From the Principal

It is my absolute pleasure to welcome you all to the start of the new year at St Augustine's College. I feel privileged to have been appointed Principal to such an exciting and vibrant school.

To begin, I would like to welcome our new students to the College and in particular our Foundation students. It was wonderful to see you all with lots of excitement and smiles. I wish all our students a fantastic year.

I would also like to welcome the new staff to St Augustine’s community. You are most welcome.  

As we start the school year, we come together as a community to officially begin the new year. If you were able to join us online for the opening Liturgy, you would have heard our College Captain Lucas, mention that we begin our year as a whole College community with a prayerful celebration because we believe Jesus was a very important person who inspires us to be people of faith. 

You also would have heard College Captain Olivia, mention that we are inspired too, by the example of our House Patrons, St Augustine, St Brigid and Bishop Daniel Delany, who were all inspired by the stories of Jesus.

We must always remember that St Augustine’s, first and foremost, is a Catholic community. Our College values of Community, Partnership, Faithfulness, Learning for Life and Human Flourishing challenge us to deepen our faith and spirituality where we are all encouraged to look beyond ourselves and put our faith into action.

St Augustine’s is also a learning community. I encourage all our students to be curious, passionate, reflective, creative and critical thinkers. Dream big. Work hard. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Strive to be the very best you can be. You all have massive potential. Take every opportunity that St Augustine’s offers you and you will succeed. You all have greatness within you. Your teachers will have high expectations and they WILL challenge you. Accept the challenge!

So as we begin the new year at St Augustine’s College, let us walk in the footsteps of St Augustine and St Brigid.

Know that happiness cannot be purchased, travelled to, arrived at, owned, accumulated, earned, worn or consumed. The road to happiness lies not through the continual promotion of our own self-interest, but through living a life of service for others.

Enjoy your life but avoid a sense of entitlement. Be grateful for what you have.  The future of our world is dependent upon you thinking more of the common good than your own self-advancement.

Be of good character and strong in your convictions, built on the very best wisdom of your parents and teachers. Know that you need not be perfect. Commit to authenticity. Learn from your mistakes and grow through your failures. You do not have to be perfect but be authentic, consistent with your inner moral compass.

In times of great adversity, know that Jesus will not abandon you. 

Be grateful for the simple blessings and opportunities in your life. Time with family and friends, in person and not via a screen. The freedom to travel, to explore and learn from other cultures. COVID has taught us that we should never take these simple things for granted.

Please know that it is not adversity that will define you, but rather, it is the way you respond and find the strength to become a better person that will define your real mark on the world.

Discover presence and stillness in your life. Take the time to know silence. Much of your world has a vested interest in keeping you restless through social media, craving for more and unknowing of when enough is enough.

Be leaders in engaging our world about justice and solidarity, about positive relationships and about the dignity of every human life.

Seek inspiration and guidance.

And remember, when all is said and done, our life's mission and purpose is simply to be the loving, compassionate and inclusive face of Jesus. Always remember, we are created by love, from love, for love.

Jay Sutton

Principal