You will be aware of the lifting of most Covid related restrictions on schools now.  This is welcome news and means, with a few exceptions, face masks are no longer required for students or staff.  This also means that community use of school facilities can resume, and parents will be able once again to attend school events indoors and outdoors independent of the attendee’s vaccination status. More detailed information will be sent out to parents in a separate communication this week.

Here we are at the end of a very long but successful term. It has been a very challenging term indeed. Although we have not faced lockdowns, we have faced a term of unprecedented high absences of staff and students due to Covid isolation requirements.  Either way, by accepting these challenges we have accepted the additional penances God has imposed upon us at this time in a spirit of reparation for our sins and in service of Our Lord and King. With all this now behind us, we prepare ourselves for the Sacred Triduum, that is the holy ceremonies of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter Vigil.

Firstly, we welcome Fr Mujic and Fr Delrosario to the College. Both priests trained at the SSPX Seminary, Goulburn, NSW and were ordained to the holy priesthood on 6th January 2022. Fr Mujic is from NSW and teaches Latin in the middle school. Fr Delrosario is by origin Filipino but spent most of his life growing up in NZ. Fr Delrosario teaches Religion in the Primary school and performs the role of Primary sub-school chaplain. Both the new priests are settling in well and enjoying the challenges of their first assignment.

This is one of the reasons why our school has faced an unprecedented 10 weeks of relief teacher shortage and staff absence due to exhaustion and illness. The staff who have remained, have had to cover additional classes while still trying to find time to prepare and run their own classes. Over the past 3 weeks two of our staff have been hospitalised but neither for Covid related reasons. I am relating this information so that parents understand the pressure schools are under. I am asking for an increase in prayers for our teachers who are doing a tremendous job but are struggling under the weight of the cross God has sent us to bear during this Lent.

There is a lot of truth in the saying “You are what you eat.” A quick glance at the eating habits of young people in Australia shows why schools and families need to up their game when it comes to encouraging kids to eat more fruit and vegetables because healthy food improves student performance and outcomes.

This week our College is participating in the National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence (NDA). The NDA is Australia’s key bullying prevention initiative, connecting schools and communities to find workable solutions to prevent bullying. With the Feast of St Joseph coming up this Saturday 19th of March, it is good to recall that St Joseph is our model of paternal protection.

Music is an important part of a well-rounded education, therefore is one of the subjects that our school takes quite seriously; but the talents of our students go far beyond the classroom, moving us to provide as many outlets to develop those talents as means provide. Here are some ways our school supports the musical formation of its students.

Yesterday’s Athletics Carnival was a huge success. Please bear with me while I move through my list of thanks. I would like to thank Mr O’Dwyer for overseeing the staff and coordinating the whole event; Mr Bell for the overall co­ordination of the logistics; Miss Bell, Mr Wilkinson and Mr Williams our Deans for their oversight of the operations on the day and for the many hours of planning they put into this event. I would like to thank Mr Chipperfield, Mr Ramirez and Charles Upston for the collation and data entry on the day, our 12 parent volunteers who gave up their whole day in some tiring roles to ensure the events were properly manned; the College P&F for taking care of our visiting parents; the visiting parents for their support, co-operation and good spirits; the students for their great sportsmanship, good behaviour and great participation; and of course God for providing us with good weather on the day despite the poor forecast.

Whether you’re a parent with a student in Prep or Year 12, chances are that there have been times when you have considered whether to go up to the school about an issue that is affecting your child and sort it out immediately. When helping your child, working out what requires and does not require your intervention can be tricky. If your child’s physical, psychological or mental health is in danger then you should intervene. However, if the issue is not of this magnitude, ask yourself this; what would happen if I didn’t go to the school about this issue? Sometimes refraining from intervening may be the best thing for your child because if they have just had a bad day and need to offload, the best thing they need is an adult ear.

The Principal’s Address is the event of this week. This Thursday (17th Feb) a link to the Principal’s Address will be sent out to all parents of the College. The purpose of this address is always to inform the parent body of the direction of the College each year. It is an opportunity for me to introduce new staff and talk about various projects, events and programs the school plans to undertake during the year. This normally takes place on school grounds as an evening event during the week, but current COVID restrictions preventing public gatherings at schools mean that I have to take the novel approach of recording the address and sending it out through the internet.