P&F FATHERS' GAMES AND PIZZA NIGHT

I thoroughly enjoyed meeting some of our Year 7 dads/father figures at last week’s P&F Fathers Night. It was a great evening where dads and their children shared some quality time with school peers. I thank the P&F and The Fathering Project for this fantastic and important initiative in connecting families and establishing relationships within our College community and our Parent Engagement Coordinator, Mrs Liza Baskovich, for her work in this area.

WHOLE SCHOOL ASSEMBLY

Today we held our Whole School Assembly in the RNDM Theatre, and I hope many of you had an opportunity to view this live-streamed event. Some highlights of the assembly were the presentation of a number of Pillar Awards and presentation of the Duncraig Lions Club Youth of the Year shield to Year 12 Trinity student, Ella West by Duncraig Lions' Service Coordinator, Mrs Carmel Ward. Ella was also acknowledged as a successful candidate by The Foundation for Young Australians' and Future Youth Australia’s Collective Imagining program. Ella was one of 50 young people selected across Australia to be involved this youth-led movement for a fair and flourishing future.

The theme of the Assembly was Reconciliation Week which commences on Friday 27 May. This follows National Sorry Day on Thursday 26 May. National Reconciliation Week is a time for all to learn about our shared histories, cultures and achievements. In my address to the students, I reminded them of what Sorry Day was about and read parts of Prime Minister Mr Kevin Rudd’s 2008 Apology to Australia’s Indigenous Peoples. I concluded with the challenge of this year’s Reconciliation Week theme: "Be Brave and Make Change". The full statement is available HERE.

LIFELINK APPEAL

On Thursday, 12 of our Young Vinnies members gathered to hear Archbishop Costello and Bishop Sproxton launch the annual LifeLink appeal. LifeLink consists of the Perth Archdiocese’s social justice agencies, such as The Shopfront and Centrecare. Archbishop Costello challenged the gathered students and staff to know who Jesus is, base our lives on his example and find concrete ways of supporting one another. LifeLink is a beautiful way to support those most in need. The College looks forward to these students developing creative ways to fundraise for these important organisations.

CARDEN FEAST DAY

Our Carden students and staff looked resplendent in their purple House shirts on Thursday as they celebrated Carden Feast Day. Carden House is named after Fr Robert Carden who was the full-time College Chaplain for 21 years and was the first male student to be enrolled at Sacred Heart College in Oakleigh, Victoria. I certainly enjoyed working very closely with Fr Bob during my previous time at the College and it is pleasing to see his legacy live on for generations to come.

BIGGEST MORNING TEA

Our hardworking Young Vinnies students hosted a Biggest Morning Tea at recess today to raise funds for the Cancer Council. Many in our community either know someone or have personally experienced cancer in their life. The funds raised today will go towards much needed research and support for this wonderful organisation.

HEALTH AND WELLBEING WEEK - SELF-COMPASSION

Next week is a four day week for students who will have a Pupil Free Day on Friday 27 May. Students are encouraged to reflect on self-compassion on this day and ask themselves "What does self-compassion look like for me?". Finding ways that positively impact your health and wellbeing has been proven to have long term effects.

Throughout Week 5, staff will be reminded about the importance of self-compassion. In order to take care of others effectively, we need to be reminded to take care of ourselves too. This is not always easy as we get caught up in day-to-day living. Amongst other activities, staff will be offered the opportunity to practise mindfulness before they commence their workday, and all will participate in a Health and Wellbeing workshop on Thursday afternoon. All staff will also be given the opportunity to help others by donating grocery items to our Young Vinnies group for distribution to various charities.

I thank our Health and Wellbeing Committee for their work in this area.

God Bless.

Mr Leo Di Gregorio

Principal

ACADEMIC PILLAR

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