From our Principal

Reflections from Serving in the College Café

Yesterday, I served in the College Café over recess. I was met by so many smiling, happy and respectful students. I was impressed by the manners all students displayed in that moment. So many of them asked for their orders with a please and a thank you. This may seem like a small thing but for me, it spoke to the respect they have for themselves, their families and our community.

Respect and good manners are the foundation of a thriving school environment. When students treat each other and staff with kindness and courtesy, it creates a safe and welcoming space where everyone can learn and grow. These values not only strengthen relationships within Marist-Sion College but also prepare students to be thoughtful, responsible members of the wider community. We have incredible students at Marist-Sion.

Our Vision

At Marist-Sion College, students experience an education where they are known and loved, grow as life-long learners and live as active citizens inspired by the principles of Catholic Social Teaching.

Our Commitment to Action: Catholic Identity

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

2025 Principals’ Association of Victorian Catholic Secondary Schools (PAVCSS) Annual Conference – Synodality: The Pilgrim’s Compass

The 2025 PAVCSS Annual Conference, titled “Synodality: The Pilgrim’s Compass,” was held from 3 – 6 June 2025 at the RACV Goldfields Resort in Creswick. It brought together Catholic Secondary School Principals and Leaders from across Victoria and was presented by the PAVCSS. The Conference drew inspiration from Pope Francis’s call for a synodal Church and the upcoming Jubilee Year. The conference brought together over 70 Catholic educational leaders to reflect on their shared journey of faith, leadership, and hope.

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.

Executive Formation Experience – Sion Charism

On Friday 13 June, we travelled to Our Lady of Sion College, Box Hill to join with the Executive Teams from Catholic College, Sale and Our Lady of Sion College, Box Hill to participate in a full day formation experience with Ms Fiona Dyball (Mission Coordinator) and Mr Mark Walsh (Formation Leader) for the Sisters of Our Lady of Sion. It was a very special day exploring our Sionian Spirituality as a journey towards Jesus and God.

50 Years Celebration Performance Evening

The 50 Years Performance Evening was such a memorable celebration. The event was a powerful reflection of our inclusive and vibrant Performing Arts program — a space where all students are welcomed, celebrated and encouraged to thrive.

Mrs Louise Haley (Learning Leader – Music Performance) and Ms Sharryn Marshall (Learning Leader Performing Arts) put together a brilliant show with the support of Serena Peregin, Sarah Wilhelms and Daniel Holland. Their leadership, creativity elevated the program to such heights.

The performance was enriched by so many who contributed — from conductors, performers and backstage crew to those assisting behind the scenes and cheering from the audience. Your presence and participation embody the spirit of Marist-Sion: one of welcome and community.

Our Commitment to Action: Learning and Teaching

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

Year 10 Work Experience and Work Placement

Our Year 10 students are out on work placement and we are receiving many positive commendations on their engagement in this learning experience. Thank you to Mrs Elly Martin and Mr Mark Paynter who have managed the administration and processing connected with work placement. We anticipate around 10 students who will attend the School Supervised Work Placement Program on site contributing to various community service tasks.

VCE Teacher Guide: Assessment Practices and Annotations

Mrs Jenna Dore (Director of Senior Learning) has developed a VCE Teacher Guide for Assessment Practices and Annotations to support consistent teacher practice. According to the VCAA, feedback refers to information given to students to support their learning and improvement. It guides students on how they can improve performance, clarify misunderstandings, and reinforce strengths.

Re-engagement in Active Learning (REAL) Program

REAL students were recently presented with their own REAL uniform. Each student printed their name on the back of their shirt as a mark of their dedication and establishment in the program.

Teaching Sprints – Numeracy Focus

The Teaching Sprints this term had a numeracy focus. Staff have explored ways to explicitly teach numeracy to students.

New Subject Proposals – Introduction of French from 2026

The College invited the teaching staff to put forward suggestions for new subjects available to students from 2026. After proceeding through a consultation process, French was accepted as a subject to be introduced to Year 7 students in 2026, with the intention of it building through the year levels, a year at a time.

Learning Walks

As part of our continuous improvement, the Executive Team and other Senior Leaders have conducted Learning Walks. Some of the shared highlights are Year 12 Legal Studies students who stepped into roles of legal professionals, Year 9 Agriculture and Horticulture who were bottle-feeding the calves, Year 11 PE who had drawn chalk hearts on the pavement and were mirroring the flow of blood as they walked through the heart.

An Inclusive Education

This year we have been in the fortunate position to be able to expand our flexible learning opportunities and have launched three new Individual Support Programmes (ISP) to junior students. These programmes complement our Learning Enrichment and Advancement Programme (LEAP), the Maths and English Enrichment Programme (MEEP), the Tutoring Learning Initiative (TLI) and the Resilience and Engagement through Applied Learning (REAL) programme. Our ISP programme is run in our new Flexible Learning Centre, housed within our library.

Instructional Model

On Monday, we commenced working on an Instructional Model, a structured framework to design, deliver and assess pedagogy by providing a consistent lesson structure that helps ensure that educational goals are being met effectively. We have the intention of featuring and including our MSCW values, traditions and attributes, wellbeing and Catholic Identity as well as reflecting the latest theories in student engagement. Our goal is to have an instructional model ready to share with the school by December 2025 and begin its implementation in 2026.

Curriculum Innovation Proposals

The College again allocated $100,000 of this year’s budget to curriculum innovations. The aim of this resourcing is to support the provision of resources (physical resources or services) that support innovation in student learning to facilitate student achievement. In 2025, approved curriculum innovation grants will resource the following:

A Class Set of Garmin Watches
Circuit Room Equipment
Agility Training Sets
3D Printer Upgrades
Laser Cutter Upgrades
Cameras for Food Technology
Academic Enrichment Excursion – STEM Focus
USB Document Camera.

College Production – Planning is Commencing

Soon, we will finalise and announce the College Production for 2026. We look forward to putting on another high-quality production for the College community that showcases the diverse strengths of students in our community.

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.

College Library Conference and School Visits in Geelong

Recently, Mrs Jo Keating (Library and Information Services Leader) attended a conference in Geelong looking at the future of libraries across the sector. It was an incredible opportunity and the school visits in particular have piqued the interest of Jo as she further develops the offerings through the library at Marist-Sion College.

Our Commitment to Action: Leadership

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

Pedagogical Coaching at Marist-Sion College

A Pedagogical Coaching Framework and implementation plan is being developed to improve student learning outcomes by creating a culture in which reflective thinking, feedback and coaching is embedded in and improving our expert teaching practice.

Staff Wellbeing Champions

Eight staff have self-nominated as Staff Wellbeing Champions. They are a proactive team bringing to life our Staff Wellbeing Strategy and will be part of the Staff Professional Learning Day on the first day of Term 3.

Senior Leaders Workshop 2

Our Senior Leaders have participated in their second workshop with Growth Coaching International. This workshop focused on Coaching Teams towards better outcomes. This professional learning has been welcomed by leaders new to their roles.

Middle Leaders Program

Our Middle Leaders participated in a 2-day Marist Middle Leadership program, run by the Marist Formation and Development Team. Next week, our Heads of House and other key Middle Leaders in our Education Support team will participate in a one-day professional learning program to develop their skills. This program is built around three key leadership themes, blending explicit theory with interactive discussions, self-reflection, and practical coaching conversations.

Our Commitment to Action: Child Safety

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

Gippsland Cross Country

We had success during the Gippsland Cross Country event at Drouin Golf Course! The following results were standouts from the day’s races:

Under 14 Girls came 1st in their category
- Tiffy: 3rd overall
- Marley: 4th overall
Under 13 Boys came 2nd in their category
- Taj: 4th overall
Under 16 Girls came 3rd in their category
- Grace: 1st overall
Under 16 Boys
- Tyler: 3rd overall

Rocky Trails Academy BMX Racing

We had close to 30 students sign up for the Rocky Trails Academy BMX racing on the Mornington Peninsula, with some of them producing an amazing result inside the top 10.

Tahj: 5th in Junior Boys
Cooper: 8th in Junior Boys
Dane: 8th in Senior Boys
Grace: 3rd in Senior Girls

Senior SSV Football Team

We walked away with four wins from four matches in the Boys competition, meaning that we move through to the next round in a couple of weeks’ time. It was a great final match against Lowanna College with our boys showing real grit and composure to get the win.

Child Safety Risk – Student Meeting

Each term, Senior Leaders meet with student leaders to support our Child Safe Culture. The focused meeting provides an opportunity for student voice and builds student agency.

2026 Subject Selection Showcase

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.

Our Commitment to Action: Stewardship of Resources

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

Campus Heart Project

Four companies tendered submissions for the Campus Heart. Students will notice the hoardings will be erected over the holidays for this exciting project to be completed over Term 3.

Farewell Leonie Broeren – 10 Years Service

It is with deep gratitude and warm wishes that we farewell Leonie, who has been a valued member of the Marist-Sion College community since 2015. Leonie first joined us as a receptionist, with her daughter Molly already enrolled and three more children to follow through the gates of Marist-Sion. Her presence at the College has been more than professional — it has been personal and deeply connected to our community. With Elijah completing Year 12 this year, Leonie’s journey with us spans a full decade of service and family life. Best wishes Leonie.

Pilgrims of Hope – Look beyond.

Ms Lisa Harkin

Principal