PRINCIPAL'S PEN 

"How do you think the school year has begun?" a colleague asked me this week. 

"We've had a smooth start.” 

Maybe not a smooth start. Student diaries arrived late, the internet crashed on Monday morning, forcing teachers to resort to old school methods of instruction, and students and staff waded through 30cm of water on Tuesday because of torrential rain and a high tide.  

Perhaps not a completely smooth start. Maybe a start that we sometimes expect in the Far North. Certainly, a much better start than Townsville, Ingham and Cardwell have had, and our thoughts and prayers are with the people living there.

So why the perception that things had begun well? I walked around most classrooms during Period 2 on Monday. The internet was down but all classes were working. I walked through the Lavalla building Tuesday afternoon after lunch, and despite the rain, wet clothes and the excitement of the water, students were on task. Our teachers adapted quickly and calmly, adjusted lessons and continued to work. Our young men knew that they were in class, and it was time to work. 

It is a testament to our culture that firstly, our teachers role-modelled a calm approach and adapted to adversity and secondly, our students are disciplined and know when it is time to work. This culture has ensured a long history of academic success at Saints. 

Academic Awards Assembly

Yesterday we recognised 169 students from our current Year 8s to our current Year12s for academic excellence in Semester 2 last year. We also welcomed 27 Old Boys from the Class of 2024 who achieved ATARs of 90 or higher (see the infographic below). That is, 34% of the students who did an ATAR-linked course of study. An additional 27 students received subject prizes. We humbly acknowledge these outstanding academic results.

Our Dux, Yuta Ma, received an ATAR of 99.80, one of three brothers to receive an ATAR above 99. Yuta, with some brotherly competitiveness, boasted that his ATAR was higher than his siblings. 

Additionally, 75 recent graduates received VET certificates, a testament to our college's holistic educational approach. 

For a non-selective, systemic Catholic school that is an incredible result and something that we must be humble about but also something worth celebrating and acknowledging.

At the assembly, I gave reasons for the Ma brothers' academic success by outlining what an Australian cricketing great did from an early age to become an outstanding sportsman. I didn't name Sir Don Bradman, but his approach applies equally to achieving academic success:

• Deep practice and mistakes are crucial to learning. Struggling and correcting errors help build stronger neural pathways.
• Develop good routines (every morning, afternoon, every day, every year)
• Repeated practice, combined with immediate feedback, refines techniques and accelerates improvement.
• Effort wins over talent. Those wanting success must apply themselves.
• Learn from failure.
• Turn up. Our two most successful year groups of 2024, Year 9 and Year 12, had the lowest absenteeism rates.  

Deliberate practice fosters extraordinary skill development. Yuta Ma and all other high academic achievers knows this. 

Additional images are on the Parent Portal.

Parent Forum

The first Parent Forum for the year is on Friday 21 February at 5pm. This forum is an opportunity for parents and carers to speak to me and staff and raise any questions or concerns for discussion. This Parent Forum is held before the New Parents Welcome Evening. All new parents are welcome and can attend the new parents evening after the forum.