PRINCIPAL'S PEN 

A tale of two duces

Over 200 family members joined us last Thursday for the Semester 2 Academic Assembly to celebrate the achievements of 181 students who crossed the stage after receiving an Academic Excellence Award. A real highlight of the assembly was the fact that 44 Year 12 students received awards. Considering there are 112 Year 12s, that equated to just shy of 40% of the entire year level; an outstanding achievement from our senior class.

At the assembly, I mentioned the College Dux honour board. "Dux" is Latin for leader and further exploration of the word is from Scottish decent meaning the top pupil in a school. 

We have recently placed honour boards outside the Gildas Centre which highlight our annual College Dux, Captain and Vice-Captain, dating back to 1970. Thank you to Brother Michael, who did much research to ensure we had the correct names. 

The reason I mentioned dux at our Academic Awards Assembly may be self-explanatory, but also raised the point as I wanted to retell the story of our last two duces. As is our tradition, we invite each College Dux to return and speak at the first Academic Assembly of the year. What they said was very pertinent to improvement.

Our 2023 Dux Futa Ma said, “I still fondly remember my marks in Year 7, D's in SOSE, Science and Religion. I did not manage to get an academic excellence award until Year 9.” He went on to deliver the message, "Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard." 

Our 2022 Dux Lachlan Downing said, “I was never really the smartest, I was never really the brightest, never topped a subject. I watched my classmates receive awards and I set a goal to get an academic award [like them]."

Both young men spoke humbly of their experience and achievement. The messages are clear: set goals, work hard, persist, learn from your failures, have a positive mindset and be inspired by others.

Only one student can be dux, but there are many takeaways for anyone who wants to improve in any aspect of life, whether it be in academics, music, drama, dance, service or sport. Your name may or may not adorn a college honour board, but the qualities mentioned above will set you on a path of lifelong learning and achievement. 

Click on the link below to view the recording of the assembly.

NAIDOC Week

St Augustine’s celebrates NAIDOC next week. National NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia to recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This is an opportunity for all Australians to learn about First Nations cultures and histories and to participate in celebrations of the oldest, continuous living cultures on earth.  We particularly support and celebrate with our Indigenous students here at St Augustine’s. 

This year's theme "Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud", celebrates the unyielding spirit of communities and invites all to stand in solidarity, amplifying voices that have long been silenced. During this week, Marists will enter fully into these celebrations which will be highlighted by our NAIDOC Assembly on Thursday, our First Nation dinner on Wednesday night followed by a visit to Thursday Island by Director of Boarding Mr Brett Toombs, Indigenous Liaison Officer Mr Bryan Carswell and me. 

I thankMr Carswell for his tireless work with our Indigenous students. 

NIAA boarding refurbishment

During the recent break, Stage 1 of the Upper Ambrose boarding house refurbishments began, thanks to the generous support from the National Indigenous Australian Agency (NIAA), which awarded the College a grant of over one-million dollars. This is a significant step in enhancing our boarding facilities to better serve our students. The refurbishments are designed to create modern, comfortable living spaces that prioritise privacy and comfort. Although this means that certain areas of the College are temporarily inaccessible during Term 3 and part of Term 4, the long-term benefits will outweigh any short-term inconvenience. We extend our gratitude to the NIAA for their commitment to improving the quality of our boarding accommodation. 

College crest mosaic

You may have noticed a striking mosaic of the College crest at the Scott Street entrance,  masterfully created by local artist Dom Johns. Dating as far back as the third millennia BC in Mesopotamia, the art of creating mosaics is ancient and highly regarded. Dom's artwork is intricately designed and involves some key artistic aspects such as "poppers" (different coloured tiles) and "opus vermiculatum" (a line of ceramic stones following the edge of the central shape).

As a college we thank Dom Johns for the time, effort and care he has put into making such a beautiful addition to our college, and thank our parents and carers for their kind financial contribution towards this beautiful project.