From the Principal

Laureate Assembly- Recognising Excellence in Living the Four Pillars

The Laureate Assembly was held on Monday, 18th February in the Fr John Neill Gymnasium. Significantly, twenty four of the twenty six Year 12 boys from 2018 who achieved an ATAR of 90+ in their SACE results attended the assembly and were recognised by the School community and presented with certificates and medals to acknowledge their academic achievements.

The attendance of so many recent Old Scholars was significant and a true testament to the close connection that the boys  have developed over the years of education and community engagement during their time at Blackfriars. This importance of strong connections with peers and the fabric of our School is a well-researched, key protective factor for the mental health and wellbeing of young people and it is encouraging to witness and experience first-hand the value and strength of these relationships that the young men of Blackfriars have developed whilst at school.

The Dux for 2018 was Duy Minh Vu Tran with an outstanding ATAR of 99.45. He was presented with the Magnus Medal and the Nicholas Altman Book Prize. Duy follows in the footsteps of his brother, Minh Tam who was Dux of Blackfriars in 2017. In his acceptance speech Duy, spoke humbly and eloquently of his appreciation for Blackfriars, our teachers and support staff and for his family;

“ I really owe a lot to Blackfriars. From Year 8 through to year 12, I had always been privileged with great teachers. This is the perfect opportunity for me to say thank you, not just to the ones that have taught me, but to all teachers at Blackfriars. Because, teaching is a challenge. Sometimes the effort put in just doesn’t pay off. However, when it does pay off, the result is something beautiful. It’s called learning. As a part of their profession, teachers are always committed to and making sacrifices for the sake of learning. I also need to give a big shout out to the support staff. Most of the work they do is behind the scenes, so it often goes unnoticed. I believe they are more than deserving of some recognition.

I also have so much to give back to my family. From a young age, my parents have always wanted me to succeed in school. I am extremely pleased that I could make this a reality for them, but I can never thank them enough for everything they have done for me. I would also like to thank my older brother, Tam, for laying out the path for me throughout school and being my main source of pressure to do well. “

Duy was one of four graduates to achieve an ATAR of 99 or above. Joining him were Alessandro Papandrea, Randula De Zoysa and Alexander Muscat.  This places them in the top 1% of students in Australia.

The presence of our past student cohort of 2018 at the first major assembly of the year provides continuing boys with sincere inspiration to fuel their own goals and aspirations for the current year.  It allows us as a community to witness and acknowledge with pride, the successes and achievements of boys that reflects the dedication of both student and the support of teachers and families. Eight Year 12 boys from 2018 achieved Merit certificates in nine subjects with Sayed Mohammed Jawadi achieving two Merits, in Health and Religion Studies. Twenty-six students achieved an ATAR above 90,  an outstanding result.

House Shields 2018

De Vitoria House Captain, Peter Le and Mr Owen Stanborough, Head of House accepted the St Albert the Great Shield for Academic Excellence throughout 2018.

The House Shield for overall Sporting and Academic Achievement for 2018 was awarded to the combined Denifle and Jarrett Houses and accepted by Joseph Russell  and Kane Flanagan (House Captains) and Ms Anthea Osborne (House Head).

The Laureate Assembly also provided the opportunity for the 2019 Head Prefect, Declan Fitch-Woolford to speak to the assembled boys and encourage them to strive to great heights of personal achievement in 2019;

“ I can’t encourage you enough to aim high and pursue great things. For those of you that acted upon that straight away – congratulations, you’re three weeks closer to achieving your goal. For those of you yet to identify some personal ambitions or targets, it’s never too late to start working towards what you want to achieve. Start small, with something easy, so that when you get a taste of the small wins, you crave greater things.”

Declan also announced the Prefects and Student Leadership Group goals for our School improvement in 2019, being to actively promote mental health and wellness as the focus for the students and school community:

“ For that reason, and many more, our prefect group this year will be combatting the topic of mental health. We’re still in the early stages of refining exactly what plans will be made, but we aim to challenge the stigma around it and promote good mental health for everyone at Blacks. We want to bring home the messages expressed to us as a society and make a real difference to our community at Blackfriars.”

The Prefects met on Wednesday to finalise their action plans for 2019 and align their goals to the school calendar of events. Declan will make further announcements in the newsletter in weeks to come and I am confident that the Prefects will be strongly supported by the entire school community as they strive to provide support for the wellbeing of boys at Blackfriars.

In conclusion, congratulations to boys of 2018 for their outstanding achievements and for the inspiration they provide to our current boys to strive for “Veritas” and to live the pillars of Study/Prayer/Community and Service. As a Blackfriars community we wish all the graduates of 2018 success in their current and future endeavours.

Yours sincerely,

Mr Simon Cobiac

PRINCIPAL