Principal's Message

International Women's Day

Globally this week, International Women’s Day will be celebrated in a variety of ways, across many cultures and within very diverse communities. As a College we always look forward to hosting our Breakfast event and listening to various speakers to mark this significant day. This year, our event featured speakers, Ms Tenille Bentley, Director of En Coda Symphony Orchestra 432hz and CEO of ‘The Emotional Literacy and Mindfulness Academy’; and Ms Marnie LeFevre, Founder of Fempire. They both shared inspiring aspects of their own stories linking them to the importance of standing up for equality and linking actions to values. 

International Women’s Day is a celebration of respect, love and care towards women. It is wonderful that this special day has an increasingly important place in our own College and the wider community. I am particularly proud that it forms an essential part of the curriculum and formation programs within Trinity College, and that teaching and talking about respectful relationships forms part of our holistic education of our students. Our boys are respectfully challenged to examine and fully appreciate the historical struggle of women to find equality, to be aware of the empowerment of women, to celebrate their many achievements and to develop a genuine and deep respect for all women – to break the bias! All have been encouraged to open some sincere, honest and developmentally appropriate discussions on this theme if such an opportunity arises.

• When we inspire others to understand and value women's inclusion, we forge a better world.
• And when women themselves are inspired to be included, there's a sense of belonging, relevance, and empowerment.
• Collectively, let's forge a more inclusive world for women. 

#Inspire Inclusion

These encouraging words come from the 2024 International Women’s Day theme, ‘Inspiring Inclusion’. They provoke thought and emphasise the challenge that lies with each one of us, individually and as a community, to make a difference to the inclusion, equity, quality, and opportunity for women. It certainly highlights that we all have a responsibility through our everyday actions and words to break the bias that has existed historically and sadly, still exists today. Just as important, maybe even more so given the ongoing focus on issues regarding Consent and the MeToo Movement, it also suggests that it is what we fail to say, or stand up against, or take action on, that either promotes or ignores inclusion.

Trinity College is first and foremost a Catholic School in the Edmund Rice tradition. As a school, we are largely responsible for the education and formation of young men who engage in respectful relationships with women. Of course, we do this in the spirit of partnering with families to educate and raise young men (and women) who will make a real difference in their own families, communities, wider society and the world. We take on the challenge to Inspire Inclusion so that our graduates, and those boys who are at school now, will stand up and speak up; and will promote and expect equality, dignity, and respect.

I take this opportunity to acknowledge all the women who work and volunteer in our College and thank them for the amazing and essential work they do in teaching, supporting, coaching, mentoring, leading and advising our young men. Our College Community must be representative of our broader society in that our students must see women in positions of influence as well as care; in positions of leadership as well as service, and in support of all our endeavours as educators of knowledge, values and faith. 

I believe it is most significant that, in an all Boys’ school, we take the opportunity to celebrate the special women in our own lives and, most importantly, to celebrate women everywhere. Happy International Women’s Day.

Live Jesus in our hearts.

Mr Darren O’Neill 

Principal