From the Principal

Finally! All students and teachers have returned on campus, and there is positive energy aplenty as leaders can now develop their plans for regular excursions and end of year celebrations.  By the time of our next newsletter, demolition works will be underway as the first phase of the Master Plan gets underway.  Although noisy and messy for a while, the new teaching spaces and accompanying landscaping will eventually provide a magnificent upgrade for the College, benefiting students across all year levels.  Incoming Principal, Jay Sutton, is very excited by this project and looks forward to supporting its completion.

Today we celebrate World Teachers’ Day.  Over these COVID times, teachers have proved themselves to be flexible, creative and generous in their support of students as schools were catapulted into virtual classrooms.  Check out www.worldteachersday.edu.au for great ways to celebrate and give a shout out to the many hardworking teachers.  

Farewell Mel Key  

Congratulations to Deputy Principal Mel Key who has accepted an exciting new leadership position at St Anne’s College, Kialla.  Over her six years at St Augustine’s College, Mel has had several roles from commencement in 2015 as Religious Education Leader and Years 1/2 teacher, then Community Leader of F-4 Student Learning & Professional Practice (SLPP), Acting Deputy Principal for 12 months prior to her current role as Deputy Principal of Student Learning and Professional Practice.

Mel has provided energetic and insightful leadership for the College, improving student learning opportunities and developing learning diversity options (most notably enhancing our NCCD provision). 

Mel has been a driving force for successful innovation in teaching and learning.  Working in partnership with other SLPP leaders, she has enhanced the teaching capacity of many here at the College.  While we will be sad to say farewell, she leaves a mighty legacy for tomorrow’s students, whether through literacy improvements, strategic planning, partnership projects or professional practice goal setting.  

While Mel will no longer be a staff member, her support is assured as a parent while her two children Deklen and Zarah continue at the College.  We thank Mel for her outstanding leadership and service to the St Augustine’s College community and wish her every success in her new role at St Anne’s.  

Advisory Council Nominations

The College Advisory Council is calling for prospective College members who may wish to be part of an Advisory Council.  This is a great opportunity to be of service to the College, promote its mission and contribute to the future development of St Augustine’s.  More detail can be found via this link. 

COP26

It is an important time as nations across the world are preparing to attend the global climate summit, COP 26.  Catholic representatives are preparing to be “everywhere” from high level to grassroots discussions, especially to “represent the voiceless and the vulnerable who did not cause the climate crisis but are its ‘early and disproportionate victims’” (Cath News, 26 Oct 2021).   

In addition to supporting concrete efforts to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, priorities are needed to protect biodiversity and honour promises to fund action in developing countries, particularly in helping them adapt, mitigate and recover from the harm caused by climate change.  

Let’s pray that the Holy Spirit guides these important discussions and inspires all world leaders, including our own, to authentically and effectively work towards a fairer and more just world:        

God of life, 

Help us to see that your gifts are meant to be shared by all, not just exploited by a few. 

Lead us to take action to make a change not just for ourselves, but for all creation. 

We ask this through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.                  

                   From Global Catholic Climate Movement

Mary Fitz-Gerald

Principal