From the Principal

Congratulations 

There is much to celebrate at Mazenod College as our students continue to represent the College with pride, commitment and excellence across the Arts, Performing Arts and Sport.

Congratulations to the students whose work was featured in the Angelico Art Exhibition. Sharing creativity with a wider audience requires both talent and dedication, and we are incredibly proud of the artistic achievements on display.

Our students participating in the Catholic Performing Arts Festival have also demonstrated outstanding commitment. Whether performing as soloists, or as members of ensembles, choirs or orchestras, they have showcased the countless hours of preparation, discipline and determination that sit behind every successful performance. Talent may open the door but commitment is what carries students through it.

We also acknowledge the efforts of our Winter sporting teams. Through hard-fought contests, challenging conditions and many hours of training, our students have shown resilience, teamwork and perseverance. Congratulations to our Year 7 and Year 11/12 League teams on their Grand Final successes!

A Call for Courage | Harmful Bystanders and Positive Upstanders

While these achievements are most worthy of celebration, even more important is the character our young men develop along the way.

At last week's Assembly, I reflected on the events of the previous week and challenged our students to consider how character shapes their journey to 'come to learn' who they are.

As young men, each has a choice every day about the kind of person they will be. Increasingly in our society - and sadly also at our College - we hear of situations where poor choices and unacceptable behaviour occur, not because everyone involved agrees with them but because too many good people stand by silently, do nothing, and let it happen.

I asked them to consider, 'Who are you going to be in the eyes of God today, and how will you come to learn who you are in the eyes of God?' There has been much learning across our College in the last fortnight, for many students and many staff alike.

Being a harmful bystander isn't simply about joining in. Sometimes it's laughing along, liking harmful and hurtful social media posts for invisible crowds to 'thumbs-up', looking the other way, staying silent when someone is being hurt, excluded,disrespected or failing to challenge behaviour that we simply know is wrong.

Too often, harm continues because good people like all of us choose not to act.

Being a positive upstander means calling on courage and having the integrity to act. I assured each young man that real courage isn't about being the loudest, tallest or strongest person in the room, and it isn't found in the crowd. It's about having the integrity to do what is right, even when it's uncomfortable - and it comes from good young men like them who dig deep and find inner strength. It comes when they step forward, call it out and say, 'That isn't right. That isn't what we do here. And that isn't who we are.'

I acknowledged that most of the time this will be hard, and that it often comes with personal risk. But the behaviour we all walk past and pretend isn't happening is the behaviour we all accept for our Mazenod community. And at that point, it isn't just a 'Them-issue'. It becomes an 'Us-issue'.

At Mazenod College, this expectation is deeply connected to our values and our Oblate tradition. Our students are called to be young men of courage, compassion and service. Saint Eugene de Mazenod challenged us all to 'come learn who we are in the eyes of God'.

As we celebrate the achievements of our students, we also celebrate the many young men who choose courage when it matters most. Those who stand up for others, seek support from trusted adults and take action when something is not right are worthy of our proudest celebration. These young men are living examples of the values that define our College community and demonstrate that excellence isn't measured only by trophies, performances or awards, but by courage, character and integrity.

Through these everyday acts of courage and compassion, our students continue to make Mazenod College a community where every person is valued, respected and supported.

'Leave Nothing Undared for the Kingdom of God'

God Bless. Our community remains always in my prayers.

Sabrina Hughes

Principal