Newsletter - T3 W4 - 16/8/24
From the Principal
On Wednesday, 14 August the College community celebrated the Feast of the Assumption with Fr Wilbur as our presiding priest. It was fantastic to come together as a faith community to observe this holy day of obligation.
After Mass our 2025 College Captains were announced to the community. Congratulations to the following students being appointed to leadership positions.
During the assembly this week I addressed the student body on the qualities of leadership and pointed to the fact that leadership is more than wearing a badge and all members of our community are leaders. Below is what I said:
Leadership is a word we often hear, but it's true essence is much more profound than simply having a badge or holding a title. Leadership is about influence, integrity, and inspiration. It’s about making a difference in the community, no matter how small.
Leadership, at its core, is about service. Jesus himself said, "The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve" (Matthew 20:28). As a Catholic community, we are called to follow this example of servant leadership. This means putting the needs of others before our own, offering help without expecting anything in return, and striving to uplift those around us.
You can lead by example, by your actions, and by your attitude. When you help a classmate understand a difficult concept, you are leading. When you stand up against bullying, you are leading. When you volunteer your time for a cause you believe in, you are leading. Leadership is about taking the initiative to make positive changes, regardless of your position.
Integrity is another aspect of true leadership. A leader with integrity is honest, ethical, and trustworthy. They are consistent in their actions and words, and they earn the respect of others through their reliability and moral principles. In a world where it’s often tempting to take shortcuts or act selfishly, maintaining integrity is crucial. As students, we face many choices every day. Choose to do the right thing, even when no one is watching.
Inspiration is the third key element of leadership. Great leaders inspire others to reach their full potential. They motivate and encourage those around them to strive for excellence.
Leadership also involves vision. A leader has a clear sense of direction and a goal they are working towards. They see the bigger picture and can navigate challenges with a positive outlook. Set goals for yourself, both short-term and long-term. Work towards them with determination and perseverance.
Leadership is not confined to a title or a position. It’s about influence, integrity, inspiration, vision, and service. Every one of you has the potential to be a leader in your own right. Embrace these qualities, and you will not only lead others but also create a positive impact on your College community and beyond.
Michael Campbell
Principal
From the College Business Manager
School Fees
A reminder that Year 12 school fees are due on Thursday, 22 August 2024, unless an arrangement has been made with the College Business Manager. Sheila Galea from the Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools will be in contact with families of Year 12 students to follow up outstanding fees.
Leanne Cummins
College Business Manager
Upcoming Dates
Week 5
Monday 19/8/24 - Science Incursion - Escape Room
Tuesday 20/8/24 - 2024 NRCC U16 Boys AFL - Byron Bay
Thursday 22/8/24 - 23/8/24 - 2024 SHINE - Coffs Harbour
Thursday 22/8/24 - 2024 NRCC U14 Boys AFL - Byron Bay
Week 6
Monday 26/8/24 - Friday 30/8/24 HSC Trial Exams
Monday 26/8/24 - NRCC Volleyball - Casino Indoor Sports Centre
Tuesday 27/8/24 - Vaccination Catch Up Years 7 & 10
Wednesday 28/8/24 - Friday 30/8/24 - Year 9 Camp Kokoda
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
This week we celebrated the Feast of the Assumption of St Mary. This Feast Day is significant for us in the Casino Parish as Mary is our patron saint.
Online Safety Essential Conversations: Online hate
In today's digital era, guiding children and young people through the online landscape is imperative for
parents. It's crucial to assist them in evaluating and reflecting critically on the content they come across
online, as well as to emphasise the significance of their own online interactions and their potential
effects on others.
Online hate encompasses any derogatory content targeting individuals or groups due to their race,
religion, ethnicity, disability, or gender.
Talk to your young person about online hate. Do not wait for an incident to happen before discussing
online hate. Initiate conversations about respectful online behaviour regularly, and use real-life
examples or news stories to illustrate the impact of online hate.
Tips for parents from Internet Matters
1. Model and encourage your young person to treat others as they want to be treated.
2. Advise your young person not to spread hateful or threatening content online but report it.
3. Encourage your young person to have an open attitude and honest curiosity about other people
because some instances of hate speech are based on ignorance or false information.
4. Be attentive to terms that might creep into your young person's vocabulary. Sometimes they use
harmful terms without realising.
5. Expect that they will respect other online users and to think before making a comment, sharing an
image or sending a message.
By engaging in open and honest conversations with your young person about online hate, you can help
empower them to navigate the digital world safely and responsibly while promoting kindness and
respect online.
Read more at esafety Online hate.
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
Shine is next week! Our Ministry Classes are pretty excited for the opportunity to gather with students from across the diocese. We look forward to journeying together for this faith experience.
Festa Christi
We had a number of Year 8 students attending the Diocesan event, Festa Christi last week.
Congratulations to all students who represented us.
Kate Rowlands
Leader of School Evangelisation
Headspace Presentations
The Headspace workshop presentations delivered to our Year 7 and 8 students over the last week were focused on friendships, bullying issues and being resilient. The feedback from both staff and students was extremely favourable with students gaining a better understanding of what bullying IS and IS NOT. Students were challenged to be brave and be an upstander rather than a bystander.
This Friday, 16 August Action Education will be facilitating the Backflip Against Bullying Presentation for Years 7 to 9. This is a Bullying Prevention Acrobatic Show and the link below will give you an idea of the program content.
www.actioneducation.edu.au
Vaccinations Catch Up
The Health Department will be here Tuesday, 27 August for any students from Year 7 and 10 who may have missed the vaccination days earlier in the year. Please contact the school office if you have any queries about the registration process.
Michele McCaffery
Leader of Pastoral Care
Sports News
U14 Boys Win Plate Final - Alex Gibbon Rugby 7’s Finals Day
After taking 5 teams the previous week, it was decided that the U14 Boys would return to Evans Head for the Alex Gibbon 7’s Rugby Union finals day and a chance to travel to Sydney to represent Far North Coast as the winning school.
Unfortunately, the day did not begin well with SMCC losing to Ballina Coast High School and Lindisfarne Anglican College 19-22 in their 2nd round game. Rounds 3 and 4 saw SMCC regroup and defeat Byron High 14-5 and Trinity Catholic College 40-12. This was without Lucas Murray who sustained a knee injury halfway through game 2 saving a try that ruled him out for the remainder of the day and Jay Urquhart-Purdon along with Cohen Sivewright for a couple of games with a knock to the leg and arm respectively.
At the end of the pool games, SMCC had 2 wins and 2 losses and, depending on other results, was not likely to proceed to the Cup semi-finals. Instead, SMCC finished 6th overall out of 11 teams and was placed in the Plate competition and a semi-final against Maclean High who they drew with the previous week. There was no such repeat of this as SMCC hammered their opponents in 15 minutes of quality Rugby and a convincing 45-0 scoreline. Captain Lachlan Rippon continued his excellent form scoring a hat trick of tries.
This left Evans River as the only thing between SMCC winning 4 straight games and taking out the Plate Final. Halftime saw St Mary’s down 10-12 but an excellent, disciplined 2nd half saw them run out deserved winners with a 29-12 final score. The whole team was excellent throughout the 6 games, especially the last 4 but special mention to the following boys for their tireless efforts that in the end made a huge difference, Lachlan Rippon, Corey Love, Sam Butler and Campbell Stuart.
Upcoming Term 3 SMCC Sporting events:
- U16 Boys Nth Rivers Catholic Colleges (NRCC) AFL - Byron Bay - Tuesday 20/08/24 (Week 5).
- U14 Boys NRCC AFL - Byron Bay - Thursday, 22/08/24 (Week 5)
- U14 & U16 Boys & Girls Nth Rivers Catholic Colleges (NRCC) Volleyball - Casino Indoor Sports Centre - Monday 26/08/24 (Week 6)
- Dio Athletics - Coffs Harbour - Monday, 02/09/24 (Week 7)
- U15 & Opens Boys & Girls NRCC & Nth Dio Touch Football - Grafton - Wednesday 11/09/24 (Week 8)
- Len Diett Rugby Union (TBC)
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.
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.