Other
â2019 Swim Carnival
Our annual College Swim carnival was held at Corrimal Pool on Tuesday, 5 March in warm sunny conditions. House spirit was strong as our Year 7 girls
slipped into the swing of things, inspired by the Year 12 leaders.
Age Champions are:
Age | Age Champion | Runner Up |
12 | Jessica Cole | Montana Doubell |
13 | Aya Milton | Manna Berry |
14 | Grace OHara | Jada Shipley |
15 | Sarah Locke | Claudia McGoldrick |
16 | Isabella Green | Jasmine Barnes |
17 | Jasmine Locke | Sian Bourke |
18 | Charlotte Bridger | Matilda Moate |
Several records were broken on the day. Congratulations to the following girls on this amazing achievement:
Charlotte Bridger: 17+ 100m Breaststroke in 1:21.63, 17+ 50m Breaststroke in 36.62 secs
Aya Milton: 13 Yrs 50m Freestyle in 28.19 secs, 13 Yrs 50m Butterfly in 32.12 secs, 13 Yrs 100m Freestyle in 1:06.22
Isabella Green: 16 Yrs 50m Freestyle in 27.69 secs, Intermediate 100m Backstroke in 1:11.18, 16 Yrs 100m Freestyle in 1:00.96, 16Yrs 50m Backstroke in 32.5 secs, Intermediate 200m IM in 2:37.87
Jasmine Locke: 17+ 50m Freestyle in 28.25 secs, 17+ 50m Butterfly in 31.19 secs, 17+ 100m Freestyle in 1:02.66
Manna Berry: 13 Yrs 50m Backstroke in 34.5 secs
Ashley Whittaker: 14 Yrs 50m Breaststroke in 38.9 secs
Congratulations to all our swimmers who gained selection in our team to compete at the Diocesan Carnival.
Zonta Young Women in Public Affairs Competition
In March this year, Year 12 students Demi Goddard and Bethany Bujaroski represented our College in this competition. The girls entered this because they felt strongly about promoting the status of women and addressing issues associated with the advancement of women. The competition entailed answering essay questions and presenting a short speech about their understanding of Zonta.
Demi was declared Runner Up and we congratulate her for this achievement. Bethany was invited to present a detailed summary about the many worthy activities our Z Club undertakes. St Mary’s has the only Z Club amongst the Illawarra schools. Both girls spoke well and gained from this entire experience . They were excellent College representatives and we congratulate them.
Thank you to Mrs Pauline Judd, our Z Club mentor, and the other five staff members who attended the luncheon to support the girls.
It was very pleasing to see some girls from our Orchestra welcome the guests with their soothing and beautiful music. Thank you to Mrs Lockett for mentoring and supporting the girls.
Winter Uniform collection notice
The UOW Information Session
The University of Wollongong is hosting an information session on Tuesday, 9 April to speak with students and parents who would like to know more about studying at UOW.
The information evening will be at the UOW Wollongong campus from 6.00pm.
They will talk about:- UOW Early Admission
- Your ATAR and selection rank (and what it means)
- Important dates and key things to remember for UAC applications
- Scholarships
- Subject selection for Year 10 students, and much more!
Go to http://bit.ly/UOW-infosession for more information and to register.
The Craft of Writing
Year 12 Advanced English students have been working their way through the new HSC module ‘The Craft of Writing’. Students in Ms Schofield’s class were asked to write the introduction to a persuasive speech ‘The Time Is Now’. The context of the speech was the International Women’s Day breakfast held at St Marys. Each student wrote with passion and insight about an issue faced by women today.
I am pleased to share with you the works of Demi Goddard and Emma Somerville in the download section on the right-hand side.
Supporting Young People in light of the Christchurch Tragedy
The events in Christchurch have been confronting in so many ways for all of us and even as adults we are challenged by the stark reality of this act of terrorism. Sadly, these incidents are unsurprising and a far too familiar occurrence. However, that does not make speaking with young people about them any easier. There is hurt, loss, grief, complexity and confusion which may lead to avoidance of the topic or brief generalised remarks. Despite this, having conversations with young people is an important process to supporting a growth in understanding and provide clarification to the hurt and confusion.
In recent days, the avenues of news have bombarded us with constant access to reports and stories. This constant access can take an emotional toll on both adults and adolescents alike. This weekâs parenting ideas article provides us with insights about how we can respond to the Christchurch shootings. Conversations about tragedies such as these are challenging, yet they can be powerful and assist young people in developing an understanding.
Through our conversations we can also take time to highlight the stories of peace, solidarity and compassion. Stories that bring to life our founding parable of The Good Samaritan. The moments when individuals and communities have spontaneously responded to the grief and loss with an outpouring of love and strength. It has also been a time when as future leaders, we can reflect on the response and capacity demonstrated by Jacinda Arden. A leader of our time who in many ways is challenging the stereotype of political leaders we see.
I encourage you to reflect on the article in the downloads section and consider the conversations with your daughters.
Shellharbour City Festival of Sport Dragon Boat Challenge
On Saturday, 9 March, 20 eager students participated in the Shellharbour City Festival of Sport Dragon Boat Challenge on Lake Illawarra. Races were held over a fast and furious 200 metre course, against a number of community groups. With each heat, the St Mary's team improved their overall time and in the schools final, finished an admirable second behind the Jamberoo Juniors. Not too bad for a team who had never paddled together before!
Most importantly, a great day was had by all and the girls are to be congratulated on their enthusiasm and willingness to participate in a wonderful community event. Well done!
RSPCA Club - free range egg pancakes
On Thursday, 28 February the RSPCA Club held a free range egg pancake recess and lunch. The event also raised awareness for free range hens. A donation of $50 was sponsored by the local Coles Fairy Meadow store who support the free range egg and hen's campaign.
Thank you to St Mary's staff and RSPCA Club members who donated items, prepared the mix and cooked and served the pancakes. It was a social and successful day raising $175 for the local RSPCA shelter.
Special thanks to Mr Luck for contributing the very fresh free range eggs from his hens at home.
The RSPCA Club will be holding it's next event 'Cutest Pet Competition' in Week 8 where students can enter a photo of their pet. See SEQTA notices and the RSPCA noticeboard for further details. Competition entries will be $1.00.NSW All Schools Triathlon
Firstly, thank you to the parents who transported the students and bikes to the NSW All Schools Triathlon. As the morning sun rose over the bridge at the Penrith International Regatta Centre, the featured Olympic rings were a reminder that the athletes were about to compete to the best of their ability and for their school team. The purpose built island was ideal for participating and viewing the teams triathlon event.
Team procedures began at first light. The tent was erected on the hill to gain the maximum view of the athletes in all three legs. Team packs were sorted, number labels were placed on bikes and helmets, bikes checked in with a keen eye from the swimmers so they knew where to run to within the zone, school team photos were taken, the pre-event talk was shared and nervous athletes headed off to warm up for their specific leg.
Results:
The Junior team was very competitive and finished overall NSW CCC in 5TH place and 15/134 in the NSW ALL SCHOOLS. Isabelle Van Akker swam the 400m first followed by a very strong 10 km cycle from Amelia Martin who was 3rd in the CCC and Genevieve Bosker ran the 3km with speed and style to complete the event. Fabulous effort from our Year 7 and 8 students.
Intermediate and Senior teams completed a 400m swim, 15km cycle and 3km run.
Claudia McGoldrick, Adysen OâBrien and a very fast Sophie Rodwell were competitive finishing 9th in CCC with Isabella Green, Emer Spiers and chaser Jamie Mayes displaying their talents to finish 16th in CCC.
Six Senior Teams were chasing one another throughout the race with overall CCC positions of 4th, 8th , 9th and 10th
Huge congratulations to the Senior Team: Kaimana Fittock 2nd in swim - 6 min 21secs in CCC, ShariHeffernan 4th place in CCC - 27 min 32secs which was a magnificent cycle and Meg Johnston who ran the 3 km to finish the team in overall 4th place CCC and 9/95 female NSW All schools.
Other outstanding performances also came from Sian Bourke with a smooth 4th placed CCC swim, Hannah Crinnion with 10th place CCC run and Layla Elhage with a personal best run time driven by self motivation to complete the event. Elise Beaumont chased the leading swimmers whilst Tenaya Hegarty committed to a consistent cycle. Taylor Mackay and Rachel Sylvester ran a consistent leg to further advance their team's placing.
A big thank you to Bronte Sohier and Keira Davies who joined teams at the last minute replacing injured athletes. The St Mary's students supported each other by providing encouragement and congratulations whilst cheering on all the teams during the hot day of competition. The cyclists need a special mention as many stepped up into this event and their strong fitness ability showed throughout their pedalling.
Thanks to Brooke Cavanagh for supporting the students especially for her photographic skills and to Mrs Sparks for organising and entering the teams.
MYP Service and Action
“IB learners strive to be caring members of the community who demonstrate a personal commitment to service and act to make a positive difference to the lives of others and to the environment. “(From Principles into Practice)
Student participation in community service has long been a strength of the St Mary’s community. As a Good Samaritan school we expect all our students to make contributions to service activities that help others. Our MYP students (Years 7 -10) are required to demonstrate a personal commitment to service by keeping a log of their service activities and reflecting on their experience. MYP students are no longer required to count community service hours.
The IB Service Outcomes are:
1. Become more aware of your own strengths and areas for growth
2. Undertake challenges that develop new skills
3. Discuss, evaluate and plan student-initiated activities
4. Persevere in action
5. Work collaboratively with others
6. Develop international-mindedness through global engagement, multilingualism and intercultural understanding
7. Consider the ethical implications of your actions
All students have a Service and Action SEQTA classroom where they can find resources, log their activities and reflect on their experience. Students have
some guiding questions to help frame their 100 – 200 word reflections. The aims of writing these reflections include:
- Deepen student learning
- Consider personal relevance of their experience
- Discuss the application of their knowledge, skills and attributes
- Identify strengths and areas to develop
- Gain a greater understanding of self and others
- Make connections between the experience and one or more outcomes
- Place their experience in a larger context
- Generate ideas and questions
- Encourage the ongoing habit of thoughtful, reflective behaviour
The logs and reflections will be checked at the end of the year and students will either receive a Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory for Service and Action. One of the requirements for the attainment of the MYP Certificate in Year 10 is to reach a satisfactory standard in Service and Action.
St Mary’s students have always made wonderful contributions to activities that help others and the environment. This involvement will continue and be made
richer by providing students the opportunity to reflect on their experiences, strengths, weaknesses and the impact of their action.
You are welcome to view the resources on your daughter’s SEQTA classroom. Please contact me if you have any questions about MYP Service and Action.
MYP Information Evening
Dear Parents/Carers
You are invited to a Middle Years Programme information evening covering different parts of the MYP, such as: Assessment Criteria, Reports, conceptual learning, ATLs and the Personal Project. There will be refreshments and time for questions following. Details are below:
Date: Tuesday, 2 April
Time: 6.30 pm â 8.00 pm
Venue: PLC, entry via Market Street
RSVP by Thursday, 28 March to:
Wendy Momsen Ewendy.momsen@stmarys.nsw.edu.au T 4228 6011
Your questions about the MYP will help to focus the evening on your areas of interest. Please share your questions with Wendy when you RSVP. Hope you can
join us.
Lions Youth of the Year Quest 2018/ 2019
Last November, three Year 11-2018 girls competed against each other at the Club Level of the Lions Youth of the Year Quest: Rosette Ruzunga, Yuser Alsamirae and Ari Patison.
For this competition, contestants had to complete a questionnaire and answer questions posed by judges in a 30 minute interview. The judges looked at a range of criteria including leadership, sporting, cultural and community interests, personality, general knowledge and academic achievements.
Contestants also had to prepare for the ‘speech afternoon’ where they were required to respond to two impromptu questions and deliver a prepared
five minute speech. This had a 30% weighting overall.
All three girls performed well and Ari was declared the speech and overall winner. Her speech was about Stem Cell Therapy. In March this year, Ari competed against Illawarra representatives, under the same format. Although not declared the winner, Ari’s speech was more polished and well received. Her confidence and delivery were of a high standard.
We congratulate Ari and all the girls for taking on this challenge. They prepared themselves for this opportunity, learnt a number of skills and appreciated the experience. Their appearance, presentation and conduct made them worthy representatives of the College.
Thank you to Mrs Holt for guiding Ari with her speech and practising impromptus questions and to Sr Rita Fitt for attending the function with me to support Ari.
International Women's Day
On Friday, 8 March, International Women's Day was globally celebrated with the theme of #BalanceforBetter to help forge a more gender-balanced world. Goals towards gender equality were recognised and renewed in relation to what still needed to be done to achieve gender equality. More importantly, achievements and progress on how far women have come in 100 years were celebrated and recognised among men and women on the day.
Only a few days later, on 12 March, five Year 11 students (Chandra Singh, Gabriela Wilcox-Watson, Kelsey Hamill, Kiara Bazaz and Thura Sabbar)
were chosen to participate in an International Womens Day Brunch held at Bluescope Steelworks. The event consisted of different schools from the Illawarra
and four guest speakers. The speakers ranged in age, origin, occupation and lives. We were lucky enough to listen to each speakerâs different journey
through life, their hardships and doubts, all the while being inspired by their drive, passion and success in life. We were led think about our own
futures and where they might lead us. As students, we were encouraged to follow our strengths and do what we love. As individuals we were reassured
that not knowing what to do just now is not an issue and that we have plenty of time to work out our passions and life goals. We were also encouraged
to take every opportunity that comes our way and share with other people, those same opportunities.
The event concluded with brunch. Tables were filled with various fruits, gourmet sandwiches, wraps and of course cake! Students mingled with key note speakers
sharing interests in school and possible ideas about their futures. In all, the event was well planned and an insightful day for both students and
teachers.
Innovation through your own eyes
The Zig Zag Hub in Wollongong is running 'Innovation through your eyes' courses. The purpose of the course is to expose students to an entrepreneurial environment and teach them about the business start-up process. For four weeks, students will learn how to identify a problem and design a unique product/service.
The next course is commencing on Wednesday, 1 May through to 22 May 2019. A further course begins on Thursday, 2 May through to the 23 May 2019.
More information is outlined on the flyer in the downloads section on the right-hand side. Students can contact Mrs Judd or Mrs Coleman for further information.
How to detect Scoliosis
Helpful information for schoolgirls in Years 5 and 7 and their parents.
Scoliosis is a lateral or sideways curve of the spine. The spine also rotates on its long axis as it curves. It usually develops during early adolescence
(age 10-13 years) when growth is most rapid.
Please see the Fact Sheet in the Download section on the right-hand side.
From the Principal
Dear Parents
I hope that this newsletter finds you well and that you are surviving this very changeable weather. Despite the rain the normal activities of College life continue to progress. Your girls have enjoyed a variety of activities including a zoo trip, Diocesan sporting carnivals, cultural visits and activities including our regular fundraising stalls and events for our Lenten appeal. The girls are also engaged in the less exciting aspects of school life including regular classes and assessment tasks. The term seems to be flying and we often wonder how we are going to fit everything in.
The recent events in New Zealand have been upsetting for us all and given us cause to consider what we value and what we stand for. These events certainly highlight our common humanity and the need to treat all people, regardless of faith, colour, ethnicity or language, with dignity and respect.
Similarly, we need to ensure that all people feel safe to live and worship in their own way. When minority groups are vilified or made to feel less welcome in our communities, we are creating the conditions for division and discrimination. I commend you to an excellent article on this topic by our Dean of Students, Emma Magill that appears in this newsletter.
We held our AGM of the St Maryâs Parents and Friends Association on Tuesday, 19 March and, while we had a small turn out, we attracted an enthusiastic and generous group of parents. The P&F worked very hard throughout 2018 to help and support your daughters and the College in a variety of ways. They organised excellent events, they provided funds for much needed resources for the College and they funded a large part of the installation of the Good Samaritan Garden as well as the installation of solar panels on the roof of D Block.
I would like to extend a huge vote of thanks to our outgoing P&F Executive and I thank and welcome our new executive for their willingness to accept their roles and for their generosity of time and spirit. The P&F Executive members for 2019 are as follows:
President: Elizabeth Clingan-Jones
Vice President (Pastoral Care): Elizabeth Cavdarovski
Vice President (Events): Fiona Carolan
Secretary: Kate Jennett
Treasurer: Belinda Cutler
As we hope and pray for a more peaceful and loving world my thoughts are brought back to the beautiful words of Micah when considering the question of what the Lord is asking of us. Micah says that we are called to âact justly, love tenderly and walk humbly with our God (Micah: 6-8).
I pray that you and you families have a peace filled and happy weekend.
Early Departure Procedure
Parents/Carers,
If a student needs to leave before the end of the school day or has a day’s leave approaching, this is the process which is to be followed to ensure the student’s safety and welfare:
- Prior to the end of recess, the student takes a note from her parent/guardian (with a clear explanation of reason and time of departure) to get their House Coordinator’s signature.
- If she is unable to find her own House Coordinator, another House Coordinator can sign the note.
- The student then takes the note signed by the House Coordinator to Student Office before the end of recess.
- Student Office places the partial absence in SEQTA so teachers are advised she needs to leave class at the designated departure time.
- At time of departure, the student excuses herself from class to meet her parent/guardian in Student Office. She must be signed out by an authorised person.
Diocesan Swim Carnival
St Mary’s Swim Team stamped their dominance at the Diocesan Swim Carnival held at Corrimal Pool on Thursday, 14 March. St Mary’s won the overall Girl's point score with 999 points, ahead of Holy Spirit College on 739 points. In fact, St Mary’s finished 3rd in the overall point score, which is outstanding considering we can’t swim in any of the male events!
Congratulations to girls that finished in the top three positions on the age champion points:
Age | Name | Place | Points |
12 | Jessica Cole | 1st | 100 |
13 | Aya Milton | 2nd | 108 |
14 | Grace OHara | 3rd | 44 |
15 | Sarah Locke | 1st | 92 |
16 | Isabella Green | 1st | 152 |
17 | Jasmine Locke | 2nd | 72 |
18 | Charlotte Bridger | 1st | 39 |
Our Senior Relay Medley Team came 1st and broke a record in the first events of the day, in a time of 2:18.60! Congratulations to team members: Jasmine
Locke, Kaimana Fittock, Sian Bourke and Chloe Bourke. Our Junior Medley Team finished 2nd: Aya Milton, Manna Berry, Grace OHara and Jessica
Cole.
St Mary’s dominated in the 4x50m Freestyle relays, winning all three events!
Junior Team: Aya Milton, Grace OHara, Manna Berry and Jessica Cole
Intermediate Team: Isabella Green, Claudia McGoldrick, Sarah Locke and Zoe Smith
Senior Team: Jasmine Locke, Kaimana Fittock, Sian Burke and Chloe Burke
In the highlight of the carnival, our All Age Relay Team broke the record set by our team last year to win in a time of 2:59.55. The second placed team
was 19 seconds behind. Believe it or not, our girls team would have finished 2nd behind Edmund Rice College by only two seconds if they had been swimming
in the Male All Age Relay event! Swimmers: Jessica Cole, Aya Milton, Grace OHara, Sarah Locke, Isabella Green and Jasmine Locke.
Congratulations to the following girls who gained selection to represent our Diocese at the NSW CCC Swim Carnival:
Jessica Cole - 12Yrs: 1st 50m Freestyle with a new record of 29.74, 1st 50m Butterfly, 1st 50 Breaststroke,
1st 50m Backstroke, 1st 100m Freestyle.
Aya Milton - 13Yrs: 1st 50m Freestyle in record time of 29.07, 1st 50m Butterfly, 1st 50 Breaststroke,
1st 100m Freestyle, 2nd 100m Butterfly and 3rd 200m IM.
Jada Shipley - 14Yrs: 1st place in 50m Breaststroke 40.93secs, 2nd 100m breaststroke.
Sarah Locke - 15Yrs: 1st in the following events: 50m freestyle, 50m Butterfly, 100m Freestyle, 50m Backstroke, 3rd 50m Breaststroke.
Isabella Green - 16Yrs: 1st in the following events: 50m Freestyle, 50m Butterfly, 50m Backstroke, 100m Backstroke, new
record in the 100m Freestyle in a time of 1:00.98, 3rd in the 100m Butterfly.
Eloise Happe' - 17+: 1st in 100m Breaststroke 1:21.58
Charlotte Bridger - 17+: 1st in 50m Breaststroke in 37.32 secs, 2nd 100m breaststroke.
Jasmine Locke – 17+: 1st 50m Freestyle 29.29, 1st 100m freestyle 1:04.16, 2nd 50m Butterfly 32.03,
2nd 100m butterfly 1:12.71.
Full results of the carnival can be viewed on the Wollongong Catholic Education Office website. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wfNX0usU93_bPkyJELxwbvW_jNzD3auM/view
Balancing extra-curricular activities
Project Compassion Launch
On Tuesday, 5 March, four students from the St Mary’s Caritas Club: Imogen Woolnough, Maheen Khan, Yuser Alsamirae and Emma Mackintosh attended the annual Project Compassion Launch at St Brigid’s Catholic Church, Gwynneville.
Students from schools from all over the Wollongong Diocese gathered together to share in the experience of prayer, song and reflection and to launch the beginning of Project Compassion, Caritas Australia’s annual Lenten fundraising appeal.
The theme for 2019 is based around hope and giving Lent 100%, in the name of hope. Hope is one of the three Christian pillars making this theme a powerful and meaningful message to carry through this period of Lent.
The College will run several activities over the coming weeks to raise awareness and much needed funds to help end poverty and shape a better future for all. We hope our school community can give 100% to Lent and Project Compassion in 2019.