From the Principal

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

On the Tuesday, 19 March, the feast of St Joseph, it was with great joy that the St Norbert College community, joined the Norbertines in witnessing the Ordination to the Diaconate of Br John. It was a beautiful celebration filled with the Norbertine traditions of worship, celebrated by the Archbishop of Perth, the Most Reverend Timothy Costelloe and many other priests and religious. Please continue to pray for Br John as he prepares for priesthood as well as for more vocations.

It has been a short but busy term and Interim Reports have been uploaded on SEQTA. I hope that they will reflect the efforts of students. The reports should be an opportunity for students, with their families, to celebrate the successes and revisit goals before next term. Parents and carers, please take the opportunity to meet teachers at the Parent/Student/Teacher Interviews being held on Monday, 15 April. The College encourages the three-way partnership between students, families and staff.

I am so proud of the resilience of our students and the dedication of our staff amidst the numerous forms of testing such as OLNA and NAPLAN. These can be stressful times for students but we look forward to using the data to inform teachers of how to facilitate improvement in the classroom. I know that some Year 11 and 12 students will also be rejoicing with their updated OLNA status and are one step closer to achieving WACE graduation.

At the ACC Swimming Carnival on Friday, 22 March, several students were required to swim up a division to replace absent competitors. I was so proud to see our much smaller swimmers on the blocks giving it their best. They showed adaptability and resilience when faced with a last minute change and stepped up for our school. While we didn’t win any shields this year, and were placed seventh, it was terrific to see the team supporting each other. I’m sure our swimmers will come back stronger in 2025. Well done and congratulations to all swimmers and to our Health and Physical Education Department, especially Mr Ryan Godfrey.

Sadly, at the end of each term, we have to farewell staff. I would like to thank and acknowledge:

• Mrs Michelle Hoffmann for graciously agreeing to step in and co-ordinate the Learning Support Team while Mrs Bridget Kamazizwa was on Long Service Leave.
• Mrs Tamara Laurito who has loved and cared for both students and staff whilst looking after Student Services for two years. While she will be greatly missed, we wish her all the best in her new role as Personal Assistant to the Principal at Mazenod College.

We had the opportunity to formally farewell Miss Kerri Hilton on Monday, 25 March. She leaves the College after 38 years of service as a teacher of Drama and English. A proud member of Xanten since 1987, Kerri will be remembered for her contributions to numerous College Productions including 'Oliver!', 'Charlie's Aunt', 'You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown', 'E', 'Peter Pan' and 'Cinderella' (including the staff pantomime). Kerri has contributed for many years to the Student Representative Council, leadership programs and competitions. We wish Kerri God's blessings.

I started the last week of term with a beautiful phone call from a 70-year-old lady named Rosie. She called to compliment the College for the respectful behaviour she witnessed on the 908 replacement bus from Cannington  to Queens Park. She said the students on board were polite and well behaved, which is something she doesn't witness often. I was so proud and thanked her for taking the time to let me know. So well done to those students and I ask all students to continue to be great advertisements for our College.

It was an exciting morning on Tuesday, 12 March, when two Homerooms, X6 (Ms Linda Gillham) and X7 (Mrs Cynthia Villarosa), moved into our new building, Gennep. It was wonderful to finally take possession of the four new classrooms and see these Homerooms settle into their new homes.

On Wednesday, 27 March, staff and students participated in Holy Week Liturgies at St Joseph's Church. Using the Stations of the Cross, we were challenged to reflect on everyday questions as we journeyed through Jesus' final hours. It was a most moving experience enhanced by the actions of students and the choir.

I wish our entire College community the blessings of the Easter season. I hope that you will take the opportunity to attend some of the services over the weekend. I leave you with Archbishop Costelloe's Easter message:

We need to be people of hope, not just individuals with hope; we need to be a community of service, generosity and practical assistance to those in need, not just individuals who do their best to help where we can; we need to be a communion of forgiveness and healing, welcome and hospitality, and not just individuals who try their best without the support of others.

God bless and have a restful break.

Ms S Rainford

(Principal)