From the Principal
I am pleased to report that preparations are well advanced for our new 2026 academic year. Part of the shift in focus towards 2026 centres on the welcoming of new students and parents into our College. This week we welcomed our new Year 7 parents before hosting our new Year 7 students for an Orientation Day today. In the Primary School, we also hosted Kindy and Pre-Primary parents this week, after running an Orientation Day for our new Year 5 students.
During the Year 7 Parent Information Evening, I outlined the importance of embracing challenge in student learning and the benefits of deep understanding that eventuates. As we know, when we are courageous enough to lean into challenge, we not only deepen our understanding of whatever it is that we have embraced, we also learn a lot about ourselves.
Our new Year 7 parents were also encouraged to, in the words of the late Pope Francis, ‘listen with the ear of the heart’, as they were invited to ‘walk in the shoes’ of a Year 7 student. The stimulus for this reflection was a poem written by a senior student some years ago when asked to imagine herself as a Year 7 student again. The following is an excerpt from her poem:
I dream of a future
Of loving relationships, of unity and peace.
Of a time not dictated by economic or social power, gender, colour, disability, or geographic advantage.
A future in which we learn Literacy, Maths, Science and Technology but also Music and Art, Sports and the Life skills of resilience, creative thinking and good judgement.
A future in which I can extend kindness and compassion, friendship, empathy and above all, love.
Perhaps this is a broader reminder for us all to continue to listen to our children with the ear of the heart.
Daniel Mahon
Principal
Heritage Issue 55 2025
Welcome to this edition of Heritage, featuring outstanding alumni and students whose creativity, leadership and innovation are shaping communities near and far.
Their stories reflect the enduring values and vibrant spirit that define John XXIII College.