St Saviour's College Newsletter 2025 - Term 2 Week 2

Principal

As a Catholic community, we pause this week to acknowledge the passing of Pope Francis - our beloved, courageous, and radical shepherd. Throughout his papacy, Pope Francis consistently called us to be a Church of the poor and for the poor. His deep commitment to justice, peace, and care for the marginalised reshaped our global understanding of leadership. He reminded us that greatness lies in simplicity, compassion, and the courage to stand with those on the margins. May his legacy continue to inspire each of us to live our faith boldly and gently.

ANZAC Day Ceremony 

Last week, our College community gathered for a moving ANZAC Day ceremony. It was a poignant and reflective moment in our calendar - an opportunity to honour the legacy of those who served and continue to serve our nation. Heartfelt thanks to Leah Dempster, Wendy Collins, and Steve Rasmussen (piper), as well as the Harlaxton RSL Band, for helping create such a meaningful service.

Parent Teacher Interviews 

Thank you also to all the parents and carers who joined us for Parent Teacher Interviews. We know that strong partnerships between school and home play a vital role in the success of our young women. It was wonderful to witness so many productive conversations about the growth and learning of your daughters. Please remember that our staff are always available to connect with you - you don’t need to wait until Term 4 interviews to reach out should you have any concerns. 

Domestic violence vigil

Next Tuesday evening, we invite all members of our community to join us at the Toowoomba Domestic Violence Candlelight Vigil (5.45pm). Standing together in solidarity sends a powerful message - that all people, especially our students and daughters, deserve safe, respectful, and loving relationships. 

Parent Engagement Charter and Parent Code of Conduct

I take this opportunity, as the first newsletter of the term, to share with you again links to the Parent Engagement Charter and the Parent Code of Conduct. I thank all members of the College community for their respectful and kind engagement and interactions. 

• Parent Engagement Charter
• Parent Code of Conduct

Upcoming dates to note:

• Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea at Burke and Wills: Final call for tickets - don’t miss this special celebration
• Parent Engagement Network Meeting: Wednesday of Week 4 at 6.00pm in the Library. All welcome
• Year 7, 2026 enrolments: Applications are now due. If you have a daughter entering Year 7 in 2026, please submit your enrolment as soon as possible

Schedule of Awards and Leadership Processes

We are pleased to share the Leadership and Awards Schedule for St Saviour’s College. This schedule details how awards are decided and the processes for leadership nominations and selections. Our goal is to provide clarity and transparency to all members of our College community. We hope this information will assist your daughter to share her God-given gifts with the College community and beyond.

Jessica Wade
Principal

Deputy Principal - Teaching and Learning

Enculturating learning dispositions: nurturing lifelong success

At the heart of effective education lies more than just academic achievement, it is the cultivation of learning dispositions: the habits, attitudes, and mindsets that empower students to thrive not only in school but throughout their lives. Our College is committed to intentionally fostering these dispositions, embedding them deeply within and beyond the classroom environment.

Central to this commitment is The Mercy Approach to Learning, our school’s guiding framework that outlines the key dispositions we value in our learners. This approach highlights three paramount dispositions - being courageous, inquisitive, and persistent - which form the foundation of our learning culture. These qualities encourage students to embrace risk-taking, ask meaningful questions, challenge perspectives, and create new knowledge, preparing them for success both academically and personally1.

Drawing on the insightful work of educational thinkers like Guy Claxton, we recognise that alongside teaching knowledge and skills, it is equally vital to nurture positive and purposeful attitudes toward learning. These dispositions - such as curiosity, resilience, collaboration, and a willingness to take risks - form the foundation of lifelong learners who are adaptable, confident, and motivated.

Recently, our teaching and learning support staff participated in their second professional development session focused on this important work. As they deepen their shared language and understanding around learning dispositions, they are actively modelling and practicing these very habits themselves. This ongoing journey not only enriches our school culture but also ensures that we lead by example, encouraging students to embrace curiosity, experimentation, and collaboration as natural parts of their learning experience.

By embedding these dispositions into the fabric of our College, guided by The Mercy Approach to Learning, we are preparing our students not just for academic success, but for meaningful, resilient, and fulfilling lives.

Together in learning

Thank you to all the parents and caregivers who attended this week’s parent-teacher interviews. Your engagement and support play a crucial role in your daughter’s learning journey, and we truly appreciate the time you’ve taken to connect with our teachers.

Events like these are more than just meetings - they are opportunities to strengthen the partnership between home and school, fostering a vibrant community where students can flourish. We love having parents involved in these conversations; your presence enriches our school culture and demonstrates to our daughters that their education is a shared priority.

Now that feedback has been shared, we encourage students to actively use this valuable insight to set goals, reflect on their progress, and take ownership of their learning. This ongoing dialogue between students, teachers, and families is key to nurturing confident, motivated learners.

If you were unable to attend the interviews this week, please know that our teachers remain readily available to discuss your daughter’s progress. Feel free to reach out via email at any time. We are always here to support your child’s growth and success.

Eleighta Hannam
Deputy Principal

Assistant Principal - Wellbeing and Engagement

Welcome to Term 2. I hope the Easter break was a time of renewal and time well spent with those you cherish. Over the past month there has been a lot of talk about the new Netflix series Adolescence. Many have commented about how it highlights the dangers of social media and online radicalisation. Over the holidays I read the book The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt and over my time as a HPE teacher, I can relate to the trend he highlights of the negative impact of smart phones on adolescent mental health. Life is extremely different for today’s adolescents and the impact of having constant contact with the internet through smart phones and how this develops social interactions and how our teens view themselves, is providing scary evidence. The series Adolescence highlights this complexity of teens dealing with mental health, identity, disconnection and pressure. An interesting point made by adolescent psychologist Dr Cam Caswell is that:

“Screens are not the root problem. Neither is social media. It’s how teens feel when they log on. When they’re already struggling, they’re more likely to fall into toxic spaces. When they feel supported, happy, and connected, they use social media to create, communicate and explore their interests. Instead of trying to protect our teens from every new ‘threat’ (because there will always be another one), let’s focus on building their resilience, confidence, and sense of belonging. Because when teens feel seen, heard, and valued, they’re far less likely to get pulled into the dark corners of the internet in the first place.”

Some tips from her are:

• Listen without judgement – let them speak freely without fear of criticism
• Validate their feelings – show them their emotions matter, even if you don’t get it
• Focus on who they are, not what they do – celebrate their character, not just their achievements
• Let them fail – it’s okay to let them stumble. They’ll learn how to get back up
• Cheer them on – be their biggest supporter, no matter how small the win
• Lead with love and kindness – start and end with compassion, always showing they are loved

One of our goals as a wellbeing team is to create a community were each member feels they belong and are deeply connected with others, engaging in relationships without the use of technology. This is will always be at the heart of the wellbeing teams' work and we hope that when we identify students who are lacking a sense of connection to our Mercy community, we can wrap our arms around them and work towards improving their experience here. 

Other great resources, especially on the impact of social media, as well as developing relationships specifically for adolescents and girls, are books, The Anxious Generation by Jonathon Haidt, Tweens by Michelle Michell, Girlhood by Maggie Dent and Rebecca Sparrow's web series. Safe on Social and the eSafety Commission websites have some wonderful resources and regular parent webinars. 

We are excited to hear about Year 9 camp when they return this week from Emu Gully and can’t wait to welcome all the special females in our student’s life to the Mother’s Day afternoon tea. 

Megan Schulze
Assistant Principal - Wellbeing and Engagement

Assistant Principal - Mission and Identity

As Term 2 begins and the seasons turn towards winter, we are called to reflect on hope, remembrance, and compassion. In these early weeks, our College community has gathered to celebrate Easter and to mourn the passing of Pope Francis, a true pilgrim of hope whose life of service and love touched millions. We have honoured the sacrifice of our ANZACs, committed ourselves to supporting those in need through the Vinnies Winter Appeal, and look ahead to gathering once more in gratitude for the Feast of Catherine McAuley. May this season inspire us to live with renewed faith, courage, and mercy.

Easter Liturgy – Pilgrims of Hope and Remembrance for Pope Francis

In our Easter Liturgy, our College community gathered to remember that Easter is not only a celebration of the Resurrection - it is a call to live as Easter people: those who carry light into the darkest corners, who walk with hope even when the road is uncertain. We reflected on the deep truth that Easter is a beginning, not an end - an invitation to rise, to love, and to keep moving forward with courage.

This year, our reflections were tenderly shaped by the memory of Pope Francis, a true Pilgrim of Hope, whose life was a beacon of compassion and justice. "Do not let yourselves be robbed of hope," he once said - a simple but powerful call to live with open hearts, to lift up the fallen, and to heal the broken. Pope Francis taught us that faith is not about perfection, but about daring to love deeply, speak boldly, and act with mercy. As Easter people, we are called to honour his legacy - to be light in a sometimes shadowed world, to stir up hope where it has faded, and to remind one another that through Christ, all things can be made new. May his example continue to guide our steps as we seek to live with the same compassion, courage, and hope.

Coming together in remembrance: Our ANZAC Day commemoration

Last Thursday, our College community gathered for a heartfelt ANZAC liturgy to honour the brave men and women who have served our nation. We were privileged to welcome Warrant Officer Class 2 Damian Allen, who shared his personal reflections on the meaning of service and sacrifice. Our sincere thanks go to Mrs Wendy Collins for her outstanding coordination of the event, Ms Lucy Lindsay for organising a beautiful morning tea, and Mr Jeff Kapernick, Director of Youth Services from the Rotary Club of East Toowoomba, for his generous gift to the College. The Harlaxton RSL Brass Band and the stirring bagpipes, played by Steve Rasmussen, added a special touch to the ceremony, along with the presence of members from the Harlaxton RSL Sub-branch and local dignitaries who joined us on this important occasion.

The liturgy created a sacred and reflective atmosphere, with symbols such as the slouch hat, commemorative quilt, rosemary sprigs, and the eternal flame reminding us of the enduring spirit of the ANZACs. Students and guests laid floral tributes in remembrance, before we paused for the Last Post, a minute’s silence, and the singing of the Australian and New Zealand national anthems. It was a moving and meaningful morning, and we are deeply grateful to everyone who contributed to making it such a special commemoration. Lest we forget.

Vinnies Winter Appeal 2025: No one chooses to be homeless

This term, we are supporting the Vinnies Winter Appeal by collecting winter woollies and essentials to help those doing it tough in our community. No one chooses to be homeless - but we can choose to help.

We are asking for donations of:

• sweaters and jumpers
• blankets, sleeping bags, pillows, and heating packs
• long-sleeve tops, thermal tops, pants, and leggings
• scarves, gloves, socks, leg warmers, beanies, earmuffs, and fuzzy slippers

Donations can be dropped off to the College office. Every warm item you give helps bring comfort, hope, and dignity to someone this winter. Let’s work together to share kindness and wrap our community in warmth.

Catherine McAuley Mass

We warmly invite the College community to join us at St Patrick’s Cathedral on Thursday, 15 May at 9.30am for the Feast of Catherine McAuley Mass. This year, we celebrate 152 years of Mercy education — a proud testament to Catherine McAuley’s enduring legacy of justice, compassion, excellence, and hospitality.

This Mass offers us a special opportunity to come together in faith and gratitude, celebrating the values that continue to shape our community. May we be inspired to carry her light forward, living out the principles that define us.

Leah Dempster
Assistant Principal - Mission and Identity

Sports news

Cross Country

Well done to all students and staff on a successful 2025 Cross Country. After a rain interrupted Term 1, it was nice to proceed on the first day back of Term 2 at Kearneys Spring. This was the first time in my history with the College that the race was ran at this venue and with some minor tweaks to make sure students were safe on course, they completed the task and were rewarded for their efforts. Congratulations to McAuley House for successfully defending their Cross Country title in 2025. 

Total points

McAuley – 273
Goretti – 188
Xavier – 144
Coolock – 116

Some of these students run very impressive times for our modified 4km course. Well done to all our age champions and runners up for 2025.

Tuesday night volleyball

Tuesday night volleyball has started for Term 2 and with some work being done at Harristown, the girls will travel to several different venues for games this term. Please make sure you are in contact with Mr Hickey for updates about team selections and playing venues each week. Best of luck to all our volleyballers.

Monday soccer

Monday soccer will start again in Term 2. The first round will Monday 12 May and all players who are interested should attend training and select soccer as their Term 2 sport option. This will allow the team to work on some shape and structure for the games. If you would like to know more about Monday soccer, please see Mr Leathart. The College has entered 1 senior team which will allow some students to play up in the age group. Students in Years 7-9 should still look to join our squad to help develop your skills.

Wednesday sport

Students in Years 7-10 will need to select or continue with a Wednesday sport for Term 2. Please see student services if you have been away in Week 2. This will include the Year 9 students who have been on camp. Below is the information for sport in Term 2.

Greg Leathart
Curriculum Leader Sport and HPE

Arts and Performance news

Exciting times ahead for our choirs and performers! 

The Arts and Performance Team at St Saviour's College is buzzing with excitement as our choirs prepare for their upcoming performances at the Toowoomba Eisteddfod in Week 4 of this term. Our full choir will take the stage at the Toowoomba Empire Theatre during the 5.30pm session on Saturday, 17 May. The smaller vocal ensemble will showcase their talents in the 12.30pm session on Sunday, 18 May. We would love to see our community come out in full support! Tickets are available from the Empire Theatre box office. 

We also extend our best wishes to our talented Year 10 students, Penny Sanders and Sophie Moore, as they prepare for their musical theatre vocal solos next Thursday, 8 May at 6.00pm. These dedicated students have been working tirelessly with our vocal tutor, Mr Jon Maskell, and our accompanist, Mrs Kylie Parker, to perfect their pieces. 

In addition, we are incredibly proud of our Head of Arts and Performance, Mrs Jenni Potter, who is participating in a 10-show run of On the Wallaby at the Toowoomba Repertory Theatre from 29 April to 10 May. It is inspiring for our students to see their teachers actively involved in the arts community, demonstrating the importance of being teacher artists. 

Amidst all the preparations for the Eisteddfod, Mrs Potter and the choir are also diligently working on the Catherine McAuley Day Mass in Week 4. Furthermore, our Year 9 soloist, Abi Allan, is gearing up to entertain our mothers at the upcoming Mother's Day afternoon tea. 

We are immensely proud of the hard work and dedication shown by our students and staff. Their commitment to the arts not only enriches their own lives but also enhances our vibrant school community. Let's come together to support and celebrate their achievements! 

Jennifer Potter
Program Leader Arts and Performance

Careers Centre

QUT Gardens Point campus visit

Earlier this week our Year 11 and 12 students had an incredible opportunity to visit the QUT Gardens Point Campus in Brisbane City. They immersed themselves in campus life, participated in a Moot Court Challenge, and learned about university courses, student life, and tips for transitioning from school to university. The girls explored a wide range of degrees and double degrees, discovered how to apply for early entry, and found out about the support available for accommodation, entry pathways, and exchange programs. And of course, they enjoyed the delicious food court! It was a fantastic day filled with learning and inspiration, and our students are now dreaming of all the future opportunities that await them. 

UniSQ Discovery Day

UniSQ Discovery Days offer Years 9 and 10 students’ opportunities to explore the variety of career pathways available to them. The tailored, taster-style sessions are designed by academics to help students find skills they are good at and enjoy and identify a range of satisfying careers for their future. 

Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) Certificate

Congratulations to the following students who completed their RSA Certificate at the end of Term 1.

• Jesa Allen
• Indiana Gartner
• Faith Harper
• Belle-Sharee Jeffries
• Abigail Lasserre
• Sophie Moore
• Elizabeth Morton
• Hayley Norman
• Emilia Reuter
• Paige Talbot
• Leen Zahlouk

The certificate is a legal requirement for anyone working in hospitality or retail sectors where alcohol is served or sold. The RSA training is designed to equip individuals with the knowledge and skills to responsibly serve alcohol, minimise harm, and ensure compliance with relevant legislation.

Upcoming careers events and university open days in Terms 2 and 3

Career events can provide many benefits for your personal and professional growth. You can learn new skills or update existing ones, which can make you more competitive and confident in the job market. Networking with people who share your interests, goals, and challenges can offer you support, advice, or referrals. Additionally, it can be a great opportunity to explore different career options or paths and discover new possibilities that you may not have considered before.

University open days are all about helping you get a feel for what it would be like to study at a particular university. They’re often a combination of general information sessions, more specific subject area presentations, and a showcase of all the university has to offer by way of facilities and recreational or lifestyle programs.

Scholarships

Remember to keep checking university websites for information about when scholarship applications open and close:

• Future students | UniSQ
• QUT - Scholarships
• Find a scholarship - Scholarships - The University of Queensland 
• Griffith scholarships 
• Access, Merit & Equity Scholarships | TAFE Queensland  

Further information and help

Remember to look at the resources and information available on the St Saviours College Toowoomba (stsaviourscareers.com.au) website and also students and parents are welcome to contact or make an appointment to discuss any of the above and other career related information with Mrs Delahunty any time.

Louise Delahunty
Career Development Practitioner

McAuley House news

We have welcomed most of the girls back to what will be a very busy Term 2. Already the girls have participated in Cross Country, celebrated Easter Liturgy and commemorated ANZAC Day with the College. The boarders also attended the local ANZAC Day march on Friday and represented themselves and the College in a wonderful fashion. It was great to see one of our girls marching with the cadets. Well done Chelsea!

Much fun was had over the weekend with mocktail making happening on Saturday afternoon. Thanks Miss Kim!

As parent teacher interviews meant a half day of school on Monday, the girls were given the opportunity to go ten-pin bowling and lots of girls had an awesome afternoon of fun and friendship.

Our Year 9 girls head to camp this week, and we know that they will have a great time and make memories that will last a lifetime.

Netball season kicks off this week with grading games and football season will start in a few weeks, so our weekends will be much busier.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish a Happy Mother's Day all our mothers, aunties and grandmothers who look after and care for all our girls. We hope that you have an awesome day and know that your girls will be thinking of you.

Di May
Head of Boarding

Library news

Welcome 

Wow! Where did Term 1 go? It seems like only a couple of weeks has passed and this term looks like it is turning out just as busy. We have so much planned! But first, let’s recap Week 1: 

ANZAC Day in the Library 

We commemorated our service men and women in the library through our display and the school’s ANZAC service held on the 24 April.  

We provided a number of activities with the ANZAC theme for students to do in the library through the week. And our library online had an ANZAC dashboard available for a number of options, including online activities. 

You can always check out past dashboards by using the dashboard link in the top menu and choosing from the menu provided. 

Then we were privileged to receive a book for our Library during the service from the Rotary Club of Toowoomba East titled Shooting Blanks at the Anzac Legend: Australian Women’s War Fictions. This is a great addition to our library and supports both curriculum and personal interests in the areas of history, ethics, and literature, to name a few. 

This book covers fictions from World War 1, World War 2 and the Vietnam War and the impact of various aspects of war within them. A great resource for our library – thank you Rotary Club of East Toowoomba. 

Tune in to our next newsletter where we explore the role of war narratives in literature and the importance of this. 

What’s happening in the Library in this week and beyond? 

Following on from this will be our Read More in May celebrations. Throughout the month of May we will be celebrating various literary components by creating pocket displays throughout the library. Every week there will be a new pocket display added to celebrate another literary part of the library world. Our Read More in May will culminate in showing various fandoms for our students, which will lead to our Fandom Day celebrations in Week 9. 

We begin May with a big fandom – Harry Potter. On May 2 we celebrate International Harry Potter Day! Why 2 May you ask? Check out our Library online dashboard to find out… 

Our library online catalogue reflects the upcoming day. There are some interactive components, including a find-a-word to complete. The link is on our dashboard: 

SSC Library Online  

What are our Fandom Day celebrations you ask? 

When: Friday 20 June 

What: A day to dress up as a favourite character from a book or TV/movie adaption from a book. 

How: stalls of various goods will be for sale for students to purchase (all going to plan!) 

Why: to raise funds for Hummingbird House, Queensland’s only children’s hospice. To enjoy the different ways in which literature is expressed and the importance of literacy for our school community. 

Reading 

I came across this lovely excerpt from C.S. Lewis the other day. 

C.S. Lewis was a British writer/author. He wrote more than thirty books including the highly acclaimed classics in The Chronicles of Narnia. These stories have often been made into movies over the years and continual to be read by people of all ages. You can find them in our collection in the Fantasy genre under the letters LEW for Lewis. 

What I loved about this letter providing information to a young writer was the second point made (after making sure you are not distracted by noise) and that was “read all the good books you can, …”. This continues into the third point where he states “Always write (and read) with the ear, not the eye.” 

"Read all the good books you can" 

C.S. Lewis emphasises the importance of immersing oneself in quality literature. Reading good books broadens our horizons, enriches our vocabulary, and deepens our understanding of different cultures, philosophies, and human experiences. For young writers, this practice is invaluable as it exposes them to various writing styles, narrative techniques, and genres, which can inspire and refine their own writing. 

"Always read with the ear not the eye" 

This advice encourages readers to focus on the auditory qualities of the text. By "reading with the ear," one pays attention to the rhythm, tone, and flow of the language, much like listening to a piece of music. This approach helps understand the flow of the text and you can gain greater comprehension from ‘reading with the ear’. 

Why these quotes? It links the importance of reading and school libraries 

Reading is a cornerstone of education and personal growth. It fosters critical thinking, empathy, and creativity. School libraries play a crucial role in this process by providing access to a diverse range of books and resources. They create an environment where students can explore their interests, discover new ideas, and develop a lifelong love of reading. 

School libraries also support literacy and learning by offering a quiet space for study and reflection, guided by knowledgeable and qualified teacher librarians who can recommend books and assist with research. By encouraging students to "read all the good books" and to appreciate the auditory beauty of language, school libraries help cultivate well-rounded, thoughtful individuals. 

In essence, C.S. Lewis' advice underscores the transformative power of reading and the vital role that school libraries play in nurturing young minds.  

Do you have a favourite book or author that has inspired you? Maybe check out our next section for your next inspiration! 

New Books in the Library! 

Come and check out our new books – some are on display and others on the shelf. If there is one you would like to read and you are not sure where it is – just ask at the front desk, we love helping someone make a connection with one of the books waiting to be read. You can also check out our library online through our student intranet.  

General Collections: 

Fiction  
Adventure genre 

Fantasy genre 

Realistic genre 

Graphic 

Non Fiction  

Senior Fiction (Years 10-12 only) 

Date Claimers 

May 1: Read more in May Month or Get Caught Reading month 
May 2: International Harry Potter Day 
May 4: Star Wars Day – May the Force be with you! 
May 5 and 6: Revenge of the Sith 
May 9: Peter Pan’s Birthday (and therefore a celebration of all things Disney) 
May 12: Dr Who celebration 
May 16: International Museum Day – Adventures with Indiana Jones! 
May 21: National Simultaneous Storytime 
May 22: Sherlock Holmes Day 
May 27: Obi Wan Kenobi Day 
June 2: Superhero celebrations  

And more… but all culminating in our FANDOM Day! Friday Week 9 (20 June). This is a dress-up day. Look for more information next issue!

Andrea King
Teacher Librarian