From the Principal

On the weekend I had a wonderful opportunity to reconnect to my older and only brother. Many of you would be aware that I have a very close family and this weekend I saw my brother for the first time in 5 years.  He flew in from Vienna to see my elderly parents in Queensland and hopped on a plane for a very short trip to see my family in Tasmania. WOW in five years so much had happened and changed but the very foundation of our love is still the same.  

I remember growing up in a busy family with my father working and studying and my mother caring for us.  I think it would go without too much argument that my brother was actually my mother’s favourite child (if there is such a thing).  I remember my brother getting into trouble and mum chasing him around the kitchen table, out into the garden in order to grab him and put him in time out. Needless to say, she never caught him and she ended up doubled over in laughter. Such was their relationship. My father, on the other hand, would question everything my brother did. Why did you choose that, that’s not going to work, how are you going to do that, and on the questions went…

My brother would say that this has not changed. Yes my mother no longer runs after him but she is still doubled over in laughter by his mischief and my father still asks lots of questions.

As a family, we have been so lucky to have grown up in a time when families spent weekends camping. As siblings, fights were frequent and I can remember on the way home from a bushwalking expedition my father pulling over on the side of the road and demanding the 3 older children get out and walk the rest of the way home. Yes, he did drive around the corner and wait patiently for us to walk to the car, and yes the fighting stopped in the back seat for the briefest of times.

So much of my youth was spent with my brother and two sisters. Not everything came easy, sometimes we felt compared to each other, we had to share bedrooms and hand me down clothes but now I can say that we are close - much closer than we were growing up. I did stop and wonder, where has the time disappeared.  My sister sent me a reflection (OliViral), a part of which states:

Barely the day started and…it’s already six in the evening.

Barely arrived on Monday and it’s Friday.

…and the month is already over.

…and already 40, 50 or 60 years of our lives have passed…..

And despite everything, we must continue to enjoy with serenity this time we have left. Let’s try to eliminate the afters…

I’m doing it after…

I’ll say it later…

I’ll think about it after…

We leave everything for later like “after” is ours.

Because what we don’t understand is that:

Afterwards, the coffee gets cold

Afterwards, priorities change

Afterwards, the charm is broken

Afterwards, health passes

Afterwards, the kids grow up

Afterwards, parents get old

Afterwards, promises are forgotten

Afterwards, the day becomes the night

Afterwards life ends

SO, let’s leave nothing for later…We can lose the best moments, the best experiences, best friends, the best family….

I did take the weekend to just be with my brother. We laughed, we reminisced and we were brother and sister, we were friends. From the past, fighting each other and fighting our parents, to the present - aged and wise. We laughed and we hugged and laughed some more. I hope that as we head towards Christmas, you have the opportunity to reconnect with family and friends, to experience the now and not wait for the “after”.

College Board

The College Board meets once a month during term time and supports the strategic direction of the College.  Our Board Chair, Mr David Ronaldson (community representative) is supported by a Deputy, Ms Yvonne Chaperone (Alumni) and members of the Board.  These members are Fr Shammi, Ms Catherine Vickers (parent), Mr Kurt Stephens (parent), Mr Robert Gard (Alumni) and Ms Kate Bentley (parent). The Board offers valuable support to the College and I am grateful for the work the Board at Mount Carmel do behind the scenes.  

At the commencement of 2023 both our Board Chair and our Deputy Board Chair, David and Yvonne, will step down after their term comes to a close.  The work that both David and Yvonne have done to lead the Board and to support the College has been immeasurable. I am deeply grateful for their ongoing support and commitment.  The process to find replacements will begin with the calling of nominations to the College Board early next year.