Dear Members of the St Mary’s College Family,
It is a great privilege to be the principal of St Mary’s College Toowoomba. What an amazing history and legacy has been left for all students, staff and families of the College. We certainly stand on the shoulders of the many giants who have graced these walls and hallways in the past.
In 1802, Edmund Rice founded the Christian Brothers. He started schools on the outskirts of Waterford, Ireland to teach and liberate children in the Catholic faith. The Edmund Rice Touchstones, which we live and breathe today, reflect his great spirit and charism. They remain quintessentially relevant; to live out the Gospels, to be liberated by education, to be people of justice and solidarity and to be an inclusive family. The dedicated Christian Brothers who commenced St Mary’s College in 1899, with the first Principal Br J.H. Hurley and concluded with the final Principal in 1996 Br Ted Walker, left a wonderful legacy. Their contribution in making St Mary’s College the esteemed place it is today will never be forgotten.
We have many and various Old Boys who, like our College Motto states, ‘have made a positive difference to the world’, some of whom have been positive in the simplest and most ordinary of ways to world renowned and esteemed contributions to Australian life. The recently published history book, ‘Conversations With Dan’, authored by Felicity McArdle, outlines some of these outstanding men including: Frank Forde – 15th Prime Minister of Australia; Sir Walter Campbell – judge of the Supreme Court
of Queensland and Governor General of Queensland; Vince Lester – the longest serving member of the 50th State Parliament of Queensland, and the many Old Boys who joined religious life and the priesthood, including Archbishop Virgil Copas. There are also many esteemed Old Boys who lost their lives in the armed services, famous doctors, lawyers and business people, sporting greats like Tom Gorman and Jonathan Thurston, local business people, not to mention the wonderful families and generous women who have been the backbone supporting the College over many years.
And so, in this latest version of the Conanti Corona, is a continuation of the magnificent St Mary’s College story. In this edition, we celebrate many of the outstanding achievements and undertakings of our talented boys and their dedicated and professional staff and families. The young St Mary’s College men continue to be proud to wear the blue and white uniform each day and chant together the timeless College war cry, which reminds us to continue to strive for the crown. We very much look forward to a new upcoming chapter striving to achieve the strategic plan for the future and to welcome to the College a new Principal. St Mary’s College is excited to move into a new and exciting educational paradigm knowing that it has a wonderful, supportive and inspirational heritage to propel the College into the future.
Mr Michael Newman College Principal
Twenty excited young men have taken the opportunity to represent St Mary’s College in leadership roles this year.
St Mary’s College is extremely proud of the fine young men who have taken the leadership positions in their stride and accepted the responsibility of ensuring that the spirit and direction of the College is maintained and strengthened throughout 2020.
The primary and secondary leaders are highly involved in the school community that is supporting them to grow into young men of faith, integrity, action and excellence.
Each of the boys have great values, conduct themselves to a very high standard and embrace the school motto ‘Conanti Corona’ every day, which means strive for the crown.
The student leadership team is expected to be a voice for the other students in the College, which is an important concept in education. The leaders empower students and enable them in collaboration, to achieve what they desire.
Forming part of the Student Representative Council, the leadership team also provide staff feedback in relation to teaching practices and communication methods.
College Captain, Alastair Doljanin has attended St Mary’s College since Grade Six and has admired the leaders before him.
“As College Captain, I aim to be a role model and a friend to the other students attending St Mary’s College,” Mr Doljanin said.
“I strive to connect with my peers, listen to them and present their concerns and ideas to the Executive Leadership team in an effort to work collaboratively with them to achieve positive outcomes,” he said.
Primary Leader, Aloysious Va’a said he enjoys making positive friendships with the boys at St Mary’s College and supporting the staff.
Primary Academic Leader, Charlie Bowen said being a leader at St Mary’s College means being part of an excellent school and knowing there is always someone to look out for you.
There are six primary leaders and fourteen secondary leaders who each lead a portfolio within the College – academic, social, identity, cultural and sport. The student leadership team is looking forward to a prosperous year ahead.
College Captain Alastair Doljanin
College Vice-Captain Dhairy Shah
Academic Leader Dhyey Shah
Identity Captain Thomas Farry
Sport Leader Jordan Brown
Cultural Leader Tikiri Lamb
Bowdler Captain Tyson Stevens
McGoldrick Captain James Sullivan
Purcell Captain James Boyce
Waterford Captain Bailey Duncan
Prefect Lachlan Whitaker
Prefect Darcy Graham
Prefect Benjamin Fox
Prefect Craig Danckwerts
Primary Leader Rylan Borger
Primary Leader Aloysious Va’a
Academic Leader Charlie Brown
Cultural Leader Tui Rei
Identity Leader Max Murphy
Sport Leader Flynn Anderson
On Thursday, 30th January St Mary’s College staff and special guests celebrated the commencement of construction of the school’s new auditorium with a sod turning.
The significant capital investment is an important component of the College Master Plan, enabling the school to meet the student growth needs of the new senior ATAR system, and continue to provide modern and sophisticated facilities for all students.
With growing enrolments, this new facility plans to keep up with demand, as well as provide scope for the College as it grows into the future.
The auditorium main area will cater for full College assemblies, provide state-of-the-art lecture rooms for educational purposes and learning demonstrations, host an archives display, have tiered seating and a kitchen.
Beneath the main area, there will be modern change rooms and a weights room, which will lead out onto the oval and the Clive Berghofer Arena.
Stage two of the project will see an arts precinct adjoining and complementing the auditorium, forming facilities for art, drama and music.
We would like to extend a warm welcome to our newly appointed Deputy Principal, Mr Stephen Monk.
Stephen comes to St Mary’s College with an impressive CV and past experiences as a leader and educator at Townsville Grammar School and St Jospeh’s College Nudgee.
We are both excited and delighted to be introducing Stephen to the St Mary’s College family.
Please join us in welcoming Stephen and his wife, Sarah and two boys, Heath and Sam to the Diocese of Toowoomba and St Mary’s College.
The 2019 Year 12 graduates of St Mary’s College should be extremely proud of their fantastic achievements. St Mary’s was proud to learn it gained another OP1 student, Edward Witherspoon. All senior students are to be commended for their exceptional effort, with 100% of students achieving a Queensland Certificate of Education, 53% of students achieving an OP between 1 and 10, 86% of students achieving an OP between 1 and 15, 23% of students graduating with a school-based apprenticeship and 100% students receiving their university preference.
86% of students achieving an OP between 1 and 15.
100% of students achieving a Queensland Certificate of Education.
St Mary’s College students performed highly in the 2019 NAPLAN test. To ensure continued success, St Mary’s College has introduced a writing program called ‘Write that Essay’ (WTE). This program is designed to provide students with a toolbox of possible stylistic choices to employ when writing in any genre. Founded in 2011, WTE has had success in hundreds of schools across Australia and New Zealand. Utilising skills necessary for academic success in university, WTE backwards-maps the development of these skills, and provides a scope and sequence from Grade 1 to Grade 12 that targets fundamental skills at specific times.
Through the implementation of a school-wide program, students benefit from a universal approach. The skills they learn in one classroom are transferred into the next classroom, ensuring that skill and technique is developed and reinforced consistently. Founder, Dr Ian Hunter built WTE on two fundamental beliefs: that every student can be taught to write well - and grasp the life possibilities they deserve. Undoubtedly, WTE is a perfect fit for St Mary’s College; its simplicity, in conjunction with researched methods, provides a structure for successful writing.
Director of Senior Pathways, Mrs Eleighta Hannam recently gained a Lead Teacher certification.
Eleighta was announced one of the first teachers in Queensland Catholic schools to achieve this certification, and two of only seven in Catholic schools nationally.
The Lead Teacher certification is recognised nationally and teachers gaining this status have been independently assessed as having the highest levels of expertise and capability as classroom practitioners, and educational leaders in their fields.
To achieve a Lead Teacher status, Eleighta had to partake in a most rigorous application and demonstration type process over the course of the last twelve months with the Queensland College of Teachers. Well done, Eleighta - another example of the outstanding and professional quality of teachers available to instruct your son at St Mary’s College.
St Mary’s College have been named the STEM State Champions after winning Griffith University’s first ever STEM Cup Super-Final in November last year.
Congratulations to the students who worked incredibly hard to take out the prize after heated rounds of competition between 200 teams from 71 South-East Queensland schools.
Griffith Sciences’ STEM Cup was a long-running competition for school students in Years 5 to 8, where they competed in weekly challenges each term to solve science, technology, engineering and mathematics problems.
The top three teams from each age division in the regional grand-finals held in Terms 2 and 3 of 2019, competed in the STEM Cup Super-Final at Griffith’s Nathan Campus, where the State Minister for Environment the Hon. Leanne Enoch MP presented the awards to the winners.
Prior to the awards presentation, the grand final teams competed in STEM challenges, including designing an automated farm gate and drone rock collecting.
The St Mary’s College team ‘Joergen Smoergen’ performed exceptionally well, taking out first place and beating the St Joseph’s College Gregory Terrace team by more than 200 points.
STEM is about engaging kids’ passion for science, technology, engineering and mathematics by utilising scenarios, taking what they learn at school and putting it into real-life scenarios.
The competition encourages the boys to further develop their collaboration, teamwork, higher order thinking and problem-solving skills by exploring challenges for themselves and finding creative ways to identify and solve problems.
St Mary’s College looks forward to another successful year for the students in the field of STEM.
What role did your teachers and other staff play in your achievement?
The teachers at St Mary’s College played a massive role in my achievement. Throughout my time at the College, my teachers were incredibly helpful and supportive. They knew what I wanted to achieve, and pushed me to work as hard as I possibly could, and for that I am so grateful.
Where did you draw motivation from, going into your final year of study?
My goal through school was to always do the best I could and make the most of the opportunities at hand. I knew I had the potential to get an OP 1 if I wanted to work hard enough.
What does the future hold for you?
I completed work experience in Year 10 at a hospital. From that point I decided I wanted to study medicine and become a doctor. I’m now in my first semester of medicine at UQ in Brisbane. So, the next 7 years will be spent completing this degree.
What advice would you pass onto a young St Mary’s College boy?
Reflecting on my time at the College, there are three main messages that I have for boys who wish to do the best they possibly can. Whether completing an SBA, getting an OP1, being part of the concert band or making the open side for their chosen sport; always seek help if you need it, set your own goals and be aware that often a level of sacrifice is required.
What does the College motto ‘Conanti Corona – Strive for the Crown’ mean to you?
I live by the motto ‘Conanti Corona - Stive for the Crown’. It’s in my nature to be competitive, especially in my pursuit of academic success.
What is your fondest memory at St Mary’s College?
Looking back, I remember the people - teachers, staff and friends. Everyone is so welcoming. I encourage students to take advantage of the opportunities they have and enjoy every single minute!
This year the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) has replaced the former Overall Position (OP) measure of student achievement in Year 12.
Until 2020, ATAR has been in use for tertiary entry in all Australian States and Terriorties, with the exception of Queensland.
The former OP score used in Queensland, was a number from 1 to 25, with the highest score being a 1. The new ATAR statistic is a percentile rank. It is expressed on a 2,000 point scale from 99.95 (the highest rank)
down to 0.00 in periods of 0.05. An ATAR of 80.00 and above indicates a student was placed in the top 20% of Year 12 students in Queensland.
ATAR is calculated based on an aggregate of scaled results from a student’s five best ATAR eligible subjects.
The assessment in most Year 12 subjects includes an external examination not used in Queensland since the early 1970s. The examination will be worth 25% in most subjects, and 50% in Mathematics and Sciences.
Congratulations to all boys who were awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze certificates at the Academic Awards Ceremony in the Clive Bergohfer Stadium. Their academic efforts and the example they demonstrate to other students is admired. In particular, we congratulate the Gold Award recipients listed below.
Well done, gentlemen - keep up the great efforts with your studies!
Primary Students: Tui Rei, Aloysius Va’a, Noah Burke and James MacAvoy.
Secondary Students: Jared Fry, Nathan Ottobrino, Ethan Payne, Sebastian Seeto, Harry Skobe, Elliot Thomas, Demetrius Christodoulou, Ryan Coleman, Alexander Eddie, Alex Fischer, Jacob Lasserre, Daryll Quijas, Dominic Rice, Bailey Fry, Zayne Gauhar, Jaisal Narsey, Brock Smith, Noah Smith, Joshua Somerfield, Kobey Timms, Khai Van Heerden, Jacob Madden, Alexanda Myers, Connor Nicholls, Declan Perry, Kyle Regan, Ryan Regan and Dhairy Shah.
St Mary’s College took out first, second and third place at the 2019 Mayor’s Telstra Innovation Awards (formerly Mayor’s Telstra Technology Awards).
The winning team, Sole Solution presented an innovative idea of interchangeable sports shoe soles to reduce landfill.
The annual competition saw six schools from across the region generating ideas and developing them through to the final pitch and presentation. The schools generated concepts that ranged from an app promoting Indigenous culture and tourism, to edgy custom 3D-printed prosthetic limbs.
The Mayor’s Telstra Innovation Awards builds on our Toowoomba ambitions for the future and encourages students in the region to start thinking today about the possibilities of tomorrow.
By participating in this program, students from around the region have gained valuable experience in bringing an idea to life from concept to product and have connected with professional networks from the local business community.
A massive congratulations to the boys and teachers involved!
Term 1 of 2020 finished unexpectedly for St Mary’s College staff and students due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Upon taking advice from Queensland Health and the Department of Education, St Mary’s College teachers quickly adapted their lesson delivery method to online.
Online learning was trialled in the last week of Term 1, and it was great to see the teachers and students embracing this new way of life.
Virutal classes continued into Term 2, with the College only open for children of essential workers.
In a challenging and unsettling time for all, the remarkable staff at St Mary’s showed they are truly here for the boys at the College.
Thank you to everyone in the St Mary’s College community for your cooperation and support.
This is a time that will sure go down in history!
Late last year, St Mary’s College held its inaugural Literacy Award evening. The award night celebrated the writings of our literacy extension group, who meet after school each Wednesday afternoon.
During this time, the boys have written a student magazine of stories, poetry and journalistic articles, with photos and have entered many literature competitions.
The boys displayed many of their literacy pieces and celebrated these achievements with family, teachers and friends, over a drink and some nibbles.
The night concluded with the major awards, as chosen by invited guest and local published author, Rory H Mather.
Thank you Mr Mitch Keogh and Ms Sarah Palmer for organising this fantastic event for the boys. Congratulations gentlemen!
St Mary’s College leaders attended the Caritas Project Compassion launch at St Patrick’s Cathedral in February.
Students at St Mary’s College raised in excess of $2,000 for Caritas Project Compassion, through donations, a free dress day and an Easter raffle.
Project Compassion works to help end poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity.
Earlier in the year students participated in the Caritas ‘Just Leadership’ Day. Our boys undertook leadership training through developing skills of undertstanding, compassion, justice and service in a Catholic environment.
Staff and students also observed Ash Wednesday, which provided the College the opportunity to commence Lent. These litugues are most meaningful and symbolic occasion to commence our season of Lent.
Students, staff and family members participated in the St Mary’s College Opening Mass in Term 1 at the Clive Berghofer Stadium; an opportunity to ask God’s blessing on the 2020 academic year.
We were blessed to have Father Ray Crowley to lead our Opening Mass, and after the Primary and Secondary Leaders were introduced.
This was followed by our Academic Award Ceremony; acknowledging students who received Gold (6 As and no less than a B), Silver (5 As and no less than a B) and Bronze (3 As and no less than a B) awards.
Rosies - Friends On The Street reaches out to those most in need. These are people who are abandoned, marginalised and socially isolated within our communities.
St Mary’s College students and teachers regularly join the Rosies volunteers on a Friday evening.
They help prepare and distribute food, tea and coffee, as well as interact and share friendship with the patrons in Toowoomba.
At St Mary’s College, Cross Campus Chaplaincy looks to develop opportunities for the boys to nurture their faith and spirituality through our Catholic tradition and the lens of the Edmund Rice charism and cultural inclusivity.
Chaplaincy in Term 1 sought to respond to the work of the United Nations Children’s Fund in 2020. It was tremendous to witness each year level cohort engage readily with the work of UNICEF lead ably by our Youth Ministry teams earlier in the term and I particularly wish to thank the many academic teaching staff who enabled a space for this take place in their classrooms.
The pandemic has concertinaed our world and in this respect, we have sought to think laterally about how we can continue to provide service learning opportunities for our boys. This has involved the digital delivery of liturgy and prayer and online advocacy of students within our own College family who are most vulnerable.
Additionally, our Praxis boys continue to engage in the Living Water Program and we have been able to shift their physical workshops to online teams.
I would like to also acknowledge our partnerships with Rosie’s, Vinnies Youth, Toowoomba Hospice, CUA Community Hub, Smith Family Reading Program, Mana House, and local parishes. All who have readily engaged in projects and cemented their commitment to providing opportunities for our boys when the pandemic ceases.
My sincere thanks to the many parents who have supported their son in their desire to ‘strive for the crown’, not only for themselves but for others in this changing world.
I want to conclude by acknowledging this is an incredibly difficult time for school students, staff, parents, the wider community, and the world. We are all thinking of our fellow colleagues, those
Our Year 12 Praxis students recently spent three hours together to reflect on their understandings of ‘servant leadership’.
The boys opened with prayer and a reflection on the Gospels and unpacking who God is to them?
The boys then heard from a guest speaker, Ms Poulami Seal from Multicultural Australia who helped our boys empathise with people who are displaced or marginalised around the world.
The student’s final task was to present on their service learning experiences, and comment on how these link with academic models of service
as part of the Living Water Praxis Twilight requirements.
Thanks to Mr Murphy and Mr Baines for leading the students through this process.
who work in healthcare, and who own their own business. We are empathetic for those who have lost their jobs and are feeling affected financially. We feel for those who have health issues, who are anxious about their own well-being. We are thinking of those who have vulnerable family members. We are thinking of you all, however this is affecting you. It’s important to remember, we are all in this together!
In Term Two Cross Campus Chaplaincy will have an online presence through the College’s Canvas system, so that pastoral support is still a constant in this everchanging world. As caring people in our school, we do what we can for others. It’s important we instil hope over fear for our young people.
Take care, Ryan Baines (Cross
Campus Chaplain)We sat down with the Director of Sport, Scott Cowan to ask what kind of sporting options students have at St Mary’s College?
Students at St Mary’s College have numerous sporting opportunities. These range from elite state and national competitions, to local interschool competitions and social sport options. St Mary’s College students currently participate in sporting competitions for the following sports:
• Cricket
• Soccer
• Basketball
• Futsal
• Touch
• Rugby League
• Rugby 7s
• Hockey
• Softball
• Mountain Biking
• AFL
• Oztag
• Athletics
• Cross Country
• Swimming
We value sport and try to cater for all students sporting interest and ability levels.
If a student is interested in a certain sport that isn’t currently offered at St Mary’s College, what happens?
The school sport system across the region provides a vast array of sporting options. If a student expresses an interest in a sport, we endeavour to support them as much as we can through the regional trial process. In some cases, we look to upskill staff to provide new sporting options for the boys if there is sufficient interest.
Do students have the option to take their sporting talents to state and national levels?
Definitely! From school representation, students are provided with the opportunity to trial for their sport at a representative level for Zone, Toowoomba, Darling Downs, Queensland and Australia.
St Mary’s College are pleased to offer weekly alternative sport options to all students.
Year 5 to 6 students participate in weekly sport sessions on a Friday and Year 7 to 12 students participate on a Wednesday. Along with competing against other local schools in a variety of team sports, students can choose other alternative sport options to suit all interests and skill levels.
The following activities are some of the options available to students:
• Archery & badminton
• Chess & board games
• Gymnastics & trampolining
• Lawn bowls
• Putt putt
• Rifle shooting
• Lazer tag & bowling
• Squash
The outbreak of COVID-19 has greatly impacted the way we deliver physical education at St Mary’s College. Determined to still deliver engaging sessions, Head of Sport, Mr Scott Cowan has been recording boot camp classes and fitness challenges, and loading them onto Canvas, St Mary’s College learning management system for the boys to access.
Now more than ever, it is important children are taking regular breaks from screens of digital devices and participating in physical education. Exercise helps to de-stress us, focus and learn by getting our blood pumping around our body and brain. These sessions have been really well-received and have kept the students engaged in physcial education while learning at home.
St Mary’s College has been successful in its bid to host the 2023 Confraternity Rugby League Shield.
This will mean some 58 Rugby League teams, families and supporters will arrive in Toowoomba to partake in this carnival and boost the Toowoomba and district economy in 2023.
We thank the Toowoomba Mayor, Toowoomba Regional Council, The Toowoomba Catholic Schools Office and local politicians for their support. We look forward to the countdown to the 2023 Confraternity Shield.
The Friday Night Basketball season in 2020 was like no other! For the first time, the College was able to enter two Year 7/8 teams in the competition.
Congratulations to Mr Weise and the Year 7/8 B team on their sportsmanship and effort throughout the term.
The three A teams were successful in making it to the Semi Finals, with our Year 7/8 A and Year 9/10 teams finishing undefeated in their pool.
The Year 11/12 team definitely had something to prove this year, with four wins and only one defeat earlier in the competition.
The final pool game was a show stopper for the Year 11/12 boys, winning by 72 points. Captain, Ben Toohey lead the charge, scoring 51 points.
The competition has been put on hold until further notice due to COVID-19. Although the remainder of the year is uncertain, the future of St Mary’s College basketball is looking bright!
Well done to all the boys who participated in the Term 1 Swimming Carnival. Congratulations to the Age Champions and Lachlan Parker in Year 6 who broke four College swimming records. What an incredible achievement! An outstanding effort from Purcell House claimed victory on the day.
In 2019, St Mary’s College saw representation of students at Darling Downs, State and even National level sporting events. More than 60 students represented the College at a Darling Downs level, ten students represented Queensland in a range of sports, and one even earnt the highest of honours in being named to represent Australia.
Queensland Representatives (pictured) back row: Cooper Taite-Roche (Rugby League), Jack Moore (Hockey), Luke Levitt (Softball) and Lincoln Walk (Softball).
Front row: Lachlan Parker (Swimming), Charlie Dettori (Rugby League), Riley William (Athletics) and Braithen Scott (Aquathon, Rugby League & Touch).
Absent: Nicholas Murphy (Soccer & Softball), Charlie McMahon (Touch), Lachlan McGrath (Touch), Seth Hardaker (Umpire Softball) and Ryan Johnson (Rugby League).
Australian Representative (pictured): Luke Levitt (Softball)
St Mary’s College was once again excited to take part in Toowoomba’s annual Carnival of the Flowers Parade. The College Marching Band entertained the crowds with a variety of memorised pieces and represented the College with pride.
The Marching Band includes students of all ages with instrumentalists, percussionists, and colourguard (flag bearers). Brother Bear was in attendance to lead the boys, which in the summer weather was no small task! To tie in with the theme of ‘looking back’, the image montage banner carried by the leaders celebrated the College’s long history in the community. Led by Mrs Jessica Burke, the Marching Band had a productive season, performing at the Toowoomba Show for the Governor-General of Australia, as part of the ANZAC parade in Brisbane, and at the Ekka 2019.
Congratulations to the students selected to perform in the upcoming Jesus Christ Superstar the Musical.
Although the musical has been postponed due to the current health climate, the show will go on! We will be releasing further information and updates in the coming months.
The Jazz Combo were invited by Dr Pat Coughlan to be the featured ensemble at their annual CEO Toowoomba Leadership Forum and Dinner late last year. This event was a great opportunity for the boys to demonstrate their professionalism and musical maturity, running the performance themselves. They received warm thanks and praise for their efforts. They will be working under the tutelage of Mr Goodman, our resident woodwind and piano tutor; a highly respected local jazz musician. They have also been invited to perform as a support act at the local Toowoomba Jazz Club this year, so we look forward to their exciting future exploits.
The Show Bband has had a busy time out and about. They have been refining their new ‘street music’ repertoire and demonstrated their mobility by appearing at several events with memorised pieces ready to go. After performing at the charity event ‘Legends at their Game’ with Johnathon Thurston and Cameron Smith in August, they were invited to perform as part of Grand Central’s Carnival of Flowers entertainment program at the base of the grand staircase. They also supported Holy Name in their Art Show event on the same day that they entertained the Old Boys of the College at the 120 Year celebrations. We look forward to having them perform at more events to show the community what they can do.
We understand there are many families in the world right now doing it tough due to the current health and economic climate. St Mary’s College would like to give back to families within the Toowoomba Catholic Schools community who are experiencing difficulty.
The St Mary’s College Tuckshop staff have been busy cooking a range of delicious dishes to provide families with healthy, convenient and costeffective meal options at this time. Vegan, vegetarian and gluten friendly meals are available.
We will also be running a ‘pay it forward program’, giving you the ability to purchase meals for families within our community that are experiencing financial difficulty.
If you would like to participate, please place your order online and leave a note at checkout saying ‘this is a pay it forward meal’. St Mary’s College staff will distribute the meals to families on your behalf. If you know of someone in need of a free meal, please email Marketing Officer, Tyhla Larkin at larkint@stmaryscollege.com.
Visit to www.smcmeals.com to place an order.
All new families to St Mary’s College were invited to attend a liturgy at the College in February.
This was an opportunity for us to formally welcome new families into the St Mary’s College community and to offer assistance and answer any questions that may have arisen during their first few weeks at the College.
At the conclusion of the liturgy, families were invited to stay to enjoy a delicious meal together and to socialise with staff, students and other new families.
We look forward to the year ahead!
St Mary’s College jointly hosted the UNICEF Young Ambassador with St Saviour’s College and Good Samaritan College with help from the CUA Community Hub and St Mary’s College Parents and Friends Association in February.
The youth event was a wonderful occasion where students and families from across the three colleges gathered to learn more about the important work of the global organisation UNICEF.
It accompanies two solid days of student workshops, where the Young Ambassador helped to teach about the important role ‘advocacy’ plays in this climate of change.
This visit will be followed up by future student engagement with the United Nations throughout 2020. A special thanks goes to Mr Ryan Baines, Cross Campus Chaplain for organising the event.
It was wonderful to see the boys engage with the elderly residents at OzCare.
Year 11 Religion and Ethics students recently visited the elderly residents at OzCare Aged Care Facility in Glenvale.
The boys enjoyed sharing stories with the residents and taking a more pastoral approach to their academic studies.
After an hour or so of positive conversation there remains an invitation for St Mary’s College boys to volunteer their time at OzCare when the current health climate improves.
Students were able to celebrate the memories and experiences gained during their schooling years, and
St Mary’s College students and staff recently collected non-perishable items to deliver to those who are most vulnerable in our broader community during the Coronavirus pandemic!
A heartfelt thanks goes to the many students, staff and St Mary’s College families who generously donated to our initiative.
The boys were elated with the many items that poured in to the Hall from various Mentor classes – men of action!
Principal, Mr Michael Newman and Identity Captain, Thomas Farry stood in silence, while social distancing, at dawn on Saturday 25th April to commemorate Anzac Day.
Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 we were unable to hold our Anzac Day ceremony. Instead, we decided to not forget Anzac Day 2020 and put together a display on the St Mary’s College Brothers’ House for all to see.
Mr Newman and Thomas Farry were joined by Eddie Kemp, a grandfather of two students at the College. He wore his band uniform and proudly played the Last Post at 6.00am.
We would like to thank the St Mary’s College staff and students who helped to put together the display.
I am so honoured to take on the role of School Captain in 2020. It has been a goal of mine since Grade 6. I’ve always looked up to the captains in awe and they’ve filled me with inspiration. To be representing the College at this level fills me with great pride and I’m reminded of this when I put the badge on my tie every morning. St Mary’s College has done a lot for me and I am very grateful that I now have the opportunity to give back where I can.
So far 2020 has been no ordinary year, that’s for sure and the rest of it is certainly uncertain! I believe that perspective is a major part of how people let things affect them. Although, many may see this as a barrier, the leadership team have really come together and decided to view it as an opportunity to find new ways to keep in contact and attempt to maintain the St Mary’s spirit. On supporting the St Mary’s community where we can, we’re looking into putting a team together to support the greater community for things like the ‘Hike for the Homeless’ and a sleepout on the other side of this virus. Although, we have already set some goals as a leadership team, we
are constantly coming up with new initiatives we would like to try and do better to make the St Mary’s community stronger!
At the time of writing this, I’m still deciding between a gap year or straight to university. If I were to choose a gap year, I would try to look for some work and get some money behind me, while really putting some thought into what I want to do. If I were to go to university next year, I would like to study Architecture in Brisbane. Either way, I am looking forward to wherever life takes me, as I’m very much a go with the flow type of person.
Honestly, the piece of advice that has helped me out the most throughout my time at St Mary’s is ‘the more you put in, the more you get out’. My time at school has been amazing, because I’ve put in so much, and it has returned to me tenfold. The opportunities presented to the boys are abundant and I would strongly encourage every boy to take up the opportunities they’re interested in and really give it some effort!
I feel a great sense of pride to be the College Vice Captain. I never imagined that I would be given such a significant responsibility within the College community when I arrived here as a quiet and anxious twelve-year-old. However, it is the brotherhood we have at this College that sets us apart from others, and I believe that this sense of community has enabled me to grow and develop throughout my time at the school. Being part of a brotherhood means that all feel welcome and supported, and it is the responsibility of the senior students to foster this throughout the school. That’s why I feel so grateful for this role, because it has given me the responsibility of nurturing and supporting others in our community, just as I have been encouraged by those before me.
Alastair and I, together with the leadership team, are excited about the opportunities we have as a school. Although this year has been full of surprises, I remind you that while school may be closed, the St Mary’s spirit can never be ‘closed’. One of our goals at the start of the year, and one that remains to this day is to make sure everyone within the College feels welcome. We are a school of diverse individuals and it’s a question of
unlocking the potential we all have to offer. Another goal we have is to ensure that St Mary’s boys stay connected with their faith and the College community through this difficult time. To achieve this, the leadership team has started the ‘SMC Online Community’ and we encourage boys to participate in this as much as possible.
It is a bit daunting thinking about life past school, but in 2021 I will be at university. At this stage I hope to study medicine, a course that would take me at least seven years to complete.
My advice to all boys would be to keep persevering and striving for the crown in whatever it is that you do. Don’t let hardship hold you back from your goals. Remember that ‘tough times don’t last, tough people do’. Be active within the school community. Don’t be afraid to talk to one of the teachers or any of your St Mary’s brothers; they are always there to help. It is vital in such critical times that we stay connected with each other and with our God. Together, as a community, let’s move forward through our challenges and make 2020 a year to remember.
COVID-19 continues to cause disruption to the Old Boy’s social gatherings with the one scheduled for March 20 cancelled and it would appear our usual June gathering will also not be going ahead. We are looking to pull together a May newsletter, but again with little opportunity to socialise there are not a lot of newsworthy articles.
Depending on what relaxation of any of the social distancing laws the government may announce with respect to numbers being allowed to meet, the Buderim meeting scheduled for Friday 3rd July may be our first opportunity for a social gathering of Old Boys.
Please remember in your prayers Old Boys and friends of the College recently deceased:
• Roland Griffin, (86 yrs) died 7/2/2020, husband of Margaret, father and father-in-law of Clive and Gabrielle Griffin, Helen Pickels, Janet Burton (dec’d), Alexander and Shonna Napier, Fiona and Anthony Graham.
• Eric Howe, (82 yrs) died 9/2/2020, husband of Violet, father and father-in-law of Paul (dec’d) and Karan, Maree and Tony. Brother of Keith, Molly (dec’d), Johnny (dec’d), Darcy (dec’d), Colin (dec’d), Tom (dec’d).
• Lyle Dornbusch, husband of Shirley (dec’d)
and brother of John and Graeme.
• Rosemary Carter (nee Rowe), (74 yrs) died 8/3/2020, wife of Brian Carter, mother of Julie, Adrian (dec’d) and Austin.
• Clifford Pobar, (91 yrs) died 20/3/2020, husband of Dawn, father and father-in-law of Charmaine and Bert and Kent and Jenny.
• Sister Regis Mary Dunne, (93 yrs) died 20/4/2020, sister of Brian Dunne and sisterin-law of Patricia Roney.
Take care,
Byran McSweeney & Dan McErlean
Please email PR & Foundation Officer, Tyhla Larkin at larkint@stmaryscollege.com to find out more about St Mary’s College reunions.
Old Boys’ Sunshine Coast Luncheon
12.00pm, Headland Golf Club Buderim
Please contact Terry Murphy on 5456 4340 or Redmond Byrne 5477 6705 to assist with catering arrangements.
If you are wanting any help or advice on reunions, or to book a tour of the College, contact Public Relations and Foundation Officer, Tyhla Larkin at larkint@stmaryscollege.com or on 4631 7333
The development of the St Mary’s College Auditorium on Hill Street is fast progressing.
The new Auditorium will feature an archives display in the foyer.
This display is set to highlight the extraordinary lives of past St Mary’s College students, as well as the extensive history of the College.
We are currently seeking donations of St Mary’s College artefacts and memorabilia.
Additionally, we would also like to hear stories from Old Boys about their time at the College.
Visit www.stmaryscollege.com/community/oldboys/ to submit photographs and stories. Alternatively, please contact Public Relations & Foundation Officer, Tyhla Larkin on 07 4631 7333.
In 2019, St Mary’s College celebrated 120 years, but uniquely, the spirit remains just as strong among today’s 900 or so students, as it did for the early attendees. Every one of the many thousands of “Old Boys” of St Mary’s has a plethora of stories from their days at the West Street College and now a list of them have been compiled in a book titled “Good Old Boys: Conversations with Dan”.
To celebrate the momentus occasion, Old Boys were invited to spend an evening at the College in October 2019. The chefs in the tuckshop prepared a three course meal, and Old Boy, James O’Shea (1999) conducted an interview with winning Premiership (NRL) and World Cup Challenge, Queensland and South Sydney Rabbitohs Player, Ethan Lowe (2008).
It was a lovely evening, full of good company, laughs and a trip down memory lane!
St Mary’s College Old Boys (L-R) Ethan Lowe & James O’Shea.
Mick Fitzpatrick pleased to find his name on the honour boards.
The Honourable Vince Lester OAM was in attendance.
Dan McErlean & Felicty McArdle spoke about the new book “The Good Old Boys: Conversations with Dan”. Ethan Lowe & St Mary’s College Principal, Michael Newman.
