The Fountain

Take Note

Key information and upcoming events for our SMC community.

New mobile phone policy

St Mary's College has implemented Catholic Education Tasmania's (CET's) systemwide Mobile Phones, Devices and Wearable Technologies Policy which came into effect at the start of Term 1 2025.

 

Under this policy, all mobile phones and wearable technology belonging to students, such as earphones/EarPods and smartwatches, will need to be turned off and stored away between first bell and last bell. 

 

We appreciate your ongoing support as we work to provide the best learning environments for our students. 

 

Please visit the Catholic Education Tasmania website to access the policy and procedure: https://catholic.tas.edu.au/policies

Connect LMS 

Connect is the Learning Management System (LMS) for Catholic Education Tasmania (CET). It's designed to bring families, teachers, staff, and students together in one place to connect, communicate and collaborate on all things related to teaching, learning and cocurricular activities. You can find more details about Connect on the College website. 

 

For families: Connect is your hub for classroom information and news about your child. You can receive online feedback on your child's learning progress and easily communicate with class teachers and group managers.

 

Stay updated: Connect also keeps you in the loop with school-wide communication. Make sure to check the parent portal regularly for the latest news and key updates from St Mary's College.

Volunteer inductions 

At St Mary's College, we recognise the valuable role volunteers play in helping our students flourish within our school community. 

 

We welcome parents, carers or community members to become registered volunteers to enable them to be involved in the variety of student activities we offer at our school. 

For more information on volunteering and how to apply for a registration to Work With Vulnerable People (WWVP), please visit our website here. 

Together, we share the important responsibility of ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our students, as mandated by both federal and jurisdictional legislation. 

 

Mandatory Child Safety Briefing 

To support this, Catholic Education Tasmania and St Mary's College ask all volunteers to read, understand, complete and sign the Child Safety Briefing before starting any volunteer work, such as helping in the classroom or on excursions. 

 

This is an annual requirement to ensure we all stay informed and compliant with Child Safety Standards. Please make sure to complete this briefing before your first visit to the College, ideally at the start of Term 1. 

 

Instructions:

  1. Please have a digitally scanned copy of your Working With Vulnerable People (WWVP) card ready to upload. If you do not have a WWVP card, you are required to get one before you can volunteer.
  2. Using an internet browser such as Internet Explorer or Chrome, please open the following link to the briefing: Safeguarding Children Briefing.
  3. Please read through each of the pages carefully, complete all form fields and note information along the way.
  4. After the briefing, press the submit button to complete.

Qkr! app

A reminder to all parents and cares to update their student's details on the Qkr! app for the start of Term 1 2025. 

 

Updating your child's profile is as simple as following these steps:

1. Open the Qkr! app

2. Select St Mary's College

3. Click on the 'Profiles' tab

4. Select the student you wish to change

5. Change the year level from the Grade drop-down menu and hit 'Update Profile'.

6. Repeat for any additional students you have at St Mary's College. 

 

For families new to our community, the Qkr! app allows lunches from Murphy's Café to be ordered and paid for easily and in advance. All orders must be placed prior to 9.00am daily.

 

Uniform items can also be purchased through the same app, along with other school services. 

 

The YouTube clip here explains how the App works and how to install it.

Traffic safety reminder

As we kick off Term 1, we wish to remind all parents, carers and students to take extra care when driving and parking in our school zone at any time of the day. 

 

Please always be vigilant and obey the signed parking rules and speed limits, particularly during busier times of the day, such as pick-up and drop-off. 

 

Below are some helpful tips to make sure you're driving carefully and looking out for pedestrians, especially children. 

  • A speed limit of 40km applies in Tasmanian school zones during busier times of the day. 
  • You must not park or stop in a 'No Stopping' area or bus zone for any reason.
  • You can only stop in a 'No Parking' area for the immediate purpose of picking up passengers. 
  • It is illegal to 'double park' by stopping next to another car already parked near the kerb.
  • Please avoid encroaching on or parking across a driveway, as this blocks access for property owners. 

Cathedral car park off limits 

Parents and carers are reminded not to park in the Cathedral carpark. This space is only intended for Cathedral staff and for parishioners when attending Mass and other services.  

 

'Hug and Go' zone 

St Mary's College has a designated 'Hug and Go' zone on Harrington Street. We encourage this to be used when students are not accompanied on the grounds by an adult. It is important that the Hug and Go zone is not used as a parking area and that time limits are adhered to, so that further traffic congestion is avoided.  

 

Crossing at the lights

Students are required to use the traffic lights when crossing at the Patrick Street/Harrington Street and Brisbane Street/Harrington Street intersections, pictured here.

Please take a moment to view our traffic safety information flyer, linked here. 

 

Thank you for your cooperation. Let's be mindful and share the road safely together.

Bus transport

Visit the College website here for information on school bus routes and available services in your area. For the most current information about bus services, please contact the bus companies directly.

New Café menu 

Murphy's Café has dropped its fresh menu for 2025, featuring delicious and healthy options for everyone. Check out the full menu on our website here and find your new favourite dish! 

 

Murphy's operates onsite from Monday to Friday, serving breakfast, recess and lunch for our College community. 

 

From this term, we will be trialling extended operating hours from 7.30am to 3.00pm, allowing families to enjoy a coffee and snack with their children at our outdoor eating area before school and at school pick-up.

 

Murphy's Café provides delicious and nutritious food – all made onsite with sustainable packaging, free-range eggs and locally sourced ingredients. Click the link here to read more about our Café.

Uniform Shop 

As we head back to school for Term 1, don't forget to visit our uniform shop for all your school uniform needs.

 

If you are in need of new uniform items, the Midford Sandy Bay Uniform Shop is open Monday to Friday, 8.00am–4.30pm, and Saturday 10.00am–1.00pm. 

 

All students, parents and carers are asked to check the length of their dresses and skirts, remembering that the expectation is that they are worn at knee length, or just above the knee. 

Visit our Uniform Guidelines here for more detailed information. 

Additionally, students from Years 3 to 6 can now wear the formal skirt throughout the school year, with either a short- or long-sleeve shirt. 

 

The skirt is available for purchase from the Uniform Shop or via Midford online. 

 

The Uniform Shop is located on the corner of York and Regent Street, Sandy Bay. Contact the Shop on email at sandybay@midford.com.au or phone 0455 336 214.

Newsletter via Connect

Our school newsletter, The Fountain, is emailed to parents and carers fortnightly on Wednesdays. A link to the latest edition will also be shared on the Families page in Connect. Keep an eye out to stay informed and connected with all the latest SMC news and events.

Stay social! 

Follow us on our official St Mary's College Facebook and Instagram pages for the latest student updates, a glimpse into life at the College and behind-the-scenes moments of daily experiences. Join us as we celebrate our SMC community. 

NAPLAN 2025

A friendly reminder that all Year 3, 5, 7, and 9 students will be completing NAPLAN testing in Weeks 6-8 of Term 1. NAPLAN assesses literacy and numeracy skills that students are learning through their regular school curriculum.

 

For more information, please visit the link provided: NAPLAN 2025 information for parents and carers.

 

If you have any questions, please email Mrs Michelle Baker at mbaker@smc.tas.edu.au.

Join our Chess Club

Are you passionate about chess? Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned player, our Chess Club welcomes you! 

 

Open to both Junior and Senior School students, this is a fantastic opportunity to improve your skills, make new friends and enjoy some friendly competition. 

 

Details

  • Who: Junior and Senior School Students
  • When: Lessons will commence Friday 14 February and will run for nine weeks. Cost is $60 per child. 
  • Where: Student Resource Centre.
  • Enrol: blacksquarechess.com 
  • Contact: James at jamesblacksquare@gmail.com