Mary's Way December 2020

VOLUME 3 DECEMBER 2020
Mary’s Way
In this edition:
Meet the Deputy
Principals
2020 Graduation
Marymede master
plan
Marymede medalist
and Marian award
winners

Welcome
I hope all our wonderful Marymede Community enjoy reading
this edition of Mary’s Way and join me in reflecting on the
College’s experiences in 2020. There is no doubt COVID-19
had a significant impact on our College Community and
disrupted lives in ways previously unknown and unexpected.
I am very proud of how everyone in the Marymede
Community adapted to these extraordinary circumstances.
I would like to thank staff for the way they quickly embraced
the challenge of delivering engaging lessons online and were
responsive to students’ individual needs. Thank you also to
parents for juggling personal and professional requirements
to support your children throughout this difficult year.
The energy and life our students bring to campus was greatly
missed for much of the year. It was wonderful to speak to
students upon their return to school late this year about their
different experiences and thoughts about online learning. I
am proud of the way our students adapted to online learning
and were prepared to develop IT skills which will hopefully be
maintained and serve them well in later life. The silver lining
of this tough experience is the strengthened partnership
between school and home. We can rejoice in the gift of unity
and pray that this connection remains strong going forward.
While COVID-19 limited co-curricular activities in 2020, we
were able to run several events at the start of the year before
government restrictions began. These included the Opening
School Mass, House BBQs and the Parents & Friends Colour
Run. Secondary students enjoyed supporting their House at
the Swimming Carnival, Year 10s attended a fun challenge
camp and Year 12s reflected upon their years at Marymede
and life ahead during their Retreat. Unfortunately, the Year 7
Camp was cancelled a few days before it was scheduled to
begin; however, we have an exciting Year 8 camp planned
for students in 2021. We were also pleased to convert
some planned co-curricular events to online experiences:
it was wonderful to see Year 11s engage in an online
retreat and students enthusiastically participate in online
House Feast days.
Our Primary students made the most of their time on campus
in Term 4, celebrating Book Week with a costume parade
and promoting numeracy through fun, educational activities
during Maths @ Marymede Day. We are grateful that our
Grade 3 Students were able to complete the Sacrament of
Reconciliation and look forward to fostering the growth of
their and all students’ faith commitment. It has been a tough
but ultimately successful year at Marymede. I am grateful
for the hard work of all staff, students, parents and friends in
the College Community who have travelled with us on this
experience. I wish you all a Merry Christmas, safe holidays
and look forward to seeing you in 2021.
— Mr Michael Kenny
Principal

Contents
VOLUME 3 DECEMBER 2020
About Marymede Catholic College
Marymede Catholic College is a Catholic faith community
which aspires, in the way of Mary, to give students a passion
for life, a love of learning and a determination to be of service
to others. We are committed to the principles of freedom of
religion, freedom of speech and association, equal rights for all
and the values of openness and tolerance.
Features
2
Master plan
2
Marymede is a Catholic co-educational, Prep to Year 12
Archdiocesan school located in the northern suburb of South
Morang, and servicing the areas of South Morang, Mernda,
Doreen and Whittlesea. Founded in 2006 our College has been
providing outstanding opportunities for our students, ensuring
that we cater for the diverse educational, physical, social and
spiritual needs of each young person in our care.
We are a young and vibrant school with outstanding facilities
and vast opportunities. As a Prep to Year 12 College we are
in a unique position to provide your son or daughter with a
COMPLETE education. An education that reinforces your
family values in a dynamic, supportive and caring environment.
An education that incorporates the latest technology, delivered
by teachers who truly care about student learning and an
education that stimulates and actively encourages excellence.
3
4
6
Alumni
Commencement
Captain’s messages
Our College places a strong, dual emphasis on personal
endeavour and pastoral care, which guides our graduates
towards responsible, mature adulthood. As a College we
aspire, in the way of Mary, to give students a passion for life, a
love of learning and a determination to be of service to others.
8
Meet the Deputy Principals
Marymede Catholic College
60 Williamsons Rd, South Morang VIC 3752
(03) 9407 9000
www.marymede.vic.edu.au
13
16
Marymede Medalist and
Marian Award
Meet our Year 3 team
8
19
Graduation
21
First aid saves a life

Master plan
Alumni
A global pandemic has not stopped a myriad
of improvements and new buildings forging
ahead at Marymede this year.
Nicholas Musto – Class of 2014
“A little kindness in life
really does go a long way”
In 2017 the College commenced its journey towards
implementing meaningful solar generation across the
growing South Morang campus and 2020 saw an additional
217 solar panels installed. The College now has 1198 farm
solar panels and has increased its electricity generation
to 348kWh.
Not only do the solar panels demonstrate the College’s
commitment to sustainability and the environment as well
as an awareness of our global footprint, they contribute to
an electricity consumption saving of approximately 60%.
The College’s long-term objective is to install batteries to
store excess daytime power for use during the night, and
ultimately generate more solar power than consumed.
The $4.2M Materials and Digital Technology Centre was
also completed in Term 2 this year. The building comprises
of two Woodwork workshops, a Textiles workshop, an
Innovation and Prototype Lab and a Digital Design hub.
Students in both the primary and secondary school have
loved the new facilities.
Next year a $3.45M State Government grant will go
towards extending the College’s Performing Arts area with
a purpose-built centre. With so many students involved in
dance and drama in the school, a dedicated facility will allow
students’ talents to be showcased. The facility is expected to
be finished for the start of the 2022 school year.
As I write this piece, it amazes me that six years have
passed since I completed Year 12 as my memories of
Marymede are still so fresh and fond. Back then, everyone
knew Italian was my passion. That passion grew and drove
me to not only enrol in a Bachelor of Arts degree at La Trobe
University (majoring in Italian and English) with an additional
Honours degree in Italian Studies, but inspired me to move
to northern Italy in order to teach English, as an English
Language Assistant.
During my time at Marymede I was heavily involved in
many different activities, including Marymede Feast Days,
lunchtime games clubs, school productions (Grease, Cabaret,
Hairspray and Annie) and even San Carlo Age Care volunteer
work. I was driven by a fervent curiosity and a desire to make
the most of my experience at Marymede.
Looking back at the teachers who inspired me, I consider
Mr Jeremy Guzman a mentor. It was he that instilled a
passion in me for a subject in which I was initially not even
supposed to be enrolled. His final words to our Year 12
Media class have accompanied me to different corners of the
globe; “A little kindness in life really does go a long way.”
Such a phrase may seem clichéd (apologies, Mr G), however
I sincerely believe that even the simplest phrase can have the
greatest effect on us if the person delivering the message
lives by their words. And Mr G. does.
The global pandemic forced me to depart Italy for South
Morang where I have hit the ground running by applying for
many different jobs, one of which is the opportunity to teach.
Over the next two years, I will be teaching Italian whilst
simultaneously studying for a Master of Teaching.
I harbour no regrets about my time at Marymede however,
were I to have it over again, I would focus less on that which
is not meant to be; Mr G.’s words would ring true every day;
I would make it my mission to live justly and share happiness
with all those around me.
— Nicholas Musto
Mary’s Way 2 3

Commencement
Co-curricular
activities
In what seems like a lifetime ago, Marymede
welcomed 130 Preps, nearly 100 new students
in Year 7 and a large number across all other
year levels to the College at the beginning of
the year.
Although there were tentative smiles as our new students
arrived at the College on their first days, it was difficult to
know who was more excited, our new students or their
parents. It did not take long for our new students to become
confident in their new surroundings and make friendships
that may go on to last a lifetime.
The Marymede community can take great pride in the way
it welcomes new family members. In what has been an
extremely difficult year for new students, families and staff
to commence at a school and make meaningful connections,
our community has embraced our new family members with
open arms.
26 students from Prep - Year 12 have also joined the
Marymede community during 2020. Although these new
students have spent much of the year learning from home,
we know that they will have already experienced some of the
Marymede community spirit.
Despite the challenges of remote learning, Marymede
Catholic College students still enjoyed a rich co-curricular
program. Some activities, such as Primary Choir, Dance
Club and SRC, moved completely online with Zooms and
videos replacing the usual face-to-face gatherings of these
enthusiastic students.
The cast of the 7-12 school musical, High School Musical,
persevered with online rehearsals and are currently putting
together a filmed version of the whole show in lieu of a live
performance.
A new program, Co-Curricular @ Home was developed with
weekly activities for students to learn new skills, show off
their talents and get active!
This year will see the presentation of the first ever House
Shield for Co-Curriculum and many House points were
earned for colouring competitions, step-a-thons, scavenger
hunts, digital portraits and cooking, among others.
Mary’s Way 4 5

Captains’ Messages
“Enjoy the little things, for
one day you may look back and
realize they were the big things”
– Robert Brault.
Fellow members of the Marymede community,
We thought we would begin our final address with the
quote above as it perfectly reflects our journey this year,
one that was ripe with spontaneity and unprecedented
challenges. Having completed most of our learning this year
at home has made us realise that, even the smallest things we
often took for granted, such as sitting in a classroom beside
our friends or being able to go to the canteen at recess and
lunch, are in fact privileges that are undervalued and for
which we should always be grateful.
Despite the tremendous hardships faced by our community
over the past year it is vital that we continually reflect upon
all that we have accomplished. For some of us, getting
though our first year at the college, the struggles of making
new friends in a different environment, learning to open a
locker, hopping into the pool for the first time, and getting
through our first ever lot of assessments and exams. Whilst
these may not be particularly grand or exciting at first glance,
it is important to recognise that every time we overcome a
challenge, big or small, it is something to be proud of.
We are all so very fortunate to be a part of such a diverse,
caring and enriched community of talented individuals
who can achieve whatever they set their minds to. As we
mentioned in our very first address, each and every one of
you are capable of making this world a brighter and better
place-not only for yourself, but also for every one of you. So,
once again in the words of Dr. Jordan B. Peterson, we urge
you to “speak your mind. Put your desires forward, as if you
had a right to them - at least the same right as others. Walk
tall and gaze forthrightly ahead. Dare to be dangerous”.
Sincerely,
— Ann Anil and Dimitrios Bachos
College Captains 2020
This year has been tough but we made it through!
Everyone can be proud of themselves on making it through
these tough times and working really hard. Personally, I
used this year as an opportunity to learn in a different way.
Some of us found it easy and others did not. I wanted to
congratulate all the people who found home learning difficult
but kept trying during the year. I would also like to thank all
the teachers that worked hard in planning for this new way of
learning on such short notice.
— Sahib Khangura
Primary Leader
It has been a brutal year for everyone around the world with
the twists and turns COVID-19 has thrown at us, but we have
dealt with it incredibly well and have managed to get back to
some normality.
I am very proud of the achievements and fun we managed to
experience this year while dealing with the pandemic. I admit
that I found it difficult motivating myself to get out of bed in
the morning, knowing I wasn’t going to school. Yet I realized
that this was our new normal and adjusted my life to this.
Overall, we have learnt many different things this year and in
the future, we will be able to tell much younger people that
we survived COVID-19.
— Rebecca Kouts
Primary Leader
Mary’s Way 6 7

Meet the Deputy
Principals
Marymede welcomed two new Deputy
Principals to the teaching staff this year.
Throughout the year, both Jessica Hall and
David Broadbent have experienced the
strength of the Marymede Community and
extend their thanks for giving them a warm
welcome.
Jessica Hall
Deputy Principal Teaching and Learning
Tell us about your schooling. What was your worst and
favourite subjects at school and why?
I always enjoyed Maths and Science, loving that light bulb
moment when a problem was solved. Drama was difficult
as I was extremely introverted and the thought of performing
was terrifying.
Why did you go into teaching?
I wanted to work with young people, build relationships and
have an impact on their lives. Teaching allows me to do that.
I strive to be that teacher that students talk about years later
that had high expectations, pushed them to be their best but
was their biggest advocate along the way.
If you could go back in time, what piece of advice would you
give the young you?
That it’s ok to be unsure about one’s purpose in life.
Everything happens for a reason and things will work out the
way they are supposed to. Just work hard, have faith and the
rest will take care of itself.
What is your favourite family tradition?
I love everything about Christmas! Every year we go to the
Myer Christmas Windows and this is something I did growing
up for as long as I can remember too. Every Christmas Eve
we have new PJs and get excited for the next morning.
What are some of the challenges you think that our students
will face in the future?
After this year I’m not sure there is any challenge our
students couldn’t face. The resilience they have shown
has been extraordinary and the independence and
commitment they have shown really will hold them in
good stead in the future.
For what in your life do you feel most grateful?
Every day I try to take a moment or two, to be mindful and
acknowledge what I’m grateful for. I feel so fortunate for so
many of the opportunities I’ve been given personally and
professionally. Even on the hardest of days taking time to
show gratitude tends to turn things around. My family and
friends are always such a source of support and love and for
that I am most grateful.
David Broadbent
Deputy Principal Staff and Operations
Tell us about your schooling. What was your worst and
favourite subjects at school and why?
I always loved history and still do! I’ve always found it
fascinating to learn of how humans lived at different points in
time, how and why they made their decisions. My favourite
history quote is attributed to Mark Twain: “History doesn’t
repeat itself, but it often rhymes”. My worst was Wood tech;
I could never be precise enough with my hands.
If you could go back in time, what piece of advice would you
give the young you?
Don’t worry as much: nothing is ever as bad as it seems, and
you will always find a way to enjoy life (and Collingwood will
eventually win one of those Grand Finals: just wait for 2010
when you’ll be there – twice!)
Can you speak another language?
Un poco & en peu
Do you have any hidden talents?
Well, they won’t be hidden if I tell you.
What’s on your bucket list?
Travel throughout Europe and Russia, with extended
stays in rural France, driving around Ireland and through
the Swiss lakes.
What is your favourite family tradition?
Annual holiday with my extended family (over 50
Broadbents!) to the NSW south coast.
What are some of the challenges you think that our students
will face in the future?
Being able to ‘pivot’ when the unknowable occurs, whether
climate or pandemic or [insert unknown event]-related. 2020
has been a prime example of the unforeseeable, from the
devastation of the summer fires through to the ongoing
adaptations under COVID-affected life.
For what in your life do you feel most grateful?
My family and my country. I’m blessed to have a loving
wife, whom I’ve shared my life with since my teens and
three intelligent, forthright and morally-centred daughters.
Among the daily ups and downs of life in Australia it is easy
to forget that we truly live in a privileged position - socially,
economically, politically, ethically and culturally: not perfect,
always able to improve, but very much privileged.
Mary’s Way 8 9

Marymede Early
Learning Centre
St Mary’s School
for the Deaf
Just as life has been different for students this year within
the College, the ELC also took a different approach to allow
the 3 Year Old and 4 Year Old kinder groups to participate
in a remote learning program via SeeSaw that replicated the
planned on-site learning program.
The children enjoyed taking part in set tasks and activities
and were given the opportunity to upload their learning
experiences using videos and photos.
The return to normal in Term 4 was a much-needed blessing.
The classrooms were again full of laughter, excitement and
learning with the children and staff as joyful as each other to
be back together again.
Remote learning certainly provided a share of challenges for
the Marymede St Mary’s team to overcome.
Whilst masks may have been uncomfortable for some of us,
they have been a huge challenge for the St Mary’s students
who utilise lip reading as an extra way to understand. Equally
challenging have been online Zoom sessions where the sound
is distorted. Staff and students embraced the new technology
and made use of chat functions, emoticons and captions
where possible. Students focused on mental and physical
wellbeing alongside their studies.
The time apart this year has provided an appreciation on how
important social interaction is for all human beings.
Book Week celebrations were a fun way to welcome the
children back to on-site learning. It was wonderful to see
the children dressing up and celebrating together.
In preparation for Prep next year, our 4YO groups have
participated in two Gearing Up for School (GUS) sessions run
by the Marymede Prep Transition team. The ELC children
took part in these sessions during their own kindergarten
program time, in addition to our own classroom preparations
for those moving on to Prep in 2021.
With the end of the year upon us, we are thankful and
grateful to all of the ELC families for their commitment and
encouragement throughout our home learning period. We
look forward to the upcoming celebrations that will take
place within our classrooms, celebrating the children for their
resilience and hard work within the last few months.
Mary’s Way 10 11

Swimming Carnival
Marymede Medalist
and Marian Award
The Secondary School Swimming Carnival was held at the
Oak Park Aquatic Centre early in the year on Monday 2
March. The Carnival was one of only a handful of school
events that occurred this year due to the pandemic.
Although the weather was less than ideal for a day of fierce
and friendly competition between Houses at an outdoor
pool, plenty of students braved the elements to dive in and
make some waves. The camaraderie between competitors
demonstrated excellent sportsmanship and competitors were
well supported by much cheering from their peers.
Our annual Term 4 Awards season saw the announcements
of our 2020 Marymede Medalist and Marian award recipients
across both Primary and Secondary years.
The Marymede Medal is presented to one student each year
for exemplary contribution to the core values of Marymede
Catholic College, whilst the Marian Award is presented
to one Primary and one Secondary student for exemplary
modelling of Christian Service ‘In the way of Mary’.
Congratulations go out to all students who competed
and especially those in Chisholm House who won the
event overall.
Marymede Medal
— Jacob Leddin
Year 12
Marian Award
— Chloe Falzon
Year 12
Marian Award
— Marnie Carton-Rigney
Year 6
We congratulate and acknowledge Jacob, Chloe and Marnie
for their contributions to Marymede Catholic College in 2020.
Mary’s Way 12 13

Vista 2020 Year 11
retreat
College
bound
Vista provides students with an alternative way of learning for
those who may find mainstream classes a challenge. In 2020,
the continuous change in conditions for pupils presented
many hurdles for valuable learning within a predominantly
home centred environment.
The year began with the Year 9 group preparing to
create a stall for the College Open Day; this included a
giant cardboard cut out of the Principal, a montage of
photographs and an Instagram competition to win a voucher.
They also assisted in the well-being of others by creating
packs of resources for a Respectful Relationships promotion.
During the school closure, students were lucky to have some
opportunities to be on campus where they were able to
access the College Trade Centre and sharpen their practical
skills. Another major activity for the Year 9 group was to
design and construct a Billy Cart for use in a showcase for the
Year 6 students to enjoy later in the year -they also had some
brief hands-on time exploring a unit on Robotics.
The Year 10 group began the year designing a more effective
and inviting space within the current Chill Zone area – this
included repurposing overgrown garden beds into sand pits
and upcycling materials into fun products for their younger
peers. At home, they were delivered boxes of groceries
to compete in a ‘Bluett Burger’ competition where they
had to follow a recipe and create a meal of burgers for
the family. Final results were determined by the incredible
photos submitted of some very mouth-watering creations.
In addition to this, they were also delivered a basic flat-pack
kit to challenge their DIY skills at home – the bonus was
they each acquired a piece of furniture for their room and a
physical reminder of the flexible learning that took place at
home.
The Year 11s were fortunate to be able to experience a
‘Retreat@Marymede’ in August this year in their House
Groups. Our retreat leaders created an environment of
stimulating discussion on Christian Service Leadership with
activities and input from our Principal, Mr Kenny, guest Youth
Minister - Josh Angrisano, breaking open the word with Fr
John Murphy and challenges and games led by our Year 11
Gamechangers. Many students commented that they didn’t
even feel like that were ‘at school’! Here are some further
reflections from our Year 11s.
I found the year 11 Retreat to be a wonderful experience
filled with many faith-filled and enjoyable activities. My
favourite part of the retreat was the session that we had with
Christian rapper Josh Angrisano, who gave an inspirational
and motivating talk. His discussion of leadership and how he
found faith in God during the hardest points of his life, was
truly eye-opening. The experience that we were able to have
with him was something that resonated with me personally
and it was the main thing that inspired me to step out and try
for a leadership position myself.
— Annrose Gigimon
By completing the Year 11 Leadership Retreat I ultimately
got a greater understanding of how to lead from behind
the flock, rather than in the spotlight as a role model. I was
taught how leadership is truly about building the confidence
of those within the community, encouraging them within their
own endeavours, and enabling those around me to be the
best versions of themselves as they possibly can be.
— Jarnai Brancaleone
This year the Year 11 retreat was prepared COVID style but
was still such an amazing experience which I got to share with
all the Year 11s. What resonated with me was discovering
the different types of leaders and seeing leadership in action
by the students in Chisholm house throughout the games,
activities and sessions.
— Nuwin Fernando
It’s official! Year 12 student Indiana Bodley has signed with
the University of Louisiana (USA) at Lafayette, to study and
play basketball in the NCAA Division 1 and heads to America
next year.
Beginning her basketball career in Under 8s, Indiana has
played basketball for the Eltham Wildcats, Whittlesea Pacers
and Coburg Giants. The question of College was raised after
Indiana led the youth league women’s Division 2 competition
in points per game and was nominated for Most Valuable
Player.
With her sporting career put on hold in 2020 due to
COVID-19 restrictions, Indiana is looking forward to playing a
season of basketball in Australia before heading to the USA
at the beginning of the US school year in August 2021. She is
excited to continue developing her skills and learning more
about the game she loves as well as explore the United
States and experience a new sense of independence.
Indiana hopes to one day play basketball professionally in
the WNBL. We wish Indiana the best of luck in this and all
her future endeavours.
Mary’s Way 14 15

Meet our Year 3 team
This year the Year 3 teaching team have
created some fantastic videos for their
students to assist with their home learning,
co-curricular activities and the return to
school after lockdown. So, just who are these
teachers and what do they think about some
important issues…
Meet Luisa Coppola
Meet Simona Fazzolari
Who was your favourite teacher at school?
Mrs Chalker - I had her for 3 years during primary school and
she was the perfect mix of discipline and fun!
What is one food you could never bring yourself to eat?
When I was in France I couldn’t eat frogs legs.... they just
looked too much like a leg.
Which are better – Dogs or Cats?
I prefer dogs - I like how they can sense your mood and tend
not to be moody like cats can be.
What was your favourite toy growing up?
My imagination. I didn’t grow up with a lot of toys but there
was a tree in my backyard that was a tree that would be a
pirate ship one day or plane the next day. I had
many adventures!
If you could time travel, when would you go to and why?
If I could travel in time I would either go back to the roaring
20s - I love the music and fashion of that era or back to
the 1500 in England when Henry VIII ruled - I have such a
fascination with this particular part of history. I would just
hope I would get to keep my head!
When you’re having a bad day, what do you do to make
yourself feel better?
I listen to music - it could be anything from pop, to punk to
classical.
Why did you become a teacher?
I love working with children, making a difference to their lives
and it is by far the most rewarding job! Also, growing up with
two older sisters we always played ‘school’ and my oldest
sister became a teacher and I always wanted to be like her!
Who was your favourite teacher and why?
My favourite teacher in high school was my Year 12 English
teacher – why? Because I am pretty sure I was her favourite
student & now we work together at Marymede!
What was your favourite toy growing up?
My sky dancer – one of the only toys I took with me when I
moved to Australia and I still have it today!
If you could time travel, when would you go to and why?
If I could time travel it would be back to my childhood in New
Jersey in America in the 80s and 90s. I love living in Australia,
I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else, but there is no place
like home. I often think of my childhood home, my friends
and my family and a white Christmas.
If you had to pick a new name for yourself, what would
you pick?
If I could pick another name it would definitely be based on
convenience. Every time I order from a café or restaurant,
Simona just seems impossible to say correctly the Italian
way! Now, I always say Samantha to avoid the confusion. It’s
definitely become my go to name when I order a coffee or a
boost juice!
Meet Peter Dunstan
What was your worst subject at school and why?
Music, but not for a lack of trying. I love enjoying music and
I love playing classical guitar, but a few weeks into learning
the recorder, I was relegated to the “percussion section” and
handed a triangle with a thing to hit it with!
What would your perfect holiday look like?
Hiking with a pack and a tent somewhere very remote.
Which are better – Dogs or Cats?
As a kid, there was never a time when we had less than 4
dogs. We drove to Tweed Heads in a Honda Civic as a family
of four with clothes, and bedding, and four dogs. We now
own a Moodle and a Chihuahua. When you come home
even after just two minutes outside the house, your dog
desperately needs to tell you how much they’ve missed you,
but your cat takes one look and then comes out with, “So?
What do you want, a medal?”
If you could time travel, when would you go to and why?
The sixties for the music – The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Cream,
Hendrix the list goes on (and a little of the fifties as well),
the Renaissance for the architecture, the Elizabethan Era to
hear Shakespeare and probably some others that I haven’t
thought of.
If you had to pick a new name for yourself, what would
you pick?
Who – then I’d be guaranteed a position as First-Base on
pretty much any baseball team in the world!
Meet Carla Conte
Why did you become a teacher?
Being a teacher is just who I have always been. I grew up as
the oldest sibling and cousin and I was always eager to teach
them everything I had learned at school.
Who was your favourite teacher and why?
My Year 3 teacher, Miss Hickey gave my responsibilities in the
classroom that helped me realise that I could be a leader. My
Year 6 teacher, Mr Cenzato introduced me to musical theatre
and my favourite musical Hairspray. Although she was never
technically my teacher, Marymede teacher, Ms Angie Bedford
helped me realise one of my dreams of performing as Tracy
Turnblad in the college production of Hairspray. All these
teachers believed in me, inspired and continue inspire me to
be the teacher I am today.
(Continued next page)
Mary’s Way 16 17

Student
leadership
2021
Graduation
What was your favourite toy growing up?
I had a cookie monster plush toy that went with me
everywhere, I still have him in my wardrobe but the stuffing
has gone clumpy and his limbs floppy. The signs of a truly
loved toy.
If you could time travel, when would you go to?
I would to travel in 1692, Salem, Massachusetts to witness
the Salem Witch Trials. I definitely would like to watch this
from a distance as participation may land me in a sticky
situation.
Do you have any hidden talents?
I can do the splits and tap dance.
Meet Joanne Cheer
What was your worst subject at school?
Biology because I didn’t like dissecting a mouse.
What would your perfect holiday look like?
Sunny, lazy days by the pool.
What is one food you could never bring yourself
to eat?
Brussel sprouts.
Which are better – Dogs or Cats?
Definitely dogs.
What was your favourite toy growing up?
A Spinning top.
If you had to pick a new name for yourself, what
would you pick?
Anthea.
When you’re having a bad day, what do you do to
make yourself feel better?
I would go for a long walk.
Do you have any hidden talents?
Oil Painting, particularly landscapes.
College Captains 2021
Jarnai Brancaleone and Nuwin Fernando
Primary Leaders 2021
Anna Mathew and Karthik Arumugam
The easing of COVID restrictions meant that the Class of
2020 were able to celebrate their graduation together.
The final day of school for Year 12s incorporated a COVIDsafe
breakfast prior to the Costume Parade followed by a
Mock Assembly.
Later that afternoon, the Year 12s came together as a cohort
for their final Graduation Ceremony which was streamed live
to families at home. Spectacularly dressed, students arrived
early for photos before processing into the Fitness Centre in
House groups lead by their House Captains for one final time.
The Class of 2020 will be remembered as the cohort that
rose to the challenges of a global pandemic. We wish them
a brilliant future.
Mary’s Way 18 19

100 days of Prep First aid training
saves a life
The first year of schooling for Preps this year was not what
would have been imagined and although they spent more
days learning from home than in the classroom, they have not
only flourished but developed resilience and adaptability that
we can be proud of.
The milestone of 100 Days of Prep and was reached in term 3
and celebrated, albeit virtually, with students dressing
up and participating in a range of ‘100’ themed activities.
Activities included a ‘If I had 100…’ writing task, sets of
sporting exercises adding up to 100, creating and decorating
‘100 Day’ crowns and making the number 100 in many
different ways.
“None of the adults
there knew how to do
CPR, so I stepped up”
Even though learning from home came with challenges,
Preps have still learned how to read, write and count… and
their technology skills have increased immensely.
Over the course of the year students have shown their
learning and understanding in a various and creative ways
and the Prep Team could not be more proud of how far they
have come!
Year 9 student Veronica Leon-Vizcaino has stepped up to
help save a life.
Veronica was on a family trip to Paddy’s River Falls in
Tumbarumba NSW over the Queen’s Birthday weekend
when a fellow visitor to the falls collapsed. Veronica said
the man’s wife called out for help and asked for someone
to perform CPR.
“None of the adults there knew how to do CPR, so I stepped
up,” she said. “I wasn’t really nervous as the adrenaline was
rushing through me.” Veronica said she performed CPR for
about 15 minutes before an ambulance arrived to take the
man to Wagga Wagga Base Hospital.
Veronica said she had the confidence to help the man after
learning CPR while in Grade 6 at Marymede, even though
this was the first time she had put her training to use.
(Article courtesy of Star Weekly, photo by Damjan Janevski)
Mary’s Way 20 21

VCAL 2020
In 2020 remote learning presented a variety of different
challenges for the students studying the Victorian Certificate
of Applied Learning. The students accepted the challenges
and forged ahead to endeavour to complete their studies
from home.
In Year 12 Personal Development Studies, the classes
involved the development of community-based projects.
This task became challenging for the students because the
planning needed to be conducted via Zoom.
Hands on and creative learners always find a way to achieve
success. True to that motto the VCAL students brainstormed
what they could do and how they could go about doing it.
The Year 12 students were keen to make an impact on
their own school community, so their planning focused on
some fun activities designed to raise everyone’s spirits. The
students created an online scavenger hunt for Prep to Year
12, including building a website, devising activities, tallying
scores, publicity and promotion.
Concerned about mental health, the students created
an executed a variety of resources for RU OK? Including
running a Religious Education Seminar, creating activities
for parents and students and devising a comprehensive athome
program which included meditation. They also created
lessons for Year One. These excellent initiatives raise
the community spirit and celebrated the creativity of the
Year 12 VCAL students.
Mary’s Way 22

60 Williamsons Rd, South Morang VIC 3752
(03) 9407 9000
www.marymede.vic.edu.au