Ave Maria College

This too shall pass… 

This infamous saying has resonated with me over the last two months. The challenge of isolation and the effects of the pandemic on our society has been remarkable however, we can see some light at the end in our educational context, with the return of all students to onsite learning on Tuesday, 9 June 2020. I echo the words of our Principal Tanya Hutton in thanking our parents for the support you have shown the College throughout the last few weeks and for supporting your daughters with learning from home. Our teachers and Learning Support Staff have been outstanding in the way they have continued to deliver rigorous learning for all 7-12 students.  

I am especially proud of the way our students have embraced the many opportunities presented to them in the online learning environment. The absence of face-to-face lessons has been arduous for students and teachers as it is very foreign to all of us – we much prefer to be learning, teaching and interacting together in person. Nevertheless, I think we have many rich experiences to reflect on and some new ways of connecting with each other through the learning platforms we have used throughout Term 2. 

The remainder of this term will be focused on consolidating the skills and knowledge explored in all subject areas whilst in remote learning. To best support all students, teachers have reduced assessment tasks and their will be an opportunity for some students to catch up on incomplete formative and summative tasks during this time. A reminder that most tasks for Term 2 will be reported on as S or N in the end of semester report, to reflect the online learning environment. Semester One Reports will be made available to students and parents on Friday, 26 June 2020.  

We very much look forward to welcoming your daughters back onsite on Tuesday, 9 June 2020! 

A creative approach to Year 9 STEM in action by using Minecraft – online learning projects are shown in the images below.

Michelle Robertson

Returning from Online Learning

The shift to 100% online delivery of classes was an unprecedented change to learning and teaching at Ave Maria College at the start of Term 2. The staff and students responded in a way that fully embodied the College Learning Charter. Throughout the duration of the online learning environment, staff have been innovative, creative, courageous, determined, resilient and compassionate in their approaches to learning, teaching and assessment in order to support the engagement of the students. Staff and students have enhanced their skills with digital technologies to enable the environment to be successful, and these skills will serve both well moving into the future. The creativity of our staff to engage our students is to be commended and some examples are below.

College Prayer

Students and staff are able to join in prayer each Friday from 11.05am to 11.15am on the AMC - College Community Team in a meeting called ‘College Prayer’. This will occur in the Clare Chapel for those who are onsite.

‘Walk to Venilale’

Thank you to students and staff who participated in our wellbeing challenge which gained House participation points. While we didn’t achieve the approx 3700km to Venilale, 2,600kms were collectively walked which was a sterling effort!

Return to School Liturgy

There will be a brief liturgy to celebrate the return of all students to the College on Tuesday, 9 June 2020. This will be broadcast over MS Teams.

Faith response to COVID-19 #5

The next in a series of reflections from members of the College Ministry Team which are published weekly on Ave Learning

“Anxiety is the greatest evil that can befall a soul except sin.  God commands you to pray, but He forbids you to worry.”  St. Francis de Sales

In times where we see anxiety run rampant through our society, we can feel the effects on us all. From panic buying that leaves the vulnerable yet more vulnerable, to negative news that leads us to more negativity. When we dwell on our hardships, we will find hopelessness.

While anxiety is contagious, spreading faster and more subtly than many ailments; so too is strength and grace. When we are brave for others, they will be inspired. When we are sensitive to the people around us there will be healing. When we focus on our blessings there will be happiness.

When anxiety has us at our weakest, let us pray for the strength and grace to carry ourselves and the people around us through.

Patrick Jurd

As we welcomed the VCE students back to onsite learning this week we have been conscious of a gentle return to ease the students back into routines. While this is a new situation in some ways, our previous experiences tell us what we can expect from our students:

·       They will be tired from getting up earlier and new routines.

·       They will be both excited and nervous about seeing their friends.

·       Some will feel overstimulated by doing so much more in one day, being in a noisier place with more things to take in.

·       Feeling overwhelmed by the change. It might feel quite sudden to some.

·       Some may experience health anxiety as they navigate public transport and public spaces. After spending so much time at home this might represent a transition in thinking.

·       Some might be nervous about returning if they have fallen behind in schoolwork.

·       A number of students thrived in the online environment, so they may really miss learning in that way.

·       Some may feel exhausted from talking and socializing all day. They haven’t done this for a while and relating like this can be tiring at first.

You may experience some tired, grumpy, overstimulated, overwhelmed teenagers as they adjust back into the routine of school. Support for young people can look like:

·       Actively listening to them at the end of the day

·       Encouraging them to do things that help them recharge – go for a walk or exercise, read, listen to music, meditate, draw or anything else that gives them energy and calm

·       Meeting their turmoil with your calm

·       Offering them support to reach out for help – this might mean helping them write an email to a teacher or getting in contact with the Mentor Teacher to discuss any concerns

·       Reminding them to focus on the things that they can change or influence

·       Helping them to challenge their thinking – the diagram below shows the impact of anxiety on thinking patterns

The move to an online learning environment presented many challenges as well as opportunities in terms of pedagogy.  Whilst many teachers have successfully and regularly used technology in their teaching, the need to move to 100% online delivery required a significant shift in both thinking and practice.  Michelle Robertson, James Vella and myself were tasked with constructing a Continuity of Learning plan that would enable the transition to online learning to occur smoothly. Initially it was unclear how long this would need to be in place, however, we determined that whatever we put in place needed to build on the current resources and structures.

The Ave Maria Online Learning Program centered around three key platforms: Microsoft Outlook (our existing email Platform), Ave Learning (our existing Learning Management System) would continue to be central, with Microsoft Teams being the final piece of the puzzle to facilitate lesson delivery. Furthermore, staff would have two primary lesson delivery modes available for their use – ‘live lessons’ using the MS Teams ‘meeting’ function and the upload of pre-recorded lessons with explicit instructions.  The College was acutely aware that the online learning environment needed to be structured, yet flexible for both staff and students.  The decision to keep lessons as per the timetable but to shorten the lesson length to reduce screen time was a conscious one (made after hearing anecdotal evidence from other schools) and appreciated by all.

In week 5 of the term, we conducted a Community Feedback survey to gain insight into the user experience of the online learning environment.  We were overwhelmed with the positive response, with the overall staff response being 97% positive, parents 90% positive and students 84% positive. What has been most exciting is the development of skills in the use of a wide range of digital tools by staff and students alike.  

Hi Ave!

I hope you are all well and looking forward to a wonderful return to on-site learning next week!

I have enjoyed hearing about all your creative endeavours over the isolation period, including the recording and writing of stupendous songs, the creation of various amazing artworks, and everything in between!

I encourage you to continue with these outlets upon your return to school as they provide a positive and worthwhile break from your studies. As well as this, there will be plenty of opportunities to put these talents to use once you are back at school so be sure to keep an eye out for them.

Speaking of which, the College’s biennial extravaganza ‘Spectacular Spectacular ’ is fast approaching! Our fantastic House Captains have been working hard on scriptwriting and organisation behind the scenes, so all there is left for you to do is sign up! There are plenty of ways to get involved including performing (singing, dancing, acting), backstage crew work, costume, makeup and prop making. There’s something for everyone so be sure to send through an audition or registration of your interest to your respective House Captains (head to your Microsoft 'House' Teams page for more information).

I can’t wait to see you all back at school on Tuesday.

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

Mia Ranalletta

The canteen will be operating for Online purchases only. There will be no over the counter/cash sales.

All canteen orders will need to be processed via CDFPay by 8.00am to enable canteen staff to process orders in time. Sushi orders are required by 2.00pm the day prior. Please note, no late orders can be accepted.

Students wishing to order for both recess and lunch will need to make two separate orders.

Some small changes have been made to the options available from Term 2. A copy of the Canteen Menu can be found HERE

Families yet to create a CDFPay account can do so HERE.
When creating a new account please ensure you create a Parent Account in a Parent Name NOT a Student Name.

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.