Last Thursday we acknowledged and celebrated the achievements of our students in the academic, mission, sporting and cultural fields of life at MSM at our annual awards night “MSM Celebrates”.
Our evening opened with a stirring rendition of “Music for the Royal Fireworks” by George Frideric Handel performed by the String Orchestra, directed by Ms Alice Buckingham. This created a lovely sense of occasion as our staff and student award recipients processed into the Sophia Centre. During the course of the evening we were entertained by the College Choir who under the direction of Mrs Donna Langford performed a stunning rendition of “Clear Water”. The Year 10 Drama students also performed a delightfully humorous excerpt from “The Scams of Scapin” (adapted by Ms Statham). We also thoroughly enjoyed an energetic Dance performance, “Effervescence”, performed by Kim Frances, Ruby Magnussen, Emma McLauchlan and Molly Murphy. Congratulations and thank you to these students for enhancing the experience of MSM Celebrates by sharing your special talents with us.
Congratulations to our award recipients. It was fantastic to see so many students recognised. There have been many challenges to overcome this year in the pursuit of excellence and you have provided inspirational role modelling for all students.
Special congratulations to our Aikenhead Scholars (the student gaining the highest grade point average in their year level):
Year 7 Isabella Chaseling
Year 8 Phoebe Schweitzer
Year 9 Aisling Deady
Year 10 Madelyne Ting
Year 11 Alexandra Agnew.
Congratulations to our Year 12 Gold Medal Recipients (who have achieved an A+ across all General Subjects in Units 3 and 4): Alice Axten, Olivia Cavanagh, Lauren Deegan, Riley Ducie, Claire Grundy, Matilda Hockey, Mia McConnell, Neve Mines, Sophie Neighbour, Mia Prince and Christine Rowell.
There is a great deal of work which occurs behind the scenes to bring MSM Celebrates together. There are many, many staff who contributed to the success of the event. Thank you to everyone involved! I extend my thanks to Ms Ros Collier for her overall coordination of the ceremony. Thank you to the Curriculum Leaders, Pastoral Leaders and staff who were integral in the organisation of so many aspects of the event. We are also very grateful to our staff who organised the design and printing of the program, certificates and awards: Ms Fleur Kelly, Ms Danielle Ferris, Mrs Paula Ovenden and Ms Suellen Yung.
This year we were able to accommodate an audience as well as produce a live stream. This was possible due to the efforts of our amazing IT team (Mr Adam Watson, Mr John Hamilton, Mr Gabe Cooper and Ms Kelli Dick). Thank you! It has been a busy start to term with many events and I would like to thank our amazing Maintenance team who work so efficiently behind the scenes to set up and dismantle equipment after events.
World Teachers' Day
Today is World Teachers’ Day. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank our incredibly dedicated staff (both teaching and non-teaching) who have a profound impact on the life of our students, often cultivating passions that can last a lifetime. This year’s theme is “Teaching through every moment”. Our MSM staff frequently go “over and above” expectations to care for our students and their wellbeing, deliver the curriculum and organise co-curricular activities and events.
This morning we shared morning tea and I extend my thanks to the P and F Association who provided a lovely cake to say “thank you” to our staff. It was greatly appreciated.
In faith and love
Sharon Volp
Principal
This is your chance to WIN $2500 credit towards tuition fees or $1500 cash prize.
Tickets start from $20. Proceeds will be directed to the MSM Foundation in support of the College’s future building projects.
Ticket sales close Tuesday 22 November with the winner to be drawn on Wednesday 23 November at 10am AEST.
CLICK HERE to purchase your tickets!
The Arts Department invite the wider MSM Community to join them at the “Ocean Blue” themed 2022 MusicFest2 on Thursday 10 November.
Co-curricular Music groups: College Choir, 7-8 Choir, MSM Singers, Concert Band, Percussion Ensemble, String Orchestra, Senior Strings and Guitar Ensemble, will perform in the Sophia Centre from 6 - 7:30pm and all are welcome to attend, and dress in blue. Free event - no bookings required.
We warmly invite Year 7 students and their fathers/caregivers to join us for the annual MSM Foundation Father-Daughter Breakfast on Wednesday 9 November from 6:45am to celebrate the wrap up of your first year at MSM.
Our guest presenter, Lieutenant Colonel J.D Pollard, Commanding Officer and Chief Engineer, 12th Chief Engineer Works of the Australian Defence Force will be facilitating a STEM challenge.
Please note this is a ticketed event and bookings are essential. CLICK HERE for bookings.
At the end of last week, I had the pleasure of visiting the Romero Centre in Dutton Park. The Romero Centre is a Catholic Agency that provides tailored support to asylum seekers and refugees who have settled in the Brisbane region. Named in honour of Salvadoran Archbishop and Human Rights Campaigner St Oscar Romero, the Romero Centre is a wonderful example of the lived expression of Charity, and a tangible way that our Catholic faith serves those on the margins.
Our Catholic Faith teaches us that all people, irrespective of ethnicity, religion, gender, politics or culture, are blessed with inherent dignity as precious children of God. We must do all we can to uphold that dignity and care for the marginalised and oppressed: something that the Sisters of Charity have been called to do for more than 200 years. The $2,200 that our Year 9 and 10 students raised for the Romero Centre this year will help to restock the community pantry, where supplies are running critically low thanks to rising cost of living pressures. We look forward to an ongoing association with the Romero Centre in 2023.
Year 12 External Examinations
This week our Year 12 students have completed their External Examinations in English, Visual Art, Music Extension, Drama, English & Literature Extension, Mathematical Methods, Physical Education and Modern History. As the External Examinations will run for another three weeks, I urge our Year 12 students undertaking these examinations to continue to put their best foot forward as they complete their final assessment tasks.
Year 11 Unit 3 Examination Block
Homework
Extensions
- Check their understanding.
- Remind themselves of the material covered earlier in the term that they may have forgotten.
- Reinforce their learning.
- Identify possible areas that they may need to clarify with their teacher prior to their examination.
- Create a revision timetable that divides revision time between all subjects that will be tested. It is important to stick with this timetable until all examinations are complete.
- Create an optimum learning environment that will encourage focus.
- Vary the material that is revised. It needs to vary from the difficult to the more familiar.
- Take regular breaks but be strict about following the revision timetable.
- Vary the style of revision to keep motivation high. Study individually for some of the time, but also in a group occasionally to generate discussions. Also vary the subject areas covered on any given day.
- Mind maps can be a great way to identify connections between ideas. Your student can use colours and images on their mind map, which will help to aid memory. They may also find drawing diagrams useful to remember processes or cycles.
- Flash cards allow your student to practice summarising information and can help identify any gaps in their learning. Students can use them in a variety of different ways:
- Condense notes about a specific topic on to a card
- Write a term on one side and a definition the other
- Write a question on one side and answer on the other
- Your student may find that they learn better by listening to information. If this method works, your student could use their phone to record themself reading out key information from their notes. They can then listen back to these recordings at any time, allowing them to utilise their time, especially on the journey to and from school.
Our Missions of St Vincent students are finalising the details for our annual SVDP Christmas Appeal. We will be collecting toiletries, grocery items and non-perishable Christmas treats through homerooms in the coming weeks. If you are able to add an extra item to your grocery basket, we would greatly appreciate it. All donations will go to the local St Vincent de Paul conferences for distribution to needy families this Christmas.
Year 7 students visited the Wivenhoe Dam as part of their unit on Renewable Resources and Sustainable Use. Seqwater staff member Leonie discussed why dams are important, and led our students to test the water quality and to treat the water before we use it in our homes. The gate in the dam wall releasing water was the experience of the day.
Year 7 Religious Education classes recently participated in an excursion to St Finbarr's church. Through a process of inquiry, students explored the church to find examples of liturgical colours, symbols, words and objects as well as analysing the church’s design. With guidance from their teachers, students enhanced their classroom learning about Catholic expressions of faith and the particular character of St Finbarr’s in its role in the parish and Archdiocese. We are grateful to Jubilee parish for their ongoing support of this excursion.
Congratulations to Year 10 Visual Art student, Isla for receiving a high commendation for her profoundly reminiscent artwork, Evocation in the 2022 Brisbane Portrait Prize competition, Next Gen. category. Isla’s artwork can be viewed in their foyer of Gardens at 111 Eagle St, Brisbane in an exhibition of highly commended works from this prestigious art competition.
Extract from Isla’s artist statement - “As a repeating immigrant to Brisbane with my roots in Ireland, I find my identity is conflicted between these opposing cultures. The memories of my childhood years spent in both places evoke gratitude for having experienced two rich cultures, but also melancholy for feeling not fully Irish and not fully Australian. These emotions often surface from memorabilia, alluded to through the positioning of the subject to be looking in an obscured box, challenging the audience to contemplate the sentimental value of the item… my self-portrait explores introspection, fractured identity, and the longing to feel a sense of belonging, and how nostalgic objects bring these feelings to the fore.”
Year 9 French students experienced a little slice of France when they visited French pâtisserie/brasserie Mica. The students tasted and savoured delicacies such as croissants, pain au nutella, éclairs au chocolat and brioches. Délicieux!
We are very proud of our Year 7 Readers Cup team, consisting of Emily, Lucy, Chelsea and Olivia, who competed in the Interschool Readers Cup Competition. For the first time in three years, schools were once again able to gather at Hillbrook Anglican School where they were quizzed on their knowledge of the five novels everyone had been set to read over the last term. It was a great night of friendly rivalry, as the leader board changed after each round. By the end of the evening, our students did a great job in coming 6th place against many competitive teams.
Year 11 Biology students began their exploration of Biodiversity in Unit 3. This is the first time that ecological sampling techniques and measurements were applied by the students. They explored how the presence of lichens was affected by the availability of sunlight by using simple quadrats on trunks and branches. They took a real “lichen” to this activity as it allowed them to practice important skills discussed in class.
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.
Meetings
AGM: Monday 7 November - 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
Nominations for our Parents and Friends Association 2023 Committee Executive are NOW OPEN. All positions are declared vacant.
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)
Term 1
Tuesday 24 January – Friday 31 March
Term 2
Monday 17 April – Friday 16 June
Term 3
Monday 10 July – Friday 15 September
Term 4
Tuesday 3 October – Friday 24 November (Years 7-11)
The Non State Schools Transport Assistance Scheme provides financial assistance for families transporting students to non-state schools in Queensland. To find out more about eligibility requirements click here: https://www.schooltransport.com.au/
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
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
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.
In consideration for our neighbours, where possible please avoid leaving your motor running, especially when parked outside a home.
Mt St Michael's College - MSM News
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Mt St Michael's College
67 Elimatta Drive
Ashgrove, QLD 4060
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