Ave Maria College

VCAA Examinations 

Our Year 12 cohort have finished formal classes and are almost halfway through their final examinations. All students completing a Unit 3/4 examination are to be congratulated on the way in which they have presented for each exam and approached the examination centre following COVIDsafe guidelines.  

The VCE Exams Navigator 2021 outlines all of the rules and regulations regarding the VCE examinations including a timetable that may be a useful reference for families. Students are reminded to allow plenty of time to arrive at school prior to the commencement of their examination and should be arriving 30 minutes prior to each examination. 

We wish our VCE students every success throughout the examination period and trust that they will continue to prepare themselves to perform at their very best on the day. Their consistency and dedication throughout the year (even through the most trying of circumstances) and most recently shown during the revision period has been very impressive. 

It has been wonderful to welcome all students back onsite this week for face-to-face learning. The focus of learning in Term 4 for our Year 7-9 students is to consolidate their learning – especially any areas that require additional focus, in order to best prepare them for their studies in 2022. Final assessments for Year 7-9 students will be completed in class over the next two weeks. 

A reminder that Thursday, 18 November 2021 is a Professional Practice Day for staff and this is a Student Free day for all students.  

Michelle Robertson

Why a Face to Face Education is Important

Many parents breathed a sigh of relief on hearing that all students would return to face-to-face learning. Staff have very much appreciated the parent partnership in ensuring that student’s learning experiences were the best they could be during remote learning. We thank parents for getting students out of bed and logged onto their classes over the last number of months. We know that this was not always easy as teenagers linked into their friends in the hours after their normal bed times. We thank parents for contacting teachers when issues arose.

This photo shows the strength of face-to-face teaching: socialisation, care for each other, awareness of each other and collaboration are evidenced through this everyday learning experience. Students are valuing learning and working together. Students have enjoyed being back with their friends and with their caring teachers. Being back into the face-to-face learning environment provides support for student’s educational and wellbeing needs. Whilst all these support services continued in remote learning, face-to-face allows for greater depth of support, greater comfort for students to be supported by their peers and staff, and greater body language messages to be picked up.

We are delighted to have face-to-face teaching available for all students and pray for those affected by the ongoing presence of Covid. We ask that parents continue to re-iterate the need for correct mask wearing indoors to protect all in our community and to have those conversations regarding the benefits of vaccination.

Leonie Rushbrook

Pope Francis’ Prayer Intention for October

Pope Francis’ prayer intention for October, in this video, asks all Christians to be missionary disciples, ‘being witnesses of a life that has the flavour of the Gospel’.

Remembrance Day Commemoration

On Thursday 11 November, Years 10-12 students are in their exam period. Students in Years 7 to 9 will have a service to commemorate Remembrance Day during their Mentor time on that day. More details closer to the date.

Patrick Jurd

Year 10 and 11 Examinations 

Year 10 and 11 examinations will be taking place between Wednesday, 10 November and Wednesday, 17 November 2021. Students and families should have received a copy of the timetable, along with a revision guide that will assist students with their preparations. 

 Students are encouraged to be studying from home where possible, and only attend the College when they have a scheduled examination. Students onsite will be supervised between exam breaks. 

2021 Subject Allocations and Booklists 

Students will have received confirmation of their 2022 Academic Programs via their College email addresses. This confirmation will include a link to the relevant year level booklist and change of subject documentation. Parents should have received an email and Skoolbag notification highlighting when the 2022 Academic Programs have been delivered to students to encourage the conversation at home. 

Limited opportunities for subject changes will be available (subject to timetable blocking, class availability and capacity limitations). 

Booklists are available through Campion (www.campion.com.au) using the code “RTDP".  The booklist closing date is Friday, 17 December 2021.   

2021 VCE Orientation Program 

Students in Years 10 and 11 will commence the VCE Orientation program from Friday 19 November. Students in Year 9 who will be studying a VCE subject as part of their 2022 Year 10 program will also participate in the program as fully as possible. 

All students are expected to attend the Orientation program as it will help students to start 2022 on the right foot. Critical VCE/careers information and wellbeing sessions will also be included as part of the program, as well an introductions/refreshers to Edrolo and Studiosity. Teachers will communicate holiday homework to students throughout the program.  

Parents are encouraged to discuss the Orientation Program with their daughters to ensure they are feeling supported in a key transition within their secondary education journey. 

James Vella

Supporting the Return to Onsite Learning 

The Australian Psychological Society has released some hints and tips for parents to help them support their teenagers in the return to onsite learning. The advice focuses on the return to routines and ensuring that you check in with your teenager at the end of the day. We have noticed that students are often tired with the return to onsite routines, partly as a result of getting up earlier but also because they are taking in more sensory stimulation in the school environment. We encourage students to take time for themselves at the end of the day, relaxing busy minds that have been highly stimulated throughout the day.  

If you would like to find out more about supporting your teenager/s in the return to school you can go to the School TV site which profiles a range of issues, such as managing overwhelm, anxiety and depression. You can also find a report by Michael Carr-Gregg as he discusses how parents can approach the return to school.  

On the School TV website you will also find a section on Positive Parenting. Positive Parenting has close links with the Visible Wellbeing framework that is used by the College to support our approach to Student Wellbeing. Visible Wellbeing is a strengths based approach created by Lea Waters through the University of Melbourne, evolving from her work in positive psychology. Her book, The Strength Switch, focuses on positive parenting and provides an insight into our approach to student wellbeing.

As we look to support our students returning, we know that being overwhelmed can result in unexpected behaviours. The additional stress can make it difficult for our students to operate at their best and this can make organisation and learning challenging. These final weeks of term are a good opportunity for students to acknowledge how they respond to stress. They can then work with parents, carers, Mentor Teachers or a member of the Student Wellbeing team to develop some strategies to help manage their stress so that they can clear the pathways for learning.  

Natalie Meddis

Hi to the Ave Maria College Community,   

We are honored to have this opportunity to be your College Co-Captains and help lead Ave in 2022.   

As leaders, we look forward to working with the leadership team of each Year Level, and the staff to strengthen relationships and gain more insight on the perspectives of each cohort. This will allow us to act as a voice for the students and ensure that everyone feels heard.  

 Our goal for 2022 is to promote women’s empowerment and encourage the Ave girls to strive for their personal best with the support of the Ave community. We hope to create an environment where every student feels that they  belong and have the resources to thrive.    

Throughout the upcoming year, we hope to introduce more guest speakers from a variety of backgrounds to expose and inspire the College community. We will seek feedback from all the community on areas where we can make a positive difference. 

We are so excited to be working with the staff, students and families of  Ave  Maria College, and we look forward to everything 2022 has to bring.   

Majella Portelli and Alexandra Evans   

SIMON Everywhere is a mobile app designed to increase parents' engagement with the College.

Simon Everywhere allows you to conveniently access your daughter’s reports, grades and attendance, update medical information, notify student absences, give consent for excursions and communicate directly with teachers. Essentially it is your Parent Access Module (PAM) account in the convenience of an app.
To utilise this facility simply download the Simon Everywhere app from your devices App Store, select Ave Maria College from the schools dropdown list and enter your previously supplied PAM account credentials.