College Life | Latest News

Father's Day Breakfast 

What a wonderful morning celebrating all the amazing dads and father figures in our SMC community! 

We had a fantastic turnout at our Father's Day Breakfast in the Nagle Centre this morning, with our students proudly spoiling their special guests with delicious breakfast pies, hash browns, chia puddings, granola, hot beverages and juice. 

It was lovely to see so many smiles, chats and special moments shared throughout the morning. Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make the occasion a memorable one for our community, to our staff and student volunteers for ensuring the event ran so smoothly, and to our Murphy's Café staff for keeping our guests well fed and hydrated. 

An early Happy Father's Day to all our SMC dads and father figures!

Celebrating LSO Appreciation Week 

This week, we recognise and thank our Learning Support Officers (LSOs) as we mark National LSO Appreciation Week (31 August–4 November). 

The dedication and care of our exceptional team of LSOs at St Mary’s College help to create an inclusive learning environment where every student can experience success.

From helping students navigate challenging concepts to providing a steady hand and a kind word, your patience, dedication, and heart do not go unnoticed. 

Thank you for everything you do to help our students learn, grow, and thrive!

A massive thank you to our wonderful team:

Ava Read

Caitlin Marr

Caitlyn Dakin

Caleb Clark

Camilla Jeffrey

Catherine Vout

Chelsea Beis

Ellie Brown

Eloise Kirk

Emma McLarin

Emma Zeeman

Erin Ramjan

Hamish Donohoe

Hugh Sansom

Isabella Hayes

Joanne Bird

Jonty Dalton

Julie Stokes

Lauren Jacobs

Lisa Lillie

Lisa White

Morgan Dillon

Nicola Rogers

Olivia Arkley

Olivia Ashworth

Poppy Nicol

Racheal Sice

Tayla Moschogianis

Timothy Zabilowicz

Tricia McConnon

Our Learning Support Officers enjoyed a delicious morning tea today as a small gesture of gratitude for everything they do.

CBCA Book Week 2026 | Symphony of Stories

A note from the Student Resource Centre (Library) team 

St Mary’s College celebrated the transformational power of books and reading last week with a vibrant program of activities and events. 

Students immersed themselves in poetry readings, creative writing, debates, pet‑reading sessions, picture book-sharing and colourful parades. Our library became a true symphony of stories — a literary showcase that invited curiosity at every turn.

Highlights from our Dress-Up Parade on Wednesday 26 August

NEWS FLASH: Our spectacular costumes even made the front page of The Mercury newspaper! 

Book Week 2026 highlighted how stories ignite imagination and spark wonder. Students travelled through magical realms, explored distant countries and stepped into new worlds, discovering reading as both an escape and an invitation to think deeply.

Books teach us empathy, broaden our perspectives and help us understand the experiences of others. Our stories shape who we are. For our school, this symphony of stories became the soundtrack of imagination.

Thank you to our students, staff and families for your wonderful support of Book Week this year.

DROP EVERYTHING AND READ: On Wednesday 26 August, Junior School students joined the Year 9s for a cosy buddy-read session to start their morning off on the right page.  

SENIOR SCHOOL BOOK WEEK WINNERS 

PARADE 

Best Individual Student – Narnia

Eowyn Hindmarsh (Year 8)

Best Group Student – Greek Gods and Goddesses – Year 8

Lella Kybert, Ella Cole, Lila Gray, Niamh Coomber, Elise Stirkul, Neha Vinoy, Sophie Joseph, Coda McElle, Adela Bartulin

Best Group Staff

English Department – Matilda

HOUSE DEBATE

Winners – College

Polly Smith (Year 11)

Hallie Cormack (Year 12)

Beatrix Clarke (Year 11)

Ruslana Mendoza Sineva (Year 7)

POETRY READING

Emily Yan (7) – Winner

Sophia Carter (9) – Honourable mention 

Hallie Cormack (12) – Honourable mention 

BEST BORROWERS

Senior Secondary – Cara Watt 

Junior Secondary – Madeleine Henwood 

PET READING

Most Unusual Pet – Jean Beerworth 

Funniest Pet – Madison Van den Enden 

FLASH FICTION

Years 7–9 – Eva Galpin 

CBCA JUNIOR SCHOOL COMPETITION PRIZES 

COLOUR COMPETITIONS 

Kinder 

1st Place – Millie Kertesz 

2nd Place – Charlie Jackson 

3rd Place – Olivia Liu

Prep

1st Place – Emilia Merlo-Smith 

2nd Place – Hallie Direen 

3rd Place – Meila van Heerden 

Year 1

1st Place – Charlotte Coppleman 

2nd Place – Grace Arnold 

3rd Place – Phoebe Dennison

Year 2

1st Place – Rosa Mihal 

2nd Place – Emma Silva-Romero 

3rd Place – Yulia Faith Torne 

BOOKMARK DESIGN

Year 3

1st Place – Amelia Fagan 

2nd Place – Charlotte Tatnell 

3rd Place – Reet Dhingra 

Year 4

1st Place – Summer Zhou 

2nd Place – Poppy McLeod  

3rd Place – Indiana Elliott 

BADGE DESIGN

Year 5

1st Place – Cadence Blowfield

2nd Place – Evie O’Dowd 

3rd Place – Zoe Broad 

Year 6

1st Place – Sophie Cubit 

2nd Place – Zara Palihakkara 

3rd Place – Abi Cole 

PET READING

Cutest Pet – Evie Dillon (Year 5)

Science Week wrap-up

Science Week may have wrapped up on Friday 21 August, but we couldn't resist sharing one final look at the fun! This year's Science Week at St Mary's College was another exciting celebration of curiosity, creativity and hands-on learning. 

From spectacular science demonstrations, guest speakers and interactive workshops – where colourful rainbows walked, bridge designs were pushed to their limits, fizzy vinegar reactions burst into life, gooey slime was whipped up and Coke bottles erupted sky-high – to lessons in the labs where our older students guided and inspired our younger learners, students across the College were immersed in activities that showed science is not only fun, but essential to understanding the world around us. 

Thank you to our Science department and class teachers who contributed to planning and delivering these events throughout the week.