Dear Parents and Carers,

I trust that you were all able to enjoy some holiday time with your families, or at the very least, a change of pace from the routine of the daily school grind!

As the gentle warmth of spring fills the air, I was delighted to welcome through the gates this week, our students, for their final term of the year! It is hard to believe how quickly the year is passing; having journeyed with their teachers and with you, through so many achievements, challenges, and moments of growth together. Now, as we stand at the threshold of this last term, it’s a wonderful opportunity to reflect on what we have accomplished and to set our sights on finishing the year strong.

We warmly welcome back and acknowledge the incredible efforts and commitment of our students and staff who recently participated in the Sony Foundation Camp and the Borneo Service Trip (of a lifetime!). We recognize that all who participated committed to an experience during the sanctity of holiday time, away from families – and this has been an important but worthy sacrifice. We cannot wait to hear more of the experiences shared!

Borneo Service Trip

Sony Camp

Finishing Well, Finishing Strong

This term, we are encouraging our students to embrace the theme of "finishing well”. Each of us has the power to make these last week’s truly remarkable, not just for ourselves but for our entire school community. Let’s put in the hard work and dedication that will propel us toward our goals. Whether it’s completing projects, preparing for final assessments, or simply striving to be the best version of ourselves, let’s commit to working diligently and with purpose. We thank our parents in advance for their partnership in helping us to uphold the standards of “finishing well” at Mt A, standards, which include, but are not limited to, attendance, engagement, participation, uniform, assessment and conduct. “The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be” …… a Ralph Waldo Emerson quote, which resonates as much for the students as it does for us!

We also take this opportunity to formally welcome our newly installed Captains for 2025 and we acknowledge the impressive commitment and contributions of the Captains of 2024, who now turn their energies to their final assessments and external examinations. Good Luck 12’s!

A Reminder - Kindness IS and will always be, a Service

Equally important in this final term, is our commitment to each other. In this year of service, let’s remember that kindness continues to be a powerful force. With our students we will be encouraging them this term to embrace random acts of kindness—small gestures that can brighten someone’s day and create a ripple effect of positivity. A smile, a helping hand, or a simple word of encouragement can make a world of difference. Together, let’s continue to build a culture of care and compassion that reflects the Franciscan values of our school community and give lived testimony to our year of Service.

Following on from the horrific loss of another young life at a school in Sydney in the last couple of weeks, I would also like to emphasise our unwavering stance on bullying. Our school stands united with a zero-tolerance policy toward bullying in all its forms.

Bullying — What Is It?

The most frequently cited definition of bullying is the “repeated oppression, psychological or physical, of a less powerful person by a more powerful person or group of persons.” (Rigby 1996). There are three critical points in this definition:

(a) Power: Students who bully may acquire power through various means: physical size and strength; status within a peer group; and recruitment within the peer group to exclude others.

(b) Frequency: Bullying is not a random act; it is characterised by its repetitive nature. Because it is repetitive, students who are bullied not only have to survive the humiliation of the attack itself but live in constant fear of its recurrence.

(c) Intent to harm: Bullies usually deny any intent to harm others and may not always be fully conscious of the harm they cause. Causing physical and emotional harm, however, is usually a deliberate act. It puts the student who is bullied in a position of oppression by the student who bullies.

In many cases of bullying, there are elements of harassment and discrimination on the grounds of ‘difference’.

** Single incidents and conflict or fights between equals, mean or unkind exchanges of words or actions, whether in person or online, are not defined as bullying. That said, poor and unkind conduct that is not in keeping with our College values, is still unacceptable and will be addressed accordingly.

At Mount Alvernia College through our Personal Best educational programs, our commitment to ensuring student voice is at the heart of what we do, our commitment to restorative justice and our responsiveness to student matters which are raised means that we are constantly evaluating our student culture and looking for ways in which we can improve. A positive, safe and inclusive student culture is not something that you set and forget! At Mount Alvernia College we prioritise an environment where all students can feel safe, valued, included and respected. We look forward to receiving further data in 2024 from the students in our “Tell them From Me” Survey which we administer this month and will use this data to determine further areas for improvement and refinement in these very important areas of student wellbeing.

If you have not seen the “Bullying No Way” website, it has some excellent resources and information for students, schools and parents alike.

Understanding bullying (bullyingnoway.gov.au)

Similarly, our Parent Educational Resource SchoolTV has several short videos on this topic.

As parents, we encourage you to be in touch if you have any concerns in relation to your child experiencing or being subjected to any of the behaviours described in the definitions of “Bullying” identified above.

Mount Alvernia College Spirit and Pride

Now…. let’s shift gears entirely! I would like us to take a moment to celebrate our Mt A Spirit and College pride, which was bursting at the seams on the last day of Term 3. Despite so many of the ‘challenges’ that find their way into the Principal’s office, I am always mindful of the fact that we are not just a collection of random individuals; we are a vibrant community united by our shared Franciscan values, goals and aspirations. It is no small thing. It is everything! As we move through the final term, we are determined to continue to showcase and celebrate the remarkable talent that resides within and in doing so, let’s continue to wear our school colours with pride, let’s always support one another in our endeavours, and show gratitude for the unique qualities that every one of each of us brings to Mt A. As staff, who are committed to the best possible experiences and outcomes for your daughter, it is our hope that every student at Mt A feels their worth, their value and the important part that they play in our community. We do not take this responsibility lightly, and as educators, we are so proud of the gains in student and house spirit that we have cultivated over the past few years. We hope that you see it too!

I trust that this evenings’ episode of Gardening Australia “A Garden Blessing” will serve in part, as a good reminder of the above. We have so much to be proud of and thankful for. Can you believe that the episode is airing on the Feast Day of St Francis of Assisi? What an incredible (divine) coincidence! We hope that you enjoy it and take this opportunity to acknowledge the incredible efforts and talents of our our Curator of Gardens – David Pratt and the contributions of our brilliant student participants.

As Fr Richard Rohr wrote this week in one of his daily meditations:

“If our only goal is to love, there is no such thing as failure. Francis of Assisi succeeded in living in a single-hearted way, in which his only goal was to love. This intense eagerness to love made his whole life an astonishing victory for the human and divine spirit and showed how they world so beautifully together.

…That eagerness to love is the core and foundation of Francis’ spiritual genius.”

Here’s to a fantastic term ahead!

Peace and love and all good,

Samantha

Principal

Celebration of Excellence