Welcome to Semester Two
Welcome back to school for Semester 2 and I hope that you had an enjoyable break as a family, and that Semester Two has started positively despite the cold week that has greeted us.
A special welcome to students joining the St Mary’s College community to commence Term 3 – Vaishali in Year 11; Lizabeth, Joshau, Naomi and Mackenzie in Year 10; Nylah and Miranda in Year 9; Max and Jasper in Year 8; and Mac in Year 7. We trust that you will find a home at St Mary’s where you feel like you belong and can flourish.
Japanese Student Visitors
We welcomed seven students from Taisei University High School in Osaka Japan over the last weekend. This is the first engagement with our sister school since the lockdown of Covid and it is a pleasure to see the partnership is healthy and ready to resume. Thank you to Mr Toshi Kitano, Principal, and Mr Ananda Perera (retired) who have kept the flame alive. The students will spend their mornings developing their English language skills and each afternoon will participate in an activity that introduces them to some of the sights of Melbourne and surrounds. Our Japanese students are here until July 30 and have presented the College with a thank you gift depicting a replica samurai helmet. Thank you to the host families who have agreed to accept our visitors into their home.
Staff Professional Learning Program
In a very full program on Monday, our staff participated in a workshop led by Liam Wood from Saints Knowledge Institute Workshop on the topic of establishing routines for the classroom that are consistent, predictable and reliable. We then moved into implementation of our RAISE Model for improving learning outcomes and academic culture. In due course, you will be informed of initiatives that are being considered to improve the learning experience for our young people. The afternoon ended with meetings in Learning Area Teams. Thank you for your support of these important workshops to focus on improving the quality of teaching and learning.
Whole School Assembly
We gathered on Tuesday morning as a school community to commence Term 3 with an assembly. MC’d by prefect, Thais Murray, our College Captains, Matilda and Jude, spoke about making every moment count as their year rapidly heads towards its culmination. Recognition was given to those who have excelled in ACC and CGSAV sport in Semester 1 and to those who have achieved more than five commendations for service to the community. As well as celebrating achievements from Term 2, we wanted to remind everyone of our high expectations for Term 3. I spoke to the students about the importance of developing good habits and pruning the bad ones and Mr Lancashire outlined some areas that need improvement at the College if we are going to be our best. We also welcome our visitors from Japan and the new students who have commenced with us this term. Thank you to all who contributed to the assembly.
EREA VSL Principal’s Meeting
Principals from our six EREA VSL Colleges and the Leadership Team will be visiting St Mary’s College next week for our regular term meeting. I look forward to showcasing our school as most will not have visited since we undertook the refurbishment and relocated to the Edmund Rice Campus. The members of EREA VSL are:
- Mr Jeff Burn – Interim CEO
- Mr Mark Aiello – Principal, Parade College, Bundoora and Preston
- Ms Chloe Hand – Director, Saints Colleges
- Mr Michael Davies – Principal, St Bernard’s College, Essendon
- Mr Tony Paatsch – Principal, St Joseph’s College, Geelong
- Mr Steven O’Connor – Principal, St Patrick’s College, Ballarat
Staffing News
We welcome back Mr Justin Paul after an extended break following surgery.
Primary School Principal’s Visit
We welcome Principals from some of our feeder primary schools next week for a tour of St Mary’s and a light lunch. We look to build on the partnerships with our Catholic Primary Schools and showcase what St Mary’s has to offer as a great option for families seeking Catholic co-education.
Annual Action Plan
We are sharing each of the priorities of our School Improvement Plan in Lumina and in this edition, it is our fourth:
SIP Priority 4 – Excellence in Learning
Goal: We strive for excellence in learning.
Intended Outcomes:
- Students exhibit learner agency and are well supported to determine their learning pathway.
- Teaching staff have a clearly articulated scope and sequence.
P&F Trivia Night
A reminder that the P&F are hosting a Trivia Night on August 2nd in Logue Hall and would greatly appreciate your support.