From the College Principal
Dear Parents, Carers, Students and Friends of the St Gregory’s College Community,
The 2020 academic year is off to a great start. It was wonderful to welcome back our staff and students last week after the Christmas and New Year holiday break. There has certainly been a ‘spring in the step’ of our staff and students as they settle into the new school year.
I acknowledge the difficulties faced by many people in our community over the recent months with the continuing drought conditions and the ravaging bushfires. The tenacity and perseverance shown by so many in these harsh conditions is quite amazing. We are hopeful of improving conditions over the coming weeks and months. Let’s pray for much needed rain to ease the burdens of the drought affected lands and the areas impacted by the fires.
WELCOME TO NEW STUDENTS, FAMILIES & STAFF MEMBERS - A particularly warm welcome to all the new families joining the St Gregory’s community for the first time. This year we have close to 320 new enrolments in the College – 120 students in the Junior School and 200 students in the Senior School! It is fantastic to have so many families wanting to join this great College. On behalf of the St Gregory’s community I wish each of our new students and family a wonderful journey with us here at the College. We are extremely proud of what this College has to offer young men and women. Please be assured of our support, direction and encouragement for the children you place in our care.
This year we also welcome a number of new members of staff to the College. It certainly is an exciting time for these new staff as they begin their journey in the St Gregory’s community. I provided details of the new staff to the College in my ‘Letter from the College Principal’ prior to the commencement of the term. I know you will be supportive of the new staff as they face the early challenges of working in a new school.
YEAR 12 – 2019 HIGH ACHIEVERS’ ASSEMBLY - Congratulations to the teaching staff on the results attained by St Gregory’s College Year 12 students in the 2019 Higher School Certificate. Strong academic results are the result of long-term commitment and hard work by both student and teacher. Many thanks to all staff for their dedication and desire to get the best from each student.
On Friday 31 January, the College held the Annual High Achievers’ Assembly to acclaim and affirm our highest achieving students from the 2019 – Year 12 cohort. It was a great occasion and lovely to witness our fine young men from St Gregory’s returning to receive their awards. We were blessed to have as our special guest, Dr Frank Malloy, National Director of Marist Schools Australia. Joining Dr Malloy as our guest speaker was our new Year 11 & 12 Academic Coordinator, Mr Stephen Bullock. Both Dr Malloy and Mr Bullock gave stirring speeches which provided great motivation and incentive for all our students to achieve to their potential.
At the assembly we acclaimed our high achievers who attained an ATAR over 90, our Band 6 (over 90 in a subject) recipients and our special awards recipients. A highlight of the assembly was the recognition of Marcus Bombardiere as the 2019 Dux of St Gregory’s College. Marcus received an ATAR of 99.35 and was recognised for his inclusion on the All Rounders’ Achievers List for NSW. Marcus’ acceptance speech was inspirational and the students in this year’s Year 5 – 12 were able to gauge from Marcus’ speech his commitment, his will to succeed and his pride in being a St Gregory’s student.
I include Marcus’ Dux of the College speech below:
“Good morning parents, friends, staff, students and my fellow classmates.
What drives you? What do you want to be? Who do you have standing beside you?
Throughout high school, and especially entering the senior years, these were the questions that ran through my mind. At times, I really struggled to realise what I wanted out of 2019, and it took me some time to learn about opening up to the people around me. I believe the reason we invite our Dux to come back and present a speech is often to shed some insight on their HSC year, and hopefully, pass on what we’ve learned. Today, I want to pass on the importance of finding your purpose and opening up to support and express how grateful I am to the people around me in helping me realise who I wanted to be.
Now, it probably sounds a bit stupid when I say that I struggled to realise what I wanted out of 2019. It would seem obvious, wouldn’t it? A good ATAR, to get involved in the co-curricular activities, do a good job as School Captain. And yet, forever loomed that question of an interminable future. Did I really want to do law? Should I go to Sydney Uni or UNSW? Have I left the impact that I had hoped to?
Rather than spending distinct time contemplating what I wanted, I had simply run with what appeared obvious at the time. When I focused on those externally imposed goals, I found that study became much harder. I’d wander from the kitchen to the television to my room upstairs, before repeating the cycle over and over again.
And yet, when I lost focus on those external goals, I somehow felt so much more... free. In those fleeting moments, I had a crystalized view of my purpose - one never consciously materialised in words for fear of snuffing it out. I had a genuine love of what I did. Pursuing the argument, realising the injustice, ascertaining the greater meaning of texts, these were the things that fuelled me.
I’m not going to lie to you and say that it makes doing ten practice essays any more fun, but finding a distinct, individual purpose for the year is so important. Even if it isn’t at all HSC oriented - if you want to travel overseas, or get out into the workforce, or just pursue a passion beyond that which school offers, dedicate yourself to that. What you get out of your year need not be school related. So long as you know that it’s advancing your life in the direction that you want to take it. But if there’s one thing I can implore you to do, it’s to spend serious time thinking about this. As I said at the end of last year - find your why, let your why guide the way.
However, I didn’t find this purpose on my own. It was only by chewing my Dad’s ear off for hours on end and realising how much I enjoyed teaching Mum that Malcolm X was not an X-Man, that I found that purpose.
Learning to tap into that support is something I’m still working on. I know that at times I didn't reach out when I should have. I wanted to bear it all on my own, because I thought it would be selfish to make anyone else deal with my anxieties or struggles.
Before my Legal Studies HSC exam, I’d reached a point where the pressure had simply gotten too much. It took my girlfriend half an hour to calm me down on the phone. The slim margins for error I imposed on myself just continued to nag and nag at me.
Don’t let it get to that point. It is still such an awkward thing to broach with anyone, even for me. And it’s taken some committed and loyal people in my life to open that up. Just start the conversation, with anyone. You’ll be surprised at how ready they are to listen. Send a message, call, catch someone between classes and just tell them anything. Leaning on others only makes you stronger and allows you to lift others up in return. This was perhaps one of the most important lessons I learned.
And with that, I’d like to thank all those who offered their shoulders on which for me to cry and to
LIVE STREAMING / VIDEOING OF COLLEGE MASSES, INFORMATION EVENINGS, ETC..
Please be advised that the College will live stream all College Masses, Liturgies, Assemblies and Awards Presentation ceremonies which are held in the Brother Luke Hall. This allows parents, carers and families unable to attend the College access to the events on the day. These events are able to be viewed on You Tube - https://www.youtube.com/user/StGregorysCollege
Please also be advised that the College will not live stream Subject / Year Information Evenings (e.g. Year 11 Preliminary Course Information Evening) held in the Brother Luke Hall. These events will be videoed and the event will be uploaded to You Tube - https://www.youtube.com/user/StGregorysCollege up to 48 hours following the event. This is to encourage maximum participation on the night for these events.