Ave Maria College Newsletter - Vol 108 No 1 Monday, 13 February 2023

From the Principal

Dear Ave Maria College community, Welcome

On behalf of the College community, I warmly welcome you all back for the 2023 school year. We particularly welcome all new students, staff and families who join the Ave Maria community for the first time this year. Congratulations to our Year 7 students who have participated in a successful transition program and have settled into their new school community well. Congratulations also to our Year 12 students who participated in the in the Retreat at Grantville.

60th Anniversary Celebrations

Ave Maria College was officially opened on 20 March 1963 by Archbishop Simonds after he laid the foundation stone on 15 August 1962. Initially owned and operated by the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, the College grew quickly so that by 1969 students across six year levels were enrolled. In 1978, the Catholic Education Office assumed responsibility for running the College following the sisters gifting it to the Archbishop of Melbourne. The College is now owned and operated by Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools. Much has changed since our early beginnings. We are proud of all that has been achieved during this time and the wonderful young women that our students become. I am very pleased to announce that 2023 marks our 60th Anniversary. There will be further announcements to be made regarding how we intend to celebrate this milestone. In the meantime, I would like to share with our community our 60th Anniversary logo which has been inspired by an initial concept drawing by Sophie Smith, a current Year 11 student at the College.

Student Expectations

As students returned to school, the College held assemblies to welcome students for their return to classes, but to also outline expectations. It is important that all members of our community start the year well and maintain the high expectations of the College. This includes students being their best representation of themselves; being on time to school and classes; applying themselves to their studies; and, following college policies and rules, including uniform requirements. Students have been asked to listen carefully to the staff as to what is expected The measures put into place are designed to foster a respectful and inclusive culture so that students can belong, engage, grow, and thrive.

The uniform requirements are an important part of fostering this sense of belonging and enhancing school pride. We have students who attend the College from a wide range of family situations, so wearing the College uniform also helps to reduce peer pressure. Therefore, we ask families to support the College in ensuring your daughter attends school wearing the correct uniform as per the new seasonless uniform requirements.

Parent School Partnership and Communication

The Parents School Partnership is particularly important to the College. As the first educators of your children, you play a vital role in their education, development, and growth. This occurs both when at home and when they are at school. As a college we continue to explore genuine opportunities to engage parents so that we can maximize the faith formation, learning and wellbeing opportunities of our students. A key element of this is maintaining open, transparent, and respectful communication that is solution focused and considers a broad range of factors. We are all here to work together in the best interests of your children and the community.

I strongly encourage families to reach out to the College if you have any questions or concerns related to your daughter’s education, or, when you have information to share with us related to their achievements, learning and wellbeing. It is always better to reach out earlier rather than later. Below is an outline of who to call when:

• Mentor Teacher – First point of contact if you have a concern about your daughter’s wellbeing or transition

• Subject Teacher – First point of contact if you have concerns about your daughter’s learning in a subject

• Domain Leader – Responsible for curriculum development, planning and delivery for a particular Domain

• Sub-School Leader – Responsible for overseeing the wellbeing of a particular Year Level

For more serious matters please contact Ms Leonie Rushbrook, Assistant Principal (Students and Engagement) or Mr Dane Calleja, Executive Deputy Principal (Learning and Operations)

This information can also be found in the Family Information Guide which has been published on both PAM and the College website. Families are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the content of this important documentation.

School Advisory Council – Call for Nominations

2023 marks the second year of the Ave Maria School Advisory Council. The Council has a mixed membership including parents, the Custodian of Mission (which is a local parish priest) and the College Principal. The School Advisory Council provides a forum for discussion and discernment, where parent voice and community perspectives are available to inform and support the decisions made by the college for the good of our students, with a view that student learning, wellbeing and outcomes are central to these decisions. As part of the School Advisory Council’s role, there are also two sub-committees which support the work of the college. These include the Policy and Curriculum Committee and the Finance and Property Committee. The Policy and Curriculum Committee was established to assist in the development and implementation of key policies and curriculum initiatives. The Finance and Property Committee was established to assist in the development of the school budget; capital resource planning and maintenance; and school master planning.

There are two vacancies on the School Advisory Council. While the two sub-committees, which are relatively new, have up to four additional spots for parents to join. Meetings for each occur six times a year, so the commitment is minimal. This is a great opportunity to help plan for the future direction and development of the College. So, if interested you can email Amy Chapman via PrincipalsEA@avemaria.vic.edu.au for more information.

Staffing Matters

On behalf of the College, I would like to introduce you to the following new staff who commenced with us this term.

Zoe Anderson Careers Advisor, Drama Teacher and RMIT Program

Rebecca Baldassaro Counselling Team

Deborah Bradshaw Director of Learning and Pathways, Health & Human Development Teacher

Dane Calleja Executive Deputy Principal and Legal Studies Teacher

Jane Copsey Biology, Science and Mathematics Teacher

Madeline Di Salle Learning Support Officer

Sonia George Chemistry, Science and Mathematics Teacher

Anne-Marie Healy VET Business, Vocational Major and English Teacher

Anastasia Murray English Teacher

Lisa Perera English and Humanities Teacher

Emily Sainty Health and PE Teacher

Gabrella (Gabby) Silvestro Learning Support Officer

Jeevani Sugathadasa Learning Support Officer

Rosina (Rose) Tassone Legal Studies and Business Management Teacher

Ngaire Wallace Domain Leader of Visual Arts and Visual Arts Teacher

I would also like to welcome Holly Sinclair who will joining us as a Business Management and Humanities Teacher replacing Tony Spanti who is on leave. Additionally, I would like to welcome Morgan Skiba who is joining us as a Health and PE Teacher replacing Mel Maki who is on leave.

I am sure that you will join me in welcoming them and making them feel at home in the Ave community.

Finally, I would like to congratulate Sarah Kline and Adam Hipwell, existing staff members who in 2023 will be taking on new leadership roles. Sarah will be the Domain Leader of Science and Adam the Leader of Pedagogy in addition to the Data Literacy for Learning role. Well done to both staff.

Child Safety @ Ave Maria College

At Ave Maria College we are committed to the care, safety and wellbeing of our students and see this as a central and fundamental responsibility of our college. Our commitment is drawn from the teaching and mission of Jesus Christ, with love, justice, and the sanctity of each human person at the heart of the gospels. Our College Motto, Striving for Truth through Love, guides our collective efforts in enabling our students to thrive in recognising the truth of God’s love and their own call to seek truth and love, in themselves and in their relationships with others.

As part of our policies and procedures the College has a Child Safety Reference Group which includes both student and staff representation. This group meets regularly throughout the year. The College also has nominated child safety officers who include but are not limited to:

• Ms Leonie Rushbrook, Assistant Principal (Students and Engagement)

• Mrs Natalie Meddis, Director of Student Wellbeing

Parents and carers who wish to access more information regarding child safety at Ave Maria College are welcome to visit the Child Safety section on our College website in the ‘About’ tab.

Conclusion and Prayer

I look forward to working with our students, families, and staff throughout this year. In closing I would like to share the following prayer with you.

Dear Lord,

As we commence the new school year make us ready, Attentive and available to hear you.

Thank you for the gift of being able to rise each day with the Assurance that You walk through the day with us. Thank you for the gifts of creativity and uniqueness, And the energy to put them to good use.

May all that we are and all that we do be placed in your Hands so that we can be the best representation of self.

May the work we do and the way we do it, bring new hope, new life, and courage to all we come in contact with this school year.

We make this prayer through Christ Our Lord, Amen.

God bless and in the words of this year’s theme, may we treasure God’s word like Mary.

Tanya Hutton Principal

Executive Deputy Principal

Welcome

Welcome to the 2023 Academic Year. It has been wonderful to see learning and teaching in action as students, staff and families returned to the College. Please find below some key information to assist you with the commencement of 2023.

Ave Maria College Charter for Education

The Ave Maria College Charter for Education provides a strong foundation for the establishment of programs and learning environments that maximise growth, engagement, and academic excellence.

The Charter underpins all learning design and practice at the College, ensuring that students are equipped with the knowledge, skills and understanding required for them to be the leaders of the future.

A copy of the Charter is available for download via the College website within the section titled Learning.

Reminder – Day 8 Lesson Times

Families are reminded that the College operates with alternative bell times on each Day 8 of the fortnightly student timetable. This structure provides the opportunity for the College to continue to provide best learning and teaching practice for students whilst maximising the class contact time for each subject.

Please find below a summary of the Day 8 Lesson Times:

For your planning, the table below provides a summary of the dates in which the lesson structure for a Day 8 will operate in Semester One 2023:

Wednesday 8 February 2023

Term One 2023

Wednesday 22 February 2023

Wednesday 8 March 2023

Wednesday 22 March 2023

Wednesday 5 April 2023

Wednesday 3 May 2023

Term Two 2023

Wednesday 17 May 2023

Wednesday 31 May 2023

Wednesday 14 June 2023

Services such as the College Canteen and Bus Service will operate in line with the alternative lesson structure on each Day 8.

Families and students will receive further information if events such as Camps, Excursions, House Carnivals etc. that operate on a Day 8 require the standard finishing time of 3.25pm or alternative bell times to what is listed above.

Learning Resources

To maximise opportunities for learner engagement, families are reminded that students are required to have resources for learning as stipulated on the 2023 Booklists. Families with questions or requiring assistance with this are welcome to make contact.

Emergency Management Exercise – Monday 13 February 2023

As part of the College Emergency Management Plan and our compliance cycle, the College Is required to host Emergency Management Exercises/Drills at different times throughout the academic year. These aim to maximise community health and safety, ensuring students and staff have the required knowledge, skills and understanding to respond appropriately in an emergency situation.

Students and staff will participate in their next drill/exercise on Monday 13 February 2023. The exercise will focus on the process to be employed in the event of a Lockdown.

To maximise success and ensure all parties involved in the exercise are well supported, staff and students will be briefed and debriefed as part of the drill.

Supporting Learning from Home

Families are thanked for their continued support as we work together to embed the Ave Maria Charter for Education. Listed below are some tips for maximising student success in learning at home for your consideration:

• Use Ave Learning as a tool for planning home study and organisation for the week. Ave Learning contains access to lesson plans, home study, student timetables etc.

• Set up a space for learning at home that maximises engagement in tasks and inspires creativity and success. Consider noise, natural light, distractions, access to resources etc.

• Establish a routine that is well balanced. Consider a mixture of home study, socialisation, hobbies, family etc.

• Engage in dialogue about learning. Discuss achievements from the day, upcoming tasks, and key areas of focus.

• Share the love of learning. This may include working together in preparation for key assessments and the completion of home study, playing games to assist revision etc.

Assistant Principal (Community and Growth)

Ave Belong

Ave Belong is the name of the Ave Maria College alumnae network. This is also the name of our alumnae registry, and our biannual publication. We invite all former students and staff to register on the Ave Belong Platform as a way to stay connected to the College. By registering on Ave Belong you can nominate ways in which you might like to be involved in College life, such as being profiled in our Ave Belong Alumnae series on our social media platforms, participating in alumnae panels during careers week activities, being a guest speaker for a specific subject, contributing to our biannual Ave Belong magazine, and in 2023, being a participant in the Voices from Vida Street Podcast. Our current students are always very interested to know the stories and journeys of former Ave students, so please consider signing up and getting involved.

• Sign up to the Ave Belong platform here: https://avebelong.org/

• You can read the winter 2022 edition of the Ave Belong Magazine HERE. Keep an eye out for Summer 22/23 edition launching soon.

Back to Ave – Sunday 19 March

The College is excited to host our Back to Ave day on Sunday, 19 March 2023 from 11:00am-1:00pm. This alumnae event is for students who graduated 5 years ago (2018) as well as the years ending in ‘3’ – 2013, 2003, 1993, 1983, 1973 and of course, 1963 – the inaugural graduating class. It is a great day to catch up with former classmates, as well as to enjoy tours around the College grounds It has changed quite a bit over the last 60 years, so why not get in touch with your high school friends and organise to come along. You can RSVP here: https://forms.office.com/r/1yWP5em03s

AMC Professional Learning and Growth Framework 2023

In the latter half of 2022, the College undertook a review of the professional learning program for our teaching staff. After consultation with staff, coupled with learnings from the 2022 school review, the College Data and Growth Team have developed a new program for 2023 and beyond. Central to the redeveloped program are 3 key elements:

1. To create effective and engaging opportunities to build knowledge and skills around good teacher practice that leads to Improved student learning outcomes.

2. To embed the principles from the Ave Maria College Charter for Education

3. To create a contemporary learning culture that facilitates growth and development of staff, and independent and confident learners in our students.

The Professional Learning and Growth Framework (PLGF) includes a range of different activities and opportunities for our teaching staff to continue to build their knowledge and

practice of contemporary pedagogy. It is more strategic and succinct in drawing together programs such as Visible Wellbeing, Restorative Practices, data Literacy, and the AITSL professional teaching standards, as well as more explicitly delving into the principles within the Ave Maria College Charter for Education (ACE). A significant part of this program occurs in the afternoon of Day 8, when the students finish early.

We have already held 2 sessions this year, both under the title of ‘know your students’ – where we have considered academic data and wellbeing practices, continuing to develop our data literacy and visible wellbeing tools. One of the most rewarding aspects of this program is seeing how easily and effectively our staff collaborate and their genuine desire to be the best teachers they can be for our students.

Assistant Principal (Students and Engagement)

Welcome

The beginning of a new school year is a wonderful opportunity for students to set themselves up for the whole year with what type of person they present to their peers, and teachers each day.

At the Senior Year Assembly, I spoke about Martin Luther King Jnr stating, “the function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character -that is the goal of true education ” I asked each Senior student to reflect on how they will lead the college to ensure that their intelligence, and character are seen always at their best.

At the Middle Year Assembly where students are of an age where they are continuing to explore the world and their place in it, I offered the following quote, “Don’t change so people will like you. Be yourself and the right people will love the real you.”

To the Junior Assembly following on from their theme of “The gifts we share” I offered the following reflection, “Beautiful people are not always good, but good people are always beautiful.” I reiterated that they are all beautiful people who make choices to include and be kind.

Please take some time to reflect on these statements with your young person at home.

Uniform

As our uniform provides a sense of identity and belonging, it should be worn with pride. The seasonless wardrobe options now allow greater choice for all. Students will be given incidents if they do not meet our expectations. We continue to ask for parents to support us in having the correct pieces of uniform available for their young person and to ensure a note is in their planner if an item is not meeting expectations.

Safety on Pickup and Drop-off

Our students are precious. Please ensure that you do not wait in cars in Non-Standing areas as it blocks the view of staff and Crossing Supervisor. We want all our young people to arrive and depart safely. Please ask your young person to meet you further up Vida Street as the walk is a healthy thing to do.

Director of Catholic Identity and Mission

2023 College Theme

Our College theme for 2023 is: ‘May we treasure God's word like Mary.’ This theme is visually represented by the artwork of Mary from Alex Rivette (Year 12) as pictured below. We have already seen our students living this out with special events for our Year 7’s and Year 12’s. The Year 7’s completed their ‘transition’ to Ave with a special liturgy on Tuesday, 7 February 2023 during which, several students described the warm welcome they had received and a desire to be open to the many opportunities the college offers.

Year 12 Retreat

Our Year 12 students have just completed their Retreat experience from 8 -10 February at Grantville Lodge, Grantville. They engaged in activities that encouraged them to think about their journey to this point and the type of person they wish to be in the future. It enabled time for them to reflect on their faith and their key relationships as they embark on their final year at Ave.

Ash Wednesday Liturgy

We look forward to the Opening College Mass on 16 February and the beginning of Lent with our Ash Wednesday Liturgy on Wednesday, 22 February 2023

Director of Learning and Pathways

Welcome

We welcome back all students to the college and in particular any new student joining our Ave community. Students across all year levels have commenced with engagement and positive attitudes to their courses of study.

New Pathways in 2023

We are excited to be able to offer for the first time VCE Vocational Major and the RMIT Tertiary Education Preparation Program. Students completing the RMIT Tertiary Education Program explore specialised business, engineering, health, and science streams designed to give them an introduction to these areas for future studies. Upon completion, they receive a certificate, and this will enable them to be prepared to pursue further tertiary study. As you can see at Ave Maria College, we offer extensive pathway options, that really do represent the reality of a modern educational system that has a range of learning programs, so that learners can experience success.

SAC Schedule

The SAC schedule will soon be released. Students and parents are reminded of the protocols that exist around missing assessments, and the process for rescheduling. Please make contact if you have any concerns.

Director of Student Wellbeing

Visible Wellbeing

Our focus in Mentor Period this term will be the Relationships element of the Visible Wellbeing framework. We know that relationships are a protective factor for all people, particularly our young people. Students will work in their Mentor Groups and Year Level groups to make new connections and develop a range of friendships.

PULSE

We continue to use PULSE as a platform for our students to check in each week. PULSE is a 3 minute digital check in that asks students about how they are feeling.

We use this information to monitor the mood of individuals and groups so that we can identify any emerging issues and put the right supports in place. One of the great features of PULSE is the gratitude feature. Students and staff can issue each other gratitudes for any kindness, humour, fairness, determination or just to say thanks.

Focusing on Strengths

Another element of the Visible Wellbeing framework is Strengths and giving gratitude is a key skill in spotting the strengths in others.

Focusing on strengths contributes to greater growth and performance over time, while focusing on deficits contributes to a decrease in mood and performance. A strengths-based approach supports confidence and empowers our students to stretch and to manage the discomfort of being just outside their comfort zone, which is the proximal zone for learning and development. Parents and carers can support this mindset by highlighting their child’s strengths and using this language to help them manage their challenges. Repetition and focus on these strengths help this to become an automatic thought and supports their formation of identity and self-belief.

Around the College

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Business Manager

School Fees

Thank you to the many families who have either paid or put in place payment arrangements. A reminder that the first payment of fees is now due. If you have not yet made a payment or have entered into a payment plan, please contact the Finance Office on 9331 9307. Fee Statements were emailed to all families on 16 December 2022. If you are experiencing financial hardship, please contact the Business Manager on 9331 9303 to discuss your circumstances.

Camps, Sports, Excursion Fund

If you hold a current Health Care Card as at 31 January 2023, you may be eligible for the Camp, Sports and Excursion Fund. An application form was included in the email with the Fee Statements. If you require assistance completing this form, please call the Finance Office on 9331 9307.

Families who have received this funding in the past from Ave Maria College do not need to reapply unless you have a child who commenced at the College in 2023.

Successful applicants will receive a grant of $225.00 from the State Government. This amount plus a further discount from the College will be applied as a credit on your fee statement.

Canteen

The College Canteen provides a valuable service to our community. For this service to meet the needs of the students, we rely on the assistance of volunteers from our parents and other members of our community. If you can assist, we would like to hear from you. Hours of duty can be as little as 1.5 hours to half a day. Please email Anthony.Kirley@avemaria.vic.edu.au with your expression of interest. An information pack will then be sent to you

Parking and Traffic around the College

Please read the attached details from the Moonee Valley Council regarding parking and traffic flow around the College. Council Parking Officers are regularly in attendance enforcing the parking restrictions. We also ask that you respect the rights of our neighbours and do not park across or in driveways.

Drop off / pick up times are always busy. Please remember that road laws need to be always obeyed. Moonee Valley Council Officers regularly patrol the area around the College and will issue fines if they observe any breaches of the laws. Do not park on or near a school crossing. Do not double park and let your child out on the road. You cannot stay in the drop off / pick up zone for longer than two minutes. Your child needs to be waiting in the zone before you arrive. Fines for offences are;

• Stopping in a “No Stopping” area - $165.00

• Stopped in a Bus Zone - $99.00

• Parked for a period longer than indicated - $83.00

• Stopping on or near a children’s crossing - $165.00

• Stopped on a footpath - $99.00

• Stopped on or across a driveway or other way of access - $99.00

• Parked / stopped on a nature strip - $99.00

QUICK LINKS

Parent Access Module (PAM)

Click here to access the College Parent Access Module (PAM)

SkoolBag

Click here to access SkoolBag. The SkoolBag App is the easiest way to keep up to date with school events, last minute notices, newsletters and all school communications.

CDF Pay

Click here to access CDF Pay. CDF Pay is an online payment platform families can use to pay for school services from your mobile, tablet or computer at any time.

Families can:

• place student online lunch orders.

• add funds to student accounts to be used for over the counter canteen purchases.

• add funds to student accounts to be used for Printing Credit.

College Calendar

Click here for the College Calendar. Please refer to the College Calendar for all Upcoming Events and Dates of Importance.

Medical Management Plan

Families are reminded that any changes or updates to the medical management plan of students should be communicated to the College via email to the AMC Health Centre AMC.HealthServices@avemaria.vic.edu.au and updated by the parent/carer on PAM.