As the term draws to a close, our Middle School assemblies have become a much-anticipated tradition, showcasing the incredible talents of our students. These assemblies are not just a celebration of the academic achievements but also a platform for students to express their creativity and skills in various forms.

Participating in these assemblies provides students with the opportunity to build confidence and develop their public speaking and performance skills. It also fosters a sense of community as students come together to support their peers.

At this week's Middle School Assembly, the Middle School Choir started with a wonderful performance, singing 9 to 5 by Dolly Parton, followed by Language students presenting all things cultural during Term 3. Year 7 HPE students performed two gymnastics routines and Year 9 Altitude Day participants shared insights from their leadership experience and how we can all achieve greatness if we work together. 

This time of term can also be a demanding week for many of our students as they continue to complete assessments. Our teachers and staff are always available to provide support to assist students in the final weeks of Term 3.

Child Protection Week
This week is National Child Protection Week, with the theme: ‘Every conversation matters’. Conversations are powerful tools to help us understand issues and keep young people safe and well. The Child Protection Week website at NAPCAN has many useful resources to assist parents with having a conversation.

We wish all our students a well-deserved rest over the holiday break and thank all our parents, teachers and staff who continually encourage our students to achieve their best in all areas of College life.

Acknowledgement of Service at MSM: Urget and Service Awards
As we approach MSM Celebrates and our Co-curricular Awards Season, we look forward to celebrating the many accomplishments of our students. This year, we are making some changes to the ways that we acknowledge excellence in service at the College, with the introduction of two new awards. We have made these changes to allow us to more fully recognise the exceptional contributions that our students make to our community service and outreach programs, mindful that many of these students are not publicly recognised for their service.

The two new awards are:

The Urget Award:
Taking its name from the motto of the Sisters of Charity, Caritas Christi Urget Nos, ‘urget’ means to compel or move forward. The Urget Award is awarded to students who carry forth the mission of the Sisters through exceptional, sustained commitment to the mission and service life of the College. Open to students in Years 10 – 12, this award is given to students who have completed a minimum of 40 hours of service to College-based mission activities across at three-year period, including:

• CAN Groups
• Leadership of liturgical and prayer experiences
• Outreach programs, such as Rosies and St Vincent’s Aged Care Visits
• Service at College Events, such as Open Evening and Orientation Day
• Attendance at Community Events, such as ANZAC Day, the Luminous Lantern Parade and the Teralba Park Sorry Day Ceremony.

As the premier service award at the College, Urget Awards are presented to students at MSM Celebrates.

MSM Service Award:
MSM Service Awards recognise the annual commitment that students make to the Community Action Network (CAN) Program. Students who have completed a minimum of 5 hours of service to a CAN group across the course of one year will be awarded a Service Award. Students who have met this criteria for more than one CAN group will be given a Service Award for each eligible group.

We look forward to congratulating all Urget and Service Award recipients in Term 4.

Donation Request: Sports Boots for Remote Indigenous Communities
Thank you to our Environment Group, whose recent shoe donation drive concluded last week. We are busily preparing to send the donations to Micah Projects, where the shoes will be given loving second homes.

Our friends at Marist College Ashgrove, who joined us in this campaign, have identified an additional need for specialty sports shoes (football, cricket and soccer) for young people living in remote Indigenous Communities. There are boys boarding at Marist who would be delighted to take donated shoes home to their communities. If your family has any surplus sports shoes that you would like to donate, please drop them into MSM Reception.

Season of Creation:
The month of September is proclaimed by the Catholic Church to be the Season of Creation, a time where we acknowledge and give thanks for the gift of our planet and commit to caring for our common home.

The Sisters of Charity have felt a strong call to respond to the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor, and have committed to the principle of integral ecology, establishing a Care for our Common Home Committee and releasing the document The Congregation and Laudato Si in March 2023, outlining the practical steps the congregation is taking to live the principles of Laudato Si.

The Season of Creation challenges all of us to consider how we might walk gently on this land. The Catholic Bishops offer this prayer:

Buddies are House Sisters!
As part of our Year 7 and 11 Positive Education Programme, the Year 10 students began their transition into more senior roles at MSM and last Friday, they came together on a student free day to welcome their 2025 Year 7 House Sister as Buddies. After a briefing in the Auditorium, the Year 10 students waited eagerly for the Year 6 students to be teamed with a House Sister. Prior to this event, the Year 10 students wrote welcome cards and prepared packs with resources that were presented to their buddies. Breaking into House groups, they engaged in icebreaker and “getting to know you” activities and ended the session with a joyous Just Dance. In just one short hour new friendships and positive relationships were made and will continue to be strengthened over the next two years as the House Sister Buddies sessions unfold. (Mrs Paula Brydon, Year 10 Pastoral Leader)

Timely and Very Friendly Reminders
Over the holidays, please check that your daughter’s totes are in a state of both presentable form and structural function. If this is not the case and your daughter would still like to use a tote, please purchase a replacement one from the Kaf at your earliest convenience. Additionally, laptops and laptop bags are NOT to be carried in totes as any damage incurred will not be covered if this is the case.

Mobile phones are NOT to be used for making payments at the Kaf. As with many other schools, students must pay using either their student ID cards or a flexischools account. If you have not set this up for your daughter as yet, please do so before the beginning of Term 4.

Please be aware that any new or current piercings beyond the one earring in each ear lobe must be removed for the return to school. Additionally, any current small hoops must fit WITHIN a five-cent piece and NOT be any wider than 2mm. Despite being very stylish, tear drop, diamond alternatives do not fit within the uniform and presentation guidelines.
 
Surviving (and enjoying) the Holidays
As we near the end of the school year we are faced with the experience of excitement and celebration in the midst of the challenges associated with finalising assessment and battling fatigue. Our students are embracing this time for what it is and are undoubtedly focused on the finish line. For many parents the holiday period is a special time to reconnect as a family and with friends. It can also present challenges in supporting our children in how they spend their leisure time and with whom. Please be assured that you are not alone in this and yes, we all experience parenting challenges from time to time. The current advice from family and adolescent psychologists in brief is:

• Be present. Your daughters may not tell you, but they really do want and need you to spend quality time with them.
• Be the parent. It is okay to disagree with your child, they need guidance, advice, and boundaries.
• Be consistent. Boundaries have little value if they are not constantly restated and reinforced.
• Be persistent. Teenagers forget, make mistakes, and have a natural urge to push boundaries, keep insisting on the limits you set.

Remember to be kind to yourself and know that parenting can be a tough road at times but is a most rewarding journey. From one parent to another: Best of luck!

As we approach the end of Term 3, Year 12 students are completing their mock examinations, finalising their QTAC applications and preparing for their final term at the College. At the same time, our students in Years 7 – 10 have been engaged with their Term 3 assessment and our Year 11 students are completing their Unit 2 examinations. As this is the last unit of formative assessment, it is important that any Year 11 student considering a change of subject contact Mrs Kean before the end of the term to discuss any potential senior pathway change.
 
I would like to wish our students all the very best for a well-deserved September break. I strongly encourage our Year 12 students to take time to rest in this upcoming holiday break but also ensure that they continue with their focused revision in preparation for their external examinations in Term 4. This revision should not take their entire holiday time but should be factored into their break as they need to stay connected with their learning. I also recommend that all students unplug from their devices, read a novel of their choice for enjoyment, get some fresh air and re-charge over the holiday break. I look forward to seeing all students back safe and sound at the College on Monday 30 September ready for their final term in 2024.