Acknowledgement of Country
St Mary’s College respectfully acknowledges and pays respects to the traditional custodians of this land, the Giabal and Jarowair peoples of the Western Wakka Wakka Nation who long before us, live and learned, loved and raised their children on this land.
Let us sense the land beneath our feet, acknowledge to whom it belongs, and pay our respects to the Elders past and present.
For we too are one in land, one spirit, one in faith united in God’s love.
In the words of the Wakka Wakka language,
Let us all strive for the crown
“Yah-naan-day gum-bah ngay”
Welcome
ST MARY’S COLLEGE, TOOWOOMBA, IS A CATHOLIC SCHOOL IN THE EDMUND RICE TRADITION FOR BOYS IN YEARS 5 TO 12.
At St Mary’s College, it is our mission to empower students to be men of faith, integrity, action and excellence.
We provide boys the opportunity to achieve excellence in all areas of their holistic education guided by our Four Touchstones: Gospel Spirituality, Inclusive Community, Justice and Solidarity and Liberating Education.
At St Mary’s College, we focus on, and are specialists in, boys education, providing various relevant and modern learning experiences, as well as extra-curricular activities.
Established in Toowoomba in 1899, St Mary’s College has a rich history and has played an integral part in educating young men in regional Queensland for 125 years.
Toowoomba is a picturesque city located in the Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia. Known for its stunning gardens and parks, Toowoomba is often referred to as the ‘Garden City’ and is home to a diverse community of approximately 170,000 people.
Toowoomba offers a safe and welcoming environment for families and individuals alike, providing an ideal location for students to thrive and grow both personally and academically.
From the Principal
Welcome to St Mary’s College, Toowoomba. We are a Catholic boys school in the Edmund Rice tradition, founded in 1899. The College provides an exceptional learning environment that caters for boys from Years 5 to 12. The school is well-placed in the metropolitan area of Toowoomba and as such, provides our young men with opportunities throughout the region. Our motto, Conanti Corona - “The one who strives for the crown” - captures our drive to improve the life opportunities for your sons.
At St Mary’s College, our students learn the importance of respectful behaviour to all - an attitude that embraces the changing expectations of the wider community. The College has well-regarded programs of learning, culture, sport, servicelearning and wellbeing as vehicles for the development of your son. Our associate status with Edmund Rice Education Australia means that our boys can take advantage of the College’s positive reputation in the community. We have high expectations for your boys and this assists in our desire for improvement for every member of our community.
Together, we embrace our mission to form young men of faith, integrity, action and excellence. Enrolment at St Mary’s College will provide your son the opportunity to grow into the best version of himself, providing the discipline and consistency that allows him to fulfil his potential.
Welcome to St Mary’s College, where Today’s Boys become Men for Tomorrow.
Brendan Stewart COLLEGE PRINCIPAL
Vision
Today’s Boys, Men for Tomorrow.
Mission
Catholic education in the Edmund Rice tradition, empowering our students to be men of faith, integrity, action and excellence.
Values
The Touchstones, following Blessed Edmund’s example, help us to reflect and aim to transform the Gospel into a living reality in our community.
Our Touchstones
As a Catholic school in the Edmund Rice tradition, we aspire to be faithful to these four Touchstones:
Liberating Education
We open hearts and minds through quality teaching and learning experiences, so that through critical reflection and engagement each person is hope-filled and free to build a better world for all.
Gospel Spirituality
We invite all people into the story of Jesus and strive to make His message of compassion, justice and peace a living reality within our community.
Inclusive Community
Our community is accepting and welcoming, fostering right relationships and committed to the common good.
Justice and Solidarity
We are committed to justice and peace for all, grounded in a spirituality of action and reflection that calls us to stand in solidarity with those who are marginalised and the Earth itself.
Boys’ Education
Educational performance at school can vary depending on the gender of the student – but there can be a wide range of contributing factors, many of which can be improved by an effective learning environment.
In addressing the educational needs of boys, our aim at St Mary’s College is to provide an environment where the widelyheld social perceptions of men and boys can be challenged and students can embrace a healthier, more constructive definition of what it is to be male.
The curriculum at St Mary’s College is designed to engage the interests of boys and the teaching strategies are chosen in order to meet the needs of all learners. Our understanding of boys allows them to undertake risks at stages appropriate to their development and within a supportive, encouraging environment.
Strategies to maximise learning and engagement include:
• Curriculum design that connects with boys’ interest areas
• Careful design and scaffolding of assessment tasks
• Programs that enable the demonstration of care for others
• Classroom planning that emphasises dynamic learning (such as interactive or hands-on resources)
• Opportunities for reflection and self-analysis
• Consistency and fairness
Primary College
St Mary’s College primary school provides an outstanding opportunity for boys in Years 5 and 6 to immerse themselves in College life.
This is achieved through learning experiences that aim to foster the growth of each student to his full potential through the provision of a wide variety of opportunities that are exciting, engaging, meaningful and fun.
Our primary school is unique in its affiliation with the secondary on the same campus. This enables the primary students to enjoy many advantages that range from the instruction of specialist teachers in key learning areas of Japanese, Music, Digital Technology, Design Technology (Food Technology, Wood Technology), STEM, Visual Art and Drama, as well as the use of modern facilities such as sporting facilities, science laboratories and the College library.
Importantly, the primary boys enjoy the mentoring and role modelling of senior students who take a proactive role in student leadership. A vertical pastoral system means the boys have contact and support from students and teachers at all levels of the College. House groups meet weekly and mentor groups meet three times per week. This affiliation also affords a smooth transition into the secondary school in Year 7.
Middle College
The middle years (Years 7, 8 and 9) within the College are centred upon the key learning areas set out by QSA Essential Learnings and the Australian Curriculum.
Subjects are offered within the nine key learning areas of English, Mathematics, Science, History, Geography, Economics and Business, Civics and Citizenship, Languages other than English, Japanese, Physical Education, Design and Technology, Information and Communications Technology and Art.
In Year 7 and 8, students study a range of core, year-long subjects, as well as eight term-long elective ‘taster’ subjects. The aim of Years 7 and 8 is to provide foundational knowledge, skills and processes in a range of subjects and allow students to experience a variety of subjects.
Year 9 focuses on developing the foundational knowledge acquired in Year 8 and building upon this to prepare for the senior phase of schooling. In Year 9, the College offers a range of semesterised units. This unitised approach allows flexibility in subject choices for all boys, allowing greater continuity of teaching and learning, exploration of topics in depth, and subjects that meet the needs of students. Providing choice in subject selection ensures boys are both engaged in core units whilst accommodating the boys’ interests and future study and career pathway options.
Senior College
Senior school is a time of growth and development for young men. With a focus on achieving excellence and moral values, students are challenged to reach their full potential and become men for tomorrow.
Years 10, 11 and 12 students at St Mary’s College are able to choose between a Tertiary Entrance Pathway, a Non-Tertiary Entrance Pathway or a Vocational Education pathway (including TAFE/School Based Apprenticeships) or a combination of both.
Students can choose from General Subjects (used to calculate an ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank) or Applied Subjects and Certificate Courses.
All students achieve either the Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) or the Queensland Certificate of Individual Achievement at the conclusion of Year 12.
St Mary’s College offers an extensive range of subjects and quality teachers in each of the alternative pathways available.
By the conclusion of their Year 12 studies, students will have experienced units of study in depth, achieved results commensurate with their abilities, studied units of work relevant to their future aspirations and developed positive student-teacher relationships.
Mission & Identity
St Mary’s College is a Christ centred community that recognises human life is a spiritual journey in which all contribute to the enhancement of God’s kingdom on earth.
The College strives to be a community that provides support to all, to realise their potential so that each boy has the opportunity to live out our College motto – Conanti Corona (the one who strives wins the crown). We seek to provide the place where the messages of Blessed Edmund Rice and the Gospel are evident and lived.
The aim of the subjects Religious Education, Religion and Ethics, and Study of Religion at St Mary’s College is to develop student’s religious literacy in the light of the Catholic tradition, so that they may participate critically and effectively in the life of their faith communities and wider society. The range of student experience means a great variety of responses in class and in whole school activities.
The College community also participates in community service activities such as fundraising for Caritas, St Vincent De Paul, Rosie’s and others, forming lifelong partnerships, and demonstrating faith in action and service to others.
Student Engagement
To fully engage boys in life at St Mary’s College, the Student Engagement team pursues three key goals:
• The creation and maintenance of a SAFE environment for all. Boys who are safe are able to take risks in their learning, come to school with curious and open minds and thrive in their development.
• The fostering of a strong sense of BELONGING to the College, to their House and the wider Christian community. Boys who are connected, are grounded and steady in an ever-changing world. The House identities provide a vehicle for the development of pride, loyalty, achievement and teamwork.
• Provide and pursue opportunities to CHALLENGE boys in their growth. Growth is an essential component of a boy’s time at the College, and this does not happen in places of comfort, but in places of challenge. The College camp and retreat program, our expectations regarding behaviour and presentation as well as engagement in outreach and social justice initiatives are all vehicles for challenge.
Sport
Sport at St Mary’s College offers students the opportunity to engage in a wide variety of physical pursuits, both competitive and social. It allows the student to excel in his favourite activity and gain recognition that may otherwise escape him.
The sporting philosophy at St Mary’s College has always been to offer our students the largest range of opportunities; challenging those that enjoy competitive sport to excel and ensuring a range of social sports that encourage physical activity for remaining students.
Sport at St Mary’s College encourages involvement. The sporting program teaches students valuable life lessons, including grit, determination and resilience. The success of any sporting program is not measured by premierships, but by participation and the development of characteristics such as leadership, commitment, sportsmanship, loyalty and dedication.
St Mary’s College offers an array of sports on a Wednesday and Friday afternoon, including:
• AFL
• Basketball
• Cricket
• Football (Soccer)
• Softball
• Hockey
• Rugby League
• Rugby Union
• Mountain Biking
• Netball
• Touch
• Volleyball
The Arts
St Mary’s College has a long and proud history in performing arts. Our philosophy is to encourage disciplined work ethic the boys can be proud of, as well as encouraging involvement in a variety of performance experiences both in-school and out in the wider community.
With programs in drama, visual art, media and music, our students have the opportunity to explore their creativity, express themselves, and develop a lifelong appreciation for the arts. These programs help to cultivate the next generation of creative and culturally-aware young men.
The bi-annual musical performed in association with St Saviour’s College and St Ursula’s College is a highlight of our dynamic cultural program, as well as the annual Cultural Showcase.
Many ensembles make up the thriving music program, including:
• Showband (New Orleans Brass Band/Jazz Band)
• Concert Band (Secondary)
• Momentum (Junior Concert Band)
• Drumatic (Secondary Drumline)
• Junior Drumline
• Dunne’s Voices (Junior Choir)
• Vernados (Secondary Choir)
• Vibratones (Extension Vocal Ensemble)
Enrolments
ARE YOU INTERESTED IN ENROLLING YOUR SON AT ST MARY’S COLLEGE?
Thank you for your interest in enrolling your son at St Mary’s College. We recognise that choosing the next step in your son’s educational journey will be one of the most important decisions you and your son will make.
Parents interested in applying for a place for their son at St Mary’s College are encouraged to complete the online application form accessible on our website.
If families are wanting to find out more information about St Mary’s College, you are welcome to register for a Principal’s Tour or complete an Expression of Interest form on our website and our Enrolments Officer will contact you.
We look forward to welcoming you into the St Mary’s College community!
www.stmaryscollege.com 129 West Street, Toowoomba QLD 4350
