Ms Angela Romano -
Term 2 has kicked off to a wonderful start at Marian College. It continues to be a privilege to lead a community that places faith, dignity and care for others at the centre of all we do. I am constantly inspired by the strength, kindness and spirit shown by our students, staff and families as together we continue to shape the life and future of Marian College.
An important focus so far this term has been the development of our next 4-year Strategic Plan. Through a series of consultation workshops and conversations involving staff, students and parents, we have begun shaping a future-focused direction for the College. These discussions have provided valuable insight into the hopes, aspirations and priorities of our community, ensuring the Plan reflects both who we are today and the future we wish to build together. This process continues to be grounded in our Kildare values and our commitment to creating a thriving and inclusive learning environment for every student.
Alongside this future planning, Marian has continued to foster strong community connection through a range of meaningful events. Our recent Mother’s Day Breakfast was a wonderful celebration of the significant women in the lives of our students. The event brought families together in a warm and joyful atmosphere, highlighting the importance of gratitude, connection and community.
We were also delighted to host Alumnae events, welcoming former students back to Marian. It was wonderful to reconnect with past students; hear their stories and celebrate the enduring connection many continue to hold with the College. Events such as these strengthen the ties between Marian’s past and present and remind us of the lasting impact of a Marian education.
As we journey through the remainder of the term, may we continue to be guided by the words from Micah 6:8:
“Act justly, love tenderly, and walk humbly with your God.”
May this spirit continue to shape our community and strengthen the care we show for one another each day.
With Strength & Kindness
"Even to your old age I am your God. Even when your hair turns gray, I will carry you. I have always supported you, and I will continue. I will carry you to safety." - Isaiah 46:4
Let us pray together...
Glory be to the Father
And to the Son
And to the Holy Spirit
As it was in the beginning
Is now and ever shall be
World without end.
Amen
Ms Kerrie Williams - Assistant Principal : Wellbeing -
As we head towards the middle of term 2 and the days seem to be getting shorter as we move closer to the darkness of winter, it is an opportunity to acknowledge the many things that have been happening in the first part of of the year.
Our re-established Parent Child Safety Sub-Committee had our first meeting on Wednesday 6th May.
This Committee has been reformed this year with the focus on our Child Safeguarding processes and procedures so that our parents can add input from a parent point of view to compliment the work done in this space at the College.
The Committee commended the College's work ensuring that over the past two years all Child Safeguarding policies have been reviewed and updated to ensure compliance with the various governing bodies that oversee this aspect of the College.
The Committee are very keen to see what is happening on a day-to-day basis. They would like to focus on areas such as our Bullying and Harassment and Digital Citizenship Policy and how we approach breaches of these policies, as they reflect how we are also keeping our young people safe and protected. They would also like to speak to some students about how they feel about safety on a day-to-day basis at school.
We look forward to sharing insights into their work in further editions of the newsletter.
On Tuesday 12th May we welcomed Sarah Morgante from One Red Apple back to the College to present to our staff in our all staff meeting. Sarah's session focused on Child Safeguarding and helped staff unpack our Child Safety Code of Conduct Policy.
The policy outlines to staff acceptable and unacceptable behaviours and how our actions support the safety of the young people in our care.
Staff identified scenarios where behaviours was inappropriate and why and what we as a community can do to ensure that inappropriate behaviour in any form is not part of how we operate as a staff or community.
We have had a focus for 2026 on Child Safeguarding and working towards a culture of not just saying it is important but living in it each and every day.
This will continue to be part of our Professional Learning over the course of the year.
Our school cares about the safety and wellbeing of our students and their families. Sometimes things at home or in a relationship are not OK or families can be worried about the wellbeing of their children or young people.
The Orange Door can help you to get the support you need, quickly and easily. It is free and you don’t need a referral. They provide support for concerns with parenting, relationships, and family violence.
The Orange Door is a free intake and assessment service for:
Each Orange Door location across Victoria has their own phone number and email.
Students and their families can also visit their local Orange Door in person for support, Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm for support.
No appointment is needed.
To find your local service, see: The Orange Door – Support near you.
How schools connect with The Orange Door Our school might talk to a student and/or their family about The Orange Door.
We might encourage them to contact their local Orange Door to get advice and help if needed.
This service is here to support our families when they are the most vulnerable.
I would like to mention the importance of days such as this when we talk about building community and team spirit.
It is important for all members of our community to feel connected and days such as this allow us to build on COMMUNITY.
What a difference a week makes
It was deeply disappointing that we needed to postpone the day due to the weather. We need to identify this day at the end of 2025, and the weather was amazing in the week either side of this day but last week the weather Gods were not so kind.
We look forward to the School Executive team finding an alternative date for this event some time later in the year when the warmer weather seems to be kinder to us.
On Wednesday 3rd June we will hold our first Sudanese and Burmese Information Evenings for 2026. The evening will take place between 6.00pm and 7.30 pm.
The focus of the evening will be on Parent Engagement and what we as a school can do to support our families to ensure that our students are succeeding and flourishing in their learning and wellbeing.
With the warmer weather many of our students continue to wear their summer dresses and while this is fine if students are wearing either school pants or winter skirts, they should be also wearing the following:
A reminder about grooming expectations:
Staff have been asked to follow these concerns up and students who cannot correct their uniform concern can be removed or sent home.
A reminder to all of our families dropping off and picking up students at the beginning or end of the day that this should not take place in our bus zones or on Glengala road as it impacts on the movement of our buses. We have car parks next to St Paul's Church for these purposes. Remember that this is a shared road and we should not blocking traffic. We thank you for your support with this.
A reminder to all our families of the obligation to inform us of any student absence and to explain that absence. Sadly, for our Student Receptionist on many occasions when we begin to follow up absences at the beginning of the day, many families do not contact the school to explain the absence.
It is a legal obligation from parents to explain student absences.
Students should also bring to school Doctor’s Certificates if they have them to explain their absence or a written note from home for years 7-10.
For VCE a Doctor’s Certificate is an expectation to explain absences.
Over the course of the term many students may have brought home an Attendance Follow up sheet from their homeroom teacher asking them to explain absences. These need to be returned to homeroom teachers.
However, our preference would be for these not to be sent home as parents have explained all the absences on the day that they occur.
For students with significant unexplained absences, our Attendance Officer is now in the process of sending attendance letters home.
We thank all our families who support our processes.
We have noticed over the course of the first part of the year, that an increasing number of students are coming late during homeroom. Sometimes this lateness is due to our school buses being caught in traffic and we recognise and understand this. However, the students we are referring to are students who do not travel on school buses but are just late. This impacts on student attendance and at VCE has an impact on expectations for each unit.
As we move towards the middle part of the year, we will begin analysing this data and following up with students who are consistently late and try to address the reasons why.
For many of our senior students they would not be consistently late for work, so we are unsure as to why it is okay to be late for school.
As we head towards the middle of the year and we balance this with the darkness that winter brings, may we remember that there is light at the end of that darkness for us all….
In the meantime, take care of yourself and do something that nourishes your own wellbeing and self-care. Walking the dog, reading, cooking or just a quiet moment to think. Whatever works for you remember YOU matter.
Mr Robert Herrera -
Year 12 Retreat
We were blessed to once again be able to provide an overnight retreat for our Year 12 students, with a combination of outdoor and indoor activities that students were able to escape from day to day life and immerse themselves in the retreat. Throughout the retreat, the question from scripture “who do you say I am” stayed with us- inviting each of us to pause and reflect on our own personal response.
Quotes from students
The highlight of the retreat was…..
sharing very special moments with not only my friends but my entire cohort.
Doing things i enjoy, being with friends and having that escape to settle my mind
Visit to Marian His Eminence Cardinal Charles Bo from Myanmar
Marian College was delighted to welcome His Eminence Cardinal Charles Bo from Myanmar, with such a large Burmese student cohort it was a beautiful afternoon of reflection, laughs and challenging questions. In this year of Justice, His Eminence reminded us we all have a bit to play no matter who or where we find ourselves. We thank Catholic Mission for their partnership.
Ms Nella Cirillo -
Marian College will continue using the Thriving School Index as part of our commitment to continuous improvement and strong community partnerships. This nationally recognised, research-based survey gathers feedback from students, staff and families, helping us better understand the lived experience of our community and shape our future direction.
Your feedback is genuinely important. The insights gathered through this survey directly inform decisions about teaching and learning, student wellbeing, and the overall school experience. It allows us to reflect on what is working well and, importantly, where we can grow.
By taking part, you are helping us:
Quite simply, this process is most powerful when as many voices as possible are heard. Your perspective plays a vital role in shaping the future of Marian College.
The Thriving School Index will be open to families from 18 May to 31 May. Parents and guardians are invited to complete a short, confidential survey (approximately 10–15 minutes), with the link shared via SEQTA on 18 May.
We strongly encourage all families to participate. Your time and insights make a real difference, and we deeply value your partnership as we continue to build a connected, inclusive and thriving Marian College community.
Get ready for one of the boldest (and baldest!) fundraising events of the year The Great Marian Shave!
Throughout Term 2, donations from both students, staff and our community will unlock brave staff volunteers who have agreed to have their head or face shaved live at the Student Reflection Day Assembly on Thursday, 25 June, all in support of our ambitious $3,500 fundraising goal.
The event will be live streamed on our social channels so everyone can enjoy the fun!
Tier 1 - $1000 - Mr Chris Nicholl (Marketing & Development Manager) gets shaved
Tier 2 - $2000 - The above + Mr Robert Herera (Director of Catholic Identity and faith) gets shaved
Tier 3 - $3000 - The above + Mr Michael Cooper (Director of School Operations) get shaved
Tier 4 - $3500+ All of the above + 1 Special Mystery guest (A female member of staff!)
💥 Every dollar counts and once each fundraising target is reached, the hair comes off!
To sweeten the deal, anyone who donates $50 or more in a single transaction (student, staff or anyone from our Community!) will go into the draw to take the first ceremonial clip, choosing the staff member of their choice. ✂️
Donate Here!
Students and staff at the College can also contribute by donating at Student Reception.
Ms Joanne Scully -
The Resource Centre has been filled with creativity and enthusiasm this term, particularly through our fortnightly Book Club program led by our dedicated Teacher Librarian, Sofie Norello and supported by a team of teachers. Book Club provides students with the opportunity to share and explore new literature, engage in rich discussions and develop their reading and writing skills through fun and interactive activities.
We are thrilled to celebrate the success of our recent Short Story Competition. Congratulations to Giulietta Matina from 7 Kildare for her outstanding story, ‘A Door to a Different Dimension!’ Giulietta’s story captivated the Book Club team with its creativity and entertaining narrative, particularly the engaging opening rhyme that immediately hooked the reader’s attention.
We would like to thank all students who participated in the competition and shared their wonderful creativity and imagination with us. The quality of entries was exceptional and it was a pleasure for the team to read each submission.
Book Club runs every Tuesday (Day 2) at lunch time in the Resource Centre, and all students are warmly welcome to attend. We look forward to seeing more students involved in future competitions and activities as we continue to foster a love of reading, writing and storytelling within our school community.
Book Club Team
Discover excellence at Marian College's showcase evening. Immerse yourself in the best our College has to offer through a guided campus tour and learn why we are proud leaders in girls' education.
We will be offering three tour groups across the evening to accommodate all guests at staggered times. When making your booking, please choose the time that suits you best so we can provide you with the best possible experience.
Click the image below to book!
Ms Brigid Cooper - From the Marian College Archives
Family Dinner 1983
In 1983 Marian College held a pilot scheme to help build community. Staff reached out to families, visiting them in their homes, then inviting them to attend a Family Dinner at the College.
We’d like to visit you! We, the teachers of Marian College, would like to get to know you better not only as parents of our students, but as members of the community of West Sunshine. We would like to do this by visiting you over the next few weeks and have decided to start our programme in on particular area. With your help we hope this will be the beginning of a successful programme. You will be contacted soon and asked if we may visit you and arrange a suitable time. We look forward to seeing you!
Here are photos from the first Family Dinner held 14 September 1983, showing some of the families and staff members who took part.
It's a long time since College events have started with a sherry!
Ms Mari Eleanor -
Term 2 is in full swing, and ensembles are preparing programs for a range of College events, including the Twilight Open Evening, the Performing Arts Co-Curricular Showcase, and the end of term Assembly.
Rehearsals are continuing apace, and this wonderful musical is really coming together. We are excited to present in the first week of August - watch this space!
Roberto Salazar teaches piano/keyboard, singing, guitar, and drums, and our Rock Band. Information brochures are available from the Performing Arts office at Recess and Lunch, or from Performing Arts teachers.
The Choir is preparing repertoire for a range of performances this term, including the Twilight Open Evening, our Performing Arts Co-Curricular Program Showcase, and the end of term Assembly.
The Lunchtime Concert Band and the Senior Concert Band and will rehearse on alternating Thursdays for this year. Students who play flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, or bass guitar are welcome to join. An instrumental program for Year 7 students to learn Wind or Brass instruments is in the pipeline, and more information is to come. Students and parents can also contact me at the Performing Arts Office.
This ensemble will resume part way during Term 2 when our Year 7 students have completed the Ukelele lessons component of the Year 7 Music curriculum. Watch this space for more information, or ask a Music teacher.
Students have the opportunity to develop arts-based leadership skills in Performing Arts, including planning events, conducted rehearsals, and communicating with ensemble members between rehearsals. This year our leadership team is made up of the following students:
The Arts Captain: Isabelle Cresp
Production Co-Captains: Nikki Kihumba and Kiara Mammolit
Marian College Choir: Thanksgiving Brown
Concert Bands: Grace Davis
Winds Section Leader: Abigail Cresp
Brass Section Leader: Anjelina Tremoulis
Flute Choir: Cadence Le and Alicia McKerral
Play Ukelele - Zoe Brown
The Showcase will take place at 7pm in the O'Neill Auditorium on Thursday 18th June. There is no charge, and all are welcome to attend. The evening will conclude at 8,30pm and there will be performances from all ensembles, a trailer for The Addams Family, and students taking Creative Music Lessons.
If you have any questions feel free to contact me at the College.
