YEAR 8
Building Strong Connections

Clare Robertson

Head of Year 8

crobertson1@cns.catholic.edu.au

YEAR 8 KEY INFORMATION: WEEK 3

Mental Health Week

Thank you to our Year 8 students for their enthusiastic participation in last week's Mental Health Week activities. It was wonderful to see so many students dressed in purple on Friday to show their support for this important cause!

Mental Health Week is an important part of our College Calendar, providing an opportunity to highlight the importance of caring for our mental wellbeing and promoting strategies to support both students and staff.

A reminder that if our Year 8 students need support with their mental wellbeing at school, we have a strong Pastoral team ready to assist. This includes our Head of Year team, Assistant Principals - Students (Mrs Dewar & Ms Nguyen-Hales), support staff (Mrs Pridham and Ms Worsnop), and our three fantastic Guidance Counsellors (Ms Rizzato, Mr Mick and Mrs Chay).

Year 8 Assessment Planners

The Year 8 Assessment Planner is now available via the Student Portal and the MyCE App for parents. Please refer to the email from Mr John Cahill, Leader of Curriculum Logistics, for details on how to access the planner.

The planner is a valuable resource to help students stay organised with their study and assignments, manage deadlines and submit high-quality work on time.

We recommend printing a copy and displaying it on the fridge or in another high-traffic area of your house. This will help keep upcoming assessment dates visible and support your child in developing effective organisational and study habits.

Cairns Parkrun Takeover

Next Saturday 24th October, St. Mary’s is ‘taking over’ Cairns Parkrun. Parkrun is a free, timed 5km walk or run, held every Saturday morning at 7am on the Esplanade. We are inviting all students, staff and family members to join us for this event, to promote active living and community involvement. Parkrun is for everyone, regardless of running ability!

Details for this event are as follows:

When: Saturday 24th October, 7am - 8am
Where: Cairns Esplanade Northern End, opposite Guyala Cafe (near the Pirate Ship)
Bring: Runners, water bottle and insect repellent
Wear: St. Mary’s sports uniform or Run Squad singlet

Sporting Success

I would also like to acknowledge the sporting successes of our Year 8 students so far this term. Our Junior Secondary Sport (JSS) teams have enjoyed some fantastic results, with many securing convincing wins against Bentley Park and Mackillop.

Best wishes to all Year 8 students participating in the Bentley 7s Carnival next Friday across netball, rugby league and soccer, as well as those competing in the Year 7/8 Interschool Rugby League competition, which begins next Tuesday.

I look forward to watching our students in action and seeing our Year 8s represent the College with pride, sportsmanship and enthusiasm!

Vinnies Christmas Appeal

St Mary’s is once again collecting non-perishable food items and essential goods for the St Vincent de Paul (Vinnies) Christmas Appeal. Donations will be distributed by Cairns St Vincent de Paul to local families in need, helping to spread hope and Christmas cheer during the festive season.

Supporting this appeal reflects our College Guiding Principles of empathy and community and provides a valuable opportunity for our students to make a positive difference in the lives of others.

We are asking each Year 8 student to contribute one or two non-perishable food items to support this worthy cause. Each Pastoral Group will have a hamper to fill, with the Year 8 Pastoral Group that collects the most items winning a pizza party!

To respect the dignity of the families receiving these donations, please ensure all items are new, unopened and non-perishable, with an expiry date at least four months away.

Thank you in advance for your generosity and support in helping our College community spread some Christmas kindness.