Meet Our Leadership Team

Merici College is a great school and this can be attributed to its emphasis on teaching and learning, in an environment that both physically and emotionally supports the education of girls. The staff is committed to continual development of teaching expertise and is focused on the needs of the students. Merici seeks to nurture within each of our students a life-long love of learning, an ability to think critically and independently and a belief in their own potential. We promote excellence and work with our students to build confidence and success. Staff endeavour to work in partnership with students and their parents. The curriculum at Merici College is designed to develop responsibility for active learning, with students becoming increasingly involved in the choice of, and commitment to, their own program of study.

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL TEACHING AND LEARNING

As a College catering for students from Years 7 to 12, we have the advantage of being able to systematically align the sequence of learning to foster high level skill development. We are able to track our students’ achievements, both through our own assessment procedures and utilising NAPLAN results, and build on foundational skills to maximize student learning through to the senior years. Knowing our students and their strengths and requirements allows us to support learning to help all students to achieve a level of success commensurate with their efforts. Our innovative curriculum is based on the Principles of Powerful Learning. These Principles were developed by staff in 2005, re-visioned in 2017, and continue to develop as we respond to local and national education initiatives.

We work from a base of Christ-centred relationships, supporting inclusivity, innovative digital learning and aiming for the pinnacle of individual academic excellence. We have a strong belief that all students can learn and have responsibility for their own life-long learning. In 2018, we see the full implementation and reporting on all learning areas defined by the Australian Curriculum: English, Mathematics, Science, Humanities and Social Sciences (History, Geography, Economics & Business, Civics & Citizenship), Physical Health and Education, Languages, The Arts (Dance, Drama, Music, Visual Art, Media), and Technologies (Digital and Design and Technologies). Our curriculum embeds the understandings and skills in each of these areas, including adding further strength to our Educative Engagement Program, Integrated Humanities and Integrated Maths and Science programs in Year 7. Merici College is a school with a passionate and committed staff and a student body focused on learning!

Renee Taylor 

Assistant Principal Teaching and Learning 

[email protected] 

Telephone: 02 6243 4103

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENT

At Merici College, we invite you into partnership with us to support your daughters in their growth to full potential during the crucial adolescent years. We strive to develop in students resilience, self awareness, emotional maturity and self control. A Merici student should display generosity of spirit and be prepared to reach out to others in the school and wider community. As a Catholic school, we believe that Christ-centred relationships are the foundation on which all our work is based and so we encourage all to develop relationships of care and support which are characterised by compassion, tolerance and reconciliation.

Nicola McLennan
Assistant Principal Development
[email protected]
Telephone: 02 6243 4105

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL WELL-BEING

Pastoral Care at Merici under pins what happens in each class and the interactions between all members of the College community. Pastoral Care is crucial in enhancing academic outcomes, supporting students in their journey through adolescences and assisting in their personal development so that they may reach their full potential. We believe that our unique pastoral structure provides not only quality learning experiences, leadership and mentoring opportunities that are centred on building relationships of trust and respect between all members of our College community. Pastoral Care brings momentum to the Vision of the College – in so many ways.

A Merici student should display generosity of spirit and be prepared to reach out to others in the school and wider community. As a Catholic school, we believe that Christ-centred relationships are the foundation on which all our work is based and so we encourage all to develop relationships of care and support which are characterised by compassion, tolerance and reconciliation.

Kate Durham

Assistant Principal Wellbeing

[email protected]
Telephone: 02 6243 4169

BUSINESS MANAGER

Merici College is an established inner city all girls Catholic College in the heart of Canberra.

From the beautiful manicured garden like grounds, tennis courts and one of the best ovals in Canberra, to the state of the art hospitality kitchen/canteen and restaurant, information centre, an amazing new auditorium, a full size gym, new state of the art science labs, extensive WiFi – all teaching and learning areas are technology rich!

We are blessed with the best in facilities and space.
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And to get there, we are well connected to Canberra’s outer northern suburbs via Canberra’s new light rail and to the southside with even our own dedicated bus service. As far as site and facilities is concerned, Merici girls learn in an environment that is peaceful and safe.

We offer many different and convenient options to pay fees. And if financial hardship occurs, we have ways to accommodate that as well.

As Business Manager, I am responsible for financial control and site and facilities and as a member of College Executive (as well as our Snowsports Coordinator), I am a parent of 3 now adult children all educated in the Catholic system. I’ve worked in several colleges in my 15-year career as Business Manager and Merici College is simply the best I’ve known.

Please contact me anytime time and I’ll happily assist with your enquiry and tell you more why our learning community is great.

Adrian Heim
Business Manager
[email protected]
Telephone: 02 6243 4106

HEAD OF MISSION AND COMMUNITY

The Mission Statement of Merici College is grounded in St Paul’s Scripture message where “Faith, hope and love abide” (1 Cor 13: 13). This is embedded in everything we do and is of course also present in the College’s Principles of Powerful Learning. The Merici community is inspired by the love and virtues of our patron Saint, Angela Merici and Jesus as a model for living. The annual College theme is linked to our Mission Statement and forms a framework for faith formation in the College e.g. Year of Youth in 2018.
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Merici College is strong in faith and our catholicity and values are a living reality. Our College liturgical celebrations are engaging for our students, encourage leadership roles and involvement across Year groups, for example the 2018 Easter liturgy involved over 70 students alone. The College community participates in annual liturgical celebrations such as: Opening School Mass, Grandparents Day, Father-Daughter Mass and dinner and a Mother’s Day Prayer reflection. The College was originally founded on six religious Orders and this is reflected in our vertical House-based system. House Days, which align with the relevant feast / memorial day, are an opportunity for the six College Houses to individually celebrate their founding Order. The student retreat program at Merici acknowledges the link between wellbeing and faith and aims to meet the needs of students and invites them to encounter Jesus through meaningful experience.

The Christian Service Learning program at Merici College seeks to combine meaningful service to put faith in action in local and global communities. Students are provided with organised service activities through their RE classes and are encouraged to arrange and complete service hours in their communities. The Angel Effect program awards students for their contributions in the area of Service Learning. The St Angela Merici Award is presented to students who have achieved at a high level in at least three areas, one of which must be Christian Service.

Angela’s Angels is the formal Youth Ministry @ Merici group. It is involved in various faith formation activities throughout the year such as the Easter Liturgy. Students are also offered opportunities to participate in Catholic Schools Youth Ministry Australia (CSYMA) initiatives such as the LEAD and iWitness youth masses and rallies. A Youth Minister is employed at Merici College to further enhance the faith formation of our students. Social action is important at Merici; the Social Justice group is proactive in leading initiatives such as fundraising and awareness raising events with a whole-school and broader community focus such as Project Compassion (Caritas Australia) and Socktober (Catholic Mission).

Veronica Harrold-Carter
Head of Mission and Community
[email protected]
Telephone: 02 6243 4157

HEAD OF INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE

At Merici College, our adoption of the International Baccalaureate as a globally recognised rigorous programme that fosters the holistic development of our students has led us to review our curriculum plans and the way we teach to ensure we continue to provide high quality learning opportunities for all our students.

Our focus on the IB learner profile as a set of attributes that can develop our mindsets and behaviours, is embedded in our classrooms, through our pastoral care programs and in our college ethos. The IB has provided us with a renewed focus on the importance of inquiry learning, and helped us to reframe our language acquisition programmes to develop more internationally minded citizens.

At Merici we have used IB frameworks to enhance our curriculums and offer students more options at a senior level through the addition of the Diploma Programme, and as a candidate school for the MYP, we have been able to celebrate the existing strengths that Merici College brought to our communities such as our excellent Christian Service Learning Program and our high quality pastoral care.

The global standard that an IB education provides, means our staff are provided with exciting opportunities for high quality professional development and involvement in professional learning networks.

We work with teachers, staff, students, and families to develop students to be inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.

Elizabeth Chase
Head of International Baccalaureate
[email protected]
Telephone: 02 6243 4148

HEAD OF STUDENT WELLBEING

The Blue and White Niles converge at Khartoum, Sudan. At this point of their journey, they form the mighty Nile River – the longest river in the world, and a river that sustains life from the mountains to the sea. Similarly, student wellbeing is a lot like the Nile. Academic and pastoral care forming one stream of holistic student care that enables young people to feel safe and secure in their emerging selves, confident in their surrounds, and challenged yet supported in their learning. This is done in strong partnership with families, staff, students and, where required, external agencies. The student, however, always remains at the core of what we do. Merici College, with its dedicated academic and pastoral structures and programs, is the perfect place for the young people in our care to meet head on the challenges and opportunities that come their way in a caring, compassionate and trustworthy environment.

Rohan Langford
Head of Student Wellbeing
[email protected]
Telephone: 02 6243 4137