From the Principal 

Dr Nicole Archard

Welcome to 2023

It was a beautiful experience to welcome our girls back for another school year last week. Like always, there was a lot of excitement when the girls saw each other for the first time (even though they may have seen each other only a few days prior). No doubt many of the Senior School girls have already told you about the refurbishment of the Mary Ward building and the Felicity Café. There is currently a significant amount of locker envy between the girls who have received a new locker in the Mary Ward building and those who have lockers in the other buildings; who knew a swipe card access to a locker was all that was needed to make our girls happy…you might like to consider this at home. 

We welcome you to the campus to have breakfast with your daughters in the Felicity Café from 7.30am to 8.20am, what a lovely way to build connections with your daughters as well as the College.

Loreto Year of Justice

This year is the Loreto year of Justice, each year all Australian Loreto schools rotate through the five Loreto values in order to focus on the one value for the year. To help in our understanding of the meaning of Justice, the Loreto Schools of Australia Mission Statement indicates the following: 

‘Educating for justice means helping people to recognise the inherent dignity of each individual and of the natural environment and to become aware of the rights and responsibilities of all. 

… our students will be people who are honest and fair in their dealings, who show empathy and respect for others without discrimination and whose lives include a real element of active and generous contribution to the community. 

…have a lively awareness of local and global issues, be strong and articulate on behalf of those who have no power or voice and passionately committed to the integrity of creation, to justice, peace and reconciliation in our world.’

Helping our girls to understand how to think and act justly will be our focus for the year, I encourage you to also engage in conversations with your daughters about Justice and what it means to you and your family.

Each year our student leaders meet from all the Australian Loreto Schools to write the prayer for the value of the year, following is the 2023 Justice Prayer from our student leaders to their school communities.

God of love,

Who teaches us to love without limits or borders,

to open our hearts to all.

Grant us the courage to be our true, authentic selves;

to be people who strive to listen, understand and empower others,

recognising our relatedness,

and the right of all to fulfil their God-given potential.

Help us to be open and loving,

and to celebrate the diversity of our communities.

May we unite in our common goal of justice for all,

and harness our capacity to affect long-lasting change

that brings your love to life in our world.

Guide us in our journeys to find our own voices

and empowering others to find theirs;

that together we may use our gifts

to promote justice in the wider community

and create respect for everyone’s inherent human dignity.

Inspired by Mary Ward,

may we answer the call to act wholeheartedly for genuine change

that responds to the needs of our time.

May we be constant, effective and loving,

so that we too may leave behind something on which others can build.

May we follow in Mary Ward’s footsteps

as seekers of truth and doers of justice.

In Jesus’ name and through the grace of the Holy Spirit, we say, Amen.

Dr Nicole Archard

Principal