Yesterday at the Interhouse Athletics Carnival we were blessed with a magnificent winter’s day. It was wonderful to see so many students demonstrating "house spirit” with their costumes and their cheering. I always enjoy watching the students support each other as they participate in the various track and field activities – there is usually lots of words of encouragement, congratulations and the occasional hug. Thank you to Ms Roy and Ms Page for their organisation of the Carnival and to the staff who assisted in running the event and accompanying students on the buses to UQ.

Being together in community is so important.  It is finally starting to feel like we a moving into a time that is transitioning to being “more normal”. Today’s Indigenous Reconciliation Liturgy is another event where we gather in community more formally. Thank you to Ms Simpson and all who were involved in this special liturgy. For me a very significant and moving moment was when the students proceeded in with the copy of the Uluru Statement from the Heart to “A Song of Hope” by Katie Noonan.

Today we also farewelled three staff members who have made significant contributions to MSM.

Mrs Jan Woods has been the College Receptionist for more than 30 years. In this role she has been the first person that many parents and students have encountered when they enter the College. Mrs Woods has demonstrated deep love of MSM and she has always strived to give the best of care to our students. I have been privileged to be the fourth Principal to have worked with Mrs Woods and on behalf of the MSM Community I wish her all the best for her retirement.

Ms Juliette Bentley has been a teacher at MSM for more than 20 years. As a teacher of Religious Education and English, Ms Bentley has cared for her students with warmth and enthusiasm. Her legacy is the Writers Club which she established and has brought together hundreds of our students on Friday afternoons to share their love of writing.  We wish Ms Bentley best wishes as she begins the next chapter of her life.

Ms Kath Page has worked in the sports department for the last 8 years. She has been integral to the success of our sporting program. I cannot recall a sporting event where Ms Page has not been on the sidelines. As a member of our Alumni she is acknowledged as “MSM’s greatest supporter”. We wish her all the best as she embarks on a career change.

We also thank Mr Andy Bertram as his contract as Teacher Assistant in the Innovation Centre concludes.

We have four staff taking leave in Term 3:

  • Ms Sissi Lilley (Program Leader - Middle School) is taking long service leave for Semester 2.
  • Ms Kate Sargent (Curriculum Leader - Senior School Mathematics) is taking long service leave for Term 3.
  • Ms Hayley McMahon (College Psychologist) – is taking parental leave expecting her first child in August.
  • Mrs Liz Caddaye is taking long service leave for Semester 2.

Next term we welcome back to MSM Ms Deb Machen who has been enjoying long service leave.

I wish all of our students, staff and their families a safe and happy holiday as you enjoy a well-deserved break. 

In faith and love
 
Sharon Volp
Principal

Term 2 Events
College Fees Raffle Winner

Congratulations to current MSM parent, Pari who is the winner of our Term 2, 2022 College Fees Raffle. Pari will receive $2500 credit towards her daughter’s tuition fees. 

Thank you to the entire MSM College community for generously contributing to our raffle in support of the Sisters of Charity Scholarships.
Upcoming Term 3 Events
Save The Date
Spirit Of The Arts Festival

Wednesday 31 August
5 - 8pm

 
The Spirit of the Arts Festival celebrates and embodies the Arts as fundamental educational outcomes for MSM students. As an audience, you will be immersed in performances and Artwork exhibited from all year levels, throughout the campus during the evening. The audience moves, promenade style to various venues.  There will be food and beverages for all and the evening closes with a spectacular ceremony featuring over 200 students. Please come and enjoy an evening of fun and entertainment provided by the students at MSM. 
Save The Date
Mt St Michael's College
Mothers' Lunch


Friday 19 August
11:30am - 3:30pm
Rydges South Bank, Brisbane

Further information and ticket release dates available in Term 3.
College Leadership Team
Term 2 ExtravaCANza
To conclude another busy term, our CAN students held another successful ExtravaCANza market day during week 8. It was wonderful to see our community come out in their hundreds to enjoy an array of market and food stalls, including the return of the famous MSM sausage sizzle! Together, we raised $1190 for our Downs & West Appeal. We also thank our Year 8 & 9 students for generously assisting with the sales of soft drinks and chips at the market day
Vinnies Winter Appeal

A reminder that our Vinnies Winter appeal will continue until the end of week 2 of next term. As the winter weather envelopes Brisbane, and our days become shorter, we remember those who struggle to clothe themselves, those who live in insecure or unsafe accommodation and those who are hungry. Your donations of food items, toiletries and warm clothing will go directly to local families in need. 
 
Teralba Park Sorry Day & Luminous Lantern Parade

Our Social Justice Council proudly represented the College at two significant community events recently: the rescheduled Teralba Park Sorry Day dawn ceremony and Multicultural Australia’s Luminous Lantern parade at Southbank Parklands. 

The Teralba Park Ceremony was a deeply moving event. It was wonderful to see past MSM pupil Jasmine Armstrong, who delivered a powerful message on behalf of First Nations children in Canada who were also victims of abuse, harm and forced removal at the hands of Canadian Authorities. Our students laid a wreath at the Teralba Park memorial in memory of all who were stolen from their families. 

Multicultural Australia’s Luminous Lantern parade was a wonderful, hope-filled community event signaling welcome to refugees and asylum seekers who now call Queensland home. Our students worked with our art department to create beautiful lanterns and were proud to march with thousands of Queenslanders to promote solidarity and inclusion. 
Indigenous Reconciliation Liturgy

We concluded our term with a powerful Indigenous Reconciliation liturgy, focusing on the enduring wisdom of our First Nations people and their strong connection to country. Our First Nations students were joined by more than 150 readers, dance, drama and music students to create a moving and challenging prayer Liturgy. My thanks to our incredible performing arts staff for their generous support of our Liturgy program. As we approach NAIDOC week (3 – 10 July), I share with you this prayer from our Indigenous Reconciliation Liturgy:

God of the Dreaming, our ancient heart,
For thousands of years, you have spoken wisdom to the people of this land: teaching them, guiding them, and helping them to care for the land and each other. 
Today our nation needs your wisdom and your guiding hand more than ever. 
Here, we hold the wisdom of the oldest continuing living cultures on earth. Help us to listen – to really listen – to your voice spoken through theirs.
May your blessing be upon all Elders who keep the song lines strong. 
May your blessing be upon all young people, who are growing strong in culture.
And may your blessing be upon all who work for Reconciliation and justice.
In Jesus’ name we pray,

Amen. 
Around The College
Rosies Life On The Street

The Rosies Student Engagement Program is underway for 2022. Rosies is a not-for-profit organisation run by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, an Order of the Catholic Church which spends time with the marginalized, abandoned, isolated and lonely members of our community. MSM Year 11 students have shown their enthusiasm for taking up the challenge to step outside their comfort zones and attend the outreach. Rosies is about social inclusion, and offers a drink and a chat, providing patrons with a sense of inclusion increasing self-worth, directly impacting their physical and mental wellbeing.  

Four groups have undertaken the outreach, with six groups still to attend. While our students are a little apprehensive on their way to the Rosies headquarters, they thoroughly enjoy engaging with the many patrons, some homeless, and many marginalised, and listening to their stories. The girls come home filled with a new appreciation for all the things that many of us take for granted – food, shoes, warm clothes, security and a social network.  

Year 11 Homerooms have been collecting various donations for Rosies including share packs of food, sugar and toiletries, while the staff have been collecting socks. 

Thanks must go to the teachers who have volunteered their time to accompany the girls on each outreach. The opportunity to volunteer for this outreach encourages the development of empathy, self-esteem and leadership and helps the students to embrace the Rosies motto, ‘Rosies…Friends on the Street’. 

PoTENtial Day
Seven Year 10 MSM students attended the PoTENtial day at Clairvaux MacKillop College with many catholic schools from the North and South side of Brisbane. The main theme discussed throughout the day was ‘Arise’. Through inspirational speeches from an Australian Paralympian, a Marist Youth Minister, and a Doctor of Education at Brisbane Catholic Education, the cohort learnt that ‘rising up’ means speaking aloud against issues in our world today or just facing everyday fears that seem impossible.
Year 11 Geography Excursion

Why will some public spaces be accessed by many people, and yet other spaces are not? As part of their studies regarding the challenges facing Brisbane, MSM Year 11 geography classes spent the day in the Brunswick Street Mall gathering data related to the issues facing this space. Using the field work data relating to pedestrian numbers and use, traffic surveys, site maps, urban transects and conflicting land use, and a Crime Prevention Through Design audit, the Senior Geography students will define what specific elements makes the mall less attractive to the general public and decide what strategies can be implemented to transform the Brunswick Mall into a quality public space.
Mathematics
 
And just like that, Unit 4 is covered! The Year 12 Specialist Maths class concluded their learning of new concepts and, as part of the yearly tradition, were presented with the Unit 3 and 4 Summary.  The students look forward to using these resources to strengthen their understanding and skills as they work towards the IA3 and the External Exam.
Year 10 Dance
Year 10 Dance students performed their second assessment item for the year. After learning about the professional dance industry and the role of dance in commercials and advertising, students were tasked with performing a dance choreographed for a stadium half-time show. It was great to see the students dance with strength, coordination and confidence to command the space and entertain their peers - great work girls!
Year 9 Dance

Year 9 Dance investigated Popular Dance this term! Students were busy working away adapting their own So You Think You Can Dance Routine in a genre of their choice. Hip-hop, contemporary, lyrical, and jazz – the students selected a vast array of genres to develop their technical and expressive skills. Well done, Year 9 Dance!

Year 7 Religious Education

This term in Year 7 Religious Education, students have learnt about ancient Old Testament narratives and patriarchs of the Christian tradition, such as Noah, Abraham and Moses. They explored how stories of these patriarchs have also influenced beliefs in Judaism and Islam. To do this, students explored sacred texts like the Torah as well as Jewish Holy Days like Passover. Students also had the experience of trying a date, an ancient fruit from the Arabian Peninsula, that plays a big part in Islamic festivals. Many students had not tried dates before but were tempted by the Aussie twist of a chocolate coating and 100s and 1000s! 

Swimming

Congratulations to MSM Year 11 student, Hannah who has been selected in the 2022 Junior Dolphins team. We wish Hannah all the very best with her preparations for the FINA World Junior Swimming Championships in Peru in August.
Volleyball
 
Congratulations to MSM student, Shelby who competed in the AVC Asian Women's U18 Volleyball Championships in Thailand. At just 15 years old, Shelby was the youngest player in the team. It was a tough competition for her team who didn’t come away as winners, but were deemed crowd favourites.

Click here to read more on the success of Shelby's team tour. 
Hockey
 
Congratulations to MSM students, Elise, Ellie and Paige who competed for Metropolitan North in the QLD School Sport 13-19 Years Girls Hockey State Championships at the Gold Coast Hockey Centre.

Well done to Year 11 student, Elise who was selected in the U19 QLD team, named at the conclusion of the event. The team who finished in fifth place overall was grateful for the motivating and encouraging support they received from team Manager and MSM teacher, Miss Lanigan.
MSM College Community Groups
Please keep up-to-date with changes to meeting formats.
 P&F Meetings: Please check the Mt St Michael's College App for meeting update notifications.
Alumni Meetings: Please visit the MSM Alumni Association Facebook page for updates.
Parents and Friends Association
Meetings


Next Meeting - Monday 15 August, 6pm
Please click here  for information on 2022 meeting dates and to find out more about the MSM Parents and Friends Association.

Follow the P&F on Facebook
MSM Alumni Inc
Meetings


Next Meeting - Monday 20 June, 6pm
Please click here for information on 2022 meeting dates and to find out more about the 
MSM Alumni Association.

Follow our Alumni on Facebook
Notices
2022 Term Dates

Term 1
Monday 31 January – Friday 1 April

Term 2
Wednesday 20 April – Friday 17 June

Term 3
Tuesday 12 July – Friday 16 September

Term 4
Tuesday 4 October – Friday 18 November (Year 12)
Tuesday 4 October – Friday 25 November (Years 7-11)

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Term 2 Appeal - Downs & West Community Support

Help support the Downs & West Community Support Appeal - Click here to make a donation.
Help Support the MSM Environment Group

Support the MSM Environment Group by donating your eligible containers! Bring your containers to school or use our scheme ID when returning to your local depot. Your donations will go towards funding our current and future environmental initiatives.

Mt St Michael's College scheme ID: C10333591
Now available on the College APP!
Mt St Michael’s College is pleased to bring to you the MSM Business Directory. Accessed through our website and APP, this online portal, profiles businesses and provides opportunities to connect with the wider MSM community to promote your services, sales and special offers. 

Many business owners profiled in the MSM Business Directory are long-term friends of the College. They include current and past parents, local businesses and alumni who, together show a commitment to Mt St Michael’s College and support for MSM events, fundraisers and initiatives. 

If you would like to be included in the online MSM Business Directory, simply email msmnews@msm.qld.edu.au

For more information please click here
A Message from DWCS - Winter Shopping

Cold weather is coming and we have the answer to keeping warn on those windy, cold days - Downs & West Community Support charity stall!  Yes, we are back again on Tuesday 28th June to Friday 1st July at Brookside with a variety of beautiful, handcrafted winter woollies including items for sale for children and babies. Our crotched rugs are amazing. 
 
All proceeds go to supporting individuals, farming families and their communities in Southern Queensland struggling through the impact of drought, flood, fires and COVID19.

The stall will be at the Brookside Shopping Centre, Mitchelton and will be located outside Terry White Chemist and T.K.Max from 9am to around 4.30pm except on Friday 25th when we close at 1.30pm. For any further information please see Sr Christine Henry on 0414324682.
 
SCHOOL ZONE:
Slow down!

The Brisbane City Council, in coordination with The Gap Ward Office, recently erected an additional 40 km/h school zone limit and traffic signs facing incoming traffic along Elimatta Drive and Aloomba Road following a request from Mt St Michael’s College to investigate the traffic management in the school vicinity. A safety project endorsed by Mt St Michael’s College’s Work Health and Safety (WHS) Committee.
Parents are reminded, for the safety of everyone, to DROP students off in the LOADING ZONE area outside the Ionian Centre and avoid areas marked with yellow lines which is against road safety rules. This is dangerous as it blocks other driver’s visibility and obstructs cars from moving around.
Onsite parking in the College grounds; Grantuly, undercover in the Ionian Centre and within the campus near the Sophia Centre is only permitted for staff. In consideration of our neighbours, please refrain from parking across driveways, adhere to the 40 km speed limit and be considerate of those living around the College when dropping and picking up students. Please do not drop off or pick up students within the College grounds.

In consideration for our neighbours, where possible please avoid leaving your motor running, especially when parked outside a home.
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