From the Principal

Dear Parents and Carers,

We trust that your daughter’s are now fully into the rhythm of a new semester and the joy and challenges that this brings! 

Again, our campus has been a hive of activity, of connection, laughter, and learning. Our year of JOY continues to deliver in all manner of ways. There are so many to share, but one recent example was sharing with a group of 30 students who were key stakeholders in the Design Consultation process early last year as part of our new Library Building Project.

Comprising of Design students, History students, and our Mt A Mob, this group workshopped together in 2024 with our m3 architects, URBIS, and Burrundi Design Studio in a process of identifying and imagining a new library for our shared future. This process was undertaken in partnership with a commitment to “Designing with Country” in keeping with our Franciscan tradition. 

It has been a unique and richly rewarding process for all involved. On Tuesday this week, Ben Vielle from m3architecture visited the College to share with our students, the resolved renders, and a spectacular ‘fly through’ of the new building. The gasps of ‘awe and wonder’ from the students was palpable! Whilst our current senior students will not directly reap the benefits of this beautiful new building, they can be immensely proud of the vision and contribution they have made to the project. It was a reminder of that wonderful Greek proverb “A society grows great when elders plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.” Thank you to all our students who have been part of this especially important consultation process and to Mr Rogusz for assisting in the facilitation of the workshops and reunion this week!

Another JOY moment I savoured was during our Academic Excellence Assembly on Thursday. Again, another semester of record-breaking numbers of students excelling in their learning and realising the power and magic of incremental gains, effort, and personal bests. Congratulations to every student who received an award on Thursday. It has been a joy to be witness to your engagement with learning, your growing self-belief and the effort that underpins all. Impressively, a number of students acknowledged were students new to Mt A in the past 12 months and students who were committed (with their parents) to find an environment in which they can thrive. To that end, I would also like to acknowledge the exceptional teaching and learning, continued mentorship, and support shown by our educators and support staff here at the college. What a wonderful synergy we have!

My final JOY moment to share from this week is a JOY we get to experience a few times each year on our GROW IT FORWARD days. I acknowledge and thank the participation of our Sprout Squad, Ms Sims and Mr Pratt for their time and effort into providing a bounty of delicious produce from La Foresta to our community.

RESPECT, COMMUNICATION AND TRUST – THE ROLE WE PLAY AS ADULTS

As Parents and carers, your decision to entrust your daughter to attend a school steeped in the Catholic Franciscan tradition has been founded in a values alignment. Similarly, we acknowledge the enormous privilege and responsibility that has been given to us here at Mt A to reciprocate, animate and embody these values throughout your daughter’s journey here.

Each year, there is much to unpack with our students about the type of person we aim to shape and graduate here at the college. Respectful relationship is fundamental to a thriving and compassionate community and the cornerstone of a Franciscan education. For our young people, it can at times be a work in progress – as adolescents they are still learning the ways in which to navigate their relationships with peers and to regulate their emotions and responses. To model the ‘right way’ for our girls is central to our roles as educators and as parents. 

Whilst I have not had to address this matter in the last 2 years, recently, I have been disappointed to have staff distressed by emails they have received from a parent or carer. The keyboard warrior is a well-known archetype, and sadly in our ‘click and go’ society, it is far too easy for individuals to hide behind hurtful, heightened, and emotive words on a screen without the human recipient in front of them. At Mount Alvernia College, we recognise that there will be times when parents and carers may feel upset, aggrieved, or disappointed. On those occasions where there is distress and emotion, we ask that you make a phone call or seek an appointment to speak with someone at the College who can assist you. This request would also stand for concerns that are exchanged or expressed on social media. We would also ask you to default to a position of ‘trust the process,’ ‘trust good intent,’ ‘trust the advice’ when it comes to work of our staff and college more broadly. We are extremely blessed at Mt A to have an exceptional, accomplished cohort of educators and support personnel who are dedicated, compassionate and have the best interests of your daughter in mind. We are on the same team!

In a context (nationally and internationally) where many teachers are leaving the teaching profession, and where WHS legislation is now in place to protect employees from psychosocial hazards – I would ask that we work together to ensure that our communication is appropriate and respectful, even when things are not travelling according to our expectation or wishes. There are appropriate forums and ways to ask questions, raise concerns or to simply be curious. Please refer to our Communication Protocols on MyMtA for further information. 

On that note, I want to thank and acknowledge the VAST majority of our parent community for your ongoing partnership and effective communication and dialogue. We love working with you!

In our spirit of progress not perfection in all that we do, I share with you this beautiful quote from Fr Richard Rohr OFM

“The greatest enemy of ordinary goodness and joy is not imperfection, but the demand for some supposed perfection.”

Peace and all good,

Samantha Jensen

Principal