From the Principal

Dear Parents, Guardians, Students, Staff and Friends of Mazenod College,

“Lent is a new beginning, a path leading to the certain goal of Easter, Christ’s victory over death” (Pope Francis).

As we reflect on this quote from Pope Francis, on the eve of the season of Lent, we offer our continued prayers and thoughts for the recovery of our Holy Father as he faces serious and complex illnesses. We pray for his comfort and grace and for the medical teams who care for him at this time.

We are very much looking forward to our Opening College and Ash Wednesday Mass on Wednesday 5 March at 9.00am. Our Mass again coincides with Ash Wednesday, an important celebration on the Liturgical calendar. We cordially invite parents and families to share in this celebration of Eucharist, a wonderful occasion for all in our community to gather in prayer to ask for God’s blessings on our school year and to recognise the commencement of the season of Lent. 

Year 9 RITE Journey Calling and Departure Ceremonies

It was a special privilege to join some of our Year 9 students, their families and staff at the RITE Journey Calling and Departure ceremonies earlier this week. The College continues to offer this program, receiving much praise and thanks from our students and parents. The special ceremonies held this week symbolise an early point in this program where our Year 9 students are “…called to consider his behaviours, resiliency, relationships and the kind of person he hopes to be”.

I thank Mr Jarrad Powell (Head of Year 9), the Year 9 Form Teachers and all other staff for their organisation of this event. I would especially like to thank the Year 9 students and their parents and families, not only for attending and participating in this event, but for their commitment to this program and the journey of affirmation and growth that awaits.

Interhouse Swimming Carnivals

We’ve had a wonderful week of swimming carnivals this week with the Year 7 – 9 boys enjoying their day on Monday and the Years 10 – 12 carnivals taking place on Wednesday. The organisation was superb by Mr Tim Grabski and the PE team along with Heads of Year and supervising staff, the weather was amazing and the competition enthralling. Special thanks to Mr and Mrs Verran and Mrs Kettle for their expert assistance over the carnival days.

Well done to all boys on their participation and enthusiasm in what was likely to be the closest overall margin in living memory, with the difference between 1st and 5th being less than 100 points, and from 1st to 6th, only 270 points! The House competition at this stage of the year has never been more equal and this bodes well for the rest of the year.

It was equally wonderful to end the week by hosting our much-loved Mary’s Mount Catholic Primary School community with their annual faction swimming carnival. It really was our pleasure to welcome and support Mrs Bell and her staff, students and families. The enthusiasm of the swimmers and spectators was purely delightful.

College Ties

As students, parents and families would be aware, we allowed students the liberty of not wearing College ties in the summer months and many would recall that this was initially for the month of February. As we embark on the long weekend and head into March, I can inform members of our community, that the College Leadership Team has decided that ties will no longer be a required item for the remainder of Term One. We will ask that students wear ties for specific formal occasions, to be advised at those times, and the wearing of a College tie in Term One will become optional unless required in the future.

LENT

As mentioned above, this coming week we mark the beginning of Lent, a very special time on our liturgical calendar with the celebration of Ash Wednesday. It is during this time that we are reminded to commit ourselves to be more Christ like in all that we do. We are called to prayer, fasting and almsgiving, to examine our hearts and minds, actions that strengthen us spiritually. I look forward to sharing these elements of our Catholic faith, highlighted during Lent, with all members of our community.

Finally, I wish you all a restful and family-focussed long weekend.

“We must not only proclaim the Gospel, but also embody it in our actions” (St Eugene De Mazenod)

God bless.

Simon Harvey

Principal