From the Principal

November 9 was a devastating day for the City of Melbourne. The attack in Bourke Street has made us question our safety. It has made us become suspicious of our neighbours and made us become apprehensive in our community. It was a very sad day. The death of Sisto Malaspina was a real tragedy; he was a man who was going to the aid of another. There is a real tension between what happened that day and what happened the days that followed. As a community, we were angry and wanted answers as to why such an attack can happen. And yet, our response to those that went to help and our response to the tragic death of Sisto showed so much love and compassion.  It is that love and compassion that we need to focus on.

Thursday night was a great night of celebration as we farewelled the Year 12 students at their Valedictory Dinner. It was fantastic to see so many smiling faces after the end of a busy and studious year. It was also wonderful to see the students celebrating with their family members.

I have no doubt that they are very grateful for all the support that they have received during their school life. As I mentioned at their Graduation ceremony, I hope that in partnership with their family, we have not only prepared them to make a living but have prepared them to live a life, a life that is full of love, joy, hope and compassion.

As we race towards the end of the year, I would like to thank the students for their hard work as they complete assessment tasks, exams and for our senior students who commence their VCE and VCAL studies. This is an important time of the term and it is imperative that students stay focused and studious. I encourage them to put in place a well-planned study routine and ensure that they eat well, exercise and get plenty of sleep.

I would like to thank the students and parents for their patience as we completed refurbishment of the Front Office and Giovanni classroom block during the school year. Both are now completed and the refurbishment has made a huge difference to the learning environment for our College community. Further in this newsletter, Noel Kennedy, Business Manager, has provided details in regard to our next building stage that we are hoping to commence in June 2019. This is an exciting project involving the refurbishment of the Pierce classroom block and the development of a College Cafeteria in the Finucane building.

Kate Dishon

Principal