WOMEN OF AVE MARIA COLLEGE2022WINTER9,EDITION
1512 1418 3 Message from the Principal Ms Tanya Hutton 4 School Review Q&A Ms Tanya Hutton 5 Leadership Profile Ms Julia White 6 2022 Semester One Events House Swimming Carnival House Athletics Carnival Mission Action Day 9 Student Leadership Profile Arts Leaders Q&A 10 2022 Staff Movement 11 Teacher Profile Ms Claudia Filippone 12 AMC Programs ProjectYLead Rockit Data and Growth Team Real Schools 14 Meet our Alumnae Careers Week Panel 15 Industry Focus: Design Marissa Buttigieg (Class of 2017) Christina Spinazzola (Class of 2012) Chelsea Woodford (Class of 2013) 18 Alumnae Business Spotlight Angelique Woodburn (Class of 2002) 20 Student Achievements 22 Mother’s Day Breakfast FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA Front JacintaCover:Walker (Class of 2021) in dress made by Taylor McCarthy (Class of 2021). Back ArtworkCover:byNatalie Cachia (Class of 2021) Contents @avemariacollege@avemariacollegeaberfeldie@avemariacollege@avemariacollege 14–22 Vida Street Aberfeldie VIC 3040 phone (03) 9331 9300 email www.avemaria.vic.edu.aualumnae@avemaria.vic.edu.au 8
Finally, in this edition we are very proud to profile two of our College staff, Ms Julia White (Domain Leader – Humanities) and Ms Claudia Filippone (Visual Arts Teacher) and reflect on our sporting carnivals, Mission Action Day and various programs underway at the College in 2022. I do hope you appreciate this edition of Ave Belong and may we continue to strive for truth through love.
Yours Faithfully, Tanya the
MS TANYA HUTTON
Dear Women of Ave, Welcome to the ninth edition of our Ave Belong publication, formerly known as Women of Ave. Ave Belong aims to highlight inspiring members of the College community from the past and present, sharing the stories of our Alumnae, staff and current students. In this edition of Ave Belong, I would like to shed some light on the process of our recent School Review which provided a variety of learning experiences and opportunities to further enrich our College. This edition also explores a focus on our Visual Arts and Digital & Design Technology Domains, as we are fortunate enough to hear from three incredible Alumnae sharing an insight into their careers in the Design Industry. All three Alumnae, Christina Spinazzola (Class of 2012) and Chelsea Woodford (Class of 2013) and Marissa Buttigieg (Class of 2017), across varying graduating years speak fondly of their time at the College that led them to their passions.
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We also hear from our Alumnae Entrepreneur Angelique Woodburn (Class of 2002) who has ventured into the world of self-made business. This edition also includes a recap of our second annual Ave Alumnae Panel as a part of our Careers Week Program. This panel allowed our Year 10, 11 and 12 students to hear the diverse and interesting journeys from past students in a variety of industry fields.
Principal
PRINCIPAL Message from
• Leadership and Management led by Jo Hammer and Casey Janides, assisted by Garry Whicker Student Wellbeing led by Natalie Meddis and Joanne Thompson, assisted by Tania Stangherlin • School Community led by Leonie Rushbrook and James Vella, assisted by Melanie Maki
How was the overall experience of this year’s School Review?
Thank you for your time Tanya.
Areas of focus include further professional learning for staff in the areas of spiritual and religious formation; investigating further opportunities for student agency and engagement, with the College community building upon the work already Alongcommenced.withthis, the College will develop and adopt a clear instructional model for all learning areas as an extension to the AMC Charter for Education. Lastly, there will be a focus on enhancing teacher capacity to use data effectively in order to enhance their ability to differentiate instruction and to continue to meet the learning needs of each student.
The College is assigned two reviewers that look after both dimensions of the process. For the improvement dimension, staff at the College spent two days at the end of 2021 completing a collaborative self-reflection activity using a Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) rubric related to the following five dimensions: Religion led by Patrick Jurd and Patrick Hogan, assisted by Marisa D’Astoli • Learning and Teaching led by Michelle Robertson and Kate Molony, assisted by Sharon Walsh
This was followed by classroom visits, student, staff and parent meetings to gauge their experiences in these areas. For the compliance component, the College is provided with a list of all the policies, procedures and practices to be checked as per the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority check list. The reviewers analyze the documentation prior to their first visit. They then interview staff to verify the College practice reflects the documentation submitted.
Review Q&A
The purpose of the School Review process has two dimensions – improvement and compliance. Improvement involves a self-assessment and reflection of performance that informs planning for future growth. Compliance is comprised of an audit and verification process of minimum standards for school registration and other State and Commonwealth requirements for Catholic schools.
Clear strengths that were highlighted included our sense of identity and community, staff commitment to students, purposeful teams and structures which are collaborative, and, student appreciation of and respect for their teachers. Further, we have ensured our College environment is conducive to student engagement and have a strong commitment to continuous improvement and openness to ideas.
SCHOOL REVIEW
What are the areas of focus moving forward?
The School Review process was a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the past four years, inclusive of all changes, achievements and challenges faced. The review was a great opportunity for staff, student and parent voices to reflect on their experiences and shape the future of our College.
In 2022, Ave Maria College embarked on an extensive School Review process with the intention of reflecting on the past and discovering how to best prepare for the future of the College. Here is an insight into the process from College Principal Ms Tanya Hutton.
What is the purpose of a School Review?
SchoolQ&A
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What happens during the review process?
What were the strengths of the College highlighted in the School Review?
What is your favourite aspect of being a teacher?
What did you study in VCE?
MS JULIA WHITE
What inspired you to become a Humanities and English teacher?
“The best people you meet in life are the ones who are boldly different and challenge you to view the world in a completely different way.”
I entered Year 12 still unsure about where I was heading so I chose subjects purely based on what I was interested in learning more about. I cannot recommend this enough!
Since beginning teaching as a graduate teacher in 2017, Ms Julia White has shared her love of history with many and inspired hundreds of students to delve back into the past in order to reflect on the present and the future. In addition to her current role as Domain Leader: Humanities, Julia has taught Humanities and English across Years 7-10, VCE English, VCE Business Management – but her true passion lies in Year 12 History: Revolutions. Thank you for your time Julia. 5
There is a lot to love about being a teacher. I love when students ask wacky and weird questions that take the class in a completely different direction. I love the moment where you see it click for students and something that was once daunting and difficult is suddenly understood. I love seeing students find something to be passionate and excited about. I love the history memes – every single one!
I’m a big believer in having a few different hobbies on the go at all times. I spend my time playing tennis and futsal (to varying degrees of success), seeing every single musical theatre performance that comes to Melbourne, perfecting the ultimate potato taco recipe, listening to obscure podcasts on movies and history and bartering with friends and family to gain access to as many streaming services as possible – I almost have the full set now!
Every teacher is biased about the subjects they teach but I can conclusively say that Humanities and English are the best subjects haha! At school, these subjects opened my eyes to the world I lived in and inspired me to want to do and be better. One of the greatest things the world needs now as we move through these challenging times is empathy. Empathy is needed to understand the different experiences of those around us so that we can engage in real dialogue with them to create meaningful change. I want to be a teacher who opens the minds of the next generation and equips them with the knowledge and skills to have those difficult conversations and make that change. Humanities and English are subjects that provide the best space to achieve this.
This led me to a delightfully diverse combo of History: Revolutions, Health and Human Development, English, Maths Methods, Biology and French. I was eating croissants, learning about the human body, dissecting frogs and learning the key steps to planning a successful insurrection – it was a fun year! Best advice to your younger self? Be weird. In fact, be the weirdest. The best people you meet in life are the ones who are boldly different and challenge you to view the world in a completely different way.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
LEADERSHIP PROFILE
Meet the Teacher
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2022 SEMESTER ONE SwimmingEVENTS
Carnival
On Friday, 25 March the College enjoyed a wonderful community celebration at our 2022 House Swimming Carnival, held at Queen’s Park Pool in Moonee Ponds. The day was filled with enthusiasm, creative Year 12 costumes, high levels of participation and lots of house spirit led by the House Captains. The Ave 100m sprint was won by Chiara Hutchison (Year 10) for the fourth consecutive year, which we assume won’t be her last The overall 2022 House Champions were Clare House. Congratulations to all students who participated on the day and to the Clare House captains, Sienna Zoccali and Amelia Panaia for leading their house to victory!
It was clear that a few days delay did not dampen any enthusiasm, with one of the highest participation rates in the last few years. Team spirit and encouragement was seen across all the track and field events.
Congratulations to Helene House for winning the Junior and Senior divisions to take home the title of overall House Champions, led by their captains Charley Hinton and Emily Sawaya. The intermediate division was won by Clare house. A special mention to Georgia Benton of Year 8 who won the Ave 100m Sprint.
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It was great to see so many students participating in our rescheduled 2022 House Athletics Carnival on Wednesday, 11 May at Moonee Valley Athletics Track in Aberfeldie.
Athletics Carnival
2022 SEMESTER ONE EVENTS 8
ActionMissionDay
All those involved participated by walking a lap around the Maribyrnong River with the support of sponsors such as parents or guardians who donated online. This longstanding College tradition is a great initiative which teaches our students to acknowledge our privileges, to give generously and to support girls’ education. Thank you to all those who participated in the walk, and those who generously donated to the cause!
On Friday, 8 April 2022 all students and staff got involved in our annual Mission Action Day Walkathon to raise awareness and funds for our sister school, St Maria Mazzarello in Venilale, Timor Leste - a school that educates young women, providing practical training in the areas of tourism and hospitality.
2022 COLLEGE LEADERSHIP
CAITLIN GRECH AND MADELINE PICCIONE
Caitlin: I hope I can encourage student engagement and participation within the college at events such as Kick Arts, Spectacular! Spectacular! and the annual Talent Show on Ave Maria Day.
Caitlin: I admire the little things at the College such as the recent intimate lunchtime performances from students, which brought everyone together to sing and clap along!
What has been the highlight of your leadership experience so Caitlin:far?
Madeleine: My favourite thing about being an Ave Maria College student is the amazing community that we have created here. Across all year levels, everyone seems to have developed a strong connection with each other whether that be through siblings or even through accelerated classes. The strong bonds and the proud identities that come out of being an Ave Student is like no other.
Meet ourLeaders
Madeleine: I hope that my leadership skills improve as I believe that they will help me in my future career pathway. I look forward to developing these leadership skills and making amazing memories over the course of doing so.
What is your favourite thing about being an Ave student?
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Assisting with organizing events such as Kick Arts and Ave Maria day, which brings students together and embraces their talents!
The College is proud to offer a diverse range of student leadership opportunities across all year levels to provide valuable learning experiences for students with different strengths and passions. One of these leadership roles is a Year 12 Arts Captain, along with Arts Leaders from years 7 – 11. We spoke to the 2022 Arts Captain Caitlin Grech and Year 11 Arts Leader Madeleine Piccione to hear to gain an insight into their roles. Thank you for your time Caitlin and Madeleine.
Madeleine: Our leadership meetings are highly entertaining! They are just so full of life and we are all extremely productive in them. It is a great bunch of leaders and I’m very proud to be a part of that group. What are you looking forward to and what do you hope to achieve in your leadership role?
As the Ave Maria College Community continues to grow, so too does our incredible team of staff. We thank all new members of teaching and non-teaching staff who transitioned seamlessly into their roles in 2022. Welcome to the Ave Team STAFF MOVEMENT 2022 BRACEGIRDLEKATE Learning Diversity Leader OLIVIA CAMERA Laboratory Technician AMY CHAPMAN Executive Assistant to the Principal KAITLIN COURTIS Teacher of HumanitiesManagementBusinessand IVANKA CRABB Youth Counsellor SARAH DAVIS Teacher of Health and Physical Education GREGORYREBECCA Teacher of Languages and English GORDANA CUTRI Personal Growth)(CurriculumAssistantand LAINEY ESSEX Learning Support Officer LYNETTE LEAR Year 12 Sub School Leader LOUISE CROCITTI Year 9 Sub School Leader DEMARCOPATRICIA Learning Support Officer HALLINANVICTORIA School Nurse ELOISE DAVIES Domain Leader Visual Arts FARRUGIASTEPHANIE Year 11 Sub School Leader SOPHIE MACLURE Teacher of Music and Humanities JULIE MULLINS Personal Assistant to Assistant (StudentsPrincipal&Engagement) SERVELLOFERRUCCIO Domain MathematicsLeader ANNA YARROVI Teacher Mathematicsof 10
To value building relationships, be kind to yourself and embrace life openly with all your vulnerabilities, because in time life teaches you to become an expert at being human.
Meet the Teacher
What do you like to do in your spare time?
TEACHER PROFILE Thank
Art appreciation improves our quality of life by broadening our awareness of all things from the seen, to feelings and experiences and the impact this has on individuals and communities. When we create art, we improve our ability to problem solve and open our minds to new and innovative ideas.
Best advice to your younger self
“Value building relationships, be kind to yourself and embrace life openly with all your vulnerabilities.”
What inspired you to become a teacher?
With regards to the Visual Arts it encourages exploration of concepts, experimentation of materials and careful observation of visual communication of ideas and meaning in artworks which build empathy in how we relate to one another as human beings. It encourages students to be curious about life and society through ongoing opportunities for analysis, self-evaluation, and reflection.
What changes have you seen over the years teaching within the Visual Arts Domain in girls’ education?
Throughout my years of teaching, I have witnessed the significant shift Visual Arts has made on building mental focus, reducing stress, increasing attention and strategic thinking in our youth. This has encouraged our students to value and develop their creativity, innovation, and critical thinking skills which open a plethora of opportunities in a global world that is progressive and always evolving.
For as long as I can remember I have always been interested in drawing and painting from observation and personal experiences, which led to my interest and curiosity in experimenting with different mediums as a form of selfexpression. It wasn’t until my first teaching rounds that I realised how rewarding it was to use my expertise in art as a tool to connect with young people and inspire them to explore and develop an understanding of different historical and cultural contexts and to express the part of themselves that means to be human.
At the end of this five-year journey Claudia decided to complete a Diploma of Education at Melbourne University, which led her role at the College. In 2010, Claudia took some time away from teaching to focus on having a family. She re-joined the college community in 2015 and feels blessed to work with such dedicated and professional teachers. Claudia currently teaches Visual and Studio Art across Years 7 to 12. you for your time Claudia.
MS CLAUDIA FILIPPONE
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I have an innate desire to paint, and I am always seeking opportunities to connect with nature. I find peace in taking regular country drives and visiting neighbouring artist studios and galleries from Eltham to the Yarra Valley.
Since beginning teaching at Ave Maria College in 2005, Ms Claudia Filippone has seen great change, both throughout the College and the Art Industry. Before teaching and prior to her Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art at RMIT, Claudia studied my Associate Diploma in Visual Arts at NMIT (Melbourne Polytechnic) where she developed hands on experience in painting, drawing, printmaking, ceramics, jewellery making and black and white photography.
What excites you about the future pathways for students?
The College has engaged PROJECT ROCKIT to provide workshops for our students regularly over the last few years as a great resource on year level Wellbeing Days.
AMC PROGRAMS
So far, the first two yLead sessions in Term 1 and Term 2 have been a great success. Students worked together and independently to develop their own leadership strengths and abilities. Students collaborated to devise initiatives that would improve the College, and they pitched these ideas to Principal Ms Hutton when she visited the seminar.
ProjectYLead Rockit
For many years, Ave Maria College have worked with yLead to provide enhanced learning experiences for our student leaders. YLead are an Australian organisation who offer a wide range of leadership and positive education programs for students of all ages and abilities. YLead create unique learning experiences by demonstrating that everyone can make a positive contribution to their school Atcommunity.thebeginning
This year’s Year 8 Wellbeing Day involved three PROJECT ROCKIT sessions exploring the risks and rewards of challenging bullying, building peer support in online spaces, challenging judgement and social labels, and, launch strategies to stand up for yourself and others. The sessions were a great way to inform students all about the social factors and drivers that often spill online: standing out versus fitting in, relationship ethics, privacy, consent and celebrating diversity. 12
of each year, yLead run a Senior Leadership Team Formation over two days with all Year 12 student leaders. This provides a worthwhile opportunity for senior leaders to prepare for their final year of schooling, bond as a leadership group and reflect on their highschool journey so far.
PROJECT ROCKIT creates spaces where all young people have access to respect, acceptance, creative expression and real leadership skills. They send highly trained, passionate young presenters into schools to run workshops that empower students to lead positive change at school, online and beyond.
Officially introduced to staff at a Professional Learning (PL) Day in March, we heard from Cassie Kitani, Associate Director of School Partnerships at Real Schools about three core ideas to focus on working with young people. Cassie broke down these ideas around Pedagogical Learning and Shame, Restorative Practices and Human Brain Human AfterBehaviours.thisinformative
PL, it has been great to see all staff make an effort in implementing thoughtful practices around listening to the needs of students and trying to understand their experiences and make the most of their schooling. 13
The College prides itself on its innovative and forwardthinking approach to learning and teaching, which requires being across current and emerging trends in education. With a recent focus on data driven and data informed practice the implementation of a Data and Growth Team in 2022 ensures we are thinking more critically, analytically, and creatively about how data can be used to enhance teaching practice and school Meetingoperations.fortnightly, the Data and Growth Team is led by Jo Hammer (Assistant Principal Community and Growth), working with Kate De Bolfo (Horizons Leaders), Adam Hipwell (Data Literacy for Learning Leader and Acting Leader of Pedagogy) and Sharon Walsh (Digital Learning Leader).
A key project for this team includes developoing a customized ‘DASH’ data dashboard project which has been developed in partnership with Professor Fang Chen from the University of Sydney and ACER Australia.
Data GrowthandTeam
This year, Ave Maria College began an ongoing partnership program with Real Schools, an organisation that exists to build partnerships and experiences to help schools achieve their potential in three key areas. These areas include committed teachers, caring students and connected communities.
Primary Education Teacher at Aitken College
LUCY PARENTE (CLASS OF 2021)
CAEERS WEEK PANEL
The five panelists from varying graduating years spoke to Year 10, 11 and 12 students about their diverse careers and pathways after graduating from the College. Thank you for your time ladies. 14
Word of advice: “Obstacles will always get in your way as you work towards your goals. It is the way that you overcome them that is most important.”
Clinical Nurse Consultant at The Royal Children’s Hospital
Word of advice: “Look at everything as an opportunity to grow and work your way towards your goals one step at a time.”
Owner and Creator of Love Gwen Jewlery Word of advice: “Always aim to make your career something that you love. Work doesn’t have to feel like work.”
Caterer and Patisserie student (Certificate III)
Bachelor of Business (Marketing) student
CORINNE BARLOW (CLASS OF 2000)
Meet our
As part of National Career’s Week from 16 – 22 May 2022, the College continued our annual tradition in welcoming back past students as part of an Alumnae Panel, presenting to our Senior School students.
BIANCA ACCURSO (CLASS OF 2012)
ABBEY BAKER (CLASS OF 2011)
Word of advice: “Trust your instincts and make decisions for yourself, not for others. It’s your life and you need to feel fulfilled.”
Alumnae
Word of advice: “Always stay true to who you are a person and remember what sets you apart from everyone else.”
VANESSA PASCOE (CLASS OF 2002)
Favourite subject or favourite teacher?
There’s no such thing as a typical day within the design industry - in a fastpaced environment, each day is so different from the previous. Some days I’ll be testing and refining prototypes, other days I’ll be creating technical documents or using computer-aided design (CAD) software to design 3D models. Each day is full of creativity and problem-solving, whilst overseeing the exciting design process.
Throughout the course selection process, I was always unsure whether to MARISSA BUTTIGIEG (CLASS OF 2017)
Our Year 12 chemistry class was such a tight-knit group, which made every single class light-hearted, enjoyable, and fun.
The College prides itself on our strong Visual Arts, Design and Digital Technology Domains, a broad learning area that has flourished over the years as new forms of media and design evolve. Subjects offered within these domains range from Media, Studio Arts, Visual Communication Design, Product Design & Technology (Textiles) to most recently Digital Technologies and Design Thinking. It is great to support the creativity of our students and watch them pursue new and exciting pathways. We have reached out to a few of our Alumnae working in the Design industry to share their stories.
Visual Communication with Ms Younes - I constantly managed to find ways to challenge myself and design unique things, and Ms Younes would always be there to support my crazy ideas! What inspired/drew you towards your current career?
Any advice to current students as they think about their future and careers?
Just as I was always told during my time at Ave, pick the subjects, career or pathway, that you’re interested in. Think about your strengths and the type of tasks you can see yourself enjoying. Remember, that we all spend the majority of our lives working, so it’s important to pursue something that you’re genuinely passionate about. 15
Industry Focus: Design
INDUSTRY FOCUS
Fondest memory of your time at Ave?
Junior Technical Product Designer at Moose Toys pursue my passion for design, or interest in science. Once I discovered what Product Design Engineering was, I knew that it was the perfect course for me because it was the ideal combination of both. This career has allowed me to design a range of products that are manufacturable and mechanically function well. How would you describe a typical day working in the design industry?
Industry Focus: Design INDUSTRY FOCUS
Design is such a broad field that is always evolving so there really is a place for everyone no matter what your skills or interests are. There’s no singular pathway to working in design, and rather than let that overwhelm you, embrace every opportunity because you’ll learn so much along the way and you never know just where you’ll end up!
Fondest memory of your time at Ave?
Senior Art Director at Racket Agency magazine. I guess I always knew I was going to be doing something in a creative field whether it was designing, illustrating, sewing, filming or even writing. How would you describe a typical day working in the design industry?
I’d always had a love for anything creative and as a young girl dreamt of working as the designer for a
CHRISTINA SPINAZZOLA (CLASS OF 2012)
To be honest there really isn’t a typical day which is why I love it! Every role I’ve had from freelancing, working in-house, and now leading the design team in a marketing agency have all been so different - you could be working on logo concepts and strategy for a new brand, designing product packaging, building a website or even directing a photoshoot. I personally love the variety because it makes every day exciting and I’m always learning something new. Any advice to current students as they think about their future and careers?
What inspired/drew you towards your current career?
There are so many great memories, but I’ll always love the lunchtimes spent with friends sitting out in the sun and the Study Tour to Italy in Year 12 that I was lucky enough to go on. My friends and I still talk about it to this day!
Favourite subject or favourite teacher? Naturally, Vis Comm and Media were my favourite subjects and all the teachers in the art department were amazing. An honourable mention to the wonderful Ms. D’Astoli as well, especially for putting up with my friends and I spending every Italian class talking her ear off about One Direction in 2011 (if you’re reading this, just know nothing has really changed).
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Fondest memory of your time at Ave?
CHELSEA WOODFORD (CLASS OF 2013)
My fondest memory of my time at Ave are the memories I made with my friends. 10 years on, I am so lucky to still call them my best friends. We still look back at all the memories we made together at Ave such as survival and outdoor education camps, the costumes we wore to athletics day and the swimming carnival and year 12 muck up day.
What inspired/drew you towards your current career?
My advice to current students, is to follow your passion. Choose a career or pathway which aligns with your interests. Also remember that skills are transferable, so don’t ever feel like you are stuck. Perseverance is key, and if you ever feel stuck just reset and look at it from a different perspective. 17
I was always creative growing up, so I knew I wanted to continue the journey into a career. The variety of art subjects and teachers encouraged me to push the boundaries. Straight after Ave Maria College, I went to University to study Communication Design and that helped me specialise in Digital Design. How would you describe a typical day working in the design industry?
Designer at Rollie Nation
Favourite subject or favourite teacher? My favourite subjects were Visual Communication design, Studio Art and Textiles. I couldn’t have made it into the design industry without Mrs Kerin, Ms Raff and Ms Younes’ assistance with my portfolio - which I still have and will keep forever! Aside from the art subjects, Outdoor Education with Ms Walsh was always a fun subject, she was a standout teacher.
A typical day working as a Digital Designer involves creating designs and digital assets for Websites, Social Media and EDMs (Electronic Direct Mail). It also involves a combination of technology and creativity to create an efficient and memorable experience and user journey. Any advice to current students as they think about their future and careers?
Any advice to current students as they think about their future and careers?
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Fondest memory of your time at Ave?
Without a doubt being involved in the yearly productions are my absolute favourite memories. The fun of performing and the friendships made were some of the best times in my high schooling life.
What inspired/drew you towards starting your own business? I suppose the initial inspiration was my children. I wanted to stay home with them so going back to work wasn’t an option. This forced me to think outside the square and be creative with my ideas. Being a primary school teacher I loved working with children so it was a natural progression to go into a business in the kids industry. When I launched my product, ‘Bed Mates’, I saw the incredible impact it was having on parents. It was saving them time, stress, washing and giving them back more sleep. This kind of feedback motivated me even more to continue growing my business.
Drama was definitely my favourite subject. Our Year 12 class was small, which meant we all became super close. It was so great to be in a class where you could let go of your inhibitions and feel supported.
The Midnight Gang
Do you have any future plans for your business? Absolutely! We want to see The Midnight Gang in more bricks and mortar stores across the country and we want our Bed Mates to reach as many families as possible, allowing our product to make a difference in their lives too.
The Midnight Gang are a small family run business providing waterproof sheet protectors called ‘Bed Mates’ that mean no more stripping the bed in the middle of the night when there is an accident. They are proudly plastic free, non-toxic and eco friendly, making them safe for your little ones as well as the environment. They save parents time, stress and washing and they give families back more
Favourite subject or favourite teacher?
www.themidnightgang.com@the_midnight_ganghttps://www.facebook.com/themidnightgangthelabel
I would encourage them to think about what they are passionate about and what they are good at and then have a brainstorm around those things. Don’t underestimate the power of connections and discussions. It’s amazing the clarity that can come from sharing your thoughts and ideas with others. And I would also remind them that finding your dream career is not always a linear process. There will be highs and lows, set backs and growth but it’s important to accept that it is all part of the journey and often during the challenging moments, breakthroughs are just around the corner!
ANGELIQUE WOODBURN (CLASS OF 2002)
Alumnaesleep. Entrepreneurs
ALUMNAE BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
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Winner of Stawell Gift VAL Under 12 Handicap 100m final ACHIEVEMENTS GEORGIA BENTON (YEAR 8)
Video: Vic Pascoe 20
SCAN TO WATCH THE RACE
Student Achievements
This year, the College is extremely proud of Georgia Benton’s incredible effort to place first in the Powercor Little Athletics Victoria Girls Handicap 100m race. Georgia ran the race in a speedy 12.067 seconds. To no surprise, Georgia also placed first in the annual Ave Sprint at this year’s House Athletics Carnival. We can’t wait to watch Georgia in many more Ave Sprint’s and competitive races over the years to come.
STUDENT
The Stawell Gift is Australia’s oldest and richest shortdistance running race. It is the main event in an annual carnival held on Easter weekend by the Stawell Athletic Club, with the main race finals on the holiday Monday, at Central Park, Stawell, Victoria. As of 2016 the carnival encompasses events for both men and women of all ages and abilities, across distances from 70 to 3,200 metres.
Joining an elite team of girls from all around Victoria, Tahlia Sweeney has exemplified hard work and commitment as she has been named to represent the state in the Team Vic Softball 17 Years and Under Girls Team. The announcement was made by School Sport Victoria (SSV) as they named the 17 players to represent SSV at the School Sport Australia 17 Years and Under Softball Championship to be held in the Mirrabooka, WA from 10 to 16 September 2022. The College wishes Tahlia all the best with the championship!
Team Vic Softball 17 Years and Under Girls Team
Representing Australia at the World Taekwondo Championships
After winning her final in the Cadet and Junior World Championships Selection Event in Liverpool, NSW in June, Bianca Motta is off to represent Australia at the World Championships Cadets and Juniors in Sofia, Bulgaria. Bianca’s has excelled in countless competitions and tournaments in the past, along with being selected for the Australian Taekwondo Performance Pathway Program Victorian Squad earlier this year. The College wishes Bianca all the best as she represents Australia, and we look forward to supporting her future successes.
BIANCA MOTTA (YEAR 10)
Notorious Martial Arts Herald Sun 21
SIENNA SCODELLA (YEAR 8) Competing in State Championships for Swimming Held at Melbourne Sports Centres (MSAC) in Albert Park, the 2022 Victorian Age Short Course Championships will return to the Swimming Victoria Competition Calendar after two years of cancellations. This competition will see young swimmers from across Victoria like Sienna Scodella compete across three days of competition. Sienna has represented the College in the SCSA Swimming Competition, Victorian School Associations Competition, competed in the Ave 100m Swimming Sprint and won the title of Year Level Champion at our 2022 House Swimming Carnival. With so much achievement in only her second year at the College, we can’t wait to cheer Sienna on in the pool over the years to come!
TAHLIA SWEENEY (YEAR 11)
THURSDAY, 5 MAY 2022 22
The breakfast is a long-standing tradition at the College, enjoyed by many as a chance to catch up with friends in the College community and to encourage our students to recognise and appreciate the special women in their lives. A special thank you to our Alumnae Steph (2009), Christine (2012), Nicole (2012) and their mum Patti who spoke to our community about growing up, raising daughters and finding your passions. The breakfast was a wonderful celebration of strong women and supportive relationships.
After two years without the event, the College was delighted to finally host our annual Mother’s Day Breakfast in person this year.
Mother’sEVENTS DayBreakfast
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She Who Belongs. She Who Thrives. “Ave taught me how to be an independent learner and to challenge myself. I always felt encouraged to pursue my goals and make the most of my opportunities.” – Khalia, Class of 2020 @@@avemariacollegeavemariacollegeavemariacollegeaberfeldie phone (03) 9331 9300 email avemaria@avemaria vic edu au www.avemaria.vic.edu.au 14–22 Vida Street Aberfeldie VIC 3040 ABN 41 797 200 262 Discover more: UPCOMING Events
Term Three Dates 2022 Tuesday, 12 July 2022 – Term Commences Friday, 12 August 2022 – Ave Maria Day Friday, 16 September – Term concludes Term Four Dates 2022 Monday, 3 October 2022 – Term commences
Thursday, 1 December 2022 – Year 7 – 9 last day Friday, 16 December 2022 – Office closes (Administration) contact Catherine McCarthy at
media@avemaria.vic.edu.au • To contribute a story and photo For all alumnae enquiries please email alumnae@avemaria.vic.edu.au • Change of contact details • To register for alumnae communications • To contribute to alumnae events Join Ave Belong to reconnect with classmates, expand your professional network and give back to the College community. 23
Friday, 25 November 2022 – Year 10 and 11 last day
14–22 Vida Street Aberfeldie VIC 3040 phone (03) 9331 9300 email www.avemaria.vic.edu.aualumnae@avemaria.vic.edu.au@avemariacollege@avemariacollege@avemariacollegeaberfeldie@avemariacollege
