From our Principal

Dear Parents, Guardians and Carers

There’s been much to celebrate over the past month.

Child Safety

We commit to sustaining and improving our child safe practices and culture.

Marist Netball Carnival

Our girls have made us proud at the Marist Netball Carnival in Adelaide. After a warm welcome with a smoking ceremony and mass, they kicked off with 6 wins out of 8 games. They qualified for the Champions Division and showed real determination throughout. A comeback win over Cardijn (22–13) took them to the 5th/6th playoff, where they defeated Catholic College Bendigo with a goal after the siren.

I would like to thank Head Coaches Mrs Lexie Fenton and Mrs Tammy Barnes for their expertise and passion, which were instrumental in the teams’ successes. A special thanks also to Ms April Bethune for her invaluable assistance throughout the tournament.

These competitions highlight that we are a part of something much bigger across the Marist Network of schools nationally and internationally.

eSafety – Parent Support

eSafety has a dedicated Parents section with resources and advice to help parents and carers with online safety issues and strategies to support their child. Some resources include:

• Cyberbullying guide: This page helps parents and carers understand how they can help their child if they are being bullied. You can also download and print our cyberbullying quick guide, which has key information and advice, as well as help in Easy Read formats for people with low literacy, or with intellectual or cognitive disability.

   

• Online Safety for Every Family: These resources include short videos and easy-to-read advice sheets to encourage parents and carers to start and continue conversations with their children about online safety. There are tips about how to stay safe online, and important information about what to do if something bad happens online. The resources are available in more than 10 languages.

   

• Webinars: These live webinars give parents and carers the knowledge, skills, and tools to support their children to have safe online experiences.

Stewardship of Resources

We provide a vibrant and sustainable future for generations to come.

50 Years Anniversary – Significant Women’s Breakfast

The Significant Women’s Breakfast was a special event for us. Well over 100 people filled our College Hall, and it was a real honour to welcome and celebrate the wonderful relationships our students have with their mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, family friends and female teachers at our school. Collectively they play such an important role in nurturing and encouraging our students and fostering a sense of trust and acceptance.

Each of these women is significant not just because of their relationship with our students, but because of the emotional, intellectual, and moral impact they have. They help shape identity and values, foster self-worth and a sense of belonging during such an important time in our lives.

We were honoured to have a powerful and inspiring guest speaker whose words resonated deeply with all in attendance. Dr Jessica Vincent nee Winterton (Class of 2009) was a great ambassador for the College. Her interview with Mandy Yako, Bronte Jean, Jacynda Romano and Maddison Marx was a highlight.

It was also a privilege to welcome Jan Laverton all the way from Queensland. Jan heard about the event on Facebook. She was a part of the first cohort of Year 12s who went through the College and marvelled at all the opportunities students are afforded at Marist-Sion today. When I called her this morning, she spoke of enduring friendships from her time at school here and with glowing praise of the students who hosted the morning.

Thank you to everyone who attended and supported this celebration of remarkable women—your participation made it memorable.

We find inspiration in St Marcellin Champagnat’s relationship with Mary – a relationship that was deeply marked by an affective and total trust in her, as the Good Mother.

 

St Marcellin once wrote, “Without Mary we are nothing and with Mary we have everything, because Mary always has her adorable Son within her arms or in her heart.” Like Mary, our significant women … our mothers are the heart of our homes, our communities and our world.

Old Collegian Mentor Breakfast for Year 12 Students

Old Collegian Mentor Breakfast for Year 12 Students will be held in Lesson 1 on Wednesday 4 June 2025. We have had a strong response to the call out for mentors – there will be 17 Old Collegians sharing their story.

Catholic Identity

We activate identity and mission through Catholic Social Teaching and affirming the dignity and inclusion of all.

Reconciliation Round Marist-Sion College and St Francis Xavier College – “Past Legacies, Future Legends”

This weekend, many of you may have watched or heard about the AFL’s Sir Doug Nicholls Round. Again, I found no joy in Carlton’s performance on Saturday.

This year’s theme, “Past Legacies, Future Legends,” is a powerful reminder of the incredible contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander trailblazers – not just in footy, but in the broader story of our country.

This year marks:

• 10 years of the Sir Doug Nicholls Round
• 20 years since the Indigenous Team of the Century
• 30 years since the AFL introduced Rule 35 — the Peek Rule — to stand against racism and discrimination

In 1967, over 90% of Australians voted “Yes” to amend the Constitution to include Aboriginal people in the census and begin to address the inequalities they faced. Sir Doug Nicholls, a Yorta Yorta man and a former Fitzroy player, was instrumental in that campaign. 

As I read about his story over the weekend, I reflected on the fact that it must have been difficult for him – the only Aboriginal man in the room – after all there were other clubs he trained with but didn’t join due to racism.

At Fitzroy, only one man, Haydn Bunton, came up to him, sat beside him, welcomed him and said hello. A small act of solidarity – of mateship – that made a big difference. Bunton is the only footballer to have won the Brownlow Medal and the Sandover Medal three times each.

Bunton reminds us that reconciliation, real change, begins with our own actions. We must be people who welcome and include others, not those who uphold systems of exclusion.

Our first game against St Francis Xavier took place on a windy day at Officer Campus in June 2022. Monday's Reconciliation Round built on that tradition and was rich with symbolism planned for by Jacinta Johnston and the FIRE Carriers. This will become an annual and much anticipated event on the College calendar.

Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people walk in two worlds – the everyday world we all share, and their cultural world, rich with language, dance, kinship and ceremony. These traditions are not just history – they are alive and strong.

When players wear specially designed jumpers, they’re not just wearing a uniform. They’re wearing stories. They’re wearing Country. They’re wearing spirit.

And when we see dances on the field or hear language echo through the stadium, it’s not just for one group – it is for all of us. It’s a gift. A celebration. A chance to be proud of the world’s oldest living culture – right here in Australia.

Marist-Sion College’s Indigenous jumper, created by Mrs Julie Griffith, is full of meaning. Julie says it speaks to connection — to land, to water, to people.

For the students who workshopped the initial design in collaboration with Aunty Cheryl Drayton that became this artwork, it speaks to connection and identity. The design is representative of their totems and a cultural world that is welcomed and celebrated at Marist-Sion. They’ve also included important aspects of our Catholic identity and their experiences here through the thriving House System.

In her artist statement, Julie wrote:

“The flowing edges evoke the winding rivers and rolling mountains of Gippsland, embodying the deep connection between the land and its people.

The interconnected pathways of blue, green, and yellow suggest the movement of water and the journey of cultural exchange, linking the totems in a harmonious flow.

Subtle imprints of footprints within the landscape reinforce the presence of ancestral spirits guiding the way through Brayakoloong Country — land of the west.”

Julie’s design was sent across to Boor-oo-loo (Perth) situated on Whad-juk Boo-djar (Nyoongar Country) where, with Julie’s permission, it was adapted to fit the shape and form of the jumper. It was a brilliant day.

As Pilgrims of Hope, we are all invited to walk together – toward reconciliation, peace, and justice.

Let us open our hearts and minds. Let us listen, learn, and celebrate. And let us remember that the land, the rivers, and the skies have always spoken – and still speak – to the First Nations people of this country.

Together, we can be part of a future where all cultures are respected, where all stories are heard, and where we can proudly say: “I am from a nation where the oldest continuous culture still lives.”

Pilgrims of Hope – Look beyond.

Ms Lisa Harkin

Principal