Pastoral Bulletin

Thank you to all students and staff involved in the St Mary’s commitment for Action against Bullying this week at the St Mary’s Day Celebration. We hope this serves as a reminder to all students about how to treat one another within our community. The following link connects to our Guidelines on Bullying/Harassment . If you have any further questions please contact the College.
Good luck to the students attending All Schools Touch this weekend in Townsville. We look forward to hearing about the weekend upon your return. Thank you to all staff attending the weekend.
Good luck to the Year 11 students presenting next week at the house assembly for leadership positions in 2024.
As the term progresses we have started to see some jewellery uniform infringements. Below are the following Jewellery requirements at the College extracted from the student expectations:
- To be discreet meaning not particularly noticeable, and is limited to:
  - One watch
  - One silver or gold bracelet
  - One silver or gold necklace
  - One silver or gold ring
  - One small silver or gold sleeper/stud in each earlobe
- Visible piercings other than earrings as described above must be removed while in school uniform, this includes clear or coloured piercings.
We encourage all students to follow the above requirements of the College uniform to recognise being part of the St Mary’s community.

Regards,

Leah McBryde

Assistant Principal, Junior Years (7 - 9) | lmcbryde@cns.catholic.edu.au

Justin Brennan

Acting Assistant Principal, Senior Years (10 -12) | jbrennan2@cns.catholic.edu.au

Year 7

A big thank you to parents/caregivers, staff and students for your combined community effort contributed to the 2023 Year 7 Camp. Without the support of all stakeholders the camp would not have been possible. The students had an amazing time, formed new friendships and stored new memories. Camps are a fantastic experience that develop character and build skills such as resilience and leadership that will be a lifelong benefit to students, and this year was no exception.
Good luck to students in Year 7 representing the College at the Fowlers Group Marlin Coast Netball Carnival. The College and Year 7 Cohort are proud of your efforts and wish you a successful tournament.
Lastly, just a reminder about respectful communication with peers. Students are reminded to be aware that jokes, although intended to be humorous are not always met with positive feelings or laughter. Students are reminded that it is important to consider the context of the situation and to respect the boundaries of the peer when communicating with them.

Regards,

Nathan Haydon

Head of Year 7

Congratulations to PG 8.8 who have regained their title as champions of this week's inter house challenge, your prizes will be delivered during community PG on Wednesday. Murray House maintains the lead but strong outing from Cahill sees them close the gap to two points.
Fostering a safe and inclusive learning environment is essential for every student to thrive and succeed. Nastiness and bullying are serious concerns that can have a significant impact on a child’s emotional, psychological, and academic development. If your child has been involved in or witnessed bullying, please report the incident to the College immediately. You can do this by contacting the Pastoral Mentor, Head of Year or any member of the Student Protection Contacts.

Regards,

Andy Winter

Head of Year 8

Things are getting heated in our basketball challenge as each PG is competing for the title of Best Shooter. Moving into the next stage of competition, we have:
- Cahill 9.1 vs Heavey 9.4
- Hutchy 9.6 vs. Murray 9.7
If there's a need for an extension on a curriculum assessment, we kindly ask parents to get in touch with the classroom teacher to make the necessary arrangements.

Regards,

Saripha Curro

Head of Year 9

Applications for Year 11 Mentors have been emailed to students. Students who are interested in exploring leadership opportunities in 2024 should read the details of the email carefully. Applications close Thursday 7th September 2023 at 2pm. Interviews for those shortlisted will be during Week 2 and 3 of Term 4.
On Thursday 24th August our Year 10s will be attending the 2023 Cairns Youth & Careers Expo organised by the BLA, at the Fred Moule Exhibition Centre, Cairns Showgrounds. The aim of the Expo is to provide students with a central venue to research career options for their future. As the education curriculum in our secondary schools has evolved to align with the rest of Australia, the VET pathways/opportunities are also diversifying and growing each year and the expo will provide access to this information as students begin to make their career choices. The Year 10s will be departing the College at 8:40 am and returning by 11.20am and need to be wearing their formal uniform.

Regards,

John Cahill

Head of Year 10

What a great day we had during St Mary’s Day! Year 11s showed great positivity and involvement and I definitely did get soaked! Next year, students will get to showcase their dance moves at the Yr12 cohort dedicated concert slot, I look forward to their creativity!
An increasing number of Yr11 students may now be starting to drive themselves to school; please be aware that parking in the Trade Training carpark is for Yr12 students only. They will be allowed to use it in 2024, thank you for your understanding.
Next Tuesday, we will have a House Assembly where our Yr11 potential House Captains will have the opportunity to carry out an activity prior to students voting. I wish them all good luck and hope that the rest of the cohort will show their support and enthusiasm.

Regards,

Sophie McQueen

Head of Year 11

During morning tea on Wednesday, a representative from Cromwell College at the University of Queensland will be in the library to speak to any interested year 12 students about living on campus.
Celebration Dinner tickets were due to be paid for today, 18 August. Please ensure this is done as soon as possible as we need to finalise numbers.
Students are reminded that they are expected to participate in all school activities unless they are unwell or have a family emergency. Some students are picking and choosing when they arrive and leave school and which days they will attend - this goes against our community values and our enrolment policy.
Some uniform reminders - girls makeup is becoming a problem. Please see that makeup AND/OR tinted moisturiser are not worn to school or you will be asked to remove it.
Students who drive to school, please adhere to the road rules and be aware of the primary school students and their families when using Anderson Road.

Regards

Lucy Fitzpatrick

Head of Year 12

lfitzpatri@cns.catholic.edu.au