Welcome back to school

It's wonderful to have our students back at school this week, bringing vibrancy, laughter and energy back into the College. School has not been the same without all our students here. Our staff have missed everyone so much!

There have been smiles all around this week, including Cadence (Kinder) who marked the return to school with this lovely painting.

Name our canteen competition

Our College canteen isn't like any other canteen. It’s sustainable, healthy and set up like our very own café. We have new menu items on a regular basis, barista-made hot beverages, reusable crockery and cutlery and a composting system.

We’d love to give our canteen a unique name that reflects the new style and how it connects with the St Mary’s school values.

Have an idea? Send in your name suggestion via this link and tell us why you’ve selected that name by Wednesday 10 June.

All names will go before the judging panel and the selected name will be printed on a new sign and placed at the canteen.

The winner will be celebrated in The Fountain newsletter, and shared on Facebook and our school website.

The creator of the chosen name will also receive their very own SMC keep cup and a free lunch, plus they’ll be present for the launch of the new name.

If you have any questions, please email communications@smc.tas.edu.au

You've got a friend in Macey

Macey Hayes (Year 1) set out to complete a fundraiser for cystic fibrosis over the last week. She ran two kilometres each day for seven days. Her bestie Lottie means the world to her and inspired her to take on this challenge. Some days were tough in the cold, but when she was sore she had her siblings running right beside her. Macey raised $1,470 for cystic fibrosis. What an amazing act of kindness and friendship. This Nano Nagle hero shines bright and inspires us all.

National Simultaneous Storytime

Today our Junior School students celebrated their love of reading by taking part in the National Simultaneous Storytime, an annual tradition now in its 20th year.

This year's selected book was Whitney and Britney Chicken Divas. Whitney and Britney are two gorgeous chooks, fluffy and silky with stunning good looks.

It's so nice to see students back in the classroom all together this week, enjoying reading time with their class and teacher!

Showing Nano Nagle in our work

Students produced some very unique and clever response work while learning from home. Gabriela McKenna (Year 3) was very creative in her response to show ways that Nano Nagle, Mary and herself are followers of Jesus and show the spirit of Jesus to others.

The Envious Curator

Be Your Own Masterpiece – Submissions are in!

We had an overwhelming response to this challenge from all of you budding artists in the St Mary’s community. I had the pleasure of viewing over 80 submissions for inclusion in our Virtual Exhibition, ‘COVID Classics’. From modified little brothers, well trained kittens and immaculately rendered apple peel ballet dancers, our art-making during remote learning is well documented within this eclectic series of works.

A shortlist of student and staff finalists can be viewed in our COVID Classics virtual exhibition here.

Vote for your favourite masterpiece by clicking the link for that artist's name.

Sarah Adams

Learning Area Coordinator – Visual Arts

Different icons of Mary

Here we have beautiful examples of different icons of Mary in a design using any medium the Year 4 students chose.

Artwork by Freya Dickman (Year 4)

Artwork by Monique Davis (Year 4)

Making a time capsule

In Year 7 and 8, HaSS students have been working on a time capsule as a 'future' history challenge. While this new reality hasn't been easy for us, we know one day we'll look back on it. Students started creating time capsules with their families that included photos, notes and other things they did as a family while staying at home. These will be stored away and not opened for years, while students may even save them for their grandchildren!

Let's go exploring

In Term 1, Year 4 went on a journey through the Age of Discovery, learning all about explorers of the past and their journeys to the 'New World'. Then, from the comfort of their own lounge rooms, the students were challenged to imagine themselves as intrepid explorers, with the responsibility of planning an adventure into the unknown, or along roads less travelled. Here are just a few examples of the amazing, varied, brave, creative, and very adventurous explorers we have here in our midst. I think you will agree that our journey towards the future appears to be very safe in their capable hands!

Ruling Rosie by Rosie Dyson (Year 4)

Captain Black Swan by Audrey Bessell (Year 4)

Grace Cubit (Year 4)

Jorgia Eyles (Year 4)

Lucy Breen (Year 4)

Summer Richardson (Year 4)

Performing Arts

It is great to be back. For the Performing Arts subjects, performing online was a challenge which the students handled very well, and we saw some fantastic videos of student work in all year groups.

The Drama 3, Music 3 and Music UTAS pretertiary students have been busy preparing for performances upon their return. Matilda Noonan, Bethany Denholm and Sophie Williams have been working hard on their music pieces. Samantha Williams, Ruby Taylor, Alice Ryan, Julietta Moutwari, Claire Heathorn and Bethany Denholm have continued working on character development, physicalisation and costumes for Drama 3. The Senior Drama play, House on Fire, will be performed in July.

Year 10 were privileged to have a lesson on theatrical face painting with current Year 10 Drama student, Maya Manaena. Maya's work has featured in various Hobart Musical Theatre Crew productions - keep an eye out for this up and coming artist.

Amazing work has been created in other year groups, such as theatrical face painting, melodramatic films, embarrassing moments monologues, advertisement jingles, Foley sound fx and film compositions. A huge thank you to family members and pets who helped out with the various filming roles.

Tutor lessons have re-commenced, and I would encourage parents to consider private music tuition. Lessons are $35 for half an hour and occur once a week during the school day. We have tutors for the following instruments: singing (voice), piano, acoustic and electric guitar, bass guitar, flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, harp, drums, violin and cello.

A HUGE thank you to all Music and Drama students who have worked so hard together to make this online platform an exciting opportunity for our subjects.

Scott Weston

Learning Area Coordinator - The Performing Arts

Drama

Drama classes have been finding interesting ways to continue performance work online during learning at home. Senior pretertiary Drama 3 students have begun work on their midyear production of House on Fire while learning at home. Students Samantha Williams, Ruby Taylor, Alice Ryan, Julietta Moutwari, Claire Heathorn and Bethany Denholm have been working hard on elements of character, including physicalisation and costume.

Blocking and rehearsals will start this week and we will present this work in July. Year 10 have creatively used costume, set and camera from home to perform monologues of various styles and genres, with Cecilia Hutchinson, Sofia Brock, Amelia Howell and Bree O'Dwyer all performing work from very different styles to a very high standard.

The focus in Year 9 has been script writing, with students writing and performing their own monologues. Standout performances were given by Grace Simonetis, Eliza Topham and Laura Thomson. Filming and editing short melodramatic films has continued in Year 8 - thank you in advance to any family members and pets who may have helped out with various roles for this task.

Year 7 performed personal monologues based on memorable or embarrassing moments from their childhood. Some great stories were shared!

See you all back in the theatre!

Leah Smith

Senior Drama Teacher

Community news

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