Top 5 Reads of 2020
Thanks for sharing time with us this year. Here are the five most popular Knowing Girls blog posts of 2020. Merry Christmas!
Andrea’s Mercy Gift
This term, Andrea Dopson created an altar cloth for a fellow Mercy school in Victoria. A nice act of compassion at a difficult time for that state.
Year 8s Innovate in Explore8
Year 8 students’ involvement in Explore8 means they have been off the traditional timetable and working on their own design-thinking project.
The World is their Oyster.
Year 8 student, Lee-Elle Cooper has ranked in the top 5% of students in Australia for her age group in the 2020 Australian Geography Competition.
What are your family’s Christmas rituals?
Christmas rituals are important. They tether us to something greater than ourselves. They help instill in us a sense of connection and belonging.
Working With Failure
Failure is a powerful learning tool, however, it’s difficult to use the experience when you are stuck in the emotion. How can we help our kids with failure?
Huge Compliment For Our English Department
We’ve always known our English staff is pretty special, but it was recently confirmed by our national education body.
The Healthy Friendship Manifesto
Talking to kids about healthy friendships is easier with this downloadable resource. It’s perfect for our tween and teen girls.
Foundation Student Shares Family History
June Shenton Turner was a foundation student of the College in 1938 and has recently published a book about her family. A copy was presented to College this week.
Years 5 and 6 Girls Are Building Healthy Friendship Skills
Our Years 5 and 6 girls are learning the skills of healthy friendships as part of our Mental Health Strategy.
Research Is Moving Mercy Education Forward
Tania Hicks has recently submitted her doctoral thesis for review. She has focused on the impact of a Mercy education.
Year 7s Focus on Friendships
Healthy friendships are a vital part of positive mental health. Linda Stade spoke to Year 7s about some of the friendship issues they may encounter in early adolescence and some positive approaches they can take.
ACCESS Links Students to Life Beyond School
This week our Year 11 and 12 ACCESS girls have been connecting with industry, undertaking training, and gaining qualifications, all to prepare them for life beyond school.
Leadership Training Day
Last Thursday the leaders of 2021 were commissioned. This week, leadership training and formation sessions were held to start these girls on their journey.
News and the Millennials
Our young people are less engaged with ‘hard’ news than ever before. Has COVID changed that? Is an understanding of current affairs even important?
Managing Social Media Use Together
Principal Jennifer Oaten invites parents to partner with the school in understanding and managing our girls’ social media use.
Health Week 2020
This week was Health Week at the College! The Health & Physical Education Department ran a variety of activities for staff and students throughout the week.
Year 12s Are Getting Linkedin
In preparation for post-school life, our Year 12s were introduced to Linkedin by Jo Saunders from Wildfire Social Marketing.
Shhhhh…. Don’t Tell
Who does your daughter speak to when she has a problem? This blog from our Director of Staff & Students, Danielle Spark, addresses the resources available to you and your daughter when problems emerge, as they inevitably do in every child’s life.
Stress and Your Child’s Brain
Neuroscience shows that long-term stress damages a person’s ability to lay down memories. How is this impacting students and how can we help?
Nutrition For Life
Vanessa Carmody is our Deputy Head of Boarding and a qualified nutritionist. She spoke to the Year 11 girls last week about nutrition, sleep, and exercise.
Weekly Wrap Up – Week 6, Term 3, 2020
It’s been a short but busy week here at Santa Maria. Enjoy our Wrap Up of Week 6!
Kids and Mean Gossip
When friendship issues and drama arise, often gossip is at the root of the problem. Why do kids gossip and how can we change a culture of gossiping.
Our Sporty Boarders
Many of our boarders grow up in very sporty environments. It is great to know that they continue this involvement when they come to Santa Maria.
When Should Parents Step Back?
With all the best intentions, sometimes parents rescue their kids from challenges rather than helping them grow through those experiences. When should parents step back?
Celebrating Our Nurses – Jennifer Oaten
Principal Jennifer Oaten pays tribute to our nurses.
Kindness Science at Santa Maria
Acts of kindness positively impact both our community and each student, staff member and parent individually. It’s the perfect marriage of science and faith in action. Read what Santa Maria is doing to promote kindness and why it is important.
Meeting Monsignor Keating
Since standing down from his position as Dean of St Mary’s Cathedral, Monsignor Keating has been saying Mass for the Santa Maria community in the Chapel on Fridays. We sat and talked with him about life since his ‘retirement’.
Kindness Rocks
When we are kind to others it releases in us chemicals that improve our mental health and wellbeing. Check out the novel way Santa Maria College is using this information.
Clare Turner (1995) Talks About Immersion Experiences
Clare Turner (Sale, 1995) is a teacher in Melbourne. She leads immersion experiences for students and staff within Australia and overseas.