From the Deputy Principal

More than a Word. Reconciliation takes Action.

The above is this year’s theme for Reconciliation Week: May 27 - June 3.

“We all have a role to play when it comes to reconciliation, and in playing our part we collectively build relationships and communities that value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, histories, cultures, and futures.

2021 marks twenty years of Reconciliation Australia and almost three decades of Australia’s formal reconciliation process.”

For Moama Anglican Grammar, this year is also significant as we have our first Indigenous Awareness student committee. This committee is very keen to focus on action in continuing the reconciliation conversation both at school and in the wider community. To this end, we took an excursion to Melbourne yesterday, with some other students from St Joseph’s College, to spend some time at Carlton AFL football club to chat to a few of the players about how they believe they are called to action to build communities that value Indigenous Australians history and culture. 

Our students asked a group of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal players questions about how they view reconciliation and what actions they take as individuals and collectively to live reconciliation. What was very obvious was how both Indigenous and non-Indigenous players take on the responsibility of reconciliation equally within their playing group and also in promoting reconciliation outside the footy club. It was great to hear about the actions they have taken to promote reconciliation and gave us good food for thought. We finished off our visit with a tour of part of IKON park and were shown the progress being made to the renovated section that when finished will make IKON Park a state-of-the-art facility.

Equestrians at MAG

During the April school holidays, Year 12 student Lucy Nelson competed at the Equestrian Victoria State Inter-school Championships held at Werribee. Lucy represented Moama Anglican Grammar in four events across three days: Novelties, Handy Mount, Preliminary and Novice dressage. In tough competition Lucy came away from the week with new personal bests and an 8th in the novice 2.2 from a field of 30 plus riders. This is no mean feat! The standard at these events is very high

In the July school holidays, Lucy will be competing in the Elmore Interschool competition and she would love to enter a Moama Anglican Grammar team. For any students who have a horse, parents or guardians to tow the float, and enjoy competing, let Lucy or myself know by the end of next week if you are keen to join the MAG Equestrian team for the July competition.

                                                                   Entries close: 6th June

                                                              Event date: 3rd and 4th July 

Alumni Patrick Connally

At our Foundation Day Assembly, we were honoured to have one of our Alumni speak. I thought it would be good to include Patrick’s speech in this Newsletter. Here it is:

“Hello everybody,

My name is Pat Connally and I graduated from Moama Anglican Grammar in 2015. In what seems like the blink of an eye, five years has gone by and I am now a fully qualified, practicing Chiropractor. 

After finishing school, in a move that partially surprised me, I shifted to Melbourne to begin further education and start my path to becoming a Chiropractor. I went to RMIT University in Bundoora and thankfully found myself firmly placed in a course I fast became passionate about. Since being adopted into the Chiropractic community I have been surrounded by spectacular mentors and opportunities, for a profession I knew little about, I was welcomed from the very start with open and loving arms.

I was not a traditional student by any means and many times through my schooling often I did the bare minimum to get things done but luckily I got through school with relative ease, albeit some large amounts of luck along the way.

I’ve been one to always trust the process and this philosophy has caused chaos in my life at times and provided freedom at others. If I were to impart one message to you today it is that flexibility when setting goals after school is imperative. I was a shocker for allowing myself to become overwhelmed by the pressures I perceived from others regarding which path I decided to take after completing school. But if it wasn’t for me biting the bullet and diving into a course I knew little about, my life would be a whole lot less vibrant than it is today. The struggles of school and clumsy mistakes you’re bound to make along the way are not as life changing as they may seem now. The people you’re sitting next to at the moment may not be part of your life in 5 years and even though that sounds bleak, the reality is that the opportunity to meet people more aligned with your personal direction lies ahead of you, often in unfamiliar or unexpected places. 

Moama Anglican Grammar helped me create confident personal foundations. It was here that I began to develop some of the stronger traits of my personality. Through great connections and wonderful experiences, I got to embrace what it is to navigate the journey of life. The community of Echuca-Moama has many great role models covering many areas of life. Be it business or mindfulness, fitness or entertainment, be sure to utilise those around you and lean on doors of the industries you find interesting, and if you don’t know what you’re interested in yet, don’t stress yourself, things often occur naturally if you allow them the space to find you.

Thanks for allowing me the opportunity to speak today.”

A Farewell and a Welcome

Mr Matthew Greenwood’s last day at Moama Anglican Grammar is today. Mr Greenwood has been travelling from Bendigo to teach here for just over three years and he has secured a position at Catherine McAuley College Bendigo which is much closer to home. We are very grateful for all that Mr Greenwood has done for our students and for his work in the English Faculty. We wish him all the very best for the future.

Meanwhile we welcome a new staff member to Moama Anglican Grammar. Mr Matthew Nolan has officially started with us today as part of the HSIE Faculty. Mr Nolan has already been working with a number of classes this term and has most recently taught at Clarendon College Ballarat and prior to that a school in England! We welcome Mr Nolan and his family to the Moama Anglican Grammar community

Kathleen Kemp

Deputy Principal