Principal News

Dear Marian Catholic College Community,

Our Year 12 students now have the only final four weeks of term left and are fast approaching the completion of their secondary schooling. Students will have the opportunity in the next three weeks to complete practical HSC exams and major works, process results from trial exams, and revise course content before the HSC.

Week 10 of Term 3 is a short one for Year 12, filled with celebration and activities, culminating in a school Mass and an Awards Ceremony in Week 10. During that week, students will participate in a Liturgy on the Lake, a special bbq breakfast, water fight activity and paintballing before the formal ceremonies on Wednesday -their very last day at Marian. Year 12 Pastoral Leader, Ms Reynolds and the Homeroom teachers will enjoy many of the activities together with the Year 12 cohort.

Mrs Segrave, Ms Reynolds and Mr Abdala have worked incredibly hard behind the scenes to make sure Year 12 has a very special and joyful finish. Year 12 will also have special theme days to look forward to all of Week 9, while completing their classroom instruction with their teachers. It really is a great way to finish and we hope that the students will feel supported, cared for, coached and cheered on in these final weeks of their schooling marathon, before they undertake HSC exams in Term 4. We also encourage Year 12 students to continue to make the most of the support provided by their dedicated teachers, to attend every class and to complete every activity.

Year 11, in the meantime, are preparing for leadership opportunities and preliminary exams, and we wish them all the very best as they approach these challenges and complete Year 11 officially this term at the end of Week 10.

To both Year 12 and Year 11, I would like to pass on these words of advice from St Augustine which remind us that “ God loves each of us, as if there were only one of us”. Remembering that we are always loved and precious in the eyes of God, no matter what our circumstances are, each and every day.

NAIDOC SCHOOL CEREMONY 2026

I want to also acknowledge the great work and organisation of Ms Amie-Lee Gibbs, Mr Abdala and all the presenters and students involved in Friday’s NAIDOC Assembly and the cultural activities prepared for Year 7 and 8 occurring in periods 3 and 4.

NAIDOC’s theme this year is “50 Years of Deadly!” While officially NAIDOC occurs during the July school holidays, schools traditionally offer it during Term 3 so as to allow planning and participation with the whole school community. We hope our students are proud to join in and celebrate the immense cultural gifts, heritage and presence of all our First Nations Peoples and especially those of the Wiradjuri people, the traditional custodians of the land on which Marian rests.

We are very grateful to Griffith High School Dance Troupe and Yirra Miya and their teachers, to Sione and Damien for the powerful welcome to country and story sharing and to Lijanah Philp for her wonderful speech, which you can read in this week’s newsletter. Thank you also to Murrumbidgee Health and Community groups for working with the Year 7 and 8 students on the group activities and yarning circles.

Dr Penny Ludicke

Principal