Other
Year 7 Concert
All Year 7 students, school choirs and the concert band are presently rehearsing an exciting music project to which you are cordially invited. The concert is entitled “A Million Dreams”and is a celebration of the work the students are doing in their International Baccalaureate MYP studies hosted by Year 7.
All welcome – family, friends and supporters are invited to attend. A gold coin admission fee will go to charity. Year 7 students will be hosting the event, presenting their performance, creating program details, helping with staging and front-of-house and using group project-based enquiry learning to enrich their education.
Date: Tuesday, 13 August at 5.00pm
Venue: St Mary's College - SGN Hall
Please see below for more examples of our Concert posters produced by the students
Volleyball News
Congratulations to Kayla Mckenzie from Year 8 who has been selected for the NSW U15 State Volleyball Squad of 16.
Kayla has been participating in weekly training sessions at Sydney Olympic Park and is hoping to make the Top 10 to compete at the National Championships in Canberra in September.
We wish her luck!
VET Business Services
During
the recent school holidays, our VET Business Services classroom was completely renovated and refurbished.
Previously, the Business Services classroom was showing its age but now, thanks to the upgrades, our classroom is modern and includes real world technology
and innovation that is in tune with what is used in the Business Services Industry. The room now provides opportunities for improved learning experiences
and simulated real life work opportunities.
In our classroom we now have a fully functioning Receptionist/Secretary area, a large oval shaped conference desk and padded chairs for collaborative learning and discussion, new ergonomic chairs and spacious work benches which are all facing toward the front of the classroom. Also included is an electronic stand-up / sit-down workstation, secure storage spaces and new shelving, new carpet, fresh paint, new windows and two large whiteboards.
We are looking forward to putting the finishing touches on the walls with display boards and modern artwork.
We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to our dedicated teachers, maintenance and IT staff for their gift of time and skills in helping this room to be completed.
A very big thank you to our Parents and Friends Association for providing substantial financial commitment enabling us to create such a wonderful learning space.
UOW LEARNING LABS for October now open
I would like to encourage students to enrich their learning and consider attending the upcoming UOW Learning Labs. This is a wonderful opportunity to engage in university activities, workshops and meet other students from the Illawarra and have fun.
The University of Wollongong would like to invite students to LEARNING LABS, an academic enrichment holiday program. We are targeting students from Year 7 to 10 during 2019, who are passionate, self-motivated and curious learners. This will be a smaller program than our usual large January and July program.
Wollongong Campus Dates: 30 September - 2 October, 2019
Applications close: 21 August, 2019
APPLICATION PROCESS
- Students can be encouraged to apply by their school, classroom teacher, subject specialist teachers from school or out-of-school or by their parents. If a school-based professional is identifying a potential student they will supply them with a teacher nomination letter.
- Parents/Guardians/student visit our website and read the full list of workshops available by selecting the blue button relevant to their childâs age group.
- Parents/Guardians/student (or school if parent/guardian is unable to) fill out the online application form.
- One piece of supporting documentation for first time applicants is required that demonstrates their ability (see 'Supporting Documentation' section on website). Please note that the teacher nomination letter can be used as a supporting document.
Please be aware that the workshops fill very quickly.
We will also have several sponsorship places available for students who identify as Australian Aboriginal/Torres Strait or students experiencing financial
difficulty.
For further information about workshops and the application process please visit our website,
or contact the Learning Labs team via email at learning-labs@uow.edu.au or phone on (02) 4221 5557.
SCHOOL BUS TRAVEL
It has recently been brought to my attention that we have a number of students who are travelling on school buses without an Opal Card or paying their fare when getting on the bus. I have been contacted by bus companies regarding this matter and below are some guidelines for school bus travel and would ask that you ensure your daughters have their Opal Cards with them each school day. Thank you for your cooperation with this matter.
Students are required to:
- Show travel passes to the driver on boarding and to authorised Revenue Protection Officers, NSW Police Officers or bus company representatives when requested.
- Use the travel pass only for its intended purpose and not lend a pass to other students or borrow a pass from them.
- If issued with a School Opal Card, always tap on when boarding and tap off when leaving the bus.
- Travel only on the designated school bus route or, if travelling with a School Opal Card, only on approved bus operators and at approved times of the day.
- Behave courteously and respectfully in accordance with the Code of Conduct.
- Follow reasonable instructions from the driver.
- Report any unsafe behavior to the driver/their school.
Below are excerpts from TheGuidelines for Managing School Student Behaviour on Buses (https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/news-and-events/reports-and-publications/guidelines-for-managing-school-student-behaviour-on-buses)
issued by Transport NSW relating to this matter:
- It is unacceptable for students to fail to show a travel pass (except where passes are not issued).
- When a student breaches the Code of Conduct the bus driver will obtain the studentâs name and school of School Opal Card number (directly from the student or from the travel pass).
- Where a student breaches the Code of Conduct, operators will advise parents/guardians of the incident and its consequences where a verbal warning is issued, with a written copy provided to the School Principal explaining the Code of Conduct breach.
- Where a student breaches the Code of Conduct operators will ensure that every effort is made to communicate with parents/guardians and the School Principal within the period specified in the Guidelines, where the operator is considering refusing a student travel on a bus due to a breach of the Code of Conduct.
- Bus operators or their nominated officers expect to receive help and support from the bus drivers, parents/guardians and schools as required.
- Parents / Guardians should be aware that School Principals may release parent/guardian contact details to a bus operator in the event of any possible action by the operator.
NSWCCC Basketball Report
On 24 and 25 June St Mary's attended the NSWCCC Opens Basketball Tournament in Windsor. The team was a combination of Year 9 to 12 students which represented the school against colleges all over NSW.
On the Monday morning we travelled by minibus to our first game against Castle Hill which we won by five points and then won against Broulee 59/45. We travelled again to support the Edmund Rice basketballers at the Penrith Stadium then enjoyed dinner out in the cafe zone of the city. After our exhausting first day we stayed the night as a team, bonding with the different year groups.
We had an early start in foggy conditions on the Tuesday morning. We lost the first game to Bathurst in a high scoring game of 59/45 then won against Coffs Harbour 48/32 which is always a tough game. Making the top four in our pool allowed us to continue onto the semi-finals. We ended our two-day tournament with a loss 45/28 against St Francis Xavier Hamilton, Newcastle with a hard fought and physical game. This team went on to win the competition
The NSWCCC tournament was such an amazing experience and I was so happy to be a part of it.
Huge thanks to Mr Dent who prepared us with coaching prior to the event, to Mrs Thomas who coached us at the event and to Brooke Cavanagh for all the great team management.
Congratulations to all members of the Senior Basketball Team 2019:
Aimee Stanbridge
Meghan Ohrdorf
Sienna Timev
Luisa Kaihea
Georgia Chrystal-Foy
Audra Pasakarnis
Ruby Brannon
Alyce Lasek
Victoria Guest
Annalise Chadrawy
July 2019 Learning Labs Report
During the July school holidays I had the opportunity to attend a two day Learning Lab at the University of Wollongong. My Learning Lab was called Momentum
Maths (Years 7 and 8). Over the two days, I learnt many new things and even made a new friend.
Each day we watched an episode of ‘Our Planet.’ It was very interesting and I learnt about our planet’s diversity of exotic creatures and the threats some of them face, including climate change. I also learnt about some of the significant impacts of global warming in the polar regions and wildlife that is affected by this.
The Momentum Maths workshop was an enjoyable experience. I learnt many new tricks and fun facts and participated in various competitions where there were
many opportunities to win lollies whether it be for success or effort. These tricks allowed me to solve problems more quickly and accurately both mentally
and on paper. These tricks included: multiplying single numbers, larger numbers using similar strategies, multiplying 100s, multiplying by 11, squaring
digits with 1s only, multiplying by 12, squaring numbers ending in 5 and squaring numbers with 3s, 6s, or 9s only. A highlight of the day was visiting
the UOW Library, which was enormous and the biggest library I have seen.
On the second day, the Learning Lab started off with competitions to refresh our memories of what we learnt the day before. My personal favourite trick
was using any number from 22-99 to create a 4 x 4 grid magic square with 28 possible combinations of summing four numbers that all equaled the value
of the original number, all in under 15 seconds. For the rest of the day we took part in more competitions, we even had a class championship which
I ended up winning and was rewarded with 25 lollies.
Overall, participating in this Learning Lab was a great experience that was both educational and enjoyable. It showed me how math can be fun. I would thoroughly recommend attending Learning Labs.
I would like to thank St Mary’s for supporting me with a scholarship to attend this Learning Lab.
From the Principal
Dear Parents
I hope that you had an opportunity to slow down a little and enjoy a break from the routine of school over the holidays. Term 3 has started well, with students and teachers looking much healthier after a reasonable holiday. This term is an exciting one, with Year 12 students commencing their Trial HSC exams next week, parent/teacher interviews taking place, Good Sams Day coming up and our Year 12 farewells rounding off the term for us. This term is also a time for your daughters to consolidate learning before they begin their assessments in Term 4. We have had a very positive start and I anticipate a very productive and happy term.
As you are aware the College theme for 2019 is ‘In the beginning.' These words are the very first words of the Bible and they appear at the start of the
book of Genesis. Genesis is a book about new beginnings, the beginning of heaven and earth, the beginning of human life, the beginning of the children
of Israel, the beginning with Abraham and his special relationship with God and the many new beginnings that Jesus provided with his life, death and
resurrection. We have reflected on this theme throughout the year in various forms and there has been a growing awareness that our theme has significant
meaning for us at St Mary’s this year.
As you are aware Mr Tony Fitzgerald has been announced as the new Principal of St Mary’s College from the beginning of 2020. This is a new beginning for
Tony and, in many ways, a new chapter in the life of the College. Having spoken to Tony I can report that he is very excited about commencing as Principal
of St Mary’s and he hopes to visit the College in August to meet staff and students. I would imagine that your daughters would be inquisitive about
the new Principal and they will also be keen to meet him and get a sense of the person who will be leading the College in 2020 and beyond. Hopefully
their curiosity will be satisfied before the end of the term.
We are in the middle of parent/teacher interviews for students in Years 7-10. With over 3000 interviews taking place over the two weeks, this is quite
a significant logistical operation. As you are aware, there has been a review of reporting and our half yearly reports are quite different than previous
years. This is part of our requirement to provide continuous reporting to students and parents and I would ask that parents review progress using both
report information and the on-going feedback provided to students on SEQTA.
St Mary’s has been hosting students and teachers from France and Japan since the beginning of the term and we have Italian exchange students arriving on
3 August to commence school on 5 August. I thank the many families who have taken exchange students into their homes and I am told the hospitality
offered has been outstanding. This is both a great experience for our College community and a wonderful way to support language learning in the College.
Finally, I had the opportunity to be present for the Year 12 Drama Trials on the Year 12 Drama Evening on Wednesday, 24 July and what a wonderful evening
it was. The talent exhibited and the passion of the girls was amazing. I congratulate the Drama students and Mr Goldrick on their hard work and I am
sure we will see some outstanding results emerge at the end of the year.
I hope that you and your families are able to enjoy a peaceful and relaxing weekend.
Early Admission Important Dates
University of Wollongong Early Admission is a program that enables Year 12 students to receive an early offer for their chosen UOW degree (or degrees) before they sit their exams.
Important dates for UOW Early Admission (for entry to UOW in 2020)
1 August 2019 - Applications open
30 August 2019 - Applications close (5.00pm)
3 August 2019 - Come to UOW Open Day to learn more about studying at UOW via Early Admission. Early Admission information sessions will be on at 10am, 12pm and 2pm. The Early Admission Application Hub will be open from 10am to 3pm, so you can start your application with help from the UOW Early Admission team.
16 September 2019 - Invitations to attend an engagement activity (or activities) sent
30 September - 3 October 2019 - In-person engagement activities (This is a compulsory if you want to gain an Early Admission offer)
14 - 16 October 2019 - Official UOW offers sent to successful applicants
Please find helpful links regarding UOW early admission
FAQs: https://www.uow.edu.au/study/high-school/uow-early-admission/faqs/
Dates: https://www.uow.edu.au/study/high-school/uow-early-admission/important-dates/
Five Steps: https://www.uow.edu.au/study/high-school/uow-early-admission/five-steps/
Students should also apply for University through University Admission Centre (UAC). Year 12 students will have received (via email) a UAC PIN. If students
have not received a PIN, it is important for them to see Mrs Judd.
DYO Junior Basketball
Recently, St Maryâs participated in the Wollongong Diocesan Basketball Qualifying Tournament held at the Snakepit, Beaton Park.
Our Intermediate team received a direct entry into the CCC Basketball Tournament (to be contested later this year), while our Junior team was drawn to
play Holy Spirit College, Bellambi. The girls approached their game with a strong sense of determination and commitment but unfortunately were unable
to come away with a win.
Careers News
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HVTC currently have Cert III Engineering Mechanical and Electrotechnology and Cert III Electrotechnology apprenticeships available in the Illawarra.
Please refer to the downloads section for further details.