One of beautiful traditions of MSM that keeps us well connected to the Sisters of Charity is that the Sisters write letters to the new students when they begin their journey at MSM. The Year 7 students receive their letters early in Term 1 and this year the Year 5 students received a special prayer card that was designed by Sr Anne Taylor.
When I commenced as Principal of the College in 2017, a copy of the letters that the Sisters provided to our Year 7 students was shared with me. Two of the letters were from Sisters who were MSM Alumni, Sr Anne Crowley and Sr Margaret Mines. As the “new” Principal the letters helped me to understand some of our precious history and most importantly what these Sisters wanted our students to receive from their education at MSM; to make the most of every opportunity offered, develop strong friendships and foster a strong sense of connection to the College. I will be reflecting on this as I watch the CaSSSA Cross Country team compete today.
Sadly, both remarkable women have passed in very recent years, but their legacy will live on. I humbly share these letters with our community as we continue to reflect on 100 years “In faith and love”.
Dear New Year 7 Student,
Welcome to Mt St Michael’s. I hope your years at the college will be as happy as mine were when I was a student there more than sixty-seven years ago! Soon after the Sisters of Charity came to Brisbane at the invitation of the Archbishop in 1925 to work in the new parish of Ashgrove, they began teaching in the newly built St Finbarr’s primary school. They also set up a classroom in the convent, the beautiful old house ‘Grantuly’ which is now used by the college administration. The sisters taught secondary classes there until 1942 when Mt St Michael’s was opened in the building that faces Elimatta Drive. To swell the student numbers, the college for the first year only enrolled a Grade Six class. Most of the students were from St Finbarr’s. I was one of them and so became a pioneer student of MSM. Some years after leaving school I became a Sister of Charity and on two occasions, twenty years apart I lived at the convent while teaching at Mater Dei, Ashgrove West. To see what a great and happy college MSM has become delights me. I hope you find it so and enjoy your studies, make pleasing friendships and use all the opportunities the college offers.
May God Bless you
Sr Anne Crowley RSC
Sr Anne Crowley passed away on 21 October 2023. She was a member of the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity Australia for 69 years.
Dear New Students at Mt St Michael’s,
It is many years since I was a student at Mt St Michael’s. At that time the College was much smaller in every way. The wonderful old building “Grantuly” is now the Administration Centre for the school, but then it was the Convent where the Sisters of Charity lived. Until last year I lived in a house behind the college. I now live in at Enoggera. The building on the corner of Aloomba and Elimatta Drive was our only building then, and now it is dwarfed by the wonderful constructions that have since been erected. We were few in number, compared to the many girls who are now amongst the wonderful group who will welcome you to Mt St Michael’s, and who will mentor and befriend you as you find your way in this great new adventure of community and learning at Mt St Michael’s in 2017. “Our Class” are still in contact with each other after sixty-seven or so years, and at least once a year we meet to have lunch and chat about what has been happening in our lives since we last met. Friendships are treasured over the years, and I feel sure you will be delighted with the new friends you will meet in the next little while. Not long after I left Mt St Michael’s, I became a Sister of Charity, and have taught in many schools in Sydney and Melbourne, but dearest to my heart were the years I taught at St Finbarr’s, Ashgrove and at Mater Dei Ashgrove West. During those years I lived in beautiful Grantuly, and felt very much at home, watching the progress of Mt St Michael’s as it grew and expanded. It has been a great joy to me to come to various events at the college and I always feel part of the Mt St Michael’s Community. Quite often, I meet people in different walks of life, who when they hear my name and that I am a Sister of Charity they ask if I know Mt St Michael’s. They are proud to tell me of their time at school, and how they loved their time there, and how well their studies and co-curricular activities prepared them for their future life. Like them, I hope you will enjoy the years ahead as you now start this exciting time of discovery, of exploration, of possibility, and of promise. May you be blessed in your time at Mt St Michael’s.
Sr Margaret Mines RSC, OAM
Sr Margaret Mines passed away on 12 June 2021. She was a member of the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity Australia for 69 years.
In Faith and Love
Sharon Volp
2025 YEAR 5 GRANDPARENTS' MORNING
We look forward to welcoming Grandparents of our Year 5 students for a very special Grandparents’ Morning on Wednesday 4 June. This event is an occasion for our Junior School students to share their new school environment with their beloved grandparents and create treasured memories together.
MSM CENTENARY GALA DINNER
Have you purchased your tickets for the MSM Centenary Gala Dinner on Saturday 26 July at The Star Brisbane? Take the opportunity to celebrate this momentous milestone and indulge in a sumptuous two course dinner, dessert, five hour drink package, live entertainment and more for a night to remember. Book your tickets now!
MSM FOUNDATION PRESENTS CAREER CONVERSATIONS BREAKFAST WITH MSM ALUMNI BREAKFAST
Tickets are on sale NOW for the MSM Foundation Career Conversations with MSM Alumni Breakfast on Wednesday 18 June, 6:45 – 8:15am. Join MSM Alumni for a light breakfast and gain insight into their personal journey from MSM to their chosen career pathway. Throughout the morning you and your student will be given the opportunity to speak to several Alumni from varied industries in a speed networking format. This event is open to all MSM students, regardless of year level. Bookings are essential and ticket sales will close on Friday 13 June at 4pm.
MSM CENTENARY MASS - SAVE THE DATE
Save the date! We warmly invite all members of the MSM community, past and present to join us for the 2025 MSM Centenary Mass on Friday 25 July to celebrate 100 years of educating in faith and love.
A heartfelt thank you goes out to the Dance teachers, Ms Paterson and Ms Humbler, as well as the coaches, for their outstanding efforts. We also extend our gratitude to the parents who came along to support the performers, and to the staff members - Ms Statham, Mr Watson, Ms Danby, and the maintenance team whose hard work ensured the evening’s success.
Thank you to their coach, Dr Blackburn, for guiding the teams to success, and to Ms O’Neill and Mrs Desailly for supporting the students throughout the competition and for their contributions in marking school team results on the day.
National Sorry Day is a day for mourning, but it is also a day to acknowledge the resilience of our First Nations people, and for all of us to commit to reconciliation work. This year, a number of our Year 12 students and members of our Social Justice Council proudly attended the Teralba Park Morning Ceremony on National Sorry Day, where they heard the stories of survivors and laid a wreath on behalf of the College at the Stolen Generations memorial.
Double Denim Dress Up Day for Project Providence
Congratulations to our Year 12 students for organising a very successful dress up day to raise funds for Project Providence. MSM was a sea of blue-on-blue as staff and students donned double, triple and even quadruple denim! Our community raised an impressive $1,041 for Project Providence - enough to cover the costs of one full year of education for one of the girls we are supporting.
MSM Chop
Our Community is counting down to next week's MSM Chop. We thank and congratulate our Year 12 students who have been growing their hair in preparation for this event, and the wider Year 12 cohort who are planning a special market to support this event. If you would like to show your support for our students, please consider donating via our College Website payments portal. Donations can be made until the end of this term.
Sisters of Charity Centenary Display
We congratulate the Sisters of Charity on opening their special Centenary Display chronicling their ministry in Queensland. The Sisters officially opened their display on 24 May, and it is open to visitors until the end of July. You can visit the display on Level 2 of St Vincent's Private Hospital, Kangaroo Point.
Centenary Mass: Save the Date
Preparations are underway for our special Centenary Mass, to be held as part of our Mary Aikenhead Day celebrations on Friday 25 July. The Mass will be held in the auditorium at the Riverlife Centre in Seventeen Mile Rocks. This larger venue allows us to accommodate a limited number of family members and alumni. As seating is limited, family members and alumni who wish to attend will need to register for a free ticket. Further information about this Mass and the process for booking tickets will be sent to families via email next week.
The Junior School has been a busy, vibrant space over the past fortnight! Along with continuing with our engaging units of learning, Year 5 students have been involved in a variety of exciting curricular and co-curricular experiences.
Queensland Cup Netball Competition
Ten of our students eagerly participated in the QC Netball Competition on Monday 19 May. The girls trained hard in preparation for the event, and it was pleasing to hear how well they worked as a team when playing against other primary-aged students. Thank you to Mrs Kay Roy, Ms Jane Tesch and the girls’ coach, Sophie, for their encouragement and support of our young netballers.
National Simultaneous Storytime
Last Wednesday, our Year 5 students participated in the National Simultaneous Storytime event, which is held annually by the Australian Library and Information Association. Every year, a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, is read simultaneously in schools, libraries, bookstores and homes across Australia and New Zealand. This year, the picture book was “The Truck Cat” by Deborah Frenkel and Danny Snell. After reading the book, the Year 5 students engaged in a follow-up activity that has become part of a colourful visual display in the College Library. We extend our thanks to Ms Rita Archard and the Library staff for their preparation and support of this event.
YEAR 10 GEOGRAPHY EXCURSION - INVESTIGATING HUMAN IMPACT ON MORETON BAY
Year 10 Geography students recently explored Moreton Bay as part of our Human Impact on Moreton Bay unit, gaining firsthand insight into environmental challenges facing this important local ecosystem.
Aboard The Inspiration, a 12-metre catamaran, students worked closely with educators from the Moreton Bay Environmental Centre and our Ms Mcmaster and Ms Brydon, to examine key environmental challenges affecting the region. Equipped with scientific instruments and guided by expert insights, they collected vital data on water quality, marine biodiversity, and human-induced pressures on the bay.
We look forward to seeing how their research informs future discussions and inspires action towards the protection of Moreton Bay.
DRAMA CLUB PERFORM AT SISTERS OF CHARITY CENTENARY EXHIBITION
On Saturday 24 May the Drama Club students performed at the Sisters of Charity 2025 Centenary Exhibition at St Vincent’s Hospital. They performed three of the vignettes, unique to Mt St Michael's College that will be part of the Mary Aikenhead celebration in July.
Sr Cate O’Brien described the launch of the Exhibition Ceremony as very moving, 100 years to the day, and the exhibition itself far surpassed anything she had imagined.
Congratulations to Year 11 student Bayla, who competed in the Gymnastics Senior State Championships last week at Level 7. Bayla competed well and had a very successful meet achieving silver for her floor routine, 5th place on balance beam and 6th place overall.
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.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: SISTERS OF CHARITY CENTENARY EXHIBITION 24 MAY-6 JULY
Are you passionate about history and sharing its stories? We’re looking for volunteers with a connection to the Sisters of Charity and an interest in history to assist with the Sisters of Charity Centenary Exhibition at St Vincent's Private Hospital, 411 Main Street, Kangaroo Point.
The exhibition will run from 25 May to 6 July, between 10 AM and 3 PM (3-4 hour shifts). If you’re interested in being part of this meaningful event, we’d love to hear from you.
Email Lisa Eastment : lisa.eastment@svha.org.au
Thank you for your support!