PRINCIPAL'S PEN 

As parents we want our young men to be men of good character.  But what does that mean?

I was recently standing near the water bubblers between the Year 8 quad and the Year 9 lockers at the end of lunch. Boys were heading to class. Shirts were being tucked in, socks pulled up (usually when a teacher was spotted), lockers opened, a last drink, bags over shoulders, books under arms, some laughter, some urgency to get to class on time. 

One straggler, a Year 9 student, was late and was juggling books and a bag as he stumbled from his locker towards the area under Ambrose. He fumbled with his books. Resigned to the fact that he had to put them down, he placed his books and bag on a table. On the table was some rubbish, a white paper plate and some food scraps. 

The Year 9 adjusted his hold on his bag, straightened his books, but before he started to move  to class again – for some reason – he chose to pick up the rubbish, the food scraps and the plate and put them in a bin. Then he continued to class. 

Why? 

No one was around, everyone else was already in class. He was probably going to be late. There was no reward, no gain.

I believe it was because this young man has good character. 

Legendary basketball coach John Wooden would agree. He is noted for saying that “The true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is looking”. 

This young man did exactly that. The act was simple and demonstrated the type of character we want our young men of Saints to exhibit. As Marist educators, we strive to instil this good character into our students. 

The Three Violets Awards

At yesterday's Father’s Day Assembly, three Year 11 students were presented with these awards: Charlie Lawrence was recognised for his Humility, Cooper Meares for his modesty and Kaleb Howard for his Simplicity. These awards are about doing good quietly. Not for gain, not so someone else notices, but because it is the right thing to do. These values are at the heart of what it means to be Marist, and they encapsulate Marcellin Champagnat's approach to being a person of character. He urged his followers to “do good quietly”.

You can find more Father's Day Assembly photos through the Parent Portal.

Assumption Mass & Bishop Joe Caddy's ordination

We usually celebrate the feast of the Assumption Mass at St Monica’s Cathedral, but we were unable to do so this year due to the historical and important event of the episcopal ordination of Bishop Joe Caddy. For the first time in 32 years Cairns has a new Bishop. Br John Horgan has written about Bishop Caddy’s ordination and crest, which I encourage you to read below.

Therefore, our Assumption Mass was held in Lennon Hall and we were blessed with many special guests including the Provincial of the Star of the Sea province, Br Peter Carroll, and cousin to Joe Caddy, Marist Brother Tony Caddy – who I'm sure will put in a good word with the bishop for St Augustine’s.

Father Laurie's golden jubilee

Father Laurie has reached a very significant milestone celebrating his 50th anniversary as a Carmelite priest. Some trivia for you – Father Laurie grew up in the same town as Mr Rigby and Australian Rock legend Jimmy Barnes. A priest, a deputy principal and a rock star  all from the same town of Elizabeth in South Australia. It was 50 years ago that Fr Laurie said his first Mass which was in that town - Elizabeth in 1974 – the same year the Band Cold Chisel was formed.

While we recognised Father Laurie at our Assumption Mass for his 50th anniversary, I again thank him for his continued work and presence at our school.  

AIEF's 1000th student – Lilly See Kee

The AIEF Class of 2024 has celebrated 1,000 young Indigenous people to have graduated with scholarship support.  The 1000th graduate, Lilly See Kee from St Monica's College, Cairns and a boarder at St Augustine’s, appeared in The Australian reflecting on the opportunities afforded by her scholarship. 

Lilly also appeared on Sky News Australia's AM Agenda with Laura Jayes, talking about her goals for the future. You can watch a clip at AIEF scholarship program helps 1,000 students complete Year 12.

Thank you to the AIEF which has given these students such amazing opportunities. Congratulations to the 1000th scholarship holder Lily See Kee and also to fellow AIEF graduates Kiarra Billy, Xavier-Ray David-Williams, Kailang Ware and Subita Lui.

Cerise and Blue Open Night

Finally, on behalf of the College, I extend a heartfelt thank you to the young men of Saints who helped showcase their school to potential families. As usual, there was plenty of excellent feedback on the interactive displays, music and Tolle’s chips. However, the overriding feedback was on the outstanding tour guides who spoke about their school with pride and a sense of belonging.