On Wednesday 15 February, the college community celebrated the academic successes of the Class of 2022 with an assembly that included a range of special guests including the Governor of South Australia, Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson, the Honourable Joe Szakacs, MP, Mr Matt Cowdrey, OAM MP, Chair of St Michael’s Board, Mr Damien Foulis, Mr John Foley, Assistant Director – School Quality and Performance at CESA, Dr Tony Bourne and Mr David Bourne, as well as parents and friends of the 2022 cohort.

The number of awards reflected the abilities of this amazing group of young people.  The event culminated in the recognition of both the College Proxime Accessit, Jayden Nguyen with an ATAR of 99.6 and College Dux, Holly Dini with an ATAR of 99.85.  Holly was gracious in her recognition of the support she received from her teachers:

“I owe a big ‘thanks’ to all my Year 12 teachers…Ms Papuc, you inspired me…all I wanted from every test was to make you proud… Mr Karnas, thank you for reminding me that one bad grade is not the end of the world…Mrs James, thank you for your tolerance and patience in guiding me…and Mr Luppino, you not only taught our class Physics, but also many life lessons that I will carry on into the next chapter of my life…”.  

Holly encouraged our current student cohort to embrace every opportunity afforded them…”the opportunity to make lifelong friends…the opportunity to be part of something bigger…the opportunity to be inspired to do your best.”  To all our students, past and present, we encourage you to strive for success in all that you do.

Bron Kemp

Acting Deputy Principal

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Each year, St Michael’s College awards the Dr Jennifer Bourne Science Scholarship to students who have shown a keen interest in their scientific studies. This scholarship offers financial support for students to attend the National Youth Science Forum. The scholarship is generously donated and supported by the Bourne family in memory of Dr Jennifer Bourne, who was a celebrated Scientist and Board Member of St Michael’s College.

At the recent academic assembly, Dr Tony Bourne, Jennifer’s husband, and their son David, an Old Scholar from the Class of ’98, awarded the scholarship to two current Year 12 students, Hanno Haarhoff and Isla Allen. This scholarship enabled Hanno and Isla to attend the National Youth Science Forum.

Hanno and Isla attended the National Youth Science Forum over the summer holidays and reflected on their experience. According to Hanno, the NYSF provided a group-oriented atmosphere that allowed him to meet and connect with like-minded individuals who were passionate about science and technology. He found that many attendees had similar interests and experiences to his own, which made it easy to strike up conversations and form new connections. Hanno’s key takeaway from his time at the NYSF was the importance of taking the time to talk to others, even if it’s just to say hello or share a common interest.

Isla highly recommends the NYSF to anyone interested in STEM careers or hobbies. She found the experience highly valuable as it allowed her to explore a range of different types of science that she wouldn’t normally have pursued. Isla particularly enjoyed the microbiology course at Flinders University, where she was able to dye, analyse and classify different types of bacteria using special equipment. She also loved the extra-terrestrial lab at Adelaide University, where she got to see moon rovers in development.

Congratulations again to Hanno and Isla for being awarded the Dr Jennifer Bourne Scholarship. We once again extend our sincere thanks and gratitude to the Bourne family for their generosity and support.

Mr Jack Alberton

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Year 12 Seminar

On Tuesday the 14^th of February the year 12’s had their first seminar day of 2023. The day consisted of a range of different activities with an insight into life beyond year 12. Our first session of the day was with John Harris from headspace. John showed us how to stay motivated in year 12 and to identify when and where individuals might need support.

After this session, we split up into 3 different groups where we were involved in 3 workshops. The first workshop was with sister where we listened to her story and her vocation of becoming a sister. The second workshop was with Sharina where we learned the power of prayer through both music and words and the third session where we talked about our goals. The final session was with Mr. Ascoli who shared his experiences of being a Lasallian Volunteer and moving to Balgo WA. Overall, it was a great day for all.

Paul Choimes

College Vice Captain

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Lasallian Leaders Formation Day

Last Friday our year 11 Lasallian Leaders were joined by the 5/6 FSC Leaders for a Leadership Formation day at Grange Surf Club. Together they heard from Philippe Dulawan from the Lasallian Mission Council on what it means to be Lasallian before getting creative and presenting the Life of De La Salle in the own way.

The year 11’s were then split into groups to share ideas and initiatives they would like to execute this year. After lunch they had the opportunity to hear from our College Captains and Vice Captains all of which were LL’s last year. They closed the day with constructing their own mission statement; By being positive role models we want to inspire the community through acts of service, dedication, and faith.   

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Year 9 Student Leaders

Last week during Year 9 Chapel service, the Student Leaders for Semester 1 were presented to the cohort. We congratulate the following students on serving the College community and showing their character strengths of leadership, teamwork, creativity, perseverance and humility.

YEAR 9 STUDENT LEADERS – Semester 1, 2023

9BPC01 –  Dimitrios Tsaconas

9GPC01 –  Sia Brazzale, Tia Emanuele, Ruby Lynch,

9BPC02 – Luca Fedele, Sam Newman, Harrison Sykes, Finn Thomas

9GPC02 – Maeve Nicholas, Liza Westley

9BPC03 – Giuseppe Cardillo, Franco Esposito, Tait Jenkin

9GPC03 – Emma Di Raimondo, Deanna Skordas

9BPC04 – Mitchell Beshara, Jacob Burton

9GPC04 – Isabella Dragani

9BPC05 – Samuel Baker, Heath O’Reilly

9GPC05 – Indianna Climas, Chloe Hilton

9BPC06 – Henry Scibberas

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Principal’s Welcome Lunch for Students New to Year 8-12

On Tuesday 28 February, Year 8-12 students new to the St Michael’s Family were invited to a special lunch hosted by the Principal, Mr Daley, officially welcoming them to the community. The lunch was also attended by senior leadership including Deputy Principals, who were keen to hear about the students’ experiences so far!

The lunch with the principal was really nice and comfortable, the people there were really nice and kind. The food was really good, and I liked that everyone was nice.

Thank you very much for this lunch!

Leila Salemi (11PC03)

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Music

Last year guitar tutor Phil Barbuto joined Emily Burns’ and her year 10 drama class and composed the score for their production of  ‘Ivy Shambitt and the Sound Machine’;  a play by Daniel Evans.

Peter Clarke from the Music Department engineered the recording in the Mackillop Centre and piano tutor Eva Guttilla played piano.

It would be great if we can feature this in our magazine. (link below)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COBVfuatU80&list=PL4cX6p4auSwtOdoyl54eXX-OJYmBX0n-w

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Is your child interested in learning to play an instrument?

It’s as easy as 1,2,3!! Lessons on offer include Woodwind, Brass, Percussion and String Instruments and Vocal Lessons.

We still have some vacancies for Guitar, Saxophone, Clarinet, Trumpet and Trombone this year. Places fill quickly so please get your submissions in soon.

If you are interested in signing your child up for lessons, click on this link: Secondary Music Portal and locate the form titled, ‘SIGN UP FORM_2023 – Instrumental Music programme V1’.  This document will provide you with all the information you require to make a decision and to lodge your submission – it’s paperless and as easy as clicking!

Should you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact me on james.musci@smc.sa.edu.au

James Musci
Head of Department – Music | Instrumental Music Coordinator | Music Technology

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Pastoral Care & Wellbeing

YEARS 7-9 WELLBEING CHARACTER STRENGTH FOCUS

Week 4: Humility

Some people might mistakenly think that humility is associated with weakness, but in actual fact, it’s more about strength. When we think of strong examples of humility, we often think about giants… Einstein, Ghandi, Pope Francis, Mother Teresa, St John Baptist de La Salle, Jesus. The list goes on. They are people whose actions speak volumes.

Humility is hard to describe. But what it isn’t, is — boasting, seeking the spotlight or thinking we are ‘better’ than others. This doesn’t mean that we ignore our own gifts; humble people appreciate their skills and who they are, but they are also aware of gaps in their knowledge and are mindful of and open to areas for growth. They keep their abilities in perspective and use them to raise people up, rather than put them down.  They appreciate the value of things and people around them and understand that each of us can contribute to our world in different ways; hopefully in harmony. There is a sense of self confidence without having to be the centre of attention.

At this time, when our lives seem to be projected across so many virtual platforms, we can be forgiven for sometimes thinking that humility can appear to be lost. Research shows, however, that the strongest and most appreciated leaders are those who exude humility. If we think about the politicians and people we aspire to and admire, often it will be those who are humble. Sports personalities who are humble are now saying this publicly.  In the AFL in 2022, the humility of Scott Pendlebury and first-year coach Craig McRae was attributed with their success at the time, according to The West Australian. Other sports have also highlighted this strength as formative to success and strong teamwork- from Formula 1 to New Zealand’s All Blacks.

It’s not always easy to place others’ needs ahead of our own; perhaps it’s part of our survival ‘DNA’,  though we often do it for our children instinctively. It can also be a challenging strength to work on because it’s true that we all enjoy positive affirmation – it’s one of the premises of social media platforms- the ‘likes’ that can be so addictive, sending us shots of dopamine every time we see that notification or hear the ping.  As a young parent I recall reading many parenting books that highlighted the importance of praise and positive affirmation. These days, nurturing a growth mindset by focusing on process rather than the end result is considered a more nurturing option.

As we begin our journey through Lent, it’s a perfect time to be thinking about our humility. We have a great example of it front and centre in Jesus, particularly at this time. We can always reflect on and learn something about this from him and work towards being his hands, eyes, ears and heart. We can spend some time considering how we can share our resources and take action, using our talents and gifts, together with those of others, to benefit all around us, including the wider world; knowing, valuing and caring for each other.

Wishing you a safe and happy week ahead!

Tonia Carfora

Year 7-9 Wellbeing Initiatives Leader

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Arts Week 

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Skateboard Art Club is BACK… and BOOMING!

TUESDAYS – WEDNESDAYS – FRIDAYS – LUNCHTIME R73 (Art Rooms)

STUDENTS, just a reminder (in case you missed it in the notices) that SKATEBOARD ART is back at SMC for 2023. The first box of decks has arrived (with the second and third boxes on their way), and you are also welcome to continue working on (or re-paint) your old decks from last year. Spread the word! We have added an extra day (Tuesday) because we know there’s lots happening on Wednesdays and Fridays. You are under no obligation whatsoever to attend every session.

2022 was inspiring, there was always a great vibe in R73, and we hope to continue seeing more incredible art in 2023.

SMC is a school where each individual is known, valued and cared for… and art is a big part of who we are! In 2022, every Monday and Thursday at lunchtime, Room 73 transformed into a brilliant space of creativity where students could be who they wanted to be and imprint little pieces of their style and personality onto skateboard decks! We saw some awesome artwork throughout the year, so keep an eye out for some upcoming exhibitions, and we look forward to seeing more fantastic artwork in 2023! We will also have a few little other little side projects happening, so pay close attention to the weekly notices.

All students (and staff for that matter) are welcome. If you’re interested, please visit R73 on Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday during lunchtime or e-mail Mr De Lorenzis for more info.

FROM THE FOLLOWING ARTISTIC GENIUSES:

Mr David De Lorenzis/Miss Zara Zampaglione & Mr Dylan Welford [new star recruit]

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 Debating at SMC

Looking to improve your public speaking skills and learn how to effectively present your ideas? Have you considered taking up debating?

St Michael’s College is now offering students an opportunity to join a debating team and participate in the Debating SA inter-school competition. Not only will you improve your critical thinking and communication abilities but learning how to debate will also help you develop a deeper understanding of different perspectives and opinions…all while meeting new people and having some fun!

If you are interested in joining a debating team this year, please register on this link: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=5j2Trvip506geyo1PTo2d4tZFPbIvM9PlXJ2QyYxEklUQTBPN0gxRkZVMlpDQ1BGRTA0NTE2UlQ1MS4u

Please also come to an information session in the Library at lunchtime on Wednesday 1 March (1.25pm).

We look forward to seeing you then!

Ms Kearins & Ms Moros.

(bridget.kearins@smc.sa.edu.au)