only in 2022. This excludes the first Newsletter of the year which is posted home, as has been the practice for many years. If you are unable to access a digital copy of our Newsletter (via the College App, website or email) please contact Mrs Jill Cummins in the College Office to request a hard copy.

Our ICT programme continues to develop and I would like to issue a reminder to students about the importance of storing these devices safely during the school day, especially at recess and lunch times when they should be locked away in student lockers. This is most important, especially with accidental damage insurance incurring an excess. I would like to thank our Leader of ICT - Mr Scott Taylor, for his work in ensuring each of our students has access to technology from the beginning of the school year.

Existing parents would be aware that we pride ourselves here at St Mary’s on building productive partnerships between home and the College. As in all things, from time to time issues will arise. To contact any member of staff, please phone the College Office on 6662 2255 or come to the office to make an appointment. We can also be contacted out of hours via email at: smhcas@lism.catholic.edu.au You will find a detailed ‘flow chart’ outlining home-school communication reproduced below.

With the beginning of the school year, comes the new guidelines and regulations concerning COVID-19. The students are still required to wear masks each day, and all students are still required to do RAT’s twice a week. We are hopeful that this will no longer be required after the next two weeks. All students will be issued with their next lot of RAT’s today (Friday), ready for the next two weeks. 

Finally I would like to finish with a quote from Pope Francis:

“The salvation the Lord offers us is an invitation to be part of a love story interwoven with our personal stories; it is alive and wants to be born in our midst so that we can bear fruit just as we are, wherever we are and with everyone all around us” (26 January, 2016)

In other words, we are to love God with our head, heart, and hands. The theme of our 2022 school year is to Answer the Call. It has been chosen as it embraces the ideals of the College of reaching out in service, generosity and love.

Pope Francis spoke these words during the World Youth Day in Panama in 2016. He reinforced that salvation isn’t something to be downloaded or discovered in a new “app”.  It isn’t a self-improvement project or some sort of tutorial. No, it truly is a love story. A love story between ourselves and God, and each person with themselves.

The Pope offered the example of Mary and her “yes” to God’s will. He pointed out that she put no conditions on her acceptance.  She didn’t say she would give it a try or see how things went. No, she just said “yes.” But that didn’t mean her life would be easy. Mary ‘answered the call’.

“Saying ‘yes’ means preparing to embrace life as it comes, with all its fragility, its simplicity, and often enough too, with its conflicts and annoyances… it means embracing our community, our families and our friends as they are, with all their weak points and their flaws,” Embracing life is also seen in accepting things that are not perfect, pure or ‘distilled’, yet no less worthy of love. Everyone is worthy of love.

Pope Francis admitted that it is often hard to understand God’s love. But it is a gift to know that it comes despite our imperfections. 

Everyone has a personal story that is alive, and this year, with your head, heart and hands, I pray you bear fruit in all you do, and answer the call within you.

Tracy Robinson
Principal

Upcoming Dates

Week 4
Tuesday, 15 February and Wednesday, 16 February - Year 7 PAT Testing

Week 5
Wednesday, 23 February - Year 7 Parent Welcome BBQ
Thursday, 24 February - SMCC Swimming Carnival (Kyogle)

Parish Mass Times

Weekend Mass
6 pm (Sat) & 8 am (Sun)
Next Week Vigil 6.00pm

Mass ONLINE

Weekdays
Monday 9.00am
Tuesday 8.00am
Wednesday  8.00am
Thursday 9.00am
Friday 9.00am
Saturday  9.00am

Reconciliation
Saturday 8.30 am - 9.00 am

From the Assistant Principal - Learning & Teaching

2021 HSC Results
The 2021 HSC seems like a distant memory now, and with the results being issued in the middle of the holidays, we have not had a proper chance to congratulate the students who worked so hard and achieved so much through what was 2 very stressful years. 

I would like to publicly congratulate the 2021 Dux of the College - Harriet Chard who achieved an ATAR of 93.7. Over the course of her HSC, Harriet received a band 6 (a mark over 90) in the following subjects: Investigating Science, Maths Advanced, Industrial Technology and SORII.

The following students also received a band 6 in one or more of their subjects over the course of their HSC::

Jordyn Aleckson - Music 1
Ky Crethar - Industrial Technology
Brock Dean - Music 1 and Maths Advanced
Max Simpkins - Engineering Studies and Maths Advanced

The College congratulates all students who sat their HSC in 2021 and wishes students all the best in their future endeavors. 

Back to school
After 6 weeks of holidays, it is sometimes difficult for students to get used to being back at school and it does take time for some students to get used to the restrictions that school can sometimes put on them.

The College always begins the year by going back to our 3 R’s: Respect, Responsibility and Readiness. 

We expect students to have respect - for themselves, for their teachers and for the school. This means that we try to focus on how students speak to each other and to teachers (and vice versa), we focus on how students present themselves and on how they look after their environment.

We expect students to be responsible - for their possessions, for their actions and for their words. We are trying to encourage students to accept responsibility, to take leadership options, to step up when it is needed. Our goal is to develop well rounded, functioning members of society who can participate, lead and excel.

We expect students to be ready - for class, for the day ahead. Students need to make sure they know their timetable and that they come to school and class with everything they need for the day.

High Schools are not just responsible for learning these days - our goal has always been to use the time that the students have here to help them grow into responsible adults who can function in society outside of school. This is most successful when schools and parents work in partnership with each other. Open communication and transparent procedures assist in this partnership. In 2022, with everything else going on in the world, it is more important than ever that students see their potential and learn cooperation and responsibility. I look forward to another year of working with students and parents to achieve these goals and to continuing to uphold high expectations for all students at the College. 

Uniform and Grooming
At the end of January, a letter was sent to all parents outlining the uniform and grooming policy of the College. It is important that students adhere to the policy. It is about community and about students taking responsibility for the choices that they make. 

Policies and procedures around uniform and grooming help to create a more cohesive community - they make the community easily recognisable and they create public statements about the College and the values we hold.

It is important to the College that every student has the opportunity to be a part of the community and that every student is treated equally and equitably. 

The letter went on to state:

I would ask parents to discuss the College grooming, uniform and health requirements with their children and make the appropriate arrangements to alter haircuts, nails or jewellery before Monday, 14 February. 

From this date, the College will assist students in adhering with the uniform and grooming policy as much as possible, ie; the College will provide equipment to help students shave, remove nail polish or make up etc. Also from this date, students who still have unacceptable hairstyles, colours, cuts or body modifications, will be precluded from joining the school community until the issue is fixed.

Nadine Connolly
Assistant Principal - Learning & Teaching

From the Assistant Principal - Mission

Return to school
I wish to extend my heartfelt thanks to all students for the manner in which they have returned to our College following the holidays. Our students have demonstrated resilience and acceptance of the state-wide COVID restrictions. 

Camp Kokoda
This evening, our Year 10 students returned from three days at camp where they were able to work together in a variety of activities to build resilience and teamwork skills. I am sure they are looking forward to a clean shower and a comfortable bed. I wish to also thank our staff who accompanied them during this time under the leadership of Mr Aaron Kennedy. We know the students and their families appreciate the commitment of our staff at times like this. 

Uniforms
Thank you to the many families who ensured their students were appropriately following the College uniform expectations as they returned to the College. The few students who required amendments to their uniform have until Monday morning before meetings with parents will be called. We are proud of our College community! We trust our students to represent themselves, their families and our community to the highest standard by adhering to our uniform policy. 

Vaping
Vaping e-cigarettes is causing an epidemic of nicotine addiction among teenagers and is linked to lung disease. We encourage our families to have open, honest and frank conversations regarding the harmful impacts the use of vaping has on young people. If you would like more information regarding vaping, please contact the College and we will be happy to assist you in any way we can. 

Clare Axman
Assistant Principal - Mission

From the Leader of Curriculum

Year 11 & 12
Procedure for being absent on the day of an assessment task OR the 'day before'. This is a reminder of what is required in case a student is away on the day of a task.

• The school needs to be contacted by 9am on the day informing us of that student’s absence
• IF the student is in Years 10 - 12, a medical certificate needs to be provided upon returning to school.
• If the student is a close contact, then an email from their parent/guardian will need to be sent to myself & the relevant teacher explaining this. A “copy” of the positive test is required as well
• If the student is positive for Covid, then a medical certificate, the notification text from NSW Health or a photo of the positive test will be required
• It is the responsibility of the student to organise a catch-up time for the missed task with their classroom teacher immediately upon their return to school
• The school’s assessment policy also explains the requirement for students in Year 10 - 12 to attend school the 'day before'. This could include the Friday before the Monday a task is due. The reason for this rule is to ensure that the remaining students are not disadvantaged by a student who remains at home and continues to work on a task.
• Please note that all of the above is outlined at the bottom of every assessment notification that is either handed out as a hard copy or posted on Google Classroom

Assessment Calendar
A reminder that the school uses a Google Calendar for the Assessment Calendar. Anyone with the link can view it AND open the hyperlinked Assessment Booklets.

1. Either type the following address into your browser’s address bar or click on it below - bit.ly/smccassessmentcalendar
2. Codes are as follows:
1. CC = Compressed Curriculum i.e. Year 11 & 12
2. 10 = Year 10 etc.
3. (IC) = In Class task
4. (HI) = Hand In task
3. Note that when clicking on an assessment task, a pop up window will be displayed. This window will include a link to the relevant Assessment Booklet. Clicking on it will not just open that booklet BUT also (after it has finished loading) jump to the entry for that particular subject.

Please note that if you are subscribed to that calendar, the interface will look different but the functionality is the same. Another bonus of being subscribed is that one can search & filter for a particular year level. I will address this in the next newsletter.

Michael Woerner
Leader of Curriculum

College Information

College Office Hours
The College Office is open from 8.30am to 4.00pm, Monday to Friday.

Payments at the College Office
Please place all payments and notes for student excursions, travelling shows and any miscellaneous events in an envelope clearly marked with the student’s name and excursion on the front of the envelope. The envelope can then be placed in the Cream Box in the College office. Many thanks for your cooperation.

College Uniform Shop Hours
Our College Uniform Shop is located within the College administration building. It is staffed Tuesdays: 3.15pm - 5.00pm and Thursdays 2.00pm - 5.00pm. Further details on ordering online can be found later in the Newsletter.

Student Validation Report
Being sent home with this Newsletter is a Student Validation Report for each student. Please review, make any corrections if required, sign the form and return to the College Office by Friday, 4 March.

Mathematics Tutorials
All students are welcome to come to Maths tutoring after school on Monday's and Thursday's in the Library from 3.15pm to 4pm. This is in addition to the Homework Centre which also operates in the Library. Teachers will be available to assist students of any age group or ability level and students are encouraged to bring any homework or classwork that they need help with or wish to revise. 

Homework Centre
The Homework Centre will again operate this year on four afternoons per week: Monday to Thursday between 3.15pm and 5.00pm in the Library. Please encourage your sons/daughters to access this great service which is provided FREE OF CHARGE to parents.

Students leaving school during the day
Parents are requested to avoid making appointments for their children during school hours. If appointments are unavoidable, parents must write a note outlining the details of the appointment. There is a section in the Student Planner called 'Notice of Appointment' and these slips can be used for written permission of an appointment. Students are to present the note to their Homeroom Teacher during the morning Homeroom session. Before leaving the College, the student is to report to the Office so that they may be 'signed out'. Upon their return, the student is to go to the Office so that they may be 'signed in' as verification of their return. The College does not permit students to leave the College grounds during school hours, which includes lunch breaks and sports afternoons. 

Bus Travel
Any new student at St Mary’s Catholic College (this includes all Year 7 students) who travels by bus each day needs to complete a new bus application. These forms are now only available from Transport NSW. For more information please visit www.transportnsw.info/schoolstudents

School Drive Subsidy
Any new student at St Mary’s Catholic College who travels more than 1.6km to the bus stop each day by car is eligible for School Drive Subsidy (Private Conveyance). To find out if you are eligible for the subsidy go to www.transport.nsw.gov.au/schooldrive

Skoolbag/Schoolzine
The Skoolbag app will be used for all College notices/correspondence and the Schoolzine app willl be used for the distribution of the College Newsletter.

Parent Portal
The Schoolworx parent portal is available to parents as a way of accessing student details such as timetables, attendances, reports etc. Please see the attached information on how to create a login or access the parent portal if you already have created a login.

From the Leader of Careers

Hello to all the parents, carers and students of St Mary’s. My name is Mrs Michelle Went and I am the new Leader of Careers here at the College.

In 2022, I will be working with all students in Year 10, seeing them once a cycle for a one hour Careers lesson. In these lessons, I hope to discuss a range of work and study related topics with the students and hopefully build skills surrounding job/career research as well as preparation, recruitment and application for the workforce, as well as Tertiary Education.

I am also responsible for TVET and EVET enrolment and I am more than happy to talk to students in Years 10, 11 & 12  about courses available through TAFE. 

Relationships, communication and connection are very important to me. I would therefore like to extend an invitation to students and their families in Year 11 & Year 12; I am more than happy to discuss options for work and study post-school, as well as various pathways to assist students while they are here at St Mary’s and as they are preparing to transition to life beyond the College.

I will also be working closely with Mr David Lynch, who is our Leader of TAS & VET. Together we will strive to support our students in their decision making process.

At this point in time, my best point of contact is via email: michelle.went@lism.catholic.edu.au

Once our new building is complete, I will be allocated an office and will therefore have a direct telephone line.

In the meantime, I will be using the Newsletter, email and our Daily Notices via Schoolworx to communicate various information. I am currently working on revamping the Careers website and I will provide a link to this in the near future.

I look forward to getting to know the students and families here at St Mary’s and assisting them in the best possible way on their career journey. 

Job Vacancies
Richmond Dairies are currently seeking a reliable and enthusiastic Administration Assistant to join their team on a 12-month maternity contract, there is a possibility that this position may turn into a permanent role in the future.

Send your resume through to: reception@richmonddairies.com 

You can also refer to the email I sent to Year 11 & 12 students about this vacancy 31 January OR come and see me in person if you’d like some assistance in applying.

WCA Chartered Accountants are currently looking for candidates for a 12-month full time Business Admisistration Traineeship for a Junior Office Assistant  in the Lismore Office.

This role would be suitable to students who have finished school last year and are looking for a career in Business Administration.

Please address applications to Mrs Anne-Maree Lee, WCA Chartered Accountants, PO Box 198, Lismore NSW 2480 or by email to hr@wca.com.au by 5:00pm Friday 18th February 2022

About the Youth Advisory Council
Ever thought of being a voice for your age group? Why not apply to be a part of the Youth Advisory Council?

The NSW Youth Advisory Council (YAC) plays an important role in advising the NSW Government on issues that are relevant to young people across the state.

Membership of the YAC is open to all children and young people between 12 and 24 years of age residing in NSW. Applications are sought from diverse locations, backgrounds and life experiences.

The 12 member YAC provides a direct avenue of communication between young people and the NSW Government.

The YAC meets regularly throughout the year to provide advice, and report to, the Advocate, Ministers and other government agencies on issues, policies and laws that affect children and young people in NSW.

Membership of the YAC provides an opportunity for children and young people to contribute to the work of the NSW Government.

Part four of the The Advocate for Children and Young People Act 2014 sets out the Council’s responsibilities and main function.

NSW Youth Advisory Council 2022 - Applications Now Open

Applications are open for the 2022 NSW Youth Advisory Council. Children and young people between 12-24 years of age living in NSW are encouraged to apply. Council members are sought from diverse locations, backgrounds and life experiences. The 12 member YAC advises the NSW Government on subjects relevant to young people across the state. Applications close 13 March, 2022.

More information on the NSW Youth Advisory Council as well as application forms are available here www.acyp.nsw.gov.au

Michelle Went
Leader of Careers

From the Literacy Coach

Welcome to all our new students and families and welcome back to all our existing students and families.  Already this year the students have heard the message ‘let’s get the little things right’ from our College Leadership team.  This is an important message for all facets of College life, inside and outside the classroom.  In particular, in the classroom, the College will focus on providing more opportunities for writing, where we will focus on:

• Sentence Structure
• Vocabulary
• Language expression - the way students use words or phrases to convey meaning

These three focus areas are foundational to constructive and descriptive writing.  We are asking students to really focus on getting these little things right to grow in their writing and their learning.  As we tell the students often, the only way to improve and grow in anything is to practice, whether that be sport, music or schoolwork, so we ask you to encourage your students at home to practise their writing, draft stories, assessments, homework and share with you their ideas and their learning. 

Kelly Winters
Literacy Coach

From the Leader of Learning - Numeracy

During week 4, our Year 7 students will participate in Progressive Achievement Tests (PAT) in Reading, Mathematics and Science. PAT tests are designed to assess each student’s current capability against the appropriate standard for their age. Unlike NAPLAN, the PAT assessments do not have a student/parent report. However, student data is available to our College and is a valuable source of information on each student’s development. 

Teachers use the results to track each student’s development from year to year. This information is a useful tool for identifying students requiring extra support or extension in their studies. The PAT testing process has been explained to all year 7 students and should not be seen as a stressful “pass or fail” assessment. However, it is important that students try their best in these tests, as the information gained helps to inform our teaching, in much the same way that a fitness test would help a personal trainer design the right program for success.  

Students can prepare for these tests by making sure they have a fully charged device and a pen with them each day.

Please do not hesitate to contact the College if you have any concerns about the PAT testing process.

Mark Chivers
Leader of Learning - Numeracy

From the Leader of Learning - Inclusion and Diversity

After a busy start to 2022, students are settling into their classes, especially our new Year 7 students. To help parents assist their children, please see the flyer detailing free webinars on Texthelp’s “Read & Write” assistive technology. This software is a free add-on in Google Chrome and has been added to all of Year 7 student laptop’s on their first day during their digital citizenship sessions, so they may utilise this where necessary.

As a staff, we recently welcomed Doreen Flanders and Rebecca Tibbey from the CSO to present the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Plan. This plan seeks to promote and support the unique and diverse cultural needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, their parents and communities. Through the development of quality relationships between child, teacher and parents, the uniqueness and giftedness of each student is appreciated and valued. We recognise the great cultural diversity among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and communities and value information and insight in how to integrate cultural diversity into the curriculum. If you would like further information please contact the College.

Kelly Scurr
Leader of Learning - Inclusion and Diversity

From the Sports Coordinator - Internal

Weekly School Sport Term 1 2022
Weekly school sport for 2022 will remain using the same structure as sport in 2021. Thursday sport will consist of Stage 4 students having sport in the morning during periods 1 and 2, whilst Stage 5 students will have sport in the afternoons during periods 5 and 6.

Next week, students will have the opportunity to elect which sporting activity they would like to participate in for the duration of Term 1.

Please see the details below regarding the sports available for each year group:

Year 7
Students will rotate through a range of scheduled activities as they transition into sport at High School. This will include Tennis, Lawn bowls, Oztag and Soccer. Please refer to the details at the end of this article.

Year 8
Basketball
Where: Casino Indoor Sports Stadium
Cost: $3 per week

Futsal
Where: Casino Indoor Sports Stadium
Cost: $3 per week

Volleyball/Netball
Where: SMCC / Colley Park
Cost: Nil

Walking
Where: Various destinations around Casino
Cost: Nil

Year 9 & 10
Basketball
Where: Casino Indoor Sports Stadium
Cost: $3 per week

Futsal
Where: Casino Indoor Sports Stadium
Cost: $3 per week

Tennis
Where: Casino Tennis Courts
Cost: $3 per week

Soccer/Oztag
Where: SMCC / Colley Park
Cost: Nil

Volleyball/Netball
Where: SMCC / Colley Park
Cost: Nil

Walking
Where: Various destinations around Casino
Cost: Nil

Gym
Where: Casino Health Clubs
Cost: $3 per week Cancel

Pilates/Yoga
Where: School
Cost: Nil 

If you have any questions, please speak to Mr Fitness.

Term 1 2022 - Year 7 Sport Timetable

During Term 1, Year 7 students will participate in a variety of sports catering to different levels of physical activity. Each class will have two opportunities at each of the four sports.

There is a small cost for Tennis ($3) and Lawn Bowls ($2). All other sports are free. Students are expected to have their money on the days where they are participating in paid sports. Failure to do so will result in the student having to remain at school and complete a sports detention instead.

Teachers:
Tennis - Mr Kennedy/Mr Harper
Oztag - Mr Bartlett
Soccer - Miss Maguire
Bowls - Mr Hayward

Andy Fitness
Sports Coordinator - Internal

From the Sports Coordinator - External

Upcoming Dates
Week 4
Tues, 15 Feb - Dio Touch Nominations Close (U15/Open)

Week 5
Wed, 23 Feb - Dio Rugby League Nominations Close (U15/Open Boys)
Dio Soccer Nominations Close (Open Boys/Girls)
Thurs, 24 Feb - SMCC Swimming Carnival

Week 6
Tues, 1 Mar - Dio Rugby League Trials (U15/Open Boys)
Dio Soccer Trials (Open Boys/Girls)
Dio Tennis Championships

Representative Pathways
St Mary’s offer students a pathway through the Lismore Diocese to represent NSWCCC and in some sports NSW All Schools and School Sport Australia.

Sports such as swimming, athletics, cross country, soccer, rugby league and touch football start with Lismore Diocesan trials and then progress through to the above.

Other sports including AFL, baseball, basketball, cricket, diving, golf, hockey, netball, rugby union, softball, squash, tennis, triathlon, volleyball and water polo, move directly to NSWCCC trials.

Students and parents need to visit the Catholic Schools NSW Sport website: https://csnsw.sport/ for details and applications.

Lismore Dio Trials
Nominations are now open for the following trials:

• Touch Football (Coffs Harbour) - U15 Boys, U15 Girls, Open Boys, Open Girls
• Soccer (Lismore) - Open Boys, Open Girls
• Rugby League (Woodlawn) - U15 Boys, Open Boys

Parents are required to transport students to and from these trials. To nominate, visit the Lismore Dio Sport website: https://sport.lism.catholic.edu.au/ and click on the “Registrations” tab. 

If you would like any further information about any of these trials, please contact Mr Ryan.

SMCC Swimming Carnival
The annual College Swimming Carnival will be held on Thursday, 24 February 2022. Due to the construction taking place at the Casino Pool, this year’s carnival will be at Kyogle Pool. 

I would like to take this opportunity to remind parents and carers that this is a compulsory school day for all students as far as attendance is concerned. Regardless of swimming ability, this is a day thoroughly enjoyed by all those who get involved. 

A permission note will be sent home to parents with further information about the carnival next week.

Mike Ryan
Sports Coordinator - External

SMCC Board Game Club

Board Game Club will return for 2022 on Thursday, 17 February.  After a successful (and rather loud) debut last year, I am keen to see the crew get back into it and would love to see a few new members as well. 

Whether you like strategy, fooling your friends, solving a puzzle, winning battles or just chucking a handful of dice, as the picture shows, we should have a game for that.

Board Game Club is free and runs after school in M1 each Thursday finishing at 6pm. Students will be able to play a diverse range of modern board games, without the cost usually associated with the hobby.  Any students who own games and want to use this opportunity to play with their friends are welcome to bring along their games as well. In order to join up, students will need to collect a permission note from Mr Chivers and have it returned to the College office before the first day they attend.

Mr Chivers
Board Game Club Coordinator

Social Media - reminder

It is quite common for parents to establish social media groups or pages to share information or connect with other parents in your child’s class and school community.

Please be reminded that it is not permitted to establish a social media presence using the school's name or logo without written permission from the Principal. Any permitted social media pages/groups/accounts must adhere to the schools and the Catholic Schools Office Diocesan Social Media Policies.

Canteen

Volunteers
We are looking for volunteers to assist in the Canteen. Please contact the Canteen via the College office if you are available at any time to help.

Flexischools
Flexischools is a well-established organisation allowing you to easily place all your canteen orders online at any time.

Download the Flexischools app from the App store or Google Play. Click here for details on how to set up your account. 

Once registered, you can start placing orders immediately.

Please note that sushi orders will need to be placed before Tuesday afternoon at 1pm as Sushi will only be available for Wednesday orders.

There is a charge of $0.29 per order for using this service.

If you have any questions, please contact the Flexischools Customer Service Team via their website contact page.

The normal process of ordering from the canteen (cash, eftpos, morning lunch orders) is still available.

Uniform Shop

Uniform Shop Opening Hours
Tuesdays         3.15pm to 5.00pm
Thursdays        2.00pm to 5.00pm

Payments of cash, cheque or EFTPOS are welcome.

Orders can also be placed via the Flexischools service. No fees are charged to families for using this service.

Please note the following information for orders made via this service:

Tuesday Orders
- Cut off time is 12noon on Monday
- Pick up available from the College office on Tuesday afternoon from 3.30pm - 5.00pm

Thursday Orders
- Cut off time is 12noon on Wednesday 
- Pick up available from the College office on Thursday afternoon from 3.30pm - 5.00pm.

Orders not collected will be given to the student the following day to take home.

Whilst all care will be taken to ensure that stock availability is correct at the time of ordering, there may be some items that are not in stock at the time of packing the online orders. In this case, you will be contacted to advise of an estimated time of arrival for new stock of that item or given the option of a refund processed through Flexischools.

All uniform shop order enquiries can be emailed to: cash-uniform@lism.catholic.edu.au

Second Hand Uniforms

Sustainable School Shop is an online shop dedicated to buying and selling of second hand uniforms. For more information ring 1300683337 or visit www.sustainableschoolshop.com.au.

 Please note that this facility is available for use with the new College uniforms only.

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