College Advisory Committee

College Advisory Committee Meeting Summary from Tuesday 12 November 

Provided by Dr Cate Bearsley-Smith – Parent Representative.

The Marist Sion Advisory Committee met on Tuesday, 12 November 2024. We had an interesting and informative evening. There were three main foci of the meeting. 

The first was learning about the building staging plan for the school, presented by Business Manager, Shane Stiles. We learnt about the six stages of development, which have been developed with William Ross Architects. The first stage will involve the building of two new undercover courts and a new campus heart (and outdoor, undercover area with seating and landscaping). 

Second, from Lisa Harkin’s Principal’s Presentation we learnt about strategies that are been used to address the ongoing teacher shortage; the activities and events planned for the ‘50 Years Celebrations’ for the College in 2025; the bushfire safety and VCE exam audits that have been conducted; and the changes regarding Headstart, which include only taking place for VCE students and with reduced number of days. We also learnt more about the Showcase Evening for Year 7 –10 LEAP Passion Projects and Performing Arts; and the launching of the Re-Engagement through Active Learning (REAL) Program for five Year 7 and 8 students. 

Third, the Deputy Principal of Professional Culture and Growth, Georgie Beekhof, shared with us about the Thrive at Work framework and how it is being used to enhance staff wellbeing. It is an evidence-based framework with action plans for each of its three pillars, which include (a) Mitigating Illness, (b) Preventing Harm, and (c) Promoting Thriving.