From the Principal
Dear Parents, Students, Staff and Friends of Mazenod College,
"Every one of us needs half an hour of prayer each day, except when we are busy
— then we need an hour." (St Francis de Sales)
It is quite amazing how quickly this term seems to fly by as incredibly, we have now passed the halfway mark of Term 3. So much has already happened and there is so much more to look forward to on the horizon.
It is a privilege of mine at this time of year to meet with our Year 12 students in small House groups for morning tea. It is even more incredible for our Year 12 students to think that they now have, a little over 4 weeks of formal, secondary school lessons to go. Sure, they have assessments and examinations still to navigate but the intention of our morning tea, is to initiate and to recommend, to our graduating students, to use this time to reflect, to share and to embrace the sense of celebration that this milestone brings.
The excitement for our Year 12 students is palpable and it is wonderful to hear them speak of the highlights and challenges of their time at Mazenod, but also of their hopes and dreams for the future.
This stage of the year, and their lives, can also bring both anticipation and pressure, and the support of parents and families at home remains an essential foundation for student wellbeing and success. I also reminded our much-loved young men of the support that our College offers, both now and in the immediate future and beyond.
H2GP World Finals
In our previous newsletter, I extended our best wishes to Mr Rasano, Mr Cusworth and Team Mazzarati (Joseph C, Lincoln R, Stuart H, Hudson B and Zachariah M) as they headed off to Chemnitz in Germany to represent Australia and Mazenod College in the H2GP World Finals, competing against the best in the world in the hydrogen car racing.
Well, I am delighted to share that Team Mazzarati came an amazing 2nd in the world in the six-hour endurance race and 10th overall in the world! This is truly a fantastic result. Mr Cusworth shared a short summation for me to include in my report for this newsletter;
This week, our boys represented the College at the H2GP world final. They were up against some fierce competition, with schools from across the globe showcasing advanced technology.
In the middle of the race, they suffered a technical fault that caused them to lose a huge amount of energy. At that point, it looked like they might not even finish. But instead of giving up, the boys pulled together, worked as a team, and pushed through to claim second place in their race.
That effort placed them 10th in the world — out of nearly 800 schools worldwide.
We are incredibly proud of not only their result, but the way they carried themselves. Even under pressure, they remained humble, encouraging other teams and showing true sportsmanship. A fantastic achievement, and a fantastic example for all of us.
As this newsletter goes to publication, the team are on their way home, so we wish them a safe return. Congratulations gentlemen you have indeed done Mazenod College proud.
QCE Awards
Each year, Catholic Education launch the Quality Catholic Education (QCE) awards scheme. As the website suggests, the aim of the scheme is to;
“…recognise programs and initiatives in Catholic schools across Western Australia that support the vision of providing Christ-centred, student-focused engaged learning environments. The Awards celebrate the remarkable efforts and dedication of Catholic school communities, staff and students across our state, identifying, commending and showcasing the very best of Catholic education in Western Australia”.
I am delighted to inform our community that we have two nominations this year;
- Education section: Year 13 Mazenod
- Community section: The Mazenod For…project
As part of the scheme, there is a People’s Choice award and all in our community are encouraged to vote. Community members can do so via the following link;
Regardless of the outcome, we are incredibly proud of these and so many other initiatives that our community supports, as Moments of Grace, and for the benefit of others.
God bless.
“Leave nothing undared for the Kingdom of God.” (St Eugene De Mazenod)
Simon Harvey
Principal