End of Year
Principal Message
As we near the end of the school year it is timely to reflect on the approaching feast of Christmas. Prior to Christmas we go through the period of Advent.
Advent is the four-week period leading up to Christmas when we celebrate the birth of Christ. Engaging in parish and school advent activities is one way of reminding us of the meaning of Christmas and the ways we can live out the Advent cycle of hope, preparation, joy, and love.
The significance of Advent is celebrated by lighting the relevant candle that marks the Advent theme for that week.
- The Prophecy Candle or Candle of Hope – purple colour.
- The Bethlehem Candle or the Candle of Love – purple colour.
- The Shepherd Candle or the Candle of Joy – rose colour.
- The Angel Candle or the Candle of Peace – purple colour
- Christ Candle – white colour.
Fr Sean Byrnes celebrated mass with our college community this week discussing Advent and encouraging our students to use this time of preparation to make room for God in their lives, that God loves them for who they are and is always there for them. Further that our relationship with God is a developing one and as young people be comforted by that reality. He also invited everyone to midnight mass at St Michael’s cathedral on 24th December. All are welcome!
With our annual prize givings we had the wonderful opportunity to recognise the many and varied students who achieved recognition for their academic work, work habits and co-curricular involvement. These are outlined elsewhere in this newsletter but I offer my own congratulations to them and as I asked all students to take from 2023 the positive growth they have seen and build on this in 2024.
Our HSC results have been announced. We are very proud of our Year 12 of 2023 and their many and varied achievements both in and out of the classroom. They have shifted culture in a positive way within the school which has been amazing to see. News on ATAR’s is slowly filtering through and we are constrained by student’s privacy on releasing details until they give us permission or have indicated to the Universities Admission Centre they are happy for us to share them. We will post more detailed news through Facebook but we can say with surety that this group has done well and should be very proud of themselves. Most are already clear on the next steps with early offers and employment in place for 2024 and we do look forward to celebrating their success.
We know too that the media will try to focus on reductive measures that try to simplify and label schools. We know that the reality of a student’s learnings from school are much wider and much deeper than the minimalist approach of what appears in the media.
These are but one ingredient of the measures of success that need to be applied. We are a school that focuses on the learning growth of each student and academic achievement then looks after itself which it resoundingly does every year.
Earlier this week we conducted a Q&A for our Year 6 families as they prepare for 2024. We covered a range of questions in preparation for high school for them. We look forward to seeing them all on 31st January for their second orientation day.
Thank you to our College Council for their ongoing support. This year we farewell two members, Ms Lisa White and Mr Warwick Nightingale. We thank them for their wisdom and their service. On your behalf I’d like to thank the whole group of Mr. Mark Gray (Chairperson), Ms. Kelly Shaw, Ms. Felicity Day (Boarding rep), Rex Stanon, Tamara Jones- Hood and Fr Sean Byrnes for their ongoing support of the college through their work and their willingness to continue in 2024.
With two finishing up on the college council we are now looking for two replacements and invite applications, particularly from parents with younger students Years 7,8 or 9 so that a number of years on the Council might be possible.
Please have a read of the guidelines here Please email me your expression of interest to brownec3@ww.catholic.edu.au
In regard to staff news, we have a number of staff changes for a variety of reasons- retirement, promotion, moving away etc.
- Departing
- Barbara Landrigan- retiring
- Karen Smith- retiring
- Vicky Kenny- retiring
- Kieran Udy - returning to NZ in an Acting Principal role.
- Michelle Shaw- moving to CEDWW as Education Officer- Inclusion supporting all CEDWW schools.
- Amanda Brown- moving to Canberra
- Nicole Goggin- moving to Sale
- Louisa Reynolds- moving to Griffith
- Robert Thompson- moving to Tamworth- promotion
- Robert Enever - changing schools in Wagga
- Peter Duck - changing schools in Wagga
- Tony Hanson - Completion of job share replacing Jenny Watt
- Cameron Gaffney - completion of temporary employment
- Josie Galvin - completion of temporary employment
- Fraser Yates - completion of temporary employment
- Ray Stephens - moving interstate
- New Staff
- Robyn Quinn- English
- Robyn Davidson- HSIE
- Lucy Haggar - Science
- Matthew Henry- Mathematics 2024
- New Promotion Appointments due to departing staff
- Ms Lauren Verdon- Leader of Learning and Teaching
- Mr Zack Cohalan- Inclusive Education Coordinator
- Mrs Amanda Ryan (ACWC- Teresa)
- Ms Jacinta Seymour (ACWC- Benedicta)
- Ms Jo O’Brien- returning from leave as ACWC- moving to King
- Mrs Carisa Campbell- English Coordinator
- Mr Phil Willis- Maths Coordinator.
- Still in process
- Leader of Faith and Mission
- Music Teacher
- One ACWC position
I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I encourage you to attend some of your local parish Christmas Masses and celebrations. Stay safe and I look forward to seeing you all next year, along with our other incoming families.
God Bless.
