Welcome to our new Deputy Principal – Mrs Fiona Mulhall
I’m pleased to advise that Mrs Fiona Mulhall has been appointed to the position as Deputy Principal commencing at the start of Term 2. Fiona has served in the role as Deputy Principal at Monivae College in Hamilton for the past seven years and comes to us with a wealth of experience in leading and building a mid-sized school. Fiona is married to Shannon and has two adult sons, Liam (25) and Jonathan (23) and will be residing in St Kilda. She looks forward to being involved in St Mary’s Catholic Parish and contributing to the wider St Kilda community through various initiatives.
With over 29 years of experience in Catholic education, Fiona has held senior leadership roles across NSW and VIC Catholic schools and contributed as an advisor at the governance board level. Fiona hold’s postgraduate qualifications in Theology and a Master of Education (Educational Leadership). Her teaching area is Food studies, Hospitality and Religious Education.
Deeply committed to Catholic education, Fiona is inspired by the belief that “the heart of education is the education of the heart.” She is strongly aligned with our college motto, Brilliance Begins with Belonging and is passionate about fostering a culture where every student feels known, valued, and empowered. Fiona is delighted to work alongside the leadership team and our staff in bringing the College’s strategic vision to life — ensuring that every young person is supported to flourish in heart, mind, and spirit. Her leadership approach will focus on forming relationships, nurturing resilience, ambition, and intellectual curiosity, while supporting the holistic growth of each person within St Mary’s College. Fiona is excited about serving a community that is built on meaningful relationships and committed to responding to the unique gifts and needs of each young person.
In her spare time, Fiona enjoys spending time with family, travelling, walking, eating out, and reading. A keen sports enthusiast, she particularly enjoys Test cricket, tennis, and rugby league (Penrith Panthers) and is looking forward to embracing all that Melbourne’s vibrant cultural and sporting life has to offer especially when the Sydney Swans come to visit.
House Swimming Carnival
We gather tomorrow at Prahran Aquatic Centre for our Swimming Carnival. All students are expected to attend and participate to the best of their ability. Those unable to swim, will be able to support other members of their House who are competing. There will be novelty events during the day for those who do not wish to compete in races.
Students are to arrive directly to Prahran Aquatic Centre by 9.20am. Rolls will be taken, and students will move into House Assemblies. Students will be dismissed from the pool at 2.50pm.
Year 7 Bibles
One of our fine traditions is the presentation of College Bibles to our Year 7 students as part of the welcome to our Catholic community. This year, unfortunately, there was a delay in our order, and we were unable to present them on the night of the Welcoming Mass. I’m pleased to advise that they have arrived and will be presented in an upcoming community meeting.
International Women’s Day
To celebrate International Women’s Day this weekend, Ms Howard invited Ms Sarah Goodes to join us and speak to a group of students and staff about her life and work as an award-winning Theatre Director. Thank you to Sarah for accepting the invitation and her willingness to share her story and offer insights into her success. Happy International Women’s Day.
Academic Awards Assembly
Next Tuesday we gather as a community to recognise academic excellence. This is an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of students who excelled academically in 2025. Awards are offered to those who have excelled in a subject area and the Pat Browne Award is bestowed upon those who have excelled across all subjects. Our high performing graduates of 2025 are also invited to return to be acknowledged on their outstanding results. We will report on the Academic Awards Assembly in the next edition.
NAPLAN
Next week students in Year 7 & 9 will be participating in NAPLAN Testing. Families with students in these year levels should have already received correspondence from Daniel Di Lisio, Director of Learning and Teaching, which outlines the purpose of the tests and the process on each day. If you have not received this letter, please feel free to contact the College. As with every endeavour, we encourage our young people to give their best effort aware that all feedback that helps inform on progress is useful, both at the individual and school level.
EREA National Principals Conference
Principals of the 55 Edmund Rice Education Schools from across Australia gathered in Perth this week. What is apparent when we gather is that Edmund Rice Schools are diverse and found in every jurisdiction across the country. There are large and smaller secondary schools, both co-educational and single-sex, flexi schools, early learning centres and schools that cater predominantly for indigenous young people. We should feel proud of our place in a network of schools that continues to respond to the needs of the community. This is very much in the spirit of the founder, Blessed Edmund Rice. The keynote speakers, Professor Marcia Langton, Professor Francis Campbell and Bishop Michael Morrisey spoke from their perspectives on inclusion, intercultural dialogue and human dignity.