It has been wonderful to welcome students and staff back to another term of learning as we journey through term two.

The challenges we experienced throughout term one have continued with a number of staff and student absences each week due to Covid (and other illnesses such as flu) however, we continue with our planned learning program as much as possible and I am grateful to staff, students and families for their continued resilience and endeavours to ensure we keep moving forward.

Anthony Banks is currently taking a period of leave from the College for personal reasons. During this time I will undertake the role of Acting Principal and I am grateful to all members of the College Community for your ongoing work and support.

Performing Arts Centre

After a number of delays, we have been very excited to be able to take possession of our new Performing Arts Centre (Mornington Campus) this term. While the theatre space is still to be completed (due for completion mid-June), the classrooms, rehearsal rooms, lesson rooms, recording facilities and offices have all been open since the commencement of term two, and students and staff are thoroughly enjoying being able to access these amazing facilities.

There has been much consultation and discussion regarding the official name of this building which represents the second stage of our Masterplan. With Stage 1 being named in honour of our College Mercy charism, it was determined early that this new space would be named to honour our College Franciscan charism. A number of options were proposed and considered and I am pleased to now announce that this building will be named the St Clare Performing Arts Centre. St Clare of Assisi was an Italian saint and one of the first followers of Francis of Assisi. She founded the Order of Poor Ladies, a monastic religious order for women in the Franciscan tradition.

We are planning to celebrate the blessing and official opening of the Centre early in term three and we look forward to sharing details of the opening with members of the College community in the coming weeks.

Aspire9 Camps

Recently all Year 9 students participated in the Aspire9 Camps. These activities have not been able to take place over the past two years and it was so wonderful for this program to be able to re-commence again this year. My grateful thanks to the Aspire9 team of Mr Mark De Fazio, Mrs Andrea Cummins, Ms Chelsea Holmes, Ms Lucy Millar and Ms Bec Seal, along with all staff who attended these camps, and those who supported colleagues through remaining onsite and covering classes.

School Advisory Council

Recently we welcomed to the Padua College School Advisory Council Mrs Maree Leydon as the Westernport Parish Representative.

I wish to thank long-standing SAC member, Mr Peter Leamon, who has recently advised of his decision to resign from the School Advisory Council.

Peter commenced in his role as part of what was then the Padua College Board, as a Parent Representative in February 2015 and was then appointed Chair at the 2016 Annual General Meeting and held that position until early 2021 when the new MACS governance structure was implemented and we moved to a School Advisory Council. Peter remained a valued member of the SAC until his recent resignation.

Expression of Interest

With Peter Leamon resigning from the School Advisory Council, we are now seeking a new member to fill the vacated parent representative position.

While no particular expertise is required, the College seeks people with a range of diverse skill sets to best advise the Principal, united by a desire to provide the best possible education for our students.

A balanced membership with parent voice on the School Advisory Council is well-placed to advise the Principal about important matters, particularly those related to the school’s mission and students’ success.

The needs of the Council will be given priority in terms of ensuring a balance of gender, cultural diversity and skill sets. Profiles of the current SAC members can be found at our College website at the following link: Padua College Governance.

Therefore, we are calling on you to express your interest in being part of the School Advisory Council. If you have children at the College and wish to be part of this Council, we would welcome your application in writing. Please forward expressions of interest to: Principal, Anthony Banks, pa@padua.vic.edu.au by Monday 30 May 2022.

Covid19 Update

We have been informed this week that the Victorian Government will continue to provide rapid antigen tests (RATs) for use by students and staff for the remainder of term two.

However, from Monday 23 May 2022, it is recommended that RATs are used by students and staff when symptomatic. RATs are also required to be used for five days if a student or staff member is a close contact of a confirmed case and they are attending or working at a school.

From Monday 23 May 2022, it is not recommended that non-symptomatic students or staff conduct RATs twice a week.

Students and staff must continue to notify the Department of Health and the College if they return a positive RAT result and I remind all families that if your child is positive or a household close contact then we require this to be reported via the College Covid-19 Notification Form which can be accessed via the mask icon on the College homepage or via the following link: https://www.padua.vic.edu.au/covid-19-information.

As has previously been advised, if students are close household contacts they are still able to attend school as long as they are not symptomatic, they wear a face mask when indoors and test for five of the seven days that they would have previously been in isolation.

With various illnesses currently being experienced by members of our community, students are encouraged to consider wearing masks when in spaces that they are unable to socially distance and that they continue to sanitise their hands regularly. Hand sanitiser is located all around each of the campuses of the College and students should continue to use this regularly.

I also remind all families that if students are displaying any symptoms of Covid they should remain at home.

NCEC Policy Report Card:

Catholic Education Election Report Card on Major Parties

MACS have forwarded the following information to be distributed to members of our community.

Catholic education has released a federal election report card assessing the responses from the major political parties on education priorities.

The report card assess the Coalition, Labor and Green’s responses to the priorities of:

• Genuine school choice through fair funding and ensuring affordable contributions from families
• Enabling faith-based education through religious protections
• Improving capital funding
• Support for delivering national priorities such as quality teaching, early childhood education, mental health and wellbeing programs and Closing the gap initiatives for Aboriginal and Torres Islander students

National Catholic Education executive director Jacinta Collins said the report card shows the Liberal National Coalition and Labor are on par in addressing Catholic education’s priorities, particularly on school choice.

“We are fortunate that both major parties continue to support genuine school choice in Australian education and are committed to families who choose a Catholic education for their children,” Ms Collins said.

Responses sought from key independent candidates are also being evaluated.

The full report card and major party responses is available via www.ncec.catholic.edu.au/federal-election-2022.

Authorised by J Collins, National Catholic Education Commission, Level 3, 156 Gloucester Street, Sydney.

Staff and Community News

Mr Rob Knight (Co-Director, Tyabb Campus) is currently taking a period of leave (Semester 1, 2022). Rob has informed Anthony recently of his decision to resign at the end of this period of leave. Rob is a much valued long serving member of the Padua College staff, having given 20 years of service. Rob was a founding member of the Tyabb Campus staff and will be missed by all members of the College community, particularly the Tyabb Campus staff, students and families.

We are looking to formally farewell Rob in the last week of this term and more details will follow in the coming weeks.

Condolences and Congratulations

We were saddened to hear of the passing of former staff member, Mrs Eileen Dalley over the holidays. Eileen was employed at the College from 2004 – 2011 and we extend our sympathies to Eileen’s family.

I wish to extend my condolences to Mrs Anita Carter and Ms Lauren Carter on the passing of father-in-law and grandfather, Tommy Carter over the holidays.

I also extend my condolences to Ms Samantha Slattery (M) on the passing of her father, Noel Slattery, earlier this week.

Congratulations to Ms Emma Cheers (M) on her marriage to Kris over the holidays.

Congratulations to Mr Russell Quill (M) and wife Alison of the birth of baby daughter Evelyn recently.

Congratulations to Mr Jim Palmer (Fees Manager) and partner Krystal on the arrival of baby Billy recently.

Congratulations to Ms Rachel Ball (M) and husband, Tom, on the arrival of baby Parker Thomas recently.

Congratulations to Ms Georga Bryant (M) and husband Nick on the arrival of baby Matilda recently.

Welcome

I extend my congratulations to the following staff who commenced in Positions of Leadership from the commencement of term two:

• Assistant Head of Campus – Learning & Pedagogy, Year 7 – 9 M’ton Campus: Mrs Stephanie Murphy (new appointment, replacing Mrs Deb Taylor who we farwelled from the College at the end of Term 1)
• Aspire9 Co-ordinator, M’ton Campus: Ms Lucy Millar (replacing Ms Georga Bryant who has commenced parental leave)
• Sports Co-ordinator, Year 10 – 12 Campus: Ms Anna Whittaker (replacing Ms Rachael Ball who has commenced parental leave)
• Rachel Mason replacing Campus Learning Enhancement Organiser (CLEO) position at the Rosebud Campus for term two replacing Mrs Felicity Callaghan while she takes a period of leave.

I welcome the following new staff who have commenced at the College recently:

• Ms Zaiba Naqshbandi (M Lab Tech)
• Mrs Stephanie Murphy, LaP, Year 7-9 Mornington Campus
• Miss Chloe Brownscombe, Science Teacher
• Mr Michael Kerr, RE Teacher
• Mr Chris Stucley, Science/Maths Teacher
• Mrs Jennifer Tsai Bove, Psychology/Science Teacher
• Ms Amy McDonald, School Counsellor
• Mr Brad Penpraze, Maintenance
• Mr Jamie MacPhie, Maintenance
• Ms Leia Heng, LSO Rosebud
• Mr Bruce Topham, Careers Advisor
• Ms Morgan Lynch, LSO
• Ms Loretta Lloyd, VCAL
• Mr Alec Boundy, Animal Assistant
• Mr Jeremy Leihy (M)
• Ms Helen New (Library)
• Mrs Julie Rawson (R)
• Mrs Shelley Jackson (R)

I extend my best wishes to the following staff who we have recently farewelled from the College:

Mrs Deb Taylor (M)

Ms Anastasia Betts (M)

Ms Tracy Alles (M)

Mrs Amanda Kerr (M)

Ms Kiera America (M)

Mrs Carol Craigie (Counsellor)

Mrs Jo Emery (Counsellor)

Mrs Melanie Chester (LSO)

Recently I have been informed by long standing staff members Ms Marcelle Ryan (Marketing & Public Relations), Mrs Agnes O’Grady (M Library), Ms Robyn Gooley (M Library) and Ms Christine Robin (R) of their intention to resign rom the College and I extend my very best wishes to each of them for the future.

May God bless you and your family.

Prayer

Holy Father, God of Love, You are the Creator of all things.

We acknowledge the pain and shame of our history and the sufferings of Our peoples, and we ask your forgiveness.

We thank you for the survival of Indigenous cultures.

Our hope is in you because you gave your Son Jesus to reconcile the world to you.

We pray for your strength and grace to forgive, accept and love one another, as you love us and forgive and accept us in the sacrifice of your Son.

Give us the courage to accept the realities of our history so that we may build a better future for our Nation.

Teach us at Padua College to respect all cultures. Teach us to care for our land and waters.

Help us to share justly the resources of this land. Help us to bring about spiritual and social change to improve the quality of life for all groups in our communities, especially the disadvantaged.

Help young people to find true dignity and self-esteem by your Spirit.

May your power and love be the foundations on which we build our families, our communities and our Nation, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

St Anthony of Padua…pray for us.