Ave Maria College

VCE Progress Reports and Parent/Teacher/Student (PTS) Interviews VCE parents/carers and students can now access their Progress Reports for Term 1. These reports provide a summary of how each student is progressing in relation to the Learner Attributes identified in our Ave Charter for Education.  

VCE PTS Interviews will take place on Tuesday, 23 March 2021 4.00pm – 8.00pm. The system will open for bookings on Tuesday, 16 March 2021.

Year 7 - 10 Progress Reports and Parent/Teacher/Student (PTS) Interviews 

Year 7-10 Progress Reports will be released to parents/carers and students on Wednesday, 31 March 2021. Year 7-10 PTS Interviews will take place at the College on Monday, 10 May 2021 11.30am – 7.30pm. There will be no classes for Year 7-12 students on this day. 

Parents/carers are reminded to track their daughter’s progress via Ave Learning at any time throughout the term. Progress on formative and summative assessment tasks is provided after each task in line with our commitment to continuous reporting and providing feedback that is timely and constructive. Parents/carers as also welcome to make contact with subject teachers throughout the year via email or phone.  

Michelle Robertson   

Ave Maria College Business Directory

In 2020 the College initiated a Business Directory, which we will publish very soon. 
The Business Directory is one way we are supporting Ave Maria College families, particularly those who have been impacted by COVID-19.
In case you did not have the opportunity to register your business yet, please complete the online form HERE. This is a great opportunity to promote your business or service to the broader College community.  Any current family or past student of the College is welcome to advertise in the directory.  If you have any questions about the directory or issues with completing this form please contact the College via businessdirectory@avemaria.vic.edu.au or via phone on 9331 9300. 

Jo Hammer

Monday, 8 March 2021 was International Women’s Day. At Ave Maria College it is an important day to celebrate the recognition of women and the fantastic impact they have on their communities.  Students and staff supported this important day through wearing a touch of purple. The Macquarie Chief Executive, Shemara Wikramanayake retells her story of a family that experienced financial hardship whereby it was necessary to move home and schools regularly. From this experience she said, “ This could have been unsettling as a child but I looked at it as an opportunity. Possibly from natural resilience, I was able to quickly accept that I could do nothing about our circumstances. But I appreciated I still have choices and things I could control, including my attitude.” Shemara Wikramanayake currently has the responsibility of 75, 000 employees around the world.

It is this can do attitude that was very evident in every Leadership Portfolio during the Leadership Seminar Day and the Portfolio Meetings held recently. During the Leadership Seminar Day, leaders were provided with over twenty examples of strong women and the influence they are having on the people around them. Students undertook a gallery walk reading how these Leaders in society can influence their own leadership styles for greater outcomes for all students. Each student leader was placed into a Leadership Portfolio to represent the Student Voice at Ave Maria. In these portfolios, ideas will be listened to, embraced and actioned. The following Portfolios will have student led improvements occur throughout the year at Ave Maria College:

Franciscan, Academic, Arts, House and Year Level Leaders.  

All students will be encouraged to speak to any of their leaders to have their ideas listened to and acted upon.

Leonie Rushbrook

Mission Action Day 

On Friday, 26 March 2021, the College will walk around the Maribyrnong River track to raise awareness and money for our sister school, St Maria Mazzarello in Venilale, Timor-Leste. More details about the day will come out shortly. While COVID-19 has had an impact, this is a wonderful opportunity to raise money or make a donation, knowing every bit helps. In doing so we are living out the Catholic Social Teaching principles of solidarity and preferential option for the poor. Educating women is the best way to help developing countries such as Timor-Leste.  

Sponsorship or donations can be made via Trybooking

Lent 

The halfway mark in Lent is a good opportunity to ask ourselves what are the ways that God is my guiding light. Am I making time for prayer and contemplation? Am I reading the Bible? Am I stopping to reflect upon the ways that God is guiding me? Am I making time to guide others well? These, and related behaviours will help us to live out our 2021 College theme and be ready to live in the way that Easter calls each of us – life to the full (John 10:10).    

Patrick Jurd

Curriculum Structure Review – Parent/Carer Feedback Invited

As part of the College’s ongoing commitment to providing a contemporary, rigorous and relevant curriculum, we are in the process of reviewing our Year 7 – 10 curriculum structure. Despite the focus on the Year 7 – 10 structure, we invite all parents/carers to contribute their feedback.

The survey will open at 3.00pm on Friday, 12 March 2021 and close at 8.30am on Tuesday, 23 March 2021.

Submissions from parents/carers are anonymous and can be accessed HERE.

VCE Assessment Calendars

Unit 1 and Unit 3 Assessment Calendars for students in VCE are now available on PAM via Knowledge Banks >> Family Information.
VCE students have access to these calendars via the School Links on Ave Learning.

Studiosity

Students across all Year Levels have access to Studiosity, the online study help platform designed to complement the work of your teachers. As part of this platform provided by the College, students have access to the Writing Feedback and Connect Live services.

• Writing Feedback provides students with feedback about their writing structure, as well as grammar, spelling and punctuation.
• Connect Live allows students to seek assistance from subject specialists in English, Maths, Science, and general study skills.

Students can access Studiosity via Ave Learning >> Learning Areas >> Student Resources >> Studiosity.

Students can access this service on demand at any time outside of school hours (subject to some limitations). Response times on the platform are indicated to students prior to submitting work for feedback or asking questions so that you are not waiting aimlessly for a response from the study specialists.

For more information, please visit this LINK or watch this brief VIDEO.

TSSM – VCE Term 1 Holidays Examination Preparation Program

TSSM is facilitating an examination preparation program throughout the upcoming Term 1 holiday program for VCE students. These programs are run by experienced teachers, who are also assessors of the end of year examinations. The intention of the program is to provide a thorough review of course material, with a focus on examination-style questions. There is a cost involved with each course, and TSSM are currently offering 3 subjects for the price of 2, if the booking is made by Thursday, March 2021.

Students and parents interested in the program can find more information HERE.

Please note; the College is not involved in the preparation of this program or program content.

James Vella

Mentor Program 

In Term 2 all Year Levels will be engaging in the Respectful Relationships program. This is a state-wide program to encourage young people to develop the skills to enhance their relationships with others and with themselves. We cover topics like stress management, time management, study skills, friendship issues, communication, setting boundaries, gender norms and equality and gender-based violence.  The program has been developed to address a growing need among young people: 

• to be consciously aware of the way they interact with the world around them, 

• to use their voice and agency to create healthy relationships, 

• to engage in explicit learning about study skills and stress management. 

In addition to the Respectful Relationships program in Mentor Time, students will be able to engage in brain break type activities. These activities, such as 5 minutes of Qigong or chair yoga, provide students with the skills to manage their mood and engagement throughout the day. This is part of our ongoing commitment to Visible Wellbeing, which makes explicit the link between learning and wellbeing.  We aim to provide the best possible conditions for learning which includes attention to mindset and mood.  

The best conditions in the classroom also include creating a space where students have strong relationships with each other and feel safe to ask questions or explore their thoughts and learning. Teachers have been asked to put students in seating plans that will move around throughout the semester in order to facilitate the development of a broad range of relationships in the classroom. This way the students can develop relationships outside of their friendship groups, allowing them to engage with a range of voices and to feel more confident participating in the classroom learning.  

Year 9 Wellbeing Day 

The Year 9 Wellbeing Day has been organised by Melanie Zahra to support students building foundational skills for camp. Occurring on Monday, 15 March 2021, Year 9 students will engage in a Mental Health Toolkit session, camp skills (including setting up tents, navigation, problem solving and communication) and completing the day with a mindfulness session.

Natalie Meddis

Career Conversations and Year 10 Morrisby Online Profile

Having career conversations at home, is a great opportunity to discuss the work of family and friends and the aspirations of your child. On Tuesday, 9 March 2021, all Year 10 students completed the Morrisby Profile Career Assessment and this will be a useful tool to foster these conversations. The Morrisby will assist your daughter in making important decisions about next steps. It combines a student’s ability, interests and personality traits, to determine a variety of suitable career areas. 

Follow up appointments with a Career Adviser will occur in Term 2, to develop an individual Career Action Plan to assist with planning future pathways. Parents/carers are welcome to these meetings to support your daughter.

Events and News

To view our Career Newsletter articles, click here. Topics this week include:

• Upcoming events for Deakin, ACU, Monash, Victoria and La Trobe Universities
• Year 12 University Planner – Term 1
• Information Sessions for Victoria Police, ADF, Medicine
• Australian Defence Force – Gap Year Program now open
• Differences between Physiotherapist, Chiropractor, Osteopath and Myotherapist
• Why women in trades matter and construction careers
• Interested in Engineering, Science and Maths?
• Focus on the Bachelor of Arts
• Data Science: IT + Science
• Passionate about Sport? Three programs to consider
• TAFE to university pathways

Poppy Ibrahim

Bright and early on Thursday, 25 February 2021, the College House Captains attended the SCSA Sport Leaders Breakfast at Melbourne Sports Aquatic Centre. We were fortunate to hear from Olympic Gold Medalist and AFL Women’s Head of Football Nicole Livingstone, who shared her inspirational story and journey of professional swimming whilst working in televisions sports commentating, media presenting and sports administrating.

Nicole offered valuable life-long lessons such as the importance of finding a passion for something you love, which we all admired and allowed us to reflect on our goals for the year ahead. Her advice motivated us to work hard and block out the background noise of others negative opinions. Nicole’s story was inspiring as she demonstrated the importance of self-belief and positive self-talk, which will allow us to prepare for all situations, through staying calm and trusting ourselves and the hard work we’ve put in. Not only is self-confidence important, but she explained the need for failure, as it encourages us to be resilient, learn from our mistakes and be the best version of ourselves.

The biggest take away from her story was her passion for women’s sport and her belief of giving women every chance possible to let their sporting abilities shine. Nicole is a big advocate for equal opportunities and was very hopeful that the future of women’s sport will continue to rise for us strong, courageous Ave women.

Nicole’s advice allowed the House Leaders to reflect on encouraging co-curricular participation amongst all year levels, further mirroring our student leadership’s team of V.U.E, ensuring all members of the College Community feel valued, united, and empowered. Her insight taught us the value of time management whilst working hard and still being able to enjoy time away from school, setting a role model for all Year Levels.

A big thank you to Mr Whicker and Ms Rushbrook for accompanying us to an amazing event!

Alissia Bellistri - Helene House Leader

Stop hugging that library. No wait, my mistake, I forgot that it’s Library Lovers Day.

Libraries across Australia celebrated St. Valentine’s Day with special activities to promote the love of books and libraries.

Students got involved by sharing the LOVE through the “Kindness Jar” with a love heart post about an act of kindness they enacted or witnessed.

Students were also very excited by the prospect of ‘A Blind Date with a Book’ which involved borrowing a mystery book wrapped in brown paper. This was very popular with over 50 books borrowed for a Blind Date.

Library Hours

Monday - Thursday 8.00am to 5.00pm

Day 8 - Closes at 2.34 pm

Friday 8.00am to 4.00pm

Laura Pugliese, Helene Library Leader

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.