Deputy Principal 

The Confident Future We Offer

Each day, I turn left onto Cremorne Rd from Gympie Rd and glance at the Mount Alvernia College billboard that sits atop the signpost. The words I am drawn to each time are ‘A Confident Future.’  As a staff member who loves coming to school each day, I can certainly relate to this statement! However, it must be remembered that ‘A Confident Future’ is an aspiration and not a guarantee. The confident future our College so willingly offers requires a concerted effort from our students across a number of domains. For my newsletter excerpt this week, I thought I would share my confident future moments. 

In Week 1, I had the privilege of working with ten Year 10 students and their families to determine their senior pathway – choosing a suite of subjects to build a yellow brick road of knowledge and skills for further study or the world of work. It was wonderful to be part of the three-way partnership with student, family and College and to witness the spark that ignites in these meetings for our young people. The agency we provide them to determine their future is supported by a SET Plan Team who have spent weeks in training to provide the advice they need.   

Each Wednesday afternoon from my office window, I observe many students leave the Picnic Rug heading off to the buses for their CaSSSA sport fixture. Our students are provided with a variety of sports each term and are encouraged to try new things every day. They are coached and expertly guided by current staff and alumnae to grow their skills. They make new friends. They deal with disappointment. They celebrate wins. They work as a team. They accept the decisions of the referee. They go home, exhausted, and get stuck into homework.

In Week 2, I had the honour of sitting with Samantha Jensen and Richard Rogusz to interview many of the Year 11 students who have applied for consideration as House or Portfolio Captain for 2025. Wow! To say I am excited for 2025 is an understatement! Our students conducted themselves with such professionalism and enthusiasm. Their ideas are big. Their willingness to create a college culture that is free of judgement and the openness to be vulnerable and spirit-filled was palpable. This was also evident as I hosted my first Student Representative Council meeting, listening to and engaging with all peer-nominated year level and House leaders. This term of Cultural Festival is keeping everyone on their toes for all the right reasons. Stepping in. Stepping up. Tabling ideas. Backing each other.

This week, I witnessed two moments that assured me of our confident future. On Thursday, our Academic Excellence and Improvement Assembly acknowledged the hard work and dedication of students in Semester 1 2024 who have achieved subject results with a GPA average of 12.5 (B+) or higher. The domain with the highest number of students across our three domains – bronze, silver and gold – was gold with a GPA average of 13.5 (A) or higher.  This does not include senior students whose results are still not final, so we know there is only upside here. Academic Improvement – acknowledging growth of 1 GPA point or more from Semester 2 2023 to Semester 1 2024 – saw the highest number of students ever in the improvement sector of 2.5 GPA points or more.  (Academic Improvement is one of my favourites.  

It shows a student’s resolve to get over a set back from the previous semester and turn things around or to simply dig deep to see how well they can truly grow.) The second moment was the privilege of a front row seat to watch the entirely student-led production of ‘Alice @ Wonderland’. Students acting, directing, producing, set-designing, costume-creating and working so well as a team. The incredible and resolute staff who gave countless hours of their own time to support our students in this production shows our commitment to backing our young people with their big ideas.  The audience were captivated from start to end. 

Mount Alvernia offers our young people every opportunity to guarantee their confident future. I hope they are taking advantage of the many opportunities available to them within all domains of school life.