Dear Marian Catholic College Community-parents, students and friends,

Welcome to 2024 at Marian Catholic College!

The start of a new school year is always a time of excitement, hope and anticipation. By the time you read this, the majority of our students will be settling in and beginning to prepare for another year of learning and growth. Students will have met their teachers, new classmates and formally gathered in their year and house groups. This Friday, the whole school assembled to celebrate the 2023 Year 12 High achievers, their outstanding results and to acknowledge the new Year 12 leaders of the school. Next week we will celebrate our first school mass for the year on Ash Wednesday (Feb 14) in Period 4.

Year 12 2023 HSC High Achievers Assembly Summary

In 2023 Marian continued to build on its excellent results from previous years. This includes proudly claiming:

35 distinguished achievers of the 82 students completing an exam and 1 Top Achiever-achieving 4th place for the State in Human Services Examination.
Four students achieved an ATAR score of over 90, placing them in the top 10 percent of all students achieving an ATAR across the state. Two Marian students achieved 5 Band 6 or E4 Results, while one student achieved 4 Band 6 Results and another 3 Band 6s. The full list of names will be published later in this newsletter and all high achievers will receive a letter of acknowledgement from Dr Andrew Watson, Director of Catholic Education.

Finally, Marian also consolidated its trend of excellence by being ranked number 174 in the all schools across the State, achieving the cumulative best results of our Catholic sister schools in the diocese. 10.3% of the MCC students achieved a band 6 result-the next highest school average for a Catholic school in our diocese was 6.1%.

For a medium sized, non selective Catholic school, placed in a region with less access to resources and regional staffing challenges-these are phenomenal results. And, I might add an achievement that is the result of the hard work and dedication of the students, their teachers and families. It is also an achievement that is firmly based on a solid foundation of effort and excellence attained across several years of schooling.

To all of our HIgh Achievers and special Award Winners our sincere commendations. Your achievements show us what is possible and why it is always important to reach for the stars. Our wish now for you is that you continue to shine as you go to further studies or training, gap years or employment opportunities. We know you have many gifts and that you have developed virtues of resilience, motivation, courage and fortitude.

We also know that you take with you the College tradition of living the Marian way-and our core values of Faith, Learning, Care, Service and Stewardship. To our new student leaders and to all of our new Year 12 cohort for 2024 we know that you have big shoes to fill but we also know with hard work and determination that you can do it.

New members of our community

Marian has welcomed not only 128 students to Year 7, and many new students in other years, but we have also a new college chaplain, several teachers and additions to the school learning support, pastoral and wellbeing teams.

Joining Marian at the start of this term are:

- Ms Louisa Reynolds-Pastoral and Academic Leader Yr 10/RE teacher

- Ms Naomi Bartlett-Business Studies/HSIE Replacement Teacher

- Mr Aniket Kulkarni - Mathematics/Science Teacher

- Mrs Katherine Hannon-TAS and RE teacher

- Ms Ashton Taylor -Visual Arts Teacher (casual teacher Semester 2 2023)

- Mrs Samantha Malagre -English/RE teacher (commenced Term 4 2023).

- Ms Sue Hone-Student Wellbeing Program Officer

- Mr Rocco Marando-Learning Support Assistant

- Miss Isabella Poloni-Learning Support Assistant

We are currently onboarding other new teachers to commence soon and look forward also to the return of Mrs Mel Taylor (Foschi) from parental leave in Term 2.

Transition and school contacts

Transitioning into new classes and preparing for a higher level of learning has its challenges. However, we can confidently confirm that our skilled teachers and leaders understand the challenges students face in the transition back to school and plan their introductory lessons and pastoral gatherings with this in mind.

After 2-3 weeks the majority of students in all year levels will adjust well to the new routines and curriculum. For the small number of students who may require additional support due to special circumstances, please contact year leaders (pastoral or wellbeing), KLA leaders (learning) or members of the Inclusive learning team (special needs) to discuss your concerns. Our teaching and support staff are always very keen to assist and will usually respond within 2-3 working days within school hours of 8.30-4pm Monday to Friday.

For urgent matters which require immediate attention please contact the friendly front office team. Front office staff will also assist you with any queries or administrative assistance required.

Catholic ethos

Finally, for this very first newsletter of the year, I will finish with a story and the theme taken from the Marist Association of St Marcellin Champagnat.

In a classical story, the teacher asks the students “When do you know it is dawn?”.

One student says “when you can distinguish a white thread from a black one”. “No,” says the teacher. “When you can see the outline of a tree against the horizon” ventures another. “No” says the teacher -answering no to this and all other responses to the question. Finally the teacher says, “when you can look into the eyes of another, a stranger, and see a brother or a sister, then it is dawn. Until then it is still night.”

The Marist theme for 2024 is First Light-Reveal the Spirit. “You are the light of the world…let your light shine”, (Mt 5:14-16).

May your year be filled with hope, light, learning and moments of joy.

Dr Penny Ludike

Principal

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