Principal's Post

Dear Parents,

6500 interviews were conducted this week and overall, while arduous, hopefully a positive experience for the majority of our families and staff was experienced. At the moment people are annoyed, frustrated, angry and sad. Thank you for your positivity and appreciation that was communicated to staff through the process. As much as we need to encourage our students, it is important to recognize the efforts and support of our parents and our staff. Efforts to run standard timetables and routines has been our plan from the first lockdown and it seems to be the best way we can achieve positive outcomes educationally and pastorally. The concept of detention classes for students to catch up with class time and work commitments is one of those routines necessary to keep minds focused and accountable. It is not personal, it is maintaining good practice amid adversity.

We are continuing to investigate the VIA Character Strengths as part of our Visible Wellbeing Programme. Last week Fr Harry constructed a PowerPoint investigating the character strength of Spirituality. Hopefully some of the ideas will be a source of inspiration and reassurance for your son. The link can be accessed: https://mazcom.mazenod.vic.edu.au/homepage/14624

This week we investigated the Character Strength of Perspective which comes for the virtue category of Wisdom. One of the slides on this week’s PowerPoint listed ten ways to build perspective. 

Ways of building perspective

1.           Listen to people and their ideas

2.           Ask more questions

3.           Spend time with new people

4.           Read more broadly

5.           Be curious and notice things

6.           Embrace new experiences

7.           Be less judgmental

8.           Be optimistic

9.           Challenge yourself and your ideas

10.         Accept change

Our Intermediate Public Speaking and Debating competed online for the ACC Championships this week. Our Public Speaking Team came Runners Up to St Joseph’s Geelong and our Debating Team won the 2021 Intermediate Championship. A sign of the times, we were sent a temporary banner, to acknowledge their accomplishment. Congratulations to the boys involved (listed below) and thanks to Mateo Acosta Fernandez from Year 12 who mentored the students under the direction of Mr Jed Harrington. Brilliant results for both teams. 

Intermediate Public Speaking:

Ryan Peiris

Roberto Di Giovine

Antonio Di Giovine

Aditya Krishna Moorthy

Avinda Wickramaratne

Thisal Pasqual

Intermediate Debating:

Terron King

Nicholas Caciolo

Walter Wright

Jayden Loi

Collins Austin

Joshua Wilton

Our Senior Chess students dominated the 2021 ACC Chess Championship. Mr Noel Jenkinson has provided the details of their stunning victory. Three Mazenod Teams were entered in Division 1 and they finished first, second and sixth. A stunning result which Mr Noel Jenkinson has elaborated on in this newsletter. Congratulations to all involved.

This Saturday we are starting our interviews for Year 7 2023 Students. Applications continue to arrive which is a very healthy situation for the College, but we are very concerned that some of our families, who have students at the College already, have not processed applications for their sons in Grade 5. This can cause unnecessary duress when offers are made, places have been filled and late applications arrive. 

Yours sincerely,

Mr Tony Coghlan

Principal