Ave Maria College is a Catholic secondary school for girls, established in 1963 by the

Franciscan Missionaries of Mary The Franciscan Missionaries of Mary are a Roman Catholic centralized religious institute of consecrated life of Pontifical Right for women founded by Mother Mary of the Passion (born Hélène Marie Philippine de Chappotin de Neuville, 1839–190 ...

(FMM). The college is located in

Aberfeldie Aberfeldie is an inner suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Moonee Valley local government area. Aberfeldie recorded a population of 3,925 at the . Aberfeld ...

, a suburb of

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

, Australia. This school is near to other Catholic high schools including St Columba's College and St Bernard's College. Renovations to the school property in the last ten years include the glass-roofed Piazza with a winter garden, canteen and classrooms, refurbishment of the science and technology departments and an upgrade to the school library, now known as the Helene Library. In 2019, the school finished its renovations of the Helene building which included a dedicated Year 12 area on the third level of the Helene building with views of the surrounding areas.

Houses

The four Houses are Mary, Helene, Francis, and Clare. They were previously named after great Australian women, though the names were later changed to connect more strongly with the school's religious foundations. The houses are now named in honour of the Virgin Mary, Helene de Chappotin (Founder of the FMM), St. Clare of Assisi and St. Francis of Assisi.

Curriculum

A broad core curriculum is offered to students in years 7 to 9. Year 10 students construct a program from a combination of core subjects and electives with opportunities to accelerate their learning with Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) subjects, a Vocational Education and Training (VET) Certificate, or pathway subjects for the VCE Vocational Major.

School activities

Students attend camps in years 7 and 9 as well as a retreat in Year 12. The House swimming and athletics carnival are opportunities for students to represent their house across a wide variety of events and activities. Inter-school sporting activities are included as a part of the school's extracurricular program. Other activities across the School year include, Mission Action Day, Spectacular Spectacular at the College's Foundation Day (Ave Maria Day), College Production, College Choir, STEM and Interdisciplinary Days. The Arts and Technology Festival is a highlight of the College Calendar and showcases the artistic endeavours of students across the College in Visual Art, Textiles, Music, Drama and STEM.

Associations

Ave Maria College is a member of the

Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia The Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia (abbreviated as AGSA) is a non-profit organisation that promotes the education of girls in single-sex girls' schools, and promotes the image of, and support the development of, girls' schools in Australa ...

Notable former students

Eloise Southby-Halbish Eloise Southby-Halbish (born 6 July 1976) is an Australian sports commentator and former netball player. She was co-captain of the Melbourne Phoenix with fellow goaler, Sharelle McMahon, and also played for the Australia national netball team. ...

-Netballer

References

External links

Ave Maria College website
Educational institutions established in 1963 Catholic secondary schools in Melbourne Girls' schools in Victoria (state) 1963 establishments in Australia Franciscan Missionaries of Mary Buildings and structures in the City of Moonee Valley {{VictoriaAU-school-stub