Newsletter - T2 W8 - 20/06/2025

From the Principal

But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” Luke 14: 13-14

On Wednesday, during our College Assembly, Clare Axman, our Assistant Principal - Mission, addressed the students on the basic Catholic Social Teaching principle relating to the dignity of the human person, with a particular focus on inclusion. 

The journey through high school is more than an academic pursuit. It is about preparing students for the challenges of life, meeting faith, academic and wellbeing outcomes along the way to ensure our students attain the fullness of life. Student wellbeing is optimal when they are engaged in the community and have a sense of belonging. 

At the heart of belonging is being included, ensuring that every single person within our College feels cared for, valued, and respected. It's about recognising the unique gifts and perspectives each individual brings and actively working to create an environment where those gifts can flourish. Just as Jesus welcomed all, regardless of their background or circumstances, we strive to create a community where everyone feels welcome and included.

We encourage students to share their perspectives, learn from one another, and appreciate the richness that the diversity of individuals brings to a community. This plays out at St Mary’s through cultural celebrations, classroom discussions and the relationships that are formed through mutual respect and understanding.

We are committed to building a school culture where every student feels safe to be themselves, free from judgment, bullying, or discrimination. Staff and the Student Leadership Team actively promotes respect and acceptance of ones differences, aimed at forming strong relationships with each other and College staff. 

The College recognises that all students are different when it comes to learning. We work to provide support that allows all students to access the curriculum to achieve high standards that are relative to each student.

As a faith community we are called to extend kindness to new members of our community, reaching out to those who may feel isolated, and actively working to break down barriers that might prevent someone from feeling truly at home.

Building an inclusive community is a shared responsibility. All staff and students have a role to play by: 

• Embracing openness and be willing to learn from others. 
• Being empathetic, trying to understand other peoples situations and their world view.  
• Treating people fairly and have the courage to speak up against injustice.

I consistently remind students, it is the little things that can make a big difference to another person. A small compliment or inviting others to join in their conversation or group activities. Making someone feel included can have a profound impact.

By nurturing a culture of inclusion, we strengthen our community, enhance our learning environment, and live out the Gospel message.

Have a great weekend

Michael Campbell
Principal

Upcoming Dates

Week 9
Thursday 26/06 - Friday 27/06/25 - Street Retreat

Week 10
Tuesday 01/07/25 - Year 9 Retreat
Tuesday 01/07 & Wednesday 02/07/25 - Year 7 - 10 PTS Night/s
Wednesday 02/07/25 - Country Cup Rugby League (QEP, Casino)
Friday 04/07/25 - Last day of Term 2 (SMCC)

Parish Mass Times

Weekend Mass
Saturday 5.00pm
Sunday 8.00am

Weekdays
Monday 9.00am 
Tuesday 8. 00am
Wednesday 8.00am
Thursday 9.00am
Friday 9.00am
Saturday 9.00am

Adoration
Wednesday 5.00pm
Following 9.00am Mass Saturday

Reconciliation
Saturday 8.30am - 9.00am
Anointing of the sick
First Saturday of each month

Country Mass
Sunday, 22 June
Tabulam, 10:30am

This Saturday, June 21, is our Family Combined Schools Mass at 5:00 pm.

Mission Team

In the readings this weekend we hear of Jesus feeding the five thousand. "They all ate and were satisified, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over." (Luke 9:17)

In this passage, Jesus takes five loaves and two fish - so little in the face of a hungry crowd - and turns them into more than enough to feed thousands. It's a powerful reminder of how God can work through what seems small or inadequate when it is offered with love and faith.

As parents and teachers of teenagers we can often feel stretched - supporting academic responsibilities, emotional needs, friendships, and growing independence. It's easy to wonder if we are doing enough or giving enough. But just as Jesus took what the disciples offered and multiplied it, He also takes our daily efforts - our conversations, encouragement, and quiet acts of care - and uses them to nourish our teens in ways we may not see. This passage invites us to trust that what we offer, no matter how modest it feels, can become more than enough. 

Clare Axman
Assistant Principal - Mission

Evangelisation

Family Mass
The Term 2 combined Family Mass with St. Mary's Primary School will be on tomorrow evening, Saturday, June 21. Mass starts at 5pm and all students and their families are invited to attend. 

SHINE
SHINE unites Youth Ministry (CSYMA) students in Catholic secondary schools of the Diocese of Lismore and will take place on August 21-22 (Week 5, Term 3). The Youth Ministry program is offered to Year 9 and 10 students, allowing those with a willingness to nurture their faith an opportunity for Christian fellowship and spiritual formation. A number of senior students are invited to attend and act as small group leaders across the event.

With a continued focus on peer-to-peer ministry, the two-day event combines elements of praise and worship, inspiring keynote speakers, student testimonies, interactive workshops, prayer, Eucharistic Adoration and Mass.

Students in the Year 9 & 10 Ministry classes can access the event via Compass for more details. 

Kate Rowlands
Leader of School Evangelisation

Pastoral Care

Mobile Phones
All students are reminded to adhere to the mobile phone policy of the College. All students with a mobile phone on the school grounds must have their mobile phone secured in their yondr pouch. If any students has lost or misplaced their yondr pouch they can purchase a replacement from the Front Office for $20.

Year 10 Vaccinations

The following vaccines are offered free of charge to year 10 students at school:

Meningococcal ACWY vaccine (1 dose).
Vaccines will be administered on site on August, 25. Vaccination will only be provided at school if consent has been received. 

To provide consent for vaccination online, parents/carers will need:
To complete online consent parents/carers need to visit the School Vaccination Program online consent portal (https://engage.health.nsw.gov.au/engage).
For detailed steps on how to provide consent please refer to the NSW Health webpage, How to Provide Consent (https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/immunisation/Pages/online-consent-school-vaccination.aspx)

For online consent parents/carers will need:
- Their ServiceNSW log-in details, or to create an account with ServiceNSW if they don’t already have one
- Medicare details for parents/carers and their child.

Benefits of online consent for parents/carers:
- SMS notification three days before the clinic to remind parents of the vaccination day
- SMS notifications on the day once vaccinations are given
- Easy updating of their child’s details online 
- Faster upload of their child’s vaccination records to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR)

For more information
Please visit the NSW School Vaccination Program webpage                                                                                                                   https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/immunisation/Pages/schoolvaccination.aspx

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

Thank you for your assistance and support to ensure the success of this important public health program.

Aaron Kennedy
Leader of Pastoral Care

Sports News

Diocesan Cross Country
On Thursday, June 5, eighteen students attended the Diocesan Cross Country event at Wiigulga Sporting Complex in Woolgoolga. It was an exciting day filled with energy and enthusiasm as we competed against many other schools in the Diocese.

Although none of our runners secured a winning position this time, every student showed incredible determination and resilience throughout their races. The course involved laps around a football field on a path, but we all encouraged and supported one another throughout the entire journey.

Beyond the competition itself, the event was a fantastic opportunity to build teamwork, sportsmanship, and personal endurance. It was inspiring to see how much effort everyone put in, regardless of the final results. Each participant gained valuable experience and can be proud of their commitment to representing our school with pride.

We look forward to continuing to improve and grow stronger as a team for future events such as the Diocesan Athletics Carnival in August. Thank you to Mr Beare and Megan, who supported us, and to the students who showed such great spirit both on and off the course.

Chris Cormanes
Year 11 Student

Phil Tobin Shield Open Boys Rugby League
On Wednesday, June 11, the College's Open Boys Rugby League team traveled to Woodlawn for a series of matches. Despite missing key players Max Hale and Ryan Greenwood, the team came in with high hopes after a recent win in the Beef Cup.

Their first game against Xavier Catholic College started with immediate challenges, as early mistakes led to an 0-18 deficit by halftime. However, the College showed significant improvement in the second half, outscoring Xavier 12-6, with tries from Rory McInnes and Riley Grant, though ultimately losing 12-24.

The second game against Mt. St. Pat's Murwillumbah mirrored the first, with early errors putting them behind. Yet again, the College mounted a strong comeback, with Riley Grant and Noah Batchelor scoring tries to bring the score to a close 10-12 with just three minutes left. Despite a contentious turnover, Mt. St. Pat's managed to secure a narrow victory.

Overall, the team displayed great spirit in their defeats and should be commended. 

Under 14 Boys Cochrane Cup Rugby League
On Thursday, June 19, the College's Cochrane Cup team traveled to St. Joseph's Banora Point with the goal of securing a spot in the regional finals in Coffs Harbour.

Their day began with a tough 24-12 loss against the host team, St. Joseph's. Despite an early solo try by Captain Campbell Stuart, the College struggled with missed tackles and turnovers, allowing St. Joseph's to build a commanding lead.

However, the College showed great resilience in their second game, achieving an exciting 9-8 'golden point' victory in extra time against the Woodlawn side. Crucial tries from Campbell Stuart and Riley Formaggin forced extra time, where Ethan Miller sealed the upset win with a precise field goal.

The College's hopes of winning the day ended with a tight 12-6 loss to Mt. St. Pat's in their final game. Despite the overall results, the College team demonstrated commendable character and effort throughout the competition.

Craig Beare
Coach

See below for the latest updates to upcoming sporting fixtures:.

• Open Boys and Girls North Diocesan Touch Football @ Grafton, Tuesday 02/07
• U13, 15 & Open Boys ‘Country Cup’ Rugby League, was Thursday 03/07 now Wednesday 02/07
• U14, 16 & Open Boys & Girls ‘Alex Gibbon’ Rugby Union 7’s, Wednesday 23/7 & 6/8 @ Evans Head
• U14 NRCC Girls Soccer, now Tuesday 29/7 @ Byron Bay
• U14 Girls ‘Country Cup’ Rugby League, now Tuesday 30/7
• SMCC Athletics Carnival, Thursday 31/7
• Yr 7,8 & 9,10 Boys & Girls Dio Basketball, Tuesday 12/8 & Wednesday 13/8 @ Port Macquarie
• Yr 7-12 Boys & Girls NRCC Netball, Tuesday 19/8 @ Tweed Heads
• U14 Rugby Union 10’s, Thurs 28/8 @ Wollongbar
• Diocesan Athletics Carnival, Tuesday 2/9 @ Coffs Harbour

Sports Calendars for 2025
Information about all upcoming sports in the College, Diocese and Catholic Schools NSW sport calendar. Please note some of these dates may change from time to time. Click on each one for the link.

St Mary’s Catholic College 
Dio Sports Calendar
Catholic Schools NSW Sports Calendar

To check upcoming CCC events and registrations - Link to Catholic Sport NSW
Sport Search (½ way down page) → Step 1 (click on CCC) → Step 2 (select sport). Registration & Calendar is also there. CCC is a pathway and option for students to make a direct application to trial for a particular sport. The standard is usually high, depending on the Sport, therefore representative level is usually but not always the minimum requirement.

Craig Beare
Sports Coordinator

Canteen

Volunteers
We are looking for volunteers to assist in the Canteen. Please contact the Canteen via the College office if you are available at any time to help.

Flexischools
Flexischools is a well-established organisation allowing you to easily place all your canteen orders online at any time.

Download the Flexischools app from the App store or Google Play. Click here for details on how to set up your account. 

Once registered, you can start placing orders immediately.

There is a charge of $0.29 per order for using this service.

If you have any questions, please contact the Flexischools Customer Service Team via their website contact page.

The normal process of ordering from the canteen (cash, eftpos, morning lunch orders) is still available.

Uniform Shop

Uniform Shop Opening Hours
Tuesdays         3.15pm to 4.15pm
Thursdays       3.15pm to 4.15pm

The Uniform Shop service is a cashless service. Methods of payment are by EFTPOS or online ordering via Flexischools. No fees are charged to families for using the Flexischools service.

Please note the following information for orders made via this service:

Tuesday Orders
- Cut off time is 12 noon on Monday
- Pick up available from the College office on Tuesday afternoon from 3.30pm - 4.00pm

Thursday Orders
- Cut off time is 12 noon on Wednesday 
- Pick up available from the College office on Thursday afternoon from 3.30pm - 4.00pm.

Orders not collected will be given to the student to take home.

Whilst all care will be taken to ensure that stock availability is correct at the time of ordering, there may be some items that are not in stock at the time of packing the online orders. In this case, you will be contacted to advise of an estimated time of arrival for new stock of that item or given the option of a refund processed through Flexischools.

All uniform shop order enquiries can be emailed to: cash-uniform@lism.catholic.edu.au

Second Hand Uniforms

Sustainable School Shop is an online shop dedicated to buying and selling of second hand uniforms. For more information ring 1300683337 or visit www.sustainableschoolshop.com.au.

 Please note that this facility is available for use with the new College uniforms only.

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Safer Drivers Course – improve your driving skills become a confident and safe driver – gain an extra 20 logbook hours. 

For young students with their learner’s licence (with 50+ driving hours in their logbook): 

We are running Safer Drivers Course in Casino during the coming school holidays.  Friday 18th July https://behindthewheel.net.au/Safer-Drivers-Course

This course is carefully tailored for young learner drivers packed with information on how to drive safely and how to mitigate the risks that come with driving. This course is not designed how to operate a car, but it will teach how to recognise and avoid unsafe situations. This course teaches speed management, hazard awareness, safe following distances, how to stay safe when being distracted. 

The course includes a 3-hour group discussion with other students and a 2- hour coaching in vehicle session with 1 other learner driver. 

To book: https://behindthewheel.net.au/Safer-Drivers-Course  

If a student has a Healthcare Concession Card they can attend for free, just head to our website, download the application form and follow the instructions.