Sub-Schools
At Mount Alvernia each year level is part of a sub-school as follows:
We celebrate that we are now a Year 7 to 12 school.
We are one whole College.
However, we appreciate that the growth of an individual happens over time, and in education there is a need to focus on certain skills, knowledge and disciplines at particular times so that our students develop fully.
So within the College we have three schools that take their inspiration from the spirituality of Francis, Clare and Elizabeth Hayes, whose lives and writings inform our tradition.
Years 7 and 8 form our Francis School; Years 9 and 10 our Clare School and Years 11 and 12 our Elizabeth Hayes School.
Below is a brief explanation of the concepts that embrace each school.
Francis School
Francis of Assisi is our spiritual founder. His message is simply himself and his way of life. He kept his eyes firmly on God and found time for both action and prayer.
Therefore we plant our Years 7 and 8 students into this school and into our ‘spirituality’. This school of learning invites students to open themselves up to mystery and promise – to opportunities and blessings they are not privy to at the outset of high school.
Our Francis symbol is a pair of sandals.
Francis walked in the footprints of God. The sandals reflect this thinking and the act of doing.
We pray that the light of Christ will guide the footprints of all students and staff in Francis School.
Clare School
Clare of Assisi hears the echo of her own voice in Francis’s words. Known as the ’little flower of Francis’, she shines her light for others in her family and community. She builds strong relationships and is known to be a woman of deep faith, compassion and light.
Therefore our students in Years 9 and 10 are nourished by their learning and they develop within and beyond Clare School. Drawing their ideals from Francis and Clare’s words and actions, they begin to leave the ‘walls of the city’. They will be asked to go deeper into their learning, broaden their relationships with others and will be challenged to reflect God by shining their unique light, not for themselves but for others.
Our Clare symbol is a lantern.
Clare walked in the light of God and was a light for others. This lantern reflects this thinking and the act of going beyond the self.
We pray that the light of Christ will illuminate the pathways of all students and staff in Clare School.
Elizabeth Hayes School
Elizabeth Hayes hears God’s call in the Franciscan spirit and responds to the whisperings of her heart.
An educationalist, journalist and missionary, Elizabeth Hayes founded the Missionary Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, the community of Sisters who established Mount Alvernia College in 1956.
Therefore our students in Years 11 and 12 flourish within this school.
Maturing in the rich soil of our Franciscan traditions, they are encouraged to listen to their own hearts, to work hard so as to find their calling and to respond learnedly.
Our Elizabeth Hayes symbol is a small suitcase.
Elizabeth packed lightly, took only what was necessary for the journey, committed herself to her work, and went to frontiers that challenged her and her community. She did not fear because her God was with her.
A small suitcase reflects this thinking and the act of challenging ourselves to mature into thinking, learned women.
We pray that the light of Christ will brighten the journey of all students and staff in Elizabeth Hayes School.
