From the Principal – 2 October 2023

I hope this finds you well.

This week we welcome a number of new and returning families to the College. I hope that your family’s experience here at the College is one whereby you are made to feel welcome, safe and respected within an environment shaped by our traditional Catholic faith.

  • Summary of Key Points
  • Virtue of the Week
  • Thought from Archbishop Lefebvre
  • Student Achievement
  • Parent Thank You’s
  • Parent Teacher Interviews
  • Graduating Class of 2023
  • Footsteps Program

This week staff and students will explore the virtue of Self Control, which is the joyful mastery over one’s passions and desires.

A thought from Archbishop Lefebvre

The spiritual life does not consist in feeling emotions, in feeling an immense desire for union with God. It is not about having practically the gift of tears or of so longing to be united to God that it’s all we can think of day in and day out. That’s all fine, but it is not where devotion lies. So what is the criterion of our devotion to God Himself? What does God look at in us to know if we are pleasing to Him? Look in the Gospel, it is our Lord Himself who says it: “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (Jn. 14:15).

Congratulations to David Ockerse, who in the final week of term three who won the Year 7 State Vicspell competition and Santino Tomassi who finished second in the Year 8 competition. Furthermore, congratulations to all of our award recipients from our End of Term Assembly, including Louis Nivet, Molly Taveria, Christiane Ryan and Mark Obrador, who received our Term 3 Saint awards and Gemma Verleg who won the 2024 Student Diary Front Cover competition,

Thank you to all of the families who attended the Annual House Drama Competition and End of Term Assembly. A feature of both events was the showcasing of the wonderful Performing Arts talent within the College.

I hope that through your attendance at these events and having read our second edition of Illumino, you have been able to gain an insight into the culture we are striving to create and like I, never cease to be amazed by the breadth of achievement of our students.

I would like to extend my gratitude to Mr Murray Ward and his son Mr Joseph Ward for their hard work over the holiday break to install a ramp to provide all ability access to our Music room. Furthermore, Mr Tony Ward for his paint work across a number of locations throughout the College.

This week we will hold our Semester 2 Parent-Teacher Interviews which are a valuable component in a successful relationship between home and the College. The College strongly encourages students to be in attendance for these interviews. The interviews will be held on Wednesday 4th October and run from 1.30pm until 5.30pm.

For your convenience, Parent-Teacher Interviews are booked online through Parent Lounge. If you cannot access the internet or need assistance to make your appointments, please contact the College Administration and they will help you.

Our Graduating Class of 2023 are in the home stretch of the marathon that is Year 12, it will be important for them to stay focused and for us to keep them in our prayers. We will soon say farewell to the Class of 2023 and I wish to remind them that the path they walked thus far is just the beginning of their story. They have taken steps, faced challenges, overcome hurdles, and grown in ways that many of us never imagined.

We will farewell the students in assembly on Thursday October 12th. Parents will shortly receive a letter outlining the program and the College’s expectations for students across this final phase of their secondary education.

From one end of the spectrum to the other, over the next few weeks, I am looking forward to meeting with our 2024 Foundation families through our Footsteps Program. Aimed specifically for children enrolled in Foundation, the College sees this program as a vital step in ensuring that parents and children experience a positive transition into our College. Through this program, our 2024 Foundation students will take four steps towards the commencement of their Foundation year. Each step is designed to build the College’s understanding of your child’s individual needs. This knowledge will allow the staff to provide the appropriate level of support for your child during this next step in their formal faith, academic, social and emotional development.

I wish all families the very best for this fourth and final term of 2023.

God Bless,

Kieran O’Dwyer

Principal