Final Year 12 Assembly
Our community gathered for the last time with our Year 12s last week to acknowledge that they are approaching the culmination of their secondary schooling and to celebrate their contribution to St Mary’s College. As our graduating class processed into Logue Hall, they were welcomed and applauded. Our College Captains, Stella and Hugo, addressed the school community for the last time and reflected on their time at St Mary’s. The last day of regular schooling is normally tinged with mixed emotions. While there is celebration that a new chapter of life is about to commence, with expectations of newfound freedom, it’s often accompanied with some trepidation that the familiar pattern of life that symbolises a school day is over. We hope our Year 12s have fond memories of their time at St Mary’s College and wish them every success in their upcoming exams.
Unfortunately, I was absent due to sickness on the day, and I thank Mrs Mulhall for offering the Principal’s Address in my absence. My reflection referred to last weekend’s gospel and a phrase from Matthew 22 that will sound familiar: Many Are Called, Few Are Chosen. While there will be many opportunities ahead for our graduating class, they will need to accept the invitation was the theme of my message. There will be time for further reflection and thanksgiving with parents and guardians at the Graduation Mass and Dinner on November 19th.
College Captains 2027
It is my great pleasure to announce that our College Captains for 2027 are Lila Charewicz and Ryder Poupard; and our College Vice-Captains are Rivi Farrell and Maverick Yin. In their interviews, each of these young leaders spoke passionately about St Mary’s College and their strong desire to serve the community and their peers.

Year 7 Information Evening
Our Year 7 families of 2027 gathered on Tuesday evening to commence their orientation program in preparation for next year. Many of those in attendance have their oldest child commencing secondary school and it is important that we demystify the transition process as much as possible by explaining the structures of St Mary’s. You may recall the transition period from primary to secondary and the questions that you wanted answered as you helped prepare your young person to move to this next stage. We still have places at Year 7 for 2027 and would appreciate if you could promote our school to friends or family who may be looking at secondary school options and are still undecided. Orientation Day for our new cohort occurs on December 7th.
Staff Formation Day
Our recent Formation Day on the first Monday of this term provided an opportunity for staff to deepen their understanding of First Nations perspectives and the significance of the land on which we gather. The insights from Mr Justin Butler, Director of First Nations Education at EREA, and our afternoon walking tours will help inform the development of St Mary’s Reconciliation Action Plan. In coming weeks, we will be forming a committee and inviting students to join.
We are also looking forward to strengthening our partnership with Melbourne Indigenous Transition School (MITS), with three young men joining St Mary’s next year in Year 9. They each visited the College on Monday as the first part of their transition program. We look forward to welcoming them and supporting them as they begin their journey with us.
VCE Exams
The official exam period for our VCE Unit 3 & 4 students commences this week, and we wish everyone who is undertaking these assessments every success. It is important to note that many of our graduating class will be seeking an ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank), but others will be pursuing other pathways. The ATAR is an important measure for those who desire to undertake tertiary studies that require this rank, and it is the culmination of many hours of work. There will also be graduates who proceed to apprenticeships, or work, and we celebrate with these young people on having exciting post-school pathways and a clear sense of purpose as well.
P&F at Bunnings
The Parents and Friends Committee held their regular meeting on Monday night; I would like to extend my appreciation to this dedicated team of parents and guardians for the work they do to assist the College. At the meeting I was able to offer thanks for their generous support that has allowed us to purchase a replacement College bus.
Our P&F is conducting the sausage sizzle this Sunday 18th October at Bunnings in Port Melbourne as a fund raiser. Last year it proved to be an excellent fundraiser, and I know that the P&F would appreciate your support. Thank you to the P&F co-ordinators of this event and those who can volunteer their time to ensure the success of this fundraiser.
School Closure Day
Advance notice that Monday 2nd November 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 4th November. I also offer notice of a Student Free Day on Friday, 20th November for teachers to complete assessment and reporting duties. Thank you for your ongoing support.










