Dear parents, friends, staff and students,

“And leaving the crowd behind, they took Him, just as He was…” (Mark 4: 35)

The above quote is the start of this week’s Gospel reading from St. Mark. This is certainly not the most important part of this Gospel, however, there is a theme here which resonates with the messages I have been giving to the students at this and the last college assemblies. The message here is that sometimes, we need to ‘leave the crowd behind’. At the last assembly, I asked the students to consider how they might take time in silence and solitude to reflect and rejuvenate. This idea, common to both the Marist and Carmelite charisms, gives us time and space to allow the Holy Spirit to enter our lives and give us the strength that we need to move forward. There is a phrase from the book of Psalms “Be Still and know that I am God” (Psalm 4:10) which reinforces this as a gifted opportunity. 

At today’s College Assembly, I spoke to the students about the need to ensure they have time to devote to what is needed in their lives. We often look at needing this time to be in ‘balance’, but the real need is for it to be in ‘harmony’. The simple difference between a life that is in balance and one that is in harmony is that our traditional belief of balance suggests all activities are constantly given equal time. This is in line with the eight-hour working day where it was argued that people need eight hours of sleep, eight hours of leisure and eight hours of work. Whilst the overall concept here is very important, the reality in our lives is that certain times need more attention given to specific tasks and this may leave less time for other things. For our students, there will be certain times of the week or the term where more energy and effort is devoted to their studies, for example prior to exams or major assessment tasks. This would need to be compensated for by less time in leisure. At other times, a person will need more time in leisure in order to regenerate. This often occurs at weekends or during holiday periods. In the long term, this harmony can be accomplished to ensure our work is completed when needed but we take time to stop and relax and reflect when this is needed. As the students head into the last week of term, I encourage them to keep working until the end and then ensure they take time to rejuvenate.

Last Friday we had our Champagnat Day celebrations. This was a great event, and I would like to congratulate the students and staff on their participation on the day. Thank you to all involved with the preparation and organisation on the day.

As part of the Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong Assistant Principal Performance and Development Plan Process, an Appraisal occurs for each Assistant Principal every four years. The Assistant Principal Appraisal process will be occurring for Mr David Cloran over the coming weeks and parents are invited to provide feedback. This feedback will form part of the appraisal to validate achievements and strengths, as well as identify areas for growth and development and future directions. Over the next few weeks, you will receive an email from Catholic Education, Diocese of Wollongong via Survey Monkey requesting that you complete a short survey. It would be appreciated if you are able to provide feedback for Mr Cloran’s appraisal.

On Tuesday I had the pleasure of attending the MISA Dance performance at Campbelltown Catholic Club. This event consisted of each MISA school presenting a seven-minute performance from their dance students. Our students were the first performance of the afternoon and I was very impressed with the choreography and skill. Thank you to the students and to Ms Asuit and Ms Whitworth for your organisation, coaching and support.

I have the pleasure of announcing three promotion appointments that occurred this week. Ms Ingy Mikhail has been appointed as the permanent Senior School Support Officer. Ms Chardonnay Miller has been appointed as Acting Curriculum Coordinator and Ms Monique Young has been appointed as the Assistant English Coordinator. I congratulate each of these staff and thank them for accepting these important positions.

Last week I notified you that you would receive an email asking you to agree to certain conditions should your child need to borrow a computer from the College. When students fail to charge their devices or these need repair, our technology assistants will sometimes offer a loan device. At the moment, we are still awaiting a number of parents to respond to this. I ask that parents please reply as soon as you are able.

Ite in Veritate

Mr Steve Lo Cascio
Principal