In last week’s newsletter, I outlined the events of this week which finished with the passion, crucifixion and death of Jesus. As I explained then, Holy week itself concludes with Jesus being laid in the tomb on Good Friday. This weekend however, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday. The resurrection is the most significant event in our faith. It is this resurrection that shows us that Jesus conquered death and gave back to us the hope of eternal life. In three days, He raised the temple of His body and did this under His own power and authority. It is this resurrection that is our message of salvation and the fact that God so truly loves us that he not only gave His only son, but He also gave us His full love and forgiveness. I have often said to the students that we are a people of Hope. When we make mistakes, stumble and fall, this is a normal part of the rhythm of life and this hope is a true value of our faith and sets us apart.

Today we held our Holy Thursday Liturgies. This is an opportunity for us to come together as a College community and to recognise and share some of the ceremonies and values that are important to our faith. Our students relayed the message of Holy Week and were able to paint a clear picture not only of the events but also of their importance to us. Congratulations to the students and staff involved in the setting up and presentation of this liturgy. 

At the start of this week, our Year 7 students attended their start of high school camp at Teen Ranch in Cobbitty. This camp encourages the students to get to know those that they have not yet had much of a chance to interact with, and also to challenge themselves with some individual and groupwork experiences. The camp involves one day and evening with half the year group and one day with the whole group. Thank you to the students who entered into these activities with enthusiasm and to the teachers who gave their time to interact with, and supervise, the students. A special thank you to Mr Withnall (Year 7 Coordinator) for your organisation and support. 

On Monday evening I attended the Campbelltown Council High Achievers’ ceremony. 31 of our HSC class of 2023 were invited to recognise their outstanding achievements in last year’s HSC. It was lovely to see them acknowledged with other students from the area and to receive a certificate from Dr George Griess the Mayor of Campbelltown. Congratulations to these students.

On Tuesday evening, Mr Huntly and myself accompanied three of our SRC to Wollongong to be present at the Chrism Mass. At this Mass, the priests renew their vows and the oils that will be used throughout the diocese over the following year are blessed. This is a very formal ceremony and we were honoured to be invited. Thank you to Jacob Ramos, Matias Rennert and Liam Tannoury for giving of your time to represent the College.

Over the next few weeks, parents, students and staff will be invited to participate in a range of surveys that will provide feedback on various areas of the College and Diocese. Each survey will have a specific focus (Teacher, College, Principal or Diocese). The first of these occurred last week for students as they gave us some of their ideas on their own classes (PIVOT survey). Next term we will be asking for information on the College through our annual ‘Tell Them From Me’ survey and the community will also be invited to provide feedback on my leadership as I undergo my appraisal toward the end of term 2. Next week, you will each be invited to respond to a survey being conducted by Catholic Education, Diocese of Wollongong (CEDoW) around the Wellbeing and student support that is offered. This survey link will be sent via Compass text, and I encourage all community members to provide feedback to these surveys to enable us to review and improve our practices.

A reminder that we are now accepting enrolment applications for Year 7, 2025. Applicants are encouraged to ensure all documentation is included with the application prior to it being lodged. The due date for applications is 2pm on April 12 (the last day of term 1). 

I wish you all a relaxed and Holy Easter weekend.