Santa Maria College is a vibrant Catholic community offering a holistic educational environment for girls. We are proud of our 108 year Good Samaritan heritage here in Northcote offering values steeped in a rich Benedictine tradition of compassion, justice and contemplation. Our vision is to cultivate strong, compassionate and independent women who are critical thinkers. Santa Maria College has a mission to nurture a search for truth, a spirit of inquiry and a deep love of learning, guided by Gospel values with an acute awareness for active involvement in social justice programs. Staff and students alike talk of a Santa spirit that is distinctive and part of the rich heritage of this place. This spirit is expressed in the welcome, warmth and friendliness of the community, the openness and excitement for sharing stories of the school, and an eagerness to be part of the continuing gift that is Santa Maria College. We are passionate about love of learning and life as we create an accessible yet rigorous learning program. Santa Maria College is a candidate school for the International Baccalaureate (IB) and is currently preparing for the third year of the Middle Years Program (MYP) reaching conclusion for our Year 10 students in 2013. It is our belief that the IBMYP reflects best practice in teaching and learning. It will provide our students with greater rigour and depth of both skills and knowledge. As a companion to this IB curriculum framework the College provides learning support for students who have learning difficulties and the Volare enrichment and extension program for students seeking further enhancement. Santa Maria offers a variety of extra-curricular activities that further ignites passion and connectedness to the community. Our music, sport and Duke of Edinburgh programs broaden skills of; collaboration, responsibility, communication and commitment. Our Science program, Growing Tall Poppies, and student leaderships programs deepens an awareness of the wider community and the inherent value of..