NEWS

 
09/12/2015

 

In final edition of 'Meet the Teacher' for 2015, we speak with Mrs. Natalie Savage, a member of our Secondary School Teaching Team and Head of Sport.

Name: Natalie Savage – Head of Sport (Secondary) & Secondary School Teacher – Natalie.savage@marymede.vic.edu.au

What is your role at the College?

For the past 5 years I have been a part of the Secondary Health and Physical Education team as a Teacher which has seen me teach Years 7-12 Health and Years 7-10 P.E in addition to coaching several of our sporting teams including Netball, Tennis and Athletics. My greatest success as a Coach at Marymede Catholic College would be with our boys Volleyball team who have won Premierships in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015.

I have also been a Tutor Teacher as part of the Chanel Guild.

Tell us about an interesting project or topic that you are currently running with one of your classes?

My day is always jam-packed and very busy, usually I’m up at 5.00am to fit in my own training and then off to either swimming training at Mill Park YMCA (Term 4) or at my desk organising the day ahead.

This year I have had the pleasure of teaching Year 12 Health and Human Development as well as the first group of Year 11 VET Sport and Recreation students along with Years 9-10 HPE. As I knew many of the Year 12’s when they were fresh faced Year 7 students, it was an honour to be a part of their journey and to support them in their final year of study at Marymede Catholic College.

Being involved in the HPE and Sport Department means there is always something happening, whether it’s training, match-day or lunchtime competitions, it’s a very fun place to be involved in and extremely rewarding. I am very lucky to work in a team full of passionate, dedicated and enthusiastic Staff who are always keen to get the best out of everyone.

What is the most rewarding aspect of being a Teacher?

There are many aspects of teaching that I find rewarding. I see myself as a role-model for future generations and not just simply a ‘Teacher’, so whether it be students achieving top marks or simply receiving a smile in the schoolyard from students, teaching brings something new, challenging, different and exciting every day.

I always love it when people say “teachers have the best holidays, they get 20 weeks off a year”.

Those of us who are teachers know that those ‘holidays’ never end up being a holiday as there’s usually work on laptops or a bag full of corrections to take home!

Fast Five:

Favourite Food: Avocado (Healthy), Ice Cream (Treat)

Favourite Movie/TV Show: Keeping up with the Kardashians (Allows me to switch off my brain!)

Hidden Talent or Something We May Not Know About You:

- I have represented Victoria in Table Tennis at the National Championships

- I am Level 6 Gymnast

- I have played womens AFL

- I love wakeboarding and skiing

- Have played State League netball for VU in a championship division

- I hold a brown belt in Karate

- Played Grade 1 Victorian tennis

Favourite Sporting Team/Athlete:

This changes often as I generally like to get behind female athletes having a positive impact for all females in sport. For 2015 I would say: Ronda Rousey, Serena Williams, Alana Blanchard, Sally Fitzgibbons and Michelle Payne.

If You Could Pick Any 3 People as Dinner Guests, Who Would They Be and Why?:

My Husband – I never seem to have time to spend with him.

My Parents – They are the best parents anyone could ask for.

Beyoncé – Ultimate girl-power!

 

Mrs. Savage at the Marymede Catholic College Swimming Carnival

02/12/2015

On Wednesday December 2, 2015 Marymede Catholic College celebrated just our second ever group of Scholarship recipients in our Scholarship Awards Ceremony.

The College was honoured to welcome the students and their families in addtion to special guests from St Mary's Primary School Whittlesea (Phillip Smith and Tanya Osborne) and Mill Park Heights Primary School (Deborah Patterson) as we acknowledged our Scholarship recipients and presented them with their certificate.

We congratulate the following students on recieveing a Marymede Catholic College Scholarship commencing in 2016:

Year 5, 2016 Academic Excellence Scholarship
Suchiti Sangwan

Year 7, 2016 Academic Excellence Scholarship
Laurence Portella
Abhay Sharma
Grace Wake

Year 9, 2016 Academic Endeavour Scholarship
Reece Colosimo
Jackson Mansell

Year 7, 2016 General Excellence Scholarship
Jarnai Brancaleone
Blake Harris (Mill Park Heights Primary School)
Nandana Nair
Jarrod Taylor

Year 7, 2016 Music Scholarship
Imogen Garland
Joshua Guest (St. Mary's Primary School Whittlesea)
Thomas Kouroumalis
Maya Perez-Guerra
Laurence Portella
Elizabeth Xerri

Year 9, 2016 Music Scholarship
George El-Azar
Giovanni Sawali

02/12/2015

It was a pleasure to see so many familiar faces return to Marymede Catholic College on Tuesday December 1, 2015 attending our Alumni Gathering.

The Alumni Gathering provided a great opportunity for our past graduates to meet our Principal Mr. Kenny, catch up with peers and learn about the new and exciting journeys that they are now undertaking! Discussions were also had with regards to our formal College Reunion which will take place in 2016 in conjunction with our 10th Year Anniversary Celebrations.

Marymede Catholic College would like to thank all past students in attendance on the night and we look forward to many more exciting ALumni events in the future.

27/11/2015

 

The dream of one day having her own book published is what drives Year 9 student, Bridget Cassar-Tangas, to continue following her passion for writing and based on recent achievements, Bridget’s dream is getting closer and closer each day.

One of her recent creations, ‘In Class Now’ has just been accepted for publication into this year’s edition of ‘The Write Track’. The story was written as part of Bridget’s creative monologue writing task in her English class here at Marymede Catholic College.

She then made the decision to enter the piece for publication but did not anticipate what would happen next.

“When I found out that my story was one of the few that had been selected for publication (Australia wide) I was extremely overwhelmed and excited! It's such a huge achievement that I never expected, I thought I'll just enter and see how it goes.” recalls Bridget, who started writing in her spare time and grew very fond of it.

“The best thing about writing is that you are able to imagine or create yourself in another world. I feel developing characters and the story itself, can allow your readers to visualise what they are reading.”

Bridget also uploads many of her stories to the writing website ‘Wattpad’, one of which has successfully achieved 10,000 reads. “I would never have expected to accomplish such a mountable number of readers, and have had some great positive feedback from people who have read it.”

Her advice to other young, aspiring writers? “Allow your imagination to create a piece of writing that is unique and special to you. Give it a go and you never know what the future holds for you!”

You can find a link to some of Bridget’s stories online by clicking HERE.

Marymede Catholic College would like to congratulate Bridget on her recent achievement and we wish her all the very best in her future creative endeavours.

Year 9 student Bridget with this year's edition of 'The Write Track'

19/11/2015

Exciting times lie ahead for Massimo Gamboni (Year 9) who will take part in his first ever Solo Art Exhibition on December 3 titled ‘The Stages of Filmmaking, a Comical Take at the Making of Movies.’

Massimo, who has been drawing for as long he can remember, recently spent the last 3 months drawing cartoons about another one of his passions – filmmaking.

Marymede Catholic College spoke with Massimo about his recent achievement:

What are you looking forward to most about the exhibition?
I’m looking forward to being able to showcase my talents.

How many of your own drawings/creations do you keep at home?
I’ve drawn so many pieces over the years that it’s probably too hard to keep track!

What are your ambitions for the future?
I hope to finish School, and go on study animation at University. To one day work for Pixar (a California-based animation company) would be a dream come true.

Do you have any advice for other young students/children who enjoy drawing/art?
Draw what you love and try to share your artwork with as many people as possible. You never know who will see them and give you a new opportunity. The Baseline City of Whittlesea Program gave me the opportunity to showcase my images and I highly recommend joining that program if you are interested in drawing/art.

Marymede Catholic College would like to congratulate Massimo on his recent achievements and we wish him all the best in his future artistic endeavours.

The Stages of Filmmaking, a Comical Take at the Making of Movies will be at EDGE Services for Young People, Shop MM1, Westfield Plenty Valley, Mill Park, from December 3.


 

16/11/2015

 

It was truly a special moment in the history of Marymede Catholic College on Thursday November 12 as College Principal Mr. Kenny along with 2016 College Captains Adrian and Betsey, and 2015 Primary School Leaders Jarrod and Nandana presented Mr. Wileman from St. Vincent De Paul Society with a cheque for $10,000 – a result of the funds raised from Marymede Day 2015.

The story behind this fundraising campaign starts months ago, with the College deciding to make Marymede Day 2015 a ‘Mission-Action’ day – an opportunity for all students to get together and share in something truly special by setting themselves a goal of raising $10,000 in just one day. Head of Faith & Mission P-12 Ms. Judeline Wadhwani looks back on the decision – “We believed $ 10,000 was an achievable target for our first year of Mission-Action.  We wanted to get the community’s confidence in achieving a realistic target.  St Vincent de Paul is a well-loved and respected Catholic charity: internationally, nationally and locally.  We also liked the fact that we work so closely with the Mernda Conference of Vinnies and decided to support it.”

And so the hard work began – with each Guild deciding upon different experiences which would be available for students to take part in on the day. The majority of the funds were raised through ticket sales which could be used by students to enjoy activities such as the FIFA Competition, Photo Booth, Sporting Challenge, Face and Nail Painting and of course a number of different food stalls which are always popular at the College!

“The manner in which Mission-Action was embraced by students and staff alike was very rewarding to me.  As the weeks and days drew near, the excitement was palpable and there was a great sense of anticipation about what the day would bring.”  Ms. Wadhwani

“It was great to see so much student involvement throughout the campaign and to see our students working together. The strong sense of communication really helped to ensure the campaign would be a success.” Ms. Andrea Zappulla – Head of Chanel Guild and Secondary School Teacher.

It was clear by the end of the afternoon, that Marymede Day 2015 was a huge success. Students truly embraced the opportunity to celebrate the occasion and made the most of the 3 hour block in which the activities occurred. However the final result of fundraising would not be known for several days whilst counting took place.

“I was so emotional at the moment the $10,000 was announced, it is so humbling to know I was part of a great community coming together to make such a big difference.” Ms Melinda Muir – Head of Faith & Mission (Primary)

“I think the best thing about achieving our target of $10 000 was that the students really didn’t believe they could do it. To see their response upon hearing what was raised, gave the students a real sense of pride in being able to help others.” Ms Simone McGill - Youth Ministry Co-ordinator and Chisholm Guild Tutor.

With the final tally announced, and our goal of $10,000 reached, students gathered at the final Secondary School assembly for 2015 to hand over the cheque and reflect on the great achievement. We’d like to thank all members of the Marymede Community for their support and look forward to next years campaign – with a view to raising $16,000 in ‘16!

Cheque for $10,000 presented to St. Vincent De Paul Society

The Cupcake Stall at Marymede Day 2015

Students embrace Mission-Action

12/11/2015

 

In this edition of 'Meet the Teacher' we speak with Mr. Derek McConn, a member of our Secondary School Teaching Team and Head of Health and Physical Education.

Name: Derek McConn – Head of Health and Physical Education (Secondary) & Secondary School Teacher – derek.mcconn@marymede.vic.edu.au

What is your role at the College?

I am the Head of Health and Physical Education (7 – 12) and I also currently teach Years 7-10 Physical Education, VCE Physical Education and Sport.

My role here at Marymede Catholic College is to facilitate the delivery of a broad and inclusive physical education program for all students in Years 7-12.

Tell us about an interesting project or topic that you are currently running with one of your classes?

Currently, the Health and Physical Education (HPE) team are working on the development of a VCE Concept Program (Years 7-10) in Physical Education which is to be introduced in 2016.

Simply put, our students will be introduced to VCE concepts from Year 7 accelerating their learning in a practical setting. For example, rather than a student in Year 7 just completing an athletics unit, in 2016 they will gain an understating of the concept of ‘Energy Systems’ through the medium of athletics. We will be introducing several VCE concepts to our student cohort in this manner across the Years 7-10 Physical Education program.

We believe this will give Marymede students who wish to study subjects in the HPE domain a significant advantage as they enter their VCE program in the coming years.

My day is broken up between teaching and facilitating the design and delivery of our outstanding Physical Education program at the College. This requires regular meetings with Staff, collaborating on the creation of new ideas, making relevant bookings for external coaches and events, researching and planning new ideas for curriculum development and setting a plan in place where these new ideas can be delivered effectively and on time.

What is the most rewarding aspect of being a Teacher?

Researching and introducing innovative new approaches to developing our program is extremely enjoyable. The real reward is seeing our students engaged on a level which surpasses even their own expectations.

Additionally, working with a team who share the same vision, passion and values makes every day an enjoyable experience at Marymede Catholic College.

Fast Five:

Favourite Food: Fajitas (Mexican Irish Food!)

Favourite Movie/TV Show: Game of Thrones

Hidden Talent or Something We May Not Know About You: I love to make homemade wine.

Favourite Sporting Team/Athlete: Arsenal FC – I’m a ‘Gooner’ (Nickname used to describe Arsenal fans – derived from the team’s nickname ‘The Gunners’)

If You Could Pick Any 3 People as Dinner Guests, Who Would They Be and Why?:

Dennis Bergkamp – Arsenal Football Club great!

Joe Cooney – An Irish hurling legend.

My Mum – I haven’t seen her in ages!

 

Mr. McConn with members of the 2015 Marymede High Performance Academy.

12/11/2015

Marymede Catholic College would like to advise all families that dates for our 2016 Sacramental Program have now been confirmed. Families taking part in each Sacrament will be sent further information regarding specific details throughout 2016.

The Sacramental Program dates can be found below:

 

Sacrament of Confirmation:

Sunday April 17, 2.30pm  - St Patrick’s Cathedral

 

Sacrament of Reconciliation:

Wednesday August 24, 5.00pm

Wednesday August 24, 7.00pm

Thursday August 25, 5.00pm

Thursday August 25, 7.00pm

Held in the Chapel of Annunciation at Marymede Catholic College

 

Sacrament of Eucharist:

Sunday October 16, 2.30pm - St Patrick’s Cathedral

09/11/2015

Year 5 students currently involved in learning about Indigenous Spirituality as part of the 'Years 5 & 10 Linkage Program' were treated to a special visit by award winning Australian hip-hop artist Philly on Monday November 9.

Students have been working with Year 10 classes to look at the way in which Indigenous communities relate to the land, relationships, communities and the world around them. Classes have read dream time stories, wrote prayers, painted story stones and investigated the history of Indigenous persecution in Australia. They drew connections between Indigenous Religion and Catholicism in the calls to respect law, land, love and maintain community.

Philly's visit to Marymede Catholic College was hughly popular with the Year 5 students who were keen to ask as many questions as they possibly could. Philly performed a couple of tracks for the audience before speaking to them about his life, indigenous heritage and Aboriginal spirituality. The session concluded with a workshop on poems & rap music.

Thank you Philly!

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