Principal's Update

Dear families,

It was great to be able to welcome back our Year 12 students and other students studying a VCE Unit 4 subject to onsite learning. I think I have mentioned previously that schools aren’t the same without students around, so it is fantastic having at least some learning taking place here even if it is only for a week.

Friday this week is our scheduled celebration of Founders’ Day. In normal circumstances on this day, we would have the whole school take part in Mass and this would be followed by an afternoon of special activities.

The Mass always has a focus around the charism of both Edmund Rice and Catherine McAuley and the part the Christian Brothers and Mercy Sisters played in the foundation of Trinity College.

Trinity College, as it is today, was the result of the original Trinity College, which began in 1967 and educated all boys, and St Joseph’s College, which was founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1888.

Following a trial period of unification between the two schools, the new constitution was formally adopted in 1984 and Trinity College Colac, as it is today, officially began. We continue to celebrate the values inherent in both Edmund Rice and Catherine McAuley, who both devoted their lives to helping and educating those less fortunate. 

This year our Founders’ Day liturgy will be conducted remotely and staff and students will view it after homeroom on Friday morning. Following the liturgy, the remainder of the day for Year 7-11 students is devoted to wellbeing and students having time off their screens and devices.

Following the liturgy there will be no formal classes for the students on Friday and no onsite supervision is available for students in Years 7-11. Our Year 12 students will be onsite and will view the liturgy in homerooms together. All Year 12 students will then be provided with morning tea before the scored VCE students sit their trial English/Literature examinations.

Staffing update

I would like to outline some staff changes that will be taking place at the beginning of Term 4. We have restructured the Learning Diversity area of the school, which will see Annie George taking full responsibility for all aspects of Learning Diversity from Term 4 onwards. I will be writing a separate letter to all families who have students funded under NCCD to explain the new structure in more detail.

At the beginning of Term 4 we will also be welcoming back Di Towers and James Fitzpatrick from leave. I would like to acknowledge and thank Jayne Cogger and Doug Bryt for all the work they have done to look after Di and James’ classes throughout this term.

Since the last newsletter we have had to postpone the Year 10 Top End trip until 2022. Details around the rescheduled trip will be sent to families once they have been confirmed.

Students who were on this year’s trip will get the first opportunity to sign up for the rescheduled trip and refunds will be organised for families of students who choose not to be part of the rescheduled trip. Once we know which students will and won’t be attending the trip next year, any additional spots will be made available.

We are currently in the process of arranging refunds for tickets purchased for our production of ‘We Will Rock You’. We are still hoping to provide an opportunity for the students to perform the show at least once, however, we are uncertain whether restrictions will allow any audience to be present.

Once we have more clarity about what will be allowed at the beginning of next term, we will be in a position to make some more definite decisions.

Vaccinations

I would like to thank Corangamite Clinic for their generosity in donating the time and resources to allow our Year 12 and Year 10 & 11 VCE Unit 4 students the option of receiving COVID 19 vaccinations onsite at Trinity College. Those families who hadn’t sourced an appointment elsewhere were very grateful for the opportunity provided by the clinic.

In particular, I would like to thank Miffy Shelton for offering the service and Dr Songnei Wu and the nurses who assisted her for donating their time to provide this service to our students.

After such a disrupted term, I wish all our families a safe and relaxing Term 3 holiday. Thanks to all our students and parents/carers for the way you all committed to and supported remote learning. We certainly hope that we are all back together on campus for the start of Term 4 and that remote learning quickly becomes a thing of the past.