9 SMMC Newsletter 11 June

Principal's Message

“The Arts have the power to transform, to illuminate, to educate, inspire and motivate.” — Author Unknown

Last week, our talented Maggies lit up the stage in the Combined Schools’ Musical We Will Rock You. From the vibrant dancing and powerful singing to the expressive acting and sheer joy radiating from every performer, it was a truly unforgettable experience. I was filled with pride watching our students shine.

It takes immense courage to step into the spotlight and share your gifts with an audience. We are incredibly fortunate to have so many gifted artists in our community who are willing to create, inspire, and uplift. Congratulations to all the students involved—you were phenomenal! A heartfelt thank you to Mr Davis and Mrs Nicholson for your dedication and for making this incredible opportunity possible.

Let’s take a moment to look back at some of our past Maggies’ Musicals that have brought joy and inspiration to our community:

Behaviour Development at the College

At our College, we hold high expectations for our young women—and we are proud that the vast majority meet and exceed these expectations every day. However, when mistakes are made, it is our shared responsibility—as educators and parents—to guide our students in learning from those experiences and making better choices moving forward.

Minor behaviours (Level 1) are typically managed effectively by classroom teachers. When issues are more serious or persist, they are referred to our Pastoral or Curriculum Middle Leaders (Level 2). If behaviours escalate or do not improve, the Leadership Team may step in to implement more significant consequences, such as internal suspensions, exclusion from events, or external suspensions. In rare and serious cases, the Principal may recommend to Townsville Catholic Education that a student’s enrolment be reviewed.

Our core message to students is simple: teachers must be able to teach, and students must be able to learn. We will not compromise on maintaining a safe, respectful, and focused learning environment. Our staff work tirelessly to ensure this every day.

We deeply appreciate the ongoing support of our parents and staff as we work together to nurture young women of spirit and purpose.

God bless
Kathleen McCarthy
College Principal

Inspirited by Faith and Mission

The chance to start a new life…

Next week the college will acknowledge National Refugee Week (June 15-21). The 2025 theme is Finding Freedom: Family to capture the profound journey of resilience, strength, and unity of refugees.  World Refugee Week is important – as it informs us all about refugees and it celebrates the positive contributions made by refugees to Australian society. Refugees flee their homelands not only because they fear persecution, but also because they have hope: they hope to find freedom from persecution, and safety and security for themselves and their families; they hope to be given a chance to start a new life and recover from past trauma.

A few years ago, while in Sydney, I was blessed to attend an International Women’s Day event and hear Rosemary Kariuki speak. Rosemary works for the Paramatta Police as a multicultural community liaison officer, who spends her time supporting migrants facing language barriers, financial distress, and domestic violence. She received an Order of Australia Medal in 2022. Her own story is one of incredible bravery and resilience. In 1999 she fled Kenya – alone – to escape family abuse and tribal wars and found her way to Australia.  Rosemary describes her early years in Australia as being very lonely and this motivated her to recognise that this is a huge issue for many migrant women – in a country so incredibly different from their own. She made it her mission to help women leave the safety of their homes and meet women in similar circumstances.

A stellar woman, Rosemary continues to act – her African Women Dinner Dance is in its 14^th year and raises vital funds to support migrant women. Her work is the centre of the movie ‘Rosemary’s Way’. If you get a chance, this is a trailer you might like to watch: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdWx0IYxZ5o&ab_channel=FanForce

This week we are reminded to focus on solidarity with refugees by honouring them not just with words but with actions, by listening to them and perhaps starting simply by offering a kind smile.  A kind smile really isn’t too much to ask ….

Compassionate God, make your loving presence felt to refugees, torn from home, family and everything familiar. Warm, especially, the hearts of the young, the old, and the most vulnerable among them. Help them know that you accompany them as you accompanied Jesus, Mary, and Joseph in their exile to Egypt. Lead refugees to a new home and a new hope, as you led the Holy Family to their new home in Nazareth. Open our hearts to receive them as our sisters and brothers in whose face we see your son, Jesus.  Amen

Blanket Drive

Once again, we would like to support the Vinnies Refugee Assistance Program (VRAP) who are looking for winter blankets and doonas to donate to refugee families in Townsville. If you have any spare blankets or doonas at home, please consider sending them in to school with your daughters. There are containers on both Samaritan and Benedictine Campus’ for collection and we will pass onto VRAP

Vinnies Winter Appeal

We will kick off our collection for St Vincent DePaul Winter Appeal next term. We appreciate any items you can send into the College – and we will be using Student Notices to remind your daughters that if they are cleaning out their wardrobes over the holidays, they might keep this very important appeal in mind. Watch this space for more information!

God bless,
Rachel Harrison
Assistant Principal - Identity and Mission

Educated Women of Purpose

Year 10 Update

Year 10 students are entering a very important phase of their high schooling as they start preparing for the senior phase of learning.  They have all been registered for a Learning Account with the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) and their Certificate II in Skills for Work and Vocational Pathways will contribute credits to this learning account.

Parents will soon receive information regarding subject selection and SET Planning processes for Year 10 students.  Please keep a lookout for this important information. 

Year 11 Update

Year 11 students are currently having their Unit One Report Card prepared which will go out to families at the end of this term.  Many teachers are also publishing results sooner than this on students’ Compass pages.  To access these results please go to your Compass parent portal - Profile - Learning Tasks.

Some students will need to consider moving subjects or changing pathways at this stage so that they are experiencing success in Unit Two.  This should occur by the end of this week, so that they are not behind in their new subject. Should you feel concerned about your daughter’s performance/study habits/subject choices etc, please do not hesitate to make an appointment to see either myself or Katherine Truntic (Senior Schooling and VET Leader) by calling the College office on 4726 4900.

Parent-Student-Teacher interviews will take place on Thursday, 24 July. More information about bookings will be forthcoming.

Year 12 Update

For most Year 12 students, their first internal assessment results in General Subjects (IA1) have been confirmed by the QCAA.  We are pleased to say that the confirmation process have confirmed results awarded by our teachers, which supports the great work our teachers are doing at the College.  Students will soon be able to access their confirmed results via the QCAA myQCE student portal.  Students should have already logged in to the myQCE student portal to check their details are correct.  Through this portal they will also be able to see other learning from other providers along with their learning and results here at the College.  I strongly urge parents to sit with their daughters to look at the myQCE student portal together.

Melissa Pearce
Deputy Principal, Learning and Teaching

Inspired by Community

It takes a village

When we enrol our children in a school, we choose a community. Raising and educating young people is not the work of one person or one place - it takes a village. That village is comprised of families, teachers, friends and the students themselves working together to support their personal growth within our community. Raising good humans is not always easy but it is infinitely valuable. 

When we enrol our children in a school, we also choose values. Our Whole College Expectations express our core values and guide us in a shared effort to raise young people equipped to contribute positively to the world. They are not about control - they are about care. Our Expectations aim to provide an environment that is conducive to learning, respectful and safe - but the village must be nurtured.

Families are a vital part of this village. When shared expectations are supported at home and reinforced at school, young people learn the value of consistency and accountability - we’re all in this together. Parental support of College procedures and processes is vital in ensuring the messages our young people receive are consistent and we value your support.

Alison Lloyd
Acting Assistant Principal, Pastoral

College Administration

Year 7 and 10 Vaccinations are scheduled for Week 8 and Week 9 in the term
Year 7 - Thursday 12 June
Year 10 - Thursday 19 June (and Thursday 11 September)

If you have not returned your forms, please do so as soon as possible.  Any queries, please contact Ms Jenny Walker in the Health and Wellbeing Unit of the College.

Pick up and Drop at the College - A reminder to all parents and carers that a  delay in your entry into the main College car park during busy times by 10 minutes, will allow a smoother collection lessen the congestion. Some of the neighbouring businesses have notified the college of their businesses are being impacted due to parents parking in carparks waiting to collect their child. By waiting 10 minutes and collecting your daughter at 3:15,  the carpark congestion has eased. Whilst using the drop of zone, please move forward to allow traffic to flow.  

First Nations News

Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome to Week 8!

What an exciting and busy two weeks we have had with Reconciliation Week and the start of our College Cultural Dance workshops.

Reconciliation Week

On Thursday the 29th of May, four of our Emerging Leaders participated in our 2025 Elder’s Luncheon. This event was held at our school and was catered by Mrs Tanya Krause and the Year 12’s. They put on a beautiful native themed menu. The lunch was an opportunity to invite some of our Elders into the school and students had the opportunity to ask them questions in regards to ‘Bridging Now to Next’. What a powerful and insightful moment of wisdom and connection.

We finished the week with an amazing Reconciliation/Sorry Day Liturgy hosted by our First Nations Students on Friday the 30th of May. Our outstanding Cultural Dancers performed beautifully to conclude the Liturgy. This year was the first year that we presented the Spirit of Reconciliation Awards and were overwhelmed with the amount of students and staff nominated for this award. Congratulations to all of our awardees, especially our honorary awards which went to Raelene Davis and Serdonia Lui for their outstanding contribution to the College Community.

I would also like to thank the Library Staff for their creative Reconciliation Week display.

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Mabo Day

Last week on the 3rd of June the First Nations Team hosted a Mabo Day Quiz for our Year 7 and 8 Pastoral Care Groups. I would like to congratulate 8.5 for their 100% result! They were congratulated in the afternoon dismissal with lollipops for each student. Thank you to all classes who participated.

Cultural Dance Workshops

Last week we had Ms Linda Oliver come to our school to complete dance workshops with 9 of our Emerging Leader students. The workshops were delivered over 5 days resulting in the College’s first Whole College Cultural Dance that will be delivered throughout the year to the rest of the college. Linda Oliver is well known for her work in First Nations business, everything from dance, cultural knowledge and catering. We thank Linda immensely for her time and commitment in delivering such a wonderful experience to our students. A huge “Shout Out” to our students who took part including: Ava Bowman, Rylie Toby-O’Leary, Georgia Clay, Ursula Bengaroo, Darylle Sam, Taya Zaro, Shaniqua Ahwang, Eva Lui and Ellie Thomson.

NAIDOC Week

This year our NAIDOC Week will be celebrated in week 9, starting on Monday the 24th of June with our Flag Raising Ceremony. The whole college celebration will occur on Friday the 28th of June from 11am to the end of the college day. We look forward to sharing First Nations’ Culture in dance, yarns, weaving and face painting.

QATSIF

The Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Foundation Scholarships have now opened for 2026. We are excited to announce that nine of our Year 10 First Nations students have qualified for this scholarship. We look forward to seeing their applications returned as soon as possible.

JCU Winter School

Congratulations to Tilly Westwood who has successfully been accepted into this year’s JCU’s Winter School. Well Done Tilly!

First Nations Education Advisory Committee Meeting

Our first Term 2 committee meeting was held on Monday this week. I feel truly blessed to be part of this committee and deeply appreciate the commitment and wisdom each of our members bring to our College. Our Term 3 FNEAC Meeting will be held on Monday the 21st July from 5-6pm in the Library. A light afternoon tea will be provided. All are welcome to attend!

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours in Culture, Faith and Education,
Mrs Louise Martin

Sports News

Vicki Wilson Cup

Our school’s senior netball team had a fantastic day competing in the Vicki Wilson Carnival. We finished a strong fourth overall, showcasing determination and teamwork throughout the day. One of our highlights was a hard-fought win against Kirwan, edging them out by just two points in a thrilling match. We also had a close game against Grammar, who went on to win the entire carnival. This was director of the college's inaugural high performance netball academy, Jillian Joyce’s first carnival coaching and she led our young team with great energy and support.

Chelsea O'Neill and Caitlin Brennan

Karen Murphy Cup

The girls were phenomenal winning all 4 of their games by huge margins and did not have a single try scored against them all day. 

Game 1 vs Northern Beaches won 28-0Game 2 vs Town High won 28-0Game 3 vs Ryan won 16-0Game 4 vs Columba 12- 0.

The girls demonstrated outstanding skills and wonderful sportsmanship throughout the day. Thank you to Ms Rhodes and parent coach James Tapau for all their time and effort with the girls. 

Josie de Courcey

Arts News

We Will Rock You - What a show! 

Congratulations to the 30 students from St Margaret Mary's College who were in the cast of 95 for the Combined Schools' Musical production 'We Will Rock You' last weekend along with students from St Patrick's College (Host School) and Ignatius Park College.  Audiences rocked along to all the familiar Queen hits spread throughout the dystopian story of the characters Scaramouche and Galileo who joined a group of outcasts, the Bohemians as they fought to take back the iPlanet from the all-powerful Globalsoft, led by the Killer Queen who banned Rock and Roll. 

The stellar cast of very talented students, with professional band led by Dr Mark Smith, belted out 24 of Queen’s legendary hits; including We are the Champions, Radio Ga Ga, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Somebody to Love, Killer Queen, Don’t Stop Me Now, Under Pressure, Bohemian Rhapsody, Another One Bites The Dust and of course We Will Rock You. 

Congratulations to St Patrick's College creative team for their hard work and all the students from the three schools who took part on and off stage.  Well done all!  2026 will see Ignatius Park College take the reins of the Combined Schools’ Musical.

Instrumental Music

Parents/Carers of Students wishing to join or withdraw from the Instrumental program for second semester are asked to please advise the undersigned by Friday 13th June.  We have some places available for Guitar and Vocal.

Nancy Nicholson
Arts Co-ordinator
nnicholson@smmc.catholic.edu.au

Career Development News

Library News

The Readers Cup Challenge is this coming week at Southern Cross Catholic School, Monday 16th June at 4.30pm.

Our Readers Cup Teams have been reading and studying diligently for weeks now and are determined to rise to the challenge and WIN!  Watch this space to find out how they do…

The Premier’s Reading Challenge continues through until 22nd August for Year 7,8 and 9 students.  Please be reminded it is not a competition but aims to improve literacy and encourage reading for pleasure and learning.  So please support your child as they read 15 books, ebooks, graphic novels, audio-books and log them onto their Reading Logs.  The class who reads the most books in each level will WIN A PIZZA PARTY!  So as you can imagine they’re all very excited.

Defence News

Welcome to Defence News. It's been a busy fortnight in our local area and you may have noticed an increase in military activity and visibility around Townsville - with many ADF vehicles and soldiers moving around. Parental absence has increased significantly and will continue to do so over this high tempo exercise period. It can be challenging for our students and their parents to juggle this, so I encourage you to take care of each other, reach out for support when you need it, and be kind to yourself!

Wattle Company Parade is seeing a small increase in participants each fortnight, which is promising for our program. Please encourage your daughters to attend so we can continue to strengthen our Defence Student Community here at SMMC. It is held Tuesdays on even weeks of Term 2, at 8:30am - 8:55am in E07 (Dining room).

During these sessions, we have been getting to know one another. We have been discussing how we can increase understanding and awareness in our school community about the ADF lifestyle, and how we could give back to charities who take care of our serving and veteran communities. I'm looking forward to supporting the girls with projects in this space over the rest of 2025.

Just a reminder - keep an eye on your emails for regular DMFS updates, including fact sheets about parental absence and information about the DSMP at our school. You are welcome to email me at any time with any questions, concerns, or updates regarding your daughter. vclothier1@smmc.catholic.edu.au

Thanks to those who have taken the time to advise me of any parental absence or changes for their daughters. This helps me provide the unique support that is delivered through the DSM Program. Even if your daughter is not adversely affected by the impacts of ADF life, it's always good for me to be aware - just in case!

Take care,
Vicki Clothier
Defence School Mentor

Public Speaking News

If your daughter is interested in participating in the 2025 Denise Glasgow Public Speaking Competition, please contact Correna Neumann via email cneumann1@smmc.catholic.edu.au

Community News