From the Principal

Dear St Mary’s College,

Last week we had our final assembly and award presentation for Year 12 students, followed by a celebratory mass with our families. The formality of the occasion is wonderful as we acknowledge the contribution our Year 12 cohort has made to the Dominican culture of our school through a commitment to learning, prayer, service, and community. It is a celebration of excellence in our community and of the strong formation we offer to the young women through their years at St Mary’s. 

Along with the celebration of achievement, it is a wonderful time for sharing stories and expressing gratitude. Gratitude from us that we have been entrusted with the learning and care of your children, and gratitude from families for all that St Mary’s has meant. 

In any school community, much of the powerful work that happens is not visible to anyone but the families and students themselves. Often, our greatest work as educators is not what is seen in newsletters or social media feeds. It is the students and families who are held through a crisis, it is the student who keeps at their learning even when it is impossibly difficult, the one who doesn’ t really love school but keeps coming anyway, and the student who has not reached the highest grade but has made exceptional growth. These achievements are captured in personal stories shared, and they sit at the heart of a school culture alongside its greatest visible achievements.  

It seemed fitting that last week when we celebrated our Year 12s, we also celebrated World Teacher’s Day. Our Year 12 students are the outcome of 13 years of development and support from a whole community of teachers and support staff who create a school's learning and wellbeing culture. Each student cohort brings its own flavour to our community, and we relish in the visible and invisible achievements of each of them. 

Enjoy the weeks ahead.

Clare Nocka

Principal

Dance and Visual Arts Showcase 2022

On Thursday 10 November 2022, St Mary’s College will host a Dance and Visual Arts Showcase.

From 6:00pm, you are welcome to join us in the CPA Foyer to celebrate our students’ artistic and creative work. This includes art, design and photography displays from our Senior School.

During this time, entertainment will be provided by our talented Small Jazz Ensemble.

Attendees will be invited upstairs into the CPA from 7:00pm to view a performance by our Stage 1 Dance students, with a special feature from our Year 7 Performance Team.

The dance showcase is a chance for the Stage 1 Dance students to be assessed in performance and share their own choreographies.

Charlize M in Year 10 has also worked on pre-production and technical theatre elements this semester to help develop the program for the show. 

We look forward to inviting our community into the College next week for our showcase.

Click here to RSVP

Women in Construction

At St Mary’s College, we nurture the growth of strong women equipped to find their voice and place in the world. Recent graduate Aphrodite Georgakopoulos (Class of 2021) has done just that, having the confidence to find her place in the male-dominated industry of construction.

Now studying for a Bachelor of Construction Management (Honours) at the University of South Australia, Aphrodite finds that she is one of few women in the course. She is often the only female in her classes and has unfortunately been subjected to comments made by male students who question her intelligence and abilities. Always finding support at St Mary’s College from her teachers and peers, Aphrodite finds strength in the tools she was given as a student at an all-girls school, to stand up for herself and all the women she represents in her field.

Currently working in the Infrastructure Division at the Department of Education, Aphrodite looks up to the women around her who work as project managers and construction supervisors, roles typically held by men. Upon completing her degree, Aphrodite hopes to work as a construction manager or in another similar field, such as estimating or quantity surveying. Her 10-year plan includes attaining a builder’s license and running her own building company where she can oversee and manage, as well as be on-site and hands-on.

Aphrodite believes that once you have your degree and start working in the industry, no one can stop you from achieving what you want, as you have all the knowledge and tools to get there. She wants young women to know that construction is a legitimate option for girls.

Aphrodite also wants young women to feel empowered working or studying in a male-dominated field, not afraid. She believes that each time a young woman has the confidence to do so, they inspire another to do the same.

Year 12 Awards

Last week, at our final Year 12 assembly, students from the Class of 2022 were recognised for their efforts and commitment to the College in various areas.

We wish to congratulate the following students:

Service to Sport: Lucy P
Service to Music: Olivia K and Harriet B
Commitment to Learning: Scarlett C
Commitment to Prayer & Formation: Emma S
Commitment to Community: Abby C
Commitment to Service: Madison K
Ethos Award: Reshma S and Paula K

Thank you to all our Year 12 students for their commitment and contribution to St Mary’s College. We wish you luck in your final assessments and upcoming exams.

We also look forward to gathering as a whole school community on Thursday 8 December for our End of Year Eucharistic Celebration (EYEC). Please register your attendance here.

Newsletter Feedback

At the end of Term 1 2022, the College launched a refreshed version of the newsletter with a new format and approach to content development. Our goal was to establish a more regular connection with the community with a publication that was succinct, newsworthy and accessible on any device.

The newsletter is a celebration of achievements and a place for the College to share news about events, programs, and initiatives. Since its release, we have sent out 12 editions of this newsletter and are looking for feedback from the community. Please click the link below to complete the two-minute anonymous feedback survey.

Click here to access the survey.

CONTACT US

enquiries@stmarys.sa.edu.au
stmarys.sa.edu.au
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