Whilst we have well and truly settled into the new school year, I would still like to take this opportunity to welcome new students and families to our school community. We look forward to being on this educational journey with you. Joining us in this are several amazing new members of staff whom you will have either met already or can read about in our Staff page. Positive relationships between students, families and staff continue to be a strong feature of our school and we are fortunate to be able to continue this tradition with the new teaching and educational support staff who have joined us at each campus.
Opening assembly
Our Opening Assembly was a warmer day than expected but still highly enjoyable and a great opportunity to recoginse our award winners, acknowledge our student campus leaders and build connections with other students who are deaf or hard of hearing. We rotate the campus hosting the event each year to allow parents and carers from various areas across Melbourne an opportunity to attend. I would like to thank Mr Tim Newcomb and the Marymede Catholic College school community for hosting our assembly this year. The warm welcome and last-minute changes they made to accommodate for the hot and windy weather was very much appreciated.
Wantirna South Building Refurbishment
We are extremely excited to announce that St Mary’s College has been allocated an Australian Government Capital Grant of $2.4 million to refurbish the multipurpose and general learning spaces at the Wantirna South Primary Campus. With a local contribution of $1 million, we are eagerly looking forward to commencing design on the tailor-made, vibrant and playful learning environments our students will enjoy.
School Improvement Plan
In response to the highly positive findings of our 2024 review, a new 4-year plan has been set which paves the way for continuing our great work in improving outcomes for students. Our 3 priorities are:
• A teaching approach that follows the Vision for Instruction with researched-based adjustments for deaf and hard of hearing students
• Staff with knowledge and skill to meet the needs of our Deaf and Hard of Hearing plus students
• Visible and strong connections to families, partner schools and our Catholic identity
Having so many staff with specialist qualifications and skill within our school, 23 Teachers of the Deaf, 2 Speech Language Pathologists and 3 Educational Interpreters, has enabled us to ensure the focus of our goals will have a positive impact on every student within our community.
As we move into the final weeks of Lent and start to think about Easter and the coming holidays, I would like to wish everyone a bright and joyous Easter and safe Term 1 holiday. Please enjoy this edition of our College newsletter.
