PRINCIPAL'S PEN

Dear members of the Saints family,

Happy New Year, and welcome to this special edition of Saints News. I warmly greet all members of our school community – students, families and staff, both new and returning. As we step into a new year, we are met with fresh opportunities, new challenges and meaningful moments for growth. Let’s embrace this new beginning with enthusiasm and a united dedication to excellence.

2026 marks our first year without our residential Marist Brothers. We remain committed to honouring our rich heritage and the legacy they have entrusted to us, as we look ahead with optimism, welcoming new opportunities and paving the way for innovation and growth.

To our new students and families, we extend a warm welcome and are excited to support you as you begin this new chapter. Beginning something new is always full of excitement. The enthusiasm shown by our Year 7s during Orientation Day reflected their readiness to embrace fresh experiences. Their first week is set to continue that same spirit of anticipation and possibility, helping to create a positive foundation for their years ahead at the College.

To our returning families, welcome back. Your contributions are integral to the vibrant spirit of our school. Together, let us make this a year of achievement, connection and personal growth.

For our returning students, the new year offers a fresh opportunity to build on past successes, face new challenges and grow in confidence. Let us begin this year with a sense of purpose and collective aspiration to improve and excel in all areas of school life. 

Here’s to a fulfilling and inspiring year ahead for all members of the Saints family.

ATAR results

Congratulations to our Class of 2025 who performed exceptionally well. These  outstanding results are indicative of the hard work of our staff and students.

Strategic Plan

2026 is the final year of our college’s three-year Strategic Plan, Gathered Around the Same Table 2024-2026. Our two main priorities this year will be to document and refine our teaching practices for boys and maintain our writing focus. 

Several other key projects, outlined in the document below, will ensure the further growth and success of our college community.

We are well placed to deliver a world-class, faith-filled education thanks to the outstanding work of our predecessors. However, we will not rest on our previous successes but will continue to critically review our practice and strive for improvement. We will not "cruise" as a school but rather keep "moving" so we can continue to offer our students a relevant, holistic Marist education. 

Upgrades and building works

Much work has been done over the Christmas break, and I thank our maintenance team for having the school in great shape for the return of our students. Their work has involved:

• Installing the last of 140 full-size lockers for our Year 11s and completing the upgrade of all other lockers thanks to the Parent Forum.
• Installing two new chilled-water fountains in the Year 7 quad and near the Year 9 toilets, suitable for filling large water bottles.
• Returfing the school oval. 
• Repairing the roof of the Geaney Residence.
• Acquiring the nearby presbytery site to create additional car parking for St Augustine’s and St Joseph’s staff and families.
• General maintenance and painting.

The 2026 Marist theme 

Full of Grace – Transform the World with God’s Love is this year's theme. In the image, Jesus is kneeling to wash the feet of a disciple, and in this image we encounter grace in its most tangible form. This moment, quiet yet revolutionary, reveals the heart of the theme. It is not a display of power or grandeur, but of humility, presence and service. 

The artwork comes from a series of icons titled The Way of the Family by Australian artist and iconographer Sue Orchison. In this image Washing of the Feet, Jesus is servant; he humbles himself and asks us to do the same.

Let this image be our challenge and our inspiration. Let it remind us that grace is not abstract, it is the touch of God in the ordinary. And when we receive it, live it and become it, we do more than reflect God’s love, we transform the world with it. 

An exciting academic year ahead

In 2025 we set the bar high with a record 209 Academic Awards being presented at our Semester 2 Academic Awards Assembly. Year 12 led the way with 52 certificates. At the same assembly I told the story of Robert the Bruce and the spider. The Bruce was in hiding after many defeats at the hands of the English. While in a cave, he noticed a spider try to build a web. The spider attempted to jump from one part of the web to another but kept failing. Despite the setbacks, the spider tried again and again and on the seventh attempt, connected the web. Robert the Bruce, inspired by the spider, returned to the fight and won the Battle of Bannockburn.

Learning from mistakes, persistence, resilience, steady improvement and inspiration are all qualities we can learn from the humble spider. 

Prefects

Before closing, I draw your attention to our new student leaders:

Thank you for your continue support of St Augustine’s. I look forward to welcoming our new families and familiar faces later this month.

Finally, welcome to all those new to Saints. We have a new group of Year 7s, but also a warm welcome to our new students in other year levels, new boarders, new parents and carers and new staff members. I trust your time with us will be enriching.