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.

Darren Atkinson 
Principal 

Dear St Mary’s College Families,

Last week we conducted our Year 8 camp. This was a great opportunity for all students, though particularly for students new to the college to spend time in a different setting with their peers. We know that friendships and connections often commence on camp, including incidental moments where a student recognises something in common with another person they weren’t previously aware of. On this camp, we often saw leadership qualities, kindness and caring for others on display. A heartfelt thank you to the staff that attended and to the students for the way they embraced this learning opportunity.

Parent / Teacher Interviews will take place at the college, face to face, on Thursday 26 March, 9:00am – 8:00pm. Communication will be sent to families next week outlining the booking process and the plan for the day, which will be a student free day for all year levels. I encourage all families to ensure their child/ren is present for these interviews. It is particularly helpful when having progress conversations about students, for them to be present.

I would like to remind all families to raise with their child/ren the importance of the front office when students need to leave before the end of the school day for any reason. This includes pre-planned appointments that students need to attend, which can be added to PAM by parents, whereby students sign out at reception at the time designated by the parent. It also includes students that become sick during the day. It is of utmost importance that students present to sick bay to allow the qualified and trained staff to assess them, and for the staff to make contact with parents. If your child makes contact with you during the day about feeling ill, please direct them to the office rather than making plans to collect them. This is essential to providing the duty of care required of the school.

We have been notified by the Parish of St Mary’s that upgrade works to their NBN will take place next week, Monday 9.3.26 – Wednesday 11.3.26. Several trenches will be dug during this time, including across the main Church driveway near Dandenong Rd. There will therefore be disruption to access for this period.

Shaun Lancashire
Deputy Principal

Yesterday we were proud to celebrate International Women’s Day with a very special guest at St Mary’s College.

Award-winning Australian theatre director Sarah Goodes joined a small group of students from Years 7–12 for an inspiring lunch conversation about leadership, creativity and the power of women’s voices in the arts.

Recognised for bringing more than 17 new Australian works to the main stage, Sarah also directed the acclaimed, sell-out production of JULIA for Sydney Theatre Company in 2023, which toured nationally.

Our students valued the opportunity to hear firsthand about her journey, her passion for storytelling, and her commitment to championing Australian voices. A wonderful way to mark IWD — with inspiration, conversation and community.

Jen Howard
Director of Students

International Women's Day (IWD)

This week is International Women's Day (IWD) and is celebrated on 8 March. The theme is “Give to Gain”: when we support each other, we gain from this support.

On IWD we can focus on the achievements and hurdles faced by women in our world today. Some of these hurdles, for example mental health challenges, start in adolescence.

Adolescence is a time of huge development when young girls struggle with pressures, body image concerns, teenage relationships, online issues.

If you notice any concerning behaviors such as:

• Sudden changes in behavior or mood
• Withdrawal from friends and activities
• Excessive concern about weight and appearance,

seek support for your daughter by:

• Providing education about the changes that come with puberty.
• Fostering an environment where girls feel comfortable discussing their feelings.
• Engage in activities to boost self-esteem,
• Watch, read about, research positive female role models and mentors to
• Nurture a healthy self-perception and confidence. Remember you will be different to your friend.
• Promote the use of counselling services and mental health resources to talk about yourself.

Here are some links that may be helpful:

• Puberty for Girls
• How to Be a Role Model for Girls
• Inspiring Role Models for Teenage Girls
• Teens Mental Health Support

Trish Maguire 
Counsellor 

Year 7 Band Program

This Wednesday marks an exciting milestone for our Year 7 students as they receive their band instruments for the very first time. Starting an instrument is the beginning of a rewarding journey of dedication, creativity, and teamwork, and we are thrilled to see so many students taking their first steps into the world of ensemble performance. We look forward to watching their skills and confidence grow over the coming months.

Rehearsals and Preparation

Rehearsals for our upcoming production of Rock of Ages are also progressing brilliantly. The cast and band have been working tirelessly, and it’s fantastic to see the energy, commitment, and collaboration developing at each rehearsal. Alongside this, students are busily preparing for our first Solo Recital Evening of the year on the 25th of March. This event will showcase a wide range of talent and hard work and give the VCE students the first of many opportunities to work towards their final recitals next year. A strong start to what is shaping up to be a very exciting year ahead.

Instrumental Teacher Highlight: Mr Daniel You

Our fantastic string teacher, Mr You, heads off on his Orchestral Tour of China this week, performing Phantom of the Opera and Les Mis. We wish him luck on this amazing experience and look forward to his return in a few weeks.

Katie Thomas 
Director of Music 

St Mary’s College will be running an Easter Raffle in the last week of Term 1, with all money raised donated to Project Compassion.

To help us put together the Easter hampers, we would really appreciate any donations of Easter eggs, blocks of chocolate or small Easter treats. Students can drop off donations at Reception over the coming weeks.

Raffle tickets will be available for students to purchase in the lead-up to the draw, priced at $1 per ticket or 6 tickets for $5.

Thank you for your support in helping us run this fundraiser and support Project Compassion.

Amy Culpitt
EA to the Principal 

Our Year 9 Italian students recently stepped into the role of chefs as they prepared the traditional Roman dish, spaghetti alla carbonara, inspired by the culinary heritage of Rome. Using guanciale rather than bacon, and eggs rather than cream, this hands-on experience provided more than just a delicious meal; it brought language learning to life. Students will now analyse the Italian grammar used in authentic cooking instructions and create their own Italian summaries of the process. Combining culture, cuisine, and language in this way helps deepen students’ engagement and demonstrates how Italian can be used in meaningful, real-world contexts.

Rosario Genovese 
Learning Leader - Languages 

Whitefriars 7/94 d St Mary's 8/91

Batting

S. Daley 23
N. Chapple 21 no
J. Russell 14
O. Denning 14

Bowling

B Holland 2/12 off 3
M. Slattery 2/18 off 4

In our final game for the season, we won the toss and elected to bat first. As has often been the case throughout the season, our innings would build momentum before we lost our way with a few unnecessary shots.

Samson Daley and Noah Chapple were the standouts with the bat, guiding us to what we believed was a defendable total.

Our plan with the ball was simple - bowl full and apply pressure - and we were rewarded with a steady fall of wickets. Bailey Holland, a Year 9 student playing his first senior game, was not intimidated and claimed two important wickets. There were also two athletic catches from Harry Denning and Damon Bennett that lifted the team in the field.

Eventually, Whitefriars managed to chase down the runs. However, to our boys’ credit, they fought the game through until the very end, which was our motto for the day.

Special mention must go to Harri Ridley and Bailey Holland from Year 9, who played two age groups up. Both gained valuable experience and were certainly not overawed by the challenge.

Team spirit comes in many forms. I would particularly like to acknowledge Noah Chapple, who balances significant commitments outside of school. Despite his lifesaving and swimming commitments, he continues to prioritise representing the school and playing alongside his schoolmates. That is outstanding school spirit - well done, Noah.

Thank you to all the boys who represented the school this year. It is not always about wins and losses, but about growth, resilience, and the pride shown in wearing the school colours.

Eddie Cavolo
Coach/Teacher

Expressions of Interest – Netball Academy (Term 3)

We are exploring the launch of a Netball Academy in Term 3, to be held at MSAC from 7.00am – 8.00am.

The program would focus on:

• Skill development
• Game awareness and strategy
• Fitness and conditioning
• Building confidence and teamwork

At this stage, we are seeking expressions of interest to gauge demand across the College.
If your child is interested in participating, please register your interest to dformosa@stmaryscollege.vic.edu.au
Further information will be shared once numbers are confirmed.

David Formosa
Director of Development

As part of the VCE Computing classes, students are given the opportunity to attend the Formula 1 Grand Prix. The Grand Prix teams up with Engineers Australia to encourage students to participate in STEM and innovations including technology that they assign a whole area of the course to the Innovations Hub. Here students participate in a range of activities such as tech talks, simulations and speak to exhibitors about where a career in Information Technology can lead. We had also a VM student who is studying Event Management join us to see and liaise with organisers putting into practice what he is learning in his VET course.

It is great when students get to see IT in action and see the importance of continuing studying computing. It also great for our students to be part of a world class event at our doorstep. This is a highlight for students studying Applied Computing and Data Analytics and is one of many reasons why studying Computing can get your career moving at racing speeds.

Sylvia Pastore
Teacher

Why the Most Accurate College Information Comes Directly From the Source

In a world where information travels instantly and opinions can be shared widely, it is more important than ever for families and students to know where to find information they can rely on. At St Mary's College, we are committed to ensuring our community receives clear, timely and accurate updates directly from us.

As a College, we communicate through official channels including our newsletters, website, direct emails, official social media accounts and College events. These platforms allow us to provide complete context, correct details and up-to-date information about College programs, policies, events and opportunities for students.

While community conversations, online forums and informal networks can sometimes share helpful perspectives, they may also contain outdated, incomplete or incorrect information. Often, details can be unintentionally changed as they are passed on, which can create confusion for families and students.

When it comes to important matters such as enrolments, learning programs, wellbeing initiatives, co-curricular opportunities and key dates, we strongly encourage families to refer to official College communications or contact the College directly. Our team is always happy to clarify information and ensure families feel confident and informed.

Our shared goal is to support every student and family with accurate information so they can make the best decisions and feel fully connected to College life. When in doubt, checking directly with the College is always the best first step.

David Formosa
Director of Development

Tutoring Program

After-School Tutoring in 2026 has gotten off to a great start! It has been delightful to see many students turn up with enthusiasm and passion to put in the effort to improve as learners.

Each Thursday, myself and other recent graduates are available to help your child with their homework and study. We are in the College Library between 3:15pm and 4:45pm, and the best part is that the program is free so there is no cost associated with turning up.

Whether your child needs help with homework, assistance with preparing for a test, or needs to embed some study habits, we can help with any query.

We have a great team of knowledgeable and friendly tutors who serve as excellent role models for your children. Between the four of us, we cover most subjects so all student needs can be catered for.

The tutors are:

● Campbell Lavender - class of 2025, College Vice-Captain & male Dux of College 2025

● Veronika Konotopchyk - class of 2025 & female Dux of College 2025

● Ethan Oyston - class of 2023 & Prefect of Academia 2023

● Raj Johnston - class of 2023 & College Captain 2023

Each week we run targeted sessions for subjects that have upcoming assessments. These are great opportunities for your child to get ahead and make their home study load more manageable, and will be advertised accordingly via emails and direct promotion.

However, it goes without saying that separate to the targeted sessions, we are always available for walk-ins for any subject across any year level, each and every Thursday.

St Mary’s after-school tutoring is open to all. We look forward to a productive and hard-working time ahead.

Raj Johnston
Tutor

Uniform Recycling

Our Parents and Friends group recently recycled old un-wearable school uniforms.

Over 35 kilograms of textiles were recycled to be made into upholstery filling for furniture, recycled yarn, and up-cycled products made by local designers including Design & Technology students.

Uniform items can be donated at the Office throughout the year.

The Secondhand Uniform Shop is open to purchase items on the first Saturday morning after Term holidays. All sales support our College.

Meeting Reminder

Our next Parents and Friends Meeting will be held on Monday 16 March at 7.00pm in the College Boardroom.

These meetings are a wonderful opportunity to connect with other families, hear updates from the College, and contribute ideas that support our students and broader community. Whether you are a long-standing member or simply curious to learn more, your involvement is always valued.

We extend a particularly warm invitation to all new parents. It’s a great way to meet others, gain insight into College life, and become part of a welcoming and supportive network.

If you are unable to attend in person, you are welcome to join us via Microsoft Teams using the link below.

Microsoft Teams meeting Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/48618788303444?p=Ewp42IW6JreDLgfWT8 Meeting ID: 486 187 883 034 44 Passcode: Bp76gx2G

We look forward to seeing you — either in the Boardroom or online.

David Formosa
Director of Development 

Uniform Shop Open This Saturday 7 March 2026

Families are advised that the College Uniform Shop will be open this Saturday, 7 March.

This is a great opportunity to purchase new uniform items.

We encourage families who require uniform items to take advantage of this additional opening time to ensure students are wearing the correct uniform.