The Nazarene

Deputy Principal Staff and Students Report

Open School

On Tuesday 26 February 2024  the College hosted its annual Open Evening. This was an opportunity for people to come onto campus, hear a Principal’s address from Ms Claire Nailon and tour the campus. In hot conditions it was a pleasing to see a solid number of people come to look and be generally very impressed with the facilities we are so blessed to have.

Opening Mass and Blessing of New Learning Spaces

On Thursday 28 February 2024, the College celebrated the Opening of the School Year Mass in the Wheeler Auditorium. We gathered as a community and asked God to bless and guide our community throughout the year. We were very blessed to have Bishop Anthony Ireland celebrate the Mass. Following the Mass, Bishop Ireland blessed the new Food Rooms, as well as the Maker Space, Media Centre and the new Amphitheatre. There were many special guests that joined us for the official opening and blessing of the rooms including our local state member of Parliament, Ms Eden Foster, and the Deputy Mayor of the City of Greater Dandenong, Cr Richard Lim OAM.  

It was a great celebration for our community and we commend the students for their great efforts on the day, and give thanks to our guests, including the teams that were responsible for the renovations and new builds, and especially to Bishop Ireland. We look forward to these spaces assisting with the learning, growth and development of many in our community. A big thank you to Mr Peter Stewart, Director of Faith and Mission, for all the preparation work he and the team he was leading in preparation for the Mass.

It was also a great joy to see our Principal Mr Cosentino join us for the day and speak to the community. The staff and students were very pleased to be able to welcome Mr Cosentino back and we wish him all the best for his continued recovery.

School Culture

Since the beginning of the school year we have been working hard to continue to lift and further improve the culture of the school. Our blitz has been focusing on uniform and in coming weeks we will be focusing on student punctuality to class and students having all the equipment with them and coming into the classroom ready to learn. We are pleased to see improvement in our students approach to their learning, student classroom behaviour and uniform. We are very grateful to the vast majority of students who are consistently following our expectations and to the students we have noted have made a significant effort and are demonstrating clear improvement from last year. This is very pleasing. It is our goal to help every single student to grow in faith, wisdom and knowledge regardless of their starting point. The efforts and improvements we see are such a blessing.

Looking Ahead

A reminder that this Friday 8 March 2024  is a Professional Development Day for our staff and student free day (no classes, no school for students). With the Labour Day public holiday on Monday 11 March 2024,  students resume classes next week on Tuesday, 12 March 2024.

Some other key dates:

  • Year 7 Camp #1: Monday 18 March to Wednesday 20 March 2024.
  • Year 7 Camp #2: Wednesday 20 March to Friday 22 March 2024.
  • Student Progress Meetings: Wednesday 27 March 2024, 3.30pm -8.00pm, at the College.
  • Students finish the end of Term 1 (early finish):  2:30pm, Wednesday 27 March 2024. 
  • Student Progress Meetings: Thursday 28 March 2024, 10.00 am-3.00 pm, at the College.
  • Term 2 commences: Monday 15 April 2024 

Partnership

We continue to be regularly interviewing students and families wishing to have a spot at Nazareth and have healthy waiting lists at some levels.  At these meetings, we stress to families our desire to work together with families and support them as the primary educators of their children, but also their need to support the College and trust us in the work we will do with their children. We thank parents/guardians/carers for entrusting us with your child(ren).  Please continue to support us and work together to make us all clear and on the same page with our expectations of students and rules etc. Please contact the College if there are any questions or concerns. The closer we work together and the more united we are the better for the students, so please do not hesitate if there are any question, issues or concerns.

Thank you for your support.

 

Praying these Lenten days are leading you to grow deeper in love for Our Lord and our neighbour.

 

God Bless

 

Mr Justin Duckett

Deputy Principal Staff and Students