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A colourful week of celebration, heritage and harmony 

Our College was alive with colour and spirit this week as students joined together to celebrate both St Patrick's Day and Harmony Day. 

On Tuesday, our Junior School as dotted with green in honour of St Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. This celebration holds special meaning for our community, as it connects us to our Irish heritage and the legacy of our founding Sisters, who came from the town of Fermoy in County Cork. It also offered a moment to reflect on Nano Nagle and her three companions, whose courage and vision established the Presentation Sisters more than 250 years ago in Cork. 

Today, the focus shifted to the vibrant orange of Harmony Day. Students added a splash of orange to their uniforms to recognise and celebrate the rich cultural diversity within our College. Many students embraced the chance to wear traditional cultural dress, which created a beautiful display of identity, pride and belonging on the College Green. 

Harmony Day is a wonderful opportunity for our school community to recognise and celebrate the many cultures and backgrounds that make St Mary’s College so special. Our students currently represent 28 countries and speak 35 different languages, reflecting the rich diversity that strengthens and enriches our community. 

We extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to Year 12 student, Sidona Tesfay, a proud Eritrean, for championing today’s cultural parade, and to the Prefects for their invaluable support in coordinating the event.

Women of impact: Alumni join students for International Women's Day Assembly

Nothing feels more fitting than celebrating International Women’s Day alongside inspiring alumni who have walked the path before us and forged successful careers.

Our College was honoured to welcome three former SMC students to our International Women's Day Whole School Assembly on Wednesday 11 March, where they shared their journeys, insights and the distinct pathways that led each of them into nursing. 

Katie Hinchen (Class of 2003), Emma Shanahan (Class of 2010) and Nicole Howard (Class of 2006) may all be registered nurses, but that's where the similarities end. From leading education, training and professional development for perioperative theatre staff to teaching Aboriginal health workers within an RTO to working across a range of mental health settings, their stories showcased just how broad and varied the profession is.

With honesty and passion, they showed our students that there's no single path to making an impact in health care, and that hard work, perseverance and genuine care for others can open countless doors. 

Our alumni also left students with a powerful reminder: there’s no glass ceiling in nursing, and they can lead, innovate and shape the future of health care on their own terms.

Thank you to our alumni for giving so generously of their time, and to our Head Prefect, Lucy Hofler and Prefect for Events and Communication, Ruby Wighton (Year 12), for leading such thoughtful conversations.

Staff News | SMC staff at centre stage

Two of our brilliant Learning Support Officers have traded their Junior School classrooms for the bright lights of the stage.  

Poppy Nicol and Tayla Moschogianis – with Tayla leading the charge as dance captain – are currently performing in the smash-hit musical &Juliet, which is lighting up the Theatre Royal this month. 

Produced by John X Presents - Hobart, this high-energy production asks, "What if Juliet rewrote her own story?" 

We love that Poppy and Tayla are rewriting theirs too, as they showcase their dynamic choreography on the stage and remind our students what it looks like to be bold, creative and unapologetically yourself. 

A huge congratulations to you both! Next stop – Broadway. 

&Juliet runs until Saturday 21 March. Check availability and book your tickets online: www.theatreroyal.com.au/shows/juliet

Image credit: Alice Skinner Photographer