From the Principal
Dear Parents, Guardians, Students, Staff and Friends of St Norbert College,
Our monthly College assemblies always showcase and acknowledge the vast array of talented students in our Community. Last week was no exception, the focus being on the College value of Adaptability. Within that assembly, we also celebrated Book Week with a number of our staff and Year 11 and 12 students coming to school dressed as one of their favourite book characters.
As some of the photos in this newsletter depict, the College Leadership Team came dressed as the characters from the much loved 1900 classic by Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Those who have read the book would recall that the Lion seeks courage, the Scarecrow is after brains and the Tin Man wants a heart.
In my address to the assembled students and staff, I shared what I believed to be the unheralded strengths of the character Dorothy, so warmly played by Ms Rainford at our assembly. Dorothy is the epitome of friendship and kindness, a selfless attitude towards others, focussing all of her energies helping the other characters achieve their goals and in so doing, putting her hopes and dreams of returning home on the back burner.
I think that our students are very lucky because, like the Lion, the Tin Man and the Scarecrow, in this one place of Saint Norbert College alone, our students have 96 staff who are like Dorothy – staff who put the goals and dreams of our students central to all that they do here. We always put the best interests of our students at the forefront of every decision we make. This is not to mention the wonderful support our students get from their peers and from family and friends outside of school.
In light of this, we were delighted to be able to recognise and raise awareness this week of the R U OK? campaign. As stated on the organisation's website, “this day is all about raising awareness about suicide prevention and understanding that a conversation could change a life. The R U OK organisation tries to inspire and empower everyone to meaningfully connect with the people around them and start a conversation with anyone who may be struggling with life”. Our thanks must go to Miss Sarah Gardner (Head of Kilnacrott) and Mr David Yeoh (College Psychologist), who along with a host of our Student Representative Council members, were active in the promotion of this important day.
Our College motto, being “prepared for all good works”, will be ever-present on overseas shores in the coming weeks as Ms Margaret Kyd and staff lead a group of Year 10 and 11 students (pictured above) on our very first Indonesian Immersion. The opportunity to share our time, talents and treasure is an immeasurable gift and a visible and tangible example of faith in action. We wish our team all of God’s blessing for safe passage, work and return.
| Students | Staff |
Liam Baxter Alicia Bertinat Ruby D’Castro Juliana De Veyra Chloe Hewitt Sydney Midgley Janista Naokhunthot Shakira Pezzali Ashton Perkins Chloe Reder Jack Wheeler | Colette Miranda Laura Alban Patrick Ah Fong Fran Drummond Hay Margaret Kyd |
God bless.
Mr S Harvey (Principal)
College Presentation Night – Brother Patrick Doolan O Praem Award
The College Presentation Night will be held at the Perth Concert Hall on Monday 28 October. This is a compulsory event in the College calendar, so please plan ahead. One of the awards presented on this evening is the Br Patrick Doolan O Praem Award. In honour of the memory of Br Patrick Doolan O Praem, who passed to eternal life in January 2006, a medal carrying his name is presented annually to a member of the College staff who has given outstanding service to the College. We invite parents and students to nominate a staff member whom they believe fits the “outstanding service” criteria. Written nominations should be lodged with Mrs Angela Hughes by Friday 18 October 2019.
Fr Peter O’Reilly Scholarship
A reminder to all of our Year 10 families that applications are open for the Fr Peter O’Reilly Scholarship, a needs-based scholarship available to Year 10 students enrolled at the College that covers 100 per cent tuition fees for Years 11 and 12. Applications open on Friday 23 August and close on Friday 18 October 2019. Details are available from Student Reception or by clicking on this link to the College website;