YEAR 8
Building Strong Connections
Mrs Christina Borzi
Head of Year 8
YEAR 8 KEY INFORMATION: WEEK 4
Year 8 Shine at Opti-Minds State Finals
Congratulations to our Year 8 Opti-Minds team, Charlotte Holzhauser, Maria Thang, Noah Rankine, and Aiden Basile, who achieved outstanding success at the State Finals, winning the Science Engineering category.
As part of their long-term challenge, the team wrote a story about integrity and built a tower using limited materials. Their tower stood over a metre high and successfully held six juice boxes before collapsing. In the spontaneous challenge, they focused on the issue of fast fashion, presenting an innovative idea to repurpose textile waste by creating blankets and bags for the homeless. This achievement highlights their creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.
Thank you to Ms van Hooydonk for supporting and inspiring the students throughout the competition.
Building Respect and Empowering Voices
Last week’s Community Pastoral Group session included separate sessions for boys and girls, each focusing on respectful relationships and communication.
The boys met with Mr Haydon, Year 8 Pastoral Mentor, and other male teachers, who spoke about how students represent themselves through their actions and language, and the importance of showing respect towards others. At the same time, the girls participated in a session that I led, focused on empowering girls to speak up when they feel disrespected and how to respond appropriately and with confidence.
Both sessions encouraged reflection, empathy, and positive communication to strengthen respectful relationships within our school community.
Reflecting and Setting Goals
During SEL last week and into this week, Year 8 students accessed their Term 3 report cards and set personal goals for the weeks ahead. Pastoral Mentors supported these reflections through one-on-one conversations, encouraging students to recognise their achievements and identify areas for growth. These discussions help students take ownership of their learning and stay focused on achieving success as we move toward the end of the year.
Uniform Schedule: Week 4
WHOLE-OF-COLLEGE NOTICES
Assessment planners for every year level are now available on our website.
Please click on the following link to download Year 8: https://www.smcc.qld.edu.au/learning-enrichment/assessment-planners/
Sadistic Online Exploitation
For more information, click on the following link: https://www.accce.gov.au/help-support/sadistic-online-exploitation
COLLEGE WEBSITE - For the latest information and guidance relevant to both staff and families, please refer regularly to our St Mary's Catholic College Website.
KEY DATES - Please note that all key dates are listed in the College Calendar. This can be accessed via the MyCE Parent App and synced with your personal calendar.
Ms Leah McBryde
Assistant Principal
Junior Secondary (Years 7 to 9)
On behalf of the College Leadership Team
College Leadership Team
