From the Principal

Dear Parents, Students and Friends of St Virgil’s,

Easter

Next week we prepare for the Stations of the Cross liturgy planned for Wednesday 27 March. 

The end of Lent signals the end of the beginning for us. Beginnings, like the start of a new school year, hold a wealth of promise. Then, time passing and the lessons of experience, often accompany a waning of that initial excitement and a growing need to face the sober realities of our own limitations and inevitable disappointments. Lent is a time to come to terms with that - it is part of the story of being human and Christian, and it is sometimes the story of each of us. Holy Thursday commemorates the beginnings of Jesus’ agony, of the fear and confusion of the apostles, and by Good Friday the apparent destruction of the hopes not only of Jesus’ followers but also of Jesus himself. For most of us, our initial hopes are not shattered so violently, but we can relate to what has happened.

Then comes Easter! This is why Lent is only the end of a beginning; not the ultimate end, but the precursor to something better than we could have imagined - Jesus risen from the dead, gloriously. As humans and as Christians, we have high hopes, they can be lost, but God gives us some kind of capacity, some innate faith and hope, so that we pass through our disappointments and emerge more alive than ever. Carrying the marks of our experience, as Jesus carries his scars, but unexpectedly and unpredictably richer and more human. Lent and Easter are not merely religious festivals; they help us make sense of the sacred and profane realities of our own lives, and are the well-spring of our faith.

EREA National Conference 

Last week, I was in Adelaide for two days, attending the annual Edmund Rice Education Principals’ Conference. Each year, all EREA principals are called to meet for a combination of practical and developmental purposes. This year’s focus was on cultivating the Edmund Rice charism via a strategic review of the EREA Touchstones. It was a good opportunity for all EREA schools to reflect on their purpose and to determine priorities for the year ahead. As always, it was a great opportunity to reconnect with colleagues from around Australia and to hear about the exciting work being undertaken throughout our network. 

NAPLAN 

It has come and gone for another year, with the usual stories in newspapers and debates about the usefulness of the tests. At St Virgil’s, we believe they have their place, but we need to be clear about what that is and is not. It is important to keep in mind their educational usefulness – so whilst it is appropriate that teachers prepare the students to the extent they know what to do and can achieve their actual potential, we should not get it out of perspective. It gives the school good insights into the learning of students – collectively and individually; it gives us good insights into the effectiveness of teaching strategies or areas we need to address in the future – individually and collectively; and it is a useful exercise in itself, not least in how to cope with a test, but it is essentially limited to that – a useful snapshot, that we should make the most of, but not get out of proportion. The tests inform us but do not define us as a school, one way or the other. I thank Mrs. Mary-Jane Anders, Director of Administration, and Mrs. Jo Messer, Head of the Junior School with the support of teachers for coordinating NAPLAN across our two campuses. 

Cocurricular Success

Involvement in the Co-Curricular program offers students the chance to experience success and understand their own personal worth beyond the classroom. The Co-Curricular program is about building character in students and allowing them to learn about service, teamwork, commitment, fair play, winning, losing, and developing passions. Most importantly, it is about developing relationships, learning to relate to others and developing an understanding of how we learn by modelling in enjoyable situations. Through the Co-Curricular program, students grow in character, confidence, and self-esteem. Their personalities are further nurtured, shaped, and formed. 

This was evident recently with our Rowers and 2nd XI Cricket Teams achieving great success in their respective competitions. With the College’s transition to senior secondary competitions as a result of the reintroduction of Years 11 & 12, it has been gratifying to see our young men achieve great success in such a short amount of time. 

Our young men have taken on the challenge of recapturing our competitiveness in school boys' competitions and I thank all of our students for leading by example and setting the tone for our younger students now and into the future. 

Further details of recent achievements are highlighted in the Director of Sport article.

Scholarship Testing 

We wish some of our Year 10 students all the very best as they will sit the EduTest Academic Scholarship Test on Saturday 23 March. Students entering Year 11 in 2025 have the opportunity to receive a tuition fee discount of 25% - 100% for their final two years at the College. Scholarships will be awarded from the results of academic testing and announced in Term 2, 2024. I look forward to reviewing these results and awarding academic scholarships for 2025.

Senior Years Information Evening

Correspondence was sent out recently to all families about our upcoming Senior Years Information evening which will be held at Austins Ferry on Tuesday 26 March, at 6.00pm.

We look forward to meeting with students and their families to discuss our plans for the year ahead and important information that families and students will need to be aware of in navigating the senior years of schooling. Our hospitality students will be present on the night, serving light refreshments whilst students and families have the opportunity to speak with Heads of Departments and key College staff.  We look forward to seeing you on the night. 

Student Free Day – Thursday 28 March 

A reminder that next Thursday 28 March is a Student Free Day for students in Years 7-12 at Austins Ferry. The Senior School will be participating in a systemwide moderation day for Years 11 and 12 students with all Senior School subject teachers engaging in this process on the day. Other teaching and support staff will also engage in professional learning and students at the Junior School will attend classes as per usual on this day.

Best wishes for the week ahead.

Jon Franzin

Prinicipal