Sophie McQueen

Head of Year 10 smcqueen1 @cns.catholic.edu.au

YEAR 10 KEY INFORMATION: WEEK 5

Anti-Bullying Day

It was wonderful to see the strong support for our Anti‑Bullying Day activities across the College. Our Junior Leaders did an excellent job organising a Kindness Bingo Card for each Pastoral Group, encouraging students to complete random acts of kindness throughout the week. This initiative was a great success and was widely enjoyed by our students. As part of the activities, students were reminded that kindness is simple, powerful, and something we can choose every day, and that at times, showing kindness also means having the courage to speak up for others.

House Assembly

We look forward to our House Assembly on Tuesday of Week 5 as we prepare for the Week 6 Swimming Carnival. We anticipate full participation from all students and are especially hopeful to see our Year 10s leading the way with enthusiasm, house spirit, and creative dress‑ups. Their energy sets the tone for the younger year levels, and we look forward to seeing them embrace the occasion.

QTAC Competition

QTAC is organising a poster competition for the 2029 QTAC Year 10 guide. If your child is interested, please check the QTAC competition website for details and entry. Submissions close on 6 March.

From the CAREERS Corner!

I hope you and your family have had a positive start to 2026.

I’d like to provide a brief update regarding Year 10 Work Experience, scheduled for Week 9 of this term.

VPG will be on-site on Monday and Wednesday of Week 6 to advise students of their work experience placement allocation. College staff will inform your student on which day they will receive their allocation. While we aim for all students to secure their first preference, the high demand for placements across Cairns may mean this isn’t always possible. If you have any concerns about your student’s placement, please contact me. All workplace experience, regardless of industry, provides valuable and meaningful learning opportunities.

Again, congratulations to those students who successfully completed their White Card training at the end of last year. I still have several White Cards awaiting collection in my office. If your student has not yet collected theirs, please encourage them to come and see me at any time, including before school, during lunch, or after school.

Depending on confirmation of your student’s upcoming work experience placement, a White Card may be required. If your student did not attend last year’s White Card training, but it becomes apparent that they require one for their placement, they will need to complete this training before the start of Week 9. Several training providers across Cairns offer this qualification.

Thank you again for your ongoing partnership and support in helping provide meaningful pathway opportunities and experiences for your student.

Ms Felicity Earl, Careers Counsellor fearl@cns.catholic.edu.au

UNIFORM SCHEDULE: WEEK A

WHOLE-OF-COLLEGE NOTICES

Shoe Guide

At the College, students are required to adhere to the uniform and personal grooming guide. We want to support families, students, and teachers in understanding specific requirements, particularly for sports shoes. We know students are currently wearing shoes in the 'not suitable' section of the graphic below.

To provide clarity, we have listed the main shoes worn by students with their sports uniforms that require fixing and shoes must meet expectations for the start of Term 2. This provides you and your family time to make changes to comply with the uniform guideline outlined in the College Diary under Uniforms: Sport shoes - Low cut, supportive, lace-up, all-purpose shoes for running with a suitable grip. Colour scheme should be discreet. Skate shoes and other flat-soled shoes are not acceptable.

The shoes shown in the graphic below are examples we frequently see; they are not the ONLY shoes not permitted. If you are unsure of the correct shoes, please send a picture or ask your child to speak with the Head of Year for clarification. Uniform infringement consequences will come into play at the commencement of Term 2. We appreciate your support in making it very clear what we expect regarding appropriate footwear at the College.

Day of Action against Bullying

Today, St Mary’s recognised the Day of Action against Bullying. Throughout the week, students were encouraged to take proactive approaches to combating bullying, with a strong focus on kindness. Pastoral Groups participated in ‘Kindness Bingo’, while today students pledged acts of kindness at our ‘Kindness Wall.' Each Pastoral Group’s morning prayer also focused on community and selflessness.

Students in Years 7-10 spent their SEL lesson exploring topics on bullying, friendship, and cyberbullying. Across the College, there was a sea of orange accessories to show solidarity and commitment to standing against bullying.

At St Mary’s, we are committed to a proactive approach to addressing bullying. We encourage all students and parents/carers to contact Pastoral Mentors or Heads of Year if there are any concerns.

Join the Choir!

The St Mary’s College Choir commenced on Wednesday, 18 February 2026. Choir rehearsals are held each Wednesday afternoon from 3:30 pm - 4:45 pm in M3/M4 in the HOB (enter the HOB via the laneway near the Nazareth Pavilion). We welcome and encourage new members to join or try it out.

We will hold a Choir Camp in Term 2, from 8 - 10 May, during which we will travel to Genazzano Retreat on Friday and return on Sunday at lunchtime. Camp is always a highlight of the year. During the camp, we build our repertoire and prepare for performances at the Eisteddfod at the Cairns Performing Arts Centre.

We would particularly like to have some more senior boys join us, as well as some keen Year 7 students. New students are asked to please complete the below enrolment form and return it to Mrs Wright, jwright@cns.catholic.edu.au, or Mrs Jepso,n kjepson@cns.catholic.edu.au

The Tuckshop

Family Connect Meeting

Commemoration Mass and Morning Tea

Sunday, March 8 2026, 10:00 am

We warmly invite you to join us for St Mary's Catholic College Commemoration Mass. This special occasion marks 40 years since the commemoration of the opening of the College. Following Mass, morning tea will be provided.

Please register via the following link: https://www.trybooking.com/DIYHJ

College 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.

Event	Date	Term
Swimming Carnival	Tuesday, 3 March	Term 1
Commemoration Mass & Morning Tea	Sunday, 8 March	Term 1
Cross Country	Wednesday, 1 April	Term 1

Parish Support - Our Lady Help of Christians

Dear Parents and Carers, your children attend school within our parish boundaries, and we warmly welcome your support. You can be a volunteer and/or contribute to the parish financially (one-off or regular donations).

Our banking details are provided below:

Earlville Parish Account

BSB: 084352

Account number: 000004441

Reference: Surname and initials of first name(s).

Please contact the parish office if you have any questions.

Thank you for your support, Fr. Nathan.

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.

Tina Nguyen-Hales

Assistant Principal

Senior Secondary (Years 10 to 12)

tnguyenhal@cns.catholic.edu.au

On behalf of the College Leadership Team

College Leadership Team

College Pastoral Team

Sports Bulletin

Tanya Draheim