Welcome back to all members of our community for the start of 2022. I would like to extend a special welcome to our Year 7 students (the class of 2027), our new students in Years 8 – 11 and the families who are joining our community for the first time. You are all very welcome and we look forward to working with you over the coming years.

This Sunday’s Gospel (Luke 5: 1-11) is the story of Jesus preaching on the Lake of Gennesaret and then moving to the middle where He instructs the apostles to cast out their nets. The haul they bring in is so great that it threatens to sink the boats. In the subsequent exchange with Peter, Jesus uses the phrase: “Do not be afraid”. This is a recurring expression and theme in many of the Gospel stories and it is consistently relevant to our modern world. There are times when we might feel overwhelmed and unable to cope with the circumstances surrounding us. At the start of a new year, for many students it is normal for there to be the excitement of returning to their friends and to more difficult challenges around their learning but some anxiety toward the unknown. In our current world, this is added to by the fears around COVID and how we might navigate safely around it. We can regularly come back to this message; “Do not be afraid”. Jesus did not ask the apostles to give up or blindly accept their fate. He encouraged hard work and thoughtful actions but reminded them; “do not be afraid”. 

Late last week I sent a letter to every family welcoming our new staff and giving some details around our HSC results. We have once again been blessed by the quality of those joining us and encouraged by, and proud of, the achievements of our class of 2021. With 74 band 6 results and 16 students with ATARs over 90, our students have again been at the pinnacle of results in the Macarthur and across our diocese. The hard work of the students and staff certainly paid off during a difficult COVID year. We welcomed our 2021 HSC students back for a BBQ and celebration when the results were released and had around 50 students join us on the day. Further details of these great results will appear in Ms Miller’s section of the newsletter.

During the first week of the year, we were able to hold two half-college assemblies. This allowed us to come together as a community and celebrate our return and reflect on our goals whilst still remaining within COVID safe directives. I addressed the students and outlined our theme for the year encouraging them to “find their spark”. I used the imagery of the initial striking of a wooden handle upon a brass bowl that helps to create a humming sound. This initial strike is the thing that turns a humble bowl into something of beauty. This spark is what can make all the difference for our students to find what they need to reach excellence. 

As you would be aware we have now distributed the Rapid Antigen Test kits that have been supplied by the NSW government. These kits will enable all staff and students to be tested twice weekly for the COVID virus. I thank the staff who re-packed 5000 tests in 1 ½ days to ensure that each student could receive their pack of four tests. They then manned our drive-through from 7 am – 3 pm over two days (16 hours) to provide the maximum opportunity for parents to collect these with little waiting or impact. This process was efficient and effective and almost 4000 tests were distributed in this way. I thank the staff for their dedication and for the parents for your flexibility and understanding. We will continue to monitor and take advice from Catholic Education, Diocese of Wollongong, Catholic Schools NSW and the relevant health authorities. The College has been continuing to promote safe practices and I ask parents to reinforce these expectations with your children. Further details on COVID requirements will appear in Mr Cloran’s section of this newsletter.

The impacts of current restrictions have unfortunately also resulted in the need for us to postpone or cancel a number of events that we would normally host at the start of a year. This year, our Year 11 information evening will again be moved to a digital distribution. The Year 7 parents’ Meet and Greet will be postponed and at this stage our Opening Mass is being redesigned to attempt to provide two ‘half colllege masses’ on different days and our High Achiever’s ceremony will occur in front of a smaller audience. We are still planning for our Year 7, 2023 information evening on Feb 28 but will notify the community as we get closer.

Thank you all for the settled beginning to 2022 and for your support of our processes.

Ite in Veritate