The Mt St Michael’s Mission Statement states:

Mt St Michael’s College aims to provide an excellent education for young women in the Catholic tradition administered through Mary Aikenhead Ministries.

Students educated at Mt St Michael’s College will be nurtured in the tradition of the Sisters of Charity to be principled young women with a passion for life, a commitment to justice and the courage to live out the teachings of Jesus.


Mt St Michael’s is deeply committed to this mission as we nurture and form our current students in Years 7 – 12. Through the introduction of Years 5 and 6, we can continue to fulfil our mission and provide more opportunities for families and their daughters to access a Catholic education founded in the tradition of the Sisters of Charity under the Stewardship of Mary Aikenhead Ministries.

Girls commence at MSM at the very beginning of their adolescent journey. These are such formative years of development; building personal identity, values and beliefs, character and competencies and ultimately the lens through which the future will be viewed and embraced. We welcome the opportunity to form Year 5 and 6 students, and instil in them from an early age the values that were gifted to us by the Sisters of Charity - hope, justice, love and compassion. We have a wonderful opportunity to inspire them with the stories of the Sisters of Charity and cultivate connections between the Charity charism and daily life. This will include participation in social justice programs and service activities and in doing so bring the love of Christ to all they meet.

At the heart of our culture is our faith and mission reflecting our motto “In faith and love”. At Mt St Michael’s College we are renowned for our caring and nurturing environment; one in every girl is known and valued. The caring pastoral relationships that exist between staff and students are the foundation of MSM and will be extended into our Junior School.

It is an exciting prospect to begin forming our girls from a young age, as we bring to fruition our Vision of the MSM Graduate, affectionately known as the 5Cs. Year 5 students at MSM will commence their journey as young women of commitment, confidence, compassion, conscience and competence.

Mt St Michael’s College continues to recreate itself, always mindful that the Gospel and ministry of Jesus is at the heart of all we do. Venerable Mary Aikenhead stated that

“The mission of the Sisters of Charity is to bring each person the love, the tenderness and concern of Christ to the poor”.

This is what we wish to instill in our Year 5 and 6 students.

Mt St Michael’s College aims to nourish the Junior School students’ faith and spirituality through engagement in:

Daily classroom prayer rituals
A bespoke day Retreat program
College Masses and liturgies
A Junior School mission and service group

Junior School Curriculum

Our Years 5 and 6 curriculum is based on the Australian Curriculum (Version 9) and supported by both the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) and the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA).

The Australian Curriculum is comprised of eight learning areas:

English
Mathematics
Science
Humanities and Social Sciences (History, Geography, Civics and Citizenship, Economics and Business)
Languages – French and Japanese
Health and Physical Education
The Arts – Music, Visual Art, Drama, Dance
Technologies – Digital and Design

The Australian Curriculum also includes a focus on seven general capabilities (literacy, numeracy, digital literacy, critical and creative thinking, ethical understanding, personal and social, and intercultural understanding) and three cross-curriculum priorities (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures, Asia and Australia’s Engagement with Asia and Sustainability). These are embedded where relevant and appropriate in each learning area.

As a Catholic School, our students study Religious Education throughout their time at the College. Our Junior School follows the Brisbane Catholic Education program.

Age-appropriate, evidence-based pedagogies are adopted in the Junior School teaching and learning program.

Specialist Subject Teachers and Facilities

Specialist subject teachers engage with Junior School students in subjects such as Science, The Arts, Languages and HPE. Junior School students have access to our College’s wider facilities, including the multipurpose Sophia Centre, swimming pool, tennis courts, Arts Precinct, Science laboratories and Library.

Learning Support and Learning Enrichment

There is a focus on early identification and the development of personalised learning plans to support learning where relevant in the Junior School.

Our curriculum is designed to meet the needs of all students. Our expert teaching team embeds inclusive learning principles in the delivery of the curriculum.

Throughout the year, students engage in additional learning experiences such as workshops, performances and excursions. Students can also elect to participate in, or be nominated for, various academic enrichment opportunities and competitions.

NAPLAN

Students In Year 5, 7 and 9 at the College participate in NAPLAN testing. The data is used by the teachers to inform teaching and learning practices, and the students’ progress will be tracked as they continue into our Middle School.

Student Devices

Year 5 students are provided with one-to-one devices as part of the College laptop program.

Positive Education

An age-appropriate, evidence-based wellbeing program has been developed for the Junior School, and is delivered in dedicated Positive Education lessons.

House Allocations

Junior School students will be allocated a House prior to commencing at the College. Younger siblings will be allocated the same House as their older siblings. There are opportunities for students to engage in various House gatherings and celebrations throughout the year. This enables the fostering of positive relationships with older students, and further development of a sense of school spirit and pride.

Assemblies

Junior School students participate in both Whole School Assemblies and Junior School Assemblies.

Orientation Activities

A thorough orientation program is conducted to ensure a smooth transition for our Junior School students. This includes a Parent Information Evening, “Welcome to MSM” Family Interviews and a Student Orientation Morning in Semester 2.

The College also currently has an extensive Orientation program for our incoming Year 7 students.

All Junior School students are able to engage in a variety of Academic, Sports, Arts and Mission Co-Curricular opportunities throughout the year.

Academic

Academic Co-Curricular activities are designed to enrich and support the learning needs of our students. As such, they are responsive to the interests of our students. Activities may include: Mathematics and Science competitions, Reading competitions, eSports, Ethics Olympiad, Debating, French Club and Japanese Club.

Sport

The College is committed to promoting students to have an “active lifestyle”. Students will have access to our onsite sporting facilities including the swimming pool, netball, basketball and volleyball courts within the Sophia Centre as well as our outdoor tennis courts.

The College currently has an extensive sports program that offers both competitive and social sports. Students can be involved in Regional, State and National Representative sports. This program is also extended to students in the Junior School.

The College has Interhouse Carnivals in the areas of swimming, cross country and athletics in which Junior school students will also be involved.

Students also have the opportunity to participate in CaSSSA gala days during Terms 2, 3 and 4.

The Arts

A variety of Co-Curricular Arts opportunities currently exist that allow our students to express their creativity. Some examples of opportunities that Junior School students may choose to be involved in include: choir, ensembles, dance groups and Drama Club.

An age-appropriate uniform has been designed for our Junior School students, and is available at the College Uniform Shop.

As part of the masterplan, the College has received approval of a Ministerial Infrastructure Designation (MID) to build a proposed new Learning Centre which will include a new library.

The College Board determines the school fees on an annual basis.