Principal's Post

Refugee Week 18-24

The theme of Refugee Week in 2023 (18-24 June) is Finding Freedom. This theme reminds

us of the freedom that refugees have lost in being forced from their own nations. They continue to bear this loss in the nations to which they flee, and often find further loss of freedom in nations where they seek protection. These nations, including Australia, are often unfree in many ways, their leaders yielding to anxiety and refusing to lead in compassion, and their people susceptible to xenophobia.

As a result, people who seek protection find more obstacles placed on their path which prevent them from arriving, deter them from seeking protection, curtail the freedom of those who do arrive, prevent them from again being united with their families, and exclude them from beginning a new life. Refugee Week focuses our attention again on the lives of refugees. It reminds us how precious freedom is and of the costs of the unfreedom that seeps out from under our lack of hospitality.

Freedom to Say and Thrive - Fr Andrew Hamilton SJ. 

Celebrating NAIDOC Week July 2-9

NAIDOC week celebrates the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It is celebrated by all Australians and is a great opportunity to recognise and learn more about the history and culture of indigenous communities.

NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. Its origins can be traced back to the Aboriginal rights movement, when on Australia Day 1938, protestors marched through the streets of Sydney to highlight the status and treatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. Today, it is a week-long celebration held in July that consists of range of traditional and contemporary activities.

NAIDOC Week is an important event that helps build positive relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. It enables a deeper understanding of our differences and similarities. NAIDOC week is an opportunity for all Australians to eliminate bias and discrimination by reflecting and reconciling the wrongs of the past to facilitate hope and build a fairer future. Families are encouraged to join in and support young people in learning the significance of NAIDOC Week.

Hello Mandarin Recitation Competition

The 2023 “Hello Mandarin” Recitation Competition Australia was held in Sydney this year. There were more than 110 finalists from different parts of Australia competing in the individual grand final competitions, and our Year 7 student Yibo Iaskiv (7 Simonds) who represented Melbourne won the Year 7 - Year 12 age group Champion. Congratulations to Yibo on this outstanding achievement.

Year 10 Work Experience

Many programs at Mazenod that have held intrinsic value and are automatically placed on the calendar each year are Peer Support, Work Placement and Work Experience. This week the Year 10 students attended work experience. This is a time of transition for many Year 10 students. For most it is the realization that they will need to specialise in their studies to meet their vocational aspirations. Term 3 will be a time for Year 10 students to affirm the direction they will take for the next two years at the College. 

ACC Sport

Thank you to the Mazenod Sports Department and all staff who coached ACC sports teams this term. We had some excellent results in a wide variety of sports from Year 7-12. 376 students across all year levels represented Mazenod this term. One very notable sport result is Badminton, where all teams went unbeaten for the season. We would like to acknowledge the Year 12 students, for their years of dedication to ACC sport and leading various teams.

Annual Report to the School Community

Schools must publish an Annual Report to the School Community (ARSC) each year to meet their state and federal government accountability obligations. Please see below a link to the final version of the 2022 Annual Report on the College website.

https://www.mazenod.vic.edu.au/news-events/publications

Term 2

Term 2 concludes today, and it has been a busy time for staff and students as the full calendar of events have occurred. Co-curricular activities are important for development and growth, especially during adolescence, and are associated with lower rates of anti-social and risky behaviour, lower rates of academic failure and lower dropout rates. Congratulations to all staff and students for participation in the broad range of co-curricular activities.

Thank you

Thank you for everything you have done this semester to support Mazenod with the full range of extra-curricular and community events. I hope you have a well-deserved holiday break with your family and friends.

All the best, 

Dr Paul Shannon

Principal