Principal News

Refugee Week June 19-25 June 2022

God of compassion and solidarity,

you came among us through your Son Jesus

who became a refugee and had no place to call his own.Look with mercy on those who today are fleeing from war, danger, hunger and poverty.Bless those who work to bring them relief, comfort, safety and dignity.

Open our hearts and minds to recognise the love and care you have for refugees and asylum seekers throughout the world. 

Give us compassion and courage to reach out to your daughters and sons so that we will commit ourselves to healing the pain, sorrow and anxiety of all those who suffer. 

Guide the nations of the world towards that day when all will rejoice in your Kingdom of justice peace and harmony. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen

The theme for Refugee Week 2022 is healing. As the Refugee Council of Australia reminds us, “healing can occur through storytelling, through community and also through realisation of our intrinsic interconnectedness as individuals”. 

We are reminded that the Church “has a bigger view of the world than any one country” and does not “view asylum seekers and refugees primarily through the lens of legal status”. Instead, “we see asylum seekers, refugees and migrants as our sisters and brothers, members of one human family” and “our starting point is not defending borders, but rather defending the dignity of the human person from conception to natural death”. 

Dear Parents, Students and Friends

Congratulations to all award recipients at the Year 11 and 12 Mid-Year Award Assemblies today. Results are very strong across both cohorts and some students have received Principal Awards for outstanding academic achievement every semester since they joined the college in Year 7. Quite an achievement indeed.

I also was able to induct the year 11 Student Wellbeing team. These students will lead our school to be advocates for the support of our mental health. I mentioned at the assembly that mental health is vital for each and every one of us individually and as a community. More can be learnt about mental health support from our website under Schooltv. There are so many important topics presented in an easy to digest format for students and parents.

https://mccww.catholic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-celebrating-naidoc-week

Today the College also celebrated NAIDOC Day, please see video below which was presented to all students in Assembly today.  More information regarding NAIDOC day is mentioned in the newsletter.

As this is the final newsletter for this term, I hope that everyone has the chance to reboot and recharge the batteries over the upcoming break. It has been a trying term with large numbers of absences for students and staff alike and no doubt most families have experienced illnesses as well.

The Independent Education Union (IEU) - Thursday 30 June

The Independent Education Union (IEU) has notified us that teachers and general staff in systemic Catholic schools in NSW and the ACT intend to take part in a full day of industrial action on Thursday  30 June in support of a new pay deal.

It will mean Marian Catholic College will be unavailable to operate as normal on that day. Limited supervision will be in place for those students that are not able to remain at home. Classes for the day will not run as usual.

While Catholic Education strongly supports our staff receiving a meaningful wage increase and improved benefits, we are concerned and acknowledge the further potential disruption to students and the school community, particularly given the experience of the last two years, however the Diocese fully supports its employees' right to take protected industrial action in pursuit of a new pay deal. 

For a number of months now, Catholic Education representatives have engaged in productive negotiations with the IEU to try to finalise a new Enterprise Agreement that delivers new benefits and a fair and just outcome for our staff.

We have responded to all claims made by the IEU and agreed to:

• at least match the pay increases awarded to public school teachers as well as the effective date
• address any inequity in pay rates for support staff when compared to the State system
• provide teachers an additional pupil free day in 2022 to enable collaborative planning and professional development 
• match any extra relief from face-to-face teaching provided to public school teachers, on the basis that it be principal-directed to align with school needs and system priorities, and to enhance the teacher and student experience
• recognition of prior service for support staff with relevant service at another Diocese, and
• improve parental leave for all staff including providing leave for non-primary carers to become primary carers

Given our commitment to at least match any pay increase provided to public school teachers, that last component of our new pay package cannot be settled until the public sector pay rise is determined.

We have worked hard through these negotiations to offer an enterprise agreement that recognises and values the important job our teachers and support staff do every day to deliver a high quality education for our students.  We regret the disruption this industrial action will have on you and our school community and hope further disruption can be avoided.

Our representative will continue bargaining in good faith with the union to try to finalise a new pay deal as soon as practicable. 

I thank parents and students for their support for alternative arrangements on this day and apologise for any inconvenience this has caused. 

Peace and Best wishes

Alan Le Brocque

Principal