Principal's Post

FOUNDER’S DAY

Next Friday we celebrate Founder’s Day, in which we remember Saint Eugene de Mazenod and the legacy of outreach to the poor and marginalised people of his time. It is a time where we celebrate one individual who brought real energy and commitment in particular ways to the mission that all Christians share – to be always striving to build a world where peace and justice flourish and human dignity are fully respected.   

I want to acknowledge the great work being done by many staff, students and families to raise our awareness of the many challenges our country and the world face in the form of inclusiveness, poverty, conflicts, and social upheavals which create refugees, homelessness, disease and hunger. Not only are we raising our awareness of these issues, but in lots of small ways, we are making a practical response with some fund-raising activities. These gestures, however small, do make a difference. We cannot fix all the problems of the world, but we can make a little start. Mother Teresa, in confronting the enormity of the problem of poverty in India said: “God doesn’t require us to succeed, he only requires that we try.” So, I hope that Founder’s Day will be a worthy celebration of your generosity and the many efforts staff, students and families are making.

MOTHERS’ DAY 

We remembered mothers in a special way last weekend. As a lead up to Mothers’ Day, several Mums joined us for Mothers’ Day Mass in the College Chapel. After Mass, our guests enjoyed breakfast with their sons. The annual Mothers’ Day Dinner was a wonderful celebration last Friday night at the Mulgrave Country Club. It can be easy to take our mothers for granted and forget to acknowledge their love and support. There is an unconditional love that a mum has towards her children. Right now, it has never been more important to produce young men who are loving, caring, compassionate, understanding, empathic and vulnerable. Through the ages, we have assigned these predominately as feminine traits. There is a term in contemporary literature that classifies these as “Soft Skills”. I think these are essential skills. Now more than ever, women and men need to work together to produce compassionate young men who are going to make a better world for all. So let us pray for our mothers and find some way to make sure they always feel appreciated. 

NAPLAN

This week our Year 7 and 9 students had the NAPLAN testing. It is very important that students do the best effort they can when undertaking such tests. We all need to be aware that the second term is moving along very quickly and that the end of semester assessments will be upon us before we know it. I hope we are all keeping an eye on our studies to ensure that we get the best possible outcome in each subject for the first semester. 

All the best, 

Dr Paul Shannon

Principal