Director of Identity 

Throughout the beginning of this chilly winter term, we have been surrounded by living examples of our Touchstones, the foundation of what it means to be a Catholic school in the Edmund Rice Tradition, and through which we are able to authentically experience our College Values.

Gospel Spirituality 

On Monday we celebrated the Feast of Saint Mary MacKillop of the Cross. Mary MacKillop was an ordinary woman who lived an extraordinary and unconventional life, devoting herself to God and providing a Catholic education for children from rural and poor families. As a woman of faith, courage and hope, she triumphed over adversity and obstacles, responding with remarkable strength to the needs of others arround her. She founded the order of the sisters of St Joseph and together they provided religious education, regardless of the faith affiliation of their students, and accepted no money from the government, remaining open to all and accepting only what tuition parents could afford. This was quite controversial for the time and even although she and the Josephite sisters were criticised and marginalised by many in the powerful South Australian establishment they remained true to their vows of poverty, dependence on divine providence, no ownership of personal belongings, faith that God would provide and always a willingness to go wherever they were needed. In this way St Mary Mackillop and the sisters of St Joseph embody our College Value of Integrity.

Liberation Education

Last Friday we gathered to play our annual Treaty Match in front of visitors from EREA, the OVA, Parents and Friends, our RAP Working Group and members of the Tasmanian Aboriginal Community. Our staff and students gathered in the Quad to acknowledge the handshake treaty that George Augustus Robinson made with the leader of the Northeastern Pairrebeenne clan, Mannalargenna on 6 August 1831. The Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony was led by palawa woman Janice Ross and Elder Uncle Dougie Mansell, who treated us to two of his well-known Aboriginal ballads. Then it was time for Kevin Anders’ Kool Kangas (White Team) to take on Michael Farrel’s Mighty Minkes (Blue Team) as they headed out into the wet to play hard with corageous hearts in the spirit of reconciliation, enjoying Mannalargenna’s reputation for powerful storms and thunderous rain. 

As a result of our ongoing truth telling curriculum, and special days like Treaty Match, our students and staff are learning about the dispossession and resistance of Aboriginal people in the history of lutriwita trowunna Tasmania since colonisation and the many ways in which this still affects the palawa pakana peoples of today. Treaty Match is a living example of our College Values of Learning and Justice.