Newsletter 11.25 - Friday 1 August 2025
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Principal's Message
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Key Dates
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Assistant Principal - Learning & Teaching
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Exam Assistance
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Sibling Relationships
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Ministry
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Year 12 2025 Graduation Mass and Awards Ceremonies
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Year 12
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Year 11
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Japan Exchange
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Food Technology
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Sport
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Aboriginal Education
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Landcare
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Uniform Shop - temporary change of hours
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Aspire
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Year 12 HSC Trials begin...
Principal's Message
Dear Parents, Carers, and members of the St Mary’s Community,
Welcome back to Term 3! I hope all our families enjoyed a safe, relaxing, and enjoyable holiday break with their children—whether it was a chance to travel, rest at home, or simply spend some quality time together. As we begin this new term, we look forward to the learning, growth, and shared experiences that lie ahead.
It was a great privilege last week to join several of our Year 10 students at the University of Newcastle for their graduation from a unique university program. These students, in addition to their regular schoolwork, completed a full university unit—either online or in person—across Semester 1. This is an extraordinary achievement that reflects not just talent, but commitment and resilience. We look forward to celebrating them more formally at an upcoming assembly. Their success reminds us of what’s possible when we embrace challenge with purpose and perseverance.
Launching into Term 3 with Purpose
At our recent assembly, our College Leaders shared a thoughtful reflection on Term 2—highlighting both the highs and the hurdles. Their words captured the spirit of our community beautifully and set the tone for a purposeful Term 3.
Our pride goes beyond the spotlight of individual talent or achievement. While some are celebrated publicly, many others in our community show up each day, working quietly and consistently toward personal growth and success. It’s important to remember that success is not just about awards or accolades—it’s about the pursuit. It’s about the small wins, the progress made, and the courage to keep going. Failure, too, is part of growth—it teaches us, shapes us, and helps us get better.
One message I shared with students last week at our whole school assembly was simple: show up.
Being present at school, every day, matters. Each day builds knowledge, relationships, and resilience. Missing even one day a fortnight adds up to over four weeks of lost learning across a year—a whole month of missed opportunity. Over the course of high school, this adds up significantly. Consistency matters. It’s not about being perfect—it’s about being present and giving yourself every chance to grow.
This journey of growth and discovery reminds me of the Emmaus story in the Gospel of Luke. After the heartbreak of Jesus' crucifixion, two disciples walk along the road, struggling to make sense of what has happened. They’re confused, discouraged, even ready to give up. But along the way, Jesus walks with them—unrecognised at first—listening to their fears and helping them see more clearly. Only later do they realise it was Him, and their hearts, they say, “were burning within us” as He walked beside them.
The Emmaus story is our story too. Sometimes, especially in the midst of challenge or uncertainty, we don’t realise how God is walking with us—through teachers who support us, friends who listen, and even quiet moments of clarity when we feel a sense of direction. For our students and families, it is a reminder that no journey is ever walked alone. Christ walks with us, even when we don’t immediately recognise Him.
To our Year 12 students—your Trial HSC Exams begin next week. This is a time of focus and purpose. You’ve come a long way, and we are with you every step. Keep turning up, keep doing the small things well.
To Year 11—your end-of-course examinations are approaching. Use this time wisely. Prepare thoroughly, seek help when needed, and trust in the process. Your hard work will pay off.
To Year 8—it was wonderful to welcome so many of you and your families at the recent information evening. As you consider your elective choices for 2025, take time to understand the expectations of Stage 5 and make decisions that reflect your interests and goals.
To Year 10—best wishes as you receive your Year 11 subject allocations and continue laying strong foundations for your final years of learning at St Mary’s.
As we begin this new term together, I left our students with three simple challenges:
- Be intentional – Set clear goals. Know what you want to be proud of in ten weeks’ time.
- Be kind – To others, and to yourself. Small acts of kindness go a long way.
- Be courageous – Dare to do your best—in your learning, your relationships, and how you show up each day.
Just like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, we each walk our own road this term. My hope is that along the way, our students feel their hearts “burning within them”—with purpose, hope, and the knowledge that they are never alone.
Let’s make Term 3 not just a busy one, but a meaningful one.
Family and Community Engagement (FACE)
We warmly invite you to attend our upcoming FACE (Family and Community Engagement) Online Information Session on Wednesday 20 August from 6:00pm to 7:00pm.
During the session, Cathy O’Gorman, our Assistant Principal – Learning and Teaching, will share key insights into the College’s current learning and teaching focus. Topics will include:
- How we are using high-impact teaching strategies to improve student learning outcomes
- Our approach to Curriculum Reform and the opportunities it brings
- How we are differentiating learning to ensure all students can access the curriculum
- The development of essential workforce-ready skills, such as collaboration, communication, critical and creative thinking
- Important updates to Stage 6 Assessment
There will also be opportunities for consultation, feedback, and shared dialogue. You’ll hear briefly from our parent representatives, from myself, and from Father Tony Potts, our Parish Priest. Ahead of this session, we will be sending a short survey to all families to help shape the evening around your questions and interests. We warmly encourage your participation.
I will shortly be providing parents directly with a link to the session and an online 2-minute survey to seek feedback on the questions or comments you may like raised within this agenda.
We hope you can join us.
Kind regards
Brett Donohoe - Principal
Key Dates
Two weeks at a glance
Term 3 Week 3AMonday 4 August to Monday 18 August inclusive | HSC Trials commence |
Tuesday 5 August to Thursday 7 August inclusive | Year 7 (2026) Interviews Year 11 College Leadership Day Landcare |
Wednesday 6 August | NAIDOC Assembly Year 9 Environmental Sustainability excursion Japan Exchange Information Evening |
Week 4B Monday 11 August | HSC Trials continue National Science Week Dio Sport Meeting |
Wednesday 13 August | College Assembly - Leadership Speeches Year 11 Drama Production - 6pm |
Friday 15 August | Student Mass |
Assistant Principal - Learning & Teaching
St Mary's Learning Conference 2025 - Building Strong Foundations
What if…? How about we…? Maybe …
It was during our 2024 Diocesan Annual School visit that our St Mary’s Catholic College Leadership Team first began to question how best to provide quality time for our teachers to undertake the significant load of implementing the new NSW Curriculum – time that would allow teachers to work in faculty teams for a sustained period, rather than a series of single days; time that would allow us, as a college, to strengthen our “compelling narrative”, designing for the future – not just “rolling out a required change” (Breakspear, S. 2024 CSNSW Curriculum Conference).
With a focus on the writing of quality teaching programs and in response to the Curriculum Review and “Building Strong Foundations”, our three-day conference saw our educators and support staff engage in professional learning including Keynote speakers, workshops and faculty collaboration time.
Drawing on the themes of Inclusion, Excellence and Engagement (the basis of St Mary’s 2025 School Improvement Plan) the Key Note presentations included Differentiating Stage 5&6 Assessment (Rachel Wright and Liz Stokes – Catholic Schools), PB4L (Craig Moore - Catholic Schools) and Strategies for Increasing Engagement (Sue Hatfield-Smith - The Novo School), while a series of smaller optional workshops were also held. Many of these workshops were led by members of our teaching community and covered such topics as Redesigning Assessment (with a focus on using AI), Integration and Assessment of the Capabilities in the Curriculum, Restorative Practice in Action, Microsoft Teams, OLT- ADHD Course, Leadership – Open to Learning Conversations, Selfcare and Introduction to Neurodivergence. Our Support Staff were also engaged in relevant training including sessions such as Safeguarding, Self-Care, Diabetes training, Microsoft Teams and Enrolment Process Refresher training.
Over the course of three days, provocative questions, deep discussion, planning and collaborative writing enabled our teams to deepen knowledge and understanding of new syllabi as well as make strong cross-curricular connections based on these common threads:
Inclusive Practices - Adjustments for our SWD students; Stretching our HPGE students; Scaffolding and support for ALL students
Opportunities for students to APPLY knowledge - Using skills of Collaboration, Communication, Creativity & Critical Thinking
Designing Quality Learning Experiences & Assessment Tasks - through the integration and use of technology in learning; and designing tasks that build the self-efficacy of every student, increasing engagement in and ownership of learning
Making X-KLA Connections – and strengthening the connection between learning and wellbeing.
The conference served not only as a valuable learning experience but also as a great opportunity for our learning community to share time together, building relationships and social capital, as we shared expertise, time, food, coffee and experiences across the three days.
Thank you to all our presenters, educators and support staff for what was a truly uplifting three days!








Year 12 Trial HSC Examinations - Good Luck!
Year 12 students commence HSC Trial Examinations on Monday 4th August and all students are congratulated for the way they have been preparing for these upcoming exams. The July holiday study sessions were well attended, and I extend sincere thanks to the many teachers who worked with students across the two weeks. I urge Year 12 students to continue to make the most of their days ahead as they maintain focus on the remaining assessments. I also encourage those students with Major Works due over the next few weeks, to continue to engage with teachers, making the most of the offers of additional rehearsal or time.
Year 12, all we ask is that you work to your best and, please, allow yourself to let go of the worrying. Trusting in God to carry you through, (Let go, Let God) surrendering and handing over the anxiety (Fast from Anxiety, Feast on God’s Love) will give you safe passage through stressful times and allow you to concentrate on the things that matter. Please be kind to yourselves these next few weeks.
Above all, Year 12, keep doing the small things each day, one task at a time. Good luck to all!
NAPLAN 2025
Parents of students in Years 7 and 9 who took the NAPLAN assessment in March 2025 will have received a copy of the individual student report (ISR) of their child’s results this week.
These reports provide useful information on a student’s results in reading, writing, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy.
NAPLAN ISRs are reported against proficiency standards. The standards are set at a challenging but reasonable expectation of what students know and can do at the time of testing. There are 4 levels of proficiency, which provide parents and carers with clear information on their child’s achievement:
- Exceeding: the student’s result exceeds expectations at the time of testing.
- Strong: the student’s result meets challenging but reasonable expectations at the time of testing.
- Developing: the student’s result indicates that they are working towards expectations at the time of testing.
- Needs additional support: the student’s result indicates that they are not achieving the learning outcomes that are expected at the time of testing. They are likely to need additional support to progress satisfactorily.
Click here to find out more.
YEAR 11 Examination Block commences 8th September 2025 Week 8 Term 3
I take this opportunity to remind Year 11 students that it is important to plan for the coming exam weeks, commencing Week 8 Term 3 8th September. Reading exam timetables and assessment tasks carefully, asking questions of teachers and planning study time across these weeks will allow students to prepare confidently. Time management and planning for study means taking an honest and realistic look at how time is spent both at school and at home. I encourage students to talk to their teachers and to seek assistance if required during this exam period. A reminder that After-School Study is offered three days per week – see below for details.

Thanks to the generosity of teachers, the After Hours Study Program for our Senior students continues this term (Year 10 students are also welcome!). Sessions are held each Monday, Wednesday and Thursday in the College Cafe commencing at 3.15pm and finishing at 4.45pm. I particularly encourage Year 11 students to take up this opportunity to study together and alongside the teachers who give up time to support learning each week. Exams for Year 11 are not too far away!
Year 8 (Year 9 2026) Additional Courses of Study Update
Year 8 students have submitted their choices this week for their 2025/26 Additional Courses and the subject Lines will now be finalised. In the coming weeks, where there are clashes or courses collapsed, students will have an opportunity to discuss alternative choices with Mrs O’Gorman. Students will be contacted during class time. This is a process that takes some time and patience – we will work to place all students in their chosen pattern of study as best as we can. Once all courses have been finalised, students and parents/carers will receive formal notification of their allocated subjects.
Cathy O'Gorman - Assistant Principal Learning & Teaching
Exam Assistance
Resources attached to help get you navigate exams....
Sibling Relationships

This article has been shared with you from Schools TV.
Sibling relationships play a powerful role in shaping a child's social and emotional development. For parents and caregivers, understanding the dynamics between siblings is key to promoting harmony at home and fostering resilience. These relationships can be a source of lifelong friendship and support, but they can also be marked by rivalry and conflict if not guided positively. Encouraging young people to value each other's differences, communicate openly and resolve disputes respectfully, helps build strong sibling bonds. By creating a nurturing environment that avoids comparisons and recognises individual strengths, adults can help siblings grow into compassionate, cooperative and emotionally intelligent individuals.
Ben Frize - Assistant Principal Wellbeing & Engagement
Ministry
As we enter the busyness of the term may this be a time of focus, determination and growth for our community. May we meet each day with purpose, the courage to face challenges with resilience, and the inspiration to keep striving toward our dreams. Amid deadlines and demands may we hold onto hope, stay connected to what matters and know that our efforts are shaping the best path ahead.
Feast of St Mary MacKillop of the Cross
“Never see a need without doing something about it.” St Mary MacKillop of the Cross
Next week on the 8th of August, we celebrate the Feast of Mary MacKillop, Australia's first saint, and a remarkable figure in our country's story. Alongside Father Julian Tenison Woods, she co-founded the Sisters of St Joseph, dedicating her life to serving the poor, the dispossessed and the marginalised.
This month marks 98 years since the Sisters of St Joseph began their mission of loving service in the Lake’s region. For nearly a century, the Josephite Sisters have been a constant presence in our community offering care, education and support to those most in need. Inspired by the example of Saint Mary MacKillop of the Cross and Fr. Julian Tenison Woods, their legacy is one of deep compassion, humility, and a tireless commitment to the Gospel. Their presence has shaped generations, and work continues to be felt in our schools, parishes and wider community.
With hearts full of gratitude, we honour their dedication and the enduring spirit of the Josephite charism that continues to inspire us to “never see a need without doing something about it,” as the Sisters, like Mary - the mother of Jesus, our College’s namesake and patron - responded to the call of service with a resounding "YES."
On days like these, we are reminded to reflect on our own calling: to be people who wear the robe of Christ’s love and are always ready to serve.



Year 12 Graduation Mass Invitation
We warmly invite Year 12 parents and carers to join us in celebrating our Year 12 students at their Graduation Mass. This special occasion offers a moment to pause and give thanks for the journey our students have travelled - a journey marked by learning, growth, challenges, and friendships that have shaped them into Christ-centred people, ready to serve others with compassion and purpose. Together, we honour their achievements, pray for their future and send them forth with our love and blessing as they prepare to begin their next phase of life.
Many blessings,
Kyle Clarence - Acting Ministry Coordinator
Year 12 2025 Graduation Mass and Awards Ceremonies
Please find below the invitation to the Year 12 2025 Mass and Graduation Awards ceremonies.
Please note, the Mass is being held in the evening on Tuesday 23 September and the Awards Ceremony takes place the morning of Wednesday 24 September 2025.We hope that you can join us for these wonderful occasions, we look forward to hearing from you.

Year 12
As many will be aware, a list of key dates for Year 12 was submitted to parents and carers last term. It is exciting times as the end of Year 12 students’ academic journey comes to a close. Trial HSC Examinations commence Week 3 and then it is the downhill run into Graduation and HSC.
I wanted to take time to acknowledge and reflect on a few members of our cohort who have modelled the values and character we embrace as a College. St Mary’s pride ourselves on holistic education, and a vibrant sense of community, not just academic excellence.
Toby Moloney
Recently Toby Moloney of Year 12 graced the front pages of the Newcastle Herald as he endeavours to run 100km non-stop on August 16th to raise funds and awareness for Kids with Cancer. In a recent conversation with one of his teachers Toby commented that knows it’s going to hurt, but nothing compared to what the children he has vowed to assist with in his fundraising efforts, go through in their daily treatments, and life in general.
Toby is a quiet-spoken young man whose leadership is wrapped in humility. We are so proud of his efforts and wish him all the best for what will be a courageous feat. Please see article in this newsletter for further details about his fundraising efforts.


Stevie Botham
I had the pleasure of acknowledging Stevie Botham’s sporting achievements at our last school assembly, and presented her with her NSW CCC jersey which she wore proudly representing St Mary’s. Her efforts led to the highly sought after selection in the Australian Schoolgirls Rugby League Team. Stevie’s success is not down to luck. She is a hard-working young girl, who has never lost her sense of identity and as a year group we are so proud of her. Mr Frize mentioned to the college Stevie’s holistic approach to school and I was reminded of her leadership and engagement at our 2025 Retreat whereby she prioritised her sporting schedule to give back to her year group. We wish her well when she represents our country against Papua New Guinea in October.


Jace Cox, Diesel Hagan and Fletcher O'Doherty
We also recognise the efforts of three talented athletes in Jace Cox, Diesel Hagan and Fletcher O’Doherty who all represented NSW CCC Rugby League with pride in the recent holidays. The dedication, commitment and resilience of these three is always on display at the college and their success is thoroughly deserved.

Lachlan Gillies
Lachlan Gillies is another inspirational member of our senior community. Humble with his athletic achievements in AFL, the college would like to acknowledge Lachlan who recently was selected from a large pool of young men and women to pilot the Young Endeavor ship off the coast of Western Australia. Along with eight other crew, Lachlan described the incredible journey from Thursday Island to Darwin as life-changing, and communicated that this once-in-a-lifetime experience will stay with him forever.
Just a snippet of great things happening with our senior students and evidence of the enormous potential this group possesses. Bring on the rest of the year.


Daniel Beckett - Leader of Wellbeing & Engagement
Year 11
Year 11 Leadership Day
Year 11 students are being prepared for leadership in our community. Applications for Student, House and College Leader positions closed last Friday and produced a group of remarkable young men and women who have put themselves forward for leadership positions from Term 4 2025 until the end of Term 3 2026.
Next Tuesday these students will attend the Leadership Day at Blacksmith’s Surf Club where they will have the opportunity to reflect on the type of leadership and legacy they want to bring to our school community. I wish these candidates the very best in their journey to leadership and look forward to working closely with them over the next 12 months.
A reminder to all Year 11 parents and students, the exam block that marks the end of the Preliminary HSC will take place in Weeks 8 and 9 of this term. A timetable will be issued in coming weeks but students should be starting to get their study notes organised now so they can build their knowledge base gradually over the next 6 weeks rather than leave their run too late.
Katrina Smith - Leader of Wellbeing
Japan Exchange
It’s Exchange Term!
This term marks an exciting milestone as we reignite our sister school relationship with Kobe Kaisei Girls’ School in Japan. After a pause due to COVID-19, we are thrilled to return to this much-loved exchange program, which has a proud history of building friendships that span cultures and generations.
The most recent step in this renewal was the signing of our Sister School Affiliation Agreement in November 2024, which reaffirms both schools’ commitment to “fostering meaningful cultural exchange, mutual understanding, and lasting friendship.”

Flashback toa past Japan Exchange in the 1999 College Newsletter - a proud tradition renewed!
Our 2025 exchange students have been preparing all year, including writing regularly to their host sisters — and the excitement is building as they get to know one another. One especially heartwarming moment awaits at the end of the flight, when host families will be waiting to greet our students at the airport, a truly memorable welcome to Japan!
Students will then spend seven nights living with their host families, attending Kobe Kaisei, and taking part in a rich cultural immersion — experiencing Japanese school life, family routines, language, and traditions firsthand. The exchange group will finish with three days in Kyoto, exploring the history, culture, and beauty of one of Japan’s most iconic cities.
In preparation, our exchange students are also taking part in weekly cultural and language lessons every Thursday lunchtime, covering everything from etiquette and everyday phrases to traditions and customs.
These students are wonderful ambassadors for our College — mature, curious, and deeply committed to this experience. As they prepare to travel, they exemplify what it means to be global citizens, building bridges of understanding across cultures and countries.

Absent students: Jack Foster and Victoria Chong
Food Technology
Year 10 Food Technology Students Explore the Sydney Seafood Market
Our Year 10 Food Technology (200-hour) class recently had the exciting opportunity to attend an excursion to the Sydney Fish Market and Seafood School. The day provided students with a valuable insight into the world of fresh seafood—from market to plate.
Students were fascinated to discover the wide variety of seafood on offer, including many species they had never seen before. They also gained an understanding of the unique seafood auction process, which was quite different from what they had expected.
At the Sydney Seafood School, students watched a live cooking demonstration on how to prepare a traditional seafood paella. They then had the chance to recreate the dish themselves in small groups, before sitting down to enjoy their delicious creations for lunch.
It was a fantastic hands-on learning experience, and our students represented the College with maturity, enthusiasm, and respect throughout the day.
Fiona Edwards - Food Tech Teacher










Sport
AUSA Basketball
During the school holidays, I travelled to America to play in basketball tournaments with AUSA. AUSA is a basketball organisation that selects Australian school students to visit the United States to experience college basketball life and connect with recruitment coaches.
We flew from Sydney on July 4th to Los Angeles, where some of us unfortunately missed our connecting flight to Washington. This caused a three-hour delay before we continued to Washington via New York. From there, we drove to Virginia Commonwealth University, where we stayed for the next 10 days to compete in the NXT Pro Tournament. We trained for two hours each day and had some free time to explore Washington DC. Highlights included visiting the Washington Monument and the White House. In the tournament, we played four games and won two.
After Virginia, we flew to Houston and then drove to College Station, where we stayed at Texas A&M University for the remainder of our trip. The town itself is named after the university, which it was built around. We continued our training and then competed in another tournament. This competition was more challenging as we were moved up an age group. Although we didn’t come away with a win, it was a great experience.
To finish off the trip, we toured Sam Houston University. We had the chance to meet the players, walk through the basketball stadium, and explore the locker rooms.
We then flew home from Houston to Sydney via Los Angeles.
The trip was an incredible experience that gave me valuable insight into American college life and basketball. My favourite part was learning to play basketball the American way and touring the stadium and locker rooms at Sam Houston University.
Hugo Fitzsimmons





In the holidays I was lucky enough to be selected for an Australian basketball team that travelled to the US to play in a few AAU tournaments. We faced strong, physical competition and I learned a lot from the experience. We stayed at Virginia Commonwealth University and Texas A&M which gave me great insight into college life in the US. Living in the dorms and seeing the campuses was a real highlight. I loved the trip, especially playing basketball at such a high level and meeting new people from around Australia and the US. It’s an experience I’ll never forget.
Zac Armit
Steve Merrick Cup
On Wednesday, 30th July, the Under 16 boys rugby union team competed in Round 3 of the Steve Merrick Cup. Despite the drizzly conditions, the boys remained enthusiastic and determined to build on their performance from Round 2 last term.
Their first match was a tightly contested game against Newcastle High School, with St Mary’s securing a narrow victory by one try. Buoyed by their success, the team entered their second match of the day against San Clemente Catholic College with high confidence. St Mary’s delivered a dominant performance, coming away with a convincing win.
With one round remaining in two weeks, the boys are aiming to secure a place in the Steve Merrick Cup Finals Day at No.2 Sportsground. Congratulations to all the students who participated, proudly representing St Mary’s with spirit and sportsmanship.



Toby Moloney Runs 100k's!!!!
You may have seen in the media, Toby Moloney, Year 12, is undertaking a mammoth non-stop 100km run on the 17th August. (That is 250 laps of the St Mary's oval). He had a warm-up run of 60km non-stop last weekend which he smashed, and he is confident of being able to achieve this 100km goal. Toby admits it will “hurt” but nothing compared to what the children he has vowed to assist with in his fundraising efforts, go through in their daily treatments, and life in general.
Toby is a compassionate, determined young man he is adamant he will achieve this goal!
Please see Toby if you would like to support him with this fundraiser.
Aboriginal Education
Kaayi (ky-ee) – Hello
NAIDOC Week Celebrations
St Mary’s is very proud of our community members, Hayley Cummings (Yr 10), Roo Faulkner (Aboriginal Education Teacher) and Levi Briggs (Aboriginal Education Worker) for their amazing leadership at NAIDOC celebrations recently held in the region.
Hayley, leader of St Mary’s Junior AECG, gave the main address at Eastlakes NAIDOC celebration at Pelican over the holidays. Hayley was a credit to her family and to St Mary’s, speaking about 50 years of NAIDOC. Levi gave the keynote address at the Maitland/Newcastle Diocese NAIDOC Prayer as well as other presentations, and Roo and his dance group headlined the dancing at the Newcastle main NAIDOC celebration.


Karawang Dance Group
Well done to the students who are preparing for the dance at the upcoming assembly on 6 August. If students have any questions please contact Roo or Mr McKay.

NAIDOC Awards
The Awards will be held on Saturday 3 August at the Entertainment Centre. We have two staff members with nominations – Levi Briggs for the NAIDOC Youth Person Award and Roo Faulkner for the NAIDOC Community Award – Individual, as well as a dance and business award.
Cultural Workshop
Aboriginal students from across Year 7-10 were invited to a cultural workshop last week. Activities included dancing, art and didg playing.


Maruung bangayi (mar-oong bung-eye) - have a good day
Levi Briggs, Richard (Roo) Faulkner and Paul McKay - Aboriginal Education Team
Landcare
Thank you Margo and Pam
The St Mary’s Creek regeneration began back in 2005. Yes, it has been 20 years since we started this Landcare project. Now that is sustainability in action!
St Mary’s became a registered Landcare site when LMCC had a “reclaim the creek” project. John Hughson was the person in charge of the LMCC Landcare Resource office at the time. With his support we were registered with Landcare and the regenerative story has gone from strength to strength. This journey would not have been possible without the laughter, help, technical advice and on ground support from many staff at LMCC.
We want to publicly acknowledge the work and support of Pam Baker and Margo Smith who have walked alongside us over the past 20 years. Both ladies have recently retired from LMCC and Katrina Piper and myself recently met with Marg and Pam to say thank you on behalf of the St Mary’s community. We take this opportunity to wish them all the very best in retirement and look forward to future coffee dates.
Our Landcare work continues this term. Stay tuned for the notices on COMPASS. Students can sign up to be part of this program which makes a very big difference to our local environment.
Maryanne Murray and Katrina Piper - Landcare Coordinators


Creek area in 2005 before regeneration project began
Uniform Shop - temporary change of hours
Please see below revised opening times due to the HSC Trials taking place in the hall. Please contact the Uniform Shop directly on 0435 954 372 if you have any queries.

Aspire
Our very best wishes to our fabulous ASPIRE cast members who embark on their evening performances starting this evening. We here at St Mary's are so proud of you. Break a leg!!!
Students performing - in alphabetical order:
Piper Araujo, Phoenix Araujo, Henry Barnett, Madeline Bojkowski, Olivia Brown, Amelia Bubenicek, Amelia Cutler, Katelyn Dowling, Molly Drayton, Avi Gleeson, Maykaylah Grady, Chloe Griffin, Wendi Harris, Ruby Inglis, Joe Jarvie, Macy Nash, Gabrielle Ollerton, Darcy Pierchorowicz, Abbey Toshack

Year 12 HSC Trials begin...
