From the Principal

A heartfelt 2023 welcome back to our Mt A community! We hope that you have been able to enjoy precious time with loved ones this summer break and are looking forward to starting the school year as much as we are. There has most definitely been a buzz in the air for the past few weeks here, as staff have been earnestly preparing the programs and the campus for what we know will be a fabulous year for students. We only need to look at the outstanding senior outcomes of our class of 2022 to know that the possibilities are unlimited here at Mt A!

I also take this opportunity to formally welcome those families new to our college in 2023 and extend an invitation to all parents/carers to enjoy an evening of connection and at our Parent Welcome - Pizza Soiree on Saturday 18th February (Rooftop Terrace). This event will be hosted by members of College Leadership and Extended Leadership Teams, including Heads of House and our Parents and Friends Support Network (P&FSN). Check the 'Upcoming Events' section of the newsletter for further details. It is sure to be a fabulous evening to start our year together as a community.

We hope that you found our recent Homeroom Mentor Meetings a valuable undertaking. At Mt A we are committed to ensuring that a continuity of care and connection for your young person is in place for their entire school journey and that strong relationships are forged from the very outset! Our new structures in 2023 which include dedicated Heads of House and homeroom timetabled every morning are integral elements in this commitment. As such, we do ask that parents/carers continue to work in partnership with us to ensure that your child is; punctual to school each morning for these meaningful and purposeful connections, are suitably equipped for the days learning and are wearing the correct uniform. A clear outline of these expectations has been sent to all families from our Deputy Principal of Student Development and Wellbeing last week. Thank you in advance for your support of us, in supporting your young person. Consistency is key!

This year, we will be guided by our college value for 2023 – Respect. Respect, as we understand in our Franciscan tradition is at the very heart of our relationships with others.  In our assembly this week I encouraged our students for the need to begin this year with respect and love for ‘self’. Too often, and particularly for young people, respect and love for self can be compromised and sullied by external expectations, unhealthy influences, perceived ‘ideals’ and often our own internal dialogue and negative self-talk. I have asked every student to think of what inner-narrative they will have for themselves this year, as our internal words and thoughts can so easily become our reality. I know that you share in my desire for our young people to have the confidence and self-belief required to be the best possible versions of themselves. We look forward to unpacking further our value of respect and all that it entails in honouring the dignity of each other through acknowledgment, love, and inclusion. It is even more fitting that we explore this value in the context of the 200 year anniversary of Elizabeth Hayes’ birth and 150 years since the establishment of the Missionary Franciscan Sisters’ mission in Belle Prairie in Minnesota. 

With open hearts we welcome our newest members to Mt A, the Year 7 cohort, our new students in other year levels and new staff. Please know that the invitation to contact your child’s Homeroom Mentor Teacher, Subject Teacher, Head of House, Dean, relevant Deputy and/or Principal is always open, should you wish to.

Blessings to our entire community for the rich possibilities and opportunities that await us all in 2023.

Peace and all good,

Samantha Jensen