Principal's Report

Dear Parents and Guardians

At Nazareth we believe it is important to provide a wide range of opportunities to students to allow all dimensions of their characters to develop: spiritual, academic, physical and social. Over the past two weeks, many of our students have embraced the opportunities offered by the College and taken part in a wide variety of events.   

On Monday 26 August 71 students competed in the SIS Athletics Carnival at Lakeside Stadium, with several students winning their events.

The following evening a group of Year 10 students took part in the Building Bridges Inter-Faith Presentation Evening at Strathcona Girls’ Grammar School.

On Thursday 29 August our SIS Debating Teams enjoyed success at John Paul College in Frankston, where our Senior Team won through to a place in the Competition Final.

All our students had a wonderful time at Nazareth Day on Thursday. This celebration of our College and our multicultural Faith Community was embodied beautifully in our Mass. 

At the Nazareth Day Assembly, we recognised those students who received the prestigious Faith, Wisdom and Knowledge Awards; those students who achieved Academic Excellence in Semester One; those students who achieved excellence in their Applied Learning VET programs; Year 10 students who excelled in their recent Work Experience placements; and students who have recently achieved their Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Awards. These students are acknowledged below.

The finale of the Nazareth Day Activities was our Talent Quest, which is a showcase for many of our talented students.  However, I was even more struck by another aspect of our Talent Quest. It was apparent that students, as nervous and as daunted by performing as many were, felt safe enough in our College Community to stand up in front of 700 of their peers and staff and sing or dance. I believe this makes a very powerful statement about the culture we have at Nazareth College. I think everyone in our Community can be proud that we have a school in which young people feel they are safe to take risks and in which they will be supported and encouraged to challenge themselves and ‘have a go’.

Finally, on Friday last week we had the annual Vinnies Winter Sleepout. It is a great testament to our students and staff that almost 100 people braved the cold and slept out at the College, in solidarity with Melbourne’s homeless.

Faith, Wisdom and Knowledge Award Recipients

Faith Awards – presented to students for demonstrating commitment to our Faith and the Nazareth College ethos and scripture:

Alessia Alifano (Knox 4)                    

Gabriella Brusco (McCormack 4)                 

Alexander Flodstrom (MacKillop 3)

Julie Hoang (MacKillop 1)     

Alyssa Mastromanno (Mannix 5)      

Shamiso Sibanda (McCormack 5)

Hannah Thomson (MacKillop 1)        

Damon Weibgen (Knox 1)

Wisdom Awards – presented to students for the use of Wisdom in contributing to the Nazareth College Community

Oliver Adair (McCormack 3) 

Ruby Bolch (MacKillop 4)                  

Angela Cremona (MacKillop 2)

Emma Eager (Mannix 2)                   

Anthony Kouvelis (Knox 4)    

Ronan Lobo (Knox 3)            

David Nguyen (Chisholm 2)

Agatha Scandizzo (Knox 5)               

Nikola Vukosavljevic (McCormack 5)

Emma Xerri (MacKillop 2)

Sophie Xerri (MacKillop 5)     

Applied Learning VET Excellence Awards

Bianca Caswell (Chisholm 2)

Michael Skey (McCormack 2)                      

Caitlin Trustrum (Chisholm 5)

Year 10 Work Experience Awards

Jovana Cubra (McCormack 1)

Brodie Dell’Aquila (Chisholm 5)

Dante Ferraro (McAuley 4)

Mikayla George (Chisholm 1)                                   

Kaila McInnes (Chisholm 1)  

Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Awards

Emily Brennan ((Chisholm 5)

Shamiso Sibanda (McCormack 5)    

Recipients of the Academic Excellence Awards are listed later in this Newsletter, in Mr Broadbent’s article (Assistant Principal Learning).

Student Progress Meetings

The education of young people is most successful when parents/guardians and the school work in harmony. It is vital that our students see that the College and parents/guardians both place a high value on education and that they work together to ensure the best possible outcomes for our young men and women.

With that in mind, I heartily encourage all parents/guardians with a child in Years 7 to 10 to attend the upcoming Years 7-10 Student Progress Meetings on 19 September. Attendance at these meetings involves parents/guardians in their children’s education and gives students an important message about their partnership with the College. More details about the Student Progress Meetings are included later in this Newsletter in Mr Broadbent’s article (Assistant Principal Learning).

Mr Garry Giese

Acting Principal