Across Campus

Earth at Academy - Layers of Change

Earth at Academy's recycled dress is now on display in the library foyer.  What is the significance of this installation?   

At Academy of Mary Immaculate, we strive to promote, empower and encourage sustainability and to drive meaningful change.  Each layer and aspect of this recycled dress represents our shared commitment to protecting our environment. 

The first layer, made of newspaper flowers, symbolises renewal and the beauty that can bloom from reuse. 

The second layer, created from a second-hand ‘Romeo and Juliet’, represents how knowledge and creativity can be reimagined rather than discarded. 

The third layer, crafted from recycled magazines, reflects creativity and transformation.

The final layer, gathered from leftover fabric in our art rooms, highlights our dedication to reducing waste within our own community. 

Together, these layers intertwine a story of hope, responsibility, and change.  This dress embodies our collective promise, as a school, to act responsibly when it comes to recycling.  In this story, you and I are the characters shaping a greener future for our world.  Every small action counts, recycle, be sustainable and be a part of this change.

Clara Faraci 

Inaugural Sustainability Leader 2025

Incredible Milestone in Readers' Cup

Congratulations to our Year 7 students who have shown exceptional dedication to reading through their participation in this year's Readers' Cup program!

Throughout the competition, our enthusiastic young readers have collectively turned an astounding 118,310 pages. This remarkable achievement reflects not only their commitment to literacy but also their genuine love of reading and learning.

Congratulations to 7 Green for taking out the class competition with an impressive 44,725 pages, followed closely by 7 Blue with 44,721 pages and 7 Red with 28,864 pages. The tight race between 7 Green and 7 Blue, separated by just four pages, showcased the competitive spirit and dedication across all classes.

The Readers' Cup has provided our Year 7 cohort with the opportunity to explore diverse texts, challenge themselves with new genres, and develop critical reading skills that will serve them throughout their academic journey. Every page recorded represents a step forward in their literacy development and a testament to their perseverance.

We are incredibly proud of the effort and enthusiasm our Year 7 students have brought to this program.  Their achievement demonstrates that when students are engaged and motivated, they can accomplish extraordinary things.   

Special Acknowledgements

Star Readers

Our top readers from each class have shown exceptional dedication:

• 7 Blue: Alyssa Nadde - 13,843 pages
• 7 Green: Halle Hitch - 14,605 pages
• 7 Red: Samantha Keogh - 12,721 pages

Best Loggers

Recognition goes to students who maintained excellent records of their reading journey:

• 7 Blue: Maya Harthen
• 7 Green: Mia Naidoo
• 7 Red: Ada Ogilvie

Awesome Reviewers

These students provided thoughtful and insightful reviews of their reading:

• 7 Blue: Emily Dong
• 7 Green: Violet Arounsavat
• 7 Red: Estella Mu

Well done to all participants – you've set a wonderful example for our school community and shown what's possible when dedication meets opportunity. Keep those pages turning!

The MRC Team would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and hopes the holidays will give everyone the leisure time to read books and continue their reading adventures.

Ms Cathy Bennett

MRC Learning Leader

Passing the Torch

How Italian Poetry Connects a Family Across Generations, By mother and daughter, Connie Stivala and Isabelle Naidoo Yr 9 Academy of Mary Immaculate - Fitzroy

Can you share each when you competed in the Dante Alighieri Poetry Competition and what drew you to participate?

Connie - I participated in my first Dante Alighieri Poetry Competition in 1993, when I was in my final year of secondary school.  My Italian teacher encouraged the class to participate in the poetry recital competition, as it was seen as an opportunity to practice and improve our spoken Italian.  Although I was fluent in Italian, as it was the language I spoke at home, I used the opportunity to further develop and strengthen my reading and pronunciation. I was drawn to the competition as it filled me with a sense of pride in participating in a competition that was in a language that I felt was my heritage and my home.

Isabelle - I competed in the Dante Alighieri Poetry Recitation Competition this year as a Year 9 student.  I remember first receiving the email for expressions of interest to participate in the competition and jumping at the opportunity almost immediately.  I was drawn to compete, knowing my mum had when she was in high school, but also as an opportunity to further connect with my Italian heritage.  I was intrigued and excited to be able to sharpen my Italian language skills, having spoken it with my nonni and mum for all my life.  

What do you remember most about your experience competing over 30 years ago? Connie - Reciting and learning the poem was challenging.  It was important to understand the meaning of the poem and interpret how the writer had intended it to be read.   I remember it being a fun and different experience shared with my fellow classmates.  I still recall reciting it for the first time at the competition, then at the callback, and finally at the award presentation.  There is also the memory of the excitement from staff and school when I was told I was a finalist, and then, eventually, to be informed I had won the competition for Year 12.

What inspired you to enter the competition, and how did you feel on the day?

Isabelle - I was inspired to enter the competition by my mum’s experience and the encouragement of my Italian teachers at school.  Watching my mum reflect on the experience over the years and look back with fondness enticed me to take part. Additionally, having the support of my language teachers around me was a driving force in my eagerness to enter.  On the day of the recitation, I definitely felt quite nervous, wanting to perform to the best of my ability and make my teachers and family proud.  As I rehearsed the lines in my head, I hoped everything that I had worked towards over the past months would come out clearly in the moment.  Doing a poem in Italian felt big and important to my heritage, so I wanted my delivery to reflect the sense of pride and belonging I felt.

How did your family's Italian heritage influence your connection to poetry and the Italian language?

Isabelle - My family’s Italian heritage has always influenced the way I have interacted with the language and its poetry.  Growing up speaking the language and being immersed in the culture through family, I had built a sense of familiarity and comfort within it.  Seeing the difference between the heartfelt, articulate poetry from the competition and the casual spoken Italian used at home gave me a further appreciation for the language, as it exposed the depth and meaning it can have.

In what ways has your experience shaped your love of Italian and your identity over the years?  

Connie - The experience is definitely something that has remained with me, and the thing that I remember most about my Year 12 experience studying Italian.  Being of Italian heritage has shaped who I am and has encouraged me to want to study the language.  It is a large part of my identity today, and it is something that I am actively passing on to my children.  I feel a deep connection to the traditions, which have been passed on to me from my parents.  They have instilled in me the importance of family, food, culture, sharing, belonging and loving.  I feel these are all a core part of the Italian heritage.

How did your mum’s experience or example inspire or influence your journey?

Isabelle - As my mum also competed in high school, seeing how confident and passionate she became about Italian through this experience really inspired me.  Listening to her speak about competing years ago made me want to challenge myself in the same way and step outside of my comfort zone.

Did you practise together or talk about the competition in the lead‑up to this year's event? If so, what was that like?

Although we did not practice together, we spoke about the competition a lot before the event and again before finals.  My mum shared some of the techniques she used to remember her poem and her feelings leading up to the day.  Talking about it with her helped me feel more prepared for when my turn came and reminded me of the love we both hold for Italian and poetry.

What emotions resurfaced watching your daughter compete?

Connie - It definitely brought back many memories watching Isabelle prepare for and attend the competition.  I was proud that Isabelle had chosen to participate, as I know that her involvement in the competition had a lot to do with the fact that I had participated and also wanting to keep herself connected to her heritage.

How did it feel when you learned you had won?

Connie - It was definitely a surprise to learn I had won, but it also felt like a huge achievement.  It was an award I had won competing against other schools in Victoria, so I understood the scale of the win. In particular, I remember the joy my family felt, I know they were very proud, but I also remember my teacher’s smile and pride.  It was something I could not have achieved with their guidance and knowledge.

How do you see the value of keeping Italian language and poetry alive across generations?

Connie- The Italian language and poetry must be kept alive across generations as it expresses and connects us to Italy’s rich culture, history, and love for the arts.  Continuing to educate will ensure that the culture, traditions and heritage are preserved and protected.  

What message would you give to other young people—or parents—about embracing heritage and language learning?

Connie - I believe that learning to speak another language is also a way to connect and open yourself up to the language’s culture.  To learn about the country, the people, the food and their heritage.  It creates an interest and can establish a passion to continue to keep the language and culture alive.  

If you could each describe this shared legacy in three words, what would they be?

Connie - Pride, love and connection - of sharing our love of all things Italian.

Isabelle - Heritage, growth and guidance.

Ms Elena Camera

Teacher