From the Desk  of the Principal

Dear Parents and Caregivers

It is impossible to write this week's entry without acknowledging the incredible efforts of our college staff and the 100+ army of current students who assisted in our College Open Day 2021.  As we know, these days do not just simply ‘happen’ but, rather, are the result of hours of organisation and preparation, coupled with the generous spirit of individuals willing to give their time on a Sunday to our community - past, present, and future.  We were so proud to be able to present our beautiful college to over 350 future and prospective families on such a perfect autumn day.  The opportunities for aspirational student learning, engagement, faith, creativity, connection, wellbeing, and sporting and musical pursuits were showcased magnificently.  The breathtaking flora of La Foresta at this time of the year was certainly a highlight for many of our future and prospective families.  Topped off with freshly made pumpkin soup made from our very own garden beds, what an introduction to Mount Alvernia College!  For those of you who were able to be there on Sunday, I know you will have felt as proud and delighted as I did.  The place simply oozed with Franciscan hospitality, colour, energy, life, and joy.  My thanks to every single staff member and student who assisted on this important day for our college; we are truly blessed with the best.

You will recall last term that we reminded families to exercise caution with regard to driving and parking around the College.  With three schools so geographically close to each other in a residential area, we appreciate that traffic can be hazardous at various times of the day.  Once again, we remind all parents and student drivers to continue to exercise extreme caution in relation to their awareness of pedestrians/students, and the speed in which they are driving, and to be considerate of our neighbours in relation to their parking and the obstruction of driveways.  We appreciate your continued vigilance in this important area of child safety, given we experienced a near miss earlier this week.

As we enter into the rhythm of mid-term, it is important for our young people to not lose their momentum in learning and in their consolidation of new skills and knowledge.  We trust that the feedback provided in our recent parent/teacher/student conferences has been helpful for you and your daughter, and we encourage your daughter to continue to make good use of the resources and support she has available to her.  Our recently launched Academic Mentor Program is a wonderful example of this, and we urge your daughter to make the most of these valuable (and free!) opportunities for support, consolidation, growth, and confidence in her learning.

It appears you cannot take the Ancient History teacher out of the College Principal.  As well as being a woman of faith, I draw regularly from the words of the Ancient Stoics.  The Greek Philosopher Epictetus has the following to say about learning and practice, and I think it is an appropriate reminder in warding off mid-term malaise and increasing our capacity for growth and improvement:

“That is why the philosophers warn us not to be satisfied with mere learning, but to add practice and then training.  For as time passes, we forget that we learned and end up doing the opposite, and hold opinions the opposite of what we should.” Epictetus, Discourses, 2.9.13-14

Next week (27 May – 3 June) we look forward to acknowledging Reconciliation Week.  In 2021, Reconciliation Australia’s theme for 2021 is More than a word.  Reconciliation takes action - a movement towards a braver and more impactful response. 

Peace and all good

Samantha Jensen