Principal's Message

Dear Parent/Carer

‘Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. He replied to him, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

Luke 23: 35-43

We have had some wonderful events take place over the last few weeks which are cause for much celebration.

Our new Year 12, 2023 cohort came together for a retreat in Bonnie Hills. Over three days, Year 12 worked with College staff to explore their faith, develop stronger relationships with their peers and develop further skills in self-reflection, self-care and resilience. It was an excellent experience and I thank our staff for their input. For teachers to take time away from their families, demonstrates the commitment they have to our students and their holistic development.

On Saturday 12 November we welcomed our Higher School Certificate students for their Graduation Dinner. We catered for over 270 guests in our recently refurbished Edmund Rice Hall and the result was amazing. The P & F and the associated Graduation team transformed the hall to reflect the ‘Great Gatsby’ theme. The students looked amazing and the night was a resounding success. I thank all involved, especially Ms Di Mascord who took significant responsibility in setting up the evening and organising tables and other related matters.

This week we welcomed our Year 7 group for 2023. It was an Orientation Day that allowed the students to get a sense of the College, expectations around classes, equipment and the St Paul’s way! The students were excellent and our current Year 7 helpers were essential to the successful running of the day. I thank Ms Di Mascord and Mr Roger Shipton for all their work. The running of the day through the administrative organisation from Mr Geoff Melville and the Curriculum team ensured that the day would be well enjoyed.

We also received news that Ms Tess Meehan’s Year 10 class won the Green Innovation Award. This award was based around a competition involving many schools who needed to identify an environmental issue and determine a creative solution using collaboration and effective communication. The students progressed to the final and presented with the other finalists at Southern Cross University in Lismore. St Paul’s College prevailed and we are very proud of all the students involved.

This week our Year 10 students sat through a one-day workshop called ‘Lovebites’. This was a program focussing on healthy relationships, consent, respect and demonstrating dignity for others. It was very well received and it is hoped that it opened opportunity for further communication both in the playground and at home.

Finally, we commenced our examination period for Year 7-10 this week and I thank all the staff for their work in preparing and delivering these assessment opportunities. These will be marked and the results will be compiled with other evidence to determine a grade for end of year reports. I cannot emphasise enough the importance of continuing to have conversations with your child/ren about these examinations. By doing this, it demonstrates an interest in what is happening at the College and the ongoing value you place in learning and the development of strong educational outcomes.

Several months ago I approached the CSO to support an educational opportunity for myself requiring me to take leave across the last week of this Term. This was recently approved and I will be spending two weeks in Israel/Palestine visiting several schools and universities to learn about cultural/religious pedagogical differentiation as well as how faith based schools manage the challenges of a complex secular world. I am enormously excited about this and will remain until Christmas, which I will spend in Bethlehem. I am hoping to ZOOM into some classes while I am overseas. I am humbled to receive such support and will be thinking about you all across the time I am away.

Kind regards

Mr David JOHNS   B.Ed., Cert. Gifted Ed., Grad. Cert. Adol. Health and Welfare, M.Ed. (Ed Lead), M.Ed. (Theol) 

Principal

kmps@lism.catholic.edu.au