Dear Parents and Carers,
Today’s trial return for our Year 11s went very well. It was great to see so many smiling faces and the boys were looking very smart in the new uniform. We look forward to welcoming back our Year 12s tomorrow and then each respective year level next week.
The College Leadership Team, Heads of House and Year 11 teachers welcomed the boys back at a short assembly in the gymnasium (200 chairs, socially distanced well). The prayer I shared with them was in celebration of Edmund Rice Day, 5th May.
Creator God, on this special day of celebrating the vision and work of Edmund Rice, we pray as one.
Help us to look out our window and see those most in need in our community. Let us clean our own lens so that we look out through love, with love and to love. Bring clarity to our vision and purpose to our action.
Inspire us to always choose courage over comfort, choosing for the good of all, not some. Guide us to pay attention to the personal story of each individual, fostering the respect, honesty and compassion that help transform lives. Help us to always remember that providence is our inheritance.
For Edmund and for us, precious moments are experienced in our ordinary encounters. Here we get a glimpse of the extraordinary that we can store in our hearts and share at any time. Through these moments may we stay connected to you, our loving Creator, and give generously from what we have for the good of others.
May we, in each of our own families and communities continue to enjoy the prayerful quiet and resolve learned over the past few weeks.
May we, in each of our own families and communities, be open to the spirit of Blessed Edmund moving in our midst to bring simplicity, humour, humility and warmth to the relationships we share.
VE Day
At the assembly, I also spoke to the boys about another important anniversary celebration this week. VE Day celebrates 75 years on 8th May. Victory in Europe Day marks Germany’s official surrender in Europe. The official end of the global war came several months later after the US dropped two atomic bombs on Japan.
I spoke about life throwing challenges at each of us throughout our lives. British theatre actor and manager-turned-soldier, Colonel John Counsell, had a challenge thrown at him on VE Day. He was asked by Allied Commander General Eisenhower to draft the surrender document in one and a half hours.
Counsell was a good theatre writer, but he had never written a surrender document the lives of hundreds and thousands of people across many countries at stake. He accepted the challenge and the surrender went ahead. In his autobiography, fifteen years later, it dawned upon Counsell the significance of the challenge he was set on that particular day. ‘There was no time or way around the issue, lives were at stake and I had to face the challenge in front of me and play my part.’
COVID-19 has certainly presented us all with a challenge, and how we respond to that challenge is important for the health and safety of our community. Edmund’s prayer (above) gives us a good roadmap of how to face our current challenges by bringing simplicity, humour, humility and warmth to the relationships we share throughout our community – and, of course, good hygiene practices.
Mother’s Day
On behalf of the College, I wish all mothers, step-mothers, aunties, grandmothers and female carers a collective Happy Mother’s Day. Mother’s Day will be a bit different this year, but I hope you have a lovely day and know that we appreciate the large impact you have, and the role you play in educating and caring for your sons and daughters. At school, we see first-hand the significant support and energy you put into the safety, care and love of your sons. Happy Mother’s Day.
Sustainability
Congratulations to Ms Emily Pace who has replaced Ms Patricia Alborough for 2020 as our sustainability coordinator. This week, she is encouraging our community to embrace International Compost Awareness Week. If you are a Waverley Council resident, they are currently offering 80% discount on Worm Farms and Composting bins through their website. To be eligible you only need to take a quick tutorial and quiz: https://
The College is aiming to increase our composting of food scraps around the school this year to reduce our waste output.
Principal’s Awards
A Principal Award is received once a student has earnt three Gold Awards. Gold Awards are awarded after receiving five Blue Merits, which are awarded in recognition of any form of good effort, behaviour, achievement or service.
Congratulations to the follow Principal Award winners, who were announced at this week’s online College assembly:
Angus Anthony | Year 10
Pablo Berdaa | Year 10
Jackson Cunningham | Year 10
Cade Lacey| Year 10
Zac Wilde | Year 10
Cass Martin-Newbould | Year 11
I would also like to congratulate the Summer Co-Curricular Award Winners. For more details please read the report below.
