From the Principal

Dear Blackfriars Community

The University of Adelaide Principals’ Scholarship 

The University of Adelaide offers a wide range of undergraduate scholarships to assist students during their study. These scholarships range from supporting students who may be financially disadvantaged, to students who demonstrate outstanding academic merit and community involvement.  

Of particular interest to Year 12 students and their Parents, is the University of Adelaide Principals’ Scholarships.  The University of Adelaide Principals’ Scholarships are valued at $5,000 for one year to assist with study and living costs.

Please follow the link to obtain further details regarding the scholarship:

https://scholarships.adelaide.edu.au/scholarship/ug/all/the-university-of-adelaide-principals-scholarships

Expressions of interest from Year 12 students are due to me by Friday 22 November, 2019.

Catholic Education Celebrates Aboriginal Student Achievement

Congratulations to Charlie Dunn and Luis Lawrie-Lattanzio who are completing their SACE at Blackfriars in 2019. I was honoured to join Charlie, Luis, their families and other Aboriginal students and families of Catholic Secondary Schools in South Australia at a special celebration on Tuesday 17 September at the Catholic Education Office.

Dr Neil McGoran, the Director of Catholic Education SA, praised the determination and efforts of all the Aboriginal students for their achievements and presented each student with a recognition award.

Dr McGoran also acknowledged the commitment of families and Catholic Schools in supporting Aboriginal students to achieve their academic and personal potential as learners; working towards developing and encouraging a community of indigenous and non-indigenous students that are unified in education and achievement.

On behalf of the Blackfriars community, I congratulate Charlie and Luis and wish them every blessing for their final school weeks and their future beyond our school.

Grandparents' Day

Last Friday, 20 September, I had the delight of meeting many, many enthusiastic and excited grandparents.  The annual Grandparents' Day is always a huge success, however this year, the number of grandparents was overwhelming and required a last minute flurry by staff to find enough chairs.

Thank you to all the grandparents for attending our special Grandparents' Day where the children are able to showcase what they have been learning and grandparents can meet teachers, staff and friends of their grandchildren.

Thank you also to Mr Frank Ali, Head of Primary and his team of staff who organised and facilitated this wonderful event. Well done!

It was an enjoyable morning and a heart-warming experience to see such a sea of faces, some young, some not so young, but all so happy.

International Student Recruitment

I am heading to Vietnam in the first week of October with the Adelaide Independent Schools Alliance (AISA).  AISA has fourteen member schools across Adelaide with Blackfriars is the sole single-sex boys school among their number.

On this occasion only three schools will be represented in Vietnam; Wilderness, Adelaide International School (Language School) and Blackfriars. The visit will present a unique opportunity for Blackfriars to be the focus for the education of boys.

Whilst in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City I will meet up to 45 international education agents to promote our Dominican, Blackfriars education for boys.  I will also visit five schools in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh and Hai Phong to present information to staff and students about the SACE, the city of Adelaide and the mission and vision Blackfriars.

Also, while in Ho Chi Minh City, I am looking forward to meeting with two Vietnamese families of current Blackfriars International students Chi Tin Ngo (Year 8) and Thien Dat Nguyen (Year 12).  This is a great opportunity to build a strong connection with their parents and siblings and to thank them for entrusting their son to Blackfriars for the purpose of gaining an authentic international education and Australian lifestyle.

Student Leadership 2020

Congratulations to the following boys who have been appointed to leadership roles for 2020. I am confident the appointed student leaders will continue to make a wonderful contribution to Blackfriars and leave a very positive legacy of committed and dedicated leaders.

Prefects

• Adriano Caiazza
• Harrison (Harry) Catley
• Julian Cornish
• Armon Houshmand
• Minh Khoi Peter (Peter) Le
• Gianni Macolino
• Thomas (Tom) Mears
• Ali Mohammadi
• Trung Viet (Trung) Nguyen
• Lucas Ryan
• Francis (Frank) Snelling
• Minh-Khoi Tran

YCS Captains

• Victor Lim
• Michael Nong

House Captains

• Ryan Ponte (Aquinas)
• Cooper O’Leary (Burke)
• Daniel Bui (Denifle)
• Daniel West (De Vitoria)
• Cornas Ling (Horten)
• James Wiebrecht (Jarrett)
• Edwin Watson (Lacordaire)
• Tristan Oakes (Lagrange)

House Vice Captains List

• Joseph Snelling (Aquinas)
• Ricky Le (Burke)
• Yemo Koo (Denifle)
• Lewis Saint (De Vitoria)
• Kevin Mach (Horten)
• Brandon Truong (Jarrett)
• Lachlan Sewart (Lacordaire)
• Daniel Ismail (Lagrange)

Term Conclusion