On Friday evening, I was delighted to be present as our Year 12 students enjoyed their Formal. They introduced their partners to staff, danced, joked, and looked to celebrate and enjoy themselves. They were well mannered, engaged, appreciative and positive and I am very happy that they enjoyed this signpost event. Thank you and congratulations to our organisers, Mr Conor Finn, Mrs Suzanne Collette and Mr Brendan Flanagan and all parents and caregivers who joined us for the welcome function and staff who joined us for an excellent evening. Well done to the Seniors of 2024 as they continue to Be the Change. We are very proud of how they presented and participated in this special event.
Term 2 Co-Curricular Activities
Sport, Culture and Clubs are underway for the new term. Congratulations to all of our musicians who were on display at the Autumn Convert in the final week of Term One, especially our Year 4 beginners. No doubt our musicians will contribute strongly to our ANZAC Day ceremonies this week.
Term Two Sport sees another big program getting under way with great participation across the codes and over 400 students involved in our Football program. Our new arrangement with Somerville House where we are using their beautiful facility “Somerfields” at Oxley is a great addition to the Football Program and I thank Somerville House for this opportunity to host our growing program on these grounds - it is terrific to have a big “home” facility like this relatively near our College as we continue to aspire to our acquire our own.
Thank you for the energy building in our two Rugby and Football Parent Support Groups and for their expertise, assistance and generosity in organisation and hospitality.
Congratulations to Thomas Stegeman of Year 9 who excelled at the recent Australian Age Championships for swimming at the Gold Coast. As a para swimmer, Tom achieved three bronze, one silver and one gold medal which is impressive! Well done Tom.
ANZAC Day
We will hold important and meaningful ANZAC Day ceremonies on Wednesday. In a special way, we remember and pray for these people throughout our world that peace and safety may come to them, their children and their extended family and friends.
This ANZAC Day will be a poignant one for my own family. My nephew, Lt Colonel Garth Fallon, passed away after a journey with prostate cancer on Holy Thursday. He had a long and distinguished career in the Australian Army which included three tours of Afghanistan and various overseas and interstate postings. As a professional soldier, he had well and truly considered and confronted death and he was dignified, gracious and loving in his final days as he was throughout his life. I pray for his wife and three young children, his extended family and friends and in thanksgiving for a large life, well lived and well loved.
We remember all those women and men who are serving, have served and sacrificed so that we may live in the relatively prosperous, safe, resourced and democratic society that we do. We pray in hope for peace in our world and remember all in our community who pause in thanksgiving for a loved one on Thursday. May we be people of the Gospel value of Peace in our everyday lives and relationships. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them. Lest We Forget.
Parent/Teacher/Student Feedback Meetings
Coming out of the Feedback Meetings today, I encourage parents to have explicit conversations in supporting and challenging our students to plan ahead for what will be a busy period. Different personalities manage these things in different ways, but in general, research demonstrates, and my lived experience has shown me that most boys tend to overestimate their capacity to manage tasks and underestimate what is required to complete the task successfully! That isn’t to say we don’t love them, it’s to say that we know that they benefit from explicit boundaries, structures, support and challenge. This week is a great time to engage for the term ahead if you haven’t already -it’s worth the grief despite the protestations! Please feel welcome to link with your classroom teachers, Formation Leader, Homeroom Teacher or Learning Team on your journey. It’s one thing to create a planning schedule and post in on the wall or even better, on the fridge , but it’s another to make living it a priority in the busyness of our lives.
Southern Cross Transit Bus Services
Thank you to the parents who gave me their feedback on the bus schedules offered by Southern Cross Transit. Please CLICK HERE to view the updated information and schedules which are due to begin on Monday 29 April 2024. Please note that the bus number of the service may be different to what you are currently catching. ATC Staff and SCT drivers will assist any students who are unsure.
Baby News
Congratulations to Ms Sharni Maclean, Head of Health & Physical Education, on the safe arrival of baby Dougal on 17 April ... right on time. Mum and bub are doing very well.
Congratulations to Mr Liam Maguire and his wife Elouise, who are expecting their first baby.
Community Prayers
Lord, we pray for those in our community who are suffering. Be with them in this time of hardship and uncertainty. Give comfort and peace to those who have lost loved ones. May their sorrow be turned into strength, and their distress turned into peace. May our hearts remain loving and pure as we seek to always be compassionate to those around us.
