Ave Maria College

Newsletter - Volume 97 No 2 • 31 March 2020

Prayer

Loving God, help us to focus on what we can do for others so that we learn the genius of ‘it is in giving that we receive’. We make this prayer in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Please refer to the College Calendar for all Upcoming Events and Dates of Importance

Change of College Operations

At the recommendation of the Australian Government, the College has decided to move College operations off-site for the remainder of the school holiday period. The College is still operating, staff are still working, they are just working from home at this current time. College hours of operation are 9.00am to 3.00pm. We expect that Term 2 will begin on Tuesday, 14 April 2020, which is a Student Free Day, with students scheduled to return on Wednesday, 15 April 2020.

From the Principal

Dear Families/Carers, 

What a change five weeks can bring. Who would of thought at the time of our last newsletter that our country and the world would be so focused on the current unprecedented issue at hand.  During this time, I have had the privilege of speaking with a number of students, staff and families, regarding their individual journey through the evolving situation that is COVID-19, the challenges they face and how this is impacting their day to day lives.  For each person and their family this is different, but they all talk about the uncertainty to everyday life that COVID-19 brings and at times the fear and anxiety that comes with this. 

I have also seen the other side of this and the incredible strength of the Ave Maria Community, the random acts of kindness and how we come together to support each other in a time of need.  I believe that this is a strength of our community and one that we can be proud of.  It is this that exemplifies the call of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, that is, our call to serve, to respect, to accompany, to have a heart full of goodness and to love truth.  As a community we will continue to work together to support each other through this difficult time and to provide for the wellbeing and education of your daughters. As you will be aware, we have established the community@avemaria.vic.edu.au email address for families that need to make contact with us during this time. We have also published a list of key contact phone numbers which have been distributed to families via email and can also be found on PAM. I encourage all families to make use of these avenues of communication when needed, particularly, given the changing financial circumstances of some families. We are committed to the ongoing support to our families and will communicate with you in a timely and appropriate manner as the situation evolves. 

In concluding I would also like to share with you a prayer that was recently shared with me. 

God of ordinary people, we want to hear your voice.  

May we welcome your voice in the health professionals, political leaders and community agencies.  

May we welcome your voice in the homeless, jobless and fearful.  

May we welcome your voice in our families, our schools, our friendships.   

We do not always welcome the voices of prophets because they make us uncomfortable with the ways things are and the way things could be.  

This is our God, whose people we are.  

Amen. 

Many thanks to the Ave community for your continued support. We wish you all a Happy Easter and a healthy and safe break.   

God bless, and as a community may we continue to Strive for Truth through Love. 

Deputy Principal Staff, Learning and Teaching

Firstly, I wish to thank all parents and carers for your support of our College during these difficult and unprecedented times. I also commend our students for displaying resilience and showing support for each other as we navigate a new educational learning environment. As you would be aware from the communications you have received, our teachers are well prepared to deliver continued learning if the College needs to move to an Online Learning Environment. A decision regarding the commencement of Term Two will be communicated to all families over the school holiday break.  A reminder of some key dates and information regarding upcoming events:

  • Wednesday, 15 April 2020 will be the first day of Term Two for all students.
  • Year 7 – 10 PTS Interviews scheduled for Wednesday, 22 April 2020 have been cancelled.
  • House Athletics Carnival scheduled for Friday, 24 April 2020 has been cancelled.

We will be communicating to parents/carers regarding alternative arrangements for receiving feedback from teachers on the progress of your daughter’s learning in lieu of face-to-face interviews.

Year 7 -10 Learner Attributes Reports

Year 7-10 Learner Attribute Reports were uploaded to PAM for parents/carers at the end of Term One. Please take some time to read these and discuss these progress reports with your daughters. The College remains open over the holiday break and you are welcome to contact key College personnel during this time. Please refer to the list of email and phone contacts communicated to you in the most recent Principal’s letter to the community.

Finally, I wish you and your families a safe and restful holiday break and blessings for the Easter season. 

Uniform Changeover

With Term 1 finishing the change-over to Winter uniform commences from Term 2 onwards. Students have the option of wearing either the College Summer or Winter uniform for the first 2 weeks of Term 2.

All students must to be in the College Winter uniform from Week 3, Monday, 27 April 2020.

Michelle Robertson

Director of Studies

Education Continuity

The College’s Education Continuity Plan has been developed to ensure that the impact to your daughter’s education in the current climate is minimal moving into the future. It is imperative that you make yourself familiar with the documentation provided by the College via past communications (available on PAM) to ensure that you are supporting your daughter’s continued education in the best way possible. As per the documentation, the College has determined Ave Learning, Office 365 and Microsoft Teams to be the three primary platforms to be used to support education continuity. Whilst we have developed these platforms in response to the current COVID-19 situation, these environments will be able to be used by the College moving forward to support students who may be dealing with health issues preventing them from attending school.

We understand that this is an uncomfortable time where there is much uncertainty being felt by yourselves, your daughters as well as our staff. What I can be most certain about is that your daughter’s teachers have been working tirelessly to ensure that a high quality education continues to be provided and will continue to support your daughter in the classroom and/or online learning environments. Over the past two weeks, our teachers have undertaken professional learning to ensure they have the skills necessary to curate online resources and operate within online learning environments. They have also been collaborating to ensure that timelines, resources and assessments are adjusted to suit online learning. I am extremely proud of all of our teachers who have been diligent in their planning and preparation for this significant shift, despite not knowing if or when this might actually be required.  As a community, we should all be proud of the work staff are doing in this space.

With regards to VCE Assessment, the College is currently working with the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority and other Catholic schools within our networks to determine the next steps in relation to the assessment of SACs, in the event that your daughter will be engaged in the Online Learning Environment for more than a few weeksIn relation to SATs, authentication and feedback processes have already been put in place via Office 365 to ensure that these extended assessments can continue regardless of whether the College moves to an online learning environment or not. Once the College finalises these processes, they will be communicated to students and families.

James Vella

Director of Faith and Religious Education

Ash Wednesday

The beginning of Lent was marked by a service for the whole College which included the distribution of ashes. The students were encouraged to live our College theme by showing their love to the people in their lives. They were also encouraged to do something for God’s creation – not waste energy by turning off lights and air conditioners, walk or cycle more or by putting rubbish in the bin.

Appointment of Franciscan Leaders

In 2020 the roles of Faith and Social Justice Leader and Environment Ambassador have been combined and called Franciscan Leader.

While Danielle Thompson and Mia Kefenhoerster were elected as Senior Franciscan Captains, we now have two Franciscan Leaders for each Year Level. We are currently organising a plan of activities for the year that will cover the areas of faith, social justice and sustainability.

Patrick Jurd

Soup Van

The Soup Van to me was an eye opening experience.
I feel so lucky to have worked alongside such passionate and kind-hearted people who want to genuinely help make a difference. Going out onto the streets was confronting as I didn’t know what to expect, hearing so many stories but not experiencing it for myself. Talking to the people who attended the soup van, were all very appreciative of the services and the goods we were supplying them. I was nervous at the start but by the second stop I felt at ease and blessed to be able to provide some light for these people in such a dark time.
Amelia Gennaccaro - Year 12

Director of Student Wellbeing

Talking to Young People during the Coronavirus Pandemic

 ·         Talk to your daughter honestly but calmly about what is happening.

·         Try not to encourage them to ignore what is happening or to shield them but also encourage them to moderate their consumption of news and social media during this time.

·         Remember that you don’t have all the answers, it is important for our young people to see us manage uncertainty by acknowledging it and managing our emotions during this period.

·         When you talk to your daughter about what is happening it helps them to feel connected and less isolated – this is particularly important when they are physically isolated from their normal support networks.

·         Ask open questions so that you can assess what your daughter is thinking or worrying about – sometimes they can surprise us with what is on their minds and what is most bothering them.

·         Encourage your daughter to access reliable sources of information which may help to limit some of the conflicting information.

·         It’s important to distinguish between the health systems and social structures of different countries. Students will be seeing dramatic news from other countries which may increase their concerns about what could happen in Australia. It’s important for them to understand that our context is different to European countries and we are acting as fast as we can to ensure that the impact of this virus is limited. Encourage your daughter to consider what we have and what is safe as a way to balance her thinking.

·         Be aware that she will be more worried about members of her family and may want more closeness with you as a way of feeling safe. She will be worried about even the smallest sniffle in herself or those around her so it’s important to acknowledge this and reassure her.

·         Keep to regular routines and support your child to participate in activities that provide a valuable distraction. This includes focusing on work set by teachers, researching a personal topic of interest or investing time in creative pursuits. In particular, we encourage students to communicate with teachers through the platforms provided by the school to support the continued connection with the community.

·         Young people can positively contribute to their community. Some neighbourhoods are putting up rainbows in the front window as a way of acknowledging anyone who is walking around the area. Others are drawing chalk hop-scotch squares on the footpath or writing messages to the community.

If you are worried about your daughter’s mental health during this time please access the following resources:

 Useful Videos:

 Natalie Meddis

Careers and Pathways

School holidays are an opportunity for students to continue their online research of careers and courses. Students are encouraged to explore occupations and careers using our Ave Maria Careers website, which can be easily accessed via our Ave Learning weblink.  On the homepage, students can search the VTAC site, which contains all Victorian university courses by entering a keyword ie. architecture, law, medicine, engineering. TAFE courses can also be explored by searching in the Post-School Options Tab. Career Targets on our homepage are a great way for students to see the careers that their favourite subjects can lead into.

Congratulations to Hannah Masters (Year 10), who was successful in her application to undertake the prestigious Youth Mayor - Youth Deputy Mayor work experience program which has been postponed until later in the year.

Year 12 Future Planning appointments will continue into Term 2. In the event the College moves towards an Online Learning Environment, students will have phone interviews with careers advisers. Appointments for these will be emailed to students in advance, with the date and time confirmed. In addition, notes from these individual meetings will be sent to the students for reference and follow up at home.

Parents are welcome to contact us via email careers@avemaria.vic.edu.au , or mobile 0436 609 278 if you have any queries.

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

  • Medicine snapshot
  • New filmmaking course
  • Health and Medical Science courses at The University of Melbourne
  • Information about studying in the UK or the US after school
  • 4 amazing jobs available from studying physics at university
  • Film making competition
  • Apprenticeships and traineeships resources
  • Focus on engineering courses and careers
  • Book a 1:1 meeting with a course adviser at William Angliss
  • Electrical Apprenticeships – book in for a pre-selection test
  • Dates for your diary (all dates to be confirmed)

Poppy Ibrahim

College Captains

To our Ave community, what a term it has been. 

To be quite honest with you, we were very unsure whether to submit a newsletter item this week, however, we found it important to address the current issues that our community is facing and to reminisce on Term 1.

One of the major events this term, was our annual House Swimming Carnival. We’d like to congratulate Francis House for taking home the title! Following from this event, it is hard to ignore the current state our community is in – like the rest of the world – in relation to COVID-19. 

Personally, as Year 12 students, we have found it very challenging to deal with the very rapid and drastic changes, not only because it affects our schooling, but also because our usual way of living is also impacted. We want to take this opportunity to remind everyone, that whilst we may not be able to commence Term 2 as planned, and may all feel very uncertain over the course of the next month, we are all in it together. Our Ave community is always united, empowered and inspiring and we believe that now is an opportunity to come together and continue supporting those around us.

Whilst this is a very devastating time for our world, we wanted to try and focus on the positives in this situation.  As Australians, we need to be thankful for our diligent health care workers for their hard work to keep us safe and healthy, as some nations are not as fortunate. 

It should also be noted that since some countries have gone into lock down, there have been some benefits. The canals in Venice have started to clear for the first time in years, pollution has decreased immensely and we are caring more about the fragile and the elderly in our communities. We find that these fit in with our College theme – ‘True Power is Love’. Aiming to show love for ourselves, each other and the environment, we believe, is crucial during this time. First, we encourage you to love yourself. In this difficult situation, we hope that you can take some time out to care for your wellbeing and remind yourself that you are strong. Next, we encourage you to love others. Make sure you check in with your friends! Reaching out to those around you through this time is important, not only for them, but also for yourself. Finally, we encourage you to love the environment. Spending more time at home can finally be a way for us to consider how we can become more sustainable. By becoming more conscious of how you dispose of scraps, your water use and the way you get from one place to another, you’ll find that you can have a great impact on the environment around you.

As the 2020 College Captains, we thank everyone in the Ave community for their resilience in what is an unprecedented circumstance for us all. 

Please take care over the holidays – staying safe and healthy – and we hope you have a wonderful Easter.

Danielle Reed and Claudia Fox

Arts News

Hello, and welcome to what is to be a wonderful year for the Arts!

My name is Mia Ranalletta and I am the 2020 Arts Captain at Ave Maria College, a new role introduced to represent the arts precinct and all it has to offer, giving a student voice to the most vibrant part of the College community. We’ve already seen spectacular pieces from our fabulous VCE students showcased in the Moonee Valley Exhibition ‘Bright Sparks’. The exhibition gives many young artists their first opportunity to exhibit in a professional context and offers a glimpse into the future of art and design. Congratulations to Cristina Gattellari (2019), Karsha Pereira, Wanyea Foley and Eliza Wilson (2020), who’s work will be on display across three venues – Ascot Vale Library, Flemington Library and Moonee Valley Council Chambers.

2020 has also seen the exhibition of students’ work in the Catholic Education Melbourne, Creative Arts Exhibition. The showcase features works from Year 7 students - Tylah BellIsabella EwingBethany Gollant , Jacquelyn MoranAlessia Palumbo and Sasha Young, Year 8 students - Lauren CunningtonAlice HengelJulia VendraminiIsabella Stefanovski , Olivia Malvaso and Emma Lemkeand Katia Pietrolungo's (2019) incredible VCE Media Digital Print on the Women’s Rights Campaign.

Due to recent circumstances, the public Creative Arts Exhibition has sadly been cancelled this year, however, a digital art exhibition will be accessible in the near future, featuring the above works and many more!

Finally, while the current isolation situation isn’t ideal, it can be used as a time to harness your creativity! As Leonardo da Vinci said “Art lives from constraints”. You have the opportunity to finish that drawing, take up watercolour painting, capture photos of unexplored areas of your home, or maybe even begin scrapbooking!

Whatever your niche, be sure to stay safe and look out for one another. Get creative!

Mia Ranalletta - Arts Captain

Helene Library

The Helene Library is here to support students and teachers in the event of a move to a Remote Online Learning Environment.  If your daughter requires support to locate research material for learning assessment tasks, she is encouraged to seek assistance from the College Librarian, Ms Pugliese.

As an integral part of the College learning community, the Helene Library provides students with access to quality digital resources available 24/7.

General Library enquiries email: libdesk@avemaria.vic.edu.au

Information/Research enquires email: laura.pugliese@avemaria.vic.edu.au

Remote access to digital resources via Ave Learning ‐ Library Resources

A-Z World Cultures

(Librarian digital access ONLY)

Covers 175 countries includes culture, lifestyle, customs, food, language, folklore and maps

CiteMaker

A citation generator that prepares bibliography or reference list automatically

ClickView

Access to thousands of digital educational videos, mapped to the Australian Curriculum

ECHO

(Librarian digital access ONLY)

News Database that covers contemporary Media Issues

Explora

Delivers relevant results including articles, essays and primary source documents – a research tool from EBSCO

LinksPlus - Weblinks

Search a directory of educational Websites imbedded in the Library Catalogue (Search Other sources option)

Newspapers

 (Librarian digital access ONLY)

Daily Digital Australian Newspapers

  • The Age
  • The Sydney Morning Herald 
  • The Australian Financial Review​​

Points of View Reference Centre

Designed to provide students with a series of essays that present multiple sides of a current issue.

Science Online

Access 2 separate Science Databases from Infobase

 ·         Genes and Disease Online

·         Science & Mathematics Online

Wheelers ePlatform

An eBook & Audiobook Fiction lending system

World Book Encyclopedia

A powerful reference tool for secondary students

Around the College

2020 House Swimming Carnival

The House Swimming Carnival is the first House event for 2020.

The Houses, led by a fantastic group of House Leaders were on song with chants continuing throughout the day, buoying the spirits of those battling in the pool.

Students were moving from swimming events to chasing table tennis balls and beach balls in the novelty events. The pinnacle event ‘The Ave Sprint’ was won for the second year running by Chiara Hutchinson (Year 8), followed closely by Karsha Pereira (Year 12).

The House competition was closely fought, however, Francis House was able to take both the Junior and Intermediate divisions with Helene House taking the Senior division. The overall 2020 House Champions was awarded to Francis House.

Congratulations to Francis House Captains, Holli Bates and Stephanie Nind for a job well done.

Garry Whicker - Co-curricular Leader

International Women's Day - Parliament House

On Wednesday, 11 March 2020, the Year 8 -11 Academic Captains were given the opportunity to spend the morning at Parliament House for the Alliance of Girls’ Schools Australasia Annual International Women’s Day Breakfast.

We were warmly welcomed by teachers and students from other girls’ schools in Melbourne who all strive for the same common goal: Equal for Equal. The ideas of feminism, gender equality and empowering young women were widely explored by guest speakers Bridget Vallence, elected MLA for Evelyn in Eastern Victoria, and the Deputy Principal of Mac.Robertson Girls High School. Both women delivered inspiring presentations and provided valuable knowledge for women and girls today such as the disadvantages women have in the workforce, the lack of recognition of influential women in Parliament and even how the English language is suited towards men. The day really opened our eyes as to how empowering young women can make a difference to our outlook on the world, in school and in the workforce. 

Overall, it was a wonderful day to mingle with girls and teachers from other girls’ schools, take in the views of the elaborately decorated Queens Hall, and listen to some wise words about feminism.

Jo Hammer - Director of Professional Learning and Pedagogy

SCSA Tennis

On Thursday,12 March 2020 the SCSA Tennis Division 2 competition was held at Boroondara Tennis Centre. It was a successful day for Ave Maria and I extend a big thank you to both staff and students for their participation and help throughout the day.

Ave Maria made semi finals in all divisions with the Intermediates just edged out of making finals.  Both the Junior and Senior Teams won their finals with Chanel McKay (Year 12) named best player in the Seniors final. The overall standing for all divisions are below.

Juniors

1st- Ave Maria College

2nd – SHGC

3rd- St Columbus

4th- Academy

5th- Kilbreda

6th- Avila

Intermediates

1st- St Columbus

2nd- Avila College

3rd- Ave Maria College

4th- Kilbreda

5th- Academy

6th- SHGC

Seniors

1st- Ave Maria College

2nd- Kilbreda

3rd- Academy

4th- Avila

5th- St Columbus

6th- SHGC

Instrumental Music Tuition

Music is an important part of any student’s education. To enrich the Learning Outcomes of our Learning Charter the Music Department is offering the opportunity to participate in instrumental music tuition on Guitar, Bass Guitar, Piano, Keyboard or Voice (Contemporary and Classical).

Please refer to the below information regarding the College Instrumental Music Program from Term 2 2020.

2020 Instrumental Program Information Booklet

2020 Instrumental Music Tuition Promo Letter

2020 Instrumental Program Enrolment Form

Community Events

Mission Action Day - Donations and Sponsorship

Our Mission Action Day fundraising target is $20,000.00.

We ask for your support by raising sponsorship or making a donation of at least $20.00 per student.

If you are yet to, and are able to do so please donate via CDFPay at https://shop.avemaria.vic.edu.au/

Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund

If you hold a Health Care Card or another concession card which names your daughter, we strongly encourage you to complete the CSEF Application Form and return to the college immediately. 

Families who successfully claimed the CSEF Rebate in 2019 and have no changes to any details on the application, there is no need to complete a new form for 2020.  

Feel free to contact the Finance Office on 0436 692 433 should you have any queries or concerns. 

 

Simon Everywhere

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.

Click here to access the College Parent Access Module (PAM)
The SkoolBag App is the easiest way to keep up with school events, last minute notices, newsletters and all school communications.

CDFpay is an online payment platform families can use to pay for school services from your mobile, tablet or computer at any time.

Families can:

  • place student online lunch orders.
  • add funds to student accounts to be used for over the counter canteen purchases.
  • add funds to student accounts to be used for Printing Credit.