From the Principal

This morning, as a College community, we paused to commemorate our service men and women who have served and those who have died during wars and peacekeeping operations. Several of our Year 11 students led our Remembrance Day Service which was held at the flagpole and live streamed throughout the College. The service concluded with our National Anthem which was beautifully sung by Sienna Koop, Year 10. Later in the morning, it was a pleasure to accompany eight students, as representatives of the College, at the Mentone RSL Service where Mia Wilson and Vali D’Souza of Year 10, lead those gathered in the singing of the National Anthem. 

This week is National Recycling Week, which was established by Planet Ark 25 years ago.  Our Sustainability Leader, Dr Avitabile and our student sustainability leaders have a number of things planned at the College this week to educate and encourage our community to reduce the amount of waste they create by following the principle ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’. It is wonderful to see so many of our students actively committed to minimising their waste each day and encouraging those around them to do the same.

Congratulations to our “Scribble Works” team, comprised of six Year 9 students, on winning Best Book (VIC/SA/TAS Middle School division) in this year’s ‘Write a Book in a Day’ Competition! Their book titled How Not To Accept Your Dad’s Relationship is wonderfully written and illustrated and has had readers literally laughing out loud!  Congratulations to Caitlyn, Ella, Emily, Gabrielle, Kiara and Sophie on this outstanding achievement. We look forward to seeing future publications by Scribble Works and even more teams participating in next year’s ‘Write a Book in a Day’.

As the Unit 3/4 VCAA examinations begin to draw to a close, students in Years 9, 10 and 11 are preparing for the commencement of their end of semester examinations. These examinations will enable students to demonstrate their learning over the course of the semester, refine their revision techniques and practice their examination writing skills.  We wish all students the very best for their upcoming examinations.

While our Year 9, 10 and 11 students have been preparing for their exams our Year 8 students are eagerly counting down to their year level camp next week.  After their original camp was cancelled due to COVID restrictions they are very fortunate that we were able to secure these dates at Lord Somers Camp.  After their first two years of secondary school being so heavily disrupted, we are delighted that the girls have this opportunity to strengthen their connection as a year level. 

Peace Prayer of Saint Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:

where there is hatred, let me sow love; 

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

where there is sadness, joy.

Grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console,

to be understood as to understand,

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen.

Nicole Mangelsdorf

Principal