Principal's Post

Dear Parents,

Last Friday Fr Harry blessed the new VCD facilities including STEM and Digital Technologies room. The opportunity provided teachers who do not teach in the Visual Arts and Technology areas a chance to view the 3D printing and other resources in action. Included in the Digital Technologies space is a Green Room, to be utilised by all the students, not just those studying Digital Technologies. During the recent open day, the refurbished facilities drew significant interest from those visiting the College.

The College is very conscious of our connections with our feeder primary schools. The students who attended St Anthony’s Primary School Noble Park were invited to participate in their annual Harmony Day.  They had a wonderful time visiting their old school and learning about the various cultures represented in the St Anthony’s Community. The students were Junior School Captain Kai Russell, Junior School Vice-Captain Ryan Peiris and St Anthony’s Old Boys Jordan Del Villar, Shanthanu Kotha, Jeremy Singh and Nethaka Dissanayaka. Harmony Day celebrates Australia’s cultural diversity and highlights the importance of inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone.

The vast majority of secondary schools appear to be adopting video conferencing for their first round of Parent-Teacher Evenings in 2021. Our surveys from parents and staff recognised the advantages of conducting an online service for this activity. These advantages included convenience for families, greater privacy and appointment flexibility as well as the safety aspect, as we continue with COVID 19 precautions. For many parents, the Parent-Teacher Interview is the first time they meet their son’s teacher, and the video conferencing, while having many advantages, is not the same as a face to face interview. We will seek feedback once again to ensure we optimise the benefit of this essential practice.

Our student leaders are preparing for Mission Action Day 2021. As well as raising funds the purpose of the day is to create awareness of the resources that are inequitably shared on a global scale. The funds raised for the Oblate Missions (MAMI – Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate) provide communities with access to essential services and resources. In the lead up to Mission Action Day students have been informed of the purpose of the day. They have also been reminded to do what they can and be sensitive when asking for sponsorship or donations. Many organizations are understanding the benefits of social awareness and community building and develop teamwork when taking on philanthropic projects. From a Catholic Teaching and Social Justice perspective, it is very clear programmes such as Mission Action Day are core to our values and purpose. Equally important, students and staff enjoy the day, think of others and have a lot of fun.

It seems early in the year to be planning for 2022. The process for the appointment of a Principal for 2022 commenced this week. Ms Vicki Myers from MACS (Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools) visited the College to explain the process to staff and gather feedback from students. The feedback concentrated on what they saw as necessary to ensure the culture of the College is both maintained and enhanced as a result of the appointment. The discussions with students from Year 7 to 12 assisted MACS in appreciating what is important to our students. The staff had a similar meeting and have been offered the opportunity to provide their input on a Google Form. The College and MACS are very interested in parent comment as well, so you are encouraged to complete a survey form using the following link. The position will be advertised extensively and the interview process will commence early Term 2. 

Yours sincerely,

Mr Tony Coghlan

Principal