St Mary's College Connect

Principal's Message

Wayne Wood

Principal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To our St Mary’s community,

 

So quickly Term 2 has come to an end. We have enjoyed a busy and productive first six months of the year and I take this opportunity to thank students and staff for their hard work. 

 

As you know, I step into the role of Acting Director of School Effectiveness – P-12 & Secondary Colleges for the remainder of this year. Whilst it is only for six months, preparing to leave St Mary’s has not been easy. I continually catch myself saying “I’m going to miss this” or “I wish I could be here for that”, but more than that, I know I will miss the people of St Mary’s – our students, staff, and families. 

 

St Mary’s has a special way it makes you feel. I feel safe and looked after. I know that people are there for me, which gives me confidence to be at my best. Whilst I will miss this, I will always be reminded of the special gift that is St Mary’s. 

 

In my first newsletter for St Mary’s written back in 2017, I commented on the many wonderful things I had seen in my first weeks at the College. I said…

 

Whilst I look forward to a time when I know the name of every student and understand all the routines and procedures in place, I must admit I have thoroughly enjoyed my first few weeks “exploring” our fine College. I have been extremely impressed with all that I have seen, but more significantly, I have been more impressed with what I have felt.

 

There is a distinctive ‘family’ feel within the school. I love the way students and staff interact and relate as they go about their business of learning. I am impressed by the friendliness of our students as they stop to chat with me. The strong culture of care, love and commitment to learning is certainly evident and something that our whole community should be extremely proud of.

 

Nothing has changed. My observations still confirm that St Mary’s is all these things and more. What is also clear is that this has been achieved together. Integral to our College’s success is in our commitment to each other – which is the essence of ‘family’. 

 

As I prepare my handover, I am immensely proud of our College and what it continues to achieve. I know that Mr Ian Margetts will love his time as Principal of St Mary’s. I am equally confident that our St Mary’s community will embrace Ian and his family as you did with mine. 

 

So, it is goodbye for now and I look forward to my return in January 2022. I take this opportunity to wish students, staff and families the very best. In particular, I will keep a special place in my prayers for our Year 12 students as they embark on the most special time in their secondary schooling. 

 

Netball and Rugby League

 

We wish our Confraternity Rugby League Team and our QISSN Netball Team all the best as they travel to Brisbane in the first week of the holidays to compete at their respective carnivals. Both teams have invested a significant amount of time training and fine-tuning their skills in preparation for these competitions. We are already proud of your efforts! We wish all players, coaches and support staff the best of luck. More importantly, we wish them safe travel and participation in the carnival.

 

Cairns Eisteddfod

 

I am always humbled by the talent and dedication of our students. This week, our St Mary’s choir competed at the Cairns Eisteddfod. I am delighted to share their wonderful achievements with you:

  • 1st Modern Chorus
  • 1st Unison Chorus
  • 2nd Australian Chorus 
  • 2nd Sacred Chorus
  • 2nd Folk Chorus

I take this opportunity to congratulate every student involved. I particularly thank Mrs Joanne Wright for her tireless work in preparing our students. Joanne brings so much passion and wisdom to her work with our students, growing their love for music and inspiring them to realise their potential. Thank you, Joanne! 

 

Holidays

 

Best wishes to all for an enjoyable holiday and I hope the next two weeks give families a chance to spend some time together and restock the batteries for the second semester. School resumes on Monday the 12th of July.

 

We thank you Lord, for this term. For the challenges, the successes, and the mistakes from which we have learnt. Be with us as we spend our time with family and friends. Guide us to be peacemakers in our family, and to always be conscious of you in our lives. Keep us safe in our activities; give us good rest and good fun. Bring us back refreshed and ready for a new term.

In Faith, Hope and Love we pray.

Amen

 

 

God Bless