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