Other
Year 9 Horizontal Pastoral Care
On Wednesday, 20 March during Year 9 Horizontal Pastoral Care, Jenna from FLO girls visited our College. She taught us many helpful tips and passed on strategies to help us cope when we are stressed or thinking negatively. Jenna spoke about mindfulness, wellbeing, optimism and blocking the negative thoughts out with positive ones.
Jenna's presentation was informative and helpful to everyone. After the presentation she showed Year 9 what to do when they are stressing out about something. This was a valuable experience.
Year 8 Surf Education
Last month, Year 8 students participated in the Surf Educate Australia - Surf Education Program. The students participated in a variety of surf awareness practical activities which included:
- How to identify rips
- How to act when caught in a rip
- How to help others when they are in trouble in the surf
They also developed their surf and swimming skills using foam surfboards and they learnt the art of body surfing. Students identified a number of learning
outcomes from these sessions which included:
- I now know to be more alert at the beach and be more aware of my surroundings
- I can help other people and I have gained more survival skills
- Going to the beach is meant to be fun so knowing the dangers of the beach can keep you safe
- The knowledge and skills I have learnt are valuable in the world around me because they will be able to help me save myself in case of emergency and save others.
Year 11 VET Entertainment - White Card training
On Wednesday, 27 March Year 11 VET Entertainment students participated in a Work Health and Safety (WHS) General Induction for Construction Course. This is also known as White Card training. The course was very interesting and we were able to learn a range of new skills in hazard identification and assessment as well as revise the WHS content we have been learning at school. Current WHS legislation requires all employees who either work in the Construction Industry or enter any building or construction site, to be trained in WHS in the workplace. We can proudly say we are now qualified White Card holders.
The entertainment industry can sometimes be viewed from the outside as a glamorous place to work, we can assure you itâs not! Long before the audience
is dazzled by the lights and long after they've left the venue, the production staff will spend hours bumping in and bumping out (setting up and packing
up).
This White Card course has provided us with introductory training to assist us in the various roles and responsibilities in the Live Production Industry. Whilst completing the course we had to demonstrate an understanding of workplace safety requirements and the ability to implement them. We are now able to identify risks and hazards, follow emergency procedures and participate in WHS consultative processes.
On completion of the course we have a great appreciation for the backstage crew. We really understand the risks and hazards that come with the industry.
We are now looking forward to gaining valuable experience in the Live Production Services Industry as we embark on our upcoming work-placement at Merrigong
Theatre.
VET Hospitality
As a part of our Certificate II in Kitchen Operations course, our Year 12 Hospitality students prepared a three course, alternate drop meal for their parents and special guests, including a representative from the Registered Training Organisation.Our Menu appears on the left.
Over the course of this term the girls have worked very hard to prepare for the service period, creating workflows, producing recipe cards, organising plating and room design.
On the day, we arrived at school feeling excited to prepare the menu and serve our guests. We had to work as a team to overcome unforeseen challenges and plate up 14 consistent and delicious dishes for our guests to enjoy. In total, the task took five hours. We worked energetically to transform our classroom into a busy kitchen and lively restaurant.
The day was a great success and a worthwhile experience to organise and run our service period. Our guests thoroughly enjoyed our food. The day has helped our understanding of the course and enabled us to experience working in the Hospitality Industry. We managed dietary requirements, customer satisfaction, teamwork and working within time constraints.
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 my 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 into an issue faced by women today.
I am pleased to share with you the works of Isabella Gripton and Sophia Bunt in the download section on the right-hand side.
Personal Project News
Year 10 students have been working well on their Personal Project (PP) this Term. All students received a newsletter via Horizontal Pastoral Care, a copy of this is in the downloads sections.
Library staff have prepared a resource list for the PP, with links to books and websites for many of the PP topics. Click here to view the MYP PP Collection
Dates to Remember
Personal Project Exhibition Wednesday, 26 June from 6.00pm
Lord Mayor Thank you Morning Tea
On Friday, 29 March a group of our students were invited to attend a Thank you Morning Tea hosted by the Lord Mayor Cr. Gordon Bradbery AM. The Morning Tea was held in recognition of groups within the community who assisted at the Wollongong City Councilâs Senior's Week celebrations.
The Lord Mayor spoke very highly of our students and expressed gratitude and thanks whilst issuing Certificates of Appreciation for the wonderful contribution to the Senior's Afternoon Tea Dance. The girls enjoyed the friendly environment where they were able to meet and mingle with many different members of our local community who also contributed to the successful Senior's Week celebrations. This was a wonderful opportunity for our girls to be recognised for the great work they do to assist the elderly within our local community.
Japanese Visit
This will be the sixth year that St Maryâs is collaborating with Keika Girlsâ High School in Japan in their 11 day educational and cultural enrichment tour of the Illawarra. This will take place from Monday, 22 July to Saturday, 3 August 2019. During the day students will be involved in English lessons and various activities in the area. If you would like to participate in this enriching intercultural experience and host one of these Japanese students and would like more information, please contact Marie Pulford marie.pulford@stmarys.nsw.edu.au
From the Principal
Dear Parents,
As we approach the end of Term 1 it is timely to reflect on what has been a very successful beginning to the year. Our Year 7 students have settled well into College life and they are having far less difficulty finding their way around the buildings. They have been on the Year 7 camp, had their first excursion to the zoo and have participated in the swimming and cross country carnivals. They have also made new friends, experienced new subjects and are enjoying a level of independence that they may not have experienced in primary school. The older students have also had a successful start to the year and they are busy with the various demands that the academic year provides. All in all it has been an excellent beginning to the 2019 school year.
The College will celebrate a Holy Week and Easter liturgy next week in order to heighten awareness of students and staff as we approach the end of Lent and begin to focus on Christ’s passion, death and resurrection. As you are aware Holy Week and Easter fall in the first week of the school holidays. I commend the various Holy Week celebrations to you including Palm Sunday, the Chrism Mass, the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, the Solemn Commemoration of the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday and the Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday Masses. Easter marks the beginning of a new year in the Church and, for each of us, it is an opportunity to make a new beginning in our own faith life and in how we live out our faith. I hope you and your families have a blessed and happy Easter.
The College is evaluating our reporting procedures to better reflect the progress your daughters are making. To this end we are reviewing our half yearly
and yearly reports to make them simpler, more user friendly and more aligned with the requirement to measure both student progress and learning growth.
As I am sure you are aware, reports are not the only measure used to assess student progress. Parents and students have access to SEQTA, where regular updates on growth are available, parent teacher interviews where parents can discuss their
child in more detail, direct contact with subject teachers through interview and email and catch-ups with KLA Coordinators. I will provide further
details on the progress of reports in early Term 2.
We were treated to a sneak preview of the upcoming production of Strictly Ballroom at the College Assembly on Wednesday. Tickets are now available, with
shows scheduled from Thursday, 9 May though to Saturday, 11 May. The students and staff are very excited about this production, and if the enthusiasm
and energy being put into this production are any indication, it should be fantastic. I look forward to seeing you at one of the productions.
I hope that you and your family have a relaxing and peace filled weekend.
Fee Update
Annual School Fee Statements have been issued to all families and are DUE for payment or an instalment plan has been completed using the School Fee Agreement Form to advise the College of your intended payment option. This Agreement gives the College advice regarding parents/carers preferred method and frequency of payment. Please contact the Fees Coordinator on 4253 5230 if you have not received your copy or to discuss your account further. A ‘School Fee Calculator’ is also provided on the College website to assist families to determine their regular payment.
DIRECT DEBIT OPTION - if you would like to continue or commence Direct Debit arrangements please complete the request form (included with statement) and return to the College.
Leaving the College: Just a reminder, if a student is withdrawn from the College one full term’s notice must be given in writing to the Principal. If one term’s notice is not given a full term’s fee will be charged.
Leave of Absence: If a student applies for leave of absence for a holiday or travel, school fees are to be paid prior to approval of leave.
CCC Cricket
Kayla Burton, Year 11 on gaining selection in the NSW CCC Open Cricket Team for the second consecutive year. Kayla is a talented wicket-keeper and strong batter.
A Day out with Brett Whiteley
Last Wednesday, Year 11 Visual Arts students travelled to the Art Gallery of New South Wales to see an exhibition of one of our great Australian artists,
“Brett Whiteley: Drawing is everything”.
We were able to observe firsthand the fundamental role drawing played in the life and art of Brett Whiteley, it was his way of seeing and processing
his world. His artmaking was inventive, gestural and clever.
We also took the opportunity to visit Whiteley’s studio and gallery in Surry Hills. It was wonderful to see his working space filled with words, objects and ideas that inspired his artmaking. Students came home with a deeper understanding of Whiteley’s dynamic artmaking practice and diverse body of work.
They were also keen to do some drawing!
2019 Cross Country
St Mary's Cross Country was held last Friday, 29 March. This event involved all of Year 7 and Year 8 as well as the competitive runners in all other age groups.
Congratulations to the following Age Champions and Runner's up:
12 Years: Montana Doubell and R/u Calella Lewis
13 Years: Evie McGrath and R/u Mia Robinson
14 Years: Gabrielle Eaton and R/u Lily Riolo
15 Years: Paris Bamford and R/u Mia Evans
16 Years: Isabella Green and R/u Sophie Rodwell
17 Years: Veronica Negro and R/u Rachel Sylester
18 Years: Charlotte Bridger and R/u Kiara Camilleri
House Points will be announced at our next College Assembly. Thank you to the Year 9 Elective PASS class who assisted as marshalls on the day.
Year 8 and Year 9 English Book Returns
In preparation for Term 2, would students please return the following books to the PLC by Friday, 12 April.
Year 8 – We Should All Be Feminists
Year 9 – Romeo & Juliet
Thank you
STRICTLY BALLROOM
Strictly Ballroom will shortly hit our stage with the classic love story of Scott and Fran who want to create a new way of dancing in a world of rules and compromise. Our students are rehearsing this high energy show with dedication. We hope you’ll come and join them in this great fun production early next term, featuring the hits Time After Time and Love Is In The Air. Bookings now open!
Shows
Thursday 9 May 7.30pm
Friday 10 May 7.30pm
Saturday 11 May 2.00pm and 7.30pm
Ticketing
Student/Concession $15
Adult $25
Family (2 x Adults + up to 3 x students) $65
Children below school age - FREE (still need to reserve a seat)
See the flyer in the download section on the right-hand side.
SCARF
On Sunday,
24 March students from St Mary’s attended the SCARF - 'Hand in Hand' Family Day to help celebrate Harmony Week by bringing together people from refugee
and non-refugee backgrounds through arts, crafts and music. Refugee families who attended were delighted with the range of creative activities and
especially the face painting stall that our girls manned.
The girls generously gave up their Sunday to not only paint the faces of excited children, but offer warmth and friendship to their families.
The SCARF organisers noted that: ‘The St Mary's girls were a very popular draw-card. They were so dedicated, so kind and really created a safe space for all the kids who participated. Congratulations to your students. They are such wonderful people to be around!'
Well done: Tuqa Sabbar, Petra Badour, Safaa Said and Kasey Prosperi
Powerhouse Museum Excursion
Year 12 Design and Technology and Textiles and Design students spent a day at the Shape Exhibition and seminars to support their learning of the Major
Project. The girls were impressed by the work presented and had a great opportunity to view the detail of each piece and the accompanying folio of
design work. HSC markers gave the girls valuable reminders about the requirements of their major projects and tips to concentrate on as they move into
the second half of this process.
We viewed 'Akira Isogawa' first ever exhibition of inspiring fashion incorporating Asian tradition. Akira’s work displayed unique cultural influences in a wide range of garments. With 25 years’ experience in fashion design, this was a real treat for the girls.
The Design and Technology students also viewed the Interface: People, Machines, Design, Icons and Fantastial Worlds exhibitions which all showed the creativity of design. The girls saw how these objects have helped to shape trends in society and the factors influencing the success of innovation.
Thank you girls and Mrs Haybittle for such an engaging day.
âPLC NEWS
Term 1 has been a busy time in the PLC and it has been great to see so many students using the Library.
A reminder that we are open until 4.30pm Monday to Thursday. After school the Library is very much a quiet working space and all students are welcome to
come along.
Year 11 students have embraced their study periods, working with alot of focus. All Year 11 students received a brochure outlining PLC services during
Horizontal Pastoral Care last week. A copy of this is in the downloads section. Database tutorials will continue to be offered in Term 2.
For students and parents new to the College, all Library resources are accessible via the PLC googlesite. Access is via the Student / Parent portal, and
the link below. Note: students must be logged in with their college email address to access all resources. https://sites.google.com/a/stmarys.nsw.edu.au/polding-learning-centre/home
International Women’s Day luncheon
On Friday, 8 March 16 Year 11 students and 8 Year 12 students went to the Wollongong Entertainment Centre to participate in the International Women’s Day luncheon, Year 11 for community service and Year 12 as guests. The following two reports summarise the experiences of both of these groups.
Year 11
A small group of 11 students had an amazing opportunity to attend the International Women's Day Luncheon. Our job was to help raise money to support local
women in need by assisting in the sale of raffle tickets throughout the day. It was so interesting to meet many women from all different walks of life.
when we were finished, we were given the opportunity to hear Rabia Siddique, a humanitarian and motivational speaker talk about her past experiences
with women's rights. She gave an engaging and inspirational account of her life, detailing how, due to her gender, she was forced into silence about
past events which occurred in her life before she found the courage to speak out. On the day we also had the opportunity to see the awarding of seven
scholarships to highly deserving women, expanding and encouraging their knowledge and skills. It was a highly interesting day that not only provided
myself and the other girls with inspiration but opened our eyes to the saddening circumstances other girls worldwide face, giving us greater appreciation
of the privileged lives we lead.
By Veronica Negro, Year 11
Year 12
It’s often that we hear about women’s empowerment; topics regarding female rights are regularly in the media and of great importance for us as young women. Being able to participate in events concerning the topic is eye-opening and rewarding.
On Friday, 8 March, eight Year 12 students were given the wonderful opportunity to be guests at the International Women’s Day lunch. Upon arrival, we were instantly greeted by rows of tables, professionally decorated. Many people had come to support the cause and listen to the guest speaker, Rabia Siddique, who delivered the most inspiring speech, which described the struggles she had experienced as a woman in her career and life. Later that day, people lined up to meet Mrs Siddique and we were lucky enough to have our picture taken with her.
We would like to thank Dr Holdsworth and Miss Magill for attending this event with our students, as well as Dr Pitt for this great opportunity. Thank you
to the Year 11 students who helped out with the day. And finally, we send our appreciation to our House Coordinators who nominated us to attend.
We are incredibly thankful to our college for its involvement in such an important and worthwhile event.
By Yuser Alsamirae, Year 12
Holiday Reading
If you are looking for a little holiday reading that is helpful but not too heavy going can I recommend these two titles from Lisa Damour PhD – Untangled and her recent release Under Pressure. Lisa Damour is a psychologist, best-selling author and a regular contributor to the New York Times.
She also works alongside teachers and students at an all-girls secondary college which provides her with experiences with many young women who face similar
challenges to our students here at St Mary’s. She blends years of experience with the latest research to provide sound, practical guidance to navigating
adolescence. Personally, I find her relatable scenarios and common sense approach a pleasure to read. These resources are never far from the reach
of the Pastoral Team at the College.