Principal's Report

Dear Parents and Carers,

As I write my Principal’s Message for the end of Term 3, it is with the noise and laughter of our students in the quad playing handball. How wonderful to hear their voices and have our students and staff back onsite. It was a long 5 weeks and it has been incredibly pleasing to see how well our students have returned to school. The students have been incredibly good at following the Level 3 restrictions to ensure the safety of our community and I thank them for supporting us in this endeavour.

This week we started the process of electing the Student Leaders for 2021/2022. It is always great to see so many students nominate for these positions. The student Leadership team comprises 10 positions - College Captains (2), College Vice Captains (2), Faith and Service Captains (2), Arts Captains (2) and Sports Captains (2). The Leadership Team will be announced when students return in Term 4. We will then in Term 4 call for nominations for House Captains. 

The speeches from the students were very reflective and talked about the characteristics of leadership - trust, honesty, fun and service. As always, I was very impressed with the calibre of all the students’ speeches and, although many were nervous, they were also quietly confident and strong.  

The Faith and Service Captains are only a recent addition to the teams having started in 2018. It is incredibly pleasing to see how many students nominate for this position and it is a very special and important one in our community.

We are called to not only have faith in God but also to serve others. We talk to our students about the concept of ‘servant leadership’ epitomised by Jesus Christ. The Second Reading at Mass last Sunday was from the letter of St James and it reads - 

If good works do not go with it, faith is quite dead

Take the case, my brothers and sisters, of someone who has never done a single good act but claims that he has faith. Will that faith save him? If one of the brothers or one of the sisters is in need of clothes and has not enough food to live on, and one of you says to them, ‘I wish you well; keep yourself warm and eat plenty’, without giving them these bare necessities of life, then what good is that? Faith is like that: if good works do not go with it, it is quite dead.

Our Catholic tradition has embedded in it the notion of service, of looking after each other and working together for the common good of all. Sometimes in our day to day life, we might forget what a simple act of kindness has the power to do. A smile, a friendly wave, a kind word, a thankyou, all have the power to change a person’s day. I think this is something we can think about as we continue to live in a world of much uncertainty. Many people are feeling vulnerable and scared, many are missing loved ones and are worried about friends and family in hot spots. I encourage you to take this message of service and spread some joy in our community.

What a term! Five weeks of onsite learning and 5 weeks Connected Learning at Home. Well done everyone. I hope our students have a safe and restful holiday. Students return for Term 4 on Tuesday 5th October in full summer uniform.  

What new learning will you undertake this week?

Regina Menz