Newsletter - T3W4 - 12/8/22

From the Principal

This week, the leadership teams of all Casino schools met to discuss how we can all work together to support our young people and their families going forward from what has been a very difficult few years. The meeting also included representatives from Catholic Schools NSW, as well as the Department of Education. The gathering, I believe, is a show of faith and good will as we begin to collaborate across educational sectors, to allow all of our students to grow and flourish in our wonderful community. You will hear more about this initiative as it takes shape and systems are developed.

Earlier this week, all parents were invited to take part in the 'Tell Them From Me' survey.  This invitation was issued by email and I would ask you to consider taking part. All of the St Mary’s community are being given the opportunity to take part - including parents, students and staff. The information received will form the basis of the College’s annual school improvement plan. You can also click here to access the survey. Thank you in advance for your feedback and your time.

Thank you to all parents of our Year 10 students who have managed to get to the College to discuss their students senior education plan. This is a vital part of the process of choosing subjects and allows informed decisions to be made. Thanks to the staff who have given of their time and expertise to be a part of these meetings and in particular, Mr Michael Woerner who has done most of the lead up work prior to these meetings. If you were unable to attend on the designated day, please call the office and make a time to speak to Mr Woerner.

I would like to wish all our senior students the very best of luck for their upcoming Trial HSC examinations in Week 6. Albert Einstein said “In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.” The exams may be difficult, but they are an important tool to help you prepare for the HSC, to be able to demonstrate your knowledge, and to gain valuable feedback. This is a very stressful time for students and their families, so my advice for families with a stressed out student is the following:

• Give them a calm, supportive environment.
• Make sure they're well fed.
• Sleep, Sleep, Sleep!!!
• Help them to keep balanced.
• When the going gets tough, keep a level head.
• Be supportive and take the gloves off.
• Remind them it's not the end of the world.

Tracy Robinson
Principal

Upcoming Dates

Week 5
Monday, 15 August - Feast of the Assumption
Tuesday, 16 August - NRCC Aussie Rules (U14 Boys)
Thursday, 18 August and Friday, 19 August - SHINE Conference
Friday, 19 August - FNC Rugby 7’s (U17 Girls)

Week 6
Monday, 22 August to Friday, 26 August - HSC Trial Exams
Tuesday, 23 August - NRCC Aussie Rules (U16 Girls)
Wednesday, 24 August - Dio Athletics Carnival, Coffs Harbour
Wednesday, 24 August to Friday, 26 August - Year 9 Camp Kokoda Excursion
Friday, 26 August - Year 7 & 8 Debating Team - St Paul's Kempsey

Parish Mass Times

Weekend Mass
5.00pm (Sat) & 8.00am (Sun)

Mass ONLINE

Weekdays
Monday 5.30pm (15 August Feast of the Assumption)
Tuesday  8.00am
Wednesday 8.00am
Thursday  9.00am
Friday  9.00am
Saturday  9.00am

Reconciliation
Saturday 8.30 am-9.00 am

Country Mass
14 August - Mallanganee 

Masks are recommended in the Church

From the Assistant Principal - Mission

This week we celebrated the Feast of St Mary MacKillop. As Australia’s Saint, Mary is well known within our Catholic community. She was a woman of conviction who stood up for justice. She worked on the margins to bring education and faith to all. Our MacKillop House students strive for courage and tenacity with Mary MacKillop as their guide. 

Shine
Next week we have two dozen students attending the Lismore Diocese Shine conference. This is a fantastic opportunity for our Year 9 and 10 students to join together with peers from across the Diocese to share their faith. The commissioning mass for these participants will be on Sunday at 8.00am. We would love to see as many families attend as possible. 

Feast of the Assumption
Today, our senior students attended the Parish Liturgy in recognition for the Feast of the Assumption which will occur on Monday. Our junior students will have an opportunity for reflection in the Church on Monday.

Camp Kokoda
We are looking forward to our Year 9 students attending the outdoor education camp in the coming fortnight. It is a wonderful chance for students to work together and overcome challenges as a group. Any additional information will be sent to parents via email. 

Fathers Day Mass
Our Year 9 students will be attending the Parish Mass on Friday, 2 September at 9.00am. All fathers and grandfathers are invited to attend. 

Clare Axman
Assistant Principal - Mission

From the Leader of Curriculum

Stage 6 Trial Exams - Week 6
Year 11 and 12 students have been issued with their Trial Exams timetable. These exams are held, like every year, in Week 6 of Term 3. They have been on the School calendar as well as the Assessment calendar since the start of the year.

Absences from the exams will require a medical certificate or a mark of zero may be awarded. Please refer to the Stage 6 Assessment Booklet which can be accessed from any of the Google Assessment Calendar Stage 6 entries.

Students and their parents/guardians are asked to refamiliarise themselves with the Assessment section of the Stage 6 Handbook prior to the Trial exams.

Subject Selections - Year 10 into Year 11 2023
The Year 10 into 11 Subject Selection process is coming to an end this week with the SETP (Secondary Education & Training Plan) interviews (mandatory) this week.

Session 4 – Wednesday, 10 August, 8.00am - 5:30pm (Term 3, Week 4)

1. SETP Interviews

Electives Selections - Year 8 into Year 9 2023
The process for this concluded at the end of last week with students completing the Elective Choices Google form. The data from those choices will now be entered into our timetable software and then the timetabling team will generate a number of possible line combinations. These combinations will then be discussed at a school leadership meeting where a final decision will be made as to which subjects can run in 2023.

Important Files & Links for Year 10 - 12
Students in Year 10 - 12 need to know the following to ensure that they can access their e-Record, ROSA (Record of Student Achievement) or HSC timetable.

• NESA Student Number - This number is required in order to access StudentsOnline which allows students to access the above mentioned resources

Please note that ROSAs are not issued by schools but by NESA themselves and are available via the above linked to StudentsOnline site at certain points during a year. If a ROSA is not available, the e-Record is equivalent for the interim periods.

Michael Woerner
Leader of Curriculum

From the Leader of Pedagogy

SMCC Social 2022
The long-awaited College Social finally went off on Wednesday, 27 July - and it was worth the wait. There were some amazing Dynamic Duo’s who pulled up on the night: some New Zealand football players, some M&Ms, Kath and Kel, Gru and Viktor Perkins, Men in Black, Alvin and a chipmunk and some Mean Girls who were wearing pink because it was Wednesday. 

The Dance Off’s were a hit, with Will Ainsworth stealing the show - though Lachlan Newman’s ‘whip and nae nae’ was very impressive. Chelsea Robertson and Josh MacDonald ran the games and Georgina Lawler took out two prizes on the night. A big thank you to the SRC members who helped pull it all together and to all of the students who joined in this College Community event to help raise nearly $300 towards the Year 12 formal. And of course a big shout out to the staff who supported the night through supervision - we couldn’t have done it without you.

Dana Barnsley
Leader of Pedagogy

From the Leader of Careers

On Tuesday, 9 August at 6.30pm, Mrs Connolly & I ran an information evening for parents and students in Year 12. The primary focus of the evening was to discuss university application options and pathways.

Mrs Connolly and I wish to thank the 30 students and parents for their attendance and involvement in the evening. It was wonderful to see so many young people interested in the pathways available.

A copy of our presentation is available here for any family that was unable to attend. If there are any questions, please contact either me or Mrs Connolly and we’d be more than happy to help.

In Year 10, 11 or 12? Interested in a career in Health?
Check out the flyer below for an opportunity to attend an experience day at SCU Lismore on 15th September.

If you’d like to attend, please see or email me (michelle.went@lism.catholic.edu.au) before Friday, 2 September.

YEP 2 Future Careers
We still have positions available in this two day workshop, which now coincides with the Richmond Valley Council Careers Expo.

If you’d like to attend this workshop, please see me ASAP for an application form.

Michelle Went
Leader of Careers

From the Leader of Library and Resources

The Parent Collection
One of the books in our Parent Collection is Everyday Resilience by Michelle Mitchell.

Everyday Resilience talks about preparing our children for the ‘storms in life’ as an essential way to care for their health and well-being. 

For many children, resilience is much easier to talk about than put into practice.

In her book, Mitchell explains how families may support resilience in their children or adolescents by focusing on seven key traits;

•  encouraging courage
•  the importance of authentic gratitude
•  empathy and considering others
•  self-awareness and understanding one’s talent and strengths
•  taking responsibility of one’s actions and,being accountable
•  self-care and the mind-body connection
•  contribution and giving back

In each chapter, Mitchell provides practical examples and relevant tips to support parents in raising resilient young people.

More specifically, some of the following common questions are addressed;

1. How can I help my child be more confident?
2. What do I say when my child is rejected by friends?
3. How do I help a child who is struggling academically?
4. What do I say when my child says, “I can’t”?
5. How do I help an anxious or shy child find their voice?
6. What can I do to help them discover their potential?

As a teacher and founder of Youth Excel, Mitchell has witnessed first-hand what works. Using everyday scenarios and how-to actions, Mitchell explains resilience in a way that will relate to every family. Her practical tone, humour and hands-on experience provide every parent with tools to nurture strength in young lives.

Books from the Parent Collection may be borrowed from the front office. I invite you to explore what is on offer.

Bev Champion
Leader of Library and Resources

From the Literacy Coach and The Leader of Learning - Numeracy

Kelly Winters & Mark Chivers
Literacy Coach & Leader of Learning - Numeracy

From the Sports Department

Upcoming Dates
Term 3 Week 5
Tuesday, 16 August - NRCC Aussie Rules (U14 Boys)
Friday, 19 August - FNC Rugby 7’s (U17 Girls)

Term 3 Week 6
Tuesday, 23 August - NRCC Aussie Rules (U16 Girls)
Wednesday, 24 August - Dio Athletics Carnival

FNC Boys Rugby 7’s
St Mary’s entered teams in both the U15 and U17 divisions of the Far North Coast Rugby 7’s Competition on Friday, 29 July at Wollongbar. The U17 boys had a tough day out, having only Alstonville High as the other school in their pool due to a late scratching from Woodlawn. This saw them play a best of three game series against their opponents from Alstonville. Unfortunately, two close losses meant that a third game was not needed for our boys and their day was cut short.

The news gets better for our U15 boys. After dominating their first two pool games (52-0 and 43-5 over Emmanuel Anglican College and Evans River respectively), they met an undefeated Ballina Coast side in their last pool game. The winner of this match was to progress to the final against Woodlawn who finished on top of the other pool. The boys were able to convincingly knock off Ballina 27-12, however it wasn't without casualties as Tony Formaggin (fractured thumb) and Rory McInnes (shoulder) were both ruled out of the final.

Down on troops, the boys were underdogs heading into the final. We had two on the bench, Woodlawn had five. The boys were not willing to shy away from the challenge and they had the vocal support of the U17 boys filling them with confidence. From the opening kickoff, it was clear something special was about to take place as Hayden Sivewright caught the ball, beat four defenders and raced away to score. There were some tense moments with each team crossing for a couple of tries, however our boys from Casino were far too good, running away with the game 26-10 to claim the title of FNC Champions.

The victory was supposed to see the boys progress to the NSW Rugby 7's State Finals in Forster, however we received word earlier this week that the State Finals have unfortunately been cancelled due to an issue with field bookings and scheduling clashes. Although disappointing, the boys should be extremely proud of their efforts in being crowned FNC U15 Champions.

Mike Ryan
Sports Coordinator - External

Netball NSW Schools Cup
On Tuesday, 9 August, two teams travelled to Ballina to compete in the second round of the Netball NSW Schools Cup. The weather looked promising, but coastal winds became unfriendly, especially for our shooters. The Year 9 /10 girls team played tough games, only losing by single digits. The girls played particularly well against rival team, Trinity, going down by 3.

The boys were optimistic leading up to the day and played with passion and new found skills that saw them win their first game. Losing their second game they went into the pool crossover matches determined to come away with a win. Unfortunately they went down by 1, leading them to a successful 3rd and 4th play off against Casino High School. In the final ranking, the girls placed 6th while the boys, having more success against their opponents, placed 3rd. As a result, neither team will progress to the next level of competition. 

Both teams played extremely well and represented the College with pride. All students and staff involved are to be commended for their efforts in training and on the day. 

Hannah Toohey
Teacher

From the Leader of School Evangelisation

Grandparents Day Mass
Our Year 7 students joined with Mass the St Mary’s Parish earlier this term to celebrate our Grandparents. It was great to see some of our grandparents and significant senior mentors in attendance. Students prepared a gift for their grandparents as a small token of their gratitude, which they were proud to share. 

Mackillop House Day 
This week we celebrated the Feast Day of Mary Mackillop. Mary Mackillop demonstrated a strong sense of justice and had the courage and tenacity to stand up for the marginalised. We showcased some of our courageous and tenacious Mackillop students at assembly and the Mackillop house shared a BBQ lunch together.  This was a wonderful opportunity to build community spirit at the College. 

Shine Commissioning Mass 
This Sunday students attending the upcoming Shine conference will gather together for a commissioning mass. It is always wonderful to join together as a parish community before students attend discipleship events. Our students are looking forward to the conference and deepening their faith. 

Feast of the Assumption Liturgy
The Feast of the Assumption will occur on the Monday, 15 August. Our students will be attending a Liturgy to celebrate this Holy Day of obligation. This is an important day for our school community to gather, give thanks and to celebrate our Marian identity. 

Mahaila Day
Leader of School Evangelisation

Showcase

Showcase - Tuesday, 6 September
For the first time since 2019, St Mary’s Catholic College is proud to present our annual Showcase event for 2022. On Tuesday, 6 September, students from Music, Visual Arts, Drama, Photography, Design and Technology and  Multimedia, will be proudly displaying their talents and achievements. 

The evening will begin with doors opening at 6.00pm and the concert will commence at 6.30pm. Tickets will be available from the College Office on Monday, 22 August. Cost is $6 per ticket. 

Performances on the evening will include music performances from a range of genres, drama productions and dance numbers. 

Design pieces displayed on the night will exhibit the Senior students’ commitment and skill in their chosen construction field, ranging from timber, to metal and digital multimedia works. Artworks on display will highlight the outstanding achievements from students across Years 7, 8, 9 and this year the senior HSC Body of Works. These works will include drawing, painting, printmaking and sculpture.

Light refreshments and canapes will be provided during intermission on the night. St Mary’s Catholic College is so very proud of our students. We hope to see you on the night so that you can witness the truly outstanding talent of our young people. 

Jo Colville
Leader of English

Showcase 2022 Childminding Service
St Mary’s Catholic College Year 9 Child Studies class will be providing a Child Minding Service during Showcase 2022 on Tuesday, 6 September from 6.30pm-8.30pm. Parents will be able to enjoy the Showcase performances while their children are enjoying a variety of activities including dance, arts and craft and games. Please contact the College Office if you would like to take advantage of this opportunity and let us know how many children you require looking after. This is a free service, however a gold coin donation would be appreciated.

Mrs McCaffery and the Year 9 Child Studies Class

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.