Looking Ahead and Planning Our Future

Parent & Caregiver Satisfaction Survey

In 2021 the College entered an arrangement with our fellow Edmund Rice schools in Queensland to conduct regular surveys designed to gauge community school satisfaction.   In 2022 that process involved a survey of staff, our incoming Year 5 and Year 7 as well as our graduating Year 12. We repeat these last two surveys annually. This year, as we did in 2021, we are engaging with the whole school student population and with parents and caregivers.   We use this feedback to reflect and discern, develop reports for governance and regulatory authorities and, importantly, your feedback helps us to plan better for the future.

 An external consultant, Mr Michael Elphick, assists us with this process and on Monday 14 August, parents, caregivers and guardians will receive an invitation to participate in a Parent Satisfaction Survey. The survey will arrive in an email from Michael via a platform known as ‘Survey Monkey.’ Participants are not identified to the school and there is an opportunity for parents to comment if they wish. The College would encourage all parents, caregivers, and guardians to participate and I thank you for your engagement.

Appointments of Deputy Principal and Head of Sport

EREA has completed the application and interview process for a new Deputy Principal for Ambrose Treacy College and it was my privilege to participate on the selection panel chaired by Mr Doug Ashleigh, Queensland Director of Schools and with Ms Carolyn Liddy, Deputy Principal of All Hallows School and Mr Peter Kelly, Chair of the ATC College Advisory Council. The candidate has been nominated to Mr Chris Woolley, CEO of EREA Colleges and for approval and we look forward to Mr Woolley sharing this news with our community in the near future.

The application and interview process for our new Head of Sport has also concluded and we are currently in the process of discussions with referees for the nominated candidate. I was buoyed by the quality and depth of our field and look forward to sharing the news of this appointment next week. A reminder that our current outstanding Head of Sport, Mr Jarrod Turner, will move to his new role on the College Leadership Team of Scots College Warwick at the end of Week 9 this term.

College Business Manager

Peter Nugent, College Business Manager, will take annual leave from mid-December this year through to mid-January and then long service through until early June 2024. We wish Peter a well-earned break after 7 years of a busy and diverse role in assisting in the leadership of establishing the College, ongoing consolidation, the COVID period and the critical incident of the flood. Peter’s stewardship has been an important factor in our fiscal stability and capacity to continue growing as is evident in our current major capital works in the senior school. In the near future, EREA Colleges will facilitate an expression of interest process for which ATC staff and persons across EREA Australia will be invited to apply for this vital acting position.

College Strategic Plan

The next phase of the development of our new College Strategic Plan commences this Friday with a two-day focussed retreat being led by our facilitator, Mr Patrick Herd, with our College Advisory Council and College Leadership Team working together to draw on the wealth of information offered through our consultative processes and various reports developed over the past two years. I look forward to continuing to keep you informed of our progress.

College Tour and Planning for 2024

We have over 200 guests joining us this Thursday for a tour of the College and these afternoons are always times of energy, hopes and optimism for our future. 2024, our tenth year, we see the College reach a population in excess of 1350 for the first time. It will be great to celebrate our first decade as the ATC community in some special ways in 2025 and I look forward to engaging our community in planning some ideas for this.

A reminder that August sees planning for 2024 well underway and I would ask that if you have a sibling of a current student at home and your plan is for him to attend ATC in the future, please be in touch with our Head of Enrolments, Robyn Donaldson to ensure we have this in our records. Also, if your family is having a change for 2024 and your son will not be continuing, please be in contact with Ms Donaldson this term before the September holidays, to give a full term’s notice.

Senior A Debating

Our Senior A Debaters sadly went down to Marist Ashgrove in the finals last week, but they have indeed paved the way for a strong future for ATC and we are immensely proud of their achievements, humility and positivity. In equal measure, we are thrilled by their “fan base” of loyal supporters who journeyed with the team not only in the finals but throughout the entire draw. Well done to all.

Volleyball Queensland Schools Cup

Congratulations to our two teams that competed at the Queensland Volleyball Schools Cup over the weekend on the Gold Coast. The Firsts' squad came away with a very creditable fourth place and the Seconds' squad played very well to come away with a Gold medal First place in their division, which is fantastic. Thank you and congratulations to all players, supporters and coaches, Mr Tim Walker, Mr Josh Slack and Mr Sam Bebendorf.

Trivia Night

I wanted to share with you that there will be funds of just over $8,000 raised from the recent Parents and Friends Trivia Night. Thank you again for the wonderful leadership and co-ordination by Suzanne Rosolen and her team of volunteers. The P&F looks forward to assisting the College to deploy these funds in support of our students. Thank you to everyone for your generosity and we look forward to another great event next year.

Long Lunch

Tables for the Long Lunch to be held on 10 September are still available. Please come along to this community event to be held for the first time since 2019. All funds raised are for the ATC Foundation to provide an opportunity for a future student to attend who may not otherwise be able to. End the term and begin the Spring with some friends on Brothers Oval.  

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.

God bless,

Chris Ryan