Principal's Report

Dear Families

The end of Year 12 brings with it many events that are referred to as the Rites of Passage. The Class of 2019 has now finished their classes, their last bell has tolled. For those who still have examinations to undertake I ask you to join me in prayerful support for each and every one of them.

The past week has been enormous, as is always the case at this time of year, with many special moments highlighting each occasion.

On Thursday of last week we gathered as a College community for the final time in 2019 before our Year 12 students finished. The whole of School Assembly was an opportunity for Catholic Regional College Sydenham to farewell the Class of 2019 and for the College Captains and Student Leadership Group to formally hand over their leadership of the College to the incoming student leaders.

Congratulations to our new College Captains on their appointment and thank you to all of the College Captains and Student Leadership Group for 2019 who did a sterling job in their respective roles.

Just prior to the College Assembly, Clusters gathered with Year 11 and Year 12 students to say farwell to the Year 12 students in each Cluster. Every Cluster gave out Cluster Value awards with staff speaking to each award describing how each student in their Home Group had demonstrated or embodied a particular one of the three Cluster Values throughout the year. Cluster Leaders were announced and the Cluster Flag handed over from the 2019 Leaders to the new 2020 Cluster Leaders before each Cluster celebrated Mass. This saw six individual Masses held simultaneously at the College with six of our Priests as Chaplains to each of the Clusters. MacKillop Cluster celebrated Mass with Father John O'Reilly  as the Principal Celebrant. Father John O'Reilly  then re-blessed and reopened a newly refurbished O’Reilly House. The stained glass window at the front of the building is the Hail Mary window. The window is a blooming flower with blue and the flower both being symbolic in renaissance art for Mary the Mother of God. At the heart (middle) of the window is the Eucharist depicted by a chalice and host. The Eucharist or Corpus Christi / Body of Christ is symbolic for Christ being always in His mother’s heart. Father John O'Reilly  prays to Mary each and every day so it was appropriate that the Hail Mary window designed for our College be a part of O’Reilly House. Every student received a Hail Mary badge to commemorate the official re-blessing and opening of O’Reilly House.

With Year 11 students receiving a study day to prepare for end of year exams, the Class of 2019 gathered for breakfast at the College with staff all in fancy dress. Good humour and a lot of laughter were on the menu alongside eggs, bacon and a range of breakfast items. Awards for best costume for male, female and a group were awarded before students headed home to prepare for Graduation that evening.

Graduation is always a special occasion at Catholic Regional College Sydenham. It is also always a long evening by virtue of our College having the single largest number of graduating students from any one school in the Archdiocese. The Mass, celebrated by Father Maurie Cooney was beautiful and a fitting way to end the year just as we started, as a people of the Eucharist. The College Choir, graduation gowns, presentation of the 2019 stole and recognition of Christian Veneziano whose name had already been called by God earlier in the year so a moment of silence as his folded stole was collected by his twin sister Olivia – all moments that made this a very graduation night to remember.

Thank you to the Class of 2019 for carrying yourselves with dignity and respect as you finished your final year of schooling. Thank you to our College Student Leaders for 2019 for your servant leadership. Thank you to the staff who worked on each of the events to ensure they were memorable for the Class of 2019. Finally thank you to all of the families who attended and supported the College and their son / daughter. The Rites of Passage rely on students, families and the College staff to come together to recognise and celebrate the significance of this period in each of the students’ lives. We do so in such a way that we recognise the journey, celebrate achievements and then send each young person into the world with our prayerful support as they embark on the next part of their lives. As I said in my graduation address to the Class of 2019,

‘The journey begins today.

Good luck and God Bless Class of 2019.’

Brendan J Watson  OAM

Principal Catholic Regional College Sydenham