11 SMMC Newsletter 23 July 2025

Principal's Message

This Friday, our Catholic school community will come together for one of the most anticipated events of the year – our Interhouse Athletics Carnival. Rooted in our Catholic values of unity, celebration, and holistic development, this day is a vibrant expression of House spirit, teamwork, friendship, and athletic excellence. From exciting track events to the prestigious ‘Queen of the Track’ race, it’s a day that brings joy, connection, and pride to our students.

Unfortunately, recent trends in attendance at key community events such as NAIDOC Day, Samaritan Day, and the Swimming Carnival have been disappointing. These occasions are not just extracurricular—they are essential to nurturing a culture of participation, engagement, and belonging within our faith-based school.

We kindly ask all Parents and Carers to ensure their daughters attend the carnival as they would any regular school day, unless they are genuinely unwell. Your support is vital in helping us foster a strong, inclusive, and spirited school environment where every student feels part of something greater.

We also warmly welcome all Parents and Carers to join us on the day. Your presence adds to the sense of community and celebration, and we would love to see you cheering on the students and sharing in the joy of the event.

Let’s come together in the spirit of faith, community, and celebration this Friday.

Baika Japanese Exchange Students: This Friday we look forward to welcoming 19 Japanese exchange students to St Margaret Mary’s College. They will have a range of immersion experiences at the College over the course of their stay and be a great resource to our students studying Japanese. A big thank you to Mrs Spencer our Middle Leader for Languages and Teachers Mrs Seri and Mrs Townsend for organising their stay. 聖マーガレット・メアリー・カレッジへようこそ. (Welcome to St Margaret Mary’s College!)

Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews: I look forward to seeing many of our Parents and Students at our Interviews this Thursday. At St Margaret Mary’s College, we believe that when there is a strong partnership between home and school, our students benefit the most academically and holistically. We also encourage Students to attend so that they hear of their successes and achievements and the areas for growth. Please do not hesitate to ask questions about how your daughter can keep improving and how you can support them to do that in the home as well. Don’t forget we have tutorials every Tuesday and Wednesday after school and our Library is open every afternoon except Friday.

Congratulations to the following Staff who will be acknowledged at our Catholic Education Week Liturgy next week:

Mrs Katanya Cottone
(Spirit of Catholic Education Award)

Katanya is an outstanding relief teacher at the College. She is a vital member of the College community and is loved by Staff, Students and Parents alike. Katanya has excellent relationships with her students and ensures that classwork set by their teachers is always completed to the highest standard. Katanya epitomises the Benedictine values of compassion and hospitality in her interactions with others but particularly with her Samaritan Angels initiatives where students make craft items to donate to local hospitals or charities. Katanya is a very worth recipient of the Spirit of Catholic Education Award.

Mrs Sarah Heerschop
(Spirit of Catholic Education Award)

Implementing change that improves teaching and learning and supports greater equity in education - Sarah's work with students in ILS, and the support she gives them so that they are able to fully participate in classes of their choice truly demonstrate change that supports greater equity. Sarah goes above and beyond to foster relationships that enable this to happen. Demonstrating outstanding service to others in the school education community and beyond - Sarah still maintains her outstanding service to the community in the work she does with the Environment Committee, and the mentoring and support she provides for staff implementing ILS, and also new and beginning teachers. Sarah is such a valuable part of SMMC, and her kindness and patience add so much to the College.

Mrs Zoe Brown
(Aunty Joan Hendricks Award)

This year Zoe was nominated by the Townsville Catholic Education office and SMMC for the Aunty Joan Hendrick's Award. Zoe has worked tirelessly to successfully implement the Emerging Leaders' Program in the College over the last six years. Zoe's strength lies in the pastoral support she provides to Parents, Carers and Students. She knows our First Nation families well and is in regular communication with them to ensure students are successful at school. Zoe carefully tracks student outcomes and always has innovative ideas for working with Students and their Families to ensure Students receive their QCEs and achieve their best possible results for their post-school pathway. Zoe has very high standards for our First Nation students and takes a firm but always fair and kind approach with them. Every Term Zoe prepares an outstanding Yarn Up newsletter. It is a comprehensive communication that documents the success of our Students first and the incredible activities that our Students participate in across the College. Zoe is a major asset to our Team.

Did you know that every four years, all schools undergo a comprehensive process of school improvement and renewal? This year at St Margaret Mary’s College, we are beginning our new cycle of renewal with refreshed Strategic Priorities for 2025 - 2028. These goals have emerged from a Verification and Validation process over the last two years, where consultation and feedback from our school community identified achievements and areas for improvement for the future. Each year we complete an Annual School Improvement Plan which I have previously shared but this week I wanted to highlight again our plan for the next four years.

God Bless,
Kathleen McCarthy
College Principal

Inspirited by Faith and Mission

Catholic Education Week

Celebrated annually in Week 3 of Term 3, Catholic Education Week is an opportunity for all 309 Catholic schools in Queensland to celebrate and promote their distinctive mission and ethos. Catholic Education strives to make a difference in the lives of those in our schools and in the wider community by challenging young people to live out the message of Jesus and to reach their full potential as compassionate, contributing, life-giving members of society.

The theme for 2025 is Communities of Faith, Hope and Love - a theme that capture the essence of what it means to be part of Catholic school community. Faith ignites growth. Hope fuels support. Love welcomes all. Together, these pillars nurture students’ spirits, empowers teachers and embraces families, creating a vibrant learning community where everyone thrives.

It is through prayer we experience Faith - which is the assurance of things hoped for. Hope through prayer finds us confident in God’s strength and His promises, while Love is the catalyst for all of this:  the love that Jesus taught and displayed was all about giving…not getting. How revolutionary is that! As a Catholic College we are Christ-centred and our very existence is to be Christ for others. The reality of Christ in the world and the presence of Jesus amongst us will be evident in the way we love and support one another.

Sometimes prayer is all we have…in some situations. If we think of our desire for peace in our world, we can certainly bring about peace in ourselves, each other and our community by the actions and words and choices we make. But bringing peace to our world is a mammoth task - and it can be a lot harder for us to have an impact. Prayer feeds the soul. The daily practice of prayer helps to develop a thoughtful and reflective capacity, much needed in a world where busyness and immediacy seem to prioritise the superficial and the shallow. Prayer can make us look at the world in its wonder and sadness in a new, deep, and hopeful way. Prayer is about surrendering time. It is about giving in, soul-searching - and not being afraid to seek what it is we need from God and from ourselves.

This theme aligns beautifully with our own college theme for the year “Pilgrims of Hope”. A reminder of the profound significance of hope and its universal reach in our world today. At SMMC we will acknowledge the week with a liturgy on Friday 1 August during our assembly time. All are welcome to attend.

Loving God,
You call us to share in the joy of spreading faith, hope and love to the world.
Allow us the opportunity to see You in the face of all we meet and help us to find positive actions that we can do to make a lasting and positive impact.
Help us to be understanding and forgiving of all those we encounter.
May we be your eyes, ears, mouth, and hands to all.
May we find stillness amongst the busyness of our days.
May we encounter through prayer a tender silence of nurturing calm; where faith, hope and love enfold us.
Amen.

Catholic Education Week Mass

Thank you in advance to Ms Sheriff, Mrs Nicholson and our Bella Voce for providing the choir for the Diocesan Catholic Education Week Mass to be held next Tuesday at the Sacred Heart Cathedral. They have been rehearsing madly with the St Joseph’s Mundingburra choir to ensure their voices fill the cathedral. Many of these students have also volunteered to attend on the Monday evening to be part of the Spirit of Catholic Education Awards liturgy – how fabulous are they! Watch this space for some photos.

Winter Clothing and Blanket Collecting

This is still occurring across the college this term. Thank you to those of you who have already donated to this worthy cause. Please send in any items of winter clothing or blankets that you no longer need. We have containers for these outside Student Services.

God bless,
Rachel Harrison
Assistant Principal - Identity and Mission

Educated Women of Purpose

Welcome back to Term Three and a very special welcome to our new families. This term promises to be an eventful and engaging one.  Term Three sees us undertake preparations for SET Planning with Year 10s and mock external exams for our Year 12s. Therefore, students must be prepared for their learning with all of their correct equipment.  If families have not had the opportunity to do a ‘stocktake’ of their daughter’s stationery, now would be the perfect time!  It is also very important that families have accessed, read and discussed their daughter’s Semester One report card which is available in the ‘Reports’ Tab on Compass.  Did you know that you can also email your daughters’ teachers via the Compass parent app?  If there is anything about your daughter that you feel her teachers should know, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Thank you to those parents who will engage in Parent-Student-Teacher Interviews on Thursday. The evening is a wonderful opportunity for parents and students to check in with teachers to discuss their progress in Semester One and plan for success in Semester Two.  

Another vital opportunity for parent engagement in your daughter’s learning journey is the Year 11 2026 Parent Information Night.  Parents of students in Year 10 this year are strongly encouraged to attend. This evening will provide information on Senior Schooling, subject selection, SET Planning and Pathway Options.  Your daughters are encouraged to attend also, as there will be opportunities to speak to subject area Curriculum Middle Leaders before and after the presentation.

Parents of students in Years 7 and 9 will shortly receive the NAPLAN Individual Student Reports.  These are another tool used to assist teachers about what elements of the Australian Curriculum students have learned well and how they can work to fill any gaps that may exist.  Parents are encouraged to access the NAPLAN flyer that explains the four proficiency levels of NAPLAN exceeding, strong, developing and needs additional support.  This flyer can be accessed here.

We are very excited to have sent home the Principal’s Letters of Commendation for Diligence following the Semester One, Unit One and Unit Three report cards.  These acknowledge the excellent application to learning of individual students.  Once again, we are very fortunate to have students who prioritise their learning and are willing to work with their teachers to achieve the best outcomes possible.

Parents are reminded that one of the most effective ways to ensure student success is by increasing school attendance. Each and every day of school missed creates gaps in student knowledge that at times, can be difficult to bridge.  If there is anything the College can do to support you to increase your daughter’s attendance at school please ensure you reach out to your daughter’s Pastoral Middle Leader.

Have a great start to the term!

Melissa Pearce
Deputy Principal, Learning and Teaching

Inspired by Community

Wellbeing Presentations by Mashed Theatre

The Pastoral Team have another busy term of events, including the delivery of programs that we hope will continue to provide our young people with valuable education around personal safety, online influences and healthy relationships.

Next week, we welcome back Mashed Theatre who will present to the Juniors on Wednesday, July 30th. Their performances will be as follows:

9:00am - 10:00am: Years 9/10 - viewing Toxic.
10:50am - 11:50am Year 7/8 - viewing Teenager.

Toxic

This wellbeing production explores the often turbulent world of teenage decision-making, highlighting the far-reaching consequences of seemingly small choices. The play delves into the impact of peer pressure, toxic relationships, and the lure of risky behaviours like vaping and substance abuse.

Teenager

This wellbeing show highlights the complexity of growing up in the age of influencers and identity performance online. It challenges students to consider when the lines are blurred between what is real and what is fake…how do young people find truth? 

Love Bites

On Friday, 12 September, all Year 10 students will be participating in NAPCAN’s (National Association for Prevention of Child abuse and Neglect) Love Bites program.  Delivered by staff from Townsville Catholic Education Office and SMMC, this valuable program focuses on teaching young people about healthy and respectful relationships. While students will not be attending their regular classes, this is a compulsory school day. If your daughter is absent due to illness, please make sure to follow the normal absence procedures. 

Love Bites is a Respectful Relationships Education Program for young people aged 15-17 years. It consists of two interactive workshops: one on Relationship Violence, and one on Sex and Relationships, followed by creative workshops and community campaigns. The program emphasises the importance of a whole-of-school commitment to respectful relationship education.

Love Bites aims to provide young people with a safe environment to examine, discuss and explore respectful relationships. All Love Bites programming takes a strength-based approach and views young people as active participants who are able to make choices for themselves and their relationships when supported with information and opportunity for skill development.

Thanks

It has been a pleasure working with families in the role of Assistant Principal - Pastoral over the last term. We look forward to welcoming Michelle Kotzas back to the role next week.

Alison Lloyd
Acting Assistant Principal - Pastoral

College Administration

First Nations News

Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome back to all of our families to Term 3. I hope you had a chance over the holidays to relax and enjoy some time with your family and take part in some of the NAIDOC celebrations around Townsville. There are many updates this week as the term progresses.

Attendance

This term we are following up attendance data and placing a strong focus on improving attendance within the First Nations space. I would like to share with you some of our attendance statistics from the start and end of last week (Week 1):

Monday: 17.82% of First Nations Students away

Friday: 21.78% of First Nations Students away

It is important when your child is away that you contact the school to inform us of their absence. Missing school means missing out on learning – which can often make it difficult to catch up later. Going to school every day helps children learn the important life skill of 'showing up' – at school, at work, to sport and other commitments.

QATSIF Scholarships

QATSIF was created to give Queensland's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families increased educational choices and life opportunities. It is an independent, not-for-profit trust managed by The Public Trustee of Queensland and operates through a small Secretariat.

Last term eligible Year 10 students were given an application form (hard copy) for the Round 17 QATSIF Scholarships. Applications are due back to the school by Friday the 22nd of August.

Holy Spirit NAIDOC Celebrations

Last Friday, 18 July, 7 of our Year 11 First Nations students went to the Holy Spirit Catholic Primary School to assist in their NAIDOC celebrations. They had an amazing time running the Painting Station and helping the kids to paint wooden boomerangs, emu's, kangaroo's and hand prints, with the students and helping out with the Face Painting and Tattoo stations as well. Shout out to Amaya Pearce, Darylle Sam, Kesia Bob, Jorja Neucom, Georgia Clay and Matilda Neucom. Special mention to Faith Stone who danced at their assembly and also to Shaniqua Ahwang who was also at the celebrations helping out.

We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to the Holy Spirit School for inviting us to share in their NAIDOC Celebrations. 

Magpies Cup

This week we have a coaching session for 6 of our students who will be participating by volunteering to umpire and support teams in the upcoming Garbutt Magpies Cup on Wednesday the 30th July. Although we have 6 students attending as part of SMMC, we are aware that there are more families and students who  participate in this day. The Garbutt Magpies Cup is an annual educational, cultural, and sporting event hosted by the Garbutt Magpies in Townsville. It's a primary school AFL competition designed to promote cultural awareness and increase youth participation in Australian rules football. Please visit the 2025 Garbutt Magpies Facebook page for more information.

ATSIMS

We have had five students participating in the ATSIMS Program for 2025. This is a great opportunity that gives our students first hand experience in Marine Science. Important dates for this program include:

• July 22rd - Program Commencement at JCU
• July 29th - Land and Sea Ranger Day in Ayr
• August 15th - Australian Institute of Marine Science Visit
• August 29th - September 1st Orpheus Island Research Station
• September 10th - Program Graduation JCU

First Nations Committee Meetings Term 3

• Our first meeting was held on Monday 28th of July
• Our next meeting is Monday Week 7 25th August 5-6pm

Please ensure to read our ‘Yarn Up’ for Term Two that was sent out to families in Week 10 of last term to see photos and more information and upcoming calendar events. A big ‘Shout Out’ to Mrs Zoe Brown for her time in putting this together each term. The Yarn Up is the perfect way to reflect on the wonderful events and achievements of each term.

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

Yours in Faith, Culture and Education,
Mrs Louise Martin

Library News

Book Week

Book an Adventure is the theme for this years’ Book Week, so to help celebrate we will be donning our costumes once again.  All students are invited to come dressed for an Adventure or in their favourite Book Week costume on FRIDAY 14th August!  It promises to be lots of fun and there will be prizes for the best costumes…

Premier’s Reading Challenge continues through until 22nd August for Year 7, 8 and 9 students.  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 will WIN A PIZZA PARTY!  

Our NEW Library and Resources Webpage is now operational in the Student Intranet

Riitta Booth
Teacher-Librarian

Sports News

Dear Parents/Carers,

The 2025 St Margaret Mary’s College Inter-House Athletics Carnival is scheduled for Friday, July 25, at the Townsville Sports Reserve. This college-wide event aims to foster connections within our community and provide students with an inclusive and supportive platform to showcase their talents.

The first event is the 800m race, which will begin at 9:00AM. A variety of track and field events will follow throughout the day.

The carnival will conclude at 2:30PM. Afterward, students will be dismissed from the Townsville Sports Reserve. A bus will be available to transport students back to the college if they need assistance getting home. Those who usually take the school bus will return to the college in time to catch their normal buses home.

Specific event details, including arrival procedures and student expectations, can be found on the Compass event.

Queensland Makes History – And SMMC Was There

This year, I had the privilege of leading the Queensland Maroon team as Head Coach at the Australian Schools Rugby 7s National Championships—proudly representing St Margaret Mary’s College on the national stage.

Since the tournament’s inception, New South Wales had never lost the title. In our first-round clash, NSW reminded us of their dominance with a heavy 40-point win. But our team didn’t flinch. We regrouped, showed resilience, and played with heart—winning our next six games in a row against strong opposition from across the country, including Victoria, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory.

This incredible run earned us a grand final rematch against NSW 1. In a thrilling back-and-forth contest, Queensland took the lead in the final minute. With everything on the line, our players dug deep and defended with everything they had. The final whistle blew—and history was made. Queensland were crowned National Champions for the very first time.

It was a deeply rewarding experience, not only as a coach but as a representative of the North. For the first time, three athletes from North Queensland were part of the championship squad—the most ever selected. It was a powerful reminder that talent lives and thrives in our region.

That belief in our young athletes is driving something exciting here at St Margaret Mary’s.

In the coming weeks, we’ll be launching our very own Rugby 7s program—designed to give girls the opportunity to develop their skills, represent the College, and chase big dreams. With the Brisbane 2032 Olympics on the horizon, we want to create a pathway for SMMC students to go as far as their passion can take them.

The journey is just beginning—and we can’t wait to see where it leads.

Mr Mitch Bebb

QISSN

Competing in the Queensland Independent Secondary Schools Netball carnival is a proud SMMC tradition with this year seeing the team travel to Bundaberg during the June-July holidays for a week of games against elite netball schools.

Playing the top division always brings rewards and challenges. The girls finished 14th out of 64 teams, an outstanding effort! Thanks to Jillian Joyce for preparing and coaching the girls. Each morning, Jillian took the team for a walk and provided support to the girls on and off the court. It was a pleasure working with her. 

Team: 
Chelsea O’Neill, Co-captain
Caitlin Brennan, Co-captain
Chloe Kendall, Vice captain
Emily Griffin
Kate Harrison
Sara Keyes
Danielle Major
Makere Marsh
Manaia Marsh
Zahlee Noack
Farrah Sheppard 
Macy Stirling

Special mention to Danielle Major who was awarded SMMC MVP. Congratulations also to Chelsea O’Neill for making the QISSN Rising Stars’ Team, a fabulous achievement! A highlight for me was seeing other Townsville region schools supporting our girls and our girls supporting them. I would like to thank the girls for their continued commitment to before school training. Our girls always make being a part of Representative Netball rewarding and it was a pleasure travelling with them.  

Lastly, a shout out to our fabulous sponsors, Keyes & Co Property and Frontier Voice and Data, for supporting the team.

Prue Hendle
QISSN Manager

Confraternity

Congratulations to our Confraternity Team on a fantastic week in Rockhampton over the school holidays!

Our girls placed 4th in Division 1 — a huge achievement and a testament to their dedication, teamwork, and determination.

A special shoutout to our captains, Olivia and Evoltia, for leading with spirit and purpose throughout the week.

We also acknowledge Maria and Dakota, who have proudly represented SMMC in the QISSRL team for the past three years. Thank you both for your incredible commitment to our College and team.

A huge congratulations to Evoltia on her selection for the Queensland Confraternity Open Girls Team — an outstanding honour!

A heartfelt thank you to our coaches, managers, teaching staff, parents, carers, and everyone behind the scenes who helped make this opportunity possible for our girls.

And a big thank you to our generous sponsors — North Queensland Physiotherapy Centre, Helipower Australia, Brothers Leagues Club Townsville, and JS Welding Services — for helping our girls get to Confraternity!

Gemma Roberts
Manager

Defence News

Welcome to Term 3!

I hope you and your family had a restful and refreshing break. With Exercise Talisman Sabre now underway, I understand that many of our Defence families may be experiencing changes and/or disruptions - whether through parental absence, increased work tempo, or other unexpected (or expected) things!

Please know that support is available for both you and your daughters during this time. Here are some helpful reminders:

Defence Family Helpline – 1800 624 608

This 24/7 helpline is run by qualified professionals within Defence Member and Family Support (DMFS) and provides access to a wide range of services, including:

• Help during a crisis

• Support during deployment, posting, or relocation

• Referral to a Local Area Office

• Connection with community groups and local area resources

• Referral to an Education Liaison Officer

• Support for partner employment

• Assistance with children’s childcare or education

• Assistance for dependants with special needs

• Access to transition coaching

• Counselling for personal, relationship, and family problems

• Mailing addresses and postal regulations for overseas deployments

• Facilitation of urgent messages to deployed personnel

Please also remind your daughters that I am here to support them. I am on campus each Monday and Tuesday, and available via email throughout the week if needed.

Lastly, Wattle Company Parade will be recommencing soon, and I look forward to seeing even more of the girls attending during Term 3.

Take care,
Vicki Clothier 
Defence School Mentor

Community News

Work as a Year 12 exam invigilator in your regional or rural community — apply now

The Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) is hiring reliable, community-minded people to work casually as invigilators observing Year 12 exams from 27 October to 18 November 2025 — with a strong focus on regional, rural and remote areas of Queensland.

The role is a great fit for people looking for casual, short-term work while also supporting local students and schools in their community.

What’s involved?
Invigilators quietly observe and report on the administration of exams in Queensland schools, helping ensure fair and secure processes that maintain public confidence in the Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) system. They do not supervise students or assist with assessment delivery.

✅ No prior experience needed, as paid training is provided. 
✅ All work is during school hours and scheduled based on your availability. 
✅ A paid blue card/exemption card or Queensland College of Teachers registration is required to apply.

Applications close 25 July. To find out more and to apply, please visit the QCAA website.