Newsletter - T2,W10 - 30/6/23

From the Acting Principal

This is the final newsletter for Term 2, what a busy, productive term it has been. I would like to thank the entire St Mary’s Community for the way I have been welcomed and accepted. It is a pleasure to be part of this vibrant community. I will continue in my Acting Principal role at St Mary's Catholic College for the duration of Term 3.

Catholic Education is far more than just academic rigour. St Mary’s is a tight knit faith community that works together to ensure faith, academic and wellbeing outcomes of all are attained.


NAIDOC Week
National NAIDOC Week celebrations were held at St Mary’s Catholic College on Wednesday, 28 June 2023. The College celebrated and recognised the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

NAIDOC celebrations provide an opportunity for students and staff to learn about First Nations cultures and histories and participate in celebrations of the oldest, continuous living cultures on earth.

The theme for 2023 is ‘For Our Elders’. Indigenous Elders have played, and continue to play, an important role and hold a prominent place in our community.

I wish all our students a safe holiday and look forward to seeing them all refreshed to start a busy Semester 2. 

Michael Campbell
Acting Principal

Upcoming Dates

Term3 - Week 1 
Monday 17/7/23 - First day of Term 3 
Wednesday 19/7/23 - Year 10 Troubie

Term 3 - Week 2
Tuesday 25/7/23 - Year 10 Careers Expo

Parish Mass Times

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

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

Adoration
Follows 9.00am Saturday Mass

Reconciliation
Saturday 8.30am - 9.00am

From the College Business Manager

School Fees
The payment of school fees is essential for the day to day running of the College and we are grateful for the efforts people make in paying these fees.  If you need to discuss your school fee account please contact the College Office.

Term 1 & 2 fees are now  due and payable unless regular payments are being made or an arrangement has been made.

Term 3 Tuition fees will be billed during the week commencing Monday, 17 July 2023 and will appear on the July statement.  

For planning purposes the  schedule of fees for Term 3 is below:
Term 3 Tuition fees Years 7-10 $486  
Term 3 Tuition Fees Year 11 $609
Term 3 Tuition Fees Year 12 $812  (note this is the final account bill for Year 12 students)

All Term 3 fees will be due and payable by Tuesday, 22 August 2023 unless paying by regular installments or an arrangement has been made.

Camp Kokoda
This is a final reminder that Camp Kokoda payments are due Wednesday, 5 July 2023. If your child is not attending and you have not notified the College Principal you will not be eligible for a credit on the camp fees as the College will be liable to pay these fees to Camp Kokoda.

Leanne Cummins
College Business Manager

From the Leader of Curriculum

Subject Selections - Year 10 into Year 11 2024
The Year 10 into 11 Subject Selection process has now commenced with the next sessions taking place in Term 3.

Session 3 — Monday, 24 July 2023, Period 1 - 2 (Term 3, Week 2)

Students discuss choices & have them signed off by relevant LOLs

• Subject selection Google Form made available & to be completed by 5pm Friday, 28  July 2023 (Term 3, Week 2)

Session 4 — Monday, 7  August 2023, 8am - 530pm (Term 3, Week 4 )                                                               SETP Interviews. Please note the following about these interviews:

• Students only attend school on this day for their interview. 
• These interviews are compulsory. No Year 11 enrollment will proceed until an interview is conducted.
• Those who cannot make this day are asked to contact Mr. Woerner for a suitable alternative time

The website  St. Mary’s Stage 6 Subjects (or bit.ly/stage6subjects) lists all available subjects as well as information about each one.

Electives Selection - Year 8 into Year 9 2024
The process for these selections will commence in Term 3. The timeline below is meant as a guide for planning:

• A general talk to all Year 8 about what electives may be available and any conditions that need to be met to enrol in some of them, will be on Tuesday, 25 July 2023, Period 1
• The above will be followed by a session for parents that evening, starting at 6:30pm
• All students and their parents/guardians have access to the Year 9 Electives 2024 website that has information about all the electives we offer.
• Towards the end of the Week 2 assembly (Term 3), a Google Form for Electives Selections will open up and students will be able to complete that form. Please note that due to continuing staff shortages, we will be unable to offer two Year 9 Agriculture classes so admittance to that elective will be based on a combination of when their entry was timestamped and possibly require going through an application process.
• Whilst students enrol in only two electives, they will need to pick three to help ensure they get most if not necessarily all of their choices.
• Please be mindful that if the numbers are too low, some subjects can not run. The cut-off will depend on a number of considerations.

Michael Woerner
Leader of Curriculum

From the Leader of Pastoral Care

North Coast Youth Vaping Forum
Recently I attended the North Coast Youth Vaping Forum facilitated by the North Coast Health Service. It was an extremely insightful gathering with a variety of contributors and the day enabled good dialogue between teachers, police, health professionals, parents and students.

The aim of the day was to discuss the issues surrounding vaping and the effects on our youth. 

Some important notes included:  The take up of vaping by young people is increasing. Research shows that 1:5 young people have vaped and nearly 80% of them say it is easy to get a vape illegally at a shop or online. 

I have included in our last few newsletters many resources to help educate our parents and students about the misunderstandings about vapes including these facts:

• Vapes contain nicotine making them highly addictive
• The nicotine in 1 vape can equal 50 cigarettes
• Young people who vape are 3 times as likely to take up cigarette smoking
• Vaping has been linked to serious lung disease
• Vapes contain the same harmful chemicals found in cleaning products, nail polish remover, weed killer and bug spray.
  

The importance of talking to your child
If you suspect your child is vaping, take the time to talk to them about it and help them understand all the risks. Try to start the conversation with your child in a relaxed, easy-going way, perhaps taking the cue from around you such as news items, or these school newsletters.

Finally, please take the time to complete the survey attached “Tell Us About Vaping” to help gather valuable information for the North Coast Youth Vaping Taskforce.

Michele McCaffery
Leader of Pastoral Care

From the Leader of Library and Resources

NAIDOC Week in the Library
We are excited to announce that NAIDOC Week is here, providing us with a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the rich cultural heritage of Australia's First Nations peoples. This year's theme, "For Our Elders," invites us to pay homage to the significant contribution, wisdom, guidance, and resilience of Aboriginal elders who have played an integral role in shaping our communities. To celebrate, our library has curated a display of books and resources that shed light on the history, culture, and experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.  I hope students are able to explore this collection, filled with captivating stories and informative works.. Let's appreciate the immense contributions of our Indigenous elders during this significant week of celebration. Happy NAIDOC Week!

Bev Champion
Leader of Library and Resources

From the Literacy Coach

Minimum Standards - Year 10
The HSC Minimum Standard has been introduced to ensure students have the reading, writing and numeracy skills needed for everyday life, work and further study. Students need to meet the HSC Minimum Standard to receive the HSC. To show they meet this standard, students need to achieve Level 3 in short online reading, writing and numeracy tests. 

Year 10 students sat for their first attempt at the three Minimum Standards tests during Week 4 of this term.  Students who have not yet achieved the minimum standard will have the opportunity to re-sit their relevant Minimum Standards Test early next term. 

The College has provided students with access to the website, Smarter Maths so that they can practise for their Numeracy Minimum Standard test. Please speak to Mr Chivers if you require assistance accessing this website. 

There will be an opportunity early next term for students to practise for their Writing Minimum Standard test and this will take place with Ms Northam. Students will be notified of this in Week 1, Term 3. 

It is important that students approach these tests with a positive attitude to do their best. 

If you have any questions about Minimum Standards, please contact Emma Northam or Mark Chivers via the College office. 

Emma Northam
Literacy Coach

From the Sports Coordinator

Australian Schools Girls Rugby League Championships
The St Mary’s community would like to wish Kali Ainsworth all the best as she represents our College as part of the NSWCCC under 18s girls rugby league team, these holidays at Redcliffe, for the Australian School Girls Rugby League Championships.

Last weekend, in Sydney, Kali was presented with her jersey. 

The College is extremely proud of Kali and her sporting efforts and we know she will leave everything out on the field.

Upcoming Sport
Term 3 SMCC has:

• Rugby 7s - 16s and opens boys and girls - Week 2 - Casino
• Basketball - Year 9/10 - Week 4 - Port Macquarrie 
• Touch Football 15s and opens boys and girls - Week 5 - Ballina

SMCC Representative sport
Students and families are reminded that when representing the College at any sporting event, that students must wear the full college sport uniform. This means that students are not permitted to wear casual jumpers, hats, track pants or shoes or socks. Students that fail to adhere to the College Uniform Policy whilst representing SMCC in sport will be asked not to attend. The purpose of this policy is to present as a team and show pride in our school. Any questions please direct them to the College Sport Coordinator Andy Fitness.

Weekly School Sport
A reminder to students and families that students are to wear the correct sport uniform on Thursday’s for weekly sport. Students are not permitted to wear black socks or canvas shoes and must adhere to the College’s Uniform Policy.

The College wishes to promote sport in a safe and positive manner and this begins with the correct uniform. 

Andrew Fitness
Sports Coordinator

From the Leader of School Evangelisation

Street Retreat 
Four students and Ms Day attended Street Retreat last week at Brisbane.  Our students joined with 60 other students from the Lismore Diocese participating in a range of social justice initiatives. The students reported this was a highly valuable experience. Students attended various ministries, shared meals with people experiencing homelessness and grew both personally and spiritually. It was physically challenging with the amount of walking we conducted, emotionally challenging with the hardship we experienced but incredibly rewarding and something that we will remember for life. 

Year 9 Reflection Day
On Tuesday, 21 June 2023 the Year 9 reflection day was held. The focus of the day was centred around the gospel message of the last, the lost and the least. Michael Fitzpatrick the Retreat Facilitator from Belum urged students to look beyond their own self and notice the people around them and seek to build an inclusive community. Students were pushed out of their comfort zones and some were even brave enough to join Michael on the microphone. This was a really important day that brought the Year 9 cohort together in unity. 

Naidoc Week 
On Thusday this week our College gathered for a Naidoc Liturgy. The theme for this was centred around the ‘For Our Elders’. Students heard an Aboriginal version of the Creed and engaged in prayer which was lead by our Aboriginal students. We were joined by some families and it was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our Aboriginal culture. The whole College engaged in various activities including Yulunga games- traditional Aborigianl sports, face painting, information sessions, trivia and yarning circles. It was great to be able to engage in a vast array of activities and to learn more about our Aborigianl Culture.

Mahaila Day
Leader of School Evangelisation

SMCC Athletics Carnival 2023

Athletics Carnival Summary 
The 2023 Athletics Carnival was held on Thursday, 15 June 2023 (Term 2, Week 8) at Queen Elizabeth Park. The weather was perfect for a fun yet competitive day on the track and for the field events. The day was extremely successful with a great showing of attendance and good numbers participating in events throughout the day.

Last year, 2022 Champagnat House very closely beat MacKillop House by 8 points to claim the trophy. Before that Mackillop House had won the carnival for five straight years. This year it was Champagnat House again. However, this year they dominated the carnival - winning by 815pts - an outstanding effort! Second was MacKillop, followed by McAuley and DePaul.

Congratulations to Champagnat for retaining the Scroope Cup (Athletics House Champion) for the second straight year, as well as all age champions on their outstanding efforts. A special thanks to those students/athletes who entered races/events and did not place - you are the true champions of this carnival and other events - without you carnivals would not be a success. Very interesting, the motto for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics is ‘Have A Go!’ and you did! Well done!

We also had three long standing records broken on the day by Angus Lawler (100m and 400m - and missed the 200m by 0.08 of a second) and Zubaida Soliman (Javelin). Massive efforts! Congratulations.

An overview of the results can be found below.

Thank you to all staff for their efforts on the day and particularly the students who behaved well and competed well.

Students who placed in the top two of each event have qualified for the Diocesan Athletics Carnival to be held in Coffs Harbour  Monday, 23 August 2023, Week 6 of Term 3. A list of these students will be found on the sports noticeboard. More information on the Dio Carnival will be distributed after the holidays.

Andrew Bartlett
Teacher

SMCC Show Team

Recently our SMCC show team received recognition from Herefords Australia for their efforts in Beef week 2023. I would also like to thank David, Brett, Jacob and Matt L for all their hard work. Also, thank you to Leanne and Cheryl for the designing and purchasing of the show shirts, they look great. This was certainly a team effort. Good job team!

Aaron Kennedy 
Agriculture Teacher 

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

The Uniform Shop service is a cashless service. Methods of payment are by EFTPOS or online ordering via Flexischools. No fees are charged to families for using the Flexischools service.

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

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

Thursday Orders
- Cut off time is 12 noon 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 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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ASK Work Shop
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Tuesday, 11 July 2023 ASK workshops will host their B"ASK"etball workshop at Southern Cross School gym in Chikiba Drive East Ballina 

Check out the flyer attached or the website : www.askworkshops.com for more information on our amazing coaches, the costs and the program for the day. Places are limited so get in quick!

Yours in prevention,

Kellie Coates
Prevent Consultants