Train Incident

Some of our young people witnessed a traumatic event involving a student from another Catholic college at North Melbourne Station earlier this week. Please find advice from our College Counsellor, Trish Maguire, on how to support your young people at times such as these in this edition of Lumina. Our thoughts and prayers are with the young man involved in the incident and his family.

Feast Day of Blessed Edmund Rice – Tuesday, May 5^th.

Edmund Rice, founder of the Christian Brothers, was born in Ireland in 1762. We know very little of his childhood but celebrate his life and the contribution he made to education of young people and the marginalised each May 5^th. The day commenced with liturgy, and it was a special occasion reflecting on the EREA Touchstones. A homily from Captain, Hugo Boddington, reflecting on the life of his grandfather and the important role education played in changing his life outcomes was profound.

Following the liturgy, we gathered for a photo before commencing our walkathon around Albert Park Lake. The remainder of the day was taken up by lunch and events run by our Prefects in Logue Hall. Some fun activities awaited the student community when they emerged, culminating in a colour run that seems to be growing in interest. Thank you to all of those who contributed to the success of the day, and I hope that it was memorable for our students.

Mother’s Day Breakfast – Thursday, May 7^th.

Thank you to all participants in our annual Mother’s Day Breakfast last Thursday. Once again it proved to be a very successful opportunity for families to connect in an informal setting to help build connections in our community and give thanks for our mothers. Even on a cold and wet morning, the turnout was strong and with students providing the catering it was a rich celebration of our community’s gifts.

It is an opportunity to thank our mothers and acknowledged their invaluable role as the first educators and appreciate that we are indeed privileged to be able to partner in the formation of our young people. It is also important that we remember that our families look different, and that the mothering role is sometimes undertaken by a grandparent, or an aunt, or friend. We give thanks to those who nurture our young people and show us what it means to live with love and compassion.

Caritas – Easter Egg Raffle

Thank you to all who donated to our Easter Egg Raffle in Term 1. Once again, your generosity allowed us to create several hampers that we could raffle and provide a fun way to finish the term in the process. Thanks especially to Mai Dinh and Donna McGindle who made an extra effort to produce the hampers and ensure that raffle tickets were sold. From the raffle we raised $864.60 to send to Caritas in support of Project Compassion.

College Registrar vacancy

We are advertising for a College Registrar to join our Development Team. Thank you to Mrs Jo Warr who has put great energy into the role over the last couple of years. If you know of a dynamic person who could join our community in this role please bring this opportunity to their attention: https://www.stmaryscollege.vic.edu.au/employment/college-registrar

Darren Atkinson
Principal

“In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love.” — Mother Teresa

I love this quote; it serves as a daily reminder that a smile, a conversation, or a kind gesture can make a real difference in a person’s life. Likewise, when we hold ourselves or our students accountable, we do so with “great love” in a courageous and compassionate way.

What I observed and experienced during our feast day spoke volumes about who we are as a St Mary’s community and who our students aspire to be as they live out the Edmund Rice values. I witnessed many moments of “great love” — from a very energetic game of dodgeball to the companion walk around the lake, the music bands, and the staff and students who looked after one another, to our impressive prefects who gave so much of themselves throughout the day. One of my highlights was the colour run — or, in my case, the colour walk! It was truly a wonderful day.

Thank you to our families and friends who contributed to the walkathon so far, we have raised over $3,900, and you can still contribute via the school donation page: Walkathon Donation Page. Where does the money go? this year, funds raised will support the Edmund Rice Foundation “ Edmund Rice Foundation is an international development organisation that works alongside communities to create lasting change through education. We believe the people who know their communities best should lead the way, so we support locally driven solutions that respond to real needs. We partner with communities to deliver sustainable education programs in Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Timor-Leste and the Philippines. In Australia, we support programs for children, young people and families facing disadvantage, including First Nations communities, refugees and people seeking asylum”. source https://erf.org.au/

In line with Edmund Rice Education Australia (EREA) Touchstones our dedication to justice and solidarity drives us to act with integrity, stand up for others, and contribute meaningfully to the world. These values shape everything we do at St Mary’s College, creating an environment that nurtures both hearts and minds. The Walkathon is just one way we raise awareness and make a difference through “great love.”

Fiona Mulhall
Deputy Principal 

Celebrating Our Mothers and Special Women at St Mary’s College

Our annual Mother’s Day Breakfast was once again a wonderful celebration of the incredible mothers, grandmothers, carers and special women in the lives of our students and community. Held in Logue Hall, the event brought together families, staff and students for a warm and joyful start to the day.

The atmosphere was filled with gratitude, laughter and connection as guests enjoyed breakfast together while catching up with friends and members of the St Mary’s community. It was especially pleasing to see so many students proudly attending alongside their mothers and special guests, creating meaningful memories before the school day began.

A highlight of the morning was the opportunity to pause and reflect on the important role that mothers and carers play in shaping, supporting and encouraging our young people each and every day. Through their guidance, compassion and unwavering support, they help foster the strong sense of community and belonging that is so valued at St Mary’s College.

We extend our sincere thanks to all families who attended and helped make the morning such a success. A special thank you also goes to our staff, student helpers and organisers whose efforts ensured the event ran so smoothly and created such a welcoming atmosphere for everyone.

As a College community, we are grateful for the love, care and dedication shown by the mothers and special women in our students’ lives, and we were delighted to celebrate them together.

David Formosa
Director of Development

Following a recent incident at North Melbourne Station involving a student from another school, many students within our college community were understandably affected by what they witnessed.

Events that are sudden and distressing can leave people feeling shocked, upset, or overwhelmed, and it is important that students know support is available.

Parents and carers are encouraged to check in with their children and provide reassurance. It may help to:

• Remind them they are safe and have support.
• Talk about the event and the feelings associated with it.

• Acknowledge what happened, assure them the person had care and received assistance.
• Stick to the facts.
• Stick to routines of your family.
• Remind them recovery can take time but with support it will happen.

Some students may continue to think about the event or experience anxious or intrusive thoughts. If this occurs, helpful strategies can include:

• Asking, “What is the evidence for this?”
• Considering: “Am I jumping to conclusions that are negative and not real.”
• Trying to put the event into perspective: Is it likely to happen again today?

• Ensuring you look after yourself and remind yourself of the positives: “You are safe, you are OK.”
• Keeping regular routines with your family, your support people, and your friends

Simple calming techniques may also assist when students feel overwhelmed. These can include:

• slow breathing exercises (Breathe in and count 1, 2, 3 as you hold your breath, then count 1, 2, 3 as you breathe out. Repeat as necessary)
• A grounding activity – find 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, 1 thing you can taste.
• Speaking with a trusted person
• Find an activity that brings you joy
• Exercise: go for a walk or some other physical activity that you enjoy.

If additional support is needed, families are encouraged to seek assistance through a GP, counsellor, or mental health professional.

Our students demonstrated great compassion and maturity in their response to the incident, showing genuine care and concern for the student involved and their family. We are proud of the empathy, kindness, and respect shown by members of our college community during a challenging situation.

Trish Maguire
College Counsellor

The Year 12 VCE Physical Education students recently took part in an engaging and interactive incursion delivered by Nick Jankovskis from METS Performance Consulting. During the session, students observed Joe Charlesworth and Cohen Bently complete a VO₂ Max Test and a Wingate Anaerobic Test, providing the class with a firsthand look at the physiological demands placed on the body during different types and intensities of exercise.

The incursion gave students the opportunity to connect their theoretical learning from Unit 3 with real-world testing and performance data. Throughout the session, students explored concepts including energy system contribution, fatigue, recovery, and the body’s acute responses to exercise. Seeing these tests performed live helped reinforce key course content and provided a practical context for classroom discussions.

Over the coming weeks, students will analyse the data collected from the tests to further develop their understanding of exercise physiology and performance analysis. This process will support students in interpreting real fitness data, identifying trends and responses within the body, and applying their knowledge in preparation for upcoming assessment tasks and SACs.

Lucy Dickson
Pastoral Leader - Year 7 

To celebrate International Women’s Day, 9 Treacy invited the St Mary’s community to their charity bake sale to raise money for the St Kilda Mums community. Thanks to the incredible effort of our students and the generosity of the school community, we raised over $150 for women and families in need.

The lines for the stall spanned the length of the courtyard, with students and staff keen to taste the moreish brownies, cupcakes, hedgehog slices, truffles and the crowd favourite, freshly popped popcorn.

A huge thank you to everyone who baked, donated and purchased items to help make the event such a success!

Paris Rouvalis
Teacher

Each year the students studying Digitech are invited to attend the Big Day In. This is an exciting excursion that provides students with insights into the evolving careers that studying Digital Technology provides students. BiG Day In events provide a unique opportunity for year 9-12 students to explore the world of technology and gain insight into university life. This year students in Year 9 were able to hear from a number of industry representatives to explore the world of technology and gain insight into university life. During breaks, students visited exhibitor stands to speak with representatives from Westpac, ADF careers, Google, Wisetech Global, Woolworths, Agilent, Avanade and Australian Signals directorate. Here they gained information about courses, degrees, work experience, internships, and engage with hands-on demonstrations of awesome technology.

Emerson thought the Big Day In excursion “was very engaging showing lots of opportunities for future jobs and roles in society. The idea of doing digital technology as a job hadn’t really crossed my mind until then but I got to see how a common misconception that A.I is going to take over I.T jobs if quite fake and that it is genuinely helping the department”.

Sylvia Pastore
VCE Co-ordinator 

Term 1 saw to the exciting return and growth of our Japanese Club, with 28 students enthusiastically attending weekly lunchtime meet-ups.

Over warming cups of ocha (green tea) and okashi (snacks), students have been learning Japanese greetings, as well as how to read and write hiragana, while building their confidence and language skills through games and group practice!

This term we are looking forward to continuing to grow the club and further developing our connection with friends at our sibling school Taisei College in Osaka.

See you on Friday at lunchtime!

Mata kinyoubi ne!

Paris Rouvalis 
Teacher

Binary code is the foundation of everything we do with computers, but it can seem abstract to our students. A hands approach to learning about binary code that doubles as a Mothers Day gift was the making of binary code bracelets for Mother's Day!

Students in Year 7 were able to transfer special messages and turn them into bracelets by using two colours of beads to represent the 0s and 1s in their binary code. The resulting bracelets contained secret messages to their mums that only fellow coders could decipher! Not only did the students learn more about binary code, but they were able to provide a thoughtful gift to their mothers.

Students engaged with excitement as they carefully selected and arranged their beads to spell out messages for their mums. I hope all mums that received the Binary Code bracelet this year and past years wear it with a " 01110011 01101101 01101001 01101100 01100101"

Sylvia Pastore 
VCE Co-ordinator 

Meet the Tutors

Our Thursday Tutoring sessions have quickly become a valuable part of student life, and at the heart of their success are the dedicated tutors who give their time, knowledge and encouragement each week. These sessions are more than just homework help — they are a chance for students to build confidence, develop strong study habits and learn from mentors who understand the St Mary’s experience. We are proud to introduce the tutors who are supporting our students to thrive, both in and beyond the classroom.

Raj Johnston

My name is Raj Johnston and I was College Captain in 2023. It is a privilege to return to St Mary's each week to assist with the after school tutoring program. I am passionate about seeing individuals succeed and finding the confidence to reach their potential. I can assist with a broad range of subjects, including General Maths, English and the VCE Humanities subjects. Outside of work, I love sport, particularly cricket, spending time outdoors, and being with friends and family.

Ethan Oyston

My name is Ethan Oyston and I am a dedicated tutor and former Prefect of Academia at St Mary’s College. Currently studying a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Melbourne, I am passionate about helping students achieve their academic goals and reach their full potential. A former St Mary’s student myself, I have a vested interest in and familiarity with the school. My main areas of expertise include English, Literature, Psychology, Legal Studies, General Mathematics, and a range of humanities and maths subjects for lower year levels.

Veronika Konotopchyk

Veronika graduated in 2025 achieving a 94.75 ATAR she is currently Laws (Honours)/Arts at Monash University

Campbell Lavender

Campbell was a member of the prefect team in 2025 and was also Dux of the College achieving a 96.35 ATAR. Campbell will be studying Laws (Honours)/Arts at Monash University.

David Formosa
Director of Development