From the Principal
Dear Families of Killester,
In our last newsletter for the year we are presented with Luke's beautiful Gospel:
A voice cries in the wilderness: Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley will be filled in, every mountain and hill be laid low, winding ways will be straightened and rough roads made smooth. And all mankind shall see the salvation of God. Luke 3 : 1-6
As we spend time in Advent preparing for the birth of Jesus we are reminded of the fact that St John the Baptist was working in a world full of political machinations, in many ways much like our world today. Indeed the context into which Jesus was born was a complex political web where power and position dominated events and decisions of the government of the time. John is preparing the world for the birth of Jesus as the one who will bring salvation and justice. By the act of his own baptism John challenges the people of his time to contemplate a new beginning, a change of heart for those who needed to reflect on their lives and for many an opportunity to seek forgiveness. 2000 years later we too are called to use the Advent season as an opportunity to reflect on those areas of our lives where we have not acted in a way as taught to us by the Gospels, and are encouraged to seek the forgiveness of others and, above all, our God who is all loving and forgiving.
Today our College community will gather together in person for the first time in a long time as we celebrate all that has been accomplished in this challenging year. Fittingly our gathering will be for our end of year College liturgy where we will give thanks for all that we have been able to achieve, and the gifts of the presence of each other and our God as we have walked some difficult paths.
In preparation for our celebration today I have had cause to reflect on the year that has been. It is without doubt one of the most difficult and remarkable in any school life; however it has provided us with an incredible opportunity to learn. In my address to the school community on Wednesday when we gathered to congratulate all award winners, I spoke of the incredible pride I, and all staff, have in our students. In so many ways every individual student has cause for celebration at the conclusion of 2021. We are proud of their perseverance, their tenacity and resilience, their capacity to strive for personal success and most importantly their ability to continue to live lives that embody our values of hope, courage, compassion, justice, wonder and hospitality.
It is important to acknowledge all who have worked incredibly hard this year to ensure the maintenance of the delivery of our excellent education here at Killester. Our community is made up of a great variety of skilled professionals who endeavour to do their best each day to ensure our students can achieve their personal best. I thank all staff, teaching and non-teaching, for their commitment to our values and mission.
We wish the following staff all the best as they move to other schools to continue their journey in education, other work places or into the world of retirement. Our community extends to them our heartfelt thanks for the work they have done in their time with us and for the impact they have had on our College life.
Ms Annette McKenna (canteen) 26 Years
Ms Rita Druiven (library) 25 Years
Ms Anneliese Heys (teacher) 15 Years
Mr Jason Mahmoud (teacher) 12 Years
Ms Jennifer Chandler (finance) 8 Years
Ms Amy Isma (teacher) 2.5 Years
Ms Josie Ferraro (finance) 2.5 Years
Ms Eliot Rountree (teacher) 2 Years
Ms Karina Noontil (teacher) 1 Year
Mr Mitch Anderson (IT) 1 Year
Ms Maddison Chamberlain (PE Assistant) 1 Year
I will be taking some leave at the start of 2022 and wish Mr Peter O'Neill, who will be acting Principal in my absence, all the very best as he leads our community at the commencement of 2022. I am excited about returning in March as the year is in full swing.
I believe most in our community will be very much looking forward to a sustained break over the Christmas period, without doubt our staff and students are tired and are pleased to be heading into a period for rest and to spend time with family and loved ones. I pray that for each family in our community the coming Christmas is one that offers joy, hope and peace as we celebrate the birth of Jesus.
Sally Buick
Principal