Ave Maria College

Ave Maria Day – a LIVE event on MS Teams! 

What a wonderful day we enjoyed on Friday, 11 September 2020 celebrating our Feast Day and coming together as a community to pray, have fun and celebrate! The Ave spirit was not diminished despite not being able to be onsite.  A big thank you to all staff and students who worked so hard to make this such a wonderful community event! 

Unit 3/4 Practice Examination Paper Distribution 

Last week, all Unit 3/4 students (both Year 11 and Year 12) received a package of practice papers to help jump start their preparations for the end of year examinations. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Allan Thompson, Peter Vartto, Frank Libratore, Jo Hammer, Clara Morgan, Simone Maruzzi and Danielle Zarafa for a massive team effort to get 183 exam packs out to students over a 3-day period. 

Unit 3 and 4 Trial Examinations 

As communicated to parents of students in Unit 3 and 4 subjects earlier this week, the Trial Examinations have been postponed from Monday, 28 September 2020. They will now commence on Monday, 12 October 2020. Students have had the Trial Examination Timetable emailed to them and it is also available on Ave Learning. 

Students who require rescheduled examinations will have these times communicated to them during the term break. 

VCAA Examinations (7 October to 1 December) 

The VCAA end of year examination period commences on Wednesday, 7 October 2020 with the General Achievement Test (GAT) for all students completing a Unit 3 and 4 subject in 2020. The College is in the process of working through the advice provided by the VCAA and DHHS and will communicate arrangements for the GAT over the term break. We are committed to delivering the GAT and all VCAA examinations in accordance with all guidelines and advice.  

We wish all of our students completing VCAA performance, oral and written examinations this year all the very best. Students have worked very hard to persevere through the challenges this year has presented. I’m sure I am not alone in being exceptionally proud of our students for their commitment and dedication to their studies this year. 

The VCAA has published a guidance document for students which can be accessed HERE. 

2021 Years 8 – 12 Subject Selection Process 

Over the past few weeks, student consultations have been taking place regarding 2021 academic programs. During this time, we have also been receiving enquiries from students and parents regarding changes to preferences, which we have been happy to facilitate as best possible. 

The process has since moved to allocations and timetabling. Therefore, from the end of Term 3, we will do our best to accommodate requests however these cannot be guaranteed due to timetabling constraints and class size limits.  

Students will receive formal notification of their final allocation of studies for 2021 during Term 4. 

2021 Year 11 and 12 Early Resource List 

The Year 11 and 12 Early Resource Booklist is now available for families of 2021 Year 11 and Year 12 students. The Early Resource Booklist is being made available earlier than in previous years to recognise the financial strain COVID-19 is placing on many families across the College. 

The Early Resource Booklist has been sent to parents and is also available from the College Website. Orders are required to be completed by Friday, 30 October 2020 via the Campion website using the code ‘HFDY’. 

James Vella

College Prayer

Students and staff will be able to join in prayer from 11.05am to 11.15am each Thursdays on the AMC – College Community Team.

Staff Faith Formation Day

Staff gathered on MS Teams to consider the College theme ‘True power is love’ then broke into small groups to reflect upon lived examples of the theme. One group prepared an extensive document that covered examples from leadership, staff, students and community. Here are some examples from ‘community’: Positive emails/messages sent to teachers/principal; Being understanding of the challenges being faced by staff and students; Parents realise that staff have put the students first and are going above and beyond.

Ave Maria Day

While completely different from every other Ave Day, it was a wonderful celebration of the giftedness and beauty of the Ave community. As an example, I share with you the opening prayer written by Franciscan Captains Mia Kefenhoerster and Danielle Thompson:

Lord,

We gather together today as a community to celebrate the Assumption of Mary, the College feast day. As one of our patron saint’s, Mary is a model of faith and humility, with a strong commitment to God. She calls upon us to share this similar openness towards God and towards each other, inviting each of us to trust in the truth of God’s love and the truth within ourselves. 

As a community bound by faith, learning and love, we celebrate Mary today, as well as all of our unique gifts and talents which makes Ave a special place where each of us belongs. 

We give thanks for all staff members, students and friends of Ave for contributing their gifts and enriching the spirit of the Ave community. Although we cannot gather physically, together let us reflect on the blessings and opportunities we have received as members of the College. We pray that we may continue to persevere in times of hardship and live out God’s love in our words and actions. We make this prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.

This year has challenged the skills of young people and adults alike in managing their mental health and maintaining any sense of calm and stability. When people are asked how they feel, they say things like overwhelmed, uncertain, scared, lonely, anxious, and exhausted. Words like wellness, mental health, positive psychology, and mindfulness have taken on a new urgency. During a pandemic we draw on the skills that we already have and develop some new ones. We practice and experiment with different techniques and activities to see what works for us as individuals, as families and as a community. Meditation can create calm in some, a brisk walk can settle others and still more respond to cooking or crafting. While some clean, others immerse themselves in television shows. What is important is finding what works for you to create optimum health in a challenging time.

The Student Wellbeing Working Group has been consulting with students, staff and parents about their perception of student wellbeing and their goals for student wellbeing in the school. We have heard a strong demand for a proactive, cohesive program that helps students develop skills that they can draw on in times of crisis, such as a pandemic, when they are most vulnerable to developing illbeing.
If young people are able to develop meaningful skills to manage their own emotional state, they have another protective factor that supports them during challenging times. We accept that we will all have difficulties and these skills are critical to meeting them head on and thriving nonetheless.

We thank the many parents who have taken the time to provide feedback through the survey and the consultation sessions last week. This feedback echoed that of the staff feedback, which welcomed the enhancing of an already strong relationship between families and the College. This emphasis on wrap around support is a key element of the student wellbeing program at Ave Maria which aims to support the flourishing of each student.

As we plan for 2021, as much as we can plan, we look to integrate a program into our College that supports the building of those skills, using an evidence based approach that is adaptable and responsive to each student. We recognize the individuality of each student at Ave Maria College and we aim to tailor our wellbeing to the needs of each of our students. 

Natalie Meddis

We have made it to the end of Term 3! We would like to congratulate each and every member of our community for arriving at the end of what has been an incredibly busy, tiring and challenging term. This year has been like no other and it's safe to say that we have been presented with many obstacles to work through. In saying this, we believe that our community has overcome these challenges with such resilience and determination and for that, we are so extremely proud to be ending this term with a feeling of satisfaction and achievement. 

Term 3 saw intense preparations for Ave Maria Day which we celebrated on Friday, 11 August 2020 - virtually! After months of organisation for this event, students and teachers were finally able to experience a very new and different kind of Ave Day, which involved three live events via Microsoft Teams. Members of the senior student leadership team, as well as many members of the College Executive worked tirelessly to ensure that these livestreams ran as smoothly as possible, allowing for an extraordinary presentation. 

To start off the day, there was an assembly and a liturgy. We heard from our College Principal, Ms Hutton and then participated in a lovely service run by Mr Jurd. Throughout this liturgy, our Franciscan Captains, Danielle Thompson and Mia Kefenhoester, as well as various students across the College presented Gospel readings and prayers of the faithful. Our House Captains also delivered a reflection on their respective house patrons. This prayer service allowed students and teachers to reflect on the true meaning behind Ave Maria Day, coming together to celebrate the assumption of Mary and understanding what this means for our community. We felt, despite being in our own homes on this day, that our College was extremely connected and was able to experience a sense of unity like no other. 

To follow, many talented girls beautifully represented our College by showcasing their talents of singing, dancing and playing instruments, to our wider community during the annual Talent Show. The show was judged by four teachers, alongside our Deputy Principal Mrs Robertson. Congratulations to Elisha Andres, a Year 11 student, on her winning performance of Alicia Keys’ ‘Empire State of Mind.’ A massive thank you to all the students who participated - the tenacity of our community is a truly remarkable sight to see. In addition to the talent show, each house channel on Teams hosted a 50 question Kahoot. This event allowed for students and teachers to gain house points and maximise their chance in being crowned as the end of year House Champion! 

Later in the day, we enjoyed our school’s biannual performance of ‘Spectacular Spectacular,’ in which each House brought to life a ten-minute performance, with participation across all year levels. This performance needed to reflect our College Theme - ‘True Power is Love’, which each house did in their own unique way, drawing attention to the need for love of oneself, love of the environment and love for each other. We believe these messages are particularly crucial during such a difficult time, hence, we urge everybody to remind themselves that love is indeed our strongest and most pure form of power. Congratulations to Helene House and our Helene House Captains - Elyse Boderick and Karsha Pereira - for finishing in 1st place! Despite being the winner, we believe all teachers, student leaders and participants in each house performance should be commended for their consistently hard work and commitment to creating what is now remembered as an iconic virtual performance on Ave Day. 

In addition to this incredible celebration, we have finally decided on a winner for our sustainability challenge! We would love for you to check out the school’s social media over the next few days to find out who was the most creative and inventive participant in this competition! We also hope that everybody had a chance to witness the amazing ideas and creations that students developed in their efforts to remain sustainable, as these initiatives are certainly easy to adopt in your own home!

We would once again like to acknowledge our community and the incredible courage and persistence you have displayed throughout this term. We feel extremely honoured to lead this College, knowing that it is full of such resilient, talented and loving people. 

We hope that you stay safe and healthy over these holidays - taking some time away from technology to rejuvenate and reboot before tackling our final term of 2020. 

Claudia Fox and Danielle Reed - College Co -Captains

Hey Ave!

Coming off the back of a wildly successful Ave Day I wanted to say a huge congratulations to everyone who participated in any capacity!

In particular, the students who submitted an entry into this year's Talent Show did an outstanding job! Each and every one of you should be proud of your efforts and I absolutely cannot wait to see what the future holds in store for you.

A big thank you to everyone who participated in the Spectacular Spectacular House Competition also! I was blown away at the immense skill and talent on display, proving exactly why we call it ‘Spectacular’. Every single singer, dancer, actor, role, and part in Helene, Mary, Francis, and Clare’s shows held a unique and special part in the performance and truly made the performance as special as it was. 

As your Arts Captain it makes me unbelievably proud to witness the sheer display of creativity on offer here at Ave!

Again, a big thank you to everyone involved, our MC’s, Eliza Wilson and Catherine Lewis, our judges and, in particular, those working behind the scenes, including Mr Minty and Mrs Morgan, without which, the day would not have been as brilliant as it was.

Remember to stay healthy, connected, and most of all CREATIVE!

Mia Ranalletta, Arts Captain

Studiosity is coming to Ave Maria College!
Studiosity offers 24/7 on demand study help from subject specialists with academic literacy skills and core subject support.
In Term 4, we will be rolling out this program for all Year 7-12 students to access at home.

We are inviting all parents/carers to attend an Information Night on Thursday, 8 October 2020 at 7.00pm. More details regarding this event will be posted on the Parent Access Module (PAM).

Noone, the College official uniform supplier, retail stores currently remain closed at this time. Uniform items for current students can be ordered online using contactless "Click and Collect'. You can also call the the store for assistance.

Please see website for further details regarding all student uniform needs https://www.noone.com.au/

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.