From the Principal
Mr Jon Franzin
Dear Parents, Students, and Friends of St Virgil’s College
Renewal Leave
It is great to be back into the rhythm of school life and it was wonderful to see the return of our young men this week, bringing an empty school back to life after the two week break. Students are the beating heart of a school and make it an enjoyable privilege to work with and teach—complete with both their successes and challenges.
I would like to offer my sincere appreciation and thanks to EREA College’s Ltd. for their approval and support of my recent period of personal leave. I also offer my appreciation to the St Virgil’s College Advisory Council for their support and encouragement. In particular, I offer my deep thanks to Mr. Daniel Lapolla who very ably took on the role of Acting Principal during my absence. I also thank Mrs. Kim Mooney, Mr. Thymon Ventor, Mr. David Webster and Mr. Daniel Robinson who all took on additional leadership roles during this time. It is pleasing to know that we have a number of staff who are able to take on a range of roles and responsibilities as required which is a strong reflection of the quality of staff we have at St Virgil’s.
Apart from catching up with family and friends I was very grateful to visit the Edmund Rice Centre (previously known as the Mary Rice Centre) in Nairobi, Kenya. St Virgil’s College has had a long and proud association with the Edmund Rice Centre for over 30 years supporting the school with a range of resources and programs. Former staff member, Mr. Mark Waddington who passed away in 2022 had a deep love and affection for this very special school community and spoke of the transformative impact this had on his life and those staff and students who visited the Centre. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic meant that visits to Kenya for staff and students ceased during this period. The College is very much committed to reviewing further opportunities for engagement with the Edmund Rice Centre and my recent visit confirmed that this community is very much in need of our support. I was overwhelmed by the warm welcome I received and was touched by the lovely gesture of the Edmund Rice Centre planting a tree in memory of Mr. Waddington. I hope to have further information that I will be able to share with our College community later in the year about ways in which we can further support and engage with the Edmund Rice Centre.
Pope Francis
It was with great sadness that the world learnt of the passing of our Holy Father Francis last Monday evening. Pope Francis embodied Christ’s command to care for all people, especially the most vulnerable. He will be remembered foremost as the ‘pope of the peripheries’, determined to lead the Church in reaching out to those on the margins. Pope Francis decried views and actions contrary to human dignity and flourishing. He condemned what he described as ‘the globalisation of indifference’. He cared deeply for all God’s creation, especially our common home the earth and reinforced the teaching that Christians must be good stewards of the natural world. Pope Francis died on Easter Monday only hours after giving his Sunday blessing to the city and the world. Whilst saddened by his death, we are grateful for the blessing of his long life, spent in service of Christ and His people.
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him.
May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Federal Election
You will probably have a range of thoughts and questions percolating in your head which will influence how you vote in the Federal Election on Saturday. It can be difficult to cut through all the rhetoric, advertising, claims and counter claims, which obscure the basic information we need to make a clear-headed decision. The actual facts about what different candidates and parties really believe and intend to do, if elected, so that we can make an informed choice and cast a confident vote, rather than take a punt and hope for the best. As we all have a vested interest in Catholic education and that is dependent on government funding, having clear information about what each party proposes for funding non‐government schools is one area it would be useful to have clear information on to assist our voting choices. Included in this Newsletter is a link to a brief summary of some responses from the main parties standing for election about funding for schools like ours. Although they don’t provide crystal clarity - and even that brief wording is rather ambiguous in places - they will be of some use to you. Sometimes what is left out of their policy statements provides as much insight into their intentions as what is put in.
I remind parents and carers that the Senior School Campus will be holding a sausage sizzle and cake stall on Saturday May 3 from 10am – 2pm. The Parents & Friends Association are seeking support with cake sales and support with the BBQ. If you have not responded but have some time, please feel free to pop in at Austins Ferry to help with this important fundraising event.
Staffing Update
Ms. Eliza Gerke will conclude her time at St Virgil’s College at the end of this week. We wish Ms. Gerke all the very best as she commences at Mackillop Catholic College next week and thank her for her contribution.
Dr. Joshua Boland will move to a part-time teaching role (0.65) retaining his Sociology class and Pastoral Care Class (M-Th), and will also be taking on Year 9 and 10 Religious Education.
As a result of these changes, I confirm the following staff arrangements:
We welcome Mr. David Readett who will be taking on a teaching role in the Middle Years in English and Humanities. Mr. Readett has a Master of Teaching from the University of Tasmania and a Bachelor of Paramedic Medicine. Mr. Readett has been employed as a Teacher Assistant at the Hutchins School and St Mary’s College and more recently been employed as a relief teacher at St Virgil’s College. Mr. Readett is well known to the staff and students at the College, and we congratulate him on his appointment.
We also congratulate Mr. Will MacMichael who commences this term teaching English and Humanities in the Middle School. Mr. MacMichael has a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Teaching from the University of Tasmania and comes highly recommended to this position. Mr. MacMichael has previously undertaken the role of Teacher Assistant at the Hutchins School and has completed a period of relief teaching at St Virgil’s College. We welcome Mr. MacMichael to this formal role and look forward to his contribution to the development of our young men.
I am also pleased to welcome Ms. Emma Lancaster to the part-time classroom teaching role in Year 6 (0.4 FTE – Monday & Tuesday) for the remainder of this year. Ms. Lancaster is completing her Bachelor of Education (Primary) at the University of Tasmania and also holds qualifications in Certificate III Education Support, Certificate III & IV Information Technology and has previously been employed as a Teacher Assistant at Glenorchy Primary School and St Virgil’s College. We wish Ms. Lancaster all the very best as she takes on this very important role and commences her teaching journey at the Junior School.
Best wishes for the week ahead.
Jon Franzin
PRINCIPAL