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Issue 12: 18 August 2016

Coming Events

AugustFriday, 19

Water Polo Trials U18: 3.15 pm - 4.30 pm

Sunday, 21

Ashgrove Literature Festival and Book Week

Monday, 22

CaSSSA Cup Athletics Yrs 8 & 10 attending

CaSSSA Trimester 3 sport training commences

Year 9, 10, 11 2017 Subject selections due

Ronald McDonald House 3 pm - 4.30 pm

Tuesday, 23

CaSSSA Cup Athletics results HR

Met North Athletics @ UQ

Water Polo trials 1 U12: 4 pm - 5.30 pm

Wednesday, 24

Met North Athletics @ UQ

Thursday, 25

Met North Athletics @ UQ

Senior Drama Production

Art Installation Ionian Foyer

St Joseph’s visit 3 pm - 4.30 pm

Dear Parents, Friends, Staff and Students,

In July as we commenced Term 3, I reflected that in the context of the whole year we are in the third movement of a great symphony and indeed as the month of August unfolds, these words are coming to life. This week we are celebrating Science week and next week it will be Book Week with students attending multiple activities both within and external to the College. For all students and staff we are moving into an important assessment period, and within this mix our Year 12s are also completing final preparations for the QCS test. I know that they are ready to give their very best to the QCS test at the end of the month.

The Catholic Music Festival, held over four days following the Exhibition holiday, has become the premier music event of its kind in the Asia Pacific region. We had over one hundred and sixty students from Year 7 - Year 12 performing in choirs, ensembles, along with the College Band and Orchestra. It was a pleasure to mix with parents, to hear our students perform so capably, with obvious enjoyment. Congratulations to all our students, music staff and Director of Music, Ms Miriam Townsley. Well done!

Our Aerobics performers continue to shine with the Mt St Michael’s team recently competing in the State Championships and achieving outstanding results across all levels of the competition. Subsequently, we have almost fifty students competing in the national titles in Bendigo in the last week of the term in September. This includes every team member which is an amazing achievement! Congratulations to all the team members, to Ms Pickering and her coaches.

One of our favourite days of the year is on the horizon with the CaSSSA Athletics Carnival next Monday. We know our athletes have been committed to training over the past months and once again we have assembled a highly talented and well coached team. They are fit and healthy and ready to go! Our head coach Eric Brown is currently in Rio supporting his athletes who are competing at the Olympics, the very highest level of competition. He will return to Brisbane to be with us on Monday.

Water Polo Trials 2 U12: 4 pm - 5.30 pm

Friday, 26

Senior Drama Production

P&F Ladies Lunch

Monday, 29

Ronald McDonald House 3 pm - 4.30 pm

P&F Meeting 6 pm

Alumni Assoc Mtg 7 pm

Tuesday, 30

Year 12 QCS Test

MSM Reads Yrs 7 - 11 pd1

Staff Professional Learning

Wednesday, 31

Year 12 QCS Test

Year 10 Welcome to VETiS seminar 12.15 pm - 3.30 pm

CaSSSA Trimester 3 Round 1

SeptemberThursday, 1

Mitchelton Special School visit 3 pm - 4.30 pm

Friday, 2

Arts Festival

Sunday, 4

Fathers Day

Monday, 5

Year 11/12 exams commence this week

Water Polo training commences

Tuesday, 6

Staff Professional Learning

Music Soiree 3 Ionian Ctr 6 pm

Wednesday, 7

CaSSSA Trimester 3 Round 2

Sunday, 11

MSM v Stuartholme Water Polo carnival @ Stuartholme

In the middle of August whilst our students enjoy the luxury of a three day break with the Exhibition holiday, the two student free days provide valuable professional learning time for our staff. All teaching staff participate, working in collaborative teams, marking questions on the SRI (Short Response Item) from the QCS Simulation paper, which our students completed in July. This enables the QCS teaching team to provide specific feedback to Year 12s prior to the test and it also gives teachers the opportunity to understand the nuances of the learning tasks of the QCS paper, along with the learning strengths and areas for development of our students. On Friday we continue to work collaboratively, sharing best practice of classroom work, in alignment with our MSM Pedagogical Framework which we launched at the beginning of this year.

This time last year we announced through the College Board that we were commencing a process to develop the College Master Plan 2015 – 2025. Working with our architects m3architecture, we have a very inspiring vision that is taking shape, attending to both the learning priorities in our educational facilities along with the aesthetics of our unique campus. At the August meeting with the Parents and Friends we will be presenting the developing design and concepts for further discussion and consultation. This work is very exciting as we dream of what the College will look like when we celebrate our 100th anniversary and the years beyond.

Let the symphony continue!

Sincerely,Alison TerreyPrincipal

Website AlertAll students this week have been informed and warned about a “message chat forum” that contains provocative and naked images of girls where photos have been forwarded on by others, mostly teenage boys. These images are shared by teenage boys in an online message forum. The majority of young women being targeted are unaware of it, as these images can be copied from other social media sites or passed on in other ways. Our Year Co-ordinators will also be talking to the girls about ensuring their safety and not leaving themselves vulnerable.

This has been in the news this week. Police are currently investigating this highly offensive website in the form of a “message chat forum” (specific site name not provided), which features naked photos of teenage girls, some with their names, so others can rate them.

Police state that a minimum of 70 schools around Australia have been identified with people requesting photos to be uploaded. Education Queensland and education departments in other states are working with police on this matter.

It is important that parents reinforce with their daughters the dangers and potential implications of producing/sending provocative or naked images of themselves to boys. Girls need to understand that if they send any inappropriate photos of themselves to anyone in an electronic form, these images can be passed onto other people/sites that have no knowledge about, and they then find themselves in a difficult situation in terms of having these photos removed. Girls need to protect their identity and reputation, as this could have repercussions later in life for them when they apply for jobs.

Web

site

Alert

Letter from the Chair of the Board

5 August 2016

Dear Members of the Mt St Michael's College Community

On behalf of the Board of Mt St Michael's College, I write to announce the appointment of Ms Sharon Volp as Principal, commencing in 2017.

Sharon will take on this role at our College, following the retirement of Ms Alison Terrey.

Sharon is currently Principal at Chanel College in Gladstone and commenced this leadership position in 2008. Chanel College is a Catholic co-educational college, built on the traditions of the Mercy Sisters and the Marist Brothers, and has 497 students.

Under Sharon's leadership Chanel College has developed and implemented an $8,600,000 masterplan, introduced The Art and Science of Teaching as a pedagogical framework and upgraded ICT facilities. Sharon has almost three decades of teaching experience including nine years at Cannon Hill Anglican College in Morningside where she held a number of senior roles. These included Dean of Strategic Management & Staff and Dean of Curriculum & Planning.

Sharon's tertiary education includes a Master of Education – Science and Educational Administration, an Executive Master of Business Administration (both from QUT) and she is currently enrolled in a Master of Educational Leadership at the Australian Catholic University.

Sharon's appointment was made after an extensive Australia-wide recruitment process undertaken by the Board, working with a specialist recruitment firm. The position of Principal of Mt St Michael's was advertised widely and attracted strong interest from candidates.

A core criterion for the role is an understanding of and commitment to live the mission of our College in the tradition of the Sisters of Charity, operating under the care of Mary Aikenhead Ministries.

Sharon brings to the role of Principal at Mt St Michael's a strong commitment to faith and to providing exceptional educational outcomes for all students. She is focused on staff professional development, leadership development and student and staff well-being.

Sharon will continue to build on Alison's excellent work at Mt St Michael's as a faith filled leader and educator. Over the past 15 years Alison has lead and developed an outstanding team and together they have lifted student outcomes in the academic, cultural and sporting arenas.

We are delighted that Sharon is joining Mt St Michael's and we look forward to welcoming her to our wonderful community.

Sincerely

Mr David Thornton Chair of Board Mt St Michael's College