Term
4, Week 2 - Issue 16
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Dear St Mary’s College Community,
It was wonderful
to return to the community last week to see people and hear about the second half of the term. There is
no doubt that the myriad of relationships we create in a school community is the absolute highlight of
my work. It is also significant to contemplate just what we manage to squeeze into five weeks of a school
term!
Over the coming weeks, I hope to share some of the experiences and learning from my time
away. Travel is such a wonderful privilege, irrespective of how near or far we venture. For this week,
I want to start with the end of our trip which coincided with the term break.
Our oldest daughter
lives in Germany with her husband and two sons. It is hard to live on the other side of the world from
family. We especially miss the day-to-day connection with our two grandchildren.
It is easy to
forget the joy in experiencing the world through the eyes of a young child - the squeals of delight and
shouts of “again, again” when they are immersed in something they love. Our oldest grandson
is completely bilingual, and it was fascinating to observe the ease with which he transitioned from German
to English and back again.
We had lots of time for play and reading stories. We went on long walks
and explored their local village. We went to playgrounds. We shared meals. We talked about how much we
had forgotten the physical exhaustion of that stage of parenting. On more than one occasion, I offered
a quiet thanks to my parents who played such an active role in the care of my children.
Once the
children were asleep each evening, we had precious time for conversation with their parents. Having adult
children is something I appreciate more each day. The extended break meant there was more time to sit
and talk, without the day-to-day pressures that preoccupy us. It really was a time of renewal, both personally
and professionally.
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I am grateful to my team who stepped in and kept things running
smoothly in my absence.
As we head into the start of Term 4, we keep our prayers and best wishes
with our Year 12 students who finish lessons this week and head into exams and final assessments.
Warm regards,
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As our Year 12 students end their St Mary’s schooling journey, we have the opportunity to pause,
reflect, and celebrate their wonderful achievements with special community celebrations and events.
On Thursday, 26 October, Year 12 students will formally farewell the students and teachers at St
Mary’s College at their final school assembly. Our community will gather in the morning to recognise
academic excellence and acknowledge the worthy recipients of The Ethos Award and Commitment Awards that
reflect our Dominican Spirit and school values.
That afternoon, Year 12 parents and families will
attend the Year 12 Final Mass, held in St Patrick’s Church, followed by afternoon tea on Veritas
Lawns.
The last official day for Year 12 students is Friday, 27 October, where a celebration breakfast
will be held for students. Each year, staff and students dress to a theme, with this year’s being
‘Rhyme Without Reason’.
We look forward to celebrating these rites of passage with
the Class of 2023.
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At St Mary's College, embracing the importance of justice is integral to our purpose as a Catholic
Dominican school. Our Catholic tradition honours the inherent dignity and worth of every human being,
and we believe education should empower young people to contribute to their community.
As a pilot
project in two of our Year 9 HASS classes, students have enthusiastically taken part in ‘The Headstone
Project’, a not-for-profit organisation that seeks to provide headstones for the unmarked graves
of First World War veterans. They believe that all veterans should be recognised for their service and
deserve the dignity of headstones to be remembered by.
In small groups, students were allocated
an Australian First World War veteran buried at the West Terrace Cemetery to research. Students created
a detailed profile of the soldier and put together a commemoration service for them.
Indiana P
and Georgia S successfully researched Edward Conlin and have been invited, along with their peers, to
attend the West Terrace Cemetery on 9 November 2023 to unveil this veteran's headstone, who was buried
in an unmarked grave. With the support of their teachers, Mr Peter Batty and Ms Renee Irvine, Indiana
and Georgia have also prepared a service for the veteran and invited his living relatives as special guests
to the service, along with dignitaries such as the Lord Mayor of Adelaide.
Indiana said of the
project, “I am so grateful to have had this opportunity to gain a deeper connection with those who
served in WWI and provide these brave soldiers with the recognition they deserve”.
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St Mary’s parent, Mr Ian Hopely, and Ms Jane Mitta from
The Headstone Project have been integral in assisting our students in their research endeavours and have
been highly impressed with our students' enthusiasm and research skills.
Our partnership with
The Headstone Project has been a valuable opportunity for our students to learn about World War I in an
authentic context and contribute to our community in a meaningful way. We look forward to working with
them again next year.
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2023 SAETA Young Writers Award
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Congratulations to Year 8 student Isabella A on placing third in the 2023 SAETA (South Australian
English Teachers Association) Young Writers Award.
Isabella’s completed her prose entitled
‘The Concentration Camp’ as part of her Year 8 English Assessment and was encouraged to submit
it to the statewide competition. Please read an excerpt below:
I wake to a loud screech
of the brakes. The brightness burns my eyes. I look around and see soldiers pulling Mama and Papa out
of the truck when I suddenly feel a hand squeeze my arm and drag me out of the truck. I fall hard onto
the pebbled floor. I’m pulled up and pushed into the queue of people, lining up to get onto what
seems to be a train. It’s a strange train, it has no fancy carriages with tables and chairs, red
velvet seating and curtains, none of it.
We congratulate Isabella on this achievement
and acknowledge her remarkable determination, creativity, and literacy skills.
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The Adelaide City Council have been actively monitoring parking
around the College in recent weeks. SAPOL have also made visits to monitor speed and road use around the
crossing. These visits are in response to parent concerns about road safety, especially following an accident
at another city college last term.
Courtesy on the roads, patience and following the road rules
are all measures that keep our children safe. Key things to keep in mind:
- The drop-off
and pick-up zones are for quick transitions - jumping in and out. Please do not hold up time with long
farewells or still dressing for school. If your child needs a long transition, please find a park.
- Do not leave your car in the drop-off and pick-up zones.
- Move to the top of the queue
so there is room for other drivers.
- Do not park across the bike lane.
- Do not do a
U-turn in front of the traffic lights.
The peak time for pick-up is very brief. If you
can park and walk, that is helpful. It is also helpful to stagger the time so that we minimise cars waiting
at 3:15pm.
Keeping our children safe is everyone’s responsibility.
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