Ave Maria College

‘It takes a village to raise a child’ 

This ancient proverb means that it takes an entire community of different people caring for and interacting with children for children to experience growth in a safe environment. In many ways, I believe this proverb relates well to our current context of remote online learning. I have been so impressed with the way our young people have adapted to this rapid and prolonged lockdown and their overall willingness to engage with set learning tasks in the online environment. Our students are to be congratulated for the learning success they have achieved and the resilience they have exhibited throughout the term.  Our teachers and support staff have done a great job in adapting units of work and modifying assessments to cater for our students and the heightened challenges and fatigue that comes from learning on the screen all day. And to you the parents and carers – you have played a vital role in keeping your daughters focused and supported this term whilst learning at home.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank all families for your continued support of the College and your daughters’ online learning in Term 3. 

May all students and families enjoy a well deserved term break. 

Michelle Robertson

Ave Afternoon 

When the snap lockdown was announced on Thursday, 5 August 2021, little did we think we would still be undertaking online learning until the end of Term 3.  For the second consecutive year we have spent almost all of Term 3 in an online environment.  This has resulted in missing out on some key events, in particular Ave Day, one of the most important days on the Ave calendar.  Ave Day is when we come together to celebrate the gifts and talents of the Ave community through Mass, the Talent Quest, and the House competition, Spectacular, Spectacular (aka Spec Spec).  Despite the most optimistic thinking, and at least three rescheduled dates, the College made the difficult decision to cancel the traditional Ave Day in 2021, and instead end Term 3 with an 'Ave Afternoon'.  Given the work of the College House Leaders, House Ambassadors and students in crafting performances for Spec Spec, it was important that we had an opportunity to share these creations.  So, as we have all become accustomed to during the pandemic, the House Leaders responded and created virtual performances.  Calling Teams meetings, creating House-themed virtual backgrounds, and getting large numbers of students to lip sync songs that reflect both their House Patron and the College Annual theme. There was even a special staff song to add a little bit of excitement to the day.  Whilst it might not have been a usual Ave Day, ending the term with a community event was a lot of fun! 

Lifelong learning very evident from Ave’s Year 12 Leadership Team and the Year 12 Cohort

We often hear that by 2030 up to 85% of jobs have not yet been invented. Naturally, it then has to be asked how we are preparing our Ave students for this eventuality. Transferable skills underlie the answer to this question. I am very proud of the Year 12 Student Leadership Group and their Year 12 cohort who have continued to pivot and be resilient with all the challenges that the Covid lockdowns has thrown at them.

The Year 12 Leadership group have led their Year 7-11 Leaders and together with their Year 12 cohort continue to engage in their learning and in their lives through skills of communication, collaboration, and problem solving. Prior to Lockdown 6.0 there had been preparation for the Spec Spec competition face to face. These face to face preparations required all Year 12 Leaders to adhere to the Covid guidelines and to have separate Year 7-12 practices. Again, they rose to the occasion and used their technological skills to video their House dance routines and then have them shown in individual classrooms.  Lockdown 6.0 began and rather than wait to see how long that they may be in lockdown, the Leaders transferred their commitment to online practices. This agile response from the Year 12 House Captains working with all Year 7-12 students demonstrated responsibility and grit to continue in the face of adversity.

The Year 12 Leadership group have also shown determination in looking after their Ave community. They have worked with the Staff Wellbeing Team to strengthen the provision of strong mental health messages for all students to have access to. Prioritising one’s mental health is a life-long skill. These student leaders continued to discuss the best ways to support the Ave community in making sure that all students knew that if you are not feeling OK mentally, it is OK to speak up and reach out to the many supports available at the College.

We are very proud of all our Year 12 Leaders and the Year 12 cohort who continue to show that they have the skills they will need in an ever-changing world. They have voice, confidence and agency to tackle anything, and this is what a full education at Ave has helped them grow. I have no doubt that we will see many of these students in leadership roles in the wider community once they graduate.

May you all stay well,

Leonie Rushbrook

September Prayer Intention of Pope Francis 

Each month Pope Francis has a prayer intention and focuses on it in a short video. As we move into spring and the natural world comes to life, it is appropriate that the September prayer intention is for an environmentally sustainable lifestyle.
The video for each month can be found at https://thepopevideo.org/  

Climate Stories Competition 

Moonee Valley City Council are very excited to launch the Climate Stories Competition. They want to hear stories of climate change from personal experience and observations. 

This might include for example, living through extreme weather events, adapting lifestyles, changing habits, creative solutions and hope for the future. 

These stories will be shared with our community. 

By sharing climate stories, we can all better understand how climate change is impacting us and our community and how we can adapt. 

There is a Secondary Youth category ages 13 to 18. The winner receives a $100 Biome Eco store voucher. 

Entries close on Monday, 18 October 2021. Visit mvcc.vic.gov.au/climatestories for more information. 

Patrick Jurd

Well done to all students and families who have successfully navigated online learning this term. In relation to learning, we know that our teachers have been working tirelessly to ensure learning continues despite the ongoing challenges. 

Year 12 Matters 

As we wrap up Term 3, I would like to wish our Unit 3 and 4 students all the very best for their upcoming examinations. We have a number of students that will be completing performance and oral examinations from early next term, with written examinations starting towards the end of October.  

• Year 12 students have received a pack of practice examinations to assist in their preparations for their upcoming examinations in October/November. If there are any issues with examination packs, please encourage your daughter to make contact with me directly. 

• We are currently awaiting further advice about how we can proceed with the Year 12 Trial examinations. This information will also be communicated to families as soon as we can get some clarity around what we are permitted to do. 

• The General Achievement Test (for Year 10, 11 and 12 students completing a scored VCE Unit 3 and 4 subject) is scheduled for Tuesday, 5 October 2021 (10.00am – 1.15pm). Further details will be communicated to relevant students and families over the break. 

• Some Year 12 teachers will be offering holiday revision classes online for students over the next two weeks. This information will be communicated directly with students. 

  James Vella

During Week 9 of Term 3 we participated in Child Protection Week and RUOK? Day. This was timely given the experiences of our students throughout the term. Navigating the moves between onsite and remote learning has been challenging for all and it makes special demands on young people already negotiating the teenage years. As a result of consultation with our Senior Student Leaders we have led assemblies for each Sub-School focused on Child Safety, Child Protection and mental health support. Part of this has been highlighting the ways that students can access support within the College. This could be through their Mentor Teacher, Sub-School Leader, Mrs Meddis or Mrs Rushbrook, as well as the Counselling Services Team. We encourage our young people to speak to their Mentor Teacher or Sub-School Leader in the first instance to help them access the right kind of support to meet their needs.  

We have also compiled and distributed to our students, a list of services that students and families can access outside of the College. We have highlighted the process of going through your general practitioner for a Mental Health Care Plan to enable subsidized access to a Psychologist. In addition to this, we have provided contact details for free services, such as Headspace and online counselling support.  If you think counselling would be beneficial, we encourage students to begin the process as there can be long waits for private or government services.  

If you have concerns about your child’s wellbeing and you would like to discuss support, please contact the Mentor Teacher or Sub-School Leader in the first instance. We are very fortunate to have experienced and knowledgeable staff who can provide guidance about how we can support at school and possible next steps.  

Natalie Meddis

Dear members of the Ave Maria College Community,

We are so grateful to have had this opportunity to be the leaders of the wonderful, positive, determined students at Ave Maria College during 2021 and to have been able to share what goes on behind the scenes with all of you.

In the final weeks of Term 3, the College has been very busy despite being in yet another lockdown, with lots of activities to participate in over the screens.

Students in Italian classes have been involved in some intense competition to show off their language skills – molto eccitante!  There have also been many competitions held between the College  Houses with events such as representing your House through household items and  colours as well as preparing for our upcoming house event Spectacular Spectacular!

This term also saw lots of Ave students take their places in the kitchen to show off their awesome cooking skills through Food Technology studies. We have also had the opportunity to meet and see some cute family members with students and staff sharing pictures of their pets or bringing them to class to join in on the online fun! How Paw-fect! 

Our lovely science students got to work in their studies and in the celebration of National Science Week. Some experiments involved creating molecules and neurons out of lollies and household items, experimenting with making marshmallow slime, ice cream in a bag and testing flavours in foods allowing students to get creative and explore the world of science. 

We also celebrated Book Week this term where students got to share their love for reading and complete awesome quizzes online. Fun was bound to be had! 

Of course, students'  favourite part of online is the increase of Kahoots we get to play, letting our competitive side out in the classroom and between  Sub -Schools which has been a great way to stay connected and keep the excitement alive. 

This week also brings the Year 12 Cohort closer to the final day with 9 official days left until our final class before we head off to complete our exams. This means it is also getting closer to our Year 11 students stepping up to become the leaders of the College which involved last week, the viewing of the College Captain candidates for 2022. 

As we head into this first week of  Term 3 break, we wanted to congratulate the efforts of each of the students and staff members of the College who have continued to show up, turn their cameras on and contribute to the learning and growth environment whilst in a difficult situation of a global pandemic. We are immensely proud to be called the leaders of this Ave community who continue to demonstrate their dedication, support and community spirit. 

We wish each and every student, staff, family and community member a safe and healthy break and hope you continue to stay safe and positive during these times. Also, to our fellow Year 12 students, enjoy your last term break ever as we prepare for graduation and our exams!  

Lilianna, Mya and Emily

Ave Maria College is proud to introduce Simon Everywhere, a smartphone app, designed to streamline the communication process for our families.

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.