The Fountain

Take note

Mark your calendars—August and September are looking to be busy months at St Mary's College! We warmly invite you and your family to join us at one (or more!) of our many upcoming community events, which we are eagerly looking forward to.

 

With the coldest and darkest of winter days hopefully behind us, and the promise of glorious spring weather just around the corner, we have plenty of reasons to celebrate at SMC! 

Read, Grow, Inspire for Book Week 2023 | 19-25 August

Next week is Book Week and a great opportunity for us to celebrate books and reading! 

 

This year we have planned a variety of events and competitions for students from Kindergarten to Year 12 to explore the 2023 theme: 'Read, Grow, Inspire'. Add the following important dates to your calendars: 

  • Junior School Book Swap: Monday 21 August - Wednesday 23 August 
    All donations for the swap are to be delivered to the library this week (14-18 August) to receive the official tokens which can be redeemed at the event. Students in Kinder to Year 6 will attend the swap at a scheduled session during Book Week. 
     
  • Drop Everything and Read: Wednesday 23 August
    Senior School students will visit the Junior School for a reading-buddy event on Wednesday morning. 
     
  • Dress-up Parade: Wednesday 23 August, Nagle Centre
    The Senior School parade will be held during lunch, followed by the Junior School parade at 1.45pm-3.00pm. Junior School students are in costume all day and may arrive and depart in costume if they are driven to and from school. Those students walking or travelling on buses can wear their PE uniform and change on campus. Parents and families are warmly welcome to attend the Junior School event and must be seated in the Nagle Centre for a 1.45pm start. 
     
  • Visiting author/illustrator: Thursday 24 August
    Alyssa Bermudez is speaking to selected Junior and Senior classes in the library about her work and the industry. 
     
  • Student v Staff Debate: Thursday 24 August 
    Taking place in the library at lunchtime, all students are welcome to watch the showdown! 
     
  • Poetry Slam: Friday 25 August
    Senior School students and staff will recite their poems in the library at lunchtime. 

Please note, all Book Week competition entries are due by this Friday 18 August. 

 

We are looking forward to an exciting week ahead and would like to express a sincere thank you to everyone for their enthusiastic support of such a fabulous initiative. 

 

Student Resource Centre team 

Father's Day Breakfast | Wednesday 30 August

Preparations for our upcoming Father's Day Breakfast are in full swing, and we're looking forward to the chance to celebrate—and spoil— the special men in our lives with a hearty breakfast roll and barista coffee to fuel their workday. 

 

The breakfast will be taking place on the College Green on Wednesday 30 August from 7.45am-8.30am. Please register by Friday 25 August via this link. For catering purposes, please RSVP for all attending (including students). 

 

If you are booking on behalf of someone, we kindly ask that you please register the ticket in their name.

 

If Dad is unable to attend, children are encouraged to invite an uncle, grandfather or special family friend along instead. 

Sustainability Fair | Wednesday 13 September

The College's Footprint Project will once again be rolling up its sleeves to fight the war on waste with the return of the St Mary's College Sustainability Fair. 

 

To be held on Wednesday 13 September, the event aims to inform, educate and inspire our community to work towards a more sustainable future, with a focus on how small changes can create a positive environmental impact. 

 

The fair will feature a wide range of hands-on activities including sustainability workshops, where visitors can learn practices for reducing waste and ways to reuse, recycle and repurpose in the home and garden; eco-friendly stalls selling handmade goodies, ethical and sustainable food and fashion, and old-fashioned children's games. 

 

Please RSVP online by Sunday 10 September by clicking on this link.

 

Keep an eye out for our student posters advertising the fair, which will be displayed in key areas of the College and shared on our social media channels and website soon.

Music Gala Night | Thursday 14 September

Save the date! Music lovers are in for a special treat next month with the much-loved St Mary's College Music Gala to be held on Thursday 14 September from 6.30pm-8.00pm in the Nagle Centre. 

 

Come along and enjoy a spectacular evening of entertainment by our Junior and Senior School students, with performances from the College concert band, rock band, string ensemble and student choirs, along with our instrumental soloists and vocalists.

Entry is free but RSVP is essential by Monday 28 August via this link. 

Traffic safety reminders 

Pick up and drop off

As an inner-city school, we are very fortunate to have a designated 'Kiss and Go' zone on Harrington Street. This short-term stopping zone allows our parents and carers to quickly drop off and pick up children from the school side of the road, where they are safe from passing traffic and can be supervised accordingly. 

While this zone helps to lessen some of the congestion on Harrington Street, pick up and drop off occurs at a very busy—and potentially, dangerous—time, so it's imperative that all drivers and pedestrians take their safety, and the safety of others, into consideration when using the zone. 

  • Please do not park in the Kiss and Go zone for more than 1-2 minutes. Any longer than this and you are likely to be asked by a staff member (wearing a high visibility vest) to move on and do another circuit. 
  • In the morning, say your goodbyes at home, make sure your child/ren has their bag ready so they can get out of the car quickly. Stopping to get bags out of the boot and putting jackets on slows the traffic down and adds to the street congestion. 
  • If you are an early arrival at pick up time, then please make sure your child/ren are prompt at getting to your car. 

Crossing the road safely 

If your child must cross the road, please ensure they do so safely at the nearby lights. 

 

Students are reminded that where dedicated crossings or pedestrian lights exist, they must use them. They must not cross if facing a red traffic light or red pedestrian light either – even if they can’t see any oncoming traffic. 

Thank you for your understanding and commitment to the safety of our students and wider community. For more information, please find our traffic safety tips on our website here. 

Last day of Term 4, 2023

Please note that Term 4 concludes for all students (K-12) on Monday 11 December.