YEAR 8
Building Strong Connections
St Mary's Catholic College
Clare Robertson
Head of Year 8
YEAR 8 KEY INFORMATION: WEEK 5
St Vincent de Paul - Christmas Hamper Appeal
Thank you to all students and families who have donated to our annual SVdP Christmas Hamper Appeal so far. This important initiative provides an opportunity for us to put empathy into action by supporting local families who are less fortunate during the festive season.
Congratulations to our Year 8 cohort! We are currently leading the way across all year levels, with an impressive total of 13 baskets filled. With a pizza party up for grabs for the winning Year 8 Pastoral Group (PG), the competition is on! Which PG will fill the most baskets before the end of the year?
Assessment Preparation
As this is a short term, we will be entering the assessment period over the next fortnight. Strong study habits and good organisation are key to helping our young people succeed during this busy and potentially stressful time.
We recommend that our Year 8 students adopt the following strategies to prepare for their upcoming assessments:
- Review the assessment planner: Check upcoming draft and final submission dates, available on the student portal and the MyCE app.
- Submit completed drafts: Make the most of opportunities to receive feedback and improve your work before final submission.
- Establish a nightly study routine: While this is not assigned homework, students should set aside time for self-directed revision. This may include reviewing class notes, completing chapter reviews, attempting quizzes on Canvas, Mathspace and Stile, and revisiting formative assessments.
- Seek additional support: Students are encouraged to attend morning, afternoon or lunchtime tutorials with their teachers. Mathematics tutoring is available every Monday afternoon in the library from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm.
Maintain healthy habits: Eating nutritious food, engaging in daily exercise or physical activity, and getting adequate rest can help students stay healthy and minimise absences during this important period.
If a student is absent on the day of an assessment, the absence must be explained through the MyCE app. Students must then contact their classroom teacher to arrange an alternative assessment time or other appropriate arrangements.
Save the Date - Year 8 Sugarworld Pastoral Day
Our Year 8 students will celebrate a successful year at Sugarworld on Wednesday 25 November (Week 8). A parent permission slip with further details will be available next week.
Please note that this Pastoral Day is a compulsory school day.
Reminder - Community Service Log Books
Students are reminded that they can collect a Community Service Log Book from Mrs Robertson, located outside the Head of Year’s room, during break times.
These log books provide an excellent opportunity for aspiring student leaders to record their service to the College throughout 2026 and 2027, in preparation for Junior Leader interviews at the end of next year.
Leadership at St Mary’s is about serving others within our College and the wider community. Many of our Year 8 students are already demonstrating these qualities through their involvement in activities such as ushering at Open Night, participating in feedback lunches and volunteering at school sporting events.
I look forward to seeing our Year 8 students continue to grow and develop as young leaders over the coming year.
Leah Dewar
Assistant Principal
Junior Secondary (Years 7 to 9)
On behalf of the College Leadership Team
College Leadership Team
