From the Deputies

 It has been an incredibly busy start to the year, with some fantastic events happening in our pastoral care space. While the list of pastoral care attention and initiatives is exhaustive, I wish to draw attention to three that have occurred in Week 4.

Azelene Williams – Clearing the Air Presentation         

We were fortunate to have Azelene Williams present to our Years 7 and 9 students as well as host an online parent information session focusing on the dangers of vaping and raising awareness around the issue of nicotine addiction in our young people. Azelene presents with a mixture of her own personal story as well as research based evidence to provide a strong, informed and engaging session for both our boys and parents alike.

Daniel Principe: Championing our young people in a digital world

We have also been fortunate to have Daniel Principe present to our Years 8, 10 and 12 students, as well as hosting a parent information session in the PAC.

Daniel is a passionate youth advocate and educator. He champions boys across Australia to challenge culture and aspire to live courageous, respectful and empathetic lives. In a space that is often saturated with messages in bad faith and falsehoods, Daniel’s voice and persona cuts through to reach our young men with clarity and authenticity.

The boys feedback from Daniel’s presentations were resoundingly positive and appreciative, as were the parents who attended the evening session. We look forward to having Daniel back next year. Many thanks must go to Teresa Bulich for organising this, she has long been an advocate for Daniel and his utility to our young men.

Rite Journey: Calling and Departure Ceremonies

The annual Calling and Departure ceremonies have taken place this week at Lesmurdie Falls for our Year 9 students. This is a profound and powerful ceremony that symbolises the shared road that our Year 9 students embark upon on their road to adulthood. We have been blessed with the beautiful words of Mr Powell and Fr Michael Twigg OMI to accompany the inspired sunsets that our families have been treated to on these ceremonies. 

While I have highlighted these key events, I wish to commend and recognise all of our Heads of Year and teachers for their attention and care for the young men of Mazenod through their daily interactions. The foundation of our Pastoral Care is in the daily routines and conversations that take place to support our students throughout the year, in addition to the keynote events that take place.

Sam Dawson

Deputy Principal (Students)