From the Principal

Dear Parents, Students and Friends of St Virgil’s College,

Ash Wednesday

The cycle of the Church year turns towards Lent and the 40 days of looking within – of reflection and retrospection in preparation for Easter and the great feast of the Resurrection. Life works in cycles, including through the flow of a school year and as a Catholic school we work those key moments from the Church’s cycle into the pattern of our year. On Tuesday, we marked Shrove Tuesday – the last day before Lent begins, starting with Ash Wednesday where we came together as a College community to celebrate our Catholic tradition. In all the great religions there are traditions of fasting and penance, to improve and free ourselves and to reconnect with the simple heart of our humanity – a temporary life on this earth that God has given us, to live and share with each other, as a precursor and path to eternal life. Ash Wednesday rituals can be participated in by all students in that spirit.

Student Leaders Commissioning

It was wonderful to see so many parents and carers in attendance at our Student Leaders Commissioning after several years of disruption due to COVID-19. The Commissioning was an opportunity to gather as a community, recognising and acknowledging our College leaders for 2023. This significant milestone for these young men called to leadership comes through the love and support of many people – parents, grandparents, family, and teachers. In my address to the students, I spoke about what it means to be a leader in a Catholic School in the Edmund Rice tradition. Leadership at St Virgil’s College takes inspiration from the Christian Gospels. Jesus said very little about leadership, except to condemn those who misused their position in society for the purposes of personal gain. Rather than talk about it, Jesus modelled leadership. His and all leadership in the Christian context must be focussed on service and inclusion and in that spirit, we congratulate the following young men on their appointment to these significant leadership positions.

Year 7 Information Evening 

This week’s Year 7 Information Evening provided an invaluable opportunity for parents to meet pastoral care teachers, and other key school staff. Although called an ‘information night’, and with plenty of valuable information imparted, the most important aspect of the evening was the chance to initiate conversations and build relationships between parent, teacher and student; relationships which may prove vital in the months ahead as boys and parents navigate the year. Things are not usually straight forward when it comes to young people and education, so knowing who to talk to and having the confidence to make contact when necessary are an indispensable part of school life. Thank you to the parents, students and teachers for taking time during a busy week to gather at the college to this end.

Year 11 Retreat

Building relationships at each year level through the pastoral care, house and leadership programs is an important aspect of school life. The Year 11 Retreat which will be held next week has been scheduled early in the year deliberately with this in mind, as faith development in the Catholic tradition is inextricably intertwined with developing relationships between people. How we treat others as the measure of a genuine faith in God is a bedrock message in the Gospels from Jesus. Retreats give time to the development of relationships within the context of deepening each individual’s understanding of self and God and will be something we will look to further develop across all year levels across the College.

Best wishes for the week ahead.

Jon Franzin 

PRINCIPAL