Co-Principals' Report

Welcome Back to Term 3!

It is hard to imagine that our school year is already past the halfway mark. We hope that everyone in your family has settled back into the routine of school. Term 3 can be difficult at times, as the reality of winter drags on and the weather conspires against us. For our Year 12’s this can be a particularly difficult time, as the novelty of Year 12 has worn off and the relentless nature of their studies erodes motivation levels. However, it is at these times that it is even more important to maintain a resilient and determined mindset. As Martin Heppell, from the Resilience Project, reminded us so passionately in Term 2, one of the ways to endeavour to do this is by practicing gratitude. So while winter can drag us down, let us instead be grateful of the little things - the warm cosy doona, the beautiful sunny days we get in Northern Victoria after a frost, the beauty of an open fire or how fortunate we are to have adequate heating in our homes. Turning our mindset around can ensure our commitment and motivation levels remain high and we can cope with the challenges put before us during Term 3.

Acting Co-Principals

As Michael Delaney informed you late in Term 2, he is currently away on long service leave. We trust that he is making the most of this well-deserved opportunity and enjoying some relaxing times with family and friends. It is a privilege for Kirrilee and myself to be Acting Co-Principals during Term 3. We are cognisant of the awesome responsibility inherent in leading a school community and are certainly committed to working hard to ensure our learning community is the best it can be.

Out and About

Our students continue to be blessed by some fantastic opportunities both in and outside of the classroom. In the recent past we have had Year 11’s on a Careers Expo to Bendigo and Melbourne, senior Outdoor Education students enjoying the high country on a snow trip to Falls Creek and our Year 10 Drama students being exposed to live theatre in Melbourne. In addition, some Year 11 students have returned inspired and energised by a life changing experience on the Timor-Leste Immersion and our Year 10 students were enlightened by the myriad of career opportunities on another extremely successful Year 10 Careers Camp. Tremendous thanks to the staff who give so generously of their time and effort, often well and truly above the call of duty, to provide such marvellous opportunities for our students.

Subject Selection Process

We are about to enter ‘subject selection season’ where students across most year levels will choose their subjects for next year. This is a massive undertaking for our school and numerous staff work tirelessly to offer incredible opportunities, communicate to families and counsel students into appropriate courses. While it can seem complex and confusing, please remember staff are available to assist and guide you through the process. Ultimately students should try and keep it simple - What do I like? What do I need for my career direction? What subjects am I good at? The subject selection process really begins in earnest this week and intensifies at the Senior School Information Evening and Expo (for current Year 9 and 10 students) on Monday July 30, beginning at 6.30pm. We look forward to seeing you there.

Sabbatical Week

We are currently in the middle of our annual Staff Sabbatical Week. This is a special week for our staff as we take time to reflect, and to foster, nourish and nurture our personal spirituality. It is a week of exploring what it means to be part of a Catholic community. This will include our Staff Spirituality Day on Thursday which is a Student Free Day. On this day, together with the staff of St. Augustine’s Kyabram, we will have the privilege of listening to Fr Timothy Radcliffe O.P. Father Timothy is a Dominican friar of the English Province, ordained as a priest in 1971 and former Master of the Order of Preachers from 1992-2001. He speaks regularly around the world on a range of issues and is the author of a number of books, the latest of which is “The Hope That is Within You”. With this in mind, during the day he will help us explore the concept of hope, one of core values and the value that has been our focus during 2018.

Sunday’s Gospel

Last week’s gospel reading has particular resonance for us as educators. The reading is a prelude to the famous story of the feeding of the crowd, where Jesus turns five loaves and two fish into a bounty to feed five thousand people. In the gospel passage before this, the people were “like sheep without a shepherd” so Jesus “began to teach them many things”. Symbolically Jesus first feeds the crowd with his teaching and only later with the real food. It reminds us of the famous proverb, “Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day. Teach a person to fish and you feed them for a lifetime”. In many ways this is our calling as educators.

Grant Kemp and Kirrilee Westblade,

Acting Co-Principals