Newsletter - T2, W8 - 21/6/24
From the Principal
On Wednesday during assembly, I gave students the following message relating to the Catholic Social Teaching of Stewardship.
Stewardship is more than looking after objects, as stewards of God’s creation we need to use our gifts and talents wisely for the benefit of others.
How can we serve others by using our gifts, and never giving up. At times we will struggle, we will fail, but there will always be people prepared to help you get over the finish line. Coming first is not important, it is about never giving up and using your gifts wisely.
What is your gift? What can you offer to your community? How can you help someone in need?
Every day at the College we see examples of people using their gifts to help people. It’s obvious in the teachers - but everyone serves others, every day. The trick is, trying to recognise it when it happens, and acknowledge it is the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
The purpose of our gifts is to benefit others, not for ego. We are entrusted with God’s gifts and therefore, we are responsible for using them wisely and generously.
Athletics Carnival
On Thursday, 20 June 2024, the College held the annual athletics carnival. The weather was great and student participation was excellent. Community-building events do tell a story of a school and its spirit. The way students participated on the day proves that St Mary’s does have tremendous school spirit. Well done to all!
Year 7-10 Parent Teacher Interviews
On Tuesday, 2 July 2024 and Wednesday, 3 July 2024 the College will be conducting Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences for our Years 7-10 families. These conferences are designed to give valuable feedback about student progress, the interviews are affirming and allow staff to talk directly with families relating to areas of improvement.
Have a great weekend!
Michael Campbell
Principal
From the College Business Manager
Camp Kokoda Payment Reminder
Thank you to the Year 9 families that have already paid for Camp Kokoda or have made contact with the College to make other arrangements. The following message is a reminder to all families that have not yet paid or made contact with the College.
The College is required to confirm student numbers and make an advanced payment to Camp Kokoda six weeks prior to the camp i.e. Wednesday, 17 July 2024. The camp is compulsory for all Year 9 students however if your child has a valid reason for not attending this camp, an application must be made to the Principal in writing and approved prior to Friday, 5 July 2024. If the Principal deems the reason valid then a full credit for the camp costs will be applied to the debtor account. Please note this is a non-refundable event.
No student is to miss out on this opportunity. If you are experiencing financial difficulties, please contact the College Business Manager as soon as possible to make alternate arrangements for payment.
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, 22 July 2024 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 $535
Term 3 Tuition Fees Year 11 $670.50
Term 3 Tuition Fees Year 12 $894 (note this is the final account bill for Year 12 students)
All Term 3 fees will be due and payable by Thursday, 22 August 2024 unless paying by regular installments or an arrangement has been made.
Leanne Cummins
College Business Manager
Upcoming Dates
Week 9
Monday 24/6/24 - Bell Shakespeare Performance
Tuesday 25/6/24 - U14 Cochrane Cup Rugby League Regional Finals, Coffs Harbour
Tuesday 25/6/24 - Year 9 Reflection Day
Wednesday 26/6/24 - Len Diett Rugby Gala Day, Woodlawn
Wednesday 26/6/24 - Brainstorm presentation, Years 7-10
Thursday 27/6/24 - Street Retreat, Brisbane
Thursday 27/6/24 - Health Pathways
Week 10
Tuesday 2/7/24 - Future Leaders - Southern Cross University
Tuesday 2/7/24 - Stage 4 and 5 Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences
Wednesday 3/7/24 -Stage 4 and 5 Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences
Wednesday 3/7/24 - NRCC Netball Gala Day - Tweed Heads
Friday 5/7/24 - Last Day Term 2
Parish Mass Times
Weekend Mass
Saturday 5.00pm
Sunday 8.00am
Weekdays
Monday 9.00am
Tuesday 8.00am
Wednesday 8.00am
Thursday 9.00 am
Friday 9.00 am
Saturday 9.00am
Adoration
Wednesday 5.00pm
Following 9.00 am Mass Saturday
Reconciliation
Saturday 8.30am - 9.00am
Anointing of the sick
First Saturday of each month
Country Mass
Sunday 23/6/24 - 10.30am Tabulam
Mission Team
This fortnight at the College we are looking at Stewardship. Our students have a very clear understanding of Stewardship of Creation as we visit this theme in class every year. This year, we will be looking at the good stewardship of our human resources. We are looking at what gifts and talents we have to offer those around us and how we can use our gifts to build a stronger community.
Family Mass
This weekend we have our Family Mass. It’s at 5pm Saturday, 22 June 2024. We look forward to seeing you there! There will be some pizza to share after mass if you have the time to stay around for a chat.
Online Safety Essential Conversations: Catfishing
Catfishing refers to someone employing a false identity to deceive you into thinking you're engaging in
a genuine online friendship or romance. Once trust is established, catfishers might:
● Publicise your secrets or expose your vulnerability, causing embarrassment or distress.
● Deceive you into sending them money through fraudulent schemes.
● Coerce or manipulate you into sharing intimate photos or engaging in online sexual activities.
● Threaten to expose or exploit you using nude or intimate material, a practice known as 'sextortion.'
● Misuse your personal information to assume your identity and commit identity theft.
By having open and proactive discussions about catfishing, you can help empower your young person
to recognise and avoid potential risks while navigating the online world responsibly.
Tips:
Start with Openness: Begin the conversation in a non-judgmental and open manner. Let your young
person know that you want to discuss an important topic related to online safety and they can come to
you if they ever feel suspicious or uncomfortable about someone they're talking to online. Emphasise
the importance of trust and communication in maintaining their safety.
Define Catfishing: Explain what catfishing is in simple terms. Describe it as when someone creates a
fake online identity to deceive or manipulate others, often for personal gain or to harm others
emotionally.
Discuss Red Flags: Talk about common warning signs of catfishing, such as someone refusing to
video chat or meet in person, inconsistencies in their story, or requests for personal or financial
information.
Emphasise Trust and Verification: Stress the importance of verifying the identity of people your
young person interacts with online. Encourage them to be cautious and sceptical of strangers,
especially if they seem too good to be true.
Discuss Privacy Settings: Review your young person’s privacy settings on social media with them.
Encourage them to keep their profiles private and to be selective about who they accept friend requests
or messages from.
Talk About Consent: Discuss the importance of obtaining consent before sharing personal information
or photos online. Remind your teen that they have the right to set boundaries and should never feel
pressured to do anything they're not comfortable with.
Let your teen know that if they ever find themselves in a situation involving catfishing, you're there to
support them without judgement. Reassure them that it's not their fault and that they can take steps to
protect themselves. Check-in with your teen periodically to see how they're navigating their online
interactions.
Read more at eSafety Catfishing
If you have any concerns about your young person please contact the school. It is important for the
school to know any wellbeing issues that may impact on learning and behaviour at school.
Clare Axman
Assistant Principal - Mission
Shine
Thank you to all the Ministry students who have returned their Shine permissions. It is a great event and we look forward to the preparation work in the lead up next term.
Year 9 Retreat
Our Year 9 students will have the opportunity to attend their Reflection Day in week 9. This is always a great day with students able to explore their faith in a supportive environment. This year we have a guest speaker coming to the College to facilitate the event. All parents will have information provided through compass.
Kate Rowlands
Leader of School Evangelisation
Brainstorm
The Brainstorm team will be at the College in week 9. This builds on the work of the Pastoral Care team and has a focus on positive relationships. Students from Year 7 to 10 will be attending the production called The Flipside which deals with Cyber Safety and Ethical Behaviour. For any additional information please click here.
Michele McCaffery
Leader of Pastoral Care
Learning & Teaching Team
Stage 4 and 5 Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences
Our Stage 4 and 5 parent/teacher/student conferences will be held on Tuesday, 2 July and Wednesday, 3 July in the Mercy Centre. Parents can book conferences via Compass and will run from 3:30-6:00 pm on both nights. If you are unable to make either of these dates and would like to speak to a classroom teacher, please feel free to contact them directly.
Subject Selection Process
This week, a letter was sent home to all Year 8 and Year 10 parents regarding the subject selection process for 2025. Copies of these letters can be found below.
8-9 Subject Selection Information Process
10-11 Subject Selection Information Process
The first date to be aware of is Wednesday, 24 July. On this night we will be holding our subject selection evening meeting for students and parents.
The meeting for Year 8 students and parents begins in the PH at 6pm.
The meeting for Year 10 parents and students begins in the PH at 7pm.
All parents and students are encouraged to attend. Classroom teachers and Leaders of Learning will be available to answer questions. If you have any questions regarding this process, please feel free to contact Mr Chris Robinson or myself at the College.
Learning Chats
From the beginning of next week, the College will begin a program of learning chats with students in classrooms.
The point of these chats is to gauge how a student is going in their learning - within and across subjects - and to help us better understand the individual needs of our students.
To start with, the Principal and Assistant Principals will conduct these random chats during period 3 lessons. Each chat takes 3-5 minutes and asks the following questions:
- What are my class learning goals?
- How do they fit my profile (for students in Years 8-10)?
- How will I know I am improving?
- Where do I go for help?
Over time, more staff will be invited to talk to students about their learning and their particular learning goals and we will move the talks throughout the day.
These chats will also look at the idea of accountable talk.
Accountable talk involves meaningful conversations that promote learning because students are required to speak, listen, explain, confirm, extend, clarify, justify, and verbalize thoughts and opinions related to the text or subject at hand.
We will be asking students to:
- Take responsibility for their actions
- Take ownership of the consequences of their actions
- Quit with excuses
- Communicate when they need help
- Be able to explain their actions to people they have impacted
- Be able to admit when they have been wrong.
Below are some of the classroom reminders for these chats that will be added in the coming days.
Nadine Connolly
Assistant Principal - Learning and Teaching
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.
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 3.00pm to 4.15pm
Thursdays 1.30pm to 4.15pm
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 - 4.15.00pm
Thursday Orders
- Cut off time is 12 noon on Wednesday
- Pick up available from the College office on Thursday afternoon from 3.30pm - 4.15pm.
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.
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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Stars
STARS is a community-driven, dance gala event. Every year, local business owners and personalities light up the dance floor to raise vital funds for the Cancer Council’s world-class research, prevention, advocacy, and information and support.
This year, Cohen Parrish (SMPS) and Keely Maguire (SMCC), have teamed up to participate in this event. They will give a spectacular performance, along with 8 other participants, and they are required to raise funds for the Cancer Council. You can help by donating using the QR code, following the link on Facebook https://stars.cancercouncil.com.au/.../stars-of-casino. They would be very grateful for your support for such a worthy cause.
