麻豆APP

Welcome to the first edition of The Lighthouse for 2023. The Lighthouse is a fortnightly publication and is the main vehicle by which we will keep you informed about life at 麻豆APP. It is published every second Friday and I ask that you try and find time to read this newsletter. We will endeavour to keep it informative and interesting, covering upcoming events, ways that we are working to improve student learning and wellbeing, and a reflection as a Faith Community. We also want to celebrate student achievements and other milestones, and introduce you to members of our staff in each edition.

We commence the year with an enrolment of just over 1700 students, including 24 students from St Mary鈥檚 College for the Deaf. We also employ over 240 staff, including talented educators, dedicated support staff and great maintenance teams. Of course, we welcome most heartily all students new to Aquinas, especially those who join Aquinas for the first time in Year 7, as well as the 17 students joining us at other levels. It has been wonderful to see so many happy smiling faces and hear such excitement as their secondary schooling begins. 

Year 7 Parent / Guardian Welcome Evening

Thank you to everyone who was able to join us on Tuesday evening for our Year 7 Parent Information Evening. It was great to see so many in attendance. Thanks especially to the VET Hospitality Students and their teachers, Meaghan Sadler and Owen Stott, for providing refreshments. Thanks also to the members of our P&F who were present to welcome new families.

College Leaders

It is my great pleasure to introduce our College Student Leaders for 2023. Our Captains are Matthew Azzopardi and Chloe North-Coombes. Vice Captains are Thomas Scutt and Brooke Tudor. The Advisory Council Representative is Rhys Cameron. The Student Ambassadors are Lucy Kinsman and Jay Tolentino.  

Aquinas School Advisory Council - Finance Representative Vacancy

Our AQSAC plays an important role in College governance and is also a wonderful opportunity for community members to contribute to our decision making and share their own expertise. We have a vacancy for a current parent/guardian with a finance background to offer advice to the AQSAC and the Finance Sub-committee. The commitment is to six AQSAC meetings and five Finance Sub-committee Meetings each year. If you would like to find out more, please contact myself principal@aquinas.vic.edu.au or our Chairperson, Chris Leahy Chris.Leahy@tuttbryant.com.au.

ICON Update and the Launch of SIMON Everywhere 

Thank you for your patience as we continue our transition to the ICON Enterprise Administration and Finance System and associated issues with logins to our SIMON Parent Access Module (PAM) and our Community Portal to allow access for you to update details and organise fee payments. We believe most issues are now resolved. However, if you continue to experience problems accessing PAM, please contact registrar@aquinas.vic.edu.au or for the Community Portal contact fees@aquinas.vic.edu.au. If you have not already downloaded the SIMON Everywhere App, you are encouraged to give it a try to improve access to PAM on your phone.

College Opening Mass and Opening Assembly

Our Opening Mass and Opening Assembly will be conducted during the school day on Monday, February 20 and Tuesday, February 21 respectively. We plan to have a live stream of the Opening Assembly for parents / guardians, with more details to be provided closer to the date.

Celebrate Excellence @Aquinas

We will gather as a community and recognise those who achieved excellence in 2022 on Monday, February 20 at 7.30pm. Invitations for participants and their guardians will be available over the coming days.

Post School Offers

In January, Year 12 graduates who had applied to the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC) received news of tertiary placement, with 94 per cent receiving a First Round Offer. This is an excellent outcome for our graduates who wish to pursue tertiary studies and there is great diversity in their areas of interest, highlighting again the opportunities that exist for graduates to pursue their passions. We have also had many students secure full apprenticeships and other traineeships. We wish all of our graduates great success in the next stage of their education. Thanks to Careers Advisor, Fran Jennings, for her support of students as they made decisions about their tertiary pathways.

Parents and Friends Committee

The P&F provides valuable feedback to the College leadership and gives a 鈥減arent鈥檚 perspective鈥� on life at Aquinas. They also help us welcome families to the community and show the Aquinas hospitality, of which we are so proud. The committee is looking for new membership, as a number of current members finish their association with Aquinas following their child鈥檚 graduation. Meetings are held on the first Monday of the month. Should you wish to find out more, please contact Dr Nap Rodezno at deputyprincipal@aquinas.vic.edu.au.

Enrolments for 2025

Enrolments are now open for those in Grade 5 to join the Aquinas 2025 intake. Enrolment is through the College website: /enrolment. Current families are reminded that each child needs to be enrolled separately and that we will not presume that you intend to enrol a sibling of an existing student.

Darren Atkinson
Principal

Welcome back to the new school year. 

New beginnings bring new opportunities and all three partners in a student鈥檚 education, the school, the family and the student, have a chance to start again in the new school year after a restful break. Given that the process of learning is about positive change, the start of the year is a great time to think about how we would like to get better. The teachers have already explored this with their pastoral groups and in their subject, asking students about their aims and setting goals. For parents, there is the chance to help students to keep these goals clear in their minds. In a time where mental health is very important to education, it is worth remembering that accomplishment, 鈥渟etting achievable and meaningful goals, linked to what is personally important, and celebrating both the process and outcome of these tasks鈥� is a very important way to stay healthy and to progress.

There are plenty of chances to do new things both in the classroom and in the co-curricular programs. Many students are undertaking subjects they have never studied before, others are focusing on what they love. There is still time to sign up for a musical instrument, join a sports squad or be part of a club. The announcement for those Year 7 and 8 students interested in the musical was in the daily announcements this week. 

There are many interesting and fulfilling things for students to do. Now is a really good time to start.

Michael Box
Deputy Principal Learning

And we are back!

Welcome back to school for what should be a great year of learning at Aquinas. It is very important that all our students start their academic year with enthusiasm and a commitment to making the most of the opportunities that will emerge as they progress throughout the year. In the last three days we have witnessed the start of Year 7 students as our new members, Year 12 students embarking on their final year, and all other students returning to their school safely. 

Here are some strategies that may assist you in supporting their start to the year:

Setting Goals: It is very important that your child sets achievable goals for the year. These may include learning a new musical instrument, achieving higher results in their subjects, joining a club, or making a particular sporting team. Irrespective of what goal it is, what matters is that your child is able to focus and plan how to achieve their goal, making school relevant and engaging.

Engagement: Ask your child to consider three things to improve engagement; take a risk and try something new, give something challenging a fair go and ensure to learn something new each day. 

Get organised: Encourage your child to only take home the materials they will use for homework and/or revision, to take to class all the materials they need to participate fully in all their subjects and to be prepared for each class. Being organised will assist them in achieving their best.

Have fun: It is always important to have as much fun as possible while at school. For as long as they are safe, fair and kind to themselves and others, it is important that they build positive memories of achievement, friendship and lots of fun. 

All the very best for the year ahead, may God bless you and your family and I hope that 2023 is a year filled with great success.

Nap Rodezno
Deputy Principal

The Spirit of Aquinas

A warm welcome back to all families as we begin this new year, and a special welcome to any family who has just joined us. Being a part of our Aquinas community means you are also now a part of our Spirit of Aquinas. Derived from the vision and mission of our College, we have six core values in our mission statement: Belonging, Stewardship, Perseverance, Justice, Compassion and Spirituality. Our hope is that each student that journeys through Aquinas can not only learn about these values, but also live them through their words and actions.

Each year level has a particular core value focus, however, all year levels are taught that the values do not stand alone, but work together to ensure we follow Christ's example. Throughout this year, we will post examples of commendations and photos of our students living our values at school. We hope these examples will inspire not only our students, but also our families, to encourage students to live the values.

So in the Spirit of Aquinas - I leave you with our college prayer:

Grant me,

O Lord my God,

A mind to know you,

A heart to seek you,

Wisdom to find you,

Conduct pleasing to you,

Faithful perseverance in waiting for you and

A hope of finally embracing you.

Amen

Tania Grace
Assistant Principal Mission

It鈥檚 great to be back on campus after a wonderful break and I welcome you all to the start of our school year. 

Our staff have been busy preparing curriculum and facilities in preparation for students returning this week. On Wednesday, January 25, our Leadership team, Year Level Leaders and Learning Area Leaders attended a Professional Learning day presented by Educational Changemakers. The focus of the workshop was 'Developing Self', 'Developing Others' and 'Designing Professional Learning and Collaboration.' There was a real sense of positivity and excitement about what programs our Leaders and staff can develop this year at Aquinas. 

On Monday, all staff participated in Annual Action Plan workshops in the following focus groups: Respect, High Expectations, Spirit and Inclusivity. These groups discussed ideas and actions that can be developed and implemented throughout the year after further discussion with our wider community.

I  would like to welcome the new staff commencing at Aquinas this year. 

I will introduce them in more detail in future editions of The Lighthouse, however, you will find names and a photo of new staff here.

Gina Goss

Assistant Principal - Staff

Senior Years Report

Welcome back! As always, there is a mixture of excitement with a splash of nerves as we begin the new year. A new year full of opportunities, hope, potential and inevitably, change. 

Change means moving away from the known and towards new experiences. Let鈥檚 not pretend this is always easy, rightfully the year will be incrementally more challenging than the last. Obstacles are a natural part of life and difficulties should be expected. How one 'thinks' when faced with a challenge is important, as our thoughts inform the actions we choose to overcome hurdles.

The beginning of the year also means that people are seeking help with knowing and understanding their new surroundings, expectations and requirements. Each Mentor group has received contact from their Mentor teacher, attended introductory assemblies and joined pastoral sessions to assist with the transition to a new year. VCE-VM students will begin on Monday in the same way.

Year 10 and 11 parent/carers please refer to emails received from Year Level Leaders inviting you to Parent Information sessions. If you are unable to attend these nights, presentations from the evening will be posted on PAM next week.

Year 12 parents/carers, there are many helpful resources for preparing your family for the final year at school. SchoolTV, a wellbeing resource for parents which is provided by the school, offers a special report on surviving the final year. With access to experts and leading specialists, you will be able to access tips and reliable advice.

Thank you to all families in your assistance in ensuring students arrive prepared, well presented and ready for the year. It has been a great early start. We look forward to another year of growth, shared experiences and strengthened relationships in our learning community.

Rachel Crawley

Head Senior Years

Middle Years Report

What do we mean by safe?

Last year we surveyed students in the Middle Years about what a classroom and 鈥榩layground鈥� utopia would look like for them. The word 鈥榮afe鈥� was a recurring response from students of all year levels. Our Child Safety Policy has the word 鈥榮afe鈥� in it over 120 times. Quite rightly, our students want to be in a place where they feel safe from abuse of any kind and we are determined to work on strategies that will help to eradicate these totally unwanted behaviours. 

But there鈥檚 also a definition of the word 鈥榮afe鈥� that I challenged them on. Sometimes our students make too many 鈥榮afe鈥� choices throughout their day. We see extensive growth from students (and those in society) that step outside their safe cocoons. Students that don鈥檛 just choose to follow the crowd because it is safe. Those that choose to respectfully challenge opinions or viewpoints and not just go with the status quo. Students that try new opportunities, even though there is risk around making a mistake or failing. We see students develop diverse interests and characters by accepting and making friends with different types of people. We see problems solved creatively by those that don鈥檛 just go for the quick and safe perspective. We see lives changed when someone takes the risk of supporting, encouraging or including someone, even though they may appear different and not part of the 鈥榠n鈥� crowd.

As educators at Aquinas in 2023, we are fully committed to creating an environment where students in our care feel safe, but not in all meanings of the word.

Phil Box
Head Middle Years

Welcome back to the new school year.

We have lots of exciting programs for the year ahead. The Indigenous garden has benefited from the mild summer conditions and additional rain, while the school鈥檚 chooks have missed the students greatly and are keen to have them back on site. They have been cared for over the summer break by a team of teachers who volunteered their holiday time to keep them company. 

Victoria's Single Use Plastic Ban on single use plastics (SUPs) starts this month. The ban covers conventional, degradable and compostable plastics. However, those who require single use plastic drinking straws due to medical needs or disability can still obtain and use them. 

The single-use plastics ban covers:

• Drinking straws
• Cutlery
• Plates
• Drink stirrers
• Cotton bud sticks
• Expanded polystyrene food service items
• Expanded polystyrene drink containers

By banning problematic single-use plastics, we will help to reduce plastic pollution. 

Single use plastics:

• Make up a third of the litter we see in our environment
• Are difficult and expensive to clean up
• Are often used for only a few minutes but remain in the environment for a long time
• Pollute the environment 鈥� harming wildlife and contaminating our food and water systems

What actions can you now take?

There are plenty of ways you can take action. The use of reusable containers is legal and an easy, affordable and sustainable solution for consumers and businesses to adopt to manage the single-use plastic ban.

Victoria鈥檚 food safety legislation (the Food Act 1984, the Meat Industry Act 1993 and the Seafood Safety Act 2003) does not prohibit food businesses, retail butcher shops and seafood retailers from accepting reusable containers from customers.

Bring your own reusable items such as:

• Drinking straws 鈥� BYO straw especially for items such as bubble tea or smoothies
• Plastic plates 鈥� BYO food container including bowls or plates
• Expanded polystyrene food containers 鈥� BYO food container including bowls or plates or offer a reusable container service for takeaway.
• Expanded polystyrene drink cups 鈥� BYO cups or offer a reusable cup service for takeaway.
• Plastic cutlery including knives, forks, spoons, chopsticks, sporks, splades and food picks 鈥� dine in rather than use takeaway cutlery or BYO cutlery.

Karyn Myers

Environment & Sustainability Coordinator

As we enter the 2023 school year, all students from years 7 to 12 are inevitably thinking about the many challenges and hardships that we will face throughout the year, however, we must push through and strive to reach our full potential. Make sure you set yourself attainable goals and celebrate every achievement, big or small. This will provide a sense of accomplishment to help keep you motivated. Get into good routines and habits now and rely on the people and resources around you. These past few years have been challenging for everyone in their own way, but we encourage everyone to take this year step by step and pursue as many opportunities as possible to ensure a successful year.

Chloe North-Coombes and Matthew Azzopardi- College Captains

Brooke Tudor and Thomas Scutt- College Vice Captains

Change can be nerve-racking, but when our new Year 7 students made the leap into their secondary education this week, they were supported not only by staff, but also by past students.

Members of the 2022 Year 12 cohort have returned to the College to lend a helping hand, continuing the tradition that saw them receive the same guidance when they first walked through the school gates.

"When this opportunity came up, I thought it was a really great chance to help some of the younger students and welcome them into the Aquinas community. I remember my first day of year 7, it鈥檚 really daunting and overwhelming and you don鈥檛 often know that many people.

To be a part of someone鈥檚 journey into high school and their secondary education just sounded like a really important role that I could fulfil. I thought it was a really special opportunity, and to be chosen was a real honour. Everyone that鈥檚 here is so passionate about it and is so happy to be here.

It was a big jump finishing high school and then getting into the real world. Uni is on the cards at the moment, I鈥檓 going to study a Bachelor of International Studies this year at Deakin."

Bailey Leatch

"I loved having that person when I was in Year 7 to show me around and I remember thinking it was really daunting worrying that I wouldn't get to class on time if I didn鈥檛 know where the classroom was, so having that person to show me around was great.

I鈥檝e had an interest in teaching for ages, so I thought it would be nice to get a bit of experience.

I'm about to start a Double Degree in Social Work and Psychology."

Kasey Slattery

On Thursday, Year 12 students joined our new Year 7 students in the Middle Years Building, where they had the opportunity to ask questions and get to know each other.

COVIDSafe measures have changed, but we continue to implement important practices to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission: 

• We will continue to ensure air purifiers are used and external ventilation is maximised, 
• Good personal hygiene is encouraged, and
• Face masks are available for staff, students and visitors who wish to wear them.

Recommended Actions

It is recommended that rapid antigen tests (RATs) are used by students and staff if they: 鈭� have symptoms of COVID-19 infection, no matter how mild- are a household or close contact of someone who has COVID-19- are a social contact of someone who has COVID-19. 

The Department of Health recommends that all Victorians report their positive RAT result via the online form or by calling 1800 675 398. 

Principals are no longer required to inform their school community of a positive case associated with the school.

Additional Information

RATs are available for all Victorians from council sites. Individuals can obtain two free packs  (10 tests) for themselves and two free packs (10 tests) for each of their household members. People with disability and their carers can get up to four free packs (20 tests) in line with existing RAT distribution for people with disability. 

Further information can be found on the  website.