Principal’s Report

It is my pleasure to present the annual report of our school for 2022. As we reflect on the past year, we can see that our school has continued to make significant progress in providing quality education to our students while maintaining a safe and nurturing learning environment. This report highlights our achievements, challenges, and future plans as we continue to pursue our mission of excellence in education. We would like to thank our students, staff, parents, and the wider community for their support and contributions towards the success of our school. We hope that this report will provide valuable insights into our school's operations and achievements and reaffirm our commitment to providing a comprehensive and holistic education to our students.

The past year has been an exciting one at Mater Christi College with many important developments and accomplishments. One of the highlights was the commencement of our new Deputy Principals. In Term 1 DP Learning; Julie Stewart joined us. Julie brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the role. In Semester 2, following the retirement of the former DP, Shae Mayes was appointed DP STaff and Students. These appointments have added great depth to an already talented College Executive.

Another significant achievement was the first year of our new middle leadership structure, which has provided greater support and guidance to our teachers and students. We also conducted a comprehensive review and redesign of our Year 9 curriculum program, which has been wellreceived by students and parents alike. Additionally, we completed the MYP evaluation and received valuable feedback from the assessors which will guide our development of the framework. We conducted a review of our reporting practices with input from all stakeholders, which has led to improved communication and transparency. The Middle Leaders Formation was also a successful initiative in developing our current and future leaders.

Furthermore, we rolled out the Morrisby Careers testing for the first time at Year 9, which has helped our students with pathways planning. We have also made significant progress in the planning and implementation of our PLC program with staff selecting from a range of areas related to our Annual Action Plan goals. The interim timetable structure was also put in place to optimise our transition to the new EBA requirements for teaching time. Finally, we are proud to have implemented the VCE Vocational Major, which will provide our students with greater opportunities to pursue their career goals.

As a College Executive we continue to ensure that we have just work practices which not only accord with the local agreement, but which also provide flexibility where it is needed for our staff. Overall, as a College we are passionate about social justice and continue to look for ways in which we can make a difference locally and globally.

Catholic Identity and Mission

Goals & Intended Outcomes

In 2022, the Mission Identity Team sought to:

• Offer a recontextualised experience of the Catholic tradition for all members of the College community

• Enhance the experience of prayer and liturgy for all members of the College

• Embed the College theme ‘In all things May God be Glorified"’ and Benedictine values in formation, reflection and social justice activities.

Achievements

In the past year, our community had the opportunity to delve deeper into the Good Samaritan Charism. We began with the first staff day of the year by examining the theme "In all things May God Be Glorified" with Veronica Hoey SGS. We celebrated the Feast of St Scholastica with a community Eucharist, where we came together in prayer and reflection. Additionally, we continued our tradition of a combined schools mass with other Catholic schools in the area – St Joseph’s College and associate primary schools - to strengthen our bonds and foster a sense of unity.

On Easter Monday our staff members also had the opportunity to participate in a staff retreat with Fr Elio Capra SBD, where we focussed on the stories of women and the Resurrection. This allowed us to deepen our understanding of our faith and connect with one another on a spiritual level.

In July, seven of our staff members, along with three board members, attended the Triennial Conference in Sydney, which allowed us to gain valuable insights into the Good Samaritan Benedictine education community. The highlight of this was surely the Prophetic Voices where our students outlined their vision for a just future.

Furthermore, our students had the opportunity to participate in reflection days and retreats, which allowed them to explore their faith and spirituality. Our RE curriculum was also reviewed, ensuring that we provide our students with a well-rounded education that fosters their spiritual growth.

The College community continues to commit to building a just and caring community by actively engaging in a range of social justice activities. These initiatives, often led by students, aim to raise awareness about various issues such as refugees, period poverty, and first nations recognition. Additionally, the entire community works towards ensuring awareness and fundraising for local and international causes, including St Vincent de Paul and Caritas. An area of significant focus for the College in 2022 was a continued commitment to the celebration and recognition of First Nations Australians at all levels of the College.

Second semester saw a focus on Mater Day, where we raise funds and awareness for the Good Samaritan Foundation. This was our first post-COVID Mater Day and was enthusiastically embraced by all.

Our staff generously participate in a events such as the Feast for Freedom which has become an annual event and raises money for refugees supported by the Dandenong ASRC and living in the local community. Often there are ad hoc morning teas for various things, 2022 was particularly focused on assisting Ukrainian refugees living in Melbourne.

Our students are passionate and enthusiastic about working to mitigate climate change. We are a small community, but we know we can have a big impact. In Term 4 we re-opened Café Bene as an in-house café. Because of this, we have minimised the use of packaging or, if it is required, we ensure that it is either home compostable or recyclable. Sometime this meant we made the decision not to have certain items for sale, such as bottled water.

Value Added

1. Retreat days - student and staff

2. Class, Year Level and whole school liturgies

3. Vinnies (St Vincent de Paul) activities

4. Caritas activities including trivia night

5. Guest speakers

6. Mater Day - raising awareness and funds