Principal's Message

Dear Parents/Carers,

Our Lenten Journey Towards Easter

In these final weeks of Lent we are focusing on our journey towards the great celebration of Easter through community prayer and reflection. In their Houses, our students have been doing an amazing job of fundraising for Project Compassion and I am very proud of their generosity and compassion towards those who have so much less than ourselves.

Next week is Holy Week and we remember God’s love for us and look forward to the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus. We Christians today are summoned to live, proclaim and celebrate Jesus’ victory over death by resisting all those forms of death and violence that saturate our society and not only unjustly take the lives of innocent people, but can desensitise our spirit and damage our belief in freedom and justice for all. The Resurrection announced that human values cannot be extinguished by violence or death; no one can be forgotten.

Here and now, God holds onto the lives of all the departed including the lives that have been wasted, violently cut short, damaged by oppression. All have worth in God’s sight. There are constant hints of resurrection in our daily lives, foretastes of our ultimate resurrection. These are found daily in our downs and ups, our sorrows and joys, our worries and relief, our disappointments and successes.

Easter Sunday will offer us all an opportunity to celebrate all our small, personal “resurrections” and unite them with Jesus’ Resurrection. It offers us renewal to be people of faith, hope and love in our home and in our community.

“Lord, in this Holy time we pause to remember that your light can never be extinguished. Help us to believe in this truth so that we may live lives that display your continual illumination in the world. We pray that this Easter we may become more like you. Help us to develop an inner strength that is capable of handling life’s challenging situations. Help us to provide a place in our heart where you reside. Amen.”

This Easter season, may you feel joy in the presence of Jesus and I pray that the love of God is resurrected, reborn and renewed in your heart.

St Patrick and St Joseph

On 17 and 19 March we celebrated the Feast Days of two well-known saints whose lives and examples have much to offer us as models of faith and service. St Patrick's Day is celebrated world-wide today and serves as a tribute to Ireland and one of its patron saints, St Patrick. Many Australians remember our Irish settlement and culture on St Patrick’s Day. St Patrick wasn’t born Irish but he has become an integral part of the Irish heritage. His services across Ireland in the 5th century are said to have brought religion to the country. Legend also has it that St Patrick used a shamrock in his preaching to explain the Holy Trinity.

St Joseph was also a man of great spirit and faith. His example to us is seen in his listening to the word of God and his courageous response. We can see from his actions in scripture that Joseph was a compassionate man, and obedient to the will of God. He also loved Mary and Jesus and wanted to protect and provide for them.

Year 7 2018

We have had very strong interest in places for 2018. Any family who has not yet booked an enrolment interview for Year 7 2018 should contact Mrs Michelle Clarke at the College. Final interviews are being scheduled now and first round offers will be made on 15 May.

Easter Liturgy

As we move towards the last week of Term 1 next week, I warmly invite parents/carers to our Easter Liturgy. On Friday 7 April our College community will gather for a prayerful reflection on the Passion of Jesus, led by Mrs Gill, staff and students. After announcing the total funds raised for Project Compassion during Lent, the gathering will conclude with the drawing of the Easter Raffle, which is again being expertly coordinated by Mrs Bright and offers a large number of delicious prizes. I would like to thank Mrs Bright and all our families who have donated Easter Eggs and purchased tickets. Please continue to support this appeal; your generosity will raise desperately needed funds for St Vincent de Paul to support the work of Micah House.

NAPLAN

Parents/carers of Year 7 and Year 9 students are reminded that the NAPLAN tests will take place in May and are are asked to read important information regarding the tests here.

ANZAC Day

This year ANZAC Day will occur during the school holidays. We encourage our students and families to commemorate the day by attending the Dawn Service and the ANZAC March on Tuesday, 25 April. As well, our College community will hold an ANZAC Liturgy during the first week of next term to remember and to give thanks for the sacrifices made by servicemen and women 100 years ago.

"They shall grow not old,

as we that are left grow old; 

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them."

Lest We Forget

Term 2 Dates

Staff will be engaged in Professional Learning on 24 and 26 April.

The Uniform Shop will open for normal term hours on Wednesday, 26 April. 

Boarders are welcome to stay at the Boarding house during the day of the 26 April if needed.

School resumes for all students on Thursday, 27 April. Parents/carers are reminded that there is no Professional Learning Day on the Friday of the long weekend in June, as has occurred in recent years. There will be normal classes on Friday, 9 June for all students.

Staff News

• I thank Miss Leahy who has been with us this term for her contribution to the College, replacing Mr Huckel, who will be back after the holidays.
• Mrs Morton concludes her time at Mater Dei at the end of this term. We thank Mrs Morton for her contribution to the College over the last 7 years as both a Maths teacher and Leader of Learning and Technology and send our very best wishes for her new teaching position in Gundagai.

Best wishes,

Mrs Val Thomas

Principal