Newsletter 19.24 - Friday 15 November 2024

Principal's Report

Dear Parents, Carers, and Community Members,

At a recent assembly, I was honoured to share two significant milestones that truly reflect our vision at St. Mary’s of creating a vibrant community of learning, growth, and hope—rooted in the love and teachings of Jesus Christ.

First, we celebrated the achievements of our Year 11 students in a special awards ceremony, recognizing their resilience, hard work, and commitment. Their dedication inspires us all and serves as a testament to the power of persistence and hope in shaping their future journeys. It was a joy to celebrate these milestones alongside their families, whose support has been integral to each student’s success.

We also marked the completion of HSC exams for our Year 12 students, a moment that signifies not only the end of their journey at St. Mary’s but the beginning of exciting new chapters. As they prepare to enter higher education, begin apprenticeships, travel, or explore other paths, we send them forth with the hope that they carry with them not only academic knowledge but a deep sense of purpose, readiness to continue learning, and the spirit of service. Their achievements embody our shared mission: to nurture compassionate, faith-filled individuals prepared to make a meaningful difference in the world.

In closing, I shared an inspiring quote by Father Julian Tenison Woods: "Let us try to lead those in our charge to love virtue, to understand it, to imbibe its spirit, and to practise it with enthusiasm." This captures our vision for our students—not only to know what is right but to live it with passion and integrity. Our aim is to cultivate young people of character who are safe, respectful, eager to learn, and compassionate friends.

Recently, we hosted two impactful speakers on topics essential to our students’ growth in today’s world. Melinda Tankard Reist, a respected author and advocate, addressed our community on "Navigating a Sexed-up World," guiding our young people to resist harmful media influences and strive for relationships founded on respect. Dr. Marshall Ballantine-Jones joined her to lead sessions with our male students, sharing his insights from over 25 years of experience working with youth and families on the challenges of online sexualisation.

As we know, young people today face unprecedented pressures and messages that impact their sense of identity, relationships, and self-worth. In partnership with families, we are committed to helping our students navigate these challenges, especially given recent media coverage of concerning trends such as the influence of pornography, the misuse of AI, and the dangers of social media. These issues reach across all schools, and together, we must equip our young people to face them with resilience, understanding, and strength.

At St. Mary’s, we hold fast to the belief that every child is created in the image and likeness of God. We are committed to modelling the inherent dignity and worth of each individual and strive to live out our values of love, justice, compassion, and forgiveness. Our students deserve an environment where they are respected and valued, and where each of us is an upstander, safeguarding the dignity of all.

These presentations reinforced for our students the vital importance of recognizing what constitutes sexual harassment, understanding the mental health impacts of social media, and embracing their role in fostering a safe, inclusive community. While we are grateful for the many young men within our school who serve as positive role models—exemplifying maturity, responsibility, and integrity that strengthen our shared values—our community must have the courage to hold one another accountable and stand firm against any behaviour that undermines these principles. Together, we will educate, raise awareness, and make clear that harassment in any form will not be tolerated. Looking ahead, we remain steadfast in our commitment to promoting kindness, care, and compassion.

St. Mary’s is a wonderfully caring and welcoming community, but we recognise that preserving this environment requires vigilance, accountability, and shared commitment. We would be naive to think that issues like bullying or harassment do not exist, and we must remain proactive in addressing these challenges to ensure that our values are upheld. With high expectations for conduct and a commitment to inclusivity, we are building a future where every individual feels safe, respected, and empowered to thrive. Together, as a college and as families, we are preparing our students to grow into respectful, empathetic, and responsible individuals.

Thank you for your continued support in making St. Mary’s a place of dignity, respect, and compassion.

Kind regards,

Brett Donohoe - Principal

Key Dates

Two weeks at a glance - Weeks 6 and 7 - Term 4

Leader of Wellbeing - Year 12

Year 12 Graduation Dinner 

On Tuesday November 12 we celebrated the end of 13 years of school with the Class of 2024 at NEX. It was a wonderful evening and a fitting end to six years of secondary education. Students were formally dressed and ready to dance. The photographers and the photo booth were kept busy! 

A successful evening does not happen without a massive effort behind the scenes. I would like to thank our Support Staff at the College who worked tirelessly in the months leading up to the Graduation. I would like to thank all students that contributed in some way, in particular Samantha Johnson and Jade Chapman, who met with me on numerous occasions and were integral in planning for the evening. Thank you to Chris Shaw who made and presented each student with an individual cake. 

As the Class of 2024 continues on their life journey, let me remind you that you are not defined by your HSC result or ATAR, but by the person that you are. I have every confidence that the world is in good hands, and this is clearly evident by the young adults who have journeyed with us. 

 Warm wishes, 

Gerard Cushan - Year 12 Leader of Wellbeing and Engagement 

Leader of Curriculum

St Mary's BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)

Science

Science in Full Swing !

This year, the Science Department has been buzzing with excitement and hands-on learning across all year levels!

Year 7

Year 7 students have been exploring Earth’s place in space. They've dived into fascinating topics like the rotation of Earth causing day and night,  modelling the phases of the moon with Oreo’s, eclipses, and the science behind our seasons. Adding some creativity to their scientific skills, some students crafted colourful density columns, leading to some striking results!

Year 8  

This term, Year 8 students have been delving into the fascinating world of ecology. They’ve been exploring the complex interactions within ecosystems, with a special focus on Australian wildlife. This unit has not only highlighted critical ecological concepts but also helped students appreciate the complexity and beauty of Australia’s natural world. 

Some of our students took their scientific knowledge out into the community. Through partnerships with Origin Energy, they worked on assembling solar lights to send to students overseas without electricity.

Year 9 

Year 9 focused on what makes our planet move by studying plate tectonics. They've been learning about the incredible events that occur at plate boundaries, such as the formation of volcanoes, mountain ranges, and earthquakes. With all the recent earthquakes in our area, maybe our Year 9 students can give us some insight into what’s happening beneath our feet!

What did one tectonic plate say when he bumped into the other?

Sorry! My fault.

Year 10 

Year 10 have turned their gaze upward, exploring the universe and pondering some of its biggest questions. From the origins of the cosmos to understanding the major features of the universe, they’ve been engaging with the concepts that help us understand the very fabric of space and time.

It’s been a fantastic term of discovery, creativity, and community contribution in Science, and we can’t wait to see what next year brings!

When will I use this?

Career Focus: Hairdresser

Hairdressers might not seem like they’d need science, but a good understanding of chemistry and biology helps with everything from hair color to styling treatments. Science at school lays a foundation that helps hair professionals work more effectively, safely, and confidently with hair treatments.

Career Focus: Electrician

Electricians rely heavily on physics to understand circuits, currents, and electrical safety. Knowing how electricity flows and interacts with different materials helps them troubleshoot issues and safely install wiring and systems in homes, buildings, and industrial settings. Understanding basic principles of voltage, resistance, and energy storage from school science lessons is essential in this field. Physics classes give aspiring electricians a solid foundation to work safely and effectively in this highly skilled trade.

Youth Justice Forum 2024

Thank you to Oliva Jenkins, Sophia Rickards, Zoe Pitt and Layla Clare for attending the Youth Justice Forum on Wednesday 6^th November. This is what the girls had to say about the event:

What was the forum about?   Recognising that youth participation in Parliament is critical and that to improve this, Civics Education is required and lowering the voting age to 16 might help. “The Make It 16 Campaign” is  currently a focus and there was debate about making voting optional. Some students at the forum were of the view that older people should not be allowed to vote about this campaign because it does not concern them (very controversial).

Do you think you would vote at 16?

No. Maybe 17 though.

How was the topic of Human Rights embedded into the forum?  Younger generations can have a say in relation to bringing in new laws by engaging with local MPs and writing to them. Having your voice heard at school SPC groups is a good idea. Have conversations that highlight injustices and bring them to the attention of MPs.

What did you do in the forum?  In small groups, we brainstormed and each table had an adult leader. Human Rights Lawyers were then on a panel and fielded questions like:

What are the obstacles when protesting for rights? peer pressure, the law etc.

What did you get out of this experience?

I learnt a  lot about how young people can be politically engaged and advocate  for marginalised groups.

I heard a lot of opinions and I learnt that it is OK to disagree with others’ opinions.

Young people can make a difference.

Things are just not going to click for us. We have to put in the work to get our generation activated and interested in politics and the law.

Finally, how was the food?  The Sushi was great. The soy sauce was amazing. Unanimous. However, they gave us water in plastic bottles Mrs Murray. 

Mrs Murray: Oh, we must give our feedback on that!

Aboriginal Education

RUOK Day Weaving

Last week students had the opportunity to chill out on RUOK day and weave their own bracelet out of raffia. Thanks to our SPC leaders and Aboriginal students who helped out!

Aboriginal Astronomy

Some Science classes in Yr 7 will be learning about Aboriginal Astronomy in the coming week or two. Students will investigate the ‘Emu in the Sky’ and how its position informs Aboriginal people of the seasons and times to collect emu eggs. Levi will also teach the students the story of ‘The Blind Man and His Wife’ and ‘The Three Brothers’ (Orion constellation).   

Minimbah Local Area Land Council

Aboriginal students from Years 7-9 met again with Alex from our local Minimbah Aboriginal Educational Consultative Group (AECG) this week. Alex is supporting the students on a pathway to establishing our own junior AECG at St Mary’s.

Awabakal Seasonal Calendar

The Awabakal Language Program have recently released an interactive Awabakal Seasonal Calendar for our area. We are about to enter ‘Wunal’ or summer.

Have a look on https://seasons.awabakallanguage.org.au/

Landcare

Wildlife on our doorstep.....

Sport

Football

Congratulations - Ruby Jones

Ruby has been selected in the Australian School Girls Invitational Football team to play in the Dallas Cup in the USA in April 2025. Ruby is extremely excited to wear the Green and Gold representing Australia and St Mary’s Catholic College.

The touring team is a Football Australia sanctioned and supported team, and is not affiliated with School Sport Australia. They know Ruby is in Barcelona and she will join the team in Dallas from Spain.

Ruby is loving life in Barcelona, she plays for CE Europa and her team is currently leading the Juvenil A Preferente division, which is equivalent to our First Grade/ALeague.  The standard of football is extremely high and Ruby is growing as a person and a player, learning to speak Spanish and has a great group of friends here.  

We wish Ruby all the very best of luck in her football adventure.

Golf

Congratulations St Mary's Golfers!

Recently, 12 students travelled to Pacific Dunes for a “tee”-rific day at the Diocesan Golf Championships.

It was an amazing effort to have so many students competing, with a combination of seasoned golfers as well as some new recruits who showed extraordinary potential.

Throughout the day, all golfers were extremely competitive in their respective tournaments, with many exhilarating shots, dazzling drives and heart-stopping putts.

The day began with the Team Ambrose Tournament where we had three teams competing, hoping to continue the recent success of our Staff Ambrose Team. All teams demonstrated exceptional teamwork and skill, but un-“fore”-tunately they were unable to come away with the championship title.

In the Individual Players Championship we had 3 students competing for the coveted title of Diocesan Champion. Congratulations to Jye S who achieved the lowest score for our college and was the eventual runner-up for the entire Diocese.

All players were exceptional ambassadors for our College and are to be congratulated for their efforts as they played with great commitment and sportsmanship, and had a “hole” lot of fun.

Mountain Biking

Congratulations Brodie Dean

Year 10 student, Brodie Dean, has competed in the Fox Superflow Mountain Bike series, which includes racing at 10 different locations across NSW and ACT.  At each event Brodie received points towards the series standings and, last weekend, competed in the final event of the year in Orange, securing first place for the series in the u/17s NSW/ACT category. Congratulations Brodie for this fantastic achievement. You deserve to be very proud of your achievements in this sport.

Parent Forum - Notice of Term 4 Meeting

Complaints Resolution

St Mary’s Catholic College, the Catholic Schools Office (CSO) and Schools in the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle are committed to providing a positive, safe environment for all staff and students. There are occasions however, when members of our schools and wider community are concerned about something happening at a school that appears to be unsatisfactory or unreasonable. If you have a complaint, please follow this procedure: https://www.mn.catholic.edu.au/about/complaints-resolution-and-feedback/