Newsletter 16.25 - Friday 24 October 2025

Principal's Message

Principal’s Welcome – Building a Culture of Respect, Pride and Service

As we commence Term 4, I want to extend a warm welcome back to all members of the St Mary’s Catholic College community. This term marks an important time of culmination and growth where we celebrate the achievements of our students, reflect on what we’ve learned, and continue to strengthen the culture that makes our College such a special place.

At the end of last term, our community gathered to celebrate the graduation of the Class of 2025. The emotion and pride felt during their ceremony were a testament to the deep relationships and strong sense of belonging that define St Mary’s. Our teachers, who have guided these young people along their journey, shared in that joy and satisfaction. We now keep these graduates in our thoughts and prayers as they are undertaking their HSC examinations.

Among them, six of our students have already been recognised for their exceptional creativity and craftsmanship, receiving nominations for the prestigious SHAPE Showcase:

• Textiles and Design: Ahlia Campbell
• Industrial Technology: Lucy Bartley, Deegan Griffiths, Thomas McCullough-Hendricks
• Design and Technology: Cooper Emmerton, Eli Hunt

These nominations alone are remarkable achievements. Congratulations to the students and to their dedicated teachers; Mrs Katia Bunn, Mr Kris Eames, Mr Andy Smith, Mr Thomas  Millen, and Mr Clint Crispin, for their commitment and expertise.

To our new Year 12 cohort, who have now begun their HSC studies, I encourage you to embrace the challenges of this important year with determination and purpose. As I reminded our graduates, you are the fabric of this school’s culture shaping the tone through your relationships, your learning, your effort, and your example to others.

Lessons from Japan – Culture in Action

During the recent holidays, I had the privilege of accompanying Mrs O’Gorman, Ms Hatcher, and nineteen of our students on a cultural immersion tour of Japan. The trip was an unforgettable experience that highlighted both the beauty of our differences and the deep commonality of our shared values.

Japanese schools model a remarkable commitment to learning, teamwork, respect, and service — principles that resonate strongly with our own College values of being safe, respectful, and learners. In every classroom we visited, students demonstrated pride in their presentation, focus in their studies, and genuine joy in learning.

What impressed me most was their collective responsibility for their environment. Each day, students and teachers clean classrooms, hallways, and facilities together — not because they are told to, but because they believe in doing so. They understand that their school is a reflection of who they are, and their actions express that belief. It’s a simple but powerful expression of community culture.

Culture, after all, is not about what we are required to do — it’s about what we choose to do because we believe in it. At St Mary’s, our culture is revealed in tangible ways: how we wear our uniform with pride, how we approach our learning with effort and curiosity, and how we treat each other with kindness and respect. These daily choices show what we believe in and who we strive to be.

This experience has strengthened my belief that the culture we build at St Mary’s, one grounded in respect, responsibility, and pride is what truly enables learning and belonging to flourish. While most of our students live out these values beautifully, there is always room for growth. Every act of care, every piece of rubbish picked up, every lesson approached with preparation and effort contributes to who we are as a community, and to the culture we continue to shape together.

In the same spirit, being Ready to Serve is about living these values in action. When we take pride in our effort, when we show respect through service, and when we work together for the good of others, we strengthen not only our College culture but also our shared identity as a community of faith, learning, and hope.

Living Our Values

As we move through this final term, I ask all students to reflect on how they can live out our values each day:

• Be Safe: Make responsible choices and look after yourself and others, both physically and online.
• Be Respectful: Take pride in your uniform, care for our environment, and greet others warmly.
• Be a Learner: Arrive prepared, stay engaged, and take ownership of your growth.

St Mary’s is a Catholic College built on positive relationships and high expectations. We set these standards because we care deeply about our students’ formation as young people of integrity, hope, and service.

Welcoming New and Returning Staff

We are pleased to welcome several new teachers who have joined the St Mary’s community this term. These staff members bring fresh energy, skill, and enthusiasm to their classrooms and the wider life of the College. They are taking the place of Mrs Anne-Maree Artis and Ms Belinda Flood, who are currently on leave, and we wish both Anne-Maree and Belinda every blessing during their time away.

Our new staff include:

• Ms Louise Kiernan, Visual Arts Teacher
• Ms Brianna Weir, HSIE Teacher
• Ms Lainey Fibbens, PDHPE Teacher

We also welcome back Ms Convery and Mr Cushan, who resumes his role as Leader of Wellbeing Year 7. I extend my sincere thanks to Mr David Luschwitz for his excellent leadership of Year 7 during Mr Cushan’s leave.

College Property Planning Update

As part of our ongoing commitment to ensuring St Mary’s continues to be a vibrant, future-focused learning environment, we are advancing our College Property Planning work, an important step that lays the foundation for any future master planning. A summary of this work and the next steps will be outlined in a letter and emailed to all parents and carers shortly. I encourage you to take a moment to read the update via the link provided in that correspondence.

Ready to Serve

As we look ahead to the coming weeks, I encourage every student to build the habits that help them show up each day ready to work hard, learn deeply, and serve generously. When we each take pride in our effort and contribute to the life of the College, we strengthen the very culture that makes St Mary’s such a vibrant and hope-filled community.

Let’s finish the term, and the year, strong. Keep learning, keep growing, and keep serving. That is what it truly means to be Ready to Serve.

Kind regards,

Brett Donohoe - Principal

Key Dates

Two weeks at a glance

Assistant Principal - Learning & Teaching

HSC Examinations

The HSC Examinations are under way, and our Year 12 students have been both supportive and encouraging of one another as they attend each of their exams. Now at the end of our second week, I would like to commend our students for the way in which they have conducted themselves thus far, particularly in the heat of recent days. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Beckett (Year 12 Leader), Mr O’Neill & Ms Bergin (Learning Support Teachers), Ms Aitchison (Leader of Curriculum), our Admin and Support Staff, our Presiding Officer, Ms Jennifer Smith, and her team, and all teachers for their support of our students during this process. We are looking forward to celebrating final exams in about three weeks from now with HSC and ATAR Results being released on Thursday 18^th December.

Harry, Harriet and Sarah, of Year 12, heading into their Japanese Beginners HSC Exam last week.

Year 11 End of Course Reports will open for parents and carers this FRIDAY 24 October 2025. I encourage students to discuss their examination results from last term, and the content of their reports, with both their teachers and mentors. It is important for students to plan with teachers their future goals for Year 12 studies, and I encourage all Year 11 students to take on the “feedback” from their reports whilst also taking notice of the “feed forward” comments provided by teachers. All students are encouraged to set realistic and aspirational goals for the next twelve months.

The Year 11 Awards Ceremony will be held in Week 3 on Wednesday 29 October commencing at 1.45pm in the Hope UC Church. Details of the event will be sent via an invitation letter and is included in this newsletter. Following the Awards ceremony, parents, carers and students will have the opportunity to meet with their teachers for conferences – a time to focus on moving forward into the HSC year. Bookings for conferences open on Friday 24 October and close 2pm Tuesday 28 October.

Diocesan HSC School-Based Assessment Guideline

On Monday 3 November at 6pm an online meeting will be held for our Year 11 students and families (HSC Class of 2026) in relation to the recently published Diocesan HSC School-Based Assessment Guideline.

The purpose of the evening will be to inform our community about NESA HSC rules, and recent changes to the ACE Rules, which were published on 23^rd September. Of note is the changes to the definition of Malpractice, which has been updated in the guidelines. We will take time to unpack the SHC Guidelines, our procedures here at St Mary’s and the rights & responsibilities of our new HSC cohort in relation to assessment and malpractice.

Following the evening, students will receive and sign for a hard copy of the Assessment Guideline with Q&A sessions held in Roll Call classes across Week 4.

Finally, please see link belowfor a copy of the 2026 HSC Rules distributed to all Year 11 students this week.

Cathy O'Gorman - Assistant Principal, Learning and Teaching

Assistant Principal - Wellbeing & Engagement

Ben Frize - Assistant Principal, Wellbeing & Engagement

Substance Use & Addiction

Ministry

The True Spirit of Christmas

As the season of Christmas draws near, our hearts turn to the message of hope, peace, and love that lies at its centre, the birth of Christ, God’s greatest gift to humanity. Christmas is a time of joy and celebration, yet for many families it can also be a time of quiet struggle, loneliness, or uncertainty.

As a faith community, we are reminded that the heart of Christmas is not found in presents under the tree, but in presence, in being there for one another, in acts of kindness and generosity that bring light into someone else’s darkness.

This Christmas, we are invited to share what we can, to give generously so that others may experience the warmth and joy of the season. Through our simple gestures — a donation, a word of encouragement, or an offer of support, we can walk beside those who are doing it tough. In doing so, we bring the message of Christ to life in our community.

At St Mary’s, our motto “Ready to Serve” reminds us that we live our faith most fully when we reach out in love. As our founders, Fr Julian Tenison Woods and St Mary Mackillop of the cross taught us

“Never see a need without doing something about it.”

May we continue to embody this spirit of compassion and service, sharing the true meaning of Christmas, the love of Christ made visible through us.

2025 Vinnies Christmas Appeal

“Christmas is a time for giving, and this year, more than ever, your generosity can make a real difference.”

New research conducted by YouGov for the St Vincent de Paul Society NSW reveals that 68% of Australians are concerned that festive season expenses will strain their finances. Over the past year, close to 100,000 people have been supported by Vinnies – a 14% increase from the previous year.

The rising cost of living is affecting families across our communities. Every trip to the supermarket reminds us how much less we can afford, even as prices continue to climb.

So, what can we do to help?

At St Mary’s College, we are proud to support the Vinnies Christmas Appeal. For the first three weeks of November, each Roll Call group is invited to contribute to a Christmas hamper for a local family or individual in need.

This year, each Roll Call has been matched with a specific recipient from our local Vinnies chapter, allowing us to tailor our support more personally.

Suggested Hamper Items:

• Christmas Cake (size based on recipient)
• Tinned Ham
• Christmas Chocolates & Biscuits
• Cracker Biscuits
• Share Packets of Chocolates
• Christmas Crackers/Bon Bons (if children)
• Tetra-pak Fruit Juice
• Breakfast Cereal
• Tinned Fruit
• Packets of Jelly
• Long-life Custard
• Condiments (pickles, relish, sauces)
• Packet Tea & Coffee
• Long-life Milk
• Deodorant (male/female)
• Toothpaste
• Body Wash
• Hand Sanitizer
• Christmas Lollies Stocking (if children)
• Fruit Mince Pies (adults only)
• Sports Equipment

Roll Call Allocations:

Each Roll Call group has been assigned a recipient to guide their hamper contributions.

Let’s come together as a community to bring joy and hope to those who need it most this Christmas. Every item donated is a step toward a brighter holiday for someone in need.

Thank you for your kindness and generosity.

DeAnna Addicoat - Ministry Coordinator

Pilgrims of Hope - Jubilee Year

I wanted to thank the CSO and school community for the opportunity to travel on a recent pilgrimage in The Footsteps of St Paul, to Greece, Turkey and Rome. I enjoyed the company of many new people, in fact, I had only really known about four other pilgrims, and those not very well. I felt happy to get to know the parishioners as well as the staff from primary schools, and from the CSO, as well as the other secondary schools. It was beneficial to have that cross section of our community on the pilgrimage. We crossed through four holy doors and received a Plenary Indulgence as a result.

There were numerous powerful moments for me and other pilgrims, and I am grateful for those. I was surprised at the power and magnificence of God’s creation and my own insignificance in comparison. I look forward to sharing my experience with students and staff as I feel the opportunity to do so over the coming weeks. This pilgrimage will add value to my teaching, and I feel blessed to have attended.

Elisa Milajew - English and Religion Teacher

Year 10

Reflection

As the year draws to a close, it’s a wonderful time to reflect on the journey of our Year 10 students — a cohort that has shown immense growth, quiet confidence, and a strong sense of community spirit throughout 2025. It is a privilege to see this group mature into thoughtful, capable young people who embody our school motto, “Ready to Serve.”

It’s remarkable to reflect on how far this group has come since they first gathered in the Josephite Centre as new Year 7 students back in 2022 — a sea of nervous faces stepping into the unknown world of high school. Everything felt new: new teachers, new routines, and a new sense of independence. Now the same students who once looked to others for guidance are now the ones offering it — self-assured, capable, and ready to take on the challenges of senior study. They are growing, not just in knowledge, but in character and maturity, becoming young people who know who they are and what they can contribute as they prepare to begin Stage 6.

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Attached in the link below is a letter to all students and families of Year 10 providing a calendar and information for Weeks 4-8 of Term 4. Also below is the Year 10 Exam timetable.

Please note that the final day of schooling for Year 10 at St Mary’s is Wednesday December 3^rd. We will celebrate with an Awards Assembly in Hope Unlimited Church. All parents and families are welcome to attend. More information about the time for the Assembly will follow closer to the date.

Please take notes of the following Term 4 dates for Year 10

• Monday November 3^rd – Friday November 14^th - Year 10 scheduled Exam Block
• Thursday November 6^th – RYDA Driver Awareness Day
• Friday November 28^th – “Raging Waters” Wellbeing Day
• Wednesday December 3^rd – Final Assembly for Year 10 at Hop Unlimited Church

Please contact Ruth McCrae (49444800) or ruth.mccrae@mn.catholic.edu.au if you have any questions regarding Weeks 4 – 8 for the Year 10 Cohort.

As we look ahead to the Year 10 Awards Assembly, we will be celebrating not only academic and co-curricular achievements but also the quiet successes — the growth in confidence, the acts of kindness, and the steady persistence that often go unseen. These are the moments that truly define success and prepare our students for the years ahead. I look forward to seeing the Year  group and family at our Final Assembly for year 10.

Year 12 Engineering Studies

As a part of the classes first module on Civil Structures the students were tasked with building a Da Vinci bridge. Leonardo Da Vinci's bridge refers to a self-supporting bridge that uses pressure and friction to hold itself together without nails, ropes, or glue. It's known for being quick to build, transport, and take down, making it ideal for military use to quickly move troops across rivers. Though it was never built during his lifetime, it is a notable example of his ingenuity and engineering skills. Da Vinci conceptualised the bridge to span the Golden Horn in Istanbul, Turkey, as part of a competition organised by the Ottoman Sultan. The design was innovative for its time.

Year 11

Formation Day

On Wednesday October 22^nd, Year 11 enjoyed a Formation Day at Port Stephens. The formation themes for Year 11 are service, understanding and stewardship so the students started the day with an acknowledgement of country by Kloey Gray and a prayer by the college leaders before Katrina Smith spoke to them about her life experiences in Port Stephens, which many of the students could also relate to from family holidays in the area. They were asked to reflect on how they can be stewards of the beautiful land and waterways they are blessed to have in the region and how they can be of service to each other and the environment through simple gestures every day. This service was shown through students encouraging each other to reach the top of Mt Tomaree. Sometimes that service looked like a group of students stopping to wait for someone to catch their breath before continuing on, and it sounded like words of encouragement and congratulations and offers to take photos when we reached the top.

After the climb we sat in the shade of the pine trees at the base of the headland to eat our lunch, followed by a robust game of cricket or vortex for some and a splash in the shallows of Shoal Bay for others before we boarded the bus for Nelson Bay and climbed aboard our dolphin cruise. The students were blessed by sightings of pods of bottlenose dolphins and had a ball in the boom net at the back of the boat for a refreshing cooldown. I couldn’t have been prouder of the kids and the way they threw themselves into the day. It was a very warm day, but they did not complain, instead they put a smile on their dial and enjoyed a day of service to each other, introspection on their role as stewards and bonding for their last 12 months of high school.

Thank you to those parents who supported the day by providing your consent, to the openness and willingness of the kids who attended to buy in and bring joy to the day, to the ‘village’ of staff who accompanied Year 11, and to Jacqui Moriarty who organised everything through her role at Stage Coordinator. 

Katrina Smith - Leader of Wellbeing & Engagement, Year 11

Year 11 Awards Presentation

Sport

NRL Touch Hybrid Challenge – Sand, Speed & Strategy!

The latest NRL initiative brought a thrilling new twist to the game — a hybrid format combining the intensity of NRL with the finesse of touch footy, all played on sand. With 3 attackers and 2 defenders per team, the game was fast, tactical, and physically demanding. Each time a team scored, the opposition had to drop a player, while the scoring team added one — turning the tide of the game in seconds!

Running in sand proved to be a whole new challenge. Legs burned, lactic acid built up quickly, and rapid substitutions became essential to keep the momentum going.

Eight schools battled it out for the title of Best School, and our teams showed incredible heart:

•  Under 14 Girls – Undefeated and unstoppable! This talented group dominated every match and made a bold statement for the future beach touch tournaments.
•  Under 14 Boys – A never give -up attitude in a tight clash with all their schools, however they lost to Lambton High, a gap at half time saw the legs start to burn out due to the speed of the game.
•  Under 16 Girls – Played with courage and grit, falling short by just one try in a fiercely competitive game.
•  Under 16 Boys – Held strong all day, only to be edged out in their final match — also against Lambton High.

Despite the heat, the sand, and the burn, every player gave it their all. The format demanded speed, strategy, and stamina — and our teams delivered with determination and team spirit.

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