5 201 Listening Hearts - St Mary's College€¦ · To All Our 2014 Year 12 Graduates On Their...

Listening Hearts

2015

St Mary’s College, Broome

See page 3 for explanations of crests

1 L i s t e n i n g H e a r t s S T M A R Y ’ S C O L L E G E

Contents: Principal’s Report Barganna Season

Welcome to the Barrgana edition of St Mary College as we mark the mid-year of another positive time in nurturing student

leadership, working with parents to help shape the students’ future and being sensitive to individual needs by emphasising ‘listening hearts’. Traditionally, the awareness of seasonal change was essential to a healthy life and good community living, and Barrgana signalled the cooler changes and healthy salmon runs along the coast. The environment was managed and used but not despoiled. This message is still relevant to us and considered by Pope Francis in his forthcoming letter or encyclical. It is expected that this document will be known as “Laudato Sii” as taken from St. Francis of Assisi’s Canticle of the Sun. This is a hymn of praise thanking God for such creations as “Brother Fire” and “Sister Water.”

Praise, care and respect of our country and for our neighbour flows too from ‘listening hearts’.

Pride in our heritage is shown on our school ‘brow’ of Barbier, Rice, O’Brien and Ward, and captured so elegantly in the newly designed House flags featured on the cover. A strong knowledge and appreciation of our rich multicultural past that recognises mistakes as well as appreciating the generosity that saw St Mary’s College commence in 1908, also helps us prepare our students to meet the twenty first century. This is done within a well-resourced campus as provided by the Bishop. Funding from the state and federal governments is distributed through the Catholic Education Commission and enables the College to offer an excellent

Listening Hearts

Yearly publication

St Mary’s College Broome

3 Port Drive,

PO Box 100, Broome, WA, 6725

Community Relations Office

Phone: 08 9194 9508

Principals Report Barganna Season 1

House Crests 3

Sacraments 4

Farewell Sr Delores 4

College Feast Day 5

Tribute to Sister Cynthia 6

Primary Library News 7

Year 3B Mid Year News 8

Ex Students (Head Girls) 9

Food and Textiles Technology and 10 Hospitality Semester 1

Outdoor Ed and Sports News 11

Mentoring Programs 13

WALARBA BUGARRI 14

Community Highlights Semester 1 15

Community Highlights Semester 1 17

The Senior School Ball 18

Our Talented Artists 19

Year 7 Camp 20

Primary Learning Journey 21

The Kimberley Cup 21

National Brain Bee Competition 22

Kindy Kids Entertain Their Mums to 22

Celebrate Mother’s Day

NAIDOC Celebrations 23

Cultural Exchange to Japan 24

Year 12 Retreat: February 2015 24

Staff News 25

Meet Our Teachers 26

L i s t e n i n g H e a r t s S T M A R Y ’ S C O L L E G E 2

alternative to Kimberley families as far as a choice of education is concerned. Our students are eligible to enter the Broome Residential College, and find that it is a ‘home away from home’. At a local level the support of Shire of Broome and other organisations is appreciated by our dedicated Board and Parents and Friends.

The College traditions of Learning, Faith, Service and Community are passed on within secure surroundings. The core business of the College is its role as a Catholic school where the religious education programmes, opportunities for reflection, service and personal growth, are valued. It is supported in this by the parish and outreach groups. Pastoral care and smaller classes, specialist learning programmes and partnerships with significant outside organisations such as the Clontarf Foundation/West Kimberley Clontarf Academy and the Deadly Sista Girlz program

from the Wirrpanda Foundation, ensure positive learning with expert staff who have chosen to teach at St Mary’s. Students have access to national and international student exchange in addition to interaction with schools across the catholic school sector and Perth cultural institutions.

I am very appreciative of the unique value of St Mary’s College which I have visited in its various incarnations over the past thirty years, and congratulate the staff, students, parents and parish community on their attitude and achievement.

Clement Mulcahy

June 2015

Congratulations To All Our 2014 Year 12 Graduates On Their Outstanding Results.

St Mary's College - Median ATAR 95.40 - (WA Median ATAR 79.00) College Dux - Abbey Ford - ATAR 99.55 - Awarded a General Exhibition and a Certificate of Distinction for English, Human Biology

and Dance (Top 0.5% in WA) Ranked number 2 from all WA Country students.

Westscheme Award for Excellence in Vocational Education - Astuti Mawo-Adung

Top WA student in Year 12 Modern History (S.I.D.E.) – Simon Hill

Four St Mary’s College Year 12’s ranked in Top 10% of WA.

Congratulations Ikesha King 93.60, Simon Hill 97.15, Rajiv Latchman 97.80 and Abbey Ford 99.55.

Congratulations on the achievements of graduating students Chelsea Siebert, Ashlee Morgan, Emily Heil ,Ellen Mahoney,

Sach McLeod, Djalga Crawford and David Shea


St Mary’s College crests were designed by four of our students and they will become a part of the history of St Mary’s College. The House Flags were launched on Feast Day 2015.

The process for the crest designs started over two years ago with our House students and staff getting together to

discuss who they would like to have as their House Patron.

This was an opportunity for our College to recognise the contribution of the four religious orders who played a significant role in establishing our school – the Sisters of St John of God, The Christian Brothers, The Our Lady of the Mission Sisters and the Loreto Sisters. Each House choosing one of the orders to be associated with their House.

The Barbier Crest - designed by Teyha Jamieson. The predominant shape is a flame fired by the spirit. The cross is the cross design used by the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions. The Wattle flower is a representation from the crest of the Our Lady of the Mission Sisters Australian province, and is found all around Broome. The dot style design represents Aboriginal people. The motto fired by the spirit reminds us to be like the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions and to let the Holy Spirit guide us in our work. The patron of Barbier House is Euphrasie Barbier, the Founder of the OLM Sisters.

Rice House Crest - designed by Abbey Ford. The Celtic cross is taken from the original Christian Brother emblem and is central to our daily lives and shows our respect for students from all directions. The vine is taken from the Oceania Edmund Rice logo which represents new life coming from the cross which gives us inspiration. The book symbolises the Bible and knowledge and guides our commitment to do good works. The bright star is for guidance. The sea eagle which is our mascot signifies the Broome region, our strength, and the ability to soar to great heights. The flame represents the

House Crests

Holy Spirit and gives encouragement to shine. The patron of Rice House is Blessed Edmund Rice, founder of the Christian Brothers.

The O’Brien House Crest - designed by Yasmin Cypher. The Pindan colour is the colour of the land of Broome and connection with the Yawuru people. (Original Red house). The Pomegranate represents the Sisters of St John of God, which is about healing and fullness of life. The seeds to scatter and representing the generous self-giving required to reach out to people in need. The Cross represents our connection with God and symbol of Christ. The patron of O’Brien House is Sr Antonio O’Brien, the pioneering sister of the Sisters of St John of God in the Kimberley and founding sister of our school.

The Ward House Crest - designed by Madeleine Christie. The hands represent the love Mary Ward carries. The Dove, stands for peace and unity in the Ward House. The Flame, symbolises the Holy Spirit. The Anchor, symbolises the strength of the House spirit. The Pinctada Maxima, the Pearl shell represents our Broome heritage. The patron of Ward House is Mary Ward, founder of The Loreto Sisters.


Sacraments

Farewell Sr Delores

Sacrament Of ReconciliationDuring Lent some of our students completed their Sacrament of Reconciliation at the Our Lady Queen of Peace Cathedral. They will now be able to prepare for their 1st Holy Communion.

After our Feast Day Mass we farewelled a very special person to St Mary’s College, Sister Delores Tunnecliffe,

SSJG, who first visited Broome in 1962 as a Lay Missionary, volunteering her time to work with the Pallottine Fathers under Bishop Jobst. It was not long after this when Delores joined the St John of God Sisters.

Sister saw it as her vocation to serve God and work with Aboriginal people. She loved teaching and she remembers teaching Irish dancing and music to many students in the Kimberley schools. After her teaching years Sister’s passion then turned to counselling. She was instrumental in setting up the Wirriya Liyan Indigenous Counselling and Psychotherapy Training Programme in Broome which ran for 10 years.

St Mary’s has been blessed with a rich and remarkable history and it is because of the legacy of the religious orders and other dedicated people such as Sr Delores who grew to love and work in our school.

First Holy CommunionOn Sunday June 21, thirty students received their First Holy Communion at Our Lady Queen of Peace Cathedral. First Holy Communion is considered one of the holiest and most important occasions in a Catholic person’s life. It is the first time that a person receives the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, which is the eating of consecrated bread and drinking of consecrated wine.

Congratulations to all the students and to the parents and teachers for the important part they played in preparing the children for this important and joyous ceremony.


College Feast Day

Our College Feast day is always a special occasion and this year we were able to celebrate two significant events

as well. The launch of our House Crests on banners and we farewelled Sr Dolores.

Our day commenced with Feast Day Mass and Assembly followed by a community morning tea.

Feast Day activities followed with Primary and Secondary students together in their House groups. As always, students and staff enjoyed Feast Day coming together to embrace the spirit that is St Mary’s College.


Tribute to Sister CynthiaSt Mary’s College farewells past Principal, Sister Cynthia Wright IBVM

During the July holidays we received the sad news

that Sister Cynthia Wright IBVM passed away in Ballarat Victoria. Sister Cynthia, a Loreto sister was known as Sister Victor when she was the Principal of St Mary’s School between the years 1991-1995.

Those who remember Sister will know that she came with so much positive energy and brilliant leadership qualities. Sister was a strong leader and a wise friend to all. She was instrumental in initiating special needs programs, gifted and talented programs and actively encouraged parental involvement and multicultural activities. She will be much remembered for her musical talents in leading us to enjoy the prayerful liturgies with lots of song, vigour and enthusiasm. She led and guided the school through the relocation and upgrades of buildings from the junior primary location on Baker Street to Dakas Street. Sister acknowledged and embraced the spirit and uniqueness of the multicultural fabric of St Mary’s. She was solid in her commitment to improving the educational profile of our school, often standing her ground with the strong belief that our students deserve the same standards as any city school.

Sister Cynthia stayed connected to our school, each year since 1995 she wrote and sent Christmas blessings and we reciprocated with sending her the year books and newsletters. She always looked forward to a personal visit from our St Mary’s students on the cultural exchange as they travelled to Ballarat to visit her. Below is an excerpt from Sister Cynthia’s message to St Mary’s when we celebrated our centenary in 2008;

Remembering my years from 1991 to 1995 at St Mary’s Primary site always fills me with joy. There are so many memories that come flooding into my mind…the resiting of the two sites to Dakas Street, the building of the new classrooms and the dedicated staff members. I remember the students, parents and extended family members, who I grew to love and respect. They deepened my love for the earth and the environment for which I am most grateful. Much has been achieved in the past and now you have the privilege to build on it to create the future…you will always be in my prayers as you journey forward”. Sister Cynthia Wright IBVM- Loreto Sister. Principal, 1990-1995.

With fond and loving memories we say goodbye to a remarkable woman who made a difference to the lives of many students and families in Broome. God bless her and may she rest in peace.


Primary Library News

It’s All Happening in the Primary Library!There is always something happening in the Primary Library. We started the year with a Book Fair which put some wonderful stories in children’s hands and returned $1,500 worth of materials to the Library. The children are already looking forward to the next one in Term 4.

We sent some Picture Books to a small school in the Philippines who didn’t have many resources and they were very excited and thankful.

We recently celebrated ‘National Simultaneous Storytime’ together with over 3000 other institutions around Australia as part of the activities celebrating National Library and Information Week. Schools, Libraries, Child Parent Centres and Kindergartens all stop what they are doing and read the same story at the same time all around Australia. The numbers have grown each year and this year St Mary’s proudly joined with 525,000 others to read ‘The Brothers Quibble’ by Aaron Blaby. The story deals with the emotional reactions of an only child whose parents bring home a baby brother. The entire school participated this year making it another special occasion to celebrate our love of books and reading. We all loved the quirky illustrations and funny storyline!

An efficient team of Year 6 Library Ministers has also been a feature of the Library this year. They are organised and full of enthusiasm and have introduced a new award at assemblies. The Rainbow Book Award is now given to students who show a special love of reading in their classrooms.

We are gearing up for Book Week in Term 3 which is always a wonderful celebration of reading at St Mary’s. The theme this year is ‘Books Light up our World’ so get ready to shine with a story!


Year 3B Mid Year News

In the Year 3B Class this semester, students have been busy enhancing their learning with the addition of new technology,

Ipads and Chromebooks. They have used this technology to learn about ANZAC Day through the ANZAC Day App, discovering the world through the MWorld App, along with daily use of the 3P suite. (Mathletics and Spellodrome, and Reading Eggs/Express). Students have enjoyed using this technology across all areas of the curriculum as they expand their knowledge, however it seems some of the favourites are hard to beat….

This year so far l liked:– Sports because we have been learning about tennis. I find

it fun hitting the ball over the net and making the ball land inside the trolley. (Sanuja)

– I enjoy Maths because l get to learn more (Amelia)

– I enjoy Art because we make stuff, and science (Johari)

– I liked Art because we make stuff and it was really fun (Zaharah)

– Going on the Chromebooks (Sarah)

– I enjoy Art because we make fun stuff (Jenny)

– I like Sports because it is fun, Mr Gino (Eugina)

– I enjoy doing Art because l like being creative (Bree)

– I like Sports because we do fun games like tennis (Jonathan)

– I like Maths (Abbey)

– I love Sport because it is fun and cool and we get to play Hunter – it is cool (Kaedan)

– I like Sports because it is fun because Mr Gino (Alicia)

– I like sport because we get to do fun activities and other cool sports and l’m learning some new games and getting better at them (Taj)

– The Chromebooks because l like writing reports on the Chromebooks (Wyatt)

– I enjoy Art because it was fun doing it (Roshaina)

– I like Sport because it was fun (Phoenix)

– Sport because it is fun (Benedict)

– I like Art (Bonnie)

– I like Art because we make stuff (Cindy)

– I like sports because the warmup games are fun and the activities are hard (Xavier)

– I like doing Sports with a new sports teacher, his name was Mr Gino, he is a good sports teacher with Mr Ed (Tamaya)

– I love Art because it is fun and awesome (Haitana)


Ex Students (Head Girls)

Past students are always a part of the life of St Mary’s College. The College is always proud to maintain its connections with them throughout the years, whether it is through employment, through welcoming them as parents and grandparents

or just when they return to visit.

Meet our past Head Girls who played a very significant leadership role in our school community.

Wendilyn TorresHead Girl and Graduate of 2012Wendi completed her entire schooling at St Mary’s College, from Kindergarten to Year 12.

After graduating in 2012 she went on to complete a certificate 3 in Careers in Dance in the two years she attended NAISDA Dance College in Sydney. Wendi is now studying at the University of Western Australia in Perth in the Aboriginal Orientation course with the vision to go on to complete a Bachelor of Science majoring in exercise, health and sport science.

Wendi is still a familiar face at St Mary’s, always coming in during her holidays to greet her past teachers and friends. Recently Wendi wrote

“It is lovely to come back and be able to catch up with past teachers and students. I loved my time at this school, it will always be a special place to me. One day I hope to come back and teach here.”

Ayesha SalkilldHead Girl and Graduate of 2013Since graduating from school, Ayesha has been enjoying life and working at Jewels of the Kimberley. Ayesha is quite at ease being a welcoming face as a sales assistant and is in the important role of managing media and marketing.

On reflection Ayesha says

“I still miss my school days at St Mary’s, and all the lovely people and the beautiful warm atmosphere. High school has definitely been a highlight in my life, it was hard work but worth it. I love the fact that I have made lasting friendships and I still can keep in touch with my teachers.”

Chelsea SiebertHead Girl and Graduate of 2014Chelsea is currently working at a local dress boutique to save towards her travels to Europe in the near future and then to assist her when she commences her studies at university in Perth on her return. In her speech on graduation day, Chelsea said,

“St Mary’s College is a school that has played an integral role in my own personal journey toward adulthood.”

Today, Chelsea still speaks so fondly of her memorable and fulfilling school experiences at St Mary’s and is grateful for the friendships formed and for the dedication and listening hearts of her teachers.

L i s t e n i n g H e a r t s S T M A R Y ’ S C O L L E G E 1 0

Food and Textiles Technology and Hospitality Semester 1

Food and Textiles Technology and Hospitality students have been actively involved in a range of activities and functions

within the College during semester one 2015.

The Year 7’s were introduced to the “big kitchen” and produced delicious foods, which they thoroughly enjoyed. In Textiles, the Year 7’s produced textile items - egghead, luggage tag and Frederick the chook a stress toy made from fabric.

Year 8 students worked on textile products including beach bags and pencil cases. In term two, students studied seasons for food as a way of maintaining local sustainability. During classes the students worked in the kitchen and science garden to produce Rosella jam. Rosella is a wild hibiscus grown around Northern Australia.

Year 9 & 10 students have been looking at the social aspects of food in term one. Starters and soups were on the menu. During term two students studied the delights of main courses and desserts. Some students have really mastered the use of kitchen French and developed menus of special occasions.

3AB Food Science students were busy planning and producing dishes using a local food product ready for market to be sold to customers. Trials are taking place at present to develop the

local product to the packaging stage. During the semester the students studied and produced food staples using new functional foods like Chia and Quinoa.

Certificate II Hospitality students prepared and served a three course dinner for 65 people at the Principals’ Conference on the 14th-15th May. The guest Head chef from Matsos Sebastian Schacher was invited to head the kitchen in this “My Kitchen Rules” three course meal. A taste plate of smoked kangaroo, anti-pasto, dips and sour dough bread followed by homemade gnocchi, local fish or beef dishes and a tropical parfait. The Principals were delighted with the meal and the fine meal service. Throughout the year, a number of VET students prepared and served meals to clients at the Nicholas Emo Centre on Sunday mornings to gain further skills and hours to complete the certificates by serving others in need.

This year the VET Hospitality Certificate II students continued to run the school Café where Barista coffee and cakes were served at the St Mary’s College Café in the Hospitality and Tourism Centre. During Term 3 and 4, delicious coffee, tea and cakes will be available during Tuesday and Wednesday mornings.

1 1 L i s t e n i n g H e a r t s S T M A R Y ’ S C O L L E G E

Outdoor Ed and Sports News

Physical Education for our primary students….

The first half of 2015 has been a very busy one for St. Mary’s College Primary Physical Education Department. It began

with a magnificent win in the West Kimberley Interschool Swimming Carnival. This was a fantastic team effort by the St. Mary’s team and all of their early morning training really paid off.

Back at school the students were learning about cricket whilst cheering the Aussies on to victory in the World Cup. In Term 2 the Cross Country was the next goal and again many students were down at Cable Beach in the early hours of the morning to train hard in preparation. The whole school ran at least one lap of the challenging course at the Primary Campus and we couldn’t have been prouder of their efforts. The team at the Interschool Carnival put in a valiant effort but fell just short of clinching another shield, finishing runners up for the second year in a row.

Football and Netball training also began after school during Term 2 with a huge turnout for both sports. The footballers have played a couple of friendly games against Broome North Primary and Cable Beach Primary as warm ups for the Lightning Interschool Carnival that will be held in Derby later in the term. So great was the interest in football that an Inter-House lunchtime competition was devised with Barbier, O’Brien, Rice and Ward houses all competing for the inaugural Inter-House Football Shield.


Year 9/10 Outdoor EducationHere are some photos of our Outdoor Education class this semester.

We have been participating in several different topics over the semester. These have included First Aid, Orienteering, Rope Skills, Fishing and Body Boarding.

One of the photos shows that our class invited Melbourne Exchange students to come along to Cable Beach for our Body Boarding lesson. The students from Melbourne could not believe that St Mary’s students get to go to Cable Beach for lessons every week. They loved it!

The other photos are from Term 1 when we spent several lessons going fishing out at the jetty. Mr Braden was the teacher taking the students fishing but it was certainly the students who were teaching Mr Braden how to fish!! Well done to Scartisha and Kevin on their fine Trevallies.


Mentoring Programs

Clontarf CornerThe West Kimberley Academy would like to say thank you and welcome to all the new students and families in 2015. The first half of the year has been exciting and very busy for all but most of all fun, with a number of camps and activities already taking place. It all started off with an induction camp out at Yeeda Homestead which involved all year 7 and 8 students, we find this camp a necessity as it gives everyone a chance to get to

know each other, find out what Clontarf is about. It seemed to be thoroughly enjoyed by all and with record student numbers we knew we were going to have a big first term.

Next on the list was a football game between the students and a family member which gave everyone a laugh, then a reward trip for years 8 and 9 to travel to Derby to play against the Derby Academy, and finish up with pizzas at the Jila Café. During Term 1 we also invited our local partners to our annual golf day to say thanks for their support and also get a chance to interact with the students in a fun setting. We also hosted the Kimberley Clontarf Shield which saw 5 Academies and a Bidyadanga Team battle it out for bragging rights, ultimately Bidyadanga come out on top but the carnival was played in great spirits by all. To conclude Term1 our senior students played the Desert Dust Up carnival in Halls Creek and narrowly lost in the GF. Broome also hosted the Clontarf PD where Academy staff from Australia wide come to develop and share their skills with each other. Lastly the 90%+ school attenders were treated to an afternoon out at the wildlife park where we got to hold baby crocs, snakes and flexed muscles with a red kangaroo.

Term 2 was equally as busy with the WKA attending a number of camps in between our morning trainings, afterschool activities such as touch and basketball, general health checks and guest speakers. The stand out events for the students were an engagement camp to Barred Creek, the North West Shield Carnival, Rising Star Basketball, Big River Cup, Big Day Out and the seniors had a chance to compete in the Country Week sports carnival i Perth while the juniors either played in the Kimberley Cup or took a trip down the Gibb River road on a clean-up effort.

The West Kimberley Academy would like to say thanks to all our students and parents for all the hard work they have put in for the year so far, hopefully we can build on it to finish the second half of the year stronger.

Regards

West Kimberley Academy Team

David Wirrpanda Foundation - Deadly Sista Girlz ProgramThe Deadly Sista Girlz program has started at our school, working with girls from Years 6-12. The program focuses on building self-esteem and confidence in young women. Promoting healthy lifestyle choices and engaging, inspiring and empowering them to become leaders in their schools, families and communities. We are excited and proud to have our ex-students and now parents Amarah Treacy and Aggie Pigram at our school working here to deliver this program.


Mentoring Programs

WALARBA BUGARRI FOLLOW THE DREAM PARTNERSHIPS FOR SUCCESS UPDATE

We are pleased to welcome 14 new students, mainly Year 7 & 8 students, who have enrolled in the Follow the Dream program. 37 students are now part of this educational support /enrichment program

for aspiring Indigenous students.

Compact Signing Ceremony - Year 7 & 8Our new Year 7 & 8 students, were part of the Follow the Dream Compact Signing Evening, at the

Broome Surf Lifesaving Club for students to formally join the Follow the Dream program.

Mount Lawley (Outreach) Visit to St Mary’s College – Year 10-12Follow the Dream outreach students from Mount Lawley, visited the Kimberley at the start of the term.

As part of their camp they visited St Mary’s Follow the Dream students and took part in an archery activity on St Mary’s College oval. All students enjoyed the afternoon and some even managed to hit

the targets. Thanks to Mr Mark Dellar for facilitating this event.

University of Western Australia - Year 12 Leadership SeminarTessa Jaffrey (head girl) attended the UWA Leadership seminar over the Easter holidays. The seminar

included workshops focusing on team building, self-esteem, study skills and time management as well as cultural and recreational activities.

Middle School Camp to Port Smith Year7-9: Tuesday 16th - Friday 19th June

This cultural camp to Port Smith included salmon fishing, crabbing, local music and dancing, guest speakers, meeting local rangers, a quiz night, a talent quest and teambuilding activities.

Paul Woodbridge

Follow the Dream - Partnerships for Success Coordinator

Tel: 9194 9566 [email protected]


Community Highlights Semester 1

Easter ReflectionThe College Performing Arts - Design & Technology students invited the community to reflect on the true meaning of Easter during their annual Easter Reflection performance. The students were highly professional in showing a very moving story of the Passion of Jesus Christ. All those present agreed that it was a very emotive and moving event, to lead the school community into Easter.

Jazz TourDuring a recent North West tour, members from The WA Youth Jazz Orchestra WA, saxophonist Tom Walsh, pianist Shai Martin, and WAYJO Alumnus and bass player Djuna Lee made time for a visit to St Mary’s College to play a schools performance and provide mentoring for students as part of the Orchestra’s Act-Belong-Commit Education Program.

This is the first time in a while that the WA Youth Jazz Orchestra has travelled to Broome and there was a lot of excitement around the trip.

Our Secondary students were joined by the Year 6 cohort and enjoyed a blissful Monday morning of music. Following this the Year 11&12 WACE class plus the Year 9 and 10 classes were spoilt with another performance workshop. The students also enjoyed performing for their guests.


AnzacOn the morning of the 100th year anniversary of the landing at Gallipoli, a group of St. Mary’s students performed a moving re-enactment at the dawn service at Bedford Park that evoked a feeling of sorrow and respect in the crowd. Our boys, who symbolised the ANZACs, performed the landing at Gallipoli with the utmost respect for the young men who fought and died at the landing, some even before making it to the shore. Our girls represented the young women who were wives and nurses during the time. We are so proud of the effort and dedication our students put into this re-enactment and the way in which they conducted themselves during the dawn service.

Our senior dance students had a surprise visit from the Prime Minister’s wife in May 2015. Mrs Margie Abbott and the group travelling with her were impressed with the students who presented their Anzac Day dance piece before joining Mrs Abbott and friends for afternoon tea.


Community Highlights Semester 1

Principal’s DinnerSt Mary’s College played host to 35 Secondary Catholic Principals and some of their spouses from across the state in May when the Catholic Secondary Principals Association held their regional meeting here in Broome. We were very proud to showcase the remarkable work which the students have been doing. Our hospitality students were privileged to work with a professional chef in the kitchen and serve the guests, the stunning art works of our visual arts students were on display and the performing arts students as well as our famous past student Stephen Pigram, who provided the entertainment which all impressed our guests greatly.

Bran Nue Dae VisitorsOur hospitality students kindly prepared and hosted a morning tea in June for the aged people of our community. The guests were from the Southern Cross Bran Nue Dae facility. The students were big-hearted and caring when they served and mingled with their special guests .


The Senior School Ball

The Senior School Ball is an annual highlight of the schools social calendar. The event allows our senior students the

opportunity to gather in a more formal environment to enjoy a night full of social enjoyment. This formal evening was at the Cable Beach Club and did not disappoint.


Our Talented Artists

From our Art DepartmentHigh school art students are instructed on drawing, art history and painting, they are guided to build skills and show personal expression through art. Our skilful art students have already produced some high quality work this semester.

Banners in the TerraceBanners in the Terrace is one of the state’s largest community arts projects, featuring banners from Councils from all over Western Australia, which go on display along St Georges and Adelaide Terraces, during the Annual Local Government Convention in July/August each year.

Congratulations to St Mary’s College Year nine student, Gabrielle Hill whose design was chosen to be made into a street banner that will hang in St Georges Terrace in Perth during the week of Sunday 26th July to Saturday 8th August. The banner will represent the Broome Shire.

(Right) Banners in the Terrace – Gabrielle Hill

Year 9 Art Students paint a Mural for the CanteenOur very talented Year 9 art students have been hard at work completing a mural at the Canteen. Using a Super Realist style and choosing some colourful foods to paint they have done a great job.

(Below) Students painting mural.


Year 7 Camp

The annual year 7 orientation camp was once again very successful. The

students and their teachers enjoyed three days/two nights in the beautiful surrounds of the Broome camp school. Mr Adrian Bratovic, Year 7 and 8 Co-ordinator and his energetic and dedicated band of helpers made the wonderful experience of team building and leadership activities memorable for the students. Many friendships were strengthened across the year group enabling Year 7 students to settle in to their new routines and life on the senior campus.


Primary Learning Journey

Families were invited to the primary campus on the evening of May 19, to share in their children’s learning journeys.

The children were very excited to share their school learning with their parents, and the families visited classrooms to share the wonderful teaching and learning our students are involved in. Families also enjoyed the Sausage Sizzle and CAFÉ. Learning journey evenings are a very important way to support children’s learning.

The Kimberley CupThe Kimberley Cup is the sporting event in the Kimberley with schools from across the region competing in a range of sports which include, Basketball, Volleyball, Netball, Indoor Soccer, Touch Footy, Mixed Netball and Football. St Mary’s students participated with great spirit and energy, and brought home winning shields and medals.


Kindy Kids Entertain Their Mums to Celebrate Mother’s Day

Kindy mums were invited to morning tea to celebrate Mother’s Day. After welcoming their mums, the children

took morning tea orders and served their morning tea – a great all round experience for the Kindy Kids and their mums.

National Brain Bee Competition

Brain Bee Champion We are very proud of Harman Sharma, Year 11 student who as the state champion qualified as one of eight Australian students to compete to become the champion of the Australian-New Zealand Brain Bee competition in Perth. Congratulations and well done to Harman who scored very well and gained third place in the finals. St Mary’s College has been competing in this competition since 2012 with fantastic results. This is the second year that the state champion has come from our school and we have gained two seconds and a third place in the team challenges. Commendations to Mrs Diane Latchman, the Science Learning Area Coordinator and her team of dedicated teachers.


NAIDOC Celebrations

St Mary’s College students and staff participated in the annual community NAIDOC March on June 26. NAIDOC

celebrations provide a time to reflect and learn about the past, as it can be seen that past events and treatments have affected later generations.

The NAIDOC Liturgy celebrated by Fr Marcello on June 29 opened the week of celebrations at St Mary’s College. Students at our school were involved in a range of activities centred on culture and language, art and history. Our Aboriginal Teaching Assistants at St Mary’s facilitated the week’s program enabling the students the opportunity to be engaged in, learn about and share the Aboriginal culture that is so rich in our community. This encouraged and engaged our whole school to embrace the 2015 theme - We All Stand on Sacred Ground: Learn, Respect and Celebrate NAIDOC is celebrated not only in Indigenous communities, but by Australians from all walks of life.


Year 12 Retreat: February 2015

Cultural Exchange to Japan

The Class of 2015 began the year with their annual two day overnight retreat for Year 12 students in the first week of

school this year. The retreat started from the Nulungu Chapel with a meditative pilgrimage walk lead by Father Matt Digges, to the Broome cemetery and then on to Our Lady Queen of Peace Cathederal. Along the way, the students stopped at various significant locations including BRAMS and the hospital to reflect and pray about people and issues in our town. Mass was celebrated in the Cathedral and then the students experienced a range of activities at the Broome Camp School. We are blessed with the calibre of fine young men and women who are proving to be good leaders in our school.

“The year 12 retreat was such a memorable experience. We had the opportunity to strengthen the bond between all the year 12’s and learn what it means to become leaders of the College. It was a great way to start off the year.” Grace Cuzens.

“I have to say that I had a good time on the year 12 retreat. We became closer with each other. I especially enjoyed the pilgrimage walk with Fr. Matt where we prayed on silence to God. I would like to thank the teachers who put so much effort into organising such a wonderful experience for us all.”Washule Bucknall.

The Cultural Exchange with our sister school, Taiji Junior High School, took place during the Term One holidays.

This year Anton Diss, April Ford, Anita Johnson, D’Artagnan Leak, Mrs Renee Holmes and Mr Michael Lake represented our College and travelled to Japan.

In Taiji our students were hosted by local families and attended classes at the High School, as well as sharing many experiences with the students and their families. Leaving Taiji for Osaka was very emotional, with tears for students and host families – a strong bond has been formed. We look forward to returning the hospitality when we welcome the Taiji students to Broome in Term 3.


Staff News

Staff Celebrations this year……. Congratulations to ……..

Josh and Amy Meeuwissen who married on 1 March 2015 at Cable Beach

Rani and Mateo

Marco and Katie PuertollanoWho married on 11 April 2015 at the Broome Hovercraft Base

Jack and Bec Reagan who married on 30 May 2015 at the Mangrove Hotel.

Big welcome to

Mateo Levi Lairdfirst born of Rani and Nathan.Mateo arrived on 15 June 2015 weighing 4.1 kg.

Anzac BalladBy Grade 6D – 13/5/15In 1914 our brave young men they joined for King and country.They said “farewell, we’ll see you soon” to friends and family.Off they went to Egypt to train before the fight began.They set sail some never to see their loved ones again.

The young soldiers shivered, crammed in boats they rowed to the enemy shore.As they neared the land fear took hold when they heard a deafening roar.Heavy gunfire rang out from the cliffs above as the soldiers ran from the boats.As they stormed the beach their bodies fell, blood stained the Gallipoli coast.

Staggering toward the steep cliffs ahead, they faced an impossible goal.Their only escape was to dig themselves in to save their brave young souls. From the trenches they charged across no man’s land toward the enemy guns.Soldiers lay dying, so far from home, lost brothers, fathers and sons.

After 8 months of fighting, suffering death, endless horror and hell,The Anzacs retreated, they buried their dead and ran before the final death knell.As the ships set sail the soldiers looked back to the shore where the diggers lay.To the rows of crosses that mark the bones of the souls of the men who stay.

As we join together in the hour before dawn to march through our sleepy town,We walk as one in this time of peace toward the sacred ground.To gather each year at Bedford Par,k we honour the brave and the strong.When the Last Post is played and our flag is raised we know that their spirit lives on.


Meet Our Teachers

St Mary’s College teachers are dedicated and committed to their students and the College. Just as we are proud to profile our

students, our teachers will be interviewed for this and future editions of Listening Hearts.

In our last edition of Listening Hearts we met Mr Tim Clear. In this edition we will meet Mr Edmund Connor and Mr Braden Famlonga.

Mr Braden Famlonga returned to teach at St Mary’s College after eleven years away. He is currently the Years 9/10 Coordinator and teaches Physical Education/Outdoor Education on our secondary campus.

Mr Braden FamlongaWhy did you want to become a teacher?I always wanted to work in the sporting field but was talked into enrolling in Commerce at university. I did two years of this course and realised I did not want to work in an office with a suit and tie on every day!

I changed courses to Physical Education Teaching and really enjoyed the course. I have loved teaching Physical Education for the last 19 years.

How do you work with your students to get the best out of them?I always encourage students to try their best. I like to try and make my sporting lessons enjoyable so the students have fun and may play that sport in the future.

What do you enjoy the most about teaching?I like having a chat and particularly having a laugh with the students I teach. The students certainly can make the day interesting and varied.

Can you share with us a bit about your background?I was born and raised in and around Fremantle (go the mighty Dockers – 2015 Premiers for certain!!).

I started teaching in the mid 1990’s and first taught at St Mary’s in Broome in 2000. My wife, Miss Bec and I taught here for four years back then and loved the town, the school and the weather (well maybe just the dry season!!). For the last 11 years we have taught at Bunbury Catholic College but always felt the Kimberley calling us back.

Now we are back I am looking forward to lots of days on the beach and to catching lots of fish. Miss Michelle keeps promising to take me fishing because so far I have not been very successful in catching anything.

What has been the highlight of your teaching career so far?Definitely returning to St Mary’s College, Broome.

Mr Ed Connor came to work at St Mary’s College in 2013 and teaches Physical Education on our primary campus.

Mr Edmund ConnorWhy did you want to become a teacher?I wanted to become a teacher to do something meaningful and give back to the community. Having attended a Jesuit school their motto of being a ‘Man for Others’ has always resonated strongly with me and teaching gives me a chance to do this every day.

How do you work with your students to get the best out of them?I like to find my students’ strengths and build on them with positive reinforcement and encouragement. Having fun is the most important thing – a smiling face means they’re ready to learn!

What do you enjoy the most about teaching?Working with lots of different and inspiring people (such as Joseph Davies, pictured with me) and seeing students realise their potential. Every day is different.

Can you share with us a bit about your background?I was born in Melbourne and lived there until I was 30 years old. After I completed my teaching degree I worked in Tasmania for 3 years, then Darwin for 4 years and then on to Broome. I met my future wife Emily at Melbourne University while studying teaching and we have been happily married for 4 years. Our daughter Clementine was born in Broome in 2013 and is completely obsessed with the movie Frozen!

What has been the highlight of your teaching career so far?There have been 2 highlights of my teaching career and they have both happened in Broome – winning the Interschool Football Carnival in 2014 and then this year winning the West Kimberley Interschool Swimming Carnival!

Edmund Connor with Joseph Davies

PO Box 100, 3 Port Drive, BROOME, WA 6725

www.stmarysbroome.wa.edu.au Email: [email protected]

Telephone: 08 9194 9500

5 201 Listening Hearts - St Mary's College€¦ · To All Our 2014 Year 12 Graduates On Their...

Documents

Transcript of 5 201 Listening Hearts - St Mary's College€¦ · To All Our 2014 Year 12 Graduates On Their...