VIDIAN 2021 GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT • AVE MARIA COLLEGE
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AVE MARIA COLLEGE
GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT
Emily Raffaele
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14–22 Vida Street, Aberfeldie 3040 Telephone 03 9331 avemaria@avemaria.vic.edu.au9300 www.avemaria.vic.edu.au Ad veritatem per caritatem Designed and Printed by Kreate kreate@kreategraphics.com.auGraphics.
VIDIAN 2021
EDITOR
EDITORIAL TEAM Jo Hammer Assistant Principal (Community and Growth) Catherine CommunicationsMarketingMcCarthyandOffice
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GOD IS GUIDING LIGHT
VIDIAN CREATIVE TEAM Taylor McCarthy (Class of 2021) Parente (Class of 2021)
GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT • 1 From the Principal 2 Deputy Principal 3 Assistant Principal Community and Growth 4 Assistant Principal Students and Engagement 5 Director of Faith and Religious Education 6 Director of Professional Learning and Pedagogy 6 Mission Action Day 7 Director of Learning and Pathways 8 Director of Student Wellbeing 9 Human Resources and Compliance Manager 10 2021 Online Learning 11 College Captains 12 Academic Captain 12 Franciscan Captains 13 Arts Captain 13 Student Leaders 14 Student Leadership Program 15 Peer Support 16 Tour Assistants 16 Ave Maria Day 17 Leader of Pedagogy 18 Digital Learning Leader 18 Careers 19 Religious Education 20 English 21 Mathematics 22 Science 23 Languages 24 Humanities 25 Health and Physical Education 26 Digital Technology and Stem 27 Design Technology 28 Performing Arts 29 Visual Arts 30 Excellence in the Arts 31 Year 12 Arts 32 Horizons 34 LET 34 Helene Library 35 Co-Curricular 36 House 37 Clare House 38 Francis House 40 Helene House 42 Mary House 44 Senior School 46 Year Twelve 48 Year 12 Retreat 50 Class of 2021 Celebrations 52 Year Eleven 54 Middle School 56 Year Ten 58 Year Nine 60 Year 9 Camp 62 Junior School 64 Year Eight 66 Year Seven 68 Year 7 Camp 70 Academic and Community Awards Night 27 Staff 74 2020 Dux 76 2020 VCE High Achievers 76 Autographs IBC CONTENTS
At Ave Maria College, we place a significant emphasis on the gifts in which God provides for us. This starts in Year 7 and continues all the way through to Year 12. We want to empower our students so that they can engage, grow, flourish and thrive. We started 2021 with a short video to set the tone. This short video explored the story of a small boy who asked his father the value of life and humanity. As a College we used this video to remind and encourage our students to believe in themselves; to use and develop their gifts and talents; to value the contribution of others; to set themselves a goal and work towards it; and to dare to dream about their future. This was revisited throughout the year in many ways, whether this was through engagement in the Visible Wellbeing Program, participation in STEM initiatives, being selected to display artwork at an exhibition, participation in Wellbeing Days, participation in Faith Formation Days or hearing from the Women of Ave about their career journey. Each of our students has been offered many different and varying opportunities to be able to grow and develop as a young person in a way that fosters the: • Curiosity to explore • Courage to excel Confidence to thrive Compassion to love • Community to grow
God give us faith in your promises, Let your holy presence fill us with all things good. Amen Many thanks to the Ave Maria College community for your continued support and I wish you all a safe, relaxing and restful break.
Tanya Hutton PRINCIPAL
I would also like to thank the Learning Management Team, Student Wellbeing Team and Senior Leadership Team. Your leadership to ensure the continued provision of faith, learning, co-curricular programs throughout 2021 is to be commended. You continue to lead and serve in a uniquely Franciscan way modelling the characteristics of respect, reflection, collaboration, growth and Incompassion.conclusion, I would like to share the following prayer with the Ave Maria College community which is inspired by our College theme. ‘God is our guiding light’.
As a faith community, through God’s guiding light we have worked together to support each other and show incredible strength in the face of these unusual times and experiences. Both staff and students continued to adapt and be agile in their response. I want to thank and congratulate them for their resilience, adaptability and all they have achieved throughout this year.
To our families I would also like to extend our appreciation and thanks for the many ways in which you have supported your daughter throughout 2021. The ongoing partnership between families and the College is one in which the College places significant value and importance. As a community we are most grateful for all you have done for your daughter.
To our three College Co-Captains Emily McMahon, Lilianna Morgan and Mya Mollica, thank you for your vision and leadership of the Ave Maria College students throughout 2021. You have led aptly, continuing the rich leadership culture of the College, one which will encourage our next generation of student leaders to aspire towards.
The College theme for 2021, ‘God is our guiding light’ was inspired by St Clare of Assisi who herself allowed God to be her guiding light. God guides us through the gifts he instills in all of us along with the people and events we encounter in our lives.
God give us light for the journey, Let your Spirit guide us along our journey with wisdom and truth.
God bless and as a community may we continue to strive for truth through love.
God give us thoughts to inspire us, Let Christ’s example lead us towards justice and mercy.
2 • GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT FROM THE PRINCIPAL
I look forward with hope and anticipation to what we will achieve in our faith and learning community in 2022 and encourage all students and teachers to make the most of every opportunity both within and outside of the classroom, to achieve your personal goals for 2022. May you all enjoy a blessed Christmas and New Year – God bless! Robertson DEPUTY PRINCIPAL
GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT • 3
DEPUTY PRINCIPAL
As a learning community, the students and teachers of Ave Maria College have embraced the opportunities for rich learning and discovery throughout 2021. The Ave Charter for Education (ACE) continues to underpin our learning and teaching endeavours, as teachers and students continue to find new and innovative ways of navigating the online learning environment.
Our teaching staff worked in Professional Learning Teams throughout 2021, focused on exploring in greater depth the Learning Principles that drive our pedagogical practice – sharing and collaborating across Domain areas to foster best practice in the classroom. Some of the research topics covered this year included:
• What practices best support the fostering of a positive learning environment?
• Which lesson structures enable purposeful teaching to optimise student learning?
‘When we learn how to become resilient, we learn how to embrace the beautifully broad spectrum of the human experience.’ – Jaeda Dewalt
• How can we develop students that engage with purposeful reflection?
We look forward to continuing to share and embed these ideas and approaches into our learning programs for 2022, including the launch of the Whole School Reading Focus which aims to improve disciplinary literacy in all subject areas. We are people of learning and I consider myself a lifelong learner. An important priority for me is to work with our teaching staff to ensure every student can achieve learning success. In the spirit of St Francis and St Clare, we wish to impart on our students the privilege of an excellent education and the responsibility to go out into the world to bear witness to our faith and to enrich the world with hope, purpose and meaning. We must strive to search for truth within a culture of learning. We must all work to achieve our personal best and to challenge each other in our collective roles and responsibilities to be learners, critical thinkers and risk-takers to contribute to a learning culture of endeavour and excellence.
• Does setting goals for subject units motivate and encourage growth in subject areas?
• How can we create a learning environment that empowers students, by providing opportunities for students to co-lead their learning?
• What are the optimal characteristics for success criteria in order to engage students with the provided success criteria?
• Does creativity and/or structure enhance purposeful teaching?
• Which strategies of differentiation result in positive responses from students?
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• What activities promote thinking in students and increase student engagement in their learning?’
• How can differentiation lead to learning growth and student engagement? How valuable is written teacher feedback on Ave Learning on formative tasks and summative assessments?
There are two key portfolios in this role – community, which incorporates our presence in the wider local and education communities, as seen through our social media platforms and publications, as well as working with our Marketing Team on the updated College branding and advertising. There is also the growth portfolio which covers staff growth and development, through programs such as our professional learning time and Professional Learning Teams, as well as the STEP program for staff goal setting and reflection. Student growth this year focussed primarily on the launch of the updated Ave Charter for Education, and the refined Learner Attributes. A further element of this portfolio is the growth of programs and opportunities that exist within the College. The introduction of the Innovation and Growth Team, where we look at things such as contemporary teaching resources, new subject offerings, and programs for staff and students, ensure that Ave is continuously striving to be at the forefront of educational experiences and practices.
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL COMMUNITY & GROWTH
4 • GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT I am absolutely delighted to have been appointed to the new position of Assistant Principal (Community and Growth) from 2021. I have thoroughly enjoyed exploring what this role will be this year, and how it will evolve going forward.
I feel very privileged to be able to work with staff, students, and external agencies in helping to grow the profile and reputation of the College and celebrate the wonderful achievements of our community members through different channels and platforms.
Jo Hammer ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL (COMMUNITY AND GROWTH)
An exciting part of this role is working closely with the College Alumnae. It is important that we share and celebrate the achievements and pathways of Ave graduates, for they are as interesting as they are diverse. The College prides itself on helping each young person pursue their dreams, whatever they may be, so seeing examples of this is vitally important. We want current students to see what is possible by hearing from those who came before them. The fortnightly Ave Belong series on our social media pages is just one way that we highlight different career pathways and showcase a tiny sample of the amazing women of Ave Maria College. Likewise, the introduction of the ‘Friday round-up’ on our socials gives families and friends of the College a little look into the day-to-day experiences of students. This weekly account of who we are and what we do is a great advertisement for life within our community.
It is the young people of Ave Maria College that have continued to impress us with their resilience and positive attitude towards their engagement in their education this year.
The Year 8s forged ahead with a ‘can do’ attitude developing positive mental health activities including bake-offs of international foods and paper crane origami.
GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT • 5
In order for students to thrive they need both their wellbeing and academic learning to be supported. It has been a privilege working with the Director of Student Wellbeing, Mrs Natalie Meddis, the Sub-School Leaders Ms Tania Stangherlin, Ms Melanie Zahra, and Mrs Joanne Thompson, and the Co-Curricular and House Leader, Mr Garry Whicker to ensure that students are provided with every opportunity to be the best version of themselves. I have been grateful for the support of our counselling team of Dr Marian Kolta and Ms Cara McMahon. I appreciate and thank parents who continue to work in partnership with us, to ensure that the young person is supported to grow in their character and be on a successful pathway in life.
The Year 12 Retreat allowed each student to appreciate their unique God given gifts that they bring to the year level. The College Co-Captains of Emily McMahon, Mya Mollica and Lilianna Morgan provided impressive leadership. Together with the Franciscan Captains: Amanda Nguyen and Jessica Tanti, the Academic Captain: Karen Habashy, the Arts Captain: Madeline Langenbacher and the House Captains: Louise Garagozlo, Abbey Nagle, Alissia Bellistri, Brianna Coyle, Elisha Andres, Talia Miatello, Leile Baxter, and Tess Marazita they were a formidable team that worked tirelessly to serve the Ave Maria College Throughcommunity.belonging, students thrive. This has been evidenced throughout 2021.
The Year 9s strengthened their collaboration and resilience through the Year 9 Outdoor Education camp. The encouragement of their team members when confronted with challenges has provided them with strong foundations for life’s hurdles.
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL STUDENTS & ENGAGEMENT
The Year 7s had a smooth transition to secondary school as they became part of our Ave Maria College family. Their enthusiasm and openness to forming new friendships was commendable.
The Year 12 cohort have grown together and supported each other as their last year at the College.
Year 11s have been especially supportive of our Year 7s. The Year 11 Peer Support Leaders attended the Year 7 camp, the Year 7 Adventure Park excursion and provided a ‘big sister’ in the school yard with a friendly hello and a great listening ear.
Year 10s explored their strengths and selected subjects that they are passionate about for their senior pathways. They attended study skill sessions and fully embraced the personal protection sessions of self-defence and the wellbeing of mindfulness.
Leonie Rushbrook ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL (STUDENTS AND ENGAGEMENT)
6 • GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT
On Monday, 12 July, staff gathered in Francis Hall to watch video presentations by Dr Anna Rowlands on the application of Catholic Social Teaching to everyday life. In groups, staff engaged with discussion questions including how Catholic Social Teaching is lived at the College.
The 2021 College theme is “God is our guiding light”. This message from the writings of St Clare requires awareness of the ways that God is present with each of us – through prayer, Scripture and the sacraments, as well as through the people and daily events of our lives.
RELIGIOUS
DIRECTOR OF FAITH & RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
Patrick Jurd DIRECTOR OF FAITH AND EDUCATION
On Tuesday, 9 February, the College gathered in Francis Hall to celebrate the beginning of the school year with gratitude for the many ways that we are guided by God. The Custodian of Mission, Fr Tony Feeney, was our celebrant. Our Year 12 Leaders had their badges blessed and recited a pledge to be servant leaders in 2021. The new staff and students were given their Tau cross, a symbol of our shared Franciscan charism.
At the start of Term 4, our Franciscan Captains, Jessica Tanti and Amanda Nguyen guided our Year 8 students to write a farewell message to the Year 12 students as they conclude their time at the College. This thoughtful activity gave both Year 8 and Year 12 students an enriching and positive experience.
Ash Wednesday was marked by an online liturgy, to which members of our Senior College Leadership Team contributed in creative ways. The College Co-Captains reflected upon the College theme, while the Franciscan Captains encouraged the College community to let go of self-doubt, expectations and fear that hold us back from living life to the full (John 10:10).
GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT • 7 At the end of Term 1, each year since 2013, the College has held a Mission Action Day walkathon. On this day, students and staff alike all walk around the Maribyrnong River track and return to the College. The activity is designed to raise awareness and funds for our sister school, St Maria Mazzarello in Venilale, Timor-Leste. The money donated goes to pay teachers’ wages as well as ensuring they have basic supplies such as stationery and computers. Mission Action Day is a much loved whole school tradition that builds upon our rich school spirit and our Franciscan charism.
MISSION ACTION
Patrick Jurd DIRECTOR OF FAITH AND RELIGIOUS EDUCATION DAY
LEARNING
DIRECTOR OF LEARNING AND PATHWAYS
PATHWAYS Once again, we held our Subject Selection Evening and Year 10 Subject Selection Interviews online and these events were both highly beneficial for students, as they made selections in their programs for 2022. In relation to tertiary pathways, many of our Year 12 students have received conditional early entry offers from universities like ACU, La Trobe and Swinburne. We wish all the Class of 2021 the very best in the pursuit of their dreams and aspirations as they graduate from the College. In further exciting news this year, the College became a member of the Inner Melbourne VET Cluster. This exciting partnership will assist students in accessing external VET programs that will be able to be incorporated into their VCE studies moving into 2022 and beyond.
James Vella DIRECTOR OF LEARNING AND
Students were onsite for the majority of their Semester One classes, with some online learning taking place briefly in February and May/June. Our students and staff enjoyed the freedom to participate in practicals, learn collaboratively and utilise the ICT skills developed last year to enhance their classroom engagement with peers and teachers.
PATHWAYS
Term 3 was mostly spent online, whilst a staggered return to the classroom occurred in Term 4 for all students. Throughout the lockdown, it was clear that once again the Ave Maria College Community were able to persevere and demonstrate great resilience in rising above the challenges.
This year, the College also undertook a review of its curriculum, with further work to be undertaken in 2022 to ensure that the next iteration of what curriculum and learning looks like at the College continues to meet the needs of all students and to prepare them for life in a world of work that is yet to be realised.
8 • GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT 2021 was another exciting year for the College in the areas of learning and pathways.
DIRECTOR OF STUDENT WELLBEING
Incorporating Visible Wellbeing into the fabric of the College has given Student Wellbeing new direction and strength. The framework has been integrated into the Ave Charter for Education. The characteristics of Visible Wellbeing support students in building the Learner Attributes that we believe are essential to the flourishing of our students.
The Mentor Teachers and the Mentor Program have been fundamental to embedding the Visible Wellbeing framework and to the ongoing support of our students throughout the year. With great agility, mentor teachers have navigated the move between onsite and remote learning. Checking in through teams, or in person, our Mentor Teachers have traveled the year alongside their students. They have adapted to the changing environment, creating fun activities and ensuring that all our young people are well supported.
Visible Wellbeing has provided the staff with an evidence-informed framework that is continually supported with ongoing research through the University of Melbourne. The characteristics of strength, emotional regulation, attention and awareness, relationships, coping, and habits and goals have been identified through analytical studies with a focus on positive psychology. Positive psychology focuses on flourishing and this focus allows our charism and mission to come to life. In attending to the individual characteristics of our students and supporting their growth in each area, we can support the full flourishing of our students as they journey from Year 7 to Year 12.
Ave Maria College was acknowledged at the 2021 Visible Wellbeing Summit as Secondary School of the Year. Lea Waters AM, PhD created Visible Wellbeing as result of her research into both trauma informed education and positive psychology. In presenting this award, Lea highlighted the dynamic approach of the College in blending student wellbeing with academic growth. As a result of our ongoing professional learning and reflective practice, staff have used the ideas of Visible Wellbeing to ensure that the climate in the classroom or online is purposefully created to maximise the opportunity to engage and learn.
GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT • 9
STUDENT WELLBEING
Mrs Natalie Meddis DIRECTOR OF
I convey my thanks and appreciation to the tremendous Ave Maria College staff, for all we have encountered and achieved together this year. Special thanks to the Senior Leadership Team for their courage, intuition and dedication. I really enjoy my work and coming to the College every day. What wonderful, caring students; what truly collegial and dedicated staff members; what a marvellous sense of community and optimism, for which I know we are all grateful.
• CovidSafe Plans and Practices: participation with the Senior Leadership Team in College planning and decision-making, in accordance with MACS School Operations Guides and Victorian Government Health orders. Special thanks to Ms Tanya Hutton (Principal), Mrs Michelle Robertson (Deputy Principal) and Mr Allan Thompson (Business Manager).
• Compliance Modules for Staff: Child Safety; Work Health and Safety; Equal Opportunity; COVIDSafe protocols. The implementation of these practices is completed in collaboration with Mrs Zarafa.
Employment of Staff: guidelines, processes and documentation, in collaboration with Ms Tanya Hutton and Ms Tanya Thornton (PA to the Principal).
Supporting the operations of other highly effective teams within the College, namely Finance and Administration. Thank you to Mr Allan Thompson and the Finance Team; and to Ms Brooke Poynton (Administration Team Leader) and Administration staff, for their wonderful Forcontributions.allofus,regardless of age, or level of responsibility, there is no power greater than a community discovering what it cares about. The challenges presented to the Ave Maria College community this year remain at the forefront: expect to be surprised; be aspirational; real listening always brings people closer together; remember, you don’t fear people whose story you know; rely on human goodness. May the importance of serving with humility remain within your hearts.
RESOURCES
Central to my role this year has been overseeing responsibilities regarding practices within the College: maintaining professionalism in all that we do; awareness of the impact on others of decision-making and planning; nurturing positive relationships which are caring, trusting, wellintentioned and genuine. These factors support student engagement, striving for excellence.
Together we make the difference in each other’s lives. We strive for a better world, for the dignity of all. Our Christian, Franciscan ethos is commitment to teaching about living life to the full – with Knowledge, Wisdom, Compassion, Justice, Freedom and Faith – Striving for Truth through Love.
10 • GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT
Anthony Kirley HUMAN RESOURCES AND COMPLIANCE MANAGER
HUMAN & COMPLIANCE MANAGER
Some of the duties included: Policy and Protocols: regular updates and reviews in accordance with Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) guidelines and timelines. These tasks are completed in collaboration with Mrs Danielle Zarafa (Risk and Compliance Officer). Thank you, Danielle.
GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT • 11 With the start of the new year, as the sounds of students filled the corridors and open areas, thoughts of online learning from 2020 faded into the background. Little did we know that in 2021, we would find ourselves once again in lockdown and remote and flexible learning would again be part of our academic year, particularly in Semester Two. Once again, the Ave Maria College community rose to the challenge, as we slipped almost seamlessly back into class and staff meetings on MS Teams for lockdown three, four, five and six. The almost daily comments of ‘you’re on mute’ started to become funny, meanwhile staff and students alike upped their meme and GIF game as way of adding humour and connection to meetings and classes. All in all, despite more than 60 school days online this year, we continued to teach, learn, assess, and grow, showing just how adaptable and resilient our community is. Online learning in 2021 • Lockdown 3: Feb 12 – Feb 17 • Lockdown 4: May 27 – Jun 10 • Lockdown 5: Jul 15-Jul 27 • Lockdown 6: Aug 5 – Oct 21 Jo Hammer ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL (COMMUNITY AND GROWTH) 2021 ONLINE LEARNING
Although the 2021 academic year presented many obstacles, I have been blown away by the commitment and rigour students applied to their studies, especially during remote learning.
Emily McMahon, Mya Mollica and Lilianna Morgan COLLEGE CO-CAPTAINS
ACADEMIC CAPTAIN
We leave for the last time with this quote “Go into the world and do well, but more importantly go into the world and do good.” –Minor Myers Jr. Thank you everyone, it has been an honor being your 2021 College Co-Captains.
Karen Habashy COLLEGE ACADEMIC CAPTAIN
12 • GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT
Excerpt from speech to the College community
COLLEGE CAPTAINS
To our wonderful graduating class of 2021, we have finally made it. It seems like the last few months and weeks have gone on forever and it certainly has been one crazy, unpredictable roller coaster ride. We are so incredibly lucky to have experienced the past six years alongside this crazy, loud, passionate, driven group of girls and we could not be prouder to stand here today ready to embark on a new journey. We have all grown together from the nervous girls with socks up to their knees and blazers past their fingers walking through the gates in 2016 to now: where we’ve walked through the gates for the final time. We know that each one of you is destined for success in all that you set your minds to during the coming years, and we wish every one of you the best. Thank you for six years of fun, laughter, and memories to last a lifetime.
It has been a privilege working alongside Mr Vella and the Year Level Academic Captains this year, and I wish our students all the best in their future academic endeavours.
This year has seen many challenges, however, students at Ave Maria College continued to persevere in their academic endeavours with strength and resilience. Throughout my role as College Academic Captain, I have been fortunate enough to interact with students from all year levels, hearing their thoughtful and driven ideas.
It is a bittersweet moment for us... whilst we are sad to say goodbye, we are so grateful for the opportunity to applaud the courage and resilience of Ave Maria College throughout this year. We have been so blessed to have had the opportunity to lead this community throughout 2021. To Ms Hutton, Mrs Rushbrook, Mrs Robertson, Ms Hammer and all senior staff leaders; thank you for your constant support this year in making sure 2021 could be as fun and safe as possible.
As a team, we were able to create a video about ‘words that hold young people back from being all they can be’ which was presented at the Ash Wednesday Service. In addition, we were able to film another video engaging with the College Theme which reflected many students’ perspectives on how God is their guiding light.’
FRANCISCAN CAPTAINS
In times where we couldn’t be further apart, we were still able to unite as a community to appreciate and learn about the Arts in their most pure and raw forms of beauty, through school traditions such as Spectacular, Spectacular! and frequent student performances at school gatherings.
Amanda Nguyen and Jessica Tanti FRANCISCAN CAPTAINS
As the 2021 Arts Captain, I had the opportunity to admire the vast array of artistic talents that the Ave Maria College community has to offer.
2021 saw the growth of the College Choir as well as the return of the student lead Ave Dance Crew, further allowing students to embrace their unique abilities through the Arts.
We were honoured to have held this position in 2021 and work with such an amazing team who endeavored to maintain the Franciscan spirit.
Madeline Langenbacher ARTS CAPTAIN What a journey it has been as Franciscan Captains in 2021! We’ve been privileged enough to work with members of the Ave Maria College community to spread awareness of our 2021 College Theme, ‘God is our guiding light?’
With our fortnightly meetings with Mr Jurd, and the Franciscan Leaders from each year level, we discussed many different ideas ranging from how to be sustainable at school, and ways to improve student involvement in liturgies and masses.
GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT • 13
ARTS CAPTAIN
14 • GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT Georgia Benton Arts Leader STUDENT LEADERS Charlotte FranciscanArnoldLeader Alannah Boccabella Year Level Captain Lauren FranciscanCunningtonLeader Ella-Grace Arnold Franciscan Leader YEAR 7 LEADERS YEAR 8 LEADERS YEAR 9 LEADERS YEAR 10 LEADERS YEAR 11 LEADERS Gloria FranciscanCrnovLeader Natasha Castello Arts Leader Erica Di FranciscanMatteoLeader Kiana Fenton Year Level Captain ChanelArtsChristodoulouLeader Grace FranciscanKulykLeader Tahlya Mardini Year Level Captain ChiaraOliviaArtsHutchinsonLeaderMangionArtsLeader Simona Mussie Brhane Franciscan Leader Mila Pickett Year Level Captain Jocelyn O Keefe Academic Captain Abbey Kerr Academic Captain Isabella AcademicMingaarsCaptain Majella Portelli Year Level Captain Sienna AcademicScodellaCaptain Isabelle FranciscanSpicerLeader Anica Raspudic Year Level Captain Olivia FranciscanSadiqLeader Alexandra Priestley Academic Captain Millicent van Diemen Year Level Captain Alisa Villani Year Level Captain Eva FranciscanRendinaLeader Evelyn Zuccarelli Year Level Captain Isabelle Santopoli Year Level Captain
STUDENT LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
The Year 12 House leaders continued to lead through their face to face and online preparation for the Ave Maria Day Spectacular, Spectacular! competition. This involved all Year 7-12 students and provided a much-needed boost to student’s mental health during lockdown. We have been very fortunate that the Year 7 to 12 students have experienced such servant leaders. Through collaboration, the leaders have ensured that voices have been heard and acted upon, and that belonging has been strengthened.
We have had an active student leadership group serve the College this year. All Leaders participated in two seminar days that addressed empowerment, how to lead others and how to effect positive change at Ave Maria College. Many ideas were developed and then approved by the College Senior Leadership TheTeam.Year 12 Senior Student Leadership group maintained an enthusiastic and dedicated approach that inspired the Year 7-11 student leadership group to follow in their footsteps. The Year 12s implemented a ‘Voice It’ box to ensure all students had an avenue to voice their ideas and concerns. They also developed a Multicultural Week for 2022 around the themes of diversity and acceptance of all backgrounds. Another idea was the provision of sanitary dispensers in the toilets for emergency access which was initially pitched in a Year 7 -12 collaborative group. Approval occurred with an educational plan to commence at the start of 2022, led by the student leaders.
GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT • 15
Ms Leonie Rushbrook ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL (STUDENTS AND ENGAGEMENT)
16 •
College Tour Assistants lead our enrolment tours for prospective families. This is a great initiative and one that is appreciated by the Grade 4 and 5 students who attend our many tours. Hearing from the students themselves, about their experiences at school, is very powerful.
In 2021 our Tour Assistants were a mix of Year 10 and Year 9 students due to the limited tours that took place last year. Not only did our Year 10 assistants host most of the Term 1 tours, but a small number also helped to train the Year 9s. As with most things in 2021, our college tours also moved into the virtual pace and some of our Year 9 and 10 Tour Assistants ably transitioned to an online tour, engaging in live Q&A sessions with parents and students. These students are wonderful ambassadors for the College, and we appreciate their willingness to lead these important community engagement events. ASSISTANTS
Jo Hammer ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL (COMMUNITY AND GROWTH) PEER SUPPORT TOUR
GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT Welcoming new students is essential to our Franciscan charism. The 2021 Peer Support Program was an incredible experience which allowed us to help welcome the new Year 7 members of the Ave Maria College community. Supporting students with regular lunchtime sessions, attending Year 7 Camp and participating in leadership building, our Peer Support Leaders build their skills through service to the community.
– Emily Bock Natalie Meddis DIRECTOR OF STUDENT WELLBEING
“I enjoyed getting the opportunity to be a Peer Support Leader as it helped broaden my skills and attributes and further assisted in developing relationships with other students. This made the Year 7 students feel welcome and ensured that they were comfortable enough to come and speak to their leaders if there was a problem.” – Bianca “TheSweeneyPeer Support Program was an amazing experience. The program allowed me to help a group of amazing girls feel welcome into the Ave Maria College community and encourage them to develop relationships with others from their cohort. I was able to push myself out of my comfort zone during my experience as a Peer Support Leader.” – Monique Lafauci “I found being a Peer Support Leader a really enriching experience to be able to help out Year 7s in their transition into high school. It was an amazing opportunity to bond with them, develop my skills as a leader and work with my peers too. I am so grateful to have been a Peer Support Leader this year and strongly encourage students to apply for it!”
One of the hallmark events in the College Calendar is Ave Maria Day. An annual celebration of who we are as a faith community, a learning community and an inclusive and supportive community. For the second year running Ave Maria Day could not take place as planned, and instead, in the midst of lockdown 6, became the ‘Ave Afternoon’. This virtual event included moments of prayer and reflection, as well as an adapted version of the 2021 Spectacular, Spectacular! competition, now a permanent part of Ave Maria Day celebrations. Despite the abbreviated event, we still managed to celebrate all things Ave Maria College, and enjoyed an entertaining end to Term 3.
Jo Hammer ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL (COMMUNITY AND GROWTH)
AVE MARIA DAY
GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT • 17
This year was an exciting time with the College entering in a new major partnership with Acer Inc. and the University of Technology Sydney to develop state-of-the-art data dashboards. The dashboards will allow teachers to easily access and cross reference data to improve outcomes across the school. Phase 1 of the project is due to launch by the start of 2022 and I very much look forward to this new era of informed decision making across the College. In addition to driving the data use at the College, my role is to look after Ave Learning. I was pleased to be able to acquire an additional add-on which allows both staff and students to recognise plagiarism when submitting work online through Ave Learning. This feature not only ensures students’ work is their own but also offers a powerful learning tool in referencing correctly and acknowledging the work of others. I look forward to bringing additional exciting technology to the College again in 2022.
All my interactions with staff leave me feeling energized and thankful that we have such passionate and committed educators at Ave Maria College.
18 • GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT In my role as Leader of Pedagogy this year, I have worked on a number of projects which aimed to provide teachers with an opportunity to reflect and improve their practice. This year, I have worked closely with the Assistant Principal (Community and Growth), Jo Hammer, to revise the Classroom Observation Program. This program allows all teaching staff to focus on the key principles in the Ave Charter For Education and provides an opportunity to receive feedback and reflect upon their teaching practice. Further, this role has allowed me to work closely with new and experienced teachers, work collaboratively to plan and implement the Whole School Reading Focus for 2022, share pedagogical ideas in Ave News for staff and mentor a graduate teacher through the Effective Mentoring Program.
Casey Janides LEADER OF PEDAGOGY
Sharon Walsh DIGITAL LEARNING LEADER
LEADER OF PEDAGOGY DIGITAL LEARNING LEADER
CAREERS
Poppy CAREERS EDUCATION LEADER
We celebrated National Careers Week with the theme ‘Careers – Discover and Explore’. The aim of the week was for students to participate in positive career activities and have career conversations. The highlight of the week was the Ave Maria College Alumnae Panel for Senior School students, where they were inspired by our alumnae from various graduating years, working in different industries and careers. The week’s activities also included daily quiz questions and prizes for Year 7, 8 and 9 students, Mentor period and subject career activities, and College Alumnae profiles on our social media accounts.
During Careers Day, Year 10 students heard from guest speakers about skills that future employers are seeking. Students investigated specific careers and the educational pathways and skills required to be future ready. They were able to select a virtual work experience project of interest, to explore real, career related tasks.
In March, all Year 10 students undertook the Morrisby Online Vocational Profile. This tool combines individual strengths, personality and interests to make career suggestions for each student. All Year 10 students had a 1:1 meeting in Term 2, to develop their Career Action Plan for selection of VCE subjects.
‘Hope filled, strengths based, future focused’
In May, our Year 12s attended the VCE and Careers Show to explore careers and courses from over 110 exhibitors. This year, over 88 Year 12 students successfully applied for tertiary early entry programs including La Trobe University ASPIRE, ACU Guaranteed, RMIT Early Offer Program, VU Guaranteed and Swinburne Early Entry Program. These programs reward our students who have work skills and/or have contributed to their community through volunteering and leadership.
In 2021, many students used our new Careers Centre for resources and meetings, to discuss their aspirations and the best individual pathways. Our Ave Maria College Careers website has also assisted students and parents to understand many important careers related topics. Several exciting events also took place throughout the year.
GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT • 19
Ibrahim
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
20 • GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT A pedagogy of encounter is used in Religious Education at Years 7 to 10. This begins with students sharing what they know of the topic, as well as exploring the views of people of other religious faiths or others such as scientists or historians. Students examine the teachings of the Church on the topic. Following this, students reflect on what they have learned and how this has affected their own faith. Our continuing partnership with the RE Domain Team at St Columba’s College has provided excellent shared learning as well as opportunities for staff to review units of work. Whether in class discussion, prayer, or in written responses, our young women continue to indicate their desire and need for meaning that comes from faith and spirituality. I am grateful to my colleagues as we accompany our young women on their faith journey.
Patrick Jurd DIRECTOR OF FAITH AND RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
ENGLISH
GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT • 21 Our ability to travel or visit new places may have been, shall we say, restricted for much of 2021 but students at Ave Maria College have been able to roam the world (and even travel through time) – in their imaginations. The literary texts that we read together in English allow us to explore the world. Our Year 7 students visited the wild, beautiful West Australian coast through reading Tim Winton’s Blueback. Crow Country by Kate Constable took the Year 8s to the wide-open spaces around the Victorian country town of Boort – Dja Dja Wurrung country. The Year 9 students went back in time to 16th Century Verona to follow the tumultuous love story of Romeo and Juliet. Senior English and Literature students spent time in Ancient Greece, explored Iran and Lebanon, glimpsed life in 1950s Mississippi and 1950s London. And that is not even the whole itinerary! The borders of our imaginations can never be closed. When we read stories, our horizons expand.
Suzanne Lake DOMAIN LEADER ENGLISH
At Ave Maria College we encourage our students to approach their study of Mathematics with the same sense of curiosity. All problems have a solution, we just need to attack them in the right way in order to get to that solution. At the beginning of the year with our new intake of Year 7 students, as part of the Orientation program, we staged a combined Mathematics and Science Amazing Race. This saw students moving around the College to solve problems and perform scientific experiments. Students were encouraged to collaborate in their teams in order to get their passport stamped so they could move on to the next station. The celebration of Math’s and Science Week in Term 3 was another highlight, with students challenged to solve a different puzzle each day. Overall, it has been a successful year. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Mathematics Domain for their dedication and hard work.
MATHEMATICS
Dianne Lodge DOMAIN LEADER MATHEMATICS
22 • GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT Katherine Johnson was an American mathematician whose calculations were critical to the success of the first and subsequent U.S. manned spaceflights. Her approach to the difficult mathematics that she needed to understand and apply can be best summed up by a statement she made in an interview in 2011; “If you attack the problem right, you’ll get the answer.”
SCIENCE
This is the hands-on approach we took in science this year, getting our lab coats and goggles on and spending as much time in the lab as possible. Once again, the ‘science lab’ took a range of different forms this year – from school labs to kitchen benches, and back yards, our students proved that no matter the environment, the focus remains the same – to understand how the world around us works. 2021 also saw the return of weekly Lab Rats after-school meetings, where students were challenged to design and create solutions to a range of problems in engineering and science. Our students, staff and in a lot of instances parents doubling as lab supervisors at home, were together able to passionately explore and investigate the world around us. I thank everyone involved for finding joy in science, not just as an academic pursuit but out of curiosity and a love of learning.
GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT • 23 Aristotle once said “for the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them.”
Kristian Davies DOMAIN LEADER SCIENCE
Marisa D’Astoli DOMAIN LEADER LANGUAGES
LANGUAGES
24 • GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT “A different language is a different vision of life” according to film director Federico Fellini, and this was certainly the case this year. Students embraced the study of languages and culture, and seized opportunities offered to them. The Education Perfect Languages Championships had 318 participants who answered 302,988 questions. The overall winner, Lauren Facciolo 10B, won a $50.00 voucher for answering 35,008 questions, whilst the Year 7B Italian class won the pizza luncheon. The Centre of Italian Studies Junior Italian Poetry Competition in Term 2 saw two students excel. Mila Pickett 7D, received First prize and a $60 voucher, and Isabella Taranto 7D was awarded Second prize and a $50 voucher. In Term 3, the Hari Kemerdekaan Indonesia Ke76 Poster Competition took place. Due to their artistic interpretation, Ayla Karlovic 7D was awarded second prize, and Mila Pickett 7D and Olivia Batey 8D were awarded third prize. Finally, prize winners in the Dante Alighieri Poetry Recitation Competition were Alannah Boccabella 9D, Honourable Mention, Cara Brown 9B First, Erica Di Matteo 9D second, and Chloe Pimpini 9D third. At Year 10, first prize was awarded to Madeline Piccione 10F, Sofia Rametta 10E, and Isabella Mingaars 10D. Congratulations to everyone, and a special thanks to the Languages team for encouraging students to embrace their own and others’ cultures.
DOMAIN LEADER
Students in Year 7 conducted an inquiry into their household’s water use and presented their own point of view on the debate around constitutional recognition for Indigenous Australians. In Year 8, students immersed themselves in Medieval Europe, tracking the journey of the original pandemic – the Black Death – and pondering important questions about how societies can sustainably evolve over time. Students across Years 9 and 10 reveled in the opportunity to choose their Humanities electives. Our historians delighted in tales of conflict and change while our geographers investigated food security crises across the globe. Some investigated significant legal cases and debated international issues in Civics, and others took their first steps toward building future empires in Business. Our VCE students continued their exciting learning journey and excelled in pursuing their passions across our diverse subject offerings. A massive thank you to all staff and students for the amazing work you did this year! White HUMANITIES
GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT • 25 In 2021, the Humanities classroom was a place of curiosity and wonder, where students critically evaluated the world around them and presented innovative solutions for a brighter future.
Julia
HUMANITIES
Louis Tsui Po DOMAIN LEADER HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION
HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION
In Semester One, Year 12 students studying Outdoor and Environmental Studies went on camp in Torquay and learnt to surf, snorkel, stand up paddle board and learn about Aboriginal culture and history. Year 10 students studying Outdoor and Environmental Education stayed in Wilson’s Promontory. Here, they learnt of the ecological impact of introduced species, studied micro marine creatures, and explored the sea life on an amphibious boat. I would like to thank all the Health and Physical Education staff that make these learning opportunities possible. They mimic many of the great attributes that were shown by our Australian heroes in Tokyo.
26 • GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT This year was a great year for Health and Physical Education. We enjoyed participating in many of our practical activities again, in particular, students loved participating in practical lessons on bat tennis, softball, dance, and fitness. This year was also an Olympic year and we got to experience great feats of courage, determination and resilience from our Australian sports stars and were able to incorporate these attributes into our learning activities.
We had five classes at Year 9, three of STEM and two of Digital Technologies. Student choice is central to our Year 9 courses, with Digital Technologies students choosing between Web Design, Databases and Visual Basic programming. STEM students used technology to create their own inventions.
VCE Applied Computing Units 1/2 and Units 3/4 were successfully completed. Skills learnt in Year 9 and 10 Digital Technologies were further developed, including coding, networks, cyber security, innovative technologies and artificial intelligence.
DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY AND STEM
GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT • 27
Year 10 STEM and Year 10 Digital Technology engaged in wide range of negotiated curriculum. Digital Technology included coding skills, the creation of user interfaces and sustainability; STEM created electric cars and microprocessors for wearable electronics.
Stuart Hensley DOMAIN LEADER DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY AND STEM
Digital creations, coding and the hands-on application of the Science, Technology and Mathematics skills have become more popular at our college in 2021. New dual head 3D printers, the latest edition of the microbit with additional on-board input/output devices and the introduction of game maker were some of our new innovations.
Cheryl KeriN DOMAIN LEADER ARTS
TEXTILES
FOOD
Working productively through the product design process each Textiles course has combined the application of both design and production skills required to transform a creative vision into a quality product. Integral to all year levels is the research and consideration of sustainability and social justice, threaded throughout each course.
As staff, we have been both practitioners and researchers, active as designers and innovative and supportive as instructors. 2021 has continued to be a blend of teaching situations. Whilst face-toface learning has provided students the opportunity to apply their practical skills, resulting in creative finished presentations, online learning has allowed for fibre research, as well as investigating and refining drawing skills and rendering skills through design work.
2021 has been a successful year in Food Technology, with students producing a wide array of delicious and impressive food products. Year 7 students were enthusiastic as they became familiar with the kitchen and developed new culinary skills. Year 8 students focused on nutrition, exploring fruits and vegetables through various meals. Year 9 students explored emerging food trends and further developed their knowledge of nutrition and maintaining a healthy, well-balanced diet. Year 10 learnt about food safety and food science, integral parts of the curriculum, as well as some delicious cake baking and decorating. I would like to thank our dedicated Food Technology staff for their ongoing support of our students.
Carolyn Mills DOMAIN LEADER FOOD TECHNOLOGY
28 • GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT
DESIGN TECHNOLOGY
Our Year 7 students were introduced to various functions on the sewing machine and focused on developing new skills and techniques through a range of sewing exercises. Year 8 and 9 students extended their previously learnt skills through a range of theory and design tasks. The introduction of the Year 10 Textiles elective further enhanced key skills as students responded to their briefs through to the creation of highly creative and innovation little girls’ dresses. This provides a sound sequential opportunity for students to study and further develop skills and knowledge in VCE Product Design and Technology.
Units 1 and 2 students were innovative in the redesign and upcycling of an existing garment as well working in groups to design, plan and produce a costume for a music video. Units 3 and 4 students researched manufacturing industry areas and compared products against the product design factors. As designers they researched, designed and created a bespoke garment for their selected end user. Another creative and innovative year both online and in H102 Textiles.
Cassandra Hutchison DRAMA TEACHER
Year 7 and 8 Music students spread their wings by learning and deconstructing the formula for pop music, composing their own pop songs or creating dynamic performances to demonstrate their knowledge of genres of music. These performances were beneficial in displaying not only their understanding of the content and their personal talents, but also their confidence in performing for an audience of their peers. Many Music students across all year levels also participated in the ‘Ave Dance Crew’ or ‘Ave Choir’ with smashing success, performing to the whole school to commemorate special events. Well done everyone, YOU ROCK!
In Year 7, students transformed into mime artists and made us laugh with their Commedia Dell’Arte performances. When they weren’t choreographing Bollywood dance routines, the Year 8 students dressed up as Frankenstein’s monsters and presented ghoulish set designs.
Katie Houghton MUSIC AND DRAMA TEACHER
GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT • 29
DRAMA
For senior music students, 2021 was the year of the band! The VCE band jammed their way through the year finding new and interesting repertoire to show off their many diverse and complimentary skills as musicians.
Despite the year being littered with lockdowns our Drama students have thrived both onsite and online.
MUSIC
Finally, our VCE students had all of us transfixed when they performed their Ensembles exploring ‘Hart Island’ and the lives of its inhabitants. We are beyond proud of all our Drama students and the efforts that they have put in this year.
PERFORMING ARTS
Year 9 students wrote a script based on reinvented fairytales and in Year 10, students learnt about the playwright Bertolt Brecht and his theatre style of Epic Theatre.
30 • GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT Learning in the Visual Arts provides the opportunity to develop a personal visual vocabulary through a personal style of expression. We have provided many opportunities through the course of the year for students to learn about, acquire and develop new skills and technical processes as well as individually communicate their ideas. Again, pivotal to this has been the exploration and response to both historical and contemporary art-making, allowing students to understand and be aware of the wider visual arts community. This year students have reveled in being creative and critical thinkers in the classroom, developing their design concepts into tangible artforms and finished artworks. Both onsite and remote learning, students continued to explore, develop, refine, resolve and present their use of materials and techniques to visually convey ideas and communicate meaning in the areas of Visual Art, Studio Art, Media and Visual Communication and Design. They have shown resilience and innovation in their resourcefulness as they adapt to learning independently from home. The year began with exhibited success, with our students being represented in Fireworks and the Annual Catholic Education Week Creative Arts Exhibition. The Arts and Technology week featured our annual Arts Festival curated and presented online, and in style as always. The online Year 12 presentation showcased folio and performance work; a powerful representation of what the Class of 2021 successfully achieved. A combined display of VCE folio subjects of Media, Studio Arts and Visual Communication and Design, excerpts of the Music performance, Drama solo performances as well as Applied Computing: Software development and garments from Product Design and Technology. Whilst there was no official Arts Festival featuring student work from Years 7 -11, many displays of their work have been exhibited and celebrated in the corridors of the college throughout the year. In closing, I would like to acknowledge the adaptive and innovative dedication of all members of the Arts Domain (Visual Arts and Performing Arts) in the delivery of wonderful and diverse units of work this year which enabled many varied opportunities for our students to be creative and individual in their personal expression.
Cheryl Kerin DOMAIN LEADER ARTS
VISUAL ARTS
Classexhibited.of2021: Hannah Dau, Rachel Nguyen, Lucy Parente and Mia Sciberras. Further congratulations to Rachel Nguyen – Vọng Nguyệt (fish watching the moon) whose imagery and artist statement was selected for inclusion in a book of collected works, to be distributed by MACS Board of Directors.
Curated and presented online, Fireworks, Moonee Valley’s annual art and design exhibition and award for VCE students who live, work, or study in Moonee Valley opened in mid-December 2020. This eighth Fireworks exhibition and awards presentation celebrated the achievements and resilience of students working towards completion of their VCE during this challenging year. With a record number of 38 exhibited students, Ave Maria College were proudly represented by the following 12 students.
Class of 2021: Hannah Dau, Rachel Nguyen, Lucy Parente, Daniella Scambiatterra and Mia Sciberras. Work selected to be exhibited in Mayor’s council rooms: Lucy Parente – Australia in Summer. Further congratulations for an honourable mention in the $200 Mayoral Award for Excellence in Art, Alyssa Liberman – Unforeseen Battles and Mia Sciberras – Appropriation of ‘Laocoön and his Ansons’.honourable mention in the $500 Fireworks Art Award, Rachel Nguyen – Vọng Nguyệt (Fish watching the moon). And to the overall recipient of the $500 Fireworks Art Award, Claudia Vendramini – Family Women: The Series. A wonderful Catholicachievement.Education Week Visual Arts Exhibition held in March, showcased the creative artworks from both primary and secondary students in the Archdiocese of Melbourne and this year was a digital art online exhibition. The following students are to be congratulated in being selected to have their work (from 2020)
EXCELLENCE IN THE ARTS
We acknowledge and congratulate:
Cheryl Kerin DOMAIN LEADER ARTS
Class of 2020: Alessia Massara, Isabella Farfaglia, Alyssa Liberman, Georgia McShanag, Anastasia Roumeliotis, Tahlia Tassone and Claudia Vendramini.
GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT • 31
Alanah Gricic-Tenner, Studio Arts
32 • GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT YEAR 12 ARTS
Emma Peel, Product Design and Technology Michaela Vimba, Studio Arts
Taylor McCarthy, Product Design and Technology Mia Sciberras, Media, Digital Photography
Kimberly Cu, Studio Arts, Drawing Alyssa Africano, Studio Arts
Claudia Schiavone, Media,NatalieFilm Studio Arts, Collage
Cachia,
Taylah Ronald, Visual Communication Design
Lazer Paper
GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT • 33 Leah Lombardo, Visual Communication Design Mae Camerotto, Media, digital drawing and photography Jane Kartal, Media, Film Kathryn Hooper, Visual Communication Design Mya Mollica, Media, Photography Emily Carter, Visual Communication Design
Michelle McNamara LEARNING ENHANCEMENT TEAM LEADER
34 • GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT
The Learning Enhancement Team upheld their commit ment to supporting the di verse needs of our students through working alongside families, the school com munity and all involved. We ensured that inclusive edu cational opportunities were made available to allow stu dents to achieve success and personal growth. As a student focussed learning commu nity, we worked together to ensure that opportunities were carefully designed so that each student had equitable access to the curriculum and all the opportunities that the College provided. These opportunities maximised growth academi cally and in personal wellbeing. We worked together to empower our students by celebrating the talents and strengths that each one brings and contributes to our community. We drew our inspiration from Horizons of Hope in providing an inclusive pedagogy and a commitment to uphold the rights of all to be welcomed, valued, acknowledged and actively engaged in education.
Kate De Bolfo HORIZONS LEADER
2021 was another busy year with Horizons’ students par ticipating acceleration pro grams in Mathematics and Science, others completing hundreds of questions in the IXL Maths extension pro gram and some students entering the VATE Creative Writing Competition, explor ing the theme of Stories that RegularChange. Philosophy Club discussion shifted from the lunchtime classroom to online, where there were many lively discussions covering such top ics as: What makes something art? or Has technology made us happier? And that classic philosophical conundrum – Do we really have free will? These discussions were so often a highlight in the week! To replace our regular excursion to the Melbourne Writers Festival, our students keen on creative writing were invited to participate in an online presentation called Stories that Matter. Students were able to explore the career options avail able in the world of publishing and hear from several authors about their inspirations when writing Young Adult Fiction.
HORIZONS LET
Ms Laura Pugliese LIBRARY
Library staff play a diverse role in supporting student well-being by creating a safe space for them to take refugee within the school. The new Lib Guides provide valuable online resources on health and well-being to help young people understand what they may be experiencing. Books can also offer students a way to come to terms with confronting issues that they are facing through the experiences or perspective of the book’s characters. The library staff are strong supporters of the ‘reading for pleasure’ movement and are well known for promoting the link between reading and improved mental health. Reading fiction is linked to making healthier choices and provides a valuable escape from the challenges of everyday life. The Helene Library is well equipped to assist students’ academic needs, along with a specially curated collection and supportive environment for the whole school community.
GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT • 35 Helene Library staff are in a unique position to form relationships with students outside the classroom within the safety of the school’s learning environment. All students are supported in their reading and academic achievements, but library staff offer so much more than that. Students at Ave Maria College are fortunate to have such a well-equipped library collection and qualified library staff to assist them.
LEADER HELENE LIBRARY
Digital literacy is a valuable skill that library staff encourage and support through the Lib Guides, assisting students to be better equipped to evaluate the credibility of websites and online information sources. This is a particularly valuable skill now more than ever; the World Health Organization recently emphasized the importance of ‘healthy literacy skills’ to prevent potentially dangerous misconceptions.
AND
The beginning of the House year started with a clear and obvious theme for 2021 “Make a Difference” and the challenge was set for each student to make this difference. This could be in debating, Philosophy Club, chess, Lab Rats, Absolute Maximum, language’s competitions, sport and just about anything else on offer at Ave Maria College. It was up to each student to immerse themselves in their House and contribute to activities to make a difference to their House. Student participation in the younger year levels showed the willingness to be involved in the community of Ave Maria College. Year 7 students really embraced wanting to be a part of the College with record numbers applying for House Ambassador roles. Year 7 and 8 students really tried to make a difference to their House. Numbers for SCSA events across the Junior level were Aveoutstanding.MariaCollege entered the greatest number of teams in Senior Debating, with multiple teams in each division, another great reflection of putting your hand up to try something new and make a difference. This type of participation continued even when activities had to move to online with students participating in Chess Club in an online format. The number of students who entered Education Perfect Languages competition were extraordinary, demonstrating to all that you can make a difference through a variety of platforms.
– Ingrid Newkirk
36 • GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT
CO-CURRICULAR
“Never doubt that one person can make a difference.”
Garry Whicker CO-CURRICULAR HOUSE LEADER
GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT • 37 Our House Carnivals, Swimming and Athletics were an awesome place to see what it is like when students decide to break out of their comfort zone to get involved and help accumulate points. At times some events had over 50 students waiting for their chance to earn a point for their House. This was such a great spectacle and terrific to see the engagement from the students.
Spectacular! Congratulations to Francis House led by Talia Miatello and Elisha Andres and Mary House led by Leile Baxter and Tess Marazita.
HOUSE
Spectacular, Spectacular! had many iterations through the course of Term 2 and 3 with the final presentations put together in a MS Teams environment. Despite the restrictions, each House, led by their House Leaders, produced great performances. So much so that when the final scores were tabulated, we had the first ever draw for Spectacular,
Garry Whicker CO-CURRICULAR AND HOUSE LEADER
I want to thank the Year 12 House Leaders: Clare House – Abbey Nagle and Louise Garagozlo, Francis House – Talia Miatello and Elisha Andres, Helene House – Brianna Coyle and Alissia Bellistri and Mary House – Leile Baxter and Tess Marazita and their House Mentors: Clare House – Christine Lovell and Natalie Sacchetta, Francis House – Melanie Zahra, Craig Minty and Adam Hipwell, Helene House – Claudia Filippone and Carla Godoy and Mary House – Elisa Scoglio and Natalie Meddis, for their continued resilience and efforts throughout this year. Your support is greatly appreciated. Finally, after each House giving their all and students going out of their way to “Make a Difference”, a big congratulations goes to Mary House as the 2020-21 House Champions. Well done to Tess and Leile for their continuous work throughout the year to get their House to Number 1.
CLARE HOUSE
38 • GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT CLARE HOUSE AMBASSADORS Year 7 – Lilly Kalta Year 8 – Nardine Tadros Year 9 – Amelia Formosa Year 10 – Sandra Kalta Year 11 – Sienna Zoccali
For us, being House Captains at Ave Maria College has been such a rewarding experience and has taught us what it means to be leaders. We have always looked up to our previous leaders, and to finally be in this position was a privilege. Running our first House Assembly was our introduction into this leadership role. Whilst it was a whirlwind, we found support in our House Mentors and Year 12 cohort, quickly gaining our confidence. We carried this with us to the Swimming and Athletics Carnival where we got to witness our House spirit and what Clare House could truly achieve. This house spirit translated through to Spectacular, Spectacular! on Ave Maria Day, where teachers and students united to create an amazing performance. We are very grateful that we could fulfill the roles of Clare House Captains for 2021 and wish the 2022 Captains the best of luck.
Louise Garagozlo and Abbey Nagle CLARE HOUSE CO-CAPTAINS 2021
GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT • 39
40 • GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT FRANCIS HOUSE AMBASSADORS Year 7 – Charlize Bacarac Year 8 – Mia Rillstone Year 9 – Tylah Bell Year 10 – Georgia Miles Year 11 – Emily Bock While this year was not what we expected, we are beyond blessed to have been given the opportunity to lead Francis House in 2021. To be the leaders of such a bright and talented House was both an honor and privilege, and we thank all our FranSISTERS for their constant drive and determination to show Ave Maria College what they have to offer. It was impressive to see all students eagerness in preparation for our ‘lockdown-style’ House Spectacular, Spectacular! We would like to give a special shoutout to all our Francis House Ambassadors; Charlize Bacarac, Mia Rillstone, Tylah Bell, Georgia Miles, and Emily Bock for their leadership and support throughout the year! Our defeat in the House Swimming and Athletics Carnivals was unfortunate, but our victory in Spectacular, Spectacular! 2021 was well-deserved, congratulations on an amazing year Francis House! Elisha Andres and Talia Miatello FRANCIS HOUSE CAPTAINS 2021 FRANCIS HOUSE
GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT • 41
and
Alissia Bellistri Brianna Coyle
HELENE HOUSE CAPTAINS 2021 HELENE HOUSE
Despite the many challenges we faced as Helene House Captains in 2021, we are extremely appreciative and blessed for the opportunities this role has created for us. We started off the year with a splash, on a cold windy day at the 2021 Swimming Carnival. The day was filled with grins all around as we took home the win for the Intermediate category. It was great to see so many teachers and students giving everything a ‘green hot go’! 2021 saw the first Athletics Carnival in 3 years, with the highest record of participation ever! The Seniors came home strong as did Helene House, coming 2nd place overall by just 2 points! We cannot thank everyone enough for uniting as one big Helene family. While Ave Maria Day was quite not what we had hoped for, Spectacular, Spectacular! was still memorable and no-one could break our stride, we felt on top of the world!
42 • GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT HELENE HOUSE AMBASSADORS Year 7 – Sienna Inguanti Year 8 – Mia White Year 9 – Georgi Hinton Year 10 – Elizabeth Curtolo Year 11 – Emily Sawaya
GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT • 43
44 • GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT MARY HOUSE AMBASSADORS Year 7 – Ayla Karlovic Year 8 – Ava-Jai Wroblewski Year 9 – Sarah Gillard Year 10 – Jade Dalla-Fontana Year 11 – Trini CONGRATULATIONSShine MARY HOUSE! This year has been nothing short of a challenge, yet the teamwork and House spirit has surpassed all our expectations and led us to three victories this year! Well Rememberdone!it’s not always about being “good” at sport but more so about having fun! 2021 has been Mary’s most successful year since 2016. We all worked so hard as a house, from participating in swimming, running, chanting, to dancing and for some of us this meant being out of our comfort zones. A big thank you for everyone who embraced these challenges and changes as 2021 has been a year we’ll never forget. Mamma mia! 2021 has been Mary House’s year! Cheers to all for making it an incredible year, best of luck Mary House for 2022. We know you can keep up the amazing efforts and keep our winning streak alive! #Herewegoagain! Tess Marazita and Leile Baxter MARY HOUSE CO-CAPTAINS 2021 MARY HOUSE
GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT • 45
11A Michelle Salera – A group of talented, well-balanced, brilliant, confident, friendly, passionate, bold, intelligent, rational, good-natured, approachable, and cheerful people who have taken the year’s challenges and done the best they could with it.
12C Jacquie Bigby – Throughout the year, the Year 12s have united and demonstrated their genuine care for each other. The biggest change I’ve observed is their connection and dedication to one another. The students of Year 12 have always managed to adapt to every challenge, determined to find the joy and make the most of their final year at the College together.
12A – Megan Burke 12B – Olivia Dib 12C – Jacinta Walker 12D – Hannah Dau 12E – Lucy Turner 11A – Natasha Zarafa 11B – Kristen Zammit 11C – Kate Blackmore 11D – Phoebe Lewis 11E – Chiara Liberatore
What is your favourite memory of this cohort in 2021?
11D Jo Lamont – My favourite memory of the Year 11 cohort would have to be the friendly nature of the students. Even if you do not teach them, they are always happy to smile, have a chat with you, and help you out.
What are your hopes for the cohort in 2022?
SENIOR SCHOOL
11C Patrick Hogan – This group of Year 11s has experienced significant challenges in another disrupted year. What I have seen is that despite some trepidation and anxiety as their VCE journey began, they have risen to meet these challenges head on. I have seen so many displays of leadership and care for one another as the year has progressed. They have matured and developed strong bonds that will hold them in good stead as they continue to lead our College.
What is one piece of advice you would like to offer the cohort?
12D Christine Lovell – My favourite memory of the Year 12 cohort, which always puts a smile on my face, is an assembly we had earlier on in the year. In order to build a sense of community and comradeship, we blew up some giant beachballs and the aim was to keep them off the ground for as long as possible. I have never seen such joy and laughter as the students hit these balls around. We had a ball…no pun intended!
12B Natalie Sacchetta – Don’t be afraid to go off the beaten path and explore new opportunities, work hard for those dreams and live a life full of the adventure you desire. What changes have you noticed in this year level throughout the year?
46 • GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT The 2021 Senior School included two very special teams. The Year 11 students and their Mentor Teachers, as well as the Year 12 students and their Mentor Teachers, all working together as one close-knit VCE family. Like all families, each member is different, but equally as important. I want to congratulate the Senior School on being wonderful role models and community members. May each member of this special group remember to always know their own worth.
12A Kristian Davies – The students of this cohort have been hard working and resilient through a difficult couple of years of schooling. They have shown that they will be able to work through anything life has to throw at them and still keep a smile on their faces.
Tania Stangherlin 11-12)
MENTOR AMBASSADORSGROUP
SENIOR YEARS LEADER (YEARS
11E Sue Ooi – I hope that our Year 11s will become great leaders and mentors to their younger peers. May they model a passion for learning and strive for excellence in whatever they do. Further, I hope that they enjoy and treasure every moment of their graduating year by maintaining a work life balance. Our greatest hope for them is that they can face any challenge ahead with courage to finish their final year of VCE successfully.
11B Deb Horbec – The importance of saying “Thank you!” and “Sorry!” What do these words mean? Don’t just say these words because you have been conditioned to say them, rather think about them, and really mean it when you say “thank you!” and “sorry!” In doing so you will build a stronger relationship with your friends, family, and all those you interact with.
12E Casey Janides and Andrew Dulhunty – We hope that our Year 12s will have an exciting year in 2022, exploring the wider world and starting to find their place in it. We hope that they go out into the world with confidence and compassion, taking the spirit of Ave Maria College with them.
To summarise the value of the 2021 Senior School, each Mentor Teacher has responded to a question asked about their respective cohort. How would you describe the cohort?
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48 • GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT Grace CharlotteAbboudBatesAmeliaCainTaylaCoutinhoOliviaDibEllaFarrellCharlotteGoddardGiuliettaIeria Alyssa Africano Leile Baxter Mae LaurenBriannaCamerottoCoyleMoniqueDimitriouFedericoHollyGrahamLaurenJackson Elisha AlessiaClaireEmilyMadelineAndresBellinoCarterCrowdenStephanieDugoHannahFishGranatoOliviaJohnson IsabellaAlissiaAndronacoTaylorBellistriCarusoKimberlyCuCaitlynEdgarLouiseGaragozloAlanahGrcic-TennerJaneKartal KarenOliviaAislinnAndroutsosMarinaChloeBorraccinoCefaiCurtoloLauraEidEbonieGattellaroHabashyArijanaKekoc AshleighAutolitanoEmilieBrooksSienaColomboCaitlinCutajarMorganEinsiedelAlyssa-GraceGiglioGinaHeardCassandraKennedy Lucy IsabellaAlexiaBarbutoBugejaSamanthaComitoDominiqueCutriCharlizeEl-KhouryGiurinMegHoganJessicaLam KathrynSimoneMeganBarhoumGhazalBurkeCookeHannahDauAlannahEllulIsabellaGlavasHooperMadelineLangenbacher Chiara VictoriaNatalieBarrassoCachiaAlishaCorsoJessicaDaviesAvaFabianiGleesonOliviaHormozJessicaLima YEAR TWELVE
GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT • 49 TeachersMentor Madelin Modica Leah Palmieri Keely JacintaStylianouDeniseRobinsonWalker Mya Mollica Lucy MikaylaTaylahParenteRonaldMajaSvalinaWyllie Lilianna StephanieOliviaMorganPattiRyanRachelTamburroNatalieZampaglione Olivia BiancaEmmaMottaPeelSalasJessicaTantiJulietteZanellini Talia Motta Kira PejcinovskiSarah Sanfilippo Lauren Tenace Alessia Zoccali Abbey MariamScambiatterraMadeleineNaglePertaDaniellaTouma ParisAmandaNguyenPettinellaClaudiaSchiavoneMonicaTrang Rachel Nguyen Linh Pham MiaLucySciberrasTurner Deahna Orfini Tara MichaelaMikaylaRiitanoSottileVimbaTaliaMiatelloAlicia MeilakBonnie MeggsEmily McMahonMcLaughlinChloeTaylor McCarthyMassoudIsabellaTess MarazitaLeah Lombardo MsBigbyJacquie12CMrDaviesKristian12A MrDulhuntyAndrew12E MrsJanidesCasey12EMs LovellChristine12DMs SacchettaNatalie12B
50 • GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT
Taking place at the start of Term 1, when the year ahead was filled with anticipation stemming from the expectations of Year 12, which can be quite frightening, the Year 12 Retreat helped the Class of 2021 develop new friendships, learn more about themselves and allowed them to discover a sense of belonging within our Year 12 Ave Army. Spending three spectacular days at Grantville Lodge offered so many opportunities for reflection, mindfulness, and the creation of beautiful memories. This retreat offered many worthwhile activities such as learning to appreciate the beauty of nature through art, reading letters from our younger Year 9 selves, writing emotional graduation letters to those we love and appreciate the most, and working together as a team to complete the one and only survivor challenge through hard work, honesty and Idetermination.willpersonally never forget the new connections I made with my fellow students, especially the creator of my companion keyring, the thought and effort they put into creating this brought me to tears. The opportunities I got to laugh, dance and cry alongside friends and celebrate with my peers is one I will not forget.
Starting the year with the Year 12 Retreat really helped our whole cohort unite and start 2021 on the right foot. I cannot wait to see what achievements and goals, both academically and personally, are achieved by our gorgeous Class of 2021.
– Ralph Waldo Emerson Brianna Coyle 12D
YEAR 12 RETREAT
I hope we remember that “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”
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52 • GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT 2021 VALEDICTORIAN
Thank you Ms Stangherlin for everything you’ve done for our year level. Although we’ve spent minimal time physically together during our time in senior school, as a year level I’m sure everyone can agree when I say we couldn’t have had a better leader to help guide us through these difficult Totimes.the class of 2021! Again, I am so proud of each and every one of you and wish you all nothing but happiness and success in the future! I couldn’t have asked for a better year level and have so much love for you all. I will truly miss all of you so much.
Olivia Dib VALEDICTORIAN 2021 CLASS OF 2021 CELBRATIONS
Excerpt from Valedictorian speech
To the Class of 2021, we have all grown so much together over the past 6 years. From the times in Year 7 where we’d decorate each other’s lockers for our birthdays, to Years 8 and 9 which saw our classrooms filled with the smell of fake tan on a Friday, to our big move over to Assisi through Years 9 and 10, where we were continuously terrorized by pigeons flying into our locker rooms. Then finally, to Years 11 and 12 which didn’t turn out exactly how we’d hoped, but I’m sure we are all still grateful that we finally made it to our turn in the common room. From the bottom of my heart, I want to say to each of my classmates, no matter how you experienced year 12 this year, you are so incredibly strong, and I admire you all so much. I want to say a big thank you to all the teachers who have guided us throughout our education here at Ave Maria College. Especially to our teachers over the past two years, who I know have worked extremely hard through tiring days, teaching us as best as they could, whilst also ensuring we were all okay.
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54 • GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT CharliChristodoulouAbbenanteCeliaEmilyBockChanelElianaDaoudAlannahGabrieleAmeliaHaberKennedyMargaretMansor AcquavivaAlannahIsabellaBrewster Paris Christofi CelineEmiliLaurenKiaraDiEmeliaGuardoGalleHarbKoneskaMarganis Taylor AlessiaSarahButtigiegLaurenAlissaCkujIsabellaDogovskiGangiEllaHillMoniqueLafauciEmiliMartic AlyssaCommissoElla-GraceArnoldAlexandraCaineMatisseDowsettTaylaGasparinatosCharleyHintonAlessiaLazzaroOliviaMartin Sophie Auld Ruby PhoebeJaniceCommissoStephanieCalnanDraimLoredanaGattellariJadeHowellLewisHannahMasters Hayley ShaniaEliseCartwrightOliviaBarnesConfortoAlexandraEvansKateGleesonHowellChiaraLiberatoreAlessandraMatic Bronte Basil Tahlia CharlizeSophieCastelloConnellLarissaFaillaOliviaGrandeIaconisJessieLuuKateMaxwell Kate Blackmore Sara AngelinaTahliaCatanzaritiCudaFakhriCaitlinGrech Tamila Iluffi MillaMahoneyCharlotteMcGlynn Monique Blatti Olivia OliviaGeorgiaTheresaCawthrayDangFisherGuardianiLillyJaggardElenaMandalasLaurenMolinaro YEAR ELEVEN
GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT • 55 TeachersMentor Mikayla Moodie AvaScarlettPanopoulosReinkeMegSingletonBiancaSweeneyChanelVo MonicaEbonyBreianaElizabethMoranPepiRiveraSiracusaEmmaTadinacTaraWalsh MussieSimonaBrhaneAngelicaPolimeniEmmaSafadiAshleeSrourBrookeTatamGabrielleWhiting TeMajellaJenniferNguyenPortelliIsabelleSantopoliKieraStavridisHollyRoseMaro-BoguszJessicaWilliams SarahIsabellaNgwenya-NeilNkhensaniPrestiaSantopoliHelenaStephanouCharlotteTennantKristenZammit NatashaKateErikaAlexandraChristinaOcchinoPriestleySarciaStephensGreerTickleZarafa SiennaEmilyLyndaOppedisanoEmilyRabieSawayaSienaStepicTortoraSiennaZoccali NyahGracePalamaraCarmelaJacintaRagognaAlannahSciaraffaSullivanTrounson Amelia Panaia Charli Raso Trini MayganSummerhillHayleyShineUren MrHoganPatrick11CMs Deb11BHorbec Ms Jo11DLamont Mrs Sue Ooi 11E MrsSaleraMichelle11A Mrs Tyana Viti 11A
During Term’s 2 and 3, Year 10 students participated in Careers and subject selection workshops. They had an opportunity to research an industry they are passionate about and complete virtual work experience. In Term 3, students heard from staff and students around subject selection. They spent weeks researching different courses, prerequisites and job opportunities for the subjects they were interested in doing, as well attending an interview to discuss these. It was fantastic to see the Year 10 students so passionate about the subjects and industry of choice and how seriously they were taking the overall process.
The year started well for the Year 9s. In Term 1 they participated in their Wellbeing Day. The purpose of this day was for students to develop skills around critical thinking, resilience, problem solving and communication which are all so important when attending their Survival Camp. Students began the day with an opportunity to think about their own mental health and understand that this is a continuum. Students also worked on some practical skills needed whilst on camp such as putting up a tent, navigation, and different forms of communication. They ended the day with some mindfulness and meditation. Students went to camp in Term 2 and they were amazing. All found some form of success whether it was surviving a cold wet night, cooking their own meals or hiking with a backpack on that was as big as them. Congratulations to all staff and students who attended and made it through three challenging days.
Both Year 9 and Year 10 students have had an opportunity to participate in online workshops and seminars to assist them in their learning. Both year levels heard from Elevate Educate with the Year 9 students hearing about Mnemonic Memory and adapting it to their revision and study skills and the Year 10 students hearing about time management as they started to prepare for end of year exams and VCE orientation.
The Middle School students have been incredible this year, demonstrating passion, grit, confidence and determination through what has been a crazy year. It was an honour getting to know and working with all students and I wish them the best of luck for next year. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the Middle School Mentor Teachers. Thank you for the constant care, love and support you provide for your students. It has been a pleasure working with each of you. 9-10)
Melanie Zahra MIDDLE YEARS LEADER (YEARS
MIDDLE SCHOOL MENTOR AMBASSADORSGROUP 10A – Abinaya Arunan 10B – Lauren Facciolo 10C – Kiara Di Matteo 10D – Alice Hengel 10E – Michaela Murphy 10F – Madeline Piccione 9A – Sarah Maxwell 9B – Alyssa Caruso 9C – Sienna Peso 9D – Olivia Morey 9E – Charlotte Rowbottom
56 • GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT 2021 has been a year where the Middle School have stood up for what they believe in. This was seen throughout the year with our theme “we stand for …” championed by all students. Each term, there was a different area to focus on such as community, inclusion, learning, achievement, inspiration and positivity. It was fantastic to see the way students came together to participate in activities that centered around these themes during Mentor Time and assemblies, whether we were learning from home or together in the classroom. The Mentor Ambassadors have worked so hard in coming up with activities, running assemblies and supporting our theme throughout the year. It has been an absolute pleasure working with them all and I cannot thank them enough for all their support throughout this year.
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GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT • 59 Sandra Kalta Olivia PapadopoulosGeorgiaMalvasoMilesAlexandraAmeliaRileyHannahSorbelloTessTorranceGraceWilliamson Townsend-BoothMiaKarpouzisIsabellaMammoneIsabellaMingaarsOliviaPericAlexRivetteMelissaSotiropoulosAmeliaLilyWilliamson Emma Keenan Olivia SiennaEmilyPiperMangionMollicaMadelinePiccioneRonaldStaropoliAlexandriaTuckerStellaXie Alice La Amy PoppyMarazitaMostertAlannahPiscopoKeeraRuthIsabellaStefanovskiJuliaVendraminiTahliaZarb Emma Lemke Sienna Marazita GraceMiahCarolinaMulgrewPizzaPhebeRyanStrangioChantalVitaleEvelynZuccarelli Lydia TahliaMadeleineMcKerrellOdessaLicciardiMichaelaMurphyPoleOliviaSadiqSweeneyChantelVo Talia Lo Nigro Maeve Meggs Alessia Naimo Sofia Rametta AmeliaThompsonReneeSalvadorThyVo Ethnie Lobo Madilyn ChloeHollyEmilyO’ConnorJessicaMhayaRiberaSeddonNickyTonWatson RubyCassandraLorenziEmilyMilardovicO’ConnorLucindaRigoniRebeccaShaayaAlessiaTorcasoElleWhite MrTsuiLouisPo10DMr WhickerGarry10CMsIbrahimPoppy10A Mrs Sarah Kline 10B MsGalliLoredana10B Ms Elisa10EScoglio Ms Jane10FStiles TeachersMentor
60 • GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT Tia AdreyAbbeyAnaliseLaylaAbdoushBatresCapitoCooperDeFazioIsabellaFakhriGeorgiaGlavasChiaraHutchinson Leni EricaTaraCartwrightBelcastroAmeliaAdamsGeorgieCostelloDiMatteoSiennaFarfallaBethGollantKeiraIzzard EmilyAlyssaAnnabelleAlissaTylahBellCarusoAlessiaCudaDoneganAlexandraFarrugiaCharlotteGuardianiAbbeyKerr Leanne GeorgiaLindsayBoccabellaAlannahAllenCecilCullieCaraDossisFrancescaFontanaChantelleHabeshyBethanyKerr LaurenHannahJessicaAndersonScarlettBockCefaiCarlaCutriAshleyDoyleAmeliaFormosaHadeedTaliaLaRocca Sienna Athaide Cara BrookeClaraCiaffaglioneIsabellaBrownChristinaD’AgataEl-KhouryMichaelaGalleAvaHandeLanders Mia EleanorCateBuchananOliviaBacciCiccarelliAvaDalleyAvaElwoodLaraGaninoHintonJulietteLatina Ava ChiaraScarlettEllaBarbounisButlerColsonDaquinoIsabellaEwingMarissaGeeGeorgiHintonMiaLeccadito Sophy MiaSiennaBarnesCabralRemyCookDarmaninCelesteFaillaSarahGillardCiaanHolmesIsabellaMarmina YEAR NINE
GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT • 61 TeachersMentor MastramicoVictoria Bianca PanagiotopoulosDaisyMottaVittoriaPisanelliCharlotteRowbottomCarlaStanojevicBridgetWalsh Talia Motta Olivia Panaia Alyssa MonterraPolimeniRoweAlyssaStavridisEmmaWard Sarah LaurenSiennaSiforaMaxwellMussieBrhanePaonePutnikAmelieSchembriStephanieStylianouOliviaWassell AnicaPapadopoulosMichaelidesJanaGiaanNesciMiaRaspudicJaidaSciberrasAlyshaSuksawangMackensieWilson Megan Mikletic Ava GeorgiaPapadopoulosVictoriaNewmanRenataRaspudicGemmaShilstonThorleySashaYoung Armani ChristinaLarnaIsabelAlexandraMilesiNorrishLilyPeelRavaioliSimunicTrangPetraZagari Alyssa Misiano Olivia IsabellaOcchinoPerniceEvaRendinaEllieSmithGraceTurner MegSiennaJacquelynMoranAlessiaPalazzoloPesoRichmondSophieSmithNhiVo Olivia MayaChloePalumboAlessiaMoreyPimpiniLily-MaeRobertsonStajewskiAllyVurusicTianaMissMarroccoClaudiaBarresi9A Mrs Judith Cole 9E MrFerrareseClaude9C Mrs LakeSuzanne9D Mrs StojkovichCinzia9EMr Danny Yin 9B
62 • GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT From Wednesday, 21 April to Friday, 23 April, the Year 9 cohort attended Auscamp’s Survival Camp in Wensleydale. For three days, the Year 9s were immersed in nature, surrounded by tall trees, creeks and animals. Over the course of the camp, we participated in various activities, such as hiking and navigating our way through the national park, surfing in Anglesea, team building exercises and adventure sports. We also encountered many interesting experiences, such as sleeping in tents or tarps and carrying our belongings in large packs. This camp provided many new experiences for the cohort, and although there were times where it was challenging, everyone truly displayed determination and perseverance as they hiked and walked throughout the forest and on the trails. The entire Year 9 cohort thoroughly enjoyed this camp, and we encourage all future Year 9s to attend as it has created so many unforgettable memories. Thank you to all the teachers involved.
YEAR 9 CAMP
Alannah Boccabella and Anica Raspudic YEAR 9 LEVEL CAPTAINS
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The Junior School Student Leaders worked enthusiastically and collaboratively to present new initiatives and are to be commended for the way they engaged with their peers. They have developed into strong people who are passionate and conscientious, using their voice to empower others and have helped to nurture the inner gifts in their peers.
The Year 8 students eagerly engaged in a more complex curriculum where they contributed their insightful and creative ideas. During the Year 8 Wellbeing Day, presented by PROJECT ROCKIT, students participated in three presentations which equipped them with strategies to navigate online experiences and to safely intervene. Keynote speaker, Rosie Thomas OAM, shared her story about launching and growing PROJECT ROCKIT and its positive impact on young people.
LIGHTTHE GIFTS IN ME
64 • GOD IS OUR GUIDING
The Junior School students displayed their inner gifts by adapting to the changes and challenges of 2021. They developed strategies to support themselves through new situations and have become independent and resilient in supporting one another and maintaining a positive wellbeing.
It has been an absolute pleasure to work with the Student Leaders and to oversee the students in the Junior School. It has been a privilege to witness their growth and to watch them thrive. May their inner gifts continue to flourish and guide them as they move on to the magic of something new.
Junior School students have been proactive in raising awareness of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, collecting food items and vouchers, and putting together Christmas hampers to send to asylum seekers and refugees. On Wellbeing Day author Alice Pung presented her story linking to the theme – Belong, Engage, Thrive – and students were immersed into the College Charter.
The Year 7 students immersed themselves into the life of the College, enthusiastically engaging in the Transition Program. This program provided students with the opportunity to get to know each other and feel a sense of belonging to their new school community.
Faith Formation Day empowered students to continue to develop their faith journey. Students were introduced to their Faith and Social Justice Charity, the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre. Brigidine Sister, Bridget Arthur engaged the students with her presentation about the plight of refugees.
Joanne Thompson JUNIOR YEARS LEADER (YEAR 7–8) JUNIOR SCHOOL MENTOR AMBASSADORSGROUP 8A – Siena Zampogna 8B – Maryliza Gagliardi 8C – Elizabeth Ferraro 8D – Grace Colson 8E – Geneva Fenton 8F – Anya Anthony 7A – Andrea Hrkac 7B – Olivia Lulic 7C – Jessika Duryea 7D – Alessia Marino 7E – Bianca Corica 7F – Madison Phillips
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66 • GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT YEAR EIGHT Daniella Lima LombardoJuliette Amelia Luppino MahendranSagana Tahlya Mardini MarganisMadison MarocchiniMikaela Lola Martin Isabella Matic Paige EmiliaAlannahAbrahamBlattiOliviaCapesOliviaD’AgataAndreaEvdokimouGilibertoSophieHarropHwanheeKim Annie GiuliaGenevaBoccabellaSiennaAdamsNatashaCastelloScarlettD’AngeloFentonAmeliaGrayChloeHealyKopievsky Anya Anthony Grace Borghuis Julia Catalano Eve Di JasminChiaraSiennaNataleFerraliGrazianoMadeleineHillKotevski LeilaCentofantiCharlotteArnoldSophieBorghuisMikaylaDiNataleElizabethFerraroMovindhieGunasekaraAnHoangKikkiKoullas Olivia JessicaEmilyAshleyCharlotteBacakBrookerCheblDogovskiShylaFisicaroHadchitiLaylaHobsonAveryKozuh Grace Bance Paisley Brooker Chloe Chircop AlyssaDimaOliviaDonovanFlajnikHaddadZaraHoganLolitaLaird Olivia Batey Tiarni Caddy Julia Chivilo Molly LelahHagidimouGagliardiMarylizaDormanKiaraAlexandraKennedyLenihan Holly Baxter Dahlia GraceJaydaGraceCambonColsonDramisGemmaGattellariAlizaHallKennedyIsobelLewis SiennaCanoBinghamCharlizeManuelaGomezCharlizeCooksonAvaDunstanGiglioTaraHanKinoraKhoushabaAlyssaLiberatore
GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT • 67 TeachersMentor RubyMorabitoMakaylaMcGlynn Jocelyn O’Keefe Lucia Polito KiaraEmiliaZampognaTurczyniakOliviaSheahanSienaKalynaMcKerrellMorda Sienna AneeshaMordaO’NeillIsabellaRadattiJadeSorbello Sofia Valerio Amelia Zarb Milla McManus TianaIsabellePannunzioAlexandraMurphyLeticiaMontanaRagognaSpicerAmeliaVernalZiccarelloMiaMcShanag Olivia Murphy Olivia Pappas Mia AlanaRillstoneStajewskiLuciaVivarelliAmeliaMedici Brigette Murray GiseleAlyssaPatamisiRotellaLeilaStrangioTrinityVuSarahMeggs MiaRuthMayaLaraNapolitanoPericRyanSiennaStylianouWaringAngelMelifronides Angelina Ngo Jenny KarinaSophieJuliaSabatinoLaurenPhamTorcasoWatsonMikhaeil Ivy SiennaNguyenPisanelliEmmaSaundersMayaToumaMiaWhiteChloeMilardovicMillie HannahNorgatePlayfairEmilySharpeVeronicaTrangAva-JaiWroblewski MrsCichelloJacqueline8FMrsGodoyCarla8DMsGossowHayley8A MsHutchisonCassandra8CMrMondioJoseph8B Mrs HoughtonKatie8B MsWalshSharon8E
68 • GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT YEAR SEVEN DominiqueImbesi Sienna Inguanti Lilly Kalta KaragiolisEvdokia Ayla Karlovic Chloe Kelly KiratzoglouAmelie Grace Kulyk Abby Lattin Adelle Absalom Viola GeorgiaAntaklyBentonAllyBridgerSiennaCassarOliviaDalleyStephanieFarrugiaSiobhanHarb EllaMollyApostolidisPennyAdamsonBergerAshaBrownAshleyCecilAmeliaDeGiovanniAmyForbesAndreaHermanto Rosa Agresta Mia AddisonBhardwajAnnjaliArmocidaBugejaLaraCerinIsabellaDelReLilyFrangoulisChloeHicks Macy Ahmet Maya CharliseAstrucBishopCharliCalleiaAlannahClarksonSaskiaDelaneyCarmelaGeeEmilyHicks Bridgit HannahBacaracCharlizeAlbersBishopLucyCallejaMikaylaConidiAyvaDoyleAllieGemayelGemmaHill OliviaHeidiDilanBarbounisStephanieAllawiDemiBolgiIndianaCambonCooperDuncanGraceGeorgarasAbbyHinton GabrielleJessikaBiancaNatalieEmilyAnastasioLillianaBasileTaylorBorgCaridiCoricaDuryeaRianaGiurinHogan LaylaAlanaOliviaAndersonBasileBozzoAllegraCarnovaleGloriaCrnovHayleyEmersonMichelleGuzmanLilyHogan AlanaAliceAndroutsosSiennaLynetteBeniaminBrettellCaruanaChiaraCuzzillaEmilyEwingOliviaHannaAndreaHrkac
GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT • 69 TeachersMentor MsAnastasiadiMarie-Claire7B Mrs JacquelineCullie7E Mrs D’Astoli-CarinciMarisa7FMrs Kate De 7CBolfo Ms Carolyn Mills 7D Mrs CharlizeAlessiaSaundersMaria7AIsabellLeMarinoNiamhNelsonPereiraHollieRasoRachaelSmithMiaTavolettiIsabelWilliamson OliviaAlishaElizaLoMikaylaNigroMastersZoeNgSophiaPetrazzuoloRiberaMiaSolomaThomasRachaelWilliamson MatildaBiancaAnnaLeilaLokukalugeGaganiMcLeodNguyenMadisonPhillipsLilyRiveraStellaSottileTodaroWilson Sarah RoachèLongoMeilakJaydaNguyenMilaPickettRubyRowbottomAlexisStephanouChiTranAlexiaZhang SiennaMiaLopezSaraLadinoMeskovskiJosieNguyenMadisonPimpiniScodellaAnastasiaStylianouMillicentvanDiemen Isla MiaEvaMiaParthenaLuciaMikhailNigroAlannahPolimeniScullySweetmanMiaVari Olivia Lulic Finley Mollica GracePrestia-NigroLianaNorgate Ava Shafik IsabellaVourgaslisAlexiaTaranto Lara OliviaStellaMalvasoMonaZaraNunezAlizziPuhanicShenukiSilvaJaydaTarolaGraceWhite Ava HayleyMarcialisMousleyChloeOrtegaGraciaRamirezAmySmithTaraTatamAineWhiting
Mila Pickett and Millicent van Diemen YEAR 7 YEAR LEVEL CAPTAINS
70 • GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT
YEAR 7 CAMP
The Year 7 students were really looking forward to what was one of the highlights of the year. Camp is a time where we get to make new friends and memories. This year, we stayed at Camp Forest Edge in Neerim East, where we experienced a wide range of fun and thrilling activities. There were some clear favourites within the cohort including the flying fox – a 200m zipline; high ropes – an obstacle course suspended in the air; nine squares in-the-air – a cross between volleyball and down-ball; as well as many others. These activities really encouraged us to step outside our comfort zones. We also had the support of our Year 11 Peer Support Leaders who were always by our side and created a variety show for everyone to enjoy and participate in, something that put a smile on everyone’s faces! Everyone had the times of their lives and made so many new friends and memories! A special thank you to Mrs Thompson and all the teachers behind the scenes who made this camp possible.
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ACADEMIC AND COMMUNITY AWARDS NIGHT
72 • GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT MAJOR COMMUNITY AWARD RECIPIENTS Helene de Chappotin: Tahlia Miatello St Francis Staff Service Award: Hazel Gard Future Leaders Awards Years 7 – 8: Natasha Castello Years 9 – 10: Chloe Pimpini Years 11 – 12: Kristen Zammit Spirit of Ave Award Year 7: Grace Kulyk Year 8: Siena Zampogna Year 9: Isabella Ewing Year 10: Jade Dalla-Fontana Year 11: Jacinta Ragogna Year 12: Hannah Dau AMPOL All-rounder Alissia Bellistri (Year 12) Horizons Rising to the Challenge Award Ava Panopoulos (Year 11) Moonee Valley Foundation Award Marina Nawar (Year 12) Megan Burke (Year 12) Kwong Lee Dow Scholarship (Melbourne University) Elizabeth Curtolo (Year 10) ADF Future Innovators Award Alice Hengel (Year 10) Abbey Nagle (Year 12) ADF Long Tan Award – Leadership & Teamwork Lauren Cunnington (Year 10) Abbey Nagle (Year 12) HOUSE AWARDS House Co-Curricular Award Grace Kulyk (Year 7) Charlize Bacarac (Year 7) House Sports Award Natasha Costello (Year 8) House All-round Champion Natasha Costello (Year 8) ACADEMIC AWARDS YEAR LEVEL HONOUR ROLL Year 7 Honour Roll: Charlize Bacarac, Alana Bozzo, Gloria Crnov, Isabella Del Re, Mila Pickett Year 8 Honour Roll: Charlotte Arnold, Tahlya Mardini, Jocelyn O’Keefe, Maya Touma, Ruth Waring Year 9 Honour Roll: Isabella Ewing, Abbey Kerr, Anica Raspudic, Renata Raspudic, Ellie Smith Year 10 Honour Roll: Alice Hengel, Emma Lemke, Olivia Malvaso, Julia Vendramini, Stella Xie Year 11 Honour Roll: Olivia Cartwright, Isabella Dogovski, Alexandra Priestley, Kate Stephens, Gabrielle Whiting
The Academic and Community Awards Night (ACAN) is the annual celebration of achievement by staff, students and community of Ave Maria College. This event is our celebration of excellence and high performance in a number of areas – College spirit, sporting and cultural contributions, community recognition and, of course, academia. Well done to all award recipients.
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74 • GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT STAFF Ms MrMrsAnastasiadisMarie-ClaireAnnContiniClaudeFerrareseMrStuartHensleyMrsCaseyJanidesMrsSuzanneLakeMissNeveLesnjak Mrs Leah Atkins Ms Karen Cottle MrsFilipponeClaudia Mr Adam Hipwell Mr Patrick Jurd Ms Jo Lamont Mr Frank Liberatore Miss Claudia Barresi Mrs JacquelineCullie Mrs Hazel Gard Mr Patrick Hogan Mrs Ellie Katsaouni Mrs Kelly Lapolla Mrs Rebecca Livori Ms Jacquie Bigby Mrs Lawlor-McNamaraMrsMrsD’Astoli-CarinciMarisaCarlaGodoyMsDebHorbecCherylKerinMrsMichelleMsDianneLodge MrsCichelloJacqueline Mr Kristian Davies Ms Hayley Gossow Mrs Katie Houghton Mrs Daniela Khoury Mr James Lee Ms Jennifer Lorrimar Ms Odette Colbert Mrs Kate De Bolfo Mrs Rosie Haber MsHutchisonCassandra Mr Anthony Kirley Mrs Rita Lentini Ms Christine Lovell Mrs Judith Cole Ms Maria De Fazio Ms Joanna Hammer Ms Tanya Hutton Mrs Sarah Kline Mr George Leone Ms Sandra Mamo Mr John Condello MrDulhuntyAndrew Ms Emily Hawley Ms Poppy Ibrahim Dr Marian Kolta Mrs Belinda Leonello Ms Simone Maruzzi
GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT • 75 Mrs Lauren Maynard Mr Craig Minty Ms PavichievacCathy Ms Natalie Sacchetta Ms Jane Stiles Mrs Tyana Viti Ms Younes-HicklandMary MsMcCarthyCatherine Ms Kate Molony Ms Brooke Poynton Mrs Michelle Salera Mrs Cinzia Stojkovich Ms Sharon Walsh Ms Melanie Zahra Ms McCormickHelen Mr Joseph Mondio Ms Laura Pugliese Mrs Maria Saunders Mr Allan Thompson Mr Garry Whicker Mrs Erika Zanini Mrs Cara McMahon Mrs Lisa Moran Ms Emily Raffaele Ms Elisa Scoglio Mrs MrsMsThompsonJoanneChamarelleWhiteDanielleZarafa Mrs Natalie Meddis Mrs Clara Morgan MrsReymersFerdinanda Mrs Narelle Sharpe Ms Tanya Thornton Ms Julia White Ms Clare Meyerhoff Mr Christopher Moss Mrs MrMsRobertsonMichelleHelenSmithLouisTsuiPoMrsAnnaWill Mrs Arlene Miller Mrs Sue Ooi MsRossettoManuela Mr Tony Spanti Mr Peter Vartto Ms Anna Yarrovi Ms Carolyn Mills Mr Justin Ossher Ms RushbrookLeonie Ms Tania Stangherlin Mr James Vella Mr Danny Yin
Now that I’ve shared my ingredients, please remember – that like many recipes that get passed on, this one may need to be tweaked or tailored to suit your taste. My version only serves one, and it’s very important that there is only one chef in yours. No one other than you should dictate the measurements or the flavors in your recipe. Just like no one determines how far you can go or how far you can dream, other than you.
Jemima Jaggard Biology, History: Revolutions, Literature, Maths: Mathematical Methods, Media, Psychology Mia Kefenhoerster Biology, Chemistry, English, Maths: Mathematical Methods, Psychology, CommunicationVisualDesign
Thank you Danielle Reed COLLEGE DUX 2020
Sitting in Francis Hall over the past 5 years, I have listened intently to each Dux speech, noticing that each had their own story to tell. So, I’m honored to share one of my own – a story of self-belief, resilience and persistence.
76 • GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT 2020 DUX Excerpt from speech
Alyssa Chiarilli Accounting, Business Management, English, Legal Studies, Maths: Further Mathematics, Psychology Nishmmah Eric Biology, Business
Sara Hinton English, English Language, Global Politics, History: Revolutions, Maths: Further Mathematics, Legal Studies
MethodsMaths:andChemistry,Management,English,HealthHumanDevelopment,Mathematical Breanna Farley Chemistry, English, PsychologyMathematicalMathematics,Indonesian,Languages:Maths:FurtherMaths:Methods, Alessia Fazio Biology, English, Languages: Italian, Maths: Further Mathematics, Media, Psychology
Add some spice if that’s something you prefer, but please remember my two secret ingredients – positive self-talk and self-reassurance. These will allow you to understand that yes, challenges are difficult, but they can’t stop you from executing your special recipe. Rather, they teach you to be persistent and resilient – making your staple ingredients shine and allowing you to taste the benefits of whatever version of success you create.
Mikayla Flood Business Management, English, Health and Human Development, Legal Studies, Maths: Mathematical Methods, Psychology Claudia Fox Biology, Chemistry, Drama, English, Languages: Italian, Maths: Mathematical Methods
Positive self-talk and self-reassurance slowly showed themselves as the secret ingredients I needed in my final year. It added that last push that many of us need to surpass our previous best and achieve results we could only previously dream of.
Alicia Librandi Biology, Chemistry, English, Maths: Mathematical Methods, Psychology, CommunicationVisualDesign
2020 VCE HIGH ACHIEVERS 18%90+ ATAR 32 Median Subject Study Scores 75.78 Median ATAR Top 25% of students Median ATAR 90.75
The first ingredient is great teachers. I consider myself extremely lucky to have been a part of the Ave Maria College community, constantly inspired by the passionate educators who wholeheartedly dedicate their time and energy to their students.
The next staple ingredient, a reliable support system. It’s important that we all have someone to lean on. This support to fall back on is a vital part of your schooling – a foundational ingredient that adds the subtle sweetness and fluffiness to your Therecipe.last staple ingredient – a healthy balance. ‘Balance’ to me, was always the vaguest way to describe, ‘know when to have a break’. It was hard at first, but once I mastered it, this essential ingredient seemed to bind all other ingredients together.
Leah Bacak Biology, Chemistry, Languages:English,Italian, Maths: Mathematical Methods, Psychology Elise Bonaguro Health and Human Development, Maths: Further Mathematics, Media, Outdoor and Environmental Studies, Psychology
Chloe McMahon Chemistry, Drama, Literature, Maths: Mathematical Methods, Music Performance, Physics
Stephanie Nind Biology, English, History: Revolutions, Languages: Italian, Maths: Further PhysicalMathematics,Education Danielle Reed English, Legal Studies, Maths: Further Mathematics, Media, Psychology, Music Performance Carla Scalise English, Languages: Italian, Legal Studies, Maths: Further Mathematics, Media, Psychology
Along with these secret ingredients, I had three staple ingredients – each of which contributed to my success; and ingredients which you also have access to.
STUDENTS WHO ACHIEVED A 90+ ATAR Emily Asta English, Health and Human Development, Languages: Italian, Legal Studies, Maths: Further Mathematics Eliza Auld Accounting, Biology, PsychologyMaths:Management,BusinessEnglish,FurtherMathematics,
GOD IS OUR GUIDING LIGHT
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