When our mothers are tired, Lord, give them strength. 

When they feel alone, give them comfort.

When they feel overwhelmed with the challenges of parenting, help them to know peace.

In their darkest moments, be their Light. 

At times in our lives, our mothers are everything to us, meeting our every need. 

We ask You to provide them today with whatever gift they need. 

In gratitude for all Mothers, we pray. 

Amen.

Feast Day of Blessed Edmund Rice

Edmund Rice, founder of the Christian Brothers, was born in Ireland in 1762. We know very little of his childhood but celebrate his life and the contribution he made to education of young people on May 5th each year. St Mary’s College acknowledged the Feast Day of Blessed Edmund Rice on Monday, 6th May and it was a day of great celebration. As my first experience of our feast day, I was impressed by the generosity of spirit on demonstration during the day. I especially appreciated the way the audience supported our “masked singers” who took a risk and performed in front of their peers. The audience response showed that we want others to feel safe in our community and this is admirable. There was a great energy with the whole school community on the Edmund Rice Campus for the day that further reinforces my sense of optimism about our future on a single campus.

Thanks to Mr Lancashire who planned our liturgy so that we could thank God for the many blessings we receive in an Edmund Rice school and Ms Lawless and our singers who assisted with music. Thanks also to Ms Saundry and staff helpers who ensured that we were well fed. I hope everyone had great fun.

Mother’s Day Breakfast

We said thanks to our mothers on Thursday morning at our annual Mother’s Day Breakfast with about 80 in attendance. In taking a moment to thank our mothers, we acknowledged their invaluable role as the first educators and appreciate that we are indeed privileged to be able to partner in the formation of our young people. It is also important that we remember that our families look different, and that the mothering role is sometimes undertaken by a grandparent, or an aunt, or friend. We give thanks to those who nurture our young people and show us what it means to live with love and compassion. Thank you to the parents who were able to be present, Sandie Saundry, Avril Martinelli, David Formosa, our P&F, and our student leaders for facilitating this celebration of motherhood. Happy Mother’s Day for Sunday.

Time and Space Workshops

The second of our Time and Space Workshops for Year 7 students occurred on Tuesday night and I want to say thank you to those who were able to attend and spend some special time together. The feedback from both our Year 7 and Year 8 evening reflects the value in setting aside time in our busy lives to talk and find out a bit more about our young people and for our young people to also learn something new about their guardians.

This was typical of the feedback from parents: “Thank you for this gift of time, to sit still and be present.”

And from one of the students: “It was a really good discussion with my mum, since we got some alone time to talk about ourselves… it was really fun as we all got to express our feelings to one another.”

Thanks to Ms Howard, Director of Students, and the staff who attended each night and to our amazing student and parent helpers.

Enrolment in Year 7 2025

We continue to meet families who tell us that they were previously unaware of St Mary’s College and are pleased to have found a Catholic co-educational school in our part of Melbourne. We’ve been able to reassure most that we are rebuilding and, as such, that it is not too late to get a place for 2025. In many cases it was on the recommendation of a family member, friend or associate that led to the enquiry, and I ask for your assistance in spreading the word about our great school. The power of a personal recommendation from you is invaluable. In the meantime, we will continue to get word out and are offering a Talk and Tour, led by our student ambassadors, each week and these are proving very popular.

$400 School Saving Bonus

This week the Allan Labor Government announced a $400 School Saving Bonus for all school students in government schools regardless of income, but only for Health Care Card holders in Catholic schools. This is deeply unfair. Families in Catholic schools are also experiencing cost of living pressures and this announcement discriminates against your family.

We believe the payment should be means tested for all students or apply to all students. It should not be based on which school you attend, and it punishes families for choosing to send their children to a Catholic school.

Our school, EREA and the peak body, the Victorian Catholic Education Authority, wish to oppose this policy and we need your help. Please consider contacting your local Member of Parliament to express your concern.

Darren Atkinson
College Principal

A school community committed to continuous improvement.

When St Mary’s College commenced at the beginning of the 2021 school year, it was identified that a concerted effort would be required to shape the newly co-educational school and its culture, so that girls and boys, many of whom attended single sex schools previously, learned to live and work together over time. It was clear then, as it is clear now, that this is not an ideal that can at any stage be considered ‘accomplished’. It is an ongoing action, part of what we do, explicitly and frequently addressed, rather than something we will consider ‘done’. The work that takes place in pursuit of this being part of our culture is the way it continues to be part of who we are.

It is a certainty that bringing daily and enduring harmony to any school community, let alone one that is still considered ‘newly’ co-ed, has its challenges. Perfection is not what we are seeking. A school community committed to continuous improvement, particularly in the area of gender relations and respectful relationships is the intent. In light of recent media reports calling into question the way that schools might, could, or should deal with issues of this nature, I thought it might be helpful to provide some thoughts on just some of the work we have undertaken in recent years, and which we continue to do with our staff and students.

The College partnered with Latrobe University in 2021 by inviting one of their academics Leanne Higham, who was an author of the Department of Education respectful relationships program, into dialogue with our staff around the issue of unconscious bias. This was a source or reflection for staff who had previously been working in a single sex environment. This partnership continues to this day, with Leanne and her colleagues conducting a cultural research project in the college focused on our move to becoming a co-educational school.

Our students are engaged in a range of lessons selected and built upon using the respectful relationships program. We are a certified respectful relationships ‘partner school’ and have amassed a wealth of resources and age-appropriate lessons which are delivered fortnigfhtly to every student in the school. In recent weeks, I made a clear and concise presentation to each year level group on the issue of bullying in all its forms. There are some simple, yet powerful elements to this presentation, in particular gender-based conflict and language. Staff and students often reference elements of what was covered in this presentation when required. All of this work is in pursuit of continuous improvement and adherence to the child safe standards of Victoria.

Walkathon 2024

In recent days, each student has been provided their unique walkathon donation code via an email they received from the college. This is the major fundraising campaign for the year, with a minimum of $50 per student being our target. We have spent time with our students explaining the purpose of our walkathon and where the money they raise will go. We have taken time to unpack the Catholic social teaching principals, such as providing preferential treatment for the poor by advocating for them and standing in solidarity with them. There is great purpose and educational value to the walkathon and its place in our calendar. It is important that we have the support of all families with the fundraising effort and attendance on the day, for the benefit of the community you are part of.

Shaun Lancashire
Deputy Principal

Life is not something we rush.

This week I have taken on the responsibility of the Director of Identity at St Mary’s College. As an existing staff member, I have met many members of our community.

As we continue to celebrate the Easter season until the feast of Pentecost it is worth taking some time to reflect on the 50 days of the season.

In the liturgical year only ordinary time is longer than Easter. The time to celebrate new life is not something we rush. We do not return to the ordinary after something so extraordinary.

In the northern hemisphere the melting of snow and the green shoots that emerge are matched by longer days and the retreat of night. The palpable sense of life bursting forth all around is not our experience in the southern hemisphere.

We need to take our fallen leaves, rake them into a pile and enjoy the work of composting that ultimately renews the soil.

In a world that rushes as a matter of course, the longer processes of new life that we experience might have a lesson for us.

The renewal of the soil mirrors our spiritual renewal. Quietly done, less than obvious but ultimately the source of all life.

At St Mary’s we hope to take this time with our students, parents, staff and supporters. Inspired by Mary, who endured all that Holy Week and Good Friday brought to her, we share in the glory of Easter.

Paul Quinn
Director of Identity

Year 8 College Leaders

No longer the youngest members of our school community, our Y8 students have established themselves well at the Edmund Rice Campus.

Like with all our Class Captains, our Y8s demonstrated their desire and drive to lead their peers through the submission of excellent application letters and recommendations from friends and teachers. Our Y8s have many exciting ideas and aspirations for the 2024 academic year.

Please join me in congratulating our Y8 Class Captains.

Zac Lucas (8T)

Zac would like to help students, especially new ones, to make friends at the College.

Ojiro Sato (8C)

This year, Ojiro would like to create better relationships between students and their teachers.

Charles Couch (8T)

Charles would like to help students in his homeroom with learning, specifically Maths.

Sophie Hoad (8R) – absent (attending Y8 camp)

This year, Sophie is keen to make improvements to the school through participation in Student Voice

Jen Howard
Director of Students

Exploring Binary Code in Year 7 Digitech Classes! 

In our Year 7 Digitech classes, students have been diving into the fascinating world of binary code. This foundational concept in computer science forms the backbone of digital communication and computing systems.

As part of their exploration, students recently engaged in a hands-on activity that brought binary code to life in a creative and meaningful way. In preparation for Mother's Day, students had the opportunity to translate heartfelt messages, such as "Love you, Mum" and "Thank you for everything," into binary code.

Using their newfound knowledge, students meticulously reproduced these binary sequences onto bracelets, transforming them into unique and personalised gifts for their mothers. Each bracelet became a wearable symbol of appreciation and affection, encoded in the language of computers.

As our Year 7 students continue their journey in Digitech classes, we look forward to further exploration and discovery in the realm of digital technology. Stay tuned for more exciting updates on their learning adventures!

David Formosa
Director of Development

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