From our Principal

Our Commitment to Action: Catholic Identity

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

Champagnat Day Mass

On the joyous Feast of St Marcellin Champagnat, we gathered in spirit and solidarity to honour the legacy of our founder. His vision of education and commitment to service continues to inspire us to nurture communities where faith, love, and learning flourish. St Marcellin’s life was a testament to the transformative power of simple acts of kindness and unwavering faith. His dedication to the least favoured, and his innovative approach to education, have laid a foundation that has stood the test of time, guiding our mission and values.

Champagnat Day – The Marist-Sion Heart and a Relic of St Marcellin

Two years ago, I met one of our neighbours who lives on Grange Street, Mr Des Nugent. Des is a parishioner at St Joseph’s Parish Warragul. Des wrote to me and introduced himself – he also introduced me to his younger brother, Daniel Francis (Frank) Nugent.

Photo: Daniel Francis (Frank) Nugent

Daniel, who is pictured in this photograph, was born in 1945 and he died from cancer in 1965 when he was 20 years old. Daniel went to Marcellin College, Bulleen. Daniel was a gifted sports man; he opened the bowling in the Marcellin First XI Cricket Team and played football for Marcellin as well.

Des explained to me that Daniel represents a small part of the story of Marist education in Australia. He had a deep trust in God and loved his family – this led him to a vocation as a Marist Brother. Des shared this letter Daniel had written to his father on Father’s Day:

Dear Dad,

I hope you and Mum and the family are well. I am writing to wish you a happy Father’s Day. You have been a good father to me Dad, you taught me my prayers, worked hard to give me the best education and make me as happy as you could. I am proud of you and grateful to you and Mum for what you have done for me. I am sorry that I did not always give you the respect you deserved, but I never stopped praying for you and I never will. I hope you can soon get home, where your first interests are, and may you have a true Father’s Day with the family. Lots of love, Frank.

PS Give Mum a kiss for me.

Photo: A Letter from Brother Daniel Francis (Frank) Nugent

I love this letter because it gives you a sense of Brother Daniel’s deep and abiding love for his father.

Like St Marcellin, Brother Daniel faced many obstacles and uncertainties in his life, yet he remained steadfast in his commitment to making Jesus known and loved. Give us the strength. Brother Daniel attributed all his accomplishments to God’s loving grace, recognising that he was merely an instrument of God’s love and mercy.

Even as he was on his death bed, Brother Daniel helped his family and fellow Brothers to understand that faith doesn’t have you believe that you will have no worries, or that you will not make mistakes, or that people you love won’t get sick.

What faith gives us is the assurance that God is good, that God can be trusted, that God won’t forget us, and however we may be feeling, God is there for us … always. We are in good hands. We are in God’s hands.

This is seeing reality, the reality that God loves us more than we could ever imagine, a God who will never give up on us. How awesome is that?

Today, the Marist-Sion Heart is symbol of our Marist heritage. It serves as a reminder of the close bonds of friendship, solidarity, and family spirit that exist within our Marist community.

Photo: The Marist-Sion Heart.

Photo: The Gifted Relic from Mr Des Nugent.

Ltyentye Apurte – Santa Teresa Immersion

A cohort of Year 10 students had the experience of a lifetime. The Ltyentye Apurte – Santa Teresa Immersion was different to a camp or a tourist visit. Students witnessed Australian Indigenous culture and language – one of the oldest, continuous cultures on the planet.

Ltyentye Apurte – Santa Teresa Immersion – Student Voice

“Immersion was a once in a lifetime experience! Every task in Santa Teresa felt like I was really making impact on the community even if I was just cleaning up a garden. Overall, it was so much fun to just spend time with our group and meet new people!” – Ruby Griffiths

“Taking time to really think about what you’re witnessing and how impactful it is to anyone who sees this part of living in Australia.” – Dane Hammond

“I am so grateful for the opportunity to visit Ltyentye Apurte and I couldn’t have asked for a better team to go with. It has been more challenging than I anticipated to settle back in, I keep reminiscing on the experience and dream of returning. I will hold many fond memories of our Immersion in my heart forever. The trip will always be one of the highlights of my life. The Immersion has given me a different view on life and inspired a different career pathway for my future. The most memorable part of the immersion for me was when we walked onto the oval, basketball courts or swimming pool, and all the children greeted us with biggest smiles on their faces. From the first moment in the community to the last, the children made us feel incredibly welcome and taught us so much.” – Charlotte Banks

“Being welcomed by everyone in the community and them not questioning us and just them accepting us and making us feel at home.” – Archie Price

Thank you to James Mazzolini (Director of Staff Development), Jacinta Johnston (Deputy Principal – Catholic Identity and Mission) and Helen Davine (Classroom Teacher) who will accompany the students on this 10-day experience over the term holidays.

Photo: Students and Staff on the Immersion

Marist Netball Carnival – Victorian Carnival

The Marist Netball Team has been training hard over the course of Term 1 and 2. The Marist Victorian Netball Carnival will be held in Kilmore on Monday 24 June 2024. Lexie Fenton (Classroom Teacher) and Tammy Barnes (Classroom Teacher) are coaching this team and are looking forward to the tournament.

Executive Formation Experience – Sion Charism

On Friday, the Executive Team will welcome the Catholic College, Sale and Our Lady of Sion College, Box Hill Executive Leadership Teams to participate in a full day formation experience with Mrs Carmel Crawford (Mission Coordinator) and Mr Mark Walsh (Formation Leader) for the Sisters of Our Lady of Sion.

Photo: Leaders at the Sion Gathering

50 Years Celebrations Planning Committee

The 50 Years Planning Committee has had its first meeting to plan for elements to support our 50 Years Celebrations such as:

Timeline for implementation
College Masses and Liturgies
Old collegian engagement
Current collegian engagement
College grounds as a forum for shared stories
Catholic identity markers
Marketing and promotions
Communications
Child safety

Wellbeing and Positive Behaviour Support – Professional Learning and Development Day

The Wellbeing and Positive Behaviour Support – Professional Learning and Development Day was well received by all staff at the beginning of term. Sessions focussed on developing knowledge, skills and capacity with the Tier 1 Universals that inform the Whole School Approach to Positive Behaviour Support (WSAPBS).

2024 MSA Assistant Principals' Conference

Tim Morrison (Deputy Principal – Student Learning Culture and Growth) attended the 2024 MSA Assistant Principals' Conference from 19 – 21 May 2024.

Joshua Pickett – 25 Years of Service – Catholic Education Award Recipient

Joshua Pickett (Grounds and Maintenance Officer) was recognised for 25 years of dedicated service to Catholic education in the recent Catholic Education Week celebrations.

Photo: Joshua Pickett

Our Commitment to Action: Learning and Teaching

We build expert teachers, adaptive teaching teams and collaborative expertise.

2025 Subject Selection Showcase

We welcomed approximately 600 attendees to the Marist-Sion 2025 Subject Selection Showcase Parent Information Evenings. The sessions were a collaborative effort brought together by our Directors of Learning, Michelle Lilford and Jenna Dore.

I loved seeing the interaction of students and parents/carers with Learning Leaders and expert teachers. These discussions along with the engaging displays showcased the breadth of the learning opportunities at Marist-Sion. It was excellent to see parents/carers entering conversations with enthusiasm and great interest in support of their child. We commend our students for the way they conducted themselves and were able to articulate and share their pathway aspirations.

We look forward to the upcoming Subject Selection Interviews in August. Information regarding Subject Selection Interviews will be shared with students, staff and families in the coming weeks.

Subject Selection Handbook

The 2025 MSCW Subject Selection Handbook can be found via this link. Teaching staff and learning leaders are more than happy to respond to any questions that students and parents may have through this process.

Navigating the Victorian Curriculum F – 10 Version 2.0 – Curriculum Change

Education is always evolving, and right now, we're experiencing significant evolution with the Victorian Curriculum F – 10 Version 2.0 poised for full release and the Australian Curriculum Version 9 still being implemented across states and territories. These updates are crucial to keep our educational standards relevant and effective.

The Victorian Curriculum F – 10 Version 2.0 aims to give students the best opportunity to thrive in a rapidly changing world. It reflects teacher feedback, making planning, assessing, and reporting on student learning easier. The structure remains discipline-based, with enduring and dynamic learning areas, capabilities, and cross-curriculum perspectives.

Benefits for Students

Students will be able to access the essential knowledge and skills to be successful lifelong learners. The Victorian Curriculum F – 10 Version 2.0 provides better learning transitions from the early years to primary school. It delivers necessary knowledge and skills to follow chosen senior secondary pathways. In addition, the Victorian Curriculum F – 10 Version 2.0 provides streamlined curriculum and higher-quality teaching and learning provisions.

Benefits for Teachers

The Victorian Curriculum F – 10 Version 2.0 delivers more manageable and accessible curriculum with refined content descriptions. It resolves unintentional overlap and duplication across curriculum areas. The Victorian Curriculum F – 10 Version 2.0 establishes clear achievement standards to assess student learning more efficiently. Additional curriculum resources, including a new user-friendly digital site will be accessible in the coming months.

Support from Authorities

We are not alone in this process. Authorities such as the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) and the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) are developing strong supportive documentation and professional learning programs. These resources are designed to help schools navigate the changes effectively.

Links

Approved Curriculum Innovation Proposals

The College allocated $100,000 of this year’s budget to curriculum innovations. This resourcing is available due to some savings made in expenditure in 2023. The sum of small savings in various budgets led to the possibility of some more slightly larger resourcing becoming available.

The aim of this resourcing was to support the provision of resources (physical resources or services) that support innovation in the area of student learning that facilitate student achievement.

Approved curriculum innovation proposals will resource the following:

Cameras for Food Technology
Chess Sets
Gel Electrophoresis Tanks to enhance studies of Biotechnology
3 Venco Pottery Wheels
3D Printers
3D Scanner
Laser Cutter
Power Tools for the VM Shed and Hands on Learning Program
Strength and Conditioning Training Sessions with Cooper Robbins
Ultrasonic Cleaner – large enough for our brass instruments
VR Headsets (Meta-Quest 2)

A component of successful curriculum innovation is cultivating an innovation culture and mindset among the teachers and leaders involved in the change. This means creating an environment that encourages and supports creativity, experimentation, risk taking, and learning from failure.

An innovative culture and mindset can also foster a sense of curiosity, inquiry, and exploration, as well as a willingness to challenge assumptions, question norms, and embrace change. Thank you for putting forward your curriculum innovation – I trust this will support our endeavour to improve student learning outcomes and enable student growth.

College Production – High School Musical

Rehearsals are well underway for the College Production, High School Musical. We look forward to putting on another high-quality production for the College community from Thursday 1 August to Saturday 3 August 2024.

Learning Enrichment and Advancement Program (LEAP) Challenge Day

Last Friday, our LEAP students took on an exciting Challenge Day. Working in teams, they researched and conceptualised a settlement on Mars, applying their knowledge of physics, biology, humanities, and more to create impressive presentations – there were smiles all around. Students thoroughly enjoyed the experience and are looking forward to the next Challenge Day.

Our Commitment to Action: Leadership

We are impactful leaders, building capacity and driving school improvement.

Positions of Leadership (POL) Model Confirmed

We are excited to plan for a new Positions of Leadership (POL) Model for our College community, which is set to take effect in 2024 and beyond. These roles will be advertised in the coming weeks. I am pleased to advise that 96% of those who voted supported the revised model. Only one staff member did not support the model. In their notes, this staff member acknowledged that they had not engaged with any of the published documents nor the forums that were made available to staff over the course of Terms 1 and 2. Their request was for a more equitable spread of time across Learning Leaders.

Daniel Nisbet – Deputy Principal – Wellbeing Partnerships and Safety

Daniel Nisbet commenced as Deputy Principal – Wellbeing Partnerships and Safety on Monday 29 April 2024. Daniel is a leader who works in a calm and just manner to foster genuine relationships with staff and students alike. Daniel is a Religious Education and Health and Physical Education teacher who works with a positive mindset informed by evidence-based practice.

Daniel has the following qualifications:

Bachelor of Applied Science, Human Movement (Australian Catholic University, Fitzroy)
Graduate Diploma of Education (Australian Catholic University, Fitzroy)
Master of Educational Leadership (Australian Catholic University, Fitzroy)
Accredited to Teach and Lead in a Catholic School
Mental Health First Aid Qualification.

Daniel is authentic in his relationships and has a deep commitment to his own faith. Daniel’s understanding of the Whole School Approach to Positive Behaviour Support (WSAPBS), Restorative Practices, the importance of a thriving House System and Child Safe Culture were evident at interview and through his written application. Welcome Daniel!

Photo: Dan Nisbet (Deputy Principal – Wellbeing Partnerships and Safety)

New and Returning Staff

In Term 2, we welcomed 5 new Teaching Staff to Marist-Sion College and 19 Education Support Staff. Our new staff bring with them a wealth of knowledge and experience and great enthusiasm to their roles.

Our new Teaching Staff are:

Matthew Shepherd (Subject Teacher)
Wendy Slatter (Casual Relief Teacher)
Bronwyn Moroney (Casual Relief Teacher)
Shannon Taylor (Casual Relief Teacher)
Melanie Williams (Subject Teacher)

Our new Education Support Staff are:

Emma Atherton (Learning Support Officer – Casual)
Joseph Bonnici (Instrumental Music Instructor – Casual)
James Browne (Learning Support Officer – Casual)
Christopher Hand (Technology Assistant)
Cameron Jolly (Learning Support Officer – Casual)
Carly Kitchingman (Executive Assistant to the Deputy Principals)
Angela Lambie (Academic Support Officer)
Holly McArthur (College Café Assistant – Casual)
Shaina Occhipinti (College Café Assistant – Casual)
Coby O’Hehir (Administration Officer – Casual)
Chloe Rees (Learning Support Officer)
Asun Rodrigeuz (College Café Assistant – Casual)
Tanya Rosenquist (First Aid Officer)
James Rowley (Learning Support Officer)
Krystal-Lee Stott (Agriculture and Horticulture Assistant)
Felicity Waddell (Learning Support Officer – Casual)
Barbara Walker (College Café Assistant – Casual)
Chloe Walker (College Receptionist)
Sarah Williams (Administrative Support Performing Arts – Casual)

Teacher Researcher – Monash Scholar – Susan Hopkins

Susan Hopkins (Classroom Teacher) is currently on 12 months unpaid leave to complete her PhD at Monash University. Here is Susan’s description of her study.

“Rural students’ minimum literacy levels tend to be three times lower than those of their urban counterparts and this inequality is clearly a major challenge, as well as being highly problematic for rural Victorian students across all years of formal education. It is particularly so in the final two years of secondary school, where English is a compulsory subject, determining 25% of a student’s ATAR rank. This score determines access into higher education and analysis reveals persistent, spatially mapped polarity between high- and low-ATAR secondary schools based on their distance from the city. While these measures of school achievement and literacy learning are useful in providing some broad context for this particular problem, they don’t capture or express the complex picture of rural student experience – what does it mean to learn English as a rural young person?

What might one gain and what might be lost in that language learning and development? What might this mean for academic achievement and success, health and wellbeing, post-school futures, and full engagement in adult life? The answers to these questions have serious implications for the way rural students view themselves, see their futures and navigate their place in the world. Inequitable academic outcomes, the restrictions and narrowness of a competitive senior English curriculum, and the high-stakes nature of written assessments form a significant part of this environment. All these, in turn, influence engagement, aspiration and young people’s everyday and school realities.

As a rural educator, these challenging issues have me asking questions about what schools are for, about fairness and decency, about recognition and acceptance, about knowledge and knowing and about what it means to be educated. These are all things I see as central to my work in the English classroom. My research aims to gain an understanding of the way students negotiate the language demands of senior English and to interrogate how their experience shapes their language development and their identities as particular kinds of literate young people.

The study explores the experiences of a small group of students from the school in their final year of senior English. I aim to examine the way rural students see themselves as users of language, in particular as writers, and the impact this has on their language development and literate identities as they mediate between home, school and community discourses. The project has a particular focus on how rural students come to see themselves, or not see themselves, as writers and users of language.

Our Commitment to Action: Child Safety and Student Achievement

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

Accessing Support through the College

The College has a support network for all students to assist in managing their mental health and wellbeing. Students are encouraged to seek wellbeing support from the Counselling and Wellbeing Services Team. Mrs Joanna John (Director of Counselling – Psychologist) and a team of counsellors are available five days a week to meet with students and families.

Additional support is available by contacting Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636, Lifeline on 13 11 14, Parentline Victoria on 13 22 89 or Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800. We encourage any student who feels unsafe to confide in a trusted adult or contact the College’s Child Safety Champions by emailing: ChildSafety@mscw.vic.edu.au.

State Cross Country

Congratulations to our State Cross Country representatives:

12 – 13 Years Girls – Tiffy Walsh placed 6th
12 – 13 Years Girls – Marley Nooy placed 11th
14 Years Girls – Zaria Dalton placed 8th
15 Years Girls – Grace Graafsma placed 1st
15 Years Boys – Toby Senini placed 8th
16 Years Girls – Tannah Beechey placed 5th
16 Years Boys – Luke Rollinson placed 8th

Our Commitment to Action: Stewardship of Resources

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

College Master Plan

Regular Master Planning Meetings are held with architects Williams Ross Architects. We look forward to incorporating parent/carer feedback into the forward-thinking design concepts that align with the College's vision.

Staff, parent and student consultations have been achieved. We are now completing a second round of consultation with students and staff.

Ms Lisa Harkin

Principal