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.