From the Principal

Dear Parents, Carers, Students, Staff and Friends of St Norbert College

It seems that numerous music artists have been performing in Australia in the last few months. Taylor Swift, P!nk, The Jonas Brothers, Blink 182 all played to huge audiences of adoring fans. Fans travelled interstate at great expense to see these artists. Social media has been filled with posts showing such happiness and joy at these concerts, especially for parents attending with their children (some parents themselves). Many that I have spoken to that attended Taylor Swift and P!nk describe the experiences as amazing and it was special to be surrounded with a vibe of elation and kind-heartedness. I guess that’s what happens when people share a common love for someone or something. It builds a sense of community. It has also highlighted the power of celebrity. We live in a world where there is a job that generates income, that is known as an ‘influencer’. The value of a celebrity endorsing a product has proven to ensure the ‘sell out’ of a product and to provide an elevated profile for businesses. Think about the influence of the Kardashians who are famous for being famous!

What if Jesus was a modern day influencer? What would He be promoting we ‘buy into'? In the lead up to the Easter season, it is worth reflecting on what Jesus and His disciples were trying to ‘sell’. If Jesus was on Instagram, how many followers would He have (Taylor Swift has 282 million)? Would we be ‘liking’ His messages and endorsements? I’d like to think that if we were open to be ‘friends’ or ‘followers’ of Jesus, He would ask us to ‘buy in’ to be people of hope, peace, forgiveness and love. Perhaps a time for us all to reflect on this as we mark the halfway point of Lent.

The College value in focus at our Assembly on Wednesday was Community. It was fitting that it was hosted by the student leaders of Kilnacrott House. The Norbertines (Fr Peter O’Reilly, Fr John Reynolds and Fr Stephen Cooney) from Kilnacrott Abbey in Ireland established the Queens Park community in 1959 and then our College in 1965.

We have seen many examples of community so far this term, with the most recent event being the Inter-House Swimming Carnival where House spirit, encouragement and fun were evident. We had Open Day last Friday where our visitors to the College were very complimentary of what they saw of our facilities and more importantly the student ambassadors that were the tour guides. It was pleasing to note the many ex-students that came back to the College to enrol their children, including one from Chicago! Thank you to all staff and students who have showcased our College so far this term. Interviews for Year 7, 2026 will commence in Term 2. Please submit applications for students currently in Year 4 (or below) as soon as possible (this includes for siblings of current St Norbert College students).

We hope that our students and teachers will be able to use the four new classrooms in our new building, Gennep, by next week. Stay tuned for some photos when this happens!

We welcome Mr Mark Jesus who joins our IT Support team. We farewell and thank Ms Shelley Nodwell for her service to the College, mainly in English and Literacy, and wish her all the best in her role as EALD Co-ordinator at Aranmore College in Leederville.

God bless.

Ms S Rainford

(Principal)