Marist-Sion provides a quality education in the Catholic tradition for the young people of Warragul and the surrounding districts. A hallmark of the school is the way the various members of its community; students, staff and parents, work together closely to promote excellence in learning. Marist-Sion College works hard to help each student recognise their talents and give them a wide range of rich learning experiences so they can achieve their potential. As is reflected in its motto, ‘Truth, Charity and Constancy’, Marist-Sion places considerable emphasis on helping its students to develop qualities of character. Facilities: Situated on one campus of 46 acres, with beautiful views of Mount Baw Baw and the Strzelecki Ranges, the college caters for approximately 940 students and is accessible by public transport. The college has completed a series of building works over the past 15 years, which have provided high-quality facilities across the campus. The technology infrastructure is particularly well developed, with laptops provided for all students and data projectors in all classrooms, some with interactive whiteboards. Families can access relevant information about their children’s learning related to curriculum, tasks and assessment throughout the semester via the My Marist-Sion portal.
Curriculum: In Years 7 and 8, students study a compulsory broadly based curriculum encompassing all the key learning areas including Religious Education, English, Mathematics, Science, LOTE, Health and Physical Education, Humanities, Visual Arts, Materials Technology and Information Technology. The college has a strong commitment to fostering personal excellence in learning across the school. In Years 9 and 10, students are encouraged to develop areas of particular interest through their elective studies. Vocational Education and Training (VET) is available from Year 10 onwards. In Years 11 and 12, students are offered a wide range of VCE studies, a selection of VET programs and the VCAL program. Capable students undertake accelerated studies in the VCE by studying a subject one year earlier.
Sport: Sporting involvement is available both within the school and through competitions with other schools. The college has inter-house competitions for swimming, athletics, cross-country and a range of other sports throughout the year. Sport and Physical Education is regularly timetabled in Years 7 and 8. Inter-school sporting and cultural competitions are conducted through the Gippsland Independent Schools’ Association.
Student welfare programs: A strong commitment to pastoral care is evident in the college’s organisational structures. Its tradition in relation to discipline has an emphasis on creating an encouraging and friendly environment of calm and order where students can study well and where problems are prevented before they occur. The college staff educate by being present to young people in ways that show they care for them personally. The school shares the intuition of the Marist order: ‘To bring up children properly, we must love them, and love them all equally’ and fosters social justice, in keeping with the tradition of the Sisters of Our Lady of Sion.