Newsletter 29 March 2022

From the Principal

Staying motivated in challenging times

It’s worth reflecting on the fact that this eleven week term is the longest consecutive period that students have been at school since Term 4 in 2019 (which incidentally was an 8 week Term)!

The habits of managing energy so that concentration and focus can continue unabated has been challenging for students throughout Victoria, especially given the presence of the Omicron variant and the uncertainty of becoming unwell or a household contact. To put it bluntly – it’s been a tough term for our students. That said, the very vast majority have kept themselves as engaged as they could have and we’ve been appreciative of parents/carers who’ve managed their child’s energy levels carefully over this time.

The schools holidays will be a welcome break for everyone, and while it is likely that Term 2 will see more uncertainty and disruption given the coalescence of an omicron surge and the usual flu season, we will continue to do our best, together, to manage student health and capacity for learning as best we can.

Talk about uncertainty with your teens

The impact of uncertainty for everyone, let along teens, is fatigue – mental, physical and emotional fatigue. Talking about the unknown, including how debilitating it can be and normalising potential responses is important for everyone. Indeed, if the cumulation of so much uncertainty becomes too much for some in your household, make dedicated time-out a priority for yourselves and your children – a day off here and there at times like these will rejuvenate and refocus matters in helpful ways and produce better outcomes rather than simply allowing fatigue (physical, mental and emotional) to grind things down. If responding to your child’s needs becomes too much, reach out!

Our expertise is teens!

Our expertise is teenagers (!) and a conversation with one of our professional, caring staff might just provide the insight that you need to help your child be the best they can be at this time. Give yourself a break & reach out - we (the staff at Assumption) are constantly exposed to the current research and best practice around teen health (mental, emotional and physical) and are pleased to work with you to help you to help your child to thrive – it’s our job! Helping you to help your team (a) makes us a team, (b) ensures you area also accessing expertise, (c) makes all our jobs easier!

Normalising remote learning and work

Many (many!) of our parents are still in remote work or hybrid work situations and workplaces are increasingly talking about flexible work arrangements for staff. Universities and TAFEs have ‘pivoted’ to online courses and are likely never to return to fully onsite courses. Schools too are recognizing the value to being able to provide online learning for student for periods or in specific scenarios. It would be immoral of schools now to renege their duty to help prepare our students to work and study more independently. The improvement in NAPLAN and VCE data over the past few years has demonstrated that learning levels can be enhanced when flexibility is introduced.

All this is by way of saying that it is our responsibility to continue to offer opportunities for students to study ‘anywhere, anytime’. We won’t be offering everything online, but you should expect to see more of this style of learning built into our programs. We are currently investigating whether a small number of myMAP subjects could be offered as online courses and whether flexible or asynchronous learning days should be scheduled into our calendar in future years. We’ll ask for feedback in the months ahead as we continue to endeavour to shape a schooling experience that looks forward and offers our students the very best of what learning can be.

Lent is like a spiritual bootcamp

We’re deep in Lent now, which is the 40 days leading into the Easter celebrations. Lent is a time for us to examine those areas in our life where there’s room for personal improvement – whether in our attitude, our actions, our giving, our capacity to show kindness, the generosity of our spirit and our capacity to put others before ourselves. Having examined our life, it’s a time for exercising the muscles that bring us into alignment with the Gospel – respect, love, peace, joy and forgiveness. Some people give something up (eg. sugar, swearing, meat) as an outward sign of the inner efforts they’re making to improve themselves. Traditionally, Lent is a time of generous giving to those in deeper need and our focus on the work of Caritas Australia this year has yielded some very generous giving from students. If you need some inspiration in this space, check out the work of Caritas Ukraine (on any social media) – our fundraising for Caritas Australia will directly support the work of the fabulous team on the ground in Ukraine.

Loving God, unsettle my heart and let me be more fully what the world needs. Let me be generous and joyful, while courageously preparing for the celebration of Easter. Let me be better, and more and more like You each day. Amen.

Ms Kate Fogarty

Principal

Open Evening Thank You

It was great to see so many new families come through our Open Evening last Monday night.  In what was a beautiful autumn evening, our students and teachers showcased the amazing opportunities that our school has to offer for prospective students and families.  A huge thank you to all those that assisted on the evening; teachers, students, staff, property and maintenance, and of course those wonderful parent helpers.

If you know of someone who is interested in enrolling their child, visit https://www.assumption.vic.edu.au/enrolment/apply-now

The Development and Marketing team

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From the Student Leaders

International Women's Day

This year on International Womens day, the theme was #BreakTheBias.  Our student leaders organised for staff and students to pledge their support towards equality for women, calling out bias, smashing stereotypes, breaking inequality and rejecting discrimination. Watch their video below.

Boarding Update

Boarding commenced for 2022 with a rocky start with all the unanticipated restrictions but there’s been moments of excitement which helped take away from this slightly messy beginning of the year.

In the Marist Way of Maintaining Family Spirit within our boarding community, we took to our dynamic outside areas that have been adapted into collaborative study areas, breakfast and dinner facilities and of course the continued use of our famous nightly downball games.

As movement indoors has been limited in the hope to keep us safe, the celebrations of outside activities have been in full force as we take advantage of the limited good weather here in Kilmore.  Activities consisting of a homemade water slide, a little catching practice with Mr Toohey’s tennis ball machine and we must not forget our personal outside cinema, complements of Mr Morris's handy skills of building our trusty screen.

Our school year so far has been a bit of a roller coaster but the highs here in our Boarding Community make it all worthwhile.

I can’t wait to have more fun things happen and create many more memories.

Lilly Pickett
2022 Boarding Captain

Our Marist Catholic Tradition

Our Easter Journey

From a Faith and Mission perspective, first term at Assumption always coincides with the traditional Church Season of Lent. Based on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, we invite the community to take this time to reflect on the world around us, go without something that we usually take for granted, and then give generously to those in need. This is made real in our support of Caritas’ Project Compassion. The distinct little collection box that is produced each morning by a teacher at school, or the constant badgering by a student leader carrying an eftpos machine is a reminder that over the 40 days leading up to the holidays, we are challenged to go beyond who we are at the moment and become something more.

The irony within the Christian framework is that we become more by becoming less.

While prayer time takes us away from completing urgent tasks, giving something up diminishes what we would otherwise consume, and giving something away lessens what we have, in fact by doing all these things we become bigger, better versions of ourselves.

Project Compassion asks us to be generous and give of what we have to others who have not. To be selfless and put others before ourselves. Done reflectively, it also asks us to stop and look at the world beyond to ask why are there people and places in such need in the first place? And so it challenges us to respond in action, not simply through the giving of money.

Our term finishes with the traditional Easter Vigil. Using song, dance, performance and student reflections, we re-tell the story of Jesus’ selfless journey to the Cross. It begins with a simple meal and ends with the epic story of Jesus’ resurrection. You might like to take time to reflect on this journey through Holy week using the links below.

Mr Paul Reed
Mission Leader

Neale Daniher Community and Sports Pavilion

The Neale Daniher Community and Sports pavilion has been made possible through the generosity of past students, friends, families and suppliers who have contributed to the Building Greatness Appeal.

It is almost time for us to officially open this space. It's not too late to RSVP. If you are free to attend on Friday 29 April from 12.45pm, please click here and book your tickets today.  We look forward to seeing you all there.

Student Achievements

Cooper York - Year 10

Congratulations to Cooper York who currently plays for the Victoria Country Under-16 Men’s team.  He has been selected to represent the state and will head to the 2022 Australian Junior Championships to be held this July in Perth.  Well done on your selection Cooper.

NAB League - Boys and Girls

Congratulations to all the students selected in the NAB Boys League sides for the upcoming season, Hugo Garcia, Maison Goodman, Cooper Harvey, Blair Huggins, Jedd Longmire, Will O'Dwyer-Richards, Tom O'Sullivan and Harry Rowston. 

And to Heidi Woodley and Maddison Ford in the Girls NAB League sides being a part of the strong Calder Cannons team who begin their finals campaign on Thursday 31 March.

It is a wonderful achievement and effort to be apart of the premier pathway to the AFL along with ACK Football. Well done to all.

Kindness Thanks

A huge shout out to all families that made a donation recently towards the online Lismore Flood Appeal. A total of $4,000 was raised for Trinity College Lismore.  The funds will help support the college community in rebuilding their school and most importantly the lives of the people who are Trinity Catholic College.

We are also still collecting money on behalf of Caritas. Funds will go towards supporting Caritas' global aid, especially their work in Ukraine. To make a contribution, please visit https://assumption.vic.edu.au/caritas22 or make a donation at our reception. 

Come visit us at the Seymour Expo

We will be located in the General Exhibition Building - come and say hello on Friday to Sunday 1 - 3 April 2022! Our College will be highlighting our curriculum and learning. You can also see future plans.

Save the Date - Mother's Day

Before you know it, May will be here. We therefore want all those that are mums or play the role of mum to save the dates below. We would love to see you at one or both of these wonderful and special Mother's Day events.

On Wednesday 4 May there will be a Mothers Day Luncheon held at the Marhles Restaurant. On Friday 6 May, Assumption will be hosting a Mothers day Breakfast with St Patricks Catholic Primary School from 7.30am.

Tickets will be made available on TryBooking in April. Keep an eye out.

Alumni call out

Are you a past student? We would love to hear from you and feature you within the next edition of Shandon Calls.  If you have a story to tell please get in touch with Kate Boulton, Marketing and Community Relations Officer, Alumni@assumption.vic.edu.au

To read the Autumn 2021 copy of Shandon Calls please click here.

Financial Assistance - CSEF

The Victorian State Government’s Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) helps ensure no student will miss out on the opportunity to join educational activities. CSEF is provided to assist eligible families to cover the costs of school trips, camps and sporting activities. If you hold a valid means-tested concession card or are a temporary foster parent, you may be eligible. New applicants should contact the school to obtain a CSEF application form or download from HERE. If you have previously applied you do not need to complete a new application. You only need to do so if your child has enrolled at a new school or family circumstances have changed.

A Message from the Bus Service

Does  your child need to catch the private bus?  If so contact Dianne Fitzgerald, our Bus Coordinator, on email bus@assumption.vic.edu.au or phone (03) 5783 5095 to see what options are currently available.

If you have a child that uses the bus service, please remind them to always wear a seat belt. Using seat belts is mandatory for all students travelling in a bus fitted with them. We are committed to the health and safety of all students.

Community News

Easter in St Patrick’s Parish, Kilmore

St Patricks Parish are looking for volunteers to help with the Holy Week and Easter Ceremonies. If anyone would like to be a reader or help in any way at the Holy Thursday Evening Mass (14 April), Good Friday Ceremonies (15 April), Easter Vigil on Saturday night (16 April) or the Sunday masses (17 April), please call the Parish on 5782 1084.

2022 Student Residential Address data collection

Each year, schools are asked to submit their Student Residential Address and Other Information (SES) data.  The information collected from schools is used by the Australian Government to assess the capacity of school communities to contribute to the recurrent costs of schooling in order to move towards a fairer, needs-based funding model for non-government schools.  The Australian Government requests that schools send parents/guardians a copy of the 2022 Student Residential Address and Other Information Collection Notice. 

Learning to Drive?

Is your child getting ready to learn how to drive? Below are the L2P Applications and Handbook on the current guidelines and processes required to obtain a drivers licence.