"Let us pray for one another so that we may open our doors to the weak and poor." (Pope Francis). Students and staff at the College have participated in a number of events in the last two weeks fundraising for Caritas - with the period of Lent drawing closer to the most significant date of the Christian year, Easter, where we commemorate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

ATA Graduation - A number of our ATA staff are graduat-ing on Friday 24th March with a Diploma or Certificate III in Education Support. Congratulations to Annette Bedford, Marga-ret Bin Sali, Reannan Corpus, Sonny Dann, Joseph Davies, Tri-sha Francis, Julie Heffernan, Prince Dallas Hill, Kamurudin Hunter, Kelrick McKenna and Jayde Morris. Thank you to staff from St Mary’s College, CEWA Broome and Batchelor University for supporting our graduands. Our students ap-preciate the fine work and dedication of our ATA staff as their role models, and the graduation will inspire students to achieve their own personal goals in future.

Twilight Easter Reflection – Next Thursday March 30th commencing at 6:00pm, many students will be performing in this special liturgical reflection at the Holy Place located at the western end of the Primary Campus. Thank you to staff and students for your preparation and dedication to this very important event on our school calendar. All families of the College are encouraged to attend.

Stations of the Cross on Primary – Tuesday 4th April at 11:00 am all parents are invited to the Primary Campus Stations of the Cross. Students reflect on the story of Jesus Christ through drama and performance.

Stations of the Cross on Secondary – On Thursday 6th April, Sta-tions of the Cross will be prayed in all Religious Education classes on the Secondary Campus.

Interschool Swimming Carnivals – On Thursday 23rd March I had the wonderful opportunity to attend presentations for the Inter-school Primary Swimming Carnival at BRAC. It gives me great pleasure to announce that SMC Primary Swim Team were the over-all winners, for the third year in a row. Thank you to Mr Ed Connor and all staff and parents that assisted with this event. Well done to all students for participating and putting in your best efforts. Early this morning we farewelled our Year 7-12 Inter School Swimming Team for their carnival in Derby. We wish them eve-ry success and thank Mr Mark Dellar, HPE staff and other assisting staff for the preparation and encouragement of our team to swim their very best in Derby. Thank you for the great effort that each student representative of the Primary and Secondary Swimming Team makes to represent our school.

Student Representative Council - Congratulations to Year 7’s Neola Mawoya and John Hunger-Ford Morgan who were recently elected as the Year 7 SRC Representatives. My sincere thanks are extended to all Year 7 students who put themselves forward to represent their peers in the Year 7 elections. On Monday April 3 in Week 10, the Year 6-12 SRC students will be participating in a leadership seminar on the secondary campus after school followed by a SRC beach walk from Cable Beach to Gantheaume Point and ending with a BBQ and volleyball match.

New enrolments The College has recently celebrated a milestone of having 700 students enrolled. We welcome all new families to the college, and thank you for entrusting your child to our College to receive a quality Catholic education. We welcome new enquiries and enrolments, please contact our administration staff on 91949560 (Primary) or 91949504 (Secondary) for

further information.

ST MARY’S COLLEGE NEWSLETTER

Secondary Campus Administration 3 Port Drive, Tel: (08) 9194 9500 Fax: (08)

9192 1797 PO Box 100 Broome, WA 6735 Email: admin@stmarysbroome.wa.edu.au Website: www.stmarysbroome.wa.edu.au

This newsletter is also available on www.stmarysbroome.wa.edu.au

FROM THE PRINCIPAL Michael Pepper

Jesus, You had some special friends. Thank you for giving us our friends. Help us to treat them kindly. Show us how to care for them. Teach us all to be your friends. Amen

24 March, 2017

March/April 2017

Sacrament of Reconciliation Retreat Year 4 29th

Twilight Easter Reflection Holy Place 30th

Assembly 1E 31st

Sacrament of Reconciliation Liturgy at Notre Dame

9am 1st

Primary Stations of the Cross 11am 4th

PUPIL FREE DAY 7TH APRIL 7th

No. 4

Capital Works – As part of St Mary’s Capital Development Program, construction of new car parking facilities will commence during the Term 1 holidays in readiness for construction of the new staffroom, administration, double stream Kindergarten buildings and basketball courts on the Primary campus. All of these projects are scheduled to be completed in readiness for the 2018 school year.

Staffing -We welcome our new ATA Carlene Cox, who will be working in the Year 2 classroom. I will be taking Professional Renewal Leave for the first 5 weeks of Term 2 and I am pleased to announce that Mr Clem Mul-cahy will be the Principal during this period. Mr Mulcahy has over 30 years’ experience as a Catholic school principal and he is looking forward to working with staff and families of St Mary’s College. I am sure you will all make him very welcome.

St Mary’s College Staff, Board and P&F Sundowner – On the 31st March St Mary’s Staff, School Board and P&F are welcomed to attend the Term 1 Sundowner from 3:00pm to 5:00 pm. Please RSVP to Marie Little little.marie@cathednet.wa.edu.au

Fundraising Activities World’s Greatest Shave Last Friday morning, Lavinia McKenna from Year 4, bravely had her hair

shaved on stage at the Primary assembly to help fundraise for a cure for Leukaemia. Lavinia was supported on the day by many members of her family and all students from K-6. I encourage you all to support Lavinia

in support of this very worthy cause.

Caritas Disco

Over 200 students from Years 4-6 and Years 7-12 enjoyed a disco on the 17th March, with SRC students volunteering to run event. Thank you to our DJ’s

Dexter, Alex, James and Ainsley. Thank you also to our senior students Fran-cis, Abier, Taj, Leanne and Fynn who kept the students entertained and to all

Year 6-12 SRC members, Ms Betty’s VET students and to the many staff and parents who came along to support the Caritas fundraiser. Thank you also to

Notre Dame University for enabling the disco to be held in their beautiful air-conditioned hall.

Celebrating the Sacraments - Please keep our Pr imary students in your

prayers as they celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation and commit to their faith on April 1st at Notre Dame at 9am

Science and Engineering Challenge Coming up in Term 2 on the 25th and 26th May is the University of Newcastle 2017 Science and Engineering Challenge. Primary and Secondary Teams will

have the opportunity to participate in hands on science activities as part of this Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) outreach program

run by the University in most major centres throughout Australia. The Secondary event will be held on 25/5 and the Primary event will be held on 26/5 at the BRAC. St Mary’s has taken a lead role in organising this enriching learning event, and I am

very keen to hear from any interested parent volunteers who may be able to assist on the day between 8.30am and 2.30pm. You are invited to contact my PA Marie Little on 9194 9502 to register your interest to volunteer as a helper at the event. No previ-ous science experience is necessary and you are assured of a wonderful day assisting the students from all schools in Broome

and neighbouring Kimberley communities to enjoy a day of science and engineering fun filled challenges.

Interim Reports Secondary– Will go out in week 10 and the Parent/Teacher interviews will be Week 2, Term 2.

Ever since the BRAC pool has reopened in mid-February the students of St Mary’s Primary have been attending early morning training sessions twice a week. We have had a fantastic turnout to these training sessions, with about 40 students attending

regularly. This dedication and commitment really paid off as the swimmers on the day started strongly, touched the wall well, and displayed amazing techniques throughout the day – just a few of the things we had been working on at training.

We got off to a great start on the day and were neck and neck with Roebuck Primary all morning. Some inspirational swims in

the latter stages of the carnivals helped put us a little way in front of Roebuck but once again it would come down to the relays to decide the shield. The teamwork, camaraderie, and the cheering from the sidelines got our relay teams home and once again

helped bring home the silverware for St. Mary’s College. That is an incredible third time in a row for St Mary’s College Prima-ry Inter School Swimming Team!! What an astonishing effort!

The benefit of having the chance to train for the relays and fine tune our techniques at the early morning training sessions can-

not be underestimated; the competitors should be extremely proud of the way they prepared for this carnival and it was fitting that all of their hard work paid off. Every single person in the team contributed towards the victory and they should all be congratulated!

The early morning training sessions would not be possible without the help of the teachers who get up early to supervise and also the canteen staff and helpers who feed the hungry students a delicious breakfast when they return to school. This year, with the

help of the Sporting Schools Program we were also able to hire 2 swimming coaches to help train the students - a big thank you to Melissa Wilkinson and Ricinda Cook for coaching our students, and to Miss Brooke Whyte, Miss Philippa Mitchell, Miss

Hannah Davies, Miss Joselyn Taylor, Miss Kristy Francis and Miss Luilyn Wilson for helping with supervision and breakfast duties! A massive congratulations to every member of this champion team for such a fantastic effort! Also, congratulations to the

following students who also won medals for being champions in their age group.

Final points for the day were as follows:-

Student Age Group Medal

Olivia McMahon Year 3 Girls Runner Up

Willem Miedema Year 3 Boys Champion

Anika Unicomb Year 4 Girls Eq. Runner Up

Marley Weeding Year 4 Girls Eq. Runner Up

Lachlan Famlonga Year 4 Boys Eq. Runner Up

Safie Matthews Year 5 Girls Runner Up

Rachel Wilson Year 6 Girls Runner Up

1st St Mary’s College Primary

399 points

2nd Roebuck Primary School

335 points

3rd Broome Primary School

314 points

4th Broome North Primary School

166 points

5th Derby District High School

106 points

6th

Cable Beach Primary School

95 points

7th Holy Rosary Primary School

25 points

Year 3B

Last week we had our first chance in meeting with our Kindy Buddies! Year 3B went down to the Kindy classroom and spent two hours meeting, playing, learning and singing with their new little friend. All stu-dents from 3B and their Buddies were beautifully behaved and had a fantastic time. The 3B students really enjoyed being the "Big Buddy" for their first time and took the role really seriously. We are already look-ing forward to our next visit, thanks Miss Kristi and Mr Yoshi for such a wonderful experience!

Here are some things that we got to do with our buddies on Wednesday 15th March:

"We went riding on the bikes and made caterpillars with cardboard" Keanu and Orlando "We made mini critters and created caterpillars" Cleo and Michelle "We made some real leaf mandalas and read stories" Olivia and Demi

Clontarf Shield The Kimberley Clontarf Shield was held in Broome this week, with teams com-ing in from Karratha, Derby, Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek, Peninsular commu-nities and Kununurra. The carnival was a reward for the hard work shown by the students across the Term. The behaviour and spirit shown on the day was a reflection of the 'good bloke' status required to make Clontarf activities and camps. Congratulations to eventual winners Kununurra and well done to all award win-ners.

Did you know you can pay 2017 fees, including camps & exchanges, over the whole year? Yes – there is still time to set this up! You can spread this cost across the remainder of 2017, which is 36 weekly payments, 19 fortnightly payment, or 10 monthly payments provided you start soon! Please contact Amy Hyett to discuss the best option for you. Thanks in advance for those of you who have already established a payment arrangement, or have already paid your school fee account. Did you know we can establish a Centrepay arrangement to pay for education costs? In addition to bank transfer, BPAY, Direct Debit, Cash in person and Credit Card payments, we accept payment via Centrepay arrangements. Centrepay is a voluntary bill-paying service that is free for Centrelink customers. Use Centre-pay to arrange regular Deductions from your Centrelink payment. You can start or change a Deduction at any time. Do you hold a means tested Health Care Card or Pension Card?

Holders of eligible Health Care Cards and Pension Cards are eligible for a discounts on Tuition fees. The discounted fee covers tuition fees only. It does not cover additional charges such as camps, book hire, build-ing levy, insurance, subject levies. The school’s normal sibling discounts will continue to apply to the al-ready discounted amount.

What do I need to do to access this Scheme? To access the discount, parents/guardians will need to show a valid card to Amy Hyett, Business Manager. Please ensure that if you have been issued with a new card – please bring this in to Amy Hyett. Do we have a copy of your current card? In order to remain eligible for the discount, please ensure that you present us with a copy of your valid card. 2017 Secondary Assistance Scheme – applications close 7 April 2017 The State Government, through the Department of Education, provides financial support to eligible parents through the Secondary Assistance Scheme (SAS). The aim of the scheme is to assist low income families with secondary schooling costs. Eligible parents/guardians with students enrolled in Years 7 to 12 studying full-time secondary course at a WA pri-vate school will be able to apply for the SAS in 2017. The SAS consists of two allowances:

$235 Education Program Allowance (payment made to the school); and $115 Clothing Allowance (payment made to the parent/guardian). Parents/guardians in receipt of the ABSTUDY School Fees Allowance from the Department of Human Services (Centrelink) are not eligible for the SAS, but may apply for the ABSTUDY Supplement Allowance. Please refer to the Eligibility and Procedures and application forms on the website. What do I need to do to access the Secondary Assistance Scheme? To access the scheme, parents/guardians will need to show a valid card to Amy Hyett, Business Manager, and complete a simple form.

PARENTS AND FRIENDS ASSOCIATION Wow! The end of term is already in our thoughts and the school holidays are nearly here. I hope you have all had a great start to 2017. Our next meeting is on Tuesday 28 March and at this meeting we will be deciding how the funds raised from 2016 will be used at the college. We love lots of feedback at this meeting so if you think you could spare a little time on Tuesday night then please come along to Primary Staffroom, 7pm. Planning for Term 2 is underway and I have included a calendar of events so that you are aware of upcoming events. If you cannot attend a meeting then the calendar can give you other ideas for contributing to our efforts. Maybe you could donate a prize for the Mother’s Day Raffle or make some chilli chutney or a cake for our stall at Kimberley Camping and Outback Supplies on May 27.

P&F MYTHBUSTERS Do I need to be invited to a meeting to attend? NO WAY !!! Everyone is invited and wel-come

How do I find out things like planned renovations, events at secondary, or how P&F spend the fundraising? Come along to our next meeting or request the minutes of the meeting be emailed to you.

Will I be roped into fundraising if I attend a meeting? Absolutely not. We would love to have people attend so that we understand what the parents are thinking and wanting for our college community.

How can I ask the school leaders a question, voice my concerns or give feedback about great initiatives that are happen-ing at the college? Come along to a meeting or let me know and I can be your representative (my details are below)

Nat Giancono P&F President M 0400 431 976 E joeynat@bigpond.com TERM 2 – Calendar of Events

These new shade structures were purchased last year with funds provided by the P&F

4 May 7pm Tuesday P&F Meeting Primary Staffroom. Meet new people.

8-12 May Mother’s Day Raf-

fle

Tickets on sale all week.

12 May Friday Raffle Draw Mother’s Day Raffle Draw at assembly.

27 May Saturday Food Stall Kimberley Camping – Food Stall of cakes

and hot dogs.

20 Jun Tuesday P& F Meeting Primary Staffroom. Come along!

St Marys College invites Year 11

and 12 students, their parents,

guardians and grandparents to:

12th May 2017

Sam Male Room

Cable Beach Club

QUIZNIGHT TO BENEFIT THE

GRADE 6 CANBERRA CAMP

FUNDRASING

SAVE THE DATE

Saturday July 29th, 2017

Notre Dame University Table of up

to 8 $120 per Table

Access to Fortnightly newsletter online - http://www.stmarysbroome.wa.edu.au/home/newsletter/

St Mary’s College

Twilight Easter Reflection

Thursday 30th March 6:00pm Please assemble at the Holy Place

on the Primary Campus