2 SMMC Newsletter 19 February 2025

Principal's Message

This week our Teachers have been focusing on strategies to use in the classroom that support all their learners. The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) approach uses pedagogical tools that remove barriers for students and empowers everyone regardless of their ability to achieve to their true potential. Ms Mel Pearce, our Deputy Principal Learning and Teaching presented part 2 of a professional development session to Teachers about the large range of apps, techniques and models for assessment that support this approach. UDL is a research-based approach that complements the other inclusive practices teachers use to support students with disabilities or students who learn in different ways. At St Margaret Mary’s our Mission Statement states that we are “a Catholic learning community where young women are educated, inspired and inspirited”. It is vital that our school caters for all of its learners and supports them to attain strong academic outcomes. The Universal Design for Learning is just one of those steps towards achieving this.

After-school Academic Support: Our Maggies have settled in well to their studies now the disruptions of the weather have, hopefully, passed. Our students should have started attending Tutorials after class if needed on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons and our First Nations’ students are highly encouraged to attend their Homework program classes. These additional academic opportunities are supervised by teachers and teacher aides and are a great way for students to get support with homework and assignments. Please contact your daughter’s Pastoral Leader if you have any questions about our Tutorial programs.

Student Absenteeism: Parents are asked to please not book family holidays and trips during Term time. Attendance at school is a very important contributor to academic success. Students often return home from these holidays unable to catch up on the work and fall behind. If your daughter is travelling for sports, cultural or family events during Term time, please ensure that they have filled in the Student Absence from School form (which can be found on our website under About Us - Policies and Reports - SMMC Attendance Policy Procedure and Student Absence Form - Page 5) and are aware of the implications of missing school work on their assessment.

Have a blessed week.
Kathleen McCarthy
College Principal

Inspirited by Faith and Mission

Who doesn’t love a good story, hearing them is great – but sharing them is even more wonderful!

As an Art teacher, I cannot help but be inspired by the stories behind the works of Michelangelo and in particular his incredible sculptures. You will all know that Michelangelo was one of the greatest artists, architects and sculptors who ever lived, responsible for painting the ceiling and one of the walls in the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, Rome - the chapel in which the cardinals gather to elect a new pope. He was also the architect of part of the massive church of St Peter’s, Rome, and he designed its great dome. However, Michelangelo thought of himself mainly as a sculptor.

Two of his most famous pieces of sculpture are ‘the Pieta’ - an incredible, emotive image of Jesus in his mother’s arms after he is taken down from the cross; and the other sculpture of the Biblical hero ‘David’.

Michelangelo created the sculpture of David between 1501 and 1504, carved from marble and it stands 14 feet tall. While that in itself is outstanding – the story of its creation is even more incredible. Originally commissioned by the Opera del Duomo for the Cathedral of Florence, Michelangelo was asked by the consuls to complete an unfinished project which began in 1464 by sculpture Agostini di Duccio and later carried on by Antonio Rossellino in 1475. Both sculptors had in the end rejected the enormous block of marble due to the presence of too many imperfections, which they felt may have threatened the stability of such a huge statue. So, this enormous – probably very expensive – block of marble sat neglected for years until Michelangelo came along. He accepted the challenge with enthusiasm. (I often wonder what di Duccio and Rossellini would think if they knew it still stands today!)

Michelangelo often saw potential in things that others did not see. On one occasion he was seen to be studying carefully what others simply saw as a large block of marble, and someone asked him just what he was doing. He was looking at the grain of the marble and its strengths, and he said: “I can see an angel imprisoned in the marble, and I must set it free.” He began the long and skilled job of carving a beautiful angel out of that stone. 

So why did I share this story? As just a gentle reminder that some people only see things as useless while others see beauty and potential. How wonderful if we look and see the true worth of the things around us - the true worth of the people around us. If we choose to see the goodness and potential beauty in others - what a lovely world to be part of…

God our Father, give us the power of your Spirit that we may see and love in others what you see and love in them. We want to see the positive in people and bring out the best in each other. It’s easy to say that, but not always easy to live it out, and so we ask you to help and inspire us to live as you would like us to live this day and every day. Amen.

House Rituals

Last Friday our wonderful seniors gifted us with their House Liturgies. During this time, they reminded us of the motto of their House and shared the Mission statement they created last year on Retreat. Our newest Maggies were invited to contribute by selecting their own bead and threading it onto the House Prayer beads.

The leaders reminded us that our college theme this year - is ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ and that this is a year to encourage us to dream of a new world where peace and justice are in our hearts. Students were then invited to write your own hope for this year - it might be a personal hope one for our community or one for our world – onto a slip of paper and add it to a Hope Jar.

Both the Hope Jar and Prayer Beads are situated in the Year 12 Pastoral Care classrooms.

We are blessed once again with stellar Senior leaders, and our community is in good hands!

God Bless,
Rachel Harrison
Assistant Principal - Identity and Mission

Educated Women of Purpose

Valedictorian Assembly

Due to the rain we have been having lately, we had to postpone our 2024 Valedictorian Assembly.  Thankfully, we have been able to reschedule this, combining it with our 2025 Opening Liturgy, Senior Commissioning of Year 12s and Senior and Junior Leaders and our 2024 Scholars Assembly.  This will be an important event where we showcase the achievements of our 2024 students and celebrate with our new group of Senior students and Leaders.  We look forward to seeing you there. 

NAPLAN 2025 – Year 7 and Year 9

This year students in Year 7 and Year 9 across Queensland sit their NAPLAN tests in Reading, Writing, Conventions of Language and Numeracy in Term 1.  Like many schools, at SMMC, students sit these tests online as they have done for the last few years.    

At SMMC, we feel that the NAPLAN tests give teachers further information about what elements of the Australian Curriculum students have learned well and how we can work with students to fill any gaps that may exist.  The tests are one method used to assist us in building a profile of our students and their learning to date.  For Year 9 students the tests also give teachers an indication as to how students are working in regard to their Literacy and Numeracy which may provide extra information to inform decisions about senior subject selections in the coming year. 

Students in Maths and English are becoming more familiar with the online platform.  Additionally, students will complete practice tests in Week 5.  It is important that students come to the tests with corded (not wireless) headphones.  Please purchase these if your daughter has lost hers.  The NAPLAN tests will take place from the 12 - 17 March, with a ‘catch-up’ day on the 18 March for any students who were absent.

Parents who might wish to discuss adjustments for their child’s NAPLAN tests (eg Additional time) are encouraged to contact Mrs Gabrielli.  Parents who are wishing to withdraw their child from the NAPLAN tests should contact their child’s Pastoral Care Teacher to collect a form.   Should parents have any questions or concerns about their child’s NAPLAN tests should contact the following people would be happy to assist you.

Mrs Paula Gabrielli (Inclusive Education Leader) - pgabrielli1@smmc.catholic.edu.au
Mrs Irma Lapico (Curriculum Leader: Mathematics) - ilapico@smmc.catholic.edu.au
Mrs Correna Neumann (Curriculum Leader: English) - cneumann1@smmc.catholic.edu.au
Ms Melissa Pearce (Deputy Principal: Learning and Teaching) - mpearce8@smmc.catholic.edu.au

Melissa Pearce
Deputy Principal, Learning and Teaching

College Administration

School photos

The College’s school photos day on 30 January had to be postponed due to the weather event.  College photos have been rescheduled for Week 8 Thursday 20 March.  Further details about ordering and the schedule will be published closer to the date.

Students are required to be in full formal uniform. If there is a practical class requiring a sports uniform, please bring your sports uniform with you on the day and change into this after your photo is taken. 

Students will be in their formal uniform - they are able to wear the dress OR the formal blouse with the SMMC trousers/shorts.  

• Formal uniform with tie and college badge
• Formal black lace up shoes and plain white crew length socks
• Standard jewellery, no make-up or tinted or false eyelashes
• Hair pulled back neatly (remember these are also your formal ID School ID photos)

Parking at the College

Thank you to parents who are moving forward in the drop off/pickup zone in the morning and afternoon.  This improves the traffic flow  and also allows more cars to enter the carpark.

A delay in pick-up time by 10-15 minutes is appreciated as much of the congestion in the car park has eased.

Staffing Changes

A few staffing changes will occur on Friday due to an increase in numbers in senior maths subjects. 

Ms Korshunova will move to 11 General Maths
Ms Johnson will move to 11 Essential Maths. 
Ms Lyons will move to 9 Business and Mr Marty  will be teaching Year 10 Skills for Work (Ms Lyon’s classes). 

Upcoming Events

Sports News

Swimming Carnival – Preliminary Information

Dear Students, Parents, and Caregivers,

The 2025 St Margaret Mary’s College Interhouse Swimming Carnival will take place on Friday, 7 March , at the Long Tan Pool in Heatley. Our College emphasises a strong culture of inclusion and enjoyment during these events, so it would be great to have everyone participate actively to enhance House spirit and strengthen community connections. Please remember that it’s a normal school day; attendance is mandatory, even though participation in the swimming races is optional.

Information about this event will be communicated through Compass. Parents and Caregivers must read the details before giving consent. Parents and Caregivers of students without consent will be contacted before their daughter enters Long Tan Pool.

Please be advised that the Interschool Swimming Carnival, originally scheduled for Monday, March 10, has been postponed. A new date for this event is expected to be announced before the end of Term 1.

Thanks,
Ashleigh Rhodes

First Nations News

Dear Parents and Carers,

On Tuesday the 11th of February we hosted a welcome morning tea for our Year 7’s and any new students in other year levels. Students got to meet key staff members whilst sharing a morning tea together. A special ‘Thank You’ to our Year 12 and 9 First Nations Cultural Leaders that joined us for their morning break. It is truly a blessing to see our leaders shine!

Thursday the 13th February marked the anniversary of the Apology to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People by our Prime Minister at the time Kevin Rudd in 2008. At SMMC our Cultural Leaders have prepared both the Acknowledgement of Country and Prayer for the College in commemoration of this special day.

Our 2025 Senior Cultural Leaders are Dakota Namok and Riley Toby-O’Leary and our Junior Cultural Leaders are Ava Bowman and Tilly Westwood.

Our next First Nations Education Advisory Committee meeting will be held on Monday the 24th of March. These meetings are held in the library from 5.00 - 6.00pm. If any parents/guardians are interested in joining our Committee, please contact Mrs Louise Martin at lmartin20@smmc.catholic.edu.au

On Monday the 3rd of March our Emerging Leaders Parent Information Night will be held here at the College. This event will start with a Sausage Sizzle at 5.00pm, and all families are strongly encouraged to attend as this is a compulsory event for all families wanting to register their students onto the Emerging Leaders Program in 2025.

“Save the Date” information for Term 1 is available here.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns. Our contact details are as follows:

Mrs Louise Martin: lmartin20@smmc.catholic.edu.au
Mr Willie Morganson: wmorganson2@smmc.catholic.edu.au
Mrs Zoe Brown: zbrown1@smmc.catholic.edu.au

Yours in Faith and Education
Louise Martin

Community News

Townsville MS Super Splash

The MS Super Splash is more than just a fundraising event; it's a celebration of community spirit, aimed at raising vital funds for Queenslanders living with MS whilst fostering connections and, of course, having fun. Teams come together for an 8-hour swim challenge, complemented by music, team competitions, raffles, and much more throughout the day.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a condition that affects many Queenslanders, impacting the central nervous system and leading to a range of symptoms. At MS Queensland, we are dedicated to providing support, information, and funding for research towards a cure, all while ensuring that those affected by MS are never alone. The funds raised at events like the Townsville MS Super Splash are crucial in supporting over 5,500 individuals living with MS through services such as our NeuroAssist information line, NDIS support, specialist nursing services, wellness programs, and more.

For this year’s Townsville MS Super Splash, we have a goal of raising $40,000 to help Queenslanders facing MS.  Our event is taking place on Saturday the 17^th of May from 8am – 4pm at the Long Tan Memorial Pool in Heatley.  

Here is the link to the expression of interest form so that you can be reminded to register once registrations open on the 27^th of February: MS Super Splash : Register your interest

Aimee Segal
Community Engagement Officer