Newsletter - T2, W10 - 5/7/24

From the Principal

On Wednesday, I addressed the student body with the theme Olympic Spirit given the Olympic games start later this month. The Olympic Spirit is something that students can transpose into their daily lives.

The Olympic Spirit transcends borders, cultures, and languages, uniting the world in a shared quest for excellence, friendship, and respect. The Olympics represent not just a competition of physical prowess but also a profound celebration of human dignity and potential. 

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus teaches us, "Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven". 

The Olympic Games provide a global stage for athletes to shine, demonstrating not only their athletic talents but also their dedication, perseverance, and sportsmanship. 

The Olympic motto is-Faster, Higher, Stronger;

St. Paul reminds us, "Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God"

In the arena of sports, as in life, we are called to give our best, to honour the natural gifts and talents God has given us, and to inspire others through our actions. This is true Stewardship.

The Olympic Spirit teaches us to strive for excellence, to persevere in the face of adversity, to embrace the values of fair play and respect, and to build bridges of friendship and peace.

St. John Paul II, who was a great supporter of sports and the Olympic movement, said, "Sport, rightly understood, is an occupation of the whole man, and while perfecting the body as an instrument, it also perfects the soul." 

The Olympic games are not all about winning.

Staff Development Day / Student Free Day
A reminder to families that Monday, 22 July 2024 is a student free day.

NAIDOC Week
National NAIDOC Week celebrations were held at St Mary’s Catholic College on Friday, 5 July 2024. 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 2024 is Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud & Proud. 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 Term 3 on Tuesday, 23 July.

Michael Campbell
Principal

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, 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 instalments or an arrangement has been made.

Camp Kokoda
This is a final reminder that Camp Kokoda payments are due today, Friday, 5 July 2024. 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

Upcoming Dates - Term 3

Week 1
Monday 22/7/24 - Staff Development Day / Student Free Day
Tuesday 23/7/24 - First Day Term 3 - (Timetable Day 2)
Tuesday 23/7/24 - Troubie Productions Vietnam "Dusted Off". 
Wednesday 24/7/24 - Year 9 to 11, 2025 Subject Information Night
Thursday 25/7/24 - 2024 Boys and Girls Rugby Union 7's Gala Day, Evans Head 

Week 2
Monday 29/7/24 - Headspace Presentation Year 7
Tuesday 30/7/24 - North Coast Barista Championships, Lismore Show Grounds
Tuesday 30/7/24 - Northern Rivers Careers Expo, Lismore Show Grounds
Tuesday 30/7/24 - WW1 Living History
Wednesday 31/7/24 - Year 9 Food Studies Excursion, Coolangatta

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 

Mission Team

What a fantastic term it has been, We have been involved in a great many community events and sporting opportunities. I want to take this time to thank all our students for their contribution to the College and their consistently positive attitude!

NAIDOC Celebrations
The College held its celebration of NAIDOC week on Friday, 5 July. The wet weather put a damper on the activities but it didn’t stop the celebrating! Photos will be posted to the College's Facebook page in the coming days. 

Online Safety Essential Conversations: Sextortion
As technology continues to evolve, so do the challenges our children and young people face. The sharing of inappropriate images can have serious and lasting consequences, both legally and emotionally. Not only is it a violation of privacy, but it can also lead to cyberbullying, harassment, and even legal repercussions.

We urge you to have open and honest conversations with your young person about the importance of respecting themselves and others in the digital realm. Encourage them to think critically about the consequences of their actions online and to seek help if they ever feel pressured or uncomfortable.

Sexual extortion or ‘sextortion’ is a serious form of online blackmail. The process of sexual extortion can happen on any interactive service, including image and video sharing, instant messaging or social media apps. Offenders may even attempt to capture nude or sexual images of a young person while they’re on live stream or video, which is often then used as part of extortion.
Tips for parents from Think U Know

If your young person is being sextorted:

1. Take screenshots (keep the evidence).
2. Cut off all contact and block the offender.
3. Report it to any platforms or services where the blackmailer contacted you. You can also report here: Report Cyber. For more information, visit eSafety Sextortion. The Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre has a 24/7 Hotline: 1300 CYBER1 (1300 292 371).
Immediate support ring Triple Zero (000).

Read more at Kids Helpline Sextortion
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

Street Retreat
Four of our students attended the Diocesan Street Retreat last weekend in Brisbane, accompanied by Mrs Rowlands. It was a fantastic event and the students were able to participate in a wide range of activities. We can’t wait to hear all about it when they present to the College assembly next term. 

Year 9 Retreat
The Year 9 Retreat day was a great success last week. The students told us how much they enjoyed it and highly recommended the presenter. 

Kate Rowlands
Leader of School Evangelisation

Safe on Social
Save The Date: Online Safety Resources & Webinar For Parents
This month we wanted to share some invaluable upcoming resources provided by our online safety partner, Safe on Social.

With news headlines about confronting social media concerns happening almost daily, it’s important we are educating our students about online safety year round - at home and in the classroom. The topics can feel confronting but Safe on Social has developed a series of invaluable webinars specifically designed to support and empower you. These resources are available by donation to ensure accessibility for all families.

Sextortion & Deepfakes what you need to know now hosted by Kirra Pendergast & Madeleine West Wednesday, 24 July 2024, 7pm Zoom Webinar

Join Kirra Pendergast and Madeleine West for a confronting but informative discussion for parents, carers, teachers, and the community on two of the most concerning topics facing teens today – sextortion and deepfakes. Strictly 18+

Book Tickets By Donation

Michele McCaffery 
Leader of Pastoral Care

The Family Connect Service: Introducing Jamie-Lee Farnham
My preferred name is Jimmy, and I have grown up in the Northern Rivers Region. Over the last 5 years, my journey has been working in the Out of Home Care sector, particularly within the Semi-Independent Living (SIL) program, working in the roles of a SIL coordinator and crisis youth mentor, guiding and supporting adolescents towards independence. 

I have completed my Diploma of Community Services, as well as my Certificate IV in Community Services. Additionally, I've obtained certifications in Therapeutic Crisis Intervention and Applied Suicidal Intervention. These qualifications, and my experiences working as a frontline crisis youth worker, have greatly shaped my ability to support and empower families within our community.

My approach is about empowerment and strength-based methodologies. I thrive on building strong rapport and connections, firmly believing in the power of collaboration. Whether it's working directly with families or coordinating with appropriate services, my aim is to ensure that families and young people receive the best possible support.

Jamie-Lee Farnham
Family Connect Worker - Social Futures

Learning & Teaching Team

Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences
The College would like to thank all parents and students who attended this year's 7-10 Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences on Tuesday, 2 July or Wednesday, 3 July. We had an excellent turn out and the nights seemed to be quite positive. If you were unable to make these meetings and you wanted to talk to a teacher regarding your child's report, please email the teacher directly and they will get back to you.

2025 Subject Selection
At the beginning of Term 3 the process for subject selection will commence. The first date to be aware of is Wednesday, 24 July. On this night we will be holding our subject selection evening meetings for students and parents. 

The meeting for Year 8 students and parents begins in the Parish Hall at 6pm.
The meeting for Year 10 parents and students begins in the Parish Hall at 7pm.

There will be opportunities for all students and parents to discuss options with Leaders of Learning and classroom teachers on this night. Please see the attached letters for more information regarding this process for Year 8 and 10 students. We look forward to seeing you there.

8-9 Subject Selection Information Process 
10-11 Subject Selection Information Process

Nadine Connolly
Assistant Principal - Learning and Teaching

Year 9 Agriculture Class Excursion
Recently Mr Anderson’s Year 9 Agriculture class attended a local dairy farm owned and operated by the Toohey family. Students gained an insight into the importance of the dairy industry and were given the opportunity to see first hand relevant agricultural technologies. I would like to thank Mr Terry Toohey for his generosity and support of our students.

Aaron Kennedy
Leader of Student Wellbeing - McAuley

Construction
Students have been busy completing Semester 1 projects and have also completed two work placements, gaining very positive feedback from host employers. Construction projects, along with the theory component, enable students to develop a broad range of foundational skills and knowledge associated with the construction industry. The successful completion of the required competencies enables students to gain a Certificate II in Construction Pathways. I would like to congratulate everyone on their efforts this semester.

Dean Coggan
Teacher

Bell Shakespeare
Monday, 24 June actors from Bell Shakespeare visited St. Mary’s Catholic College. Year 9 and 10 students enjoyed an engaging performance aimed at bringing Shakespeare's plays to life. The show delved into key scenes and soliloquies from various works, along with an analysis of the language used.

Joanne Colville
Teacher 

Sports News

U13, U15 & Open Boys Country Cup Rugby League  - Tuesday 4 June 2024 - Queen Elizabeth Park
Queen Elizabeth Park Casino hosted the NRL Country Cup for U13 & U15 boys. SMCC sent 2 strong teams to the competition and both sides played excellent football to qualify for the regional finals held in Ballina on Tuesday, 18 June 2024.

In the U13’s SMCC defeated Maclean High School with Riley Formaggin, Sam Butler & Jackson Gay all getting across the line. The team held out a late charge from Maclean to win 14-10. In their 2nd and final game, SMCC needed to win comfortably to guarantee their spot in the regional finals on for and against points. The team did not let themselves down with a 26-0 thumping of Casino High. Tries to Riley Formaggin, Campbell Stuart, and Harlan Gannon in an all-around man-of-the-match performance, Tom Zeller & Jim George rounded out an excellent day’s work.

The U15’s were equally impressive in qualifying for the next stage with a hard fought win in their first game against a large, well organised side from The Rivers Secondary College. In their 2nd match they defeated Kyogle High School in a hotly contested match to book their place with the U13’s in Ballina a couple of weeks later.

Unfortunately the Open boys, down on troops and with several boys playing up 2 years, still managed to put in whole hearted performances but narrowly went down to The Rivers Secondary College and Maclean High School.

Phil Tobins Cup Open Boys Rugby League - Woodlawn, Wednesday, 12 June 2024
The Open Rugby League boys recently participated in the Phil Tobin Shield at St John's College Woodlawn. Despite having limited reserves, our boys showed resilience and played admirably against some strong teams. Tries went to Max Hale and Tom Ainsworth. I would like to thank the younger boys playing up and I would like to congratulate the boys on their efforts and the way they represented St Mary’s. 

Dean Coggan 
Teacher

Country Cup Rugby League Regional Finals - Tuesday 18 June 2024 - Ballina
With the U13 & U15 sides qualifying for the Country Cup Nth NSW Regional Finals both sides went into this part of the competition without some key players due to illness and injury. Although both sides were competitive on the day, it was a step too far as both sides failed to achieve the same excellent results as they had achieved only 2 weeks prior in Casino. To all the boys that did play, they should be very proud of their efforts as they never gave up on the day.

Craig Beare / Dean Coggan
Sports Coordinator / Teacher

U14 Boys Cochrane Cup Rugby League - Tuesday, 25 June 2024 - Coffs Harbour.
Coming off their hugely impressive wins over Woodlawn and Xavier Catholic College in late May at the Woodlawn-held Cochrane Cup Gala Day, the U14’s earned the right to travel to Coffs Harbour for the Cochrane Cup area finals. Woodlawn whom they beat in the previous competition also attended to face off against 2 schools from Port Macquarie. Newman College, unfortunately, pulled out the day before due to several players injured on the previous weekend playing at club level. This left SMCC with potentially a one-game shoot out against the winner of the Woodlawn vs St Joseph’s Regional College game. 

Upon arriving around lunchtime for their 1pm kickoff, SMCC learned they would be playing the boys from Port Macquarie. In a game that on the scoreboard did not reflect the closeness of the encounter, SMCC went down 22-0 but got across or very close to scoring on at least 4 occasions. In the end, Regional can be satisfied with an excellent result but SMCC can be equally proud of a campaign that saw them win much admiration from opposing teams in the 2 tournaments they competed in.

Shannon Beaumont
Teacher

2024 SMCC Athletics Carnival - Thursday 20 June 2024- Queen Elizabeth Park,
The weather was fine but slightly overcast for a fun yet competitive day of track and field events. Student attendance was strong with good numbers participating in events throughout the day.

In 2022 and 2023 Champagnat House had claimed the trophy. Before that Mackillop House had won the carnival for five straight years. This year it was Champagnat House again completing the three-peat. Second was De Paul, followed by McAuley and MacKillop. The final points are below.

Champagnat 1675 points
De Paul 1573
McAuley 1287
MacKillop 1083

Congratulations to our age champions on their outstanding efforts.

We also had three long-standing records broken or equalled. Nashua Thomas, 14 yrs boys High Jump beating the old record of 1.60m by 1cm that was set in 1993. Lascelle Hayward equalled the Open Girls High Jump record set in 2009 and Zubaida Solimon, set a new record in the 16 yrs girls Javelin beating the old mark set in 1991 of 26.21m again by 1cm. Massive efforts! Congratulations to all 3 of you.

A special thanks to those students/athletes who entered races/events and did not place. Your participation on the day is valued and appreciated. Thank you to all staff for their efforts and particularly the students who behaved fabulously 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 on Friday, 23 August 2024, Week 7 of Term 3, and Monday, 2 September 2024. A list of these students will be found on the sports noticeboard at the start of Term 3. More information on the Dio Carnival will be distributed after the holidays.

Primary School Beef Cup Sports Carnival-  Friday 28 June 2024- Colley Park
Several of our wonderful students went to Colley Park to assist as officials at the rescheduled Primary Schools Beef Cup. The initial day was supposed to be held during Beef Week but weather intervened and it finally went ahead in great weather. 

SMCC lent a hand with students helping out to referee primary school games of Netball, Soccer and Rugby League. Thank you to the following students for your wonderful help and expertise you displayed. You are a credit to yourselves, SMCC and the local primary school sporting community.

Congratulations Ella!
Ella Rose in Year 9, one of SMCC’s many keen Sportspeople and an excellent Swimmer and Cross Country runner has just been accepted into the Newcastle Ballet Theatre. 

Congratulations Ella, this is obviously well deserved after a lot of dedication and hard work towards your craft.

Term 3, 2024 Thursday Sport for Years 7-10.
Term 3 Sport options have closed. See below the activities on offer. Your child will be placed in one of these based on their top 3 preferred selections. Watch out for the Compass event to give consent.

Stage 4- Yr7 & 8

• Fishing - Weir or River, near the footbridge (Zero cost- Students bring their own rods and bait).
• Tennis - Casino Tennis Courts ($4 per week includes coaching and equipment).
• Volleyball - SMCC and possibly Colley Park. Zero cost
• Rugby Union Training - QEII & Colley Park (Mouthguards, Headgear, if worn and boots are required). There will be some contact games as part of the training. Zero cost
• Netball - Colley Park. Zero cost.
• Lawn Bowls - Casino RSM Bowls Club ($2 per week includes instruction, equipment and green fees).
• Athletics - QEII & School. Zero cost.
• Indoor Sports - Casino Sports Centre (Dodgeball, Basketball, Futsal, Pickleball, $20 for the term = 10 sessions).
• Sport Reform - SMCC and surrounds. This group will be made up of members who for whatever reason cannot participate in Sport. They will be doing activities based in and around the College with an emphasis on keeping our environment sustainable. We recognise that not all students can partake in sport each week and by doing activities such as this, it helps with our ideals of reaching out into the community.

Stage 5- Yr9 & 10

• • Athletics - QEII & School. Zero cost.
  • Beef Bosses - SMCC Agricultural Centre (Cattle appreciation). Zero cost.
  • Golf - Casino Golf Club ( $10 membership [12 months] and $2 per week club  hire. Supply own balls & tees.
  • Netball - Colley Park. Zero cost.
  • Rugby Union Training - QEII and Colley Park (Mouthguards, Headgear, if worn and boots are required). There will be some contact games as part of the training. Zero cost.
  • Tennis - Casino Tennis Courts ($3 per week).
  • Volleyball - SMCC and possibly Colley Park. Zero cost.
  • 5km Pacers Walking Group - Casino surrounding areas. Zero cost.
  • Sport Reform - SMCC and surrounds (see above explanation in Y7 & 8 sport).

Parents/Guardians, can you please provide consent via compass ASAP so your child can participate.

Upcoming SMCC Sporting events

• U14, U16 & Open Boys and Girls Rugby Union 7’s ‘Alex Gibbon Cup’-  Thursday, 25 July 2024
• U14 & U16 Boys & Girls Nth Rivers Catholic Colleges (NRCC) Volleyball - Casino Indoor Sports Centre -  Monday, 26 August 2024
• Dio Athletics - Coffs Harbour - Monday, 2 September 2024
• U15 & Opens Boys & Girls NRCC & Nth Dio Touch Football - Grafton - Wednesday, 11 September 2024

To check upcoming Combined Catholic Colleges (CCC) events and registrations

Link to Catholic Sport NSW

Sport Search (½ way down page) → Step 1 (click on CCC) → Step 2 (select sport). Registration & Calendar is also there.

Craig Beare
Sports Coordinator

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.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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