Maria Brings the Christmas Spirit to the College Cafe

Upon entering the College Cafe, it’s easy to believe you’ve mistakenly stepped into a Christmas wonderland!

Our school community would be familiar with the Cafe’s decorations for events such as Halloween, Valentine’s Day and Saint Patrick’s Day, but the current set-up certainly takes the cake, with both students and staff sharing in the delight of the decorations. 

We spoke to Maria Coito, one of the team members who works in the College Café – and the mastermind behind the marvellous decorations, about her role at the College, her love for Christmas and what inspired her to decorate. 

How long have you been at Santa Maria College?

I have been at Santa Maria for 15 years now. 

What does a day at work look like for you?

It’s different from day to day. It is always busy, but that is why I like it. From breakfast, to coffee for the teachers, to the flood of students at recess and then lunch, to conversations with the students to try and get them to try that one thing that’s a little different.

What is your favourite thing about working at the College?

The wonderful friendly students and staff. It makes my day all the more enjoyable.

The Café is always decorated for special days. What is your favourite theme to decorate?

I  have to say, hands down it’s Christmas!

We heard that this year you came in on a Sunday to decorate the Cafe for Christmas! What do you love about Christmas?

I love the spirit of people around Christmas time, there is more kindness, friendliness, compassion, jolly, and giving to the less fortunate. I wish everyone were like that all year round.

What inspired you to start decorating the Cafe?

The students. I started off small on the first event and saw the students’ reactions, which put a smile on my face. So I decided to go bigger and better. To see their reactions and the smiles on their faces is so worth it. A lot of people asked me once I had set up Halloween when I would set up Christmas, as they were looking forward to seeing it.

Maria has been collecting Christmas decorations for about five years. She also decorates her home each year. It took her five hours to decorate the Café, and it takes her a few days to get her home ready for the festive season. You can tell from the way Maria talks just how much she loves Christmas and the joy it gives her, sharing the festive spirit.

Thank you for chatting with us, Maria, and for bringing the Christmas spirit to our community.

If you get time to pop into the College Cafe before the end of term, please do. You are in for a real treat!

What A Term! So Many Opportunities – Jennifer Oaten

As I look back on the past nine weeks, I am so grateful for who we are as a community and what we have achieved. Through the dedication of our staff and the enthusiasm of our students, we have established new connections, immersed ourselves in opportunities and worked through challenges.

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