I would like to sincerely thank our staff, students and parents/caregivers for your understanding and support during our school closures on Thursday 6, Friday 7 and Monday 10 March. Unfortunately, the College sustained water damage to several buildings with the Student Wellbeing Centre being significantly affected. As a result, we have temporarily relocated the Pastoral Leaders to the Arts Precinct and the College Counsellors to the Library. Rooms A12 and A14 were also impacted, and we have reassigned classes to other rooms as a short-term solution. I understand that this has caused some disruption, and I appreciate the flexibility and patience shown by everyone as we work to repair these areas.
The arrival of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred not only had an impact on our buildings, but also some College events. Our Foundation International Women’s Day High Tea was originally scheduled for Friday 7 March and was rescheduled to last Friday 14 March.
It was wonderful to see 302 mothers, daughters, grandmothers, and other significant family members come together to celebrate the UN Women Australia theme “March Forward”. Our Senior Strings Ensemble, conducted by Ms Miriam Townsley, set a festive tone for the afternoon. The guest speaker was Tracey Porst, owner of The Fair Trader. Her business sources artisan made products which are sold on-line providing regular and sustained employment for the producers, a wage which enables them to survive and thrive and an investment into the producer’s local community. A common theme throughout Tracey’s presentation was “women’s economic empowerment” – a theme that nicely compliments our whole school giving project this year “Project Providence”.
This year’s event had a special centenary flavour with the inclusion of a uniform parade. Student models Tully, Maggie, Tilly and Anika proudly circulated around the Sophia Centre wearing the 1962 sports uniform, the 1970 sports uniform, the 1980s formal uniform and our current uniform. This year’s ticket price also included a special centenary cup and saucer, embossed with our centenary logo accompanied by “Centenary Cookies” which were generously donated by the Alumni.
I thank members of our MSM community for your support of our raffle which raised $4,500 for our “Light the Way” Capital Campaign. I would especially like to acknowledge our generous donors for providing prizes for the raffle and Lucky Door prizes. A full list of these businesses is included in this newsletter. Please support the businesses that support us!
The CaSSSA swimming carnival was another event that was rescheduled due to the weather event. On Monday our swimming team, including our Year 5 students, excitedly boarded the bus after a great send off from the students. Competition in the pool was fierce, with no school really dominating the carnival. I was so proud of the swimmers who represented MSM with courage and tenacity. We were delighted to come home with the Percentage Cup. Thank you to Ms Roy, Ms Tesch and our coaches for your commitment to the team throughout the swimming season. Congratulations to the team and I encourage you to read Ms Roy’s article for further details.
I would also like to congratulate our Year 5, 7 and 9 students for their active participation in the recent NAPLAN testing. Thank you to our Interact Students, with the support of Ms Devenish-Meares, who thoughtfully provided zooper doopers and ice blocks to students to celebrate the end of NAPLAN. These small acts of kindness were appreciated by the students.
I wish our students all the best for the final two weeks of term. It is a busy time with assignments and exams to be completed. Keep up the hard work!
In Faith and Love
Sharon Volp
'BACK TO MSM' REUNION DAY
We are looking forward to welcoming over 250 MSM Alumni to the Sophia Centre this Saturday afternoon for the 'Back to MSM' Reunion Day hosted in partnership with the MSM Alumni In.
MSM Year 5 Parents and Caregivers are warmly invited to join us for the 2025 Year 5 Parents "Twilight Drinks" event next Thursday, 27 March from 5 - 6:30pm in the Grantuly Courtyard. Bookings for this event close on Tuesday 25 March at 3pm.
Co-curricular Program
Our co-curricular program is extensive and inclusive across the areas of academic enrichment, The Arts and Sports. We aim to nurture students and facilitate a holistic development, watch students as they discover new passions, develop new talents and engage their minds. Each year our program offerings are responsive to the aspiration, curiosity and enjoyment of our students. As such they can vary depending on student interest, external bodies and competition offerings.
The Academic co-curricular program offers opportunities for highly committed and self-disciplined students to deepen their love of learning and capacity for critical thinking. Our Arts co-curricular program provides opportunities for students to participate in a wide range of artistic expressions where they develop confidence, learn to trust others, and take measured risks in their learning.
Sports teach important life lessons such as resilience, teamwork and leadership. Skills that are transferable to the classroom setting. Furthermore, several special interest groups such as Business, History, French, and Japanese support keen students in these subject areas to further enhance their experiences and knowledge in classroom learning.
Co-curricular activities also foster a sense of community and belonging, as students share their enthusiasm and delve deeper into subjects they love. As we move closer to the end of term, many co-curricular activities have been on offer, and we invite all students to join at least one activity.
Debating
Debating has had an extraordinary start to 2025, extraordinary in a whole sense of the word.
We have an impressive twelve teams competing across Years 7-12, with most teams being in Years 7 and 8 and promising a future robust debating culture.
Our Year 10 debaters – two teams – had a solid start to the season engaging with the challenging topic “That military leaders should be directly elected by citizens (whilst remaining subject to the authority of elected civilian leaders)”; last year’s grand finalists winning their argument, and a close loss for our other Year 10 team. In the Year 8 debaters first round, grappling with the very contemporary topic “That major tourist destinations should significantly limit the number of tourists that can visit (e.g. the Great Barrier Reef, Taj Mahal, Eiffel Tower).”; one of our teams emerged victorious, while two of our teams gaining vital experience in the art of argument with a close loss each.
The weather – which itself brooks neither contest not argument – blocked out the scheduled debates for Years 9, 11 and 12 and forced a delay but allowed for time to refine our reasonable points and sharpen our weapon-like pencils.
So, near the close of a chaotic Round One, MSM finds itself with a happy convergence of many debaters gaining experience and building toward a strong future in Debating (Mr Saunders).
Lent 2025: Archdiocesan Resources
As we continue on our journey of preparation for the blessings of Easter, the season of Lent is an opportunity to reflect, reset and commit to living with simplicity and hope. To assist, the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane has curated a wonderful series of short video reflections called Clear the Clutter. A new episode will be released each week in the lead up to Easter Sunday. You can access these reflections, and more, from the Archdiocesan Website: https://brisbanecatholic.org.au/gods-people/clear-the-clutter/
MSM Charity Ball Donations: Information for Year 12 Parents
The Charity Ball is a wonderful milestone event for our senior students. In keeping with our longstanding commitment to serve the poor, our community holds a Charity Ball in lieu of a Formal. Recognising that this event is a privilege, not a right, we invite our students to raise funds for Project Providence, supporting girls' education in Sub Saharan Africa.
We ask that students donate 2% of the total amount they spend on themselves (ticket, clothing, accessories, hair, makeup etc), as a way of demonstrating their commitment to our values and our shared vision for women's rights.
Information regarding the donation process can be found in the parent letter that Ms Lennon sent home earlier this term. We thank our Year 12 students and their families for their continued support of this important College tradition.
Work and Welcome
Staff at MSM have been long-term supporters of Multicultural Australia's Work & Welcome Program. This life-changing program encourages our staff to make a regular salary sacrifice, and the money is held in trust by Multicultural Australia. When we have amassed enough, the funds are used to pay the full time salary of a prospective jobseeker who has recently arrived in Australia. This person works at the College, using their gifts and skills to contribute to the community while improving English, confidence and adjusting to life in Australia. At the end of their contract, they are able to seek other work, leaving with an updated CV and a reference from the College. We have been fortunate to welcome many employees to the College over the past decade, and some have continued on in full time roles at the College. Each brings gifts, a willingness to work and an extraordinary story.
This term, we have been blessed to welcome Mr Rufin Kali to the College as a member of our Maintenance Team. Mr Kali originally comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo and spent many years as a refugee in South Africa. Mr Kali has been a wonderful asset to our Maintenance team, and we have thoroughly enjoyed working with him.
We thank all members of the College Staff who so generously contribute to Work and Welcome.
In an effort to build House and community spirit at MSM, we now have House Activities scheduled several times a year. During this time our girls engage in activities in groups with students across all year levels. Each session is designed to promote PERMAH, that is Positive emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Accomplishment and Health. PERMAH underpins our Positive Education Program and as such, these activities are complementary to that.
On Tuesday of this week, two Houses competed in a friendly and enthusiastic dodgeball game, whilst our other two Houses engaged in an Aikenhead themed trivia and a mascot designing competition. It was a wonderful opportunity to see our younger students led with such kindness and welcome by our older girls and a special mention goes to our Year 12 students and the House Captains. A big thank you to Ms Olivia Lennon and Mrs Natalie McMaster for their leadership and coordination of such a fruitful initiative.
Morning Attendance
At the College we are currently focusing on improving punctuality to school. From time to time students have legitimate reasons for lateness, however at times it is the result of disorganisation, or the prioritisation of socialising. In the event that your daughter is going to be late with your knowledge, please log the reason on Parent Lounge or email studentabsentees@msm.qld.edu. To ensure parents and caregivers are aware when their daughters are unexpectedly late, we are now sending an SMS out to families. If you receive an SMS, we encourage you to discuss with your daughter the importance of routine and punctuality as a life skill and expectation in the adult world.
Leaving College Grounds
It has been reported that some students are leaving the College after arriving at school to go to the coffee shop and petrol station. The College is providing students with very clear messaging that this is not allowed, and we would ask that you reiterate with your daughter the importance of remaining at the college to ensure their safety and supervision.
Year 7 – 12 Parent-Teacher Conferences
Parent-Teacher Conferences for students in Years 7 – 12 will be held on the following dates:
- Tuesday 22 April (8:30am – 4:30pm, online via Teams). Please note this is a student free day.
- Tuesday 6 May (3:30pm – 7:00pm, face-to-face in the Sophia Centre)
Bookings open on Monday 24 March at 8:30am and close on Friday 28 March at 3:00pm. Students are encouraged to attend alongside their parents or caregivers to take an active role in their learning journey. Booking details have been emailed to all families today.
Contacting Teaching Staff
Parents and caregivers are encouraged to maintain open communication with teaching staff throughout the year.
- For pastoral and wellbeing concerns, Homeroom teachers are the first point of contact.
- For curriculum or subject-specific matters, the relevant subject teacher should be contacted.
As subject teachers are in the classroom with students daily, they are best placed to provide insights into student learning, progress, and engagement.
How to Contact Teachers
Teacher contact details can be accessed via Parent Lounge:
➡ Student Details > Email Class Teachers > Select the teacher’s name
Maintaining strong communication between home and school ensures students receive the best possible support in their academic and personal development.
NAPLAN Online
Congratulations to all Year 5, 7, and 9 students for demonstrating excellent conduct and focus during NAPLAN online testing over the past two weeks. Their commitment to doing their best is commendable.
A special thank you to Ms Katie Jordan (Head of Junior School), Ms Alison Larkings (Program Leader – Middle School), Mr John Hamilton (Director of Innovation and Technology), and the IT Support Team for their meticulous planning, administration, and technical support throughout the testing period. Their efforts ensured a smooth experience for all students.
I look forward to reviewing the results and gaining further insights into our students’ literacy and numeracy development.
Elevate Education – Parent Webinar Series
This year, students in Years 7, 8, and 9 will take part in Elevate Education’s high-impact workshops, designed to strengthen their study skills, motivation, and exam preparation.
To support these efforts at home, parents are invited to attend the Elevate Education Parent Webinar Series, which provides practical strategies to reinforce students’ learning habits.
Upcoming Webinar – Term 1
How You Can Help Improve Your Child’s Memory
Tuesday 26 March, 6:30pm (AEDT)
This session will explore memory techniques that enhance retention and recall - key skills for effective studying and exam preparation.
Register here 👉 Elevate Education Parent Webinar Series
We encourage all parents to take advantage of these sessions to gain valuable insights into how they can support their child’s learning journey at home.
NAPLAN
Today, the Year 5 cohort completed their final NAPLAN test. We congratulate the Year 5 students for the diligence and resilience they displayed during the testing period. The College’s Interact Community Action Network Group rewarded the efforts of the Year 5 students after their final NAPLAN test with some treats. We thank Mrs Jo Devenish-Meares and the Interact students for this thoughtful initiative.
I would also like to sincerely thank the Year 5 teachers and the IT Department for expertly facilitating the NAPLAN testing in the Year 5 classrooms.
Year 5 MSM parents and caregivers are warmly invited to join us for the 2025 Year 5 Parents 'Twilight Drinks' event, next Thursday 27 March. The event will take place from 5.00pm to 6.30pm in the Grantuly Courtyard.
The $25 per person ticket includes feasting from the grazing table and a complimentary drink in your very own MSM reusable stemless wine glass! Tickets can be purchased here.
Please note that this evening of introductions and connections is for adults only. Bookings close on Tuesday 25 March at 3pm.
Our Year 5 Retreat Day will be held on Friday 28 March. Retreat Days are held annually and are an important part of your daughter’s formation journey. These special days are about rest, nurturing the soul and fostering strong relationships.
The theme of our Retreat will be How Far I’ll Go: embracing courage and hope. Through a series of games and activities, and using key messages from the Disney film Moana, the students will reflect on the challenges of beginning in a new school, and what it means to be a courageous and hope-filled person.
Please note that we do have an earlier commencement time of 8:15am on this day, to allow us to travel to the venue on hire buses. Please log in to Parent Lounge to give permission for your daughter to attend. You will find the Retreat listed under the "Events and Payments" section.
A tremendous thank you must go to our Dean of Faith and Mission, Ms Kate Simpson, for preparing this enriching Retreat experience for our Year 5 students.
Junior School Positive Behaviours for Learning Awards
Congratulations to the following students for receiving Positive Behaviours for Learning Awards at our Year 5 Assembly this week:
Matilda (5H) – You address all learning at MSM with diligence and care. Your work habits in the classroom allow you to complete tasks to the best of your ability and to seek out the next challenge. Your willingness to take on feedback allows you to produce work of a high standard. Keep up the great effort.
Mila (5H) – Congratulations on a positive start to your time at MSM. Mila, you demonstrate respectful behaviours in all that you do. Your willingness to listen attentively, help others, and show courtesy and respect to those around you is truly commendable. You should be very proud of the wonderful contribution you make to our class community.
Eilish (5L) – Your respect and inclusiveness for others in the classroom truly stand out in 5 Love. You consistently demonstrate kindness and empathy, making everyone feel valued and included. Your positive attitude and thoughtful approach to learning and teamwork set a wonderful example for others. Keep up the fantastic work!
Lucia (5L) - Your dedication and hard work as a diligent learner are truly inspiring. You approach every task with resilience and determination, never backing down from a challenge. Your ability to stay focused and persevere through difficulties shows incredible strength of character. Keep up the amazing work—you’re a true example of perseverance and determination!
Katie Jordan
Head of Junior School
AIKENHEAD DAY
Aikenhead Day was celebrated at MSM on Tuesday 18, March. Aikenhead House is named after our patroness, Mary Aikenhead, who started the Sisters of Charity in Ireland. Our Aikenhead House members drew on Mary's unique strength of spirit as they played a competitive game of dodgeball against Rush. They also celebrated their special day with a delicious slice of cake which was, by all accounts, a highlight.
This term, the Year 5 students are participating in a skipping unit in Health & Physical Education classes. Throughout the term, students will learn different skills that support their physical, social, and cognitive development. It will conclude with a performance where each group demonstrates their routine for the class. Skipping has a vast number of benefits including improved cardiovascular and bone health, muscle strength, endurance, co-ordination and agility. It also helps with focus and concentration and is a fun social activity, releasing endorphins that reduce stress and improve mood. Certainly, from the pictures, the Year 5 classes had lots of fun during this unit.
On Monday our swim team were delighted to have the opportunity to compete in the CaSSSA Cup Swimming carnival. This event was originally cancelled due to Cyclone Alfred and the team was very grateful for the opportunity to put their training and extreme effort to the test against our CaSSSA rivals at Chandler pool. The twilight carnival proved a hit, the team enjoyed a morning tea and College war cry with friends and staff before heading off to compete. We are so #MSMProud of every member of our team, all playing their part to bring home the Percentage Cup again in 2025 (pound for pound still the best 😉)! Shout out to our U12 team who finished in 2nd place and our U19 team who finished 3rd, as well as all team members who achieved personal bests throughout their events. We couldn’t ask for more than this from our team.
Congratulations to the new members of our team across all year levels, but particularly our Year 5 and 7 students, for some their first time experiencing the grandeur of the Sleeman Sports Complex and the roaring crowd. Their contribution to our team this year has created a thriving environment for all involved, coaches and staff included.
Ms Kay Roy
Director of Sport
2025 CASSSA SWIMMING TEAM
Esther B Hannah C Sophia C Lucia C Amelia E Matilda F
Mila F Charlee G Jojo L Audrey M Lily M Lily B
Scarlett E Nina J Sienna J Lily J Bonnie M Mila O
Pippa R Maddie R Amelia T Ivy B Paige C Frankie C
Ella E Harriet F Pippa F Eloise F Abigail K Lucy S
Amelie W Caoimhe W Xanthe B Zara C Montie F Ruth F
Asha F Myf J Edie L Maddy M Claire M Evalina M
Lilliana T Akaelah W Holly W Khloe E Georgia F Ivy K
Astrid L Lucy P Milly S Maddy S Zoe S Sophie Z
Halle B Chloe C Milla F Gabby F Chelsea F Sammy H
Siana O Freya O Lyla W Sarah W Charlotte W Izzy C
Annabelle C Jessica D Abi J Ruby M Paige M Makenzie S
Kate S Ruby S Chloe T Abbey W Zaylee S
Thank you to our MSM families who have purchased a heart in support of our Light the Way Capital Campaign.
Funds raised will be used to support college initiatives, ensuring that future generations of Mt St Michael’s students can receive the very best education.
All donations are tax-deductible and heart plaques will be mounted and blessed on Mary Aikenhead Day.
- “Back to MSM” Alumni Reunion Day – Saturday 22 March at MSM.
We look forward to welcoming back all MSM Alumni, current and multigenerational families for this day of celebration. Click here to book your tickets.
- Mary Aikenhead Day Mass – Friday 25 July at 12 noon.
All members of the MSM Community are invited to join us for this very special mass to be held at Riverlife Baptist Church.
- Centenary Gala Dinner - Saturday 26 July.
More details to come!
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
67 Elimatta Drive
Ashgrove, QLD 4060
Australia
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