Mission & Identity 

• Chapel Mass
• Year 12 Retreat Day #2
• Year 10 Reflection Day #3

Chapel Mass

A special thank you to Ms Zervakos' Year 9 Religion class for hosting our Chapel Mass this week. Fr Jim was able to elaborate on the readings from St Paul that spoke about how humans are spiritual beings. While we are made up of atoms - as humans we are more than this. We are capable of feeling emotions and experiencing the Holy Spirit in our lives.

We look forward to our next Chapel Mass on 15 September that is to be hosted by Mr Di Sano's Year 8 Religion Class 5.

Year 12 Retreat Day 2

Today, Year 12 have completed their second day of our re-designed Year 12 Retreat Program for 2020.

Our guest presenter, old-boy Anthony Bradstreet, and the Year 12 staff created a meaningful retreat experience for the young men. They should be able to look back at this day as a pivotal experience for themselves as they close in on the conclusion of their secondary education. Look to our next issue of Woodchatta for photos and reports from the day.

Year 10 Reflection Day #3

As with most of our daily lives, the Year 10 Reflection Day program was disrupted this year due to government restrictions.  In saying this, our Day 3 program, “A Day of Hope” led by renowned presenter Glen Gerreyn was able to go ahead as planned on Friday 28 August.

Our day of hope commenced with the application of the parable of the sower to the lives of the young men of Year 10. Those seeds that fell on the good soil, took root and flourished. Year 10 were reminded that this year for them is a Year of Maturity, a time to grow in readiness for their white shirt and place of leadership in the College. All the help that Year 10 receive from teachers, parents and friends is useless unless the soil (themselves) is right and prepared in readiness for what lays ahead. 

Glen Gerreyn set to present for each boy a vision – as a vision is long lasting. He stressed that he was not a motivational speaker – as motivation is only brief and falls away as time passes. It is the vision that one makes for themselves that keeps them going in the face of adversity and when failure (that will occur) happens. Some home truths that the boys heard included the line that they should not confuse routine with commitment, that talk is cheap and that hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard. Glen was able to keep the young men focussed using contemporary and well known people in the world to prove his point, these included: Nelson Mandela, Michael Jordan, Serena Williams and even his own thirteen year old daughter as examples. 

Each young man was asked to go home and act while the passion and hope for their future was still at the forefront of their minds. It would be interesting to note how many created their “vision board” whether electronically or using a notice board to show for themselves what they are striving for each day with their studies.

Mr Nathan Mulheron - Assistant Principal, Mission and Identity