Awareness and Action Create Success
We wish our Year 12 students the very best for their final full week of school classes. Our Year 12 students’ final day of classes is Wednesday 18 October and I thank you for your support at home as this time of transition, busyness, uncertainty, joy, celebration, and mourning impacts different people in different ways.
My experience is that some Year 12 students take it all in their stride and hold their form, some make uncharacteristic mistakes, some feel quite sad about it all and some feel everything in between! We encourage all Year 12 students to finish with pride and dignity as one and it is the pleasure of our staff, both teaching and non-teaching, to pave the way with you and your sons.
Arts Week
Congratulations to our Arts Faculty staff and students for the series of student art displays, drama, and musical performances. Our creative and critical thinking students will shine during this time, and we look forward to sharing in this throughout the week. Congratulations to the over 100 students who have entered ATC’s Got Talent. It is great to see this level of participation and the breadth and variety of entries. Arts education is central to a holistic education and is especially important in a school for boys. I delighted in visiting the ARTery exhibition late last week to select winners in each year level and the energy, talent, thought and effort that has gone into all the pieces is remarkable. All the very best to everyone for a great week which will culminate in over 1000 of our extended community gathering for Jazz by the River on Saturday evening. Congratulations to Head of the Arts, Ms Caitlin Sneddon and the Arts teaching and support teams for their leadership of what will be a great week of demonstrating and displaying this vital domain of our academic and co-curricular programs.
Pink Day
This Friday sees our annual Pink Day in support of Breast Cancer Awareness month. This is a fun day for an important issue which focuses on this insidious condition, and importantly for our boys to understand, it can also affect men. On this day especially, we stand in solidarity with all families within our community who have been impacted by breast cancer. There will be a festive atmosphere around the College on Friday for Pink Day as we contribute to fund more research. Boys are encouraged to wear pink and bring a gold coin donation for the National Breast Cancer Foundation. We also wish the 250 guests at the ATC Parents & Friends Ladies Spring Lunch a fabulous time on Friday as they both friend raise, and fund raise for the same cause as our students at The Rose Room, Cloudland.
October is Dyslexia and ADHD Awareness Month
October is Dyslexia Awareness month in Australia, a time to shine a spotlight on the challenges faced by young people with dyslexia and celebrate their unique strengths. Dyslexia affects approximately 10 - 20% of the Australian population, with a significant impact on students' reading and writing abilities. However, it's crucial to recognise that dyslexic individuals often possess exceptional talents in areas like creativity, problem-solving, and lateral thinking. By fostering dyslexia awareness, we promote a more inclusive and supportive environment, where these young minds can thrive. In a demonstration of support, our college will light up the Edmund Rice Building in red over the first 2 weeks of Dyslexia Awareness month. By embracing the color of this awareness month, we send a clear message that we stand in solidarity with dyslexic young people, celebrating their unique strengths and advocating for their rightful place in an inclusive society.
Along with Dyslexia Awareness month, October also marks ADHD Awareness Month in Australia, a time to shed light on the challenges faced by young people with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and celebrate their remarkable strengths. ADHD is the most common neurodevelopmental disorder in children and adolescents with an onset typically before 12 years of age and occurs in approximately 6-10% of Australian children and adolescents. It significantly impacts their attention, focus, and impulsivity. Yet, within this diversity, lies a wealth of unique talents, including creativity, hyper-focus, and boundless energy. To show our unwavering support, our college will proudly light up the Edmund Rice Building in orange over the last 2 weeks of ADHD Awareness month, symbolising our commitment to raising awareness of ADHD. Let's stand together, recognising and nurturing the incredible potential of these young minds.
AIC Athletics
We participated in our second AIC Athletics Championships last Thursday and Friday. Congratulations to all of our athletes, coaches and supporters. It was a challenging day at the office as this new aspect of our community begins to form and develop. Whilst we came in ninth, there were many tremendous performances and courageous efforts by generous pioneers and committed ATC athletes. Well done and thank you to everyone involved. I particularly acknowledge and thank our Year 12 athletes for their example, effort and ATC spirit in leading us into this still new activity and our Year 11 leaders who took on the responsibility of support on the sidelines and did it well.
All Schools Touch Football
Congratulations to all who participated in the All Schools Touch Football competition late last week and over the weekend. All teams competed well and enjoyed some wins. Thank you to all staff involved in coaching and supporting.
Jazz by the River
Our biggest community event of the year – Jazz by the River – is on this Saturday 14 October. Be entertained at Warril Place by the river by our very talented Jazz bands. All families and friends in our community are welcome. Children are FREE. Go online and book your tickets now. You can bring a family picnic or there is a delicious menu available on the night. CLICK HERE to secure your tickets to assist us with our planning.
Community Prayer
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.
God bless
Chris Ryan
