PRINCIPAL'S PEN

Dear members of the Saints family,

Mixed emotions: elation, sadness, relief, uncertainty, nervousness, confidence, happiness, gratitude.

In the past week I have spoken to many of our Year 12s about how they may be feeling leading up to graduation and external exams. The common theme, besides a mix of feelings, was that they are ready. Ready on two fronts. Firstly, ready to take on external exams. And secondly, ready to leave school and move onto the next chapter of their lives. 

This readiness is a good thing. And while they may be ready to go, there is a real sense of gratitude and brotherhood among the gradating class of 2022. Probably the comment that made me think most, was from a Year 12 boarder. He said, "I think I am now realising that I may have taken this for granted".

I do believe the young men of St Augustine’s are ready. We have equipped them, in partnership with parents, with a moral compass. In my address to the school during the valedictory assembly, I spoke about milestones. An excerpt of the speech is below:

“On your milestones this day, remember that written on them are the names of your St Augustine’s brothers. Written on the milestones are your values, the words of the Sub Tuum and Great Man of God. On your milestones are written the names of your parents and teachers. You have graduated from St Augustine’s and written on that milestone is that you are still part of the Marist family, and it is etched in stone”. 

I went on to say that if they are lost, refer to the milestone and what is engraved upon it to point them in the right direction. Equipping our graduates with a moral compass is a vital aspect of what we do. We strive to make the young men at St Augustine’s good Christians and good citizens. We strive and hope to produce young men with strong minds and gentle hearts.

At the Graduation Dinner the challenge put to our young men was to take what they had learned and go and make the world a better place. The passage below, attributed to Pope Francis, captures this nicely. 

Rivers do not drink their own water;

trees do not eat their own fruit;

the sun does not shine on itself and flowers do not spread their fragrance for themselves.

Living for others is a rule of nature. We are all born to help each other.

No matter how difficult it is…life is good when you are happy; but much better when others are happy because of you.

I will leave you with two quotes from Mr Jason Thomson at the Graduation Dinner and outgoing College Captain Jesse Neilson, who summed up the Pope's challenge well. Mr Thompson, in his reply to the toast to the parents, said, “Go out and do good in the community”. And this was also nicely captured by Jesse when he said, “Let’s go into the world and show what Saints men can do”.

I am very confident in the knowledge that this is exactly what our young men will do.

Best wishes and God bless the graduating class of 2022.

Photos from Graduation are on the Parent Portal. Click on the image below to see them.