Osborne House 

Osborne House

‘Beacons of the limitless’

It has been another exceptional year for Osborne House and the students at Chevalier. The year started with the introduction of new House Shields. Osborne holds onto its signature yellow colour, representing the bright, vibrant nature of the House. Our new shield acknowledges the pioneering spirit of our House namesake, Mr Henry Osborne.

Osborne was a young man when he emigrated to Australia from rural Ireland. Henry quickly established himself as an entrepreneur and luminary figure in the agricultural industry. Osborne was responsible for establishing the commercial viability of beef and dairy in the Illawarra and embarked on mining for coal in the Illawarra and the Hunter Valley. Henry Osborne also commissioned the building of Riversdale, the iconic property built at Chevalier, which became his family’s primary residence for a period.

Consequently, for the House Shield, Osborne House has chosen the six-pointed star, representing the six home rooms, and acknowledged the light and leadership Henry Osborne brought to industry and the community. The second symbol is a sheath of wheat which is referencing the value and prosperity that comes from hard work and his connection to local agriculture. This process was very capably led by our two House Captains, Sophia Thompson and Hudson Lambert who were well supported by their Year 12 peers and the home room team.

Osborne House has enjoyed the changes that have been made to the wellbeing model at Chevalier. Each Osborne home room now sits clustered around each other, providing greater connection and activity between homerooms. It also allows for easier access for staff to check in on homeroom activities and initiatives.

One of the successful initiatives led by Osborne this year was the adaptation of the Cancer Council’s Biggest Morning Tea, with the addition of a theme based around a ‘Teddy Bears’ Picnic’. Year 11 and 12 students were encouraged to bring their Teddy to school along with some morning tea they could share with their friends. This initiative promoted togetherness while raising awareness of the impact of cancer on individuals and families.

Sacred Heart Day was another opportunity for home rooms to come together to celebrate all the things that make the College what it is. The day began with a joyful Mass, with the student body singing with spirit and energy. A select group of staff were acknowledged for their contributions to MSC Education, including Osborne home room tutor, Mr Joshua Higson, who was presented with the Treand Award for an Early Career Educator Growing in Heart-Filled Leadership. The remainder of the day saw home rooms playing off against other homerooms in a variety of physical activities such as Netball and Touch Football. Student participation and behaviour, along with the support of their homeroom tutors, were exceptional.

I would like to thank each of the home room tutors for their leadership and care of their home rooms this year. Mrs Patao (Lead Tutor), Mr Donnelly, Ms Gillespie, Mr Higson, Mrs Burns-Rynne, Mrs Farrugia and Mrs Worthington have been a consistent and cheerful support to each Osborne student in homeroom. I would like to acknowledge the excellent work they do each morning and for the positivity they bring to Osborne House.

We look forward to our Athletics Carnival on Friday, 29 August and hope to continue to enjoy the good company of our House community on that special day. Thank you for sharing this journey with us. We look forward to celebrating together at the end-of-year events.

Mr Luke Wilson