School Advisory Council

Our School Advisory Council (SAC) met last week, and it was a pleasure to have most members join us in person on the evening. The SAC was presented with our new Strategic Plan 2026-30 which has emerged from the EREA School Renewal Report. The four pillars of our strategic plan are:

• Enhance our Catholic Identity
• Celebrate Our Difference
• Improve Learning and Teaching
• Build Capacity

I look forward to unpacking the strategic plan further with you over the coming weeks and into 2026.

The SAC were also presented with a draft of our revised master plan. The master plan will provide a vision for our site but also include several smaller projects that will improve the student experience at St Mary’s, especially in the grounds and the plaza. We are hoping to be able to capitalise on the skills in our parent and carer community to get some of these small projects underway. Please keep your eye out for requests for assistance from David Formosa, Director of Development.

Social Media Minimum Age Restrictions

It’s been called a “ban” since the announcement from the Minister last year, but it is important to understand that the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024 places obligations on social media platforms, rather than on parents and schools, to help reduce access to harmful content and manage screen time.

From 10 December 2025, certain social media platforms must take reasonable steps to ensure that people under 16 do not hold accounts. It is not so much a “ban” as a mandatory minimum age requirement for holding accounts. It is expected that many platforms will qualify as “age-restricted social media platforms”, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube.

More information is available here: Australian Government - Social Media Minimum Age – Fact sheet and eSafety Commissioner - Social media age restrictions hub. The eSafety Commissioner offers advice for parents and carers on managing conflict and helping with coping strategies for our young people, as well as addressing some of the more practical questions about which you may be curious.

VCE Exams

The exam period for our Year 12 and some Year 11 students commenced this week, and we wish everyone who is undertaking these assessments every success. Our larger exams are conducted in the St Mary’s Parish Hall. Smaller exams will be undertaken in the Study Hub and adjoining rooms.

Year 11

Our 2026 Captains, Prefects and House Leaders were acknowledged at their pastoral assembly this week and it was my pleasure to congratulate our next generation of leaders and speak briefly to the students gathered. In my address I emphasised the influence they have as leaders with younger students in setting the tone and raising standards at St Mary’s. They appear to be a wonderful group of young people, and we look forward to the year ahead.

SIMON Security Alert

You will have received an email earlier this week advising of concerns about the security of SIMON and its partner applications (PAM / SIMON Everywhere). SIMON is widely used as the learning management system in many schools, and the support team recently became aware of suspicious activity using leaked credentials. Although inconvenient, it was decided to stop access from outside our firewall until strategies were in place to keep our data secure. We are advised that there does not appear to have been a data breach.

We have now been informed that the SIMON team’s immediate focus is on restoring PAM via the web platform as an initial step. This will include enhanced security measures to ensure safe access for all users. Further details, including timing for reinstatement, will be communicated once confirmed. In the meantime, students and teachers can continue to access SIMON on school grounds with Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) in place. The PAM and SIMON Everywhere mobile apps remain unavailable while investigations continue.

If you need to log a student absence during this period, please email reception@stmaryscollege.vic.edu.au or contact the College on 9529 6611.

Welcome Back

We welcomed back Ms Jen Howard, Director of Students, this week. Ms Howard has been greatly missed, and it is wonderful to see her back looking fit and well. Thanks to Mr Brendan Tollit and Ms Annie Driver who both accepted additional responsibility to support the pastoral teams in Ms Howard’s absence.

P&F at Bunnings

Last Sunday we had members of our P&F, parent helpers and student volunteers at Bunnings in Port Melbourne conducting a very successful fund raiser. Despite the terrible weather, the BBQ proved to be a profitable exercise, and the funds will go towards small projects at the College. Thank you to the P&F co-ordinators of this event and those who were able to volunteer their time to ensure the success of this fundraiser.

School Closure Day

A reminder that next Monday is a school closure day ahead of the Melbourne Cup public holiday for all except students scheduled to sit VCE exams on this date. School resumes on Wednesday 5^th November. Thank you for your ongoing support.

World Teachers Day: 

World Teachers’ Day is an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the immense effort and dedication that teachers put into their work and to say thank you. We know that teachers play a vital role in the formation and wellbeing of our young people and many adults can recall an individual teacher who made a difference. We rarely recall exactly what they taught us, but we remember how they made us feel. Thank you to the teachers of St Mary's College who strive each day to allow your young people to flourish. World Teachers’ Day was established in 1994 by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to recognise the vital role of qualified teachers in our society

Darren Atkinson 
Principal 

Dear St Mary’s College Families,

God is good… all the time, and all the time… God is good!

I was fortunate to spend a week in Nairobi, Kenya and a week Ireland recently. The above quote was the most often stated welcome / greeting / punctuation point in a meeting that I heard in Kenya. It is a distinctly Kenyan way of saying ‘we gather humbly in the presence of God’. The truly uplifting element of being welcomed into various schools and communities was the greeting. It was often songs I didn’t know the words to (if there were any) and dances which no one had the opportunity or inclination to avoid.

These experiences are very difficult to adequately capture, in terms of what it taught me about the impact of the Christian Brothers globally throughout history and today. It has, however, had and indelible impact on my sense of the mission of a Catholic school in the Edmund Rice tradition, right here, right now. We exist to bring the good news of God and the story of Jesus into the lives of the students we educate. Our responsibility is to know and understand the transformational power of these stories and traditions and present them as relevant to the holistic development of our students by the time they graduate. When interviewing parents of prospective parents, they often tell us they want more from their schooling than to fill them up with knowledge. It is great to know we are aligned.

There were of course many moments in Kenya where my Western, idealistic thoughts about how life could be better for them were squashed in a heartbeat. I arrived with a simple hope of coming to understand the people and what motivates them a little better. Within hours I felt completely inadequate and even mentioned to a colleague that ‘imposter syndrome’ had set in. I wasn’t sure that I would scratch the surface of what the (truly beautiful) people of Kenya experienced in their daily lives even though I was there seeing it first hand. Four days later, I understood that the point was to not have answers to problems, but to appreciate what they were pursuing. For them, it is about education in any form they can access it. This is their only path to a fulfilling life.

Please see the below details regarding Child Safety Standard 10.

Child Safe Standard 10: Review of child safety practices

Child Safe Standard 10 emphasises the importance of continuous improvement in child safety policies, procedures and practices. This standard specifies requirements for schools to review and evaluate policies, to analyse safety incidents data, and to report on review findings to the school community in order to embed an open and transparent child safe culture.

At St Mary’s College, we work towards the implementation of Standard 10, by:

• Updating and regularly reviewing our Child Safety policies and procedures.
• Regular meetings of our Child Safety Team to review complaints received and incidents reported for trends, gaps, weaknesses or failures in policy or procedures.
• Regular monitoring and review of our Child Safe Risk Register.
• Feedback from staff in identifying and reporting on child safety risks in our physical and online environment.
• Use surveys, focus groups and discussions to review the accessibility and level of awareness of child safety policies and procedures by students, families, staff and volunteers.
• Regular meetings with the child safety team ‘community of practice’ at EREA.

Shaun Lancashire
Deputy Principal

In an era dominated by rapid technological change and skepticism towards traditional educational practices, examinations are often criticised as irrelevant or disconnected from the “real world.” Yet such a view misunderstands the purpose of schooling. Education is not merely preparation for future work or life’s challenges. It is the cultivation of the mind and character in the present, enabling students to engage with truth, reason, and judgment. John Henry Newman, a 19th-century thinker and educator navigating the upheavals of the Industrial Revolution, insisted that learning should form both intellect and moral character. He argued that education must develop discernment and the ability to engage thoughtfully with ideas. Examinations, far from being arbitrary, are one structured means through which these capacities are exercised, understanding is consolidated, and reflection is deepened.

As our Year 12 students commence their final Unit 3 and 4 examinations, it is timely to reflect on the broader role such assessments play in learning. Examinations are not simply records of memorised knowledge, nor are they the sole arbiters of a person’s worth. Rather, they are structured opportunities to integrate and apply what has been learned, to perceive coherence in knowledge, and to engage critically with ideas. At St Mary’s College, we value examinations as part of an educational model rooted in explicit instruction and responsive teaching. Teachers provide clear guidance, model reasoning processes, and offer timely feedback, ensuring that learning is purposeful, reflective, and directed towards what is true, good, and beautiful. Examinations offer students a formal occasion to apply these lessons and to deepen their understanding.

Research in the science of learning reinforces this perspective. Make It Stick by Peter C. Brown and colleagues highlights that effortful retrieval, spaced practice, and reflection on errors strengthen memory and understanding. Learning that is challenging and requires active engagement, precisely the type encouraged by examinations, leads to knowledge that is lasting and meaningful. The process of preparing for and sitting exams itself can be a moment of reflection and consolidation, often deep, poignant, and experientially significant, revealing connections and insights that extend beyond assessment. Often, thought not always, this occurs in a gradually and subconsciously.

It is essential that examinations are framed with perspective. They are not the only measure of ability, nor do results define the value of a student. Families, teachers, and peers play a crucial role in providing encouragement, guidance, and reassurance. When approached thoughtfully, examinations are not burdens but tools for growth, resilience, and reflection.

Our Years 10 and 11 students will soon undertake end-of-year examinations. Observing the discussion of exams as purposeful will help them approach their own assessments with confidence, even in a society often sceptical of traditional methods. Examinations help cultivate habits of diligence, critical thinking, and perseverance that are valuable both within and beyond the classroom. This process is supported by the community and complemented by practices such as handwriting, which enhances cognitive processing, encourages attentiveness, and fosters personal expression.

Looking ahead, we plan to gradually scaffold examinations for Years 7 to 9 from next year. Introducing structured assessment at earlier stages allows students to develop familiarity with the process, build resilience, and strengthen the habits of reflection and disciplined study. This scaffolding aligns with our broader pedagogical focus on explicit instruction, feedback, and deep engagement with ideas, ensuring that students experience assessment as purposeful rather than intimidating.

Examinations, though challenging, are moments of engagement with ideas, opportunities for reflection, and exercises in disciplined thought. They offer satisfaction through effort, insight, and growth. By embracing them thoughtfully and with the support of the community, students can experience the deeper purpose of schooling, the cultivation of understanding, judgment, and the habits of mind that will serve them throughout life.

To all our Years 10–12 students, we offer encouragement. Approach your examinations with focus, care, and confidence. In doing so, you engage not simply in preparation for what lies ahead, but in a meaningful process of learning that is valuable in its own right.

Daniel Di Lisio
Director of Learning and Teaching 

Last week on Tuesday Year 11 students travelled to the Lerderderg Gorge to participate in a full day retreat. The days either side of Tuesday were rainy and cool. We had good luck with a mild and sunny day. The retreat focused on the interior spiritual life of each participant. I often ask students in a reflective exercise that I use that if they had to choose would they prefer to explore outer space or the depths of the oceans on earth.

This year each student had answered the depths of the ocean. A small sample like this proves nothing, but it does give me an insight into what is drawing some of our students’ attention.

Opportunities to physically move away from the place of study and dress for the outdoors are rare. The beauty of nature reflects the Creator. The trip by bus, the walk along the gorge and time spent just sitting alone with the sounds of the wind, the water running in the creek and bid song were enjoyed by most.

I suggested to the students that we need to train ourselves to be still, quiet, and calm. This retreat was just that. Some find this type of experience very challenging. The staff who ran the retreat were chosen for their ability to work outside the conventional classroom environment. Their own ability to be still, quiet, and calm, especially when encountering students on retreat who struggle with this, was also a factor.

It is sixty years since a key document outlining the priorities for Catholic educators was adopted during the Second Vatican Council in Rome.

Pope Leo released a document yesterday to mark this occasion, and it is called ‘Disegnare Nuove Mappe di Speranza’ which can be translated as ‘Drawing New Maps of Hope’. In this document Pope Leo added some priorities that add to this original text and work done by Pope Francis.

He wrote that Catholic educators should emphasise the interior life of students, use a ‘disarmed and disarming’ language that eschews violence and promote a responsible use of technology, including artificial intelligence, that keeps human dignity foremost.

Our retreat was planned months ago. It is reassuring that we are working with these priorities that Pope Leo has put before us. At St Mary’s we value connection. As a school that has this work at its heart, we value connection in ways that are deeply effective. I would like to thank the students and staff for their willingness to be on retreat last week.

Paul Quinn
Director of Identity, People and Culture

We are thrilled to announce that both Saskia Amore and Jake Lehpamer made it through to the Victorian Finals in the Oz Schools Instrumental Championships (OSIC). Saskia in particular had her VCE performance exam that morning before travelling across town to compete - a massive effort, well done!

Good luck to all of our VCE music students who have their performance exams over the next few weeks.

Well done to everyone who auditioned for our top ensemble, the St Mary's College Big Band. Auditions are an important part of being a musician, and the more you practice them, the better you get! Good luck for the upcoming musical auditions as well!

Students are rehearsing for the St Mary's Carols - a joint event with the wonderful Art, Design and Technology departments. Please join us on the evening of Thursday the 27^th of November to celebrate the year.

Katie Thomas 
Director of Music 

Learning about computer networks can be a little boring, however the Applied Computing class learnt about networks in a creative way using pasta and gummies. Using pasta to represent cables and lollies to represent network devices, students worked in groups to construct their own networks. This enabled them to have a more detailed understanding of abstract concepts making the learning more tangible and easier to understand. The best part? After completing the exercise and demonstrating their understanding of how data flows through networks, students got to eat the network components afterward, proving that learning about computer networks csn be both entertaining and delicious.

Student Reports: 

Cameron Hoad - On Wednesday the 22^nd, unit 1/2 Applied Computing students were faced with the daunting task of constructing a network comprised of gummies and pasta. The 14 students, working in groups of 3-4, successfully managed to use a range of lollies to represent different parts of the physical network. While partaking in the activity, they also learnt about key parts of networks, including what runs our school online.

Alex Grivicic - “By doing this, I learnt more about how the school wifi runs, and what protects it. I also enjoyed eating the gummies and uncooked pasta at the end.” 

Sylvia Pastore
Teacher

Tips for parents with VCE students

• Stay calm, grounded, and be kind to your possibly difficult-to-live-with teenager at this time.
• If you see your child struggling, help them with flashcards, or be a shoulder to cry on.
• Manage your own stress.
• Gentle pressure is OK, but they are already stressed. If they are overwhelmed, listen to them and encourage them to continue to try.
• Remember your child’s ATAR is not a reflection of your parenting.
• Encourage them to take breaks.
• Ease their responsibilities at home, and if they can, dial down any part-time job commitments.
• Be available for them – if you see them becoming overwhelmed reach out to the school’s leadership team for advice.
• Remind them that although exams are important, there are usually many pathways to achieving what they want to do

Tips for students doing VCE exams

• Get enough sleep, start going to bed earlier so you’re alert for an early exam and turn off devices well before bed.
• Make sure you’re eating nutritional meals, don’t skip meals or substitute with energy drinks, lollies or chips.
• Stagger subject study, rather than cramming for only one subject at a time before each exam.
• Do practice exams, use active recall and read examiners’ reports.
• Practice doing timed exams.
• Use an analogue watch (and learn how to read it) to keep track of how many marks per minute you need.
• Writing something is better than nothing.
• Be mindful of writing clearly; some writing can be difficult to read.
• Take exercise breaks, talk to friends and family about how you are feeling.
• If you are struggling, speak to your teachers, coordinators or get support through eHeadspace.

Precel, N. (2025, October 24). Your child’s atar is not a reflection on your parenting: how parents can stay calm during vce stress. The Age. Retrieved October 28, 2025, from https://www.theage.com.au/nati....

Trish Maguire
School Counsellor 

Thank You to Our P&F Bunnings BBQ Volunteers!

A huge thank you to everyone who supported our Parents & Friends Bunnings BBQ last Sunday at Port Melbourne. Despite the storms and torrential rain, our incredible team of volunteers braved the weather with smiles and good humour — and together we raised over $2,000 for the College!

Your generosity, time, and enthusiasm made all the difference, and we’re so grateful to everyone who cooked, served, or stopped by for a sausage in support of St Mary’s College.

Rain or shine, the spirit of our community continues to shine bright — thank you!

David Formosa
Director of Development