October 31st - St Mary`s College

No. 17
October 31, 2014
ST MARY’S COLLEGE NEWSLETTER
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Michael Pepper
This last fortnight has been an extremely busy week at St Mary’s with much to celebrate.
YohFest 2014
Last week some of our students travelled to Perth to participate and compete in the YOHFest State finals, held
in Mandurah. After an impressive performance here in Broome, our Primary Drama Club students were invited
to perform at the finals. In response to the invitation 23 students and 4 teachers travelled to Perth. The trip gave
them the opportunity to perform in a big production, and the chance to experience some of the places of
interest and sights in the city of Perth. From all accounts the students were very well behaved and represented
our school well, congratulations students! A special thank you to Miss Coby and the teachers and staff who
organised this trip. Mr Steve Dowie the Principal at Dawesville Catholic Primary should be acknowledged for his
warm hospitality and remarkable generosity in hosting our students and teachers. Miss Coby will talk more
about this trip in her report following in this newsletter. Our senior students travelled to the same venue to
compete in the finals. St Mary’s College once more took out many awards in the finals and I congratulate the
performing arts teachers and students for continuously representing St Mary’s in the most professional and
talented manner. They work extremely hard and the results are outstanding. Miss Vicki will also report more in
detail about this competition in her report in this newsletter.
ATA Graduation
On Tuesday some of you would have been fortunate to be able to attend the graduation ceremony of 4 of
our Aboriginal Teaching Assistants who graduated with Certificate III in Education Support. Through a
collaborative training agreement between Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education, the Catholic
Education Office and St Marys College, our ATA’s, Reannan Corpus, Sonny Dann, Joseph Davies and Prince
Dallas Hill were able to engage in an opportunity to complete these studies. On behalf of the St Mary’s College
community I congratulate each of the graduands, and acknowledge the support and encouragement they
have received from the teachers, their peers and their families. Since 2012 we have had a total of 9 ATA’s
graduate with this certificate. Others have also enrolled in their Diploma in Education and we also offer our full
support to them in their learning journey. We are very proud of the progress that the ATAs have made in
achieving their goals.
Presentation Night
Tonight we come together at our annual Awards Presentation Night. An event when as a College we gather
in prayer, give thanks for the events of the year and acknowledge some of the academic, specialist areas and
Christian leadership achievements of our students.

The event will commence at 6.00pm. Please be seated by 5.45pm. Food will be available from 5.00pm
for families wishing to have pre show dinners.

All students should be in their full school uniform. Secondary students are to be in full school uniform and
Primary students are to wear their faction shirts with the school shorts or skorts.

Parking will be at a premium. Parking will be available in the primary car park, the secondary
student services car park with access through Guy Street. There will also be some parking available at
the Notre Dame University Library car park where we have an open connecting gate to SMC.

Alternate parking is along the Port Drive verges with entry through the oval pedestrian gate that will be
runway lighted.
Looking forward to seeing you all this evening.
Year 12 Graduation
On Wednesday 29 we bid farewell to our Year 12 students who gathered together for their final assembly,
flowed in the late afternoon by Mass celebrated by Bishop Saunders and a valedictory dinner with parents,
November
WACE exams commence
3rd
Year 6 camp 2015 info evening
6th
PP & Year 1 swimming commences
10th
Kindy & PP 2015 Orientation evening
12th
Years 2 & 3 swimming commences
24th
Movie Night
7th
Father, I have knowledge, so will You show me now,
How to use it wisely and find a way somehow
To make the world I live in a little better place,
And make life with its problems a little bit easier to face.
Grant me faith and courage and put purpose in my days,
And show me how to serve Thee in effective ways.
So my education, my knowledge and my skill
May find their true fulfilment as I learn to do Thy will.
And may I ever be aware in everything I do,
That knowledge comes from learning, and wisdom comes
from You.
Amen.
Secondary Campus Administration
3 Port Drive, Tel: (08) 9194 9500 Fax: (08) 9192 1797 PO Box 100 Broome, WA 6735
Email: [email protected] Website: www.stmarysbroome.wa.edu.au
This newsletter is also available on www.stmarysbroome.wa.edu.au
followed in the late afternoon by Mass celebrated by Bishop Saunders and a valedictory dinner with parents, family
and teachers in the Sam Male room at Cable Beach Club. The day was very special,and celebrations were fitting to
mark their completion of school and their years with us at St Mary’s College. Thank you to Mr Mark Ross the Upper
School Coordinator for his overall organization of the celebrations and for his guidance and support working with the
senior students. Many thanks also to all staff who assisted in many ways to make this a special day. I would also like to
mention the two guest speakers at the dinner, Miss Rebekah Treacy and Miss Sam Tucker, both ex graduates of St
Mary’s College who offered inspiring and motivational words to our graduating students at the dinner. It was an
absolute pleasure and honour to be part of this occasion with families, friends and staff celebrating the achievements
and the contributions to the school of these young people. This day was a major milestone for them and for their
families and teachers. A major achievement and culmination of a long journey from childhood to adulthood. The Year
12 students, although a small group have been a wonderful group of students, always courteous and respectful,
inspiring school leaders and role models. On behalf of the College, our congratulations goes to the graduating class of
2014 on achieving their graduation certificates and they are wished the very best for their final examinations and in all
of their future pursuits in life after St Mary’s College.
World Teachers’ Day in Australia
Friday 31 October we are reminded of the increasingly critical role our teachers play. Across the 162 Catholic schools in
our system, from Esperance to Kununurra, we are blessed to have such dedicated staff. Celebrated in over 100
countries World Teachers’ Day acknowledges the efforts of teachers in an increasingly complex, multicultural and
technological society.
Pope Francis sums up the role of a teacher in this wonderful manner; “Do not be disheartened in the face of the
difficulties that the education challenge presents. Educating is not a profession but an attitude, a way of being;
in order to educate it is necessary to step out of ourselves and be among young people, to accompany them in the
stages of their growth and to set ourselves beside them. Give them hope and optimism for their journey in the world.
Teach them to see the beauty and goodness of creation and of man who always retains the Creator’s hallmark. But
above all with your life be witnesses of what you communicate. Educators pass on knowledge and values with their
words, but their words will have an incisive effect on children and young people if they are accompanied by their
witness, their consistent way of life. Without consistency, it is impossible to educate! You are all educators, there are no
delegates in this field”.
We have much to celebrate at St Mary’s College, and I thank and acknowledge all of our teachers for the work that
they do in educating our students.
FROM HEAD OF SECONDARY
Di Popovich
As we say farewell to the graduating class of 2014, it is not
unusual for many staff to become nostalgic as we reflect
back on “the good old days” when we were at school.
For some of us those days are becoming very distant
memories but it is a time for us all to stop and reflect on
our life’s journey. Where have we come from, where are
we going, what is our purpose? It might be comforting for
students to know that these are questions that all of us
are faced with at different times in our lives. The one
factor that remains constant for us is our faith. We believe
in a God who is forgiving and who loves us without
question. To our Class of ’14, I would ask that you always
remember this – no matter where you are or how old you
are or what you might have done in the past – God will
always be there for you.
Students and staff are busily preparing for the culmination
of our year with the annual Presentation night being held on Friday night. All students are expected to be in
attendance in full formal uniform. Friday is an optional dress day to allow for uniforms to be washed and prepared for
the night. Students may wear casual clothes to school – remember that closed in shoes are necessary for practical
subjects and that all clothing should be Sunsmart. Students are also encouraged to wear red in support of the ‘Day for
Daniel’ and contribute a gold coin for the privilege.
Every day counts! Regular attendance at school still presents some problems for some students. Under the Education
Act, every child needs to be enrolled and attending school up until the end of the year in which the child reaches the
age of 17 years and 6 months. St Mary’s is currently working with several local agencies to refine our processes and
ensure that every student who has a right and obligation to be is school, is here every day.
I look forward to seeing all our families on Friday night to celebrate what has been a truly jam-packed 2014.
FROM HEAD OF PRIMARY
Coby Rhatigan
The term is moving along so quickly, before we know it we will be into 2015 it seems!
Sacrament of Confirmation
Last Friday candidates preparing for the Sacrament of
Confirmation attended a Retreat Day, they pilgramiged from
the Holy Place to the Cathedral reflecting and praying along
the way. Candidates then had some opportunities to explore
the Sacrament of Confirmation more closely and made
Reconciliation. Thanks to Fr Frank who supported our students
and to Miss Sara and Miss Harriet who arranged this wonderful
opportunity. The Sacrament of Confirmation Mass was a lovely
celebration for our candidates and their families and
Monsignor Paul did a fabulous job as our celebrant, he stated
that you only get out of a mass what you put in, so thank you
to our students, family and staff that put so much into the
mass, to ensure we all got so much out of it! Thanks to Miss
Sara Burroughs for being our Sacramental Coordinator and working tirelessly with the Parish Sacramental team, alongside our brilliant Year Six teachers, Mr Dave and Miss Harriet who ensured students were suitably prepared and that the
Retreat and Mass ran smoothly. Thanks to our fabulous Sacrament of Confirmation team and congratulations to our
students.
All Souls and All Saints Day
This Saturday is All Saints Day. This day on our liturgical calendar is a feast in which we as Catholics remember all Saints
known and unknown. The day recognises all those who have attained beautic vision in Heaven. To demonstrate the
importance and significance of this day, all primary students will visit the cemetery. Students will be completing
activities and prayers to allow reflection of loved ones. This Sunday we celebrate All Souls Day Mass. This day
specifically commemorates the departed faithful who have not yet been purified and reached heaven. Mass will be
held at the Cemetery on Sunday evening at 5pm. I look forward to seeing lots of families at this special mass.
World Teachers Day
World Teachers Day is traditionally celebrated on the October
31 in WA, however we thought on Primary we would celebrate
teachers all week. We had a breakfast for staff, which was a
lovely way to start the week. Students have been making cards
and celebrating teachers which is fabulous. It is wonderful to
celebrate `the profession that makes all other professions’.
Thanks to all of our staff for their amazing dedication and
passion, I feel very blessed to work with such an incredible
team of people. Happy World Teachers Week!
Book Fair
We had another wonderful celebration of books in our Primary
Library over the last two weeks. Thanks to Miss Di and Miss
Luiliyn who worked tirelessly to sell books and set up an exciting and engaging Book Fair. Thanks to the families who
supported this event. Book Fairs are predominantly a way for the school to promote the love of reading whilst also raising some funds for new resources.
ATA Graduation
On Wednesday afternoon the
primary campus came together
to celebrate four outstanding
ATA’s and their commitment to
completing their Certificate 111
qualification. It was such a proud
moment for these individuals and
their families, as well as our
students and staff. Joseph, Prince,
Sonny and Reannan all made
heartfelt speeches to the
community, which were received
with tears and cheers from
everyone in attendance. It was
wonderful for our students to see
that with commitment to your
studies what can achieved. The
event was made particularly
special by our visiting dignitaries,
families and friends of the
College, as well as Mr Yoshi
singing an inspirational teacher song and our Year Four students concluding the ceremony with a song that got the
crowd clapping and dancing, as well as all the graduands. We are all so very proud of our amazing graduands
Joseph, Prince, Sonny and Reannan and wish them every success in their future studies. We have three staff
commencing their Certificate 111 and four staff commencing their Diploma in coming weeks. Three staff have
almost finished their Diploma, hopefully we will be celebrating another graduation in the very near future! The
Graduation Ceremony was a beautiful event and it was clearly evident what a fabulous team of staff we have at
the College in preparing and arranging some a magnificent event, everyone supported the event and contributed,
so thanks to our amazing team!
YOH Festival
Another proud moment for the College occurred last week, when we travelled to Perth with 23 students to perform
at the State Final of the Youth On Health.
The Drama Club students represented the
College superbly and were an outstanding
group of students. The Drama teachers
were committed and resourceful in
providing opportunities for the students to
attend on a short time frame and with a
limited budget. I was fortunate enough to
witness first hand the caring,
compassionate and professional way that
Miss Coco, Miss Elaina, Miss Nikki and Miss
Josie supported our primary students whilst
they were away from loved ones. It was
truly inspirational. Thanks to these ladies for
their efforts and commitment to our
students. We must also thank Mr Steve
Dowie the Principal at Dawesville Catholic
Primary School who went above and
beyond to ensure that staff and students
were comfortable when staying at
Dawesville Catholic Primary School. They
not only provided a lovely venue for us to
sleep free of charge, they also provided a delicious donated breakfast for us all each morning. The students got to
play on the playgrounds and in the big open spaces, as well as feed the chickens, fish and check out the vegie
gardens. The parents from the school also brought in swags, mattresses and sleeping bags for us to use. It was a
lovely facility and it was wonderful to have a Catholic Primary school community supporting us to make this trip
possible. The generosity was overwhelming. We must also thank Miss Vicki Thompson for her support and guidance
at the performance rehearsals and YOHFest event, Vicki is a true professional and ensured that our primary students
looked and sounded amazing on the night with her technical expertise and know how. Lastly, but certainly not least
we must thank the students for their brilliant behaviour and conduct as we travelled around the big city. We went
on planes, buses, trains, to the Zoo, The Museum, Parks and on every occasion the students were outstanding and a
credit to themselves, their school and families. Seeing the students shine on the big stage was the ultimate highlight
and hopefully they remember St Mary’s College when they are rich and famous!
Visitors
Last week we had the Information Communication Technology Team. Digital Learning Consultants and Technology
consultants worked with staff to review and plan for ICT within the College. We are excited on Primary to explore this
further, as this supports our education plan for integrated technology for our students. We look forward to sharing
some of our plans with the community very soon. A special thanks to our IT staff Sam and Mark for their efforts with
these visitors and also to Rebecca Laird, Sarah McPherson and Brendan Campbell who make up our ICT committee
on Primary who are pivitol to these plans and supporting ICT on primary. It is so exciting to have so many passionate
staff leading this learning area for our campus.
Early Childhood Transition
Our ECE Team have been working hard to arrange a quality transition program for our Kindy, Pre Primary and Year
One Students for 2015. Parents will have received home a transition timetable this week outlining our plans and arrangements. Parents will notice that they are an integral part of this process and are encouraged to attend the transition opportunities so you to feel confident about their child’s new setting for 2015. At this stage we are unable to advise of staff in each year level, however we are confident that our team will continue to work together to ensure the
same opportunities for students. If you have any questions surrounding this please speak with a member of our ECE
team. We would also welcome parent feedback as we are always wanting to review and revise this process. We
hope that your students enjoy seeing what 2015 has in store for them, we are all every excited!
Presentation Night
We look forward to celebrating student achievements and talents this Friday evening on the Secondary Oval. Please
ensure that students in Years 1-6 have found their teacher and are seated with them for the evening. Students need
to wear their House Shirts. Thanks to Miss Robyn, Miss Tania Praino and Mr Stephen Pigram for working with the students
to perform on the night, I look forward to seeing what our students and these brilliant musicians have come up with. As
this is a long event Kindy and Pre Primary students are invited to attend with their families, however it is not an
expectation. See you all on Friday evening. Don’t forget that our wonderful ATA’s will be selling curries to fundraise for
NAIDOC, pPease support them.
Primary Christmas Concert
This year on Primary we will be having an outdoor Primary Christmas Concert. Each year level from K-6 will perform for
us and we are hoping to make this a great celebration of Christmas and the end of the year. This event will be held on
Friday December 5. We will also be farewelling our Year Six students from Primary Campus. Classroom Teaching teams
will advise of what is required closer to the date and further information regarding the event will be provided very
soon. We will have food and refreshments on sale to fundraise for our 2015 Primary Camps. Save the date!!
Swimming Lessons
There appears to be a shortage of swimming teachers which will unfortunately mean at this stage Years 4– 6 will not
be having lessons, we will try to organise to get them to the pool at some point. We will have some information to you
shortly. Pre primary and Year 1 will have lessons in weeks 5&6 and Years 2 and 3 will have lessons in week 7&8.
Upcoming Events
Year 6 Camp 2015 Information Evening – Thursday 6th November
2015 Kindy & Pre Primary Orientation Evening – Wednesday 12th November
Primary Christmas Concert – Friday 5th December
Have a fabulous fortnight!
CLASS OF 2014
Melissa Price Joins Boys for Reward Lunch
On the September 26, the last day of Term 3, the boys of the West Kimberley Clontarf Academy were joined by a
special guest to help them celebrate their Term 3 achievements. Melissa Price MP, Liberal Member for Durack, joined
the boys for a formal lunch at the Convention Centre in Broome. The boys were there to celebrate achieving a
school attendance of 90% or more for the term, as well as setting high behaviour and school work standards. Melissa
had flown in especially for the occasion so the boys were very appreciative to have her there.
The day started with a surfing session at the beach, then a movie at the Cinema and culminated with the sit down
lunch at the Convention Centre in Broome. The boys were also joined by Clontarf partners Woodside and Skilled as
well as representatives from the Catholic Education Office. The catering was provided by long time West Kimberley
Academy supporter KoolSpot Café.
After a brief slide show the principals from St Mary’s College and Broome Senior High presented certificates to all the
boys. Melissa then said a few words of encouragement and congratulated all the boys.
Well done to everyone and thank you for all the support!
Year 8.3 English class
The 8.3 English class is studying Japan Under the Shogun this term, and they produced some reflections on the Crab
Creek Pathways Excursion through the Japanese-style Haiku poem.
Monique Huyskens
Secondary Teacher
YOH Fest 2014 Winners Announced!
Last week a group of Dance and Drama students travelled down to Mandurah to compete in the Grand Final of the
Youth On Health festival. YOH Fest is Western Australia's largest performing arts festival. Out of over the 600 schools
who entered across the state, TWO Dance items and TWO Drama Solo items were chosen from St Mary's College. St
Mary's College were also heavily represented in the Visual Art section of the competition. The quality of the
performances in the Finals was outstanding. St Mary's College was a huge winner on the night. The audience was
mesmerised by each St Mary's College Dance item. Congratulations to the following winners! (This is the 5th year in a
row, SMC has either won or come runner-up in the Solo Drama section. This is the 2nd year in a row they have won
both!)
SOLO/DUO DRAMA
Winner: 'Reality Check' - St Marys College Broome - Chelsea Siebert
R/Up: 'Product Of Society' -St Marys College Broome - Alicia Gould
VISUAL ART
R/Up: '90% Of Life' - St Marys College Broome - Juanne Ignacio
Act Belong Commit Best Overall Health Message
'Product Of Society' -St Marys College Broome - Alicia Gould
West Kimberley Soccer and Cricket
On Friday 24th October over 50 students from Years 3-6 attended the West Kimberley Soccer and Cricket Carnival.
Year 3 and 4 were involved in the soccer games and the Year 5 and 6 played cricket. This is a fun and inclusive
interschool carnival that aims to promote enjoyment of the sport without being an expert. There are no medals or
shields to win and the emphasis is on the social and physical benefits of exercise. The carnival was a Round Robin
tournament with each team playing the other teams from Broome and Derby once. This was a great way to meet new
people from the other schools and to encourage this interaction all of the schools sat down together to eat lunch. It
was wonderful to see the smiles on the students’ faces as they grew in confidence while playing their games The girls’
cricket team worked especially well together encouraging and supporting one another. A huge thank you to the
coaches on the day Mr Dave, Mr Yoshi, Mr Sonny and Mr Joseph, and well done to all of the participating students on
making the day a huge success.
Seniors Have Talent Art & Furniture Show
To celebrate the outstanding art and wood work that the Seniors have achieved in the last 2 terms we held a special
Art and Furniture show in the H & T last Monday. The seniors students and their families all came and were amazed at
their talents and the level of achievement. Well done students you can be proud.
Helen Capsalis—Secondary Art Teacher
Year 7 Food
Potato Salad
This year the Year 7.3 class have been caring for their veggie garden and cooking the fresh produce that is harvested. Last Monday Miss Bec’s Year 2’s were invited across to share in a delicious meal of potato salad using fresh
cherry tomatoes and lettuce from the garden. Three batches of potato salad were made to cater for the whole
class and everyone enjoyed it as there was none left at the end! The recipe even included making their own salad
dressing. Here is the recipe:
Salad Ingredients
6 washed potatoes
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoon oil
Pinch salt
Pinch pepper
150 grams garden greens (lettuce, baby spinach, parsley etc)
1 avocado
Cheese
2 hard boiled eggs
Dressing
3 tablespoons of honey
2 tablespoons red vinegar
1 tablespoon oil
Cut the potatoes into quarters and boil.
Boil the eggs, then cut into halves or quarters.
Put the greens on a plate with the potatoes and sprinkle the avocado,
cheese and eggs over them.
Put honey, vinegar and olive oil in a jar with a lid and shake.
Pour dressing over salad and serve.
All Souls Day
Sunday 2nd November
Mass will be celebrated at the cemetery at 5pm.
There will be some candles available, however if possible you
could bring your own.
Please bring a chair as well.
It is a wonderful time for us as a Catholic community to pray
together for our deceased family and friends, as we bless their
graves and remember them with love.
PARENTS AND FRIENDS
ENROLMENTS 2015
Hi everyone
We have a fantastic raffle for this year's movie night. We are
selling tickets this Saturday at the Boulevard from 8.30 outside
Woolworths. We re looking for people who might be able to
help sell raffle tickets
8.30-9.30 covered
9.30-10.30
10.30-11.30 covered
11.30-12.30
If you are available to help out in one of the time slots please
contact Rose Mitchell on 0400123802 or email
[email protected]
As we have a permit for this raffle, the tickets will not be sent
home with students as we need to keep track of the numbers
and collect all unsold tickets.
If anyone would like a book of tickets to sell or purchase,
please ask at the primary reception.
If anyone has a large esky that we could use to pack curries
into for the movie night please also let Rose know so we can
arrange delivery to school on the Friday the 7th of November
or pick up if necessary.
We are looking for helpers to help pack the curries at the
primary canteen from 3-5 on the 7th at movie night
We are also looking for people to help set up the movie
night.
Many hands make light work so if you can help please
contact Rose.(0400 123 802 or drop an email to
[email protected])
Kind Regards
Parents & Friends SMC
We are now taking enrolments for 2015, there are
limited places at some year levels.
Preparation and planning is underway for 2015
classes on both Primary and Secondary Campuses.
Please advise the College if your child will not be
returning to St Mary’s College in 2015.
Primary 9194 9560, Secondary 9194 9508 or email admin@stmary’sbroome.wa.edu.au
If your postal address has changed please notify the
campus your child attends, thank you.
SCHOOL FEES
Dear Parents/Guardians
The last School Fee Invoice for this year will be out to
you next week. Please note the format has changed
but the amount charged is the same.
We have joined the 2 fees together – this enables a
better discount for HCC holders etc. If you have a
Health Care Card please bring it to the Admin Office
on either Primary or Secondary so we can get a copy
and update our records for the coming year. If you
are struggling to pay your fees in any way please
come and see me and I will work out a plan. All
applications are treated with confidentiality.
Thankyou
Angie Gannon 9194 9507
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